Correct Mindset – 4 factors you need to consider for success in the online world

Everybody says they have the correct mindset but more often than not people don’t.  So what exactly is the correct mindset and how does it work?

TIME

What exactly does it mean to have the correct mindset to make money online?  Most people I speak with do not realise that to establish a credible and sustainable business is going to take time.  If your entire focus is on making money, then I ask you to challenge your mindset.  So TIME is the first thing you will need.

When I discuss making money online with this group of people I always advise them to either stay where they are in their regular job or go and get another job because they are not going to build a sustainable business online.  Now you can make really good money eventually but it did take me 5 months before I saw any signs of income coming in.

Do I think everyone takes that long to generate an income?  Absolutely not – providing they have the correct tools and do not have mentors that tell them WHAT to do but not HOW to do it.  With the most appropriate form of training you can easily be in profit sooner than that but a realistic timeframe would be 2-3 months.

EFFORT

The second important factor in building an online business is EFFORT.  It is going to take some effort on your part to learn all these new skills and implement them as soon as you learn them.  I would advise that as soon as you do learn a new skill, put it into practice immediately otherwise you will forget it.  I align this to that famous quote ‘tell a man how to fish and he’ll remember it for an hour, show him and he’ll remember it for a day but let him do it himself and he’ll remember it forever’.  The same principles apply when learning new skills in online marketing – learn it then do it!

DISCIPLINE

The third factor you need to apply is DISCIPLINE.  Yes you are working from home, yes you have no-one breathing down your neck and giving tight deadlines, but you are working and that should be your focus.  Do not keep checking your emails, do not download another eBook, do not go into forums to see what is going on.  Unsubscribe from all those lists that clutter up your inbox.

EXPENSE

To create an online business it will need an amount of expense from you.   It is a business and like any offline business there is the initial set up costs.  Proportionally however, in comparison to an offline business the costs are almost negligible.  The three essential expenses you need to invest in setting up an online business are:

·         Domain name – approx $10 (one-off payment)

·         Hosting account – approx $7 per month

·         Auto responder – approx $19 per month

You will see that you can start a web business for less than $40 and be in substantial profit in just a few short months.

In summary then, the correct mindset in order to succeed in an online business is TIME, EFFORT, DISCIPLINE and minor EXPENSE.  To be successful you need to have all 4 and work each day employing the 3 main factors.  If you just take the time to REALLY learn and master all the tools, you will continue to reap the rewards every day you work at your online business.

How can I find an online coaching business that is right for me – 10 point check list?

If you were to type into the search engines ‘online coaching business’ there will be thousands of sites that appear but how do you gauge the one that is right for you?

It is very easy to get caught up in a lot of the hype that is out there and amidst all of that, there are hundreds, possibly even thousands of good, well intended and reputable online coaching businesses.  When you are completely new, it is very easy to get sucked into something that looks as though it is exactly what you are looking for, but from personal experience can fall far short of what was originally promised.

So how can I, through this article prevent you from making similar mistakes I did in the early stages?

• Firstly you need to identify what is it you really want to learn?
• How much online marketing experience do you already have?
• What credentials does the online coaching business have?
• How many clients do they have, are you going to be one of thousands?
• How do they conduct the online coaching, is it on a 1-1 basis, is it through a series of emails, video tutorials or is there a real person you will be dealing with?
• How accessible are they going to be to you?
• What guarantees are they giving you?  This is one to watch as no-one anywhere can guarantee your success.  Your success or otherwise rests firmly with you, your motivation and mindset to succeed.
• What fees are they charging?  Is it a one-off fee, a monthly recurring fee, or perhaps you pay for individual consultations?
• How current are they in the knowledge they are passing on?  The online world and ways of marketing are changing almost daily and what worked well this time last year may now be ineffective.
• Do they have a forum set up whereby you can liaise/network/share learning experiences with other online coaching business students?

