When is Leading by Example Important?

I might say that all the time setting the leadership example is important.  Leading by example does not mean that you need to know everything about everything.

If you are setting a safety example then you should follow the rules which are set for everyone.  If you expect people to hold the railing when walking up and down the stairs, then you must do it.  If you are expecting people to keep their eyes on their path, whether walking or driving then you must.

Leading by example is not doing everything for everyone, but it is finishing your work on time and setting personal deadlines.  It is keeping your appointments.  It is being open to listen to other opinions.

If you expect others to be honest and admit their mistakes, then you must admit your mistakes. If you expect people to show up to work every day and on time, then you must do the same.

Set a positive example, expect the same from others.

Walk the Talk
Rudy

Managing Your Resources to Maximize Your Potential

Never has there been a more important time in our personal lives or business lives to get the most out of each of our resources. What exactly does that mean and how can that be accomplished? What are resources? How will I know when I have accomplished my goals?


Assess your skills and talents and those of your associates. Effectively exploit your strengths. In areas that you are weak, get the training necessary to strengthen that area or find someone with talent in that area and then exploit that new talent.

In our businesses and lives we have resources. Those resources include, but are not limited to our talents, time, raw materials, tools, and assets. In manufacturing, we receive raw materials; store them; process them; package them and then distribute them for sale. We apply energy and conditions to the raw materials to shape them into a new product. Not all of the energy or utilities applied make it into the finished product. Some is lost in the process. That is why your plant has a waste water stream or a cooling tower. Not all of the packaging makes it onto the finished product. If it did, then you would not need a trash dumpster or recycle bin. Not all of your associates’ time is used productively. Not all of the data and information collected every day is useful or used to manage your activities or to improve your process.

Establish Key Performance Indicators that truly allow you to “see” the health of your operation. Get automatically notified when items or conditions are out of compliance. Correct the root cause of the non-compliance issue.
Understand the cost per unit of output based on all of the inputs necessary to produce the item or work. Are you as profitable as you want to be? Have you effectively used all of your resources?
Let me help you maximize your potential. Let me help you control your costs and maximize your asset utilization.

Are you happy with your performance?

Have you given yourself a good checkup lately?  I don't mean visit your doctor for your annual physical.

Have you looked at what you are passionate about in business and life?

Are you happy and satisfied with your current life?  Are you exploring new ventures, new processes, reading a new book, looking to make changes in your life that help you become more successful and accomplish more in your life?

What is your measure for reaching your potential?  None of us knows the ability that has yet to be tapped.  

Write down 5 items that you would like to complete this week. Give each a time. List the needs to complete each.  Share these with a close friend and ask your friend to check up on you to see your progress.  Do not let your friend down and more importantly do not let yourself down.

You have one life at this time in this body. Do not waste it.  Reach for the stars. 

If you don't have someone to tell your passions to, then write me and I'll help you stay on track.

To be a great leader, you have to be passionate about what you want and take the steps to prepare yourself to achieve.  Model the Way!

Rudy Westervelt
rudy@powerinlearning.com

Service Above Self

Each year in our small mountain community, we join together trade and non-trade volunteers to repair homes for citizens who are unable to perform the work themselves or pay for someone to complete repairs. 

For the citizens who are recipients of these services, their lives are changed for the positive. They are given an environment that is again fit and clean and secure to live in. They might get a new roof, new carpet, some new windows, proper supply of electricity, repair of leaky pipes or a new coat of paint on the inside or out. They get to live in a clean and healthy environment again. They have their dignity.

For those who perform the work, they receive some dirty hands, some sore muscles and most of all a warmth in their hearts, a smile on their faces. 

Volunteers include parents and children. Giving children a chance to learn about community service while joining adults as role models in this work is priceless.  We must continue to set the example and care for each other.

If you are already a leader in your community, setting the example for others, I thank you. If not, why not?  Now is the time to step forward and as Gandhi said "be the change that you want to see in the world".  You have the power to create change in your life and the lives of others. Don't wait another moment.

