Category Archives: Leadership

Results

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Highway Sign "Results - Straight Ahead"

We have all been running on eagerness and enthusiasm as we started our plans of success but there is one key factor to what we have been doing, “RESULTS”. With all of the big dreams and big plans we had about 30 days ago when we set our goal, the one big factor as humans is “we want QUICK results”.

We don’t want a ten minute abs work out we want a five minute abs work out and get a six pack results. When we look in the mirror in thirty days and say, “I don’t look any different, what is the use of doing these exercises?” They don’t work! That is commonplace in most aspects of our lives. We want it and we want it now!!! We don’t want to wait, we don’t want to over assert, but we do want the reward. This is a personal message for me (I might be writing this more for myself than the people reading it).

If you have been involved in my messages in the past thirty days you know I have a beard. I set a goal that I wouldn’t shave until I reached it. I started with a bang, having fun, everyone involved and I really felt that the result would be quick because I am so focused everyday. I look at my face and its motivation for me to take action. There is one small factor I didn’t think about when I set my goal. I am in sales and no matter how focused and great I feel at my activities the actual sale is not up to me. As I meet more people than I have in years, make more calls that I have in months, and give benefits that seem to me like they are winning the lottery; I can’t control their decisions and THAT IS FRUSTRATING!

I realized something I have coached others for years is that you can’t control the outcome, but you can control your activities. As I just wrote that sentence it should be backed by “BUT I WANT FIVE MINUTES ABS!!!” Well Dan it doesn’t work that way (that is me talking to myself). There is no quick fix; no ten days twenty pound weight loss, no get rich quick scheme.

In life we want it and we want it now, but the best things in life you have to work at and they take time. As I took my hands and scratched my face this morning I was thinking of all the ways I could justify my actions and tell everyone I reached my goal and shave. Everyone would pat me on the back and say “Atta boy”, but I would truly know that I didn’t reach the real goal I set. In reality I would have let myself down and tainted my own character and I cant live with that.

So if any one else out there is losing the zeal they had thirty days ago, and telling yourself that it’s just not working so why keep going, this message is for you.

To be the best, you have to give your best, even when you don’t feel like it.

A goal is a journey, not a quick fix and to accomplish it may take more than you anticipated. And my big one I always say,

“If it was easy, everyone would be doing it and be a success!

So thank you for allowing me to write to all of you and say I know it isn’t easy, and I know the difference between an achiever and the average is the achiever is willing to do (and stick with) activities that the average give up on.

I went and reread a great quote from Michael Jordan,

“I have failed over and over and over again in my life and that is why I succeed”.

So let us not give up on what we have set in place, stay committed, and stay on track. Know that this is not easy and let us all reach our goals together!

Foiling The Fear Of Failure

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Have you ever wondered why there are top salespeople in every field and then there are the rest?Most of us have the same sales tools and abilities, yet the average salesperson never puts him or herself in a position to reach that next level.Why not? We all do the things it takes to get to that level, but I believe some people stop when they realize they could fail. That is often what separates those who are successful from those who aren’t: fear of failure.

In sales, most of us like to say things like, “What’s the worst thing that could happen? They could say no?” How many times have you heard that? Yet we still never ask. The moment avoiding failure becomes your motivation, you’re already down the path of inactivity or procrastination.

So you go to a workshop or a seminar, and all these ideas are running through your head. You’re going to do it this time! But by the time you drive back from that workshop to your office or home, you’ve already talked yourself out of 90 percent of the ideas presented. “That was great for the person talking,” you reason, “but he’s a better salesperson,” or “That’s just not me,” you tell yourself. You talk yourself out of trying because you could fail. Just the definition of the word ‘failure’ brings you down: breakdown, stoppage, malfunction, crash, collapse, disappointment, letdown, not a success.

Those words alone make most people not even want to try. But we all have to realize that disappointments or failures are part of life.The good news is, the more you experience them, the better you’ll get at your successes. Each disappointment or failure is taking you one step closer to being a success. The problem is most people quit before they even get through enough disappointments, not realizing it’s those roadblocks that are going to make them great.

I speak in front of a lot of people, and I remember the first time I got up in front of a large group. It was one of those ‘disappointments’ we’ve been talking about. It was a very short presentation, and I talked and talked – unbelievably – about nothing that anyone could understand. I could have found a way to quit then, but I realized that those disappointments were going to eventually make me a success. That experience helped me to learn what didn’t work so I could improve.

I’ve been in the same industry 23 years, and in the last 24 months I’ve been with three companies. One of them went bankrupt, and the other was taken over by the FDIC. Not great experiences… on any level. But I don’t see that as a failure – a disappointment maybe, but in no way did I fail.

How did I respond? I put myself in a position to figure out how to get better on the other side of these complicated situations. It can be difficult to remain positive and view each disappointment as an opportunity to learn and grow, but it’s what separates the good from the great. I am still thriving in the same industry, with all the loyal people that have followed my leadership and continue to work alongside me.

That’s the separation I’ve been talking about. The only way you can truly succeed is by going through the disappointment it takes to get great. For me, that quest will never end. Knowing I’m going to do it wrong before I could ever get it right makes me want to keep doing it.

That attitude – that willingness to fail – is what separates the best from the rest.

Follow Your Plan, Not The Plans Of Others

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Boston Strong

I was recently listening to a book by Jim Rohn (I am a much better listener than reader) and there is a quote that I keep repeating in my mind, “If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planed for you?”