I would advise that before you sign up to any online coaching business that you use this check list above.  You may have several other questions in addition to those above.   I would suggest you cut and paste them and leave space under each question to write the answers as you assess the online coaching business and its suitability to meet your needs.

The world of online marketing is like no other, and like many others moving into internet marketing, I tried to bring a lot of my experience from the offline world into my business in the early days and quickly learned it is almost incomparable.  Due diligence is the key of the day; there are many ruthless online coaching businesses although thankfully these are outnumbered by the genuine opportunities that can also come your way if you just take the time to assess exactly what it is you need.  On a similar level on the scale, assess what you don’t need.  There will be many FREE offerings to get you to sign up with a specific online coach and my advice here is, if it is something you are not actively looking for at this time, focus on what it is you are looking for and leave the free gift for another time.   Ask yourself if it is a ‘need’ rather than a ‘want’ and that should provide you with the answer.

Lessons from geese – a leader is nothing without their team

The acronym TEAM represents Together Everyone Achieves More and there is no truer representation of teamwork and teambuilding at its best than through the geese that share out planet.  When I first read this, it just made so much sense to me and having always operated in a teamworking environment, I know that although I was in a leadership position, I was nothing without the backing and support of a strong team. 

I have carried this through to my current business in internet marketing, and although it is my own business, there is always a strong team with a positive mindset behind each individual that makes the opportunity and business sustainable and profitable for everyone.

Learn from the geese

As each goose flaps its wings, it creates uplift for the others behind it. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.
Lesson: People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of another.

Whenever a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of trying to fly alone, and quickly gets back into formation to take advantage of the “lifting power” of the bird immediately in front.
Lesson: If we have as much sense as the goose, we will stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go (and be willing to accept their help as well as give ours to others.)

When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position.
Lesson: It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership–with people, as with geese, we are interdependent on each other.

The geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.
Lesson: We need to make sure our honking from behind is encouraging, and not something else.

When a goose gets sick or wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it is able to fly again or dies. Then they launch out on their own, with another formation, or catch up with the flock.
Lesson: If we have as much sense as geese, we too will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

By Milton Olson

Career change at 50 – 50 is the new 30!

It wasn’t so long ago that employment stability was the hallmark of an emotional maturity and reliability.  After all, our parents and their parents were of the mindset that if you do a good job, then that is you set up for life.  Those days are well and truly gone now and today’s culture lends itself to doing a good job, but only short-term.  New skills are quickly learned then taken elsewhere and the average time spent by the younger workforce is 2-3 years in any one job.  Most people expect to change jobs several times in their working lives, and some may even change their career.

We are healthier today and are more productive longer so we have time to gain experience in several types of work, not just one.  The marketplace changes so rapidly that many careers today are unrecognisable from their forms even 5 years ago, and some have even disappeared altogether!

Some people are being forced into transition for many reasons, not least of all by the world recession that well over one year later is still looming over the world.

So, is it too late to change your career at 50?

Speaking as someone who did and has never looked back, I say most definitely not.  I feel more productive now than at any other time in my life.  I have many work and life experiences under my belt, have accomplished most of the things I wanted to although for many years I knew I wanted to do something different with my professional life.  I knew I no longer wanted to work ‘for’ anyone, I wanted more control over my life and I most definitely did not want to commute to work every day.  So, I chose to work from home within online marketing and have never looked back.  My one regret is that I did not do it years ago.

What is the best career change for someone at 50?

Make a list of the elements of your current work that give you satisfaction?  Is it the people you work with?  The tasks you perform?  They way you feel about yourself when you have achieved a goal?  The geographical location of your job?  The nature of the industry?  How your work benefits your customers?  By doing this, you will draw up a list of what your motivators and strengths are and will reach a conclusion of the type of career you want versus what you most definitely do not want.   Once you have done this exercise, then a free career self assessment tool can be found here.  I am receiving no financial gain for promoting this link.

