Thriving in Transition!

Thriving in Transition.

We go through transitions all the time. Theorist Nancy Schlossberg defines a transition as any life event (or non-event!) that makes a significant impact on your lives. Such events can include starting a new job, a new relationship, a divorce, or a switch in career paths. A “non-event” is something we anticipated but that did not occur like a promotion, acceptance into graduate school, etc. that we were sure was going to happen but did not. In order to successfully navigate a life transition, 

Schlossberg encourages us to be aware of the STAGES of a Transition. These three stages are:

• Moving In - you become aware of the change or transition or you set events in motion to make it happen.
• Moving Through – this is the time that you are in the midst of the transition, experiencing it first-hand
• Moving Out – you begin to emerge from the change or transition.
• Moving Beyond – this is a stage I have added to this process in that once we successfully navigate a transition, we start to thrive with the new knowledge or opportunities it provided.

So I you or your organization is going through a transition, the likelihood of making it a successful one is dependent on the following factors:

• Self (or team) – what emotional, intellectual, or physical resources do you or your team have to successfully emerge from a transition? Take stock of them. It will help you realize you are more resourced than you though!
• Support – what support systems are in place to help you navigate a difficult or at least turbulent time? Draw upon those people and things that will help you.
• Situation – what is the real situation that you face? Did you initiate this transition or was it forced upon you? What parts of the situation can you control or alter in your favor?
• Strategies – what are the change strategies? Do you have a plan as to how you and/or your organization will navigate a transition?

The bottom line is this. Change is inevitable and leaders have to be skilled in negotiating transitions both personally and organizational. You can either go through the change or grow through the change! How you PERCEIVE the change or transition will be the most important factor in success or defeat. I once heard someone say we are living in a state of “permanent whitewater”. I believe this is true and those that can navigate the rocks and eddies of change the best will be the most successful!

As always, if I can help you Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would love to hear from you. Also, as a bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical in order to add value to your organization!

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Co-Founder – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

www.outloudinc.com

www.facebook.com/outloudinc

www.johnmaxwellgroup.com/williamfaulkner

The Confidence Formula.

The Confidence Formula.

Time for a "leadership confessional". Whether we want to admit it or not, even experienced and established leaders struggle with confidence from time to time. Often this happens when we are operating out of our comfort zones or when we are just not getting the results we usually enjoy. This impacts us. It starts to create doubt and erode confidence.

With that in mind, I have been thinking out loud about confidence and its origins lately. Theorist Arthur Chickering states that confidence is a critical, but I would argue little understood, component in human potential. I have the opportunity to teach a graduate level course in human development and I have become more and more convinced, confidence is the impact multiplier. For example, I believe most adults can have the intellectual capacity to handle college level work and beyond, but many do not believe that they will. Why is this? Again, I believe it has to do with confidence.

If I was ever to do another dissertation (but one was enough, thank you!), I believe I would research the origins and impact of confidence since I am convinced it bridges the gap between can (potential) and will (performance). With that in mind, here is my formula for confidence:

Potential Ability + Belief in Self + Worthiness = Confidence

Let me explain further.

Potential Ability is just the intellectual, physical, and emotional tools we have. Most individuals are born with a base-line ability to successfully complete what life demands. Ability can be improved upon, however, due to its potential for far greater improvement.

Belief in Self is foundational and I have often written about this. Confident people have a healthy self-appreciation for what they can do and what they have the potential to do.

Worthiness (versus deservedness) reinforces to a leader to be where they are or to be doing what they are doing. It is the belief that you are just as worthy as anyone else to have that position or role.

So how does this come back around to leadership? Leadership Confidence starts with your current ability but intentional leadership growth will expand that potential to lead better and more effectively. Obviously leaders must place a value on themselves and believe in their efforts. Finally, leaders have an innate mind-set that they are worthy to lead. Keep in mind this is very different from a deservedness point of view.

Here is the exciting part of this, all three elements in the formula can be self-developed but also developed in others!