Leaders lead by example. Much success on your journey!
Rudy
rudy@powerinlearning.com

Developing Our Next Leaders

We have watched the year long health care battle and looked to those we elected to be leaders.  Now regardless of which side of the issue you were on, there seemed to be a lack of consistent leadership.

Part of leadership is standing up for your principles and doing what is right. Standing up and doing the right thing often is unpopular.  Over and over again, we see people changing their views, vision, positions, often 180 degrees from their first positions.  

How often have we heard I was against that before I was for it. Or I voted for that, until I changed my mind.

Where will our children learn to be that next generation of leaders? Are we setting a good example or are we going along with the main stream?  Do we back our school teachers when they have an issue with our children or do we automatically take our children's word over the teacher?

Will our children learn from our political leaders? Will they learn from the professional athletes? Those individuals are as weak as any of us.  Will they learn from clergy? The challenges in the church cause us to question the leadership there as well. 

How about our business leaders?  Do we think that the Wall Street leaders set a good example?

How often have we seen those whom we think are leaders in our communities fail in their missions?

It would seem as if the world's moral compass is off direction.  But, we can certainly cite examples of charletans, cheats, crooks in the past. Today in our electronic, high speed world, we hear about it faster. Infidelities, immoralities, mis-representation of the facts is accepted as commonplace, such that we begin to just think it is simple human nature to fail.

I challenge each of you to step up, do the right thing and challenge the process.

Your future and your children's futures depend on it.

Be a leader today, in your family, in your community, in your business life. There is no time to waste.

Webinars, the new classroom

For the past two months, I have been presenting free webinars on a variety of business and life topics.

I am very surprised at the business leaders who have never been on a webinar.  Maybe they feel they have no time for webinars.  Some are afraid of webinars and think that their computer or life can be hacked.  In fact, you are watching the presenters computer. As long as you have your firewall on and have good virus protection, you should not be afraid to learn on line.

There are on-line courses and the "younger" generation (those that are not afraid of the internet) uses this learning tool often.

Webinars are a great way to get information and pick up tips by never leaving your office or home. No gasoline, no wrecking the environment, no time lost.

Certainly, there are many webinars that are very promotional and heavy pressure to sell you something. Sometimes, you would like to see how a product works before you buy it. 

I like to look at those presentations that can give me new information. When looking at a new software product, I like to see it on-line. Can it be easily programmed? Do I have to be an expert to change parameters? Is it just a carbon copy of some other product? Is it too expensive? Can it help me think through my questions and improve my knowledge on the topic?

We have a tremendous amount of information available to us.
What can we invest time in to improve our lives? What will make us better leaders?

What do you want in an on-line live presentation?

Some of us want the "Dragnet" approach. "Just give me the facts, ma'am".

Dip your mouse in the webinar world. You will discover that you can quickly get the information you need. Save time, save money.

If you are interested in my informative, no pressure, free webinars, drop me an email and I will add you to my newsletter list to invite you.

Try it out in the new decade!
You may just like it!
Rudy
rudy@powerinlearning.com

We are the products of our ancestors and our contacts.

"A hundred times every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving."


--Albert Einstein

What we have received from others, we have an obligation to pass this on to others.

This fits into the Law of Conservation of Energy and Mass.  We live in a house built from materials derived from nature or manufactured. We stay warm from heat generated from raw materials that release their energy. We eat foods grow, engineered, farmed, processed, packaged, stored, delivered and prepared. The energy released from consuming food keeps our bodies alive and allows us to use our brains to learn and work for the betterment of ourselves and others.

We read books written by others. We hear our teachers and others giving us opinions and details of history, science, math, engineering.

We move around the world by car, bus, plane, train, boat. We stay connected by the internet, phone, television.

But at the end of the day, we need meaning in life and a purpose. We need to pay forward to others, so that they can help the next generation of world inhabitants. 

Live your life in person. Live your life as you would want to be remembered.