What career change opportunities are available for someone over 50?

If you are looking to work in a home based opportunity, then the fact that you are 50 or over is most definitely a major plus.  You will undoubtedly have all the relevant transferrable skills to make a success of running your own business.  As a graduate from the University of Life, your skills set will consist of people skills, adaptability, flexibility, results orientated, can do attitude, strong work ethic, motivation, determination and a sound knowledge and vision of what you want to achieve.  With a positive mindset anything is possible and if you believe in yourself, you know you are worth it then what is there in the world to stop you achieving your dream.

If you want to continue in a JOB then you may find that some employers are ageist despite their best efforts not to be.  Many still fail to see the value in a more experienced employee, preferring to opt for someone younger who in fitting with the culture, will probably move on after a year or two.  Some employers on the other hand actively embrace the more experienced person, realise their value and the commitment and loyalty they will bring.

Career change at 50 – how fulfilled do you feel?

Remember your earlier dreams and think back to those careers you dreamed about when you were younger.  You probably had some big, idealistic ideas for your future as a child, and you might have abandoned them prematurely in favour of more seemingly practical choices.

Perhaps the time to realise those dreams is now.  Refresh your memory of what those early dreams were and how they made you feel about yourself when you imagined doing your dream work.  Now you are equipped with more world knowledge and a more adult intellect, how many different real careers can you list that would realise or resurrect those feelings?

Living my dream now

I never thought for one minute that I would be working in an online business.  I am living the life I always wanted, I am able to make lots of money online and all this despite having a very little knowledge of IT.  The business I joined is a Turnkey business so it had everything all there that I needed to get up and running and into profit quickly.  I have no end of video and audio tutorials and had the luxury of a mentor, a real person to help me get up and running.  I am fortunate enough now to be a mentor of others and spent a lot of time helping my team during the initial stages.  This combines 2 of my main strengths, one is helping others succeed and two is learning something new each and every day.  My motto throughout life is ‘a day wasted is a day I haven’t learned something’.

Finding job satisfaction – employee satisfaction is not the only thing that matters

Finding job satisfaction – employee satisfaction is not the only thing that matters

Are you in a job you are unhappy with?  Do you feel you are stuck in a rut and just cannot get out of it?  Do you get up each morning with the dread of going into work and wishing you could just do anything else?  If so, this article is for you and I will go some way to explaining why this is and what you can do about it.

Why am I unhappy in my job?

There is no end of reasons for being unhappy in your job but the fundamental reason why most people are unhappy in their job is they are out of alignment with the organisation they are working with.  It is okay to have the occasional day that you feel down, do not really want to be there, and so long as it is the occasional day then is perfectly normal and all workers experience i at some time in their career.  Your personal situation could be a major factor, perhaps there is something going on in your life that really needs looking at but you have to go into work each day with matters unresolved.

If these feelings are prolonged and become an almost daily occurrence, then this diagram below may explain why that is.

Strike a New Career Deal, Carole Pemberton

Alignment model explained

To be happy and successful in any job, you need to be in alignment with the organisation and it with you.  What this basically means is that your needs, wants and values must be similar and a match with the employer.  It is crucial that when applying for any job you check your alignment with the organisation.  Where you cannot do this fully prior to interview, then you need to ask the relevant questions at this point to check your needs, wants and values match what they are looking for.  If this is not the case and you are just taking the job out of pure necessity, then the chances of you gaining the job satisfaction you want and deserve and greatly minimised.

If you do not take the time to get the career you want, be prepared to take what you get; George Bernard Shaw

Who am I?

For example, if you are an ambitious individual, enjoy making decisions and working off your own initiative but you have a manager who micro-manages everything you do, then you are going to be unhappy in your job.  You probably feel you are not trusted, your efforts go unacknowledged and whatever you do is microscopically examined and this can quickly demotivate and demoralise.