So where are you lacking confidence? Just plug into the formula. Maybe you need to stretch your abilities, learn a new skill, affirm you belief, or rediscover your WHY (thus worthiness) you are leading! At the same time, lift someone else up and do the same for them. As John Maxwell states, we inspire ourselves when we inspire others!

As always, if I can help you Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would love to hear from you. Also, as a bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical in order to add value to your organization!

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Co-Founder – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

www.outloudinc.com

www.facebook.com/outloudinc

www.johnmaxwellgroup.com/williamfaulkner

What you THINK about, you BECOME about!

 What you think about, you become about!

Author Scott Fay states that our CURRENT REALITY; thus our RESULTS, are a product of our very best thinking! In other words, what we think about, we become about. If you think about it, most of us really don’t think about thinking if that makes any sense! We go through our daily lives consuming information, images, and concepts without any real consideration of how it impacts us.

Interestingly enough, we are very cognizant of what we feed ourselves physically, but we pay little attention to what we feed ourselves mentally, emotionally, or spiritually. Internet CEO, Tim Sanders, encourages us feed our minds good stuff by asking:

What is your mental breakfast during the first 45 minutes after you wake up?

Is it filled with Winning or Losing? Hope or Despair?

I have been experimenting with this very concept. Normally when I get up in the morning I, like a lot of you, turn on the TV. Usually it landed on Dog the Bounty Hunter (don’t ask!) but as nice as Dog Chapman is, was he and his exploits getting my day off to a productive start? What if I started with music or silence interrupted only by positive affirmations – what I was looking forward to that day, how I could add value to someone, maybe even an idea for a new blog topic!

The result was that it gave me better results, focus, and energy. Instead of watching a depressing TV drama or troubling news, I started to focus on what was possible and better! So what are you thinking about?

• Are you thinking about regrets or focusing on possibilities?
• Are you thinking about what you can’t do or what you can?
• Are you thinking about what you have to do or what you want to do?

The very important point is this. Our thoughts shape our reality. I know that sounds kind of metaphysical but if you think about it, it makes sense. If we have a goal or an ambition, then we turn our conscious and subconscious thoughts toward that, it focuses our energy, efforts, and movements. Now that kind of intentional thinking will not create instant results (I am still waiting on that five-figure speaking/training contract!) but it allows me to focus my efforts so I will be ready and able to deliver when that day comes! It becomes my very best thinking. What is yours?

As always, if I can help you Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would love to hear from you. Also, as a bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical in order to add value to your organization!

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Co-Founder – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

www.outloudinc.com

www.facebook.com/outloudinc

www.johnmaxwellgroup.com/williamfaulkner

Stop subtracting from your team!

Stop subtracting from your team!

Currently I am leading a group mastermind as well as coaching an individual client on John Maxwell’s, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. As a certified John Maxwell Team independent coach, trainer, and speaker, I have the ability to share such incredible intellectual content.

This week we have been discussing the Law of Addition which states that leaders add value by serving others. In this particular chapter, John shares a challenging statistic. Ninety percent of leaders who subtract from their teams, due so unintentionally. However, ninety percent of leaders who add value to their followers do so with intention!

Let’s think about that for a minute. We can be detracting from some amazing staff members without even knowing we are doing so. When we do not provide our full attention, middle or mirco-manage, or simply get too preoccupied with our own tasks, we do our team members huge disfavor.

On the other hand, what have you done both intentionally and recently that added value to a staff member? This is beyond the random acts of kindness. Such acts should be premeditated for full effect! John goes on to instruct leaders on how to add value:

We add VALUE by VALUING others

We add value when we KNOW and RELATE to what OTHERS value

We add value when we make OURSELVES more VALUABLE

We add value when we are WILLING to ACCEPT our OWN VALUE

So here is my challenge for this week. Think of a staff member who needs either help or recognition. What can you specifically for them that will make their day (or week!)? Email me or post on my OLS facebook page below to share your story! I would love to hear from you!

As always, if I can help you Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would love to hear from you. Also, as a bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical in order to add value to your organization!

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Co-Founder – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

www.outloudinc.com

www.facebook.com/outloudinc

www.johnmaxwellgroup.com/williamfaulkner