WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR? 5 STEPS TO SELF-DISCOVERY
On Page 1, I talked about how our fathers’ leadership style impacts our own leadership preferences. Often, we do not see ourselves as leaders. However, each of us is a leader in someone else’s eyes. How we lead is a choice we make. How well we feel about the roles we play is often a reflection of how well our actions align with our core values and expectations. So, what are these core values and expectations? They are different for each person. Our core values define who we are and what we stand for. Our non- negotiables! With all the conflicting views being promoted through the media, I thought now would be a great time to ask my readers to take a good, hard look into themselves and really define what they stand for. The next five months we will explore where we stand in different areas of our life. We will start with this: What do you stand for at work or in retirement? In the following months, we will explore where we stand with our families and relationships, our community, money, and finally, health and well-being. There are no right or wrong answers here, and no one else is going to see what you write unless you share it. So, grab a piece of paper and a pencil and write down “What I Stand For” at the top of the page. This month, we will delve into your stance on work/retirement.
3. Do you stand for harmony? Are you a team player, or do you work alone? 4. Do you get caught up in the gossip, avoid it, or try to stop it? 5. How do you believe your boss sees you? What about your peers? Is that in line with who you believe you are? (See No. 1.) 6. Do you enjoy pushing yourself and your peers to excel? Or is “winning” your top priority? 7. Do you do more than your job requires and strive to be your best, or are you preoccupied with personal tasks? Are you proactive or reactionary? 8. Are you willing to spend the extra time to reach important goals, or will you do only what is required of you? Do you stay focused and stick to a strict schedule? 9. Do you struggle with getting your work done? Do you need lots of direction, or are you the one helping others? 10. Do you participate in company meetings? Do you try to move meetings along? Do you listen to what others have to say, or are you praying the meeting will end quickly? Do you share your opinions on proposals and share ideas?
11. Do you build your teammates up or find fault with them? 12. Do you volunteer to lead or work on special projects? 13. How do you resolve problems?
WHAT DO YOU STAND FOR? Use the following questions to create a short paragraph describing where you stand.
Are you living your life according to your core values? If not, dig deep to find out why you are where you are, then seek help from someone you trust or hire a coach to get moving in a new direction. If you are proud of where you stand, feel free to share your paragraph with us on our Facebook page, Facebook.com/ What-I-stand-for-108035851469252.
1. What words best describe the person you are at work? (e.g., hardworking, teacher, goes the extra mile, etc.) 2. Are you consciously improving your skills to become better at your current position or prepare yourself for future opportunities?
CAN ‘DEFINING MOMENTS’ BE CREATED?
Why do we remember our best and worst experiences and forget pretty much everything else in between? Why are we most comfortable when things are certain, but we feel so incredibly alive when we plunge into the unknown? These are the moments that stick with us — the moments that define us. They’re an organic part of the human experience, and they can’t be purposely created. Or can they? In “The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact,” brothers Chip and Dan Heath seek to answer these questions and ultimately discern why specific moments can define us. They also explore whether those moments can be purposely created. According to the Heath brothers’ research, positive moments share four characteristics: elevation, insight, pride, and connection. When you look for situations in which you can foster those characteristics, you can create
moments that you and the people around you will remember for years to come.
“The Power of Moments” is great for anyone looking to leave a lasting impact on their employees or work team. Rather than have your next meeting be about unity — and leave your team grumbling about how that information could have been sent in an email — create a meeting that has, in the words of the Heath brothers, “drama, meaning, and connection.” You can’t bring your team together for a defining moment by just talking about unity; they have to experience it. While the characteristics the Heath brothers describe may seem a little vague at times, rest assured that “The Power of Moments” will give you a fantastic playbook for creating moments that define your team and stick with them. Check it out today.
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