If on the other hand you see the workplace as revolving around you, i.e. you want to spend time surfing the net, keeping up with your social networking friends and work is getting in the way, then you need to be asking yourself “what is the company paying me to do here”?  Am I in the right job?  Could I not do what I am paid to do and use my lunch break to do my own thing?  Would it be okay to use the company PCs to do this and providing you produce the goods when you are paid to do so, this could normally be negotiated with your employer.

Check your own alignment

• When was the last time you left work thinking “I really enjoyed today and am looking forward to going back in tomorrow”?  Now this may be some time ago, but I strongly urge you to come up with a day you felt like that.
• What was so good about that day?
• What was I doing that I enjoyed?
• Who or what made me feel so good?

What you may come up with is something like:

• I was given a last minute task to do with a very tight deadline and I achieved it
• An idea I had proposed was implemented
• I went that extra mile and a customer left really happy and commented on the excellent service I had provided
• I was selected ahead of my peer group to undertake a fairly difficult task
• My line manager singled me out for praise

Thinking about all of the above and coming up with an example, start analysing it and within that example you will find what your strengths and motivators are.  For example, if you chose the last minute task point, you will find your strengths and qualities could be something like:

• Working under pressure
• Working to tight deadlines
• React effectively to rapidly changing priorities (dealing with fast balls)
• Solution focussed
• Can do attitude
• Adjust priorities accordingly to meet customer needs
• Sense of urgency

What influenced you to be the person you are today?

I was reading an e-book that really had nothing to do with internet marketing but more to do with perception and in particular how we perceive ourselves and others.  It was all about dealing with the ‘big issues in life!’.  As I was reading I was able to relate much of it to what I have observed in my life and how I actually live that life today.  It talked about influences in your life, be they teachers, church elders or it may even have been a random stranger.

I have met many, many people in my life who have impacted on it in one way or another, some in a good way, some not so good but they have impacted nonetheless and helped mould me into the person I am today.  That person today is someone with good strong values, someone who can see the human being behind the trappings of either wealth or poverty and who is committed to making a difference in other people’s lives.

So let’s take a journey back (quite a few years) to when I was at school.  I was a naturally bright child, I rarely had to do homework having a bit of a photographic memory and I believe that was more out of necessity than anything else as trying to do any homework in a dysfunctional household was just a non-starter.  I was brought up in a very poor home, one of 5 siblings and where feeding and looking after the kids always came second to alcohol and cigarettes.  This was no different to almost all the other families who lived around us on the estate.

Please don’t feel sorry for me though, I am far from a victim and see myself as a survivor.  You see, I had to survive from an early age and that has helped me through life.  I rarely allow anything to get in my way of trying to do something, I will find a way round it to make it happen.  This is never at the expense of anyone or anything though.  I loved animals, still do and found them to be a lot of solace when I just needed to get away and grab some ‘me’ time.

I had some fantastic teachers and I would always sit at the front of the class eager to learn and they seemed to like that.  In fact whenever I went on any seminar in my corporate job, I always sat at the front in the middle!  I love to learn and aim to gain a new bit of knowledge each and every day.  I also had one teacher who just didn’t like me, no reason that I knew of, she said I smelled and made me sit at the back.  This then evolved into her not allowing me in the class and making me stand in the corridor for the whole of the lesson.  Consequently, my grade rapidly dropped and no-one in the school noticed (or cared).  They always say that you may not remember what someone said to you but you will always remember how they made you feel, and this is absolutely true for this happening.  I would never in my life ever make someone feel the way she did to me.

I left home as soon as I could and joined the Army.  Many people from similar backgrounds to myself do this, they join a very disciplined service that has strict boundaries but gives them the feeling of being part of a very large family.  You could  make mistakes and someone always had your back.  It built my confidence by recognising in me something I didn’t know I had, leadership qualities.  Whenever there was a task to be done, I was right up there full of ideas as to how it should be done and what part everyone should play in it.  I was fortunate to have some excellent role models who allowed me to grow and develop, who encouraged me when I doubted myself and who, at risk of losing some credibility themselves, allowed me to be better than some of them were.  I now know this is a sign of a true leader, someone who is not threatened by those who can do things better, but is willing to learn from less experienced and younger team members.

