Leader ..... Follower

Even if you are not a natural born leader, it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to be a follower.  I mean, of course, a follower of what other people are doing.

There is a form of following that I have come to think of as "the law of the jungle."  To me this means that everyone is doing it because everyone is doing it.  We all accept it because we have always done it this way.  Sometimes, this could be good.  Other times, it is very limiting.

In a book that I recently read by author, Matthew Kelly, he refers to every person becoming the very best version of his or herself.  Often, taking advice from trusted sources is a form of following that helps you to become your own best version.  Often, taking advice or following others leads you down the wrong path.

Still other times, simply following "the law of the jungle' leads you to become a very complacent version of yourself.  That is why I think that we need to assess every situation and decide if we are going to follow, lead, or just take our own path.

Life is full of these kinds of decisions.  I think that it is very important not to just to default to following.

Hometown Favorites

It really helps if you love where you live.  I am a life-long Clevelander. That's right, Cleveland, Ohio.  I grew up here, I went through school here, I even attended Cleveland State University.  I still live here by the way.

Part of what makes loving where you live work for you is to have some hometown favorites.  By that I mean favorite resturants, favorite parks, favorite bike rides, and so on.  We have that in abundance here in Cleveland.

Going to a favorite eating spot and ordering what you usually order makes you feel at home in your hometown.  Even walking or riding the same path gives you that same feeling.

So rather than complaining about where you live (and all places have negatives, really) think about what you love about where you live.  It will lift you up.

Learning

The more you learn, the more you can learn.  That sounds over simplistic but I believe that it is true.  Think about it, when you learn something, like how to cook, you realize how much that you didn't know.  Then, if you learn how much you didn't know, you might just be compelled to learn more.

No matter what the subject is, you have got to start somewhere.  You learn a little and realize that 'this is not so bad' and then you go on to learn more.  If you never take the first step though, the other steps will not follow.

The more you learn, the more you can learn, and the more you will learn.  It only makes sense.

Time is precious though.  Understand what it is that you want to spend time learning to improve yourself, and then get going.  Knowing more about something of interest should lead you to wanting to learn more.

Even though there are many options for learning, reading is still a top resource.  Better yet, you can still get books on just about any topic of interest at the public library.  Get books, start learning, and learn more.

Now Build a Great Business

As I work my way through this excellent book, Now Build a Great Business, it becomes more obvious that building a great business has a lot to do with passion and commitment to excellence.  No matter what obstacles lie in the way of your business success, passion and excellence will help your company to overcome them.

Recessions and competition are not the main obstacles to success.  Only ourselves stand in the way of success.  If we pay attention to detail and work on our business daily, we will have a much better chance to stay ahead of the competiton and work through downturns in the economy.

Every day is a new investment in building a great business.  Every decision and every business relationship can turn the course of our success.  I recommend this book for anyone interested in improving their business.

Vacations

For working people, vacations are important.  You don't necessarily have to go away on a trip, a cruise, or a planned excursion.  You should just get away from the job though.

If your company gives you vacation time, and most do, you should take it all.  Don't leave vacation time on the table at the end of the year.  It is very important, I think, that everyone has some downtime where they can just think about things other than their daily work assignments.

Even if you just do the things around your home, neighborhood, or city that you would like to do, take a week off and do them.  It is a great way to recharge youself and stay fresh on the job.

Take that vacation time.

Now Build a Great Business

One of my favorite business authors is Brian Tracy.  In his new book, co-authored with Mark Thompson, Now Build a Great Business, there is a wealth of information and ideas on that subject.

Even though I have only read half of the book so far, I will strongly recommend this book for any manager.  Despite all of what we might hear in the national media about the economy, and despite the many obstacles to business success, we can build a great business if we really work at it.

Tracy and Thompson offer lots of great advice in this book.  Check it out.

You are gifted at something

I like to play golf but I am only average on a good day.  I love skiing but realize that I am only an average skier.  Even still, I like doing these things but I know that they are not my best talents.  The good news there is that I only do these activities for fun and know that I will only be so good a them.

When it comes to your career, find out what your strengths are and utilize them for making a living.  This way, you will always be working from your strength.  Maybe your gift is working with and being compassionate with people.  There are careers best suited for this gift.

Maybe working with numbers and calculations are your strengths.  There are many careers involving these talents. 

It is very important to realize that you are gifted at something.  Find out what it is and take advantage of it.