I reached the top of my tree in this career and moved onto various careers that had a common thread running through them.  They were all about helping others.  I got immense satisfaction from this work and even to this day receive kind inspirational messages thanking me for how someone has moved on with their life and achieved things they never thought they could.

Now with my own home based business of internet marketing, I am combining everything I’ve learned in my life.  I’m continuing to educate myself every day, I’m helping others how to market on the internet and I pass on all my knowledge and skills confidently and with great pleasure.  There is nothing more rewarding that seeing someone achieve using tools and techniques that you have taught them.  I would far rather give a hundred times over than to receive.

So if you’re reading this and perhaps you’ve had some experiences similar to my own, I am living proof that you can achieve anything you want in life.  You just have to adopt the right mindset.  If you believe in yourself and think you’re worth it, don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something!  Find a way, ask someone, ask ME!

A duck or an eagle, what will I be today….mmmm….

I read something today that simultaneously inspired and educated me.  Whilst reading it, I was able to relate much of it to how I went about my daily life in my job as a corporate leader and more recently in my home based business which happens to be in internet marketing.

It was a story about a cab driver in the USA and written by one of his passengers who was so blown away by the actions of this one cab driver that at the end of the ride, he made an immediate decision that he would effect immediate change in both his thoughts and behaviour.

He was waiting in line for a cab and as this immaculate cab drew up, the door opened and out stepped a driver dressed in immaculate white shirt, black tie and trousers with razor sharp creases in them.  The driver rushed to open the back door and in doing so handed the passenger a car that read; “I’m Wally, your driver. While I’m loading your bags in the trunk, I’d like you to read my mission statement.”

Wally’s Mission Statement:

To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest, and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment.

This totally blew the passenger away and even more so that on entering the cab, the pristine condition inside matched that of the exterior.  Once behind the wheel, Wally said “would you like a coffee, I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf”.  The passenger jokingly said “no, I’d actually prefer a soft drink”.  Wally’s reply to this was “no problem, I have a cooler here with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice”.

As they were about to set off, Wally offered a choice of daily newspapers and handing the passenger another laminated card, he was pleasantly surprised to read about the various music stations available and the music each played.

Setting off, the passenger was informed of the best route to his destination considering the time of day and a further offer to show the sights or leave him to his own thoughts if this was preferred.

Obviously a number of questions were now in the passengers head and on asking Wally how long he had been in business and how his business had evolved, he was informed that Wally had been a regular cab driver like all the others for about 5 years.  He said he spent his time complaining like most of the cab drivers do then one day happened to listen to a personal growth guru called Wayne Dyer on the radio.  Liking what he heard, he purchased one of Wayne’ books.  The real message Wally said he took from this was ‘Stop complaining!  Differentiate yourself from your competition.  Don’t be a duck.  Be an eagle.  Ducks quack and complain, eagles soar above the crowd.’  He went on to tell the passenger that he looked around at other cabs; they were dirty, drivers unfriendly and customers generally unhappy.  He immediately began to put in changes and as the customers responded well, he put in some more.

I related to much of this story as I read it and above is only a short excerpt.  In my place of work and being a leader, I love to innovate, get the team on board and make things happen.  I used to get frustrated by senior management’s reluctance to make decisions, move things forward and generally suppressing innovation.  One of my favourite thoughts was “how can I soar with the eagles when I’m tied to the turkeys.”  So I suppose it was the eagle analogy that caught my eye in this article I’m writing about today.

Once I mastered the rules of the business in my organisation, I adopted the philosophy ‘it’s best to just do it and beg forgiveness later than to ask and be refused.’  If my gut instinct tells me I need to do something, change something then I just do it.  It has not let me down; to the contrary, I have won accolades and also an award for leadership, innovation and producing results.  I always recruited like minded people and we constantly sought out new and better ways of delivering to our customers, to our stakeholders and to ourselves.  I quickly recognised my eagles and constantly fed their hunger.

So are you a duck or are you an eagle? Do you spend your day complaining, whining and generally stalling?  Do you seek out like minded ducks that wallow with you in procrastination?  Do you like to have long conversations that have a basic theme running through them i.e. ‘100 reasons why we can’t do this.’

Or are you an eagle? Are you constantly seeking out new and better ways of developing your life and business?  Do you surround yourself with positive and like minded achievers?  Do you just go for it, make lots of mistakes, laugh at them and continue to learn and grow?

Ducks, you don’t have to sit around in the water then, every now and then giving a wee kick with your webbed feet under water.  Start flapping your wings, raise yourself up a wee bit at a time, and move away from all the others who are content to sit there.  Look up at the birds in the sky; aren’t they having fun seeing how high they can really fly?  Ducking and diving, trying new heights a small distance at a time.  Try it, you may find a whole bunch of people who see much more from where they are; learn something new every minute of the day.  Move away from your fellow ducks who sit there, reliant on people bringing bits of bread or food to them, get out there and seek your own, you can then eat anything you want because you’ve made it happen.  Don’t rely on others, it’s far more rewarding when you’ve learnt something for yourself and the rewards are then all yours.

Don’t give up on your internet business (well not yet anyhow)

Most internet marketers fail because they try a few quick promotion methods, see little results then just give up.  They lack the focus and determination that this industry demands.  Someone, somewhere promised them they would be earning high figures in a matter of days/weeks and when this doesn’t materialise, the inner voice within most people tells them to give up, this is a waste of time, it’ll never work.

But what if someone said to you “this is not your fault”.  Would that make you feel any better, a bit more motivated?

One of the main and fundamental reasons most internet marketers fail is they don’t know how to gain traffic to their sites.  Perhaps they miss the value of the connection between themselves and their prospects and see their list for what it is i.e. a list of faceless people that they need to sell their product/opportunity to and as quickly as possible.  As more and more people unsubscribe from their list, they’re often left wondering ‘Why is no-one interested in this product’.  The answer is simple; you were obviously interested enough to buy it, so what was it that made you buy?  What marketing approach did your vendor use?  Was it that they valued you, sold you the benefits rather than the product?  If so, then go back and see exactly what attracted you to this, what were the defining keywords/phrases used that made you buy?  Now replicate this method.  I would not advise that you plagiarise but simply observe the use of language, what value to you was offered with the product and what the real reason you bought it was.  You see, people join people and if they can relate to your reasons for purchasing, then perhaps they have very similar reasons for looking at your site.

Another reason for failure is time management and this is very important to your business.  You should set out daily goals and ensure these are achieved before you go to bed each night.  If you are combining an online business with a regular job in the early days, then you need to be even more focussed, structured and rigidly manage your time.  Failing to plan your day(s) is planning to fail.

You need to make choices every day, positive choices and even taking no action is a choice, albeit it a negative one.  A lot of internet marketers fail because they just stop working.

If you find a lot of what is written above applies to you, then may I suggest you do your due diligence and either find a business that has a mentorship programme or invest in some online coaching?  This can be expensive though and may be in excess of $850+ for 8 hours coaching.

Online mentoring is occasionally compared unfavourably with face to face mentoring.  Online mentoring is effective in many areas, but is especially important in areas that involve specialised knowledge and skills.  What could be better than looking over the shoulder of those in the industry who are doing it?  Not only are they doing it, but they are hugely successful.  As highlighted above, find someone who is doing it and copy them.

An analogy I like to make with this is just watch children and their parents when they are out in a restaurant.  What does the child do?  They stare at people, fascinated by them and what they are doing.  What do the parents say?  “Stop staring, look away”.  What we should be saying to our children is watch what others do and copy.  Children learn through mimicking, monkey see, monkey do type of learning.  They then go to school and are asked to draw/write something.  The very young ones will watch their classmates and try to copy and what does the teacher say?  Yes, you’ve got it, “stop copying, do your own work”!  We should always strive to learn from those who do it better than us. 

So bring back that child who is fascinated by everyone and everything and start adopting your own ‘monkey see, monkey do’ way of learning.  The world of internet marketing is an Aladdin’s cave of opportunities of learning.  Tap into it now, use it and build yourself a successful and prosperous home business that is sustainable for many years to come.

How to be a leader rather than a manager – 3 basic differences?

Leaders get the job done and keep the group going.  Leaders sell the tickets for the journey; Managers drive the bus to the destination.

Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things.
Peter F. Drucker
Define your vision

What is fundamentally crucial and an essential aspect of leadership is ‘visionary thinking’.  Constantly having a vision is what sets the leader apart from the manager.  The manager is the person who normally implements someone else’s ideas.  A leader will work from the end to the beginning i.e. they will start with planning their goal and then put steps in place to reach it.  Having this vision is the currency of all leaders.

Share your vision

The Rev. Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech is an excellent example of how a vision can be communicated. Through his skilful use of language and imagery, King brought his vision to life.
I have found my most successful ideas are communicated informally, through one-one-one discussions in offices or chatting over lunch.  A night out with colleagues where invariably the conversations turn to the workplace can be invaluable in sharing ideas and bringing everyone into agreement.  Visions build excitement, leaders must have the ability to enthuse others and be a cheerleader for the cause.  Achievements should be celebrated and progress must be acknowledged and rewarded.  Strong and positive 2 way communication is vital to the success of any goal.

Recognise your leadership style

All leaders lead differently and it is important to recognise which style comes most naturally to you.  We learn through watching others do things and often imitate them at times but when the pressure builds, you are most likely to revert to the style that best suits your personality type.  It is okay to practise other styles of leadership so long as you are aware which style it is.  The most common type of leadership is the facilitative one:  i.e. you know what the end result should be and you actively empower others to arrive at a similar result.  This can be done through simple questioning techniques such as: 

1. Have you thought about….?
2. I wonder what would happen if…?
3. Imagine if we could…..
4. What do you think of…..
5. Who in the team do you think would be best to do…?
6. What obstacles are we likely to face…?
7. Where do you think would be an ideal starting point…?
8. Why should we do it this way…?
9. When would be best to start…?

Another approach is autocratic.  Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister of Great Britain is an example of this style of leadership whilst former USA President Bill Clinton is an example of one who used a facilitative style of leadership.

A third style is charismatic – having the gift of power.  Former presidents John F Kennedy and Franklin D Roosevelt were two historical figures with special abilities to energise those they led.

Although each of us has a style that comes most naturally, the best leaders can use various styles as the situation requires. For instance, a facilitative leader may need to act more autocratic in times of emergency; if the situation requires swift, bold action, the leader must be able to switch gears and provide what is needed in the crisis.

Just imagine how much more productive your team would be if they actually took ‘ownership’ of effecting changes either in the workplace or within the team dynamics.  Their ideas are readily sought and implemented and in turn a great sense of achievement is felt by all.  They need never know this was all your idea in the first place; your leadership skills have influenced and convinced them it was their idea all along!

Trish Mullen has over 20 years experience leading from the front within a military environment and many years since then coaching and mentoring others to be the be the best they can be by believing in themselves and knowing they deserve their achievements.  Trish is now leading and mentoring successful teams within her home online business to achieve enormous wealth in their own home businesses.  Find out more at http://www.wealthyincome4u.com and http://www.whoistrishmullen.com