Why this stuck with me so much is in the aftermath of the Boston tragedy, I still feel that that there is still more good in man than evil. I continually want to believe that others want to help others be the best than can be. But it also makes me realize that people can be influenced into a plan that they know is wrong or doesn’t make them who THEY want to be.

In business, we all know we need a plan to be successful and most of us know the plan takes dedication and resilience to achieve success. Yet some of us choose to look to others for an easy way out; follow a plan others design to keep you just a level below success.

This week I’ll ask, do YOU have a plan?

This may seem odd coming from a guy who, on a daily basis, forms a plan for people to be successful. But I do realize unless you take pieces from that plan and develop it to make it YOUR plan, you will never follow it and never truly commit.

Happiness and success are truly a choice, so are hatred and negativity. Choose to be YOUR best this week! Choose to be the best to others and set YOUR plan for your success. Follow it, stay on course and make this week count!

Moses and His Mouth

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Confidence

Is there any better confidence boost than being chosen by God himself? You wouldn’t think so, but despite the fact that Moses was singled out to lead the Hebrew slaves out of Egypt and hand-picked to receive the 10 Commandments on Mt. Sinai, this father of the faith urged God to bestow the honor on someone else. The problem? Moses wasn’t confident speaking in front of large groups and was thought to have a speech impediment. It’s surprising, then, to learn that he’s mentioned more in the Bible’s New Testament than any other Old Testament figure. Sometimes others see our potential much more clearly than we do.

The Blueprint For Confidence

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It’s never too late to be who you might have been. ~ George ElliotThe Blueprint For Confidence

The Blue Print For Confidence

So much of what happens in our lives, the decisions we make that propel us down one path or the other, all comes down to confidence. Whether we have it or whether we project it.

Confidence – meaning “assurance, poise, self belief – is the fuel that allows us to fly, the lack of which keeps us grounded. Confidence attracts confidence and gets us to try new things, even things seemingly beyond our reach. New jobs, daring adventure, that new relationship you thought was out of your reach. It makes or breaks us, in terms of success.

So, the question is: How do you get confidence?

Your attitude is a choice in building it, but there are some sure-fire ways to start building more confidence in your life.

One: Set yourself up for success by choosing to feel good about yourself.

Now, that seems simple enough, but think of it this way: Have you ever lost a little weight and it seemed like every time you turned around, someone was saying, “You look great. Oh my gosh! What is it about you? Did you get a haircut? You look phenomenal.”You felt good about yourself that day. And you probably felt empowered and more accomplished at work that day, too.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of wearing something you feel good in. That pair of jeans or a shirt that people always compliment. Your power suit. That great pair of shoes. When you feel like that, you have an extra boost of confidence to attempt bigger, better things. Nothing’s going to stop you, and you can do anything. That’s how you want to feel about yourself every day.

Two: Repeat after me: knowledge is confidence.

The more you know, the more confident you feel to talk about it. So that’s an easy one, right? There is no reason why you shouldn’t be learning every single day. It’s a win-win: a confidence builder that keeps on giving and giving.

Whether you’re in real estate, shoes or automotive sales – or whatever you do for a living – you can separate yourself from the pack by knowing more about your product, your market, your competition, etc., than anyone else in your company. It’s that knowledge that gives you confidence.

So, tonight, instead of watching 30 minutes of TV, make it 30 minutes to success. Devote 30 minutes to researching new information about your trade, and see how well that information serves you the next day.

Prepare and project.

But it’s not just about building your own confidence, also important is the way you express yourself, handle yourself. The way you project confidence. It’s in the way you carry yourself. It’s in the tone of your voice, the way you approach sharing the knowledge and passion you have for your work.

There are a lot of people that just ‘wing it.’ The presentation, the sales pitch, they just flat out ask for whatever it is they want.

Believe me, you can always tell when someone is winging it; they are just talking about what they know, instead of what the other person really wants to know.

Preparation builds confidence. Think back to when you prepared for a test at school. You studied by yourself and with others, and you felt like you knew it all. The day of the test, you knew in your mind that you were prepared. You knew the answers. Now think of the time you didn’t prepare for the test. You ‘winged it.’ You had very little confidence that you would pass, in fact you had such anxiety that you made yourself feel sick-sick enough to stay home from school.

Confidence isn’t rocket science. It’s a simple of matter of doing all you can to be the best you can be. And the great news is: You can do it now. You can fix it now. Whatever it takes to boost your confidence, make it up to yourself. Wear or buy more of that thing you wear that makes you feel sharp, professional, stylish and smart. Look the part of the successful person you are. Spend time everyday learning as much as you can about what you do. Empower yourself to succeed by digging for knowledge that sets you apart from the pack.

Confidence may not be something you’re born with, but you can grow it with a little effort.

YOUR BEST… ON PAPER
What do you have right now, this very day, to be confident about?

Write it down.

What skills or attributes are you most proud of and how do they help you in business and in life?

The 4 Things People Want From A Leader

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Business Executives Running in a Race

“You can have everything in life that you want if you just give enough other people what they want.” Zig Ziglar

It’s no secret the world is in a protracted economic crisis caused by many different and competing factors–and it may be awhile before recovery really takes hold. It’s enough to make people lose faith in just about anything. But Rob Goffee, author, Professor of Organizational Behavior at London Business School and former Director of Human Resources for the BBC, argues that if we lose faith in our leaders, we stand to lose everything. Great businesses, he insists, led by great people will bring our current difficulties to an end.

The very definition of leadership, according to Goffee, is the ability to excite people to exceptional performance. What’s more, people want exceptional performance everywhere–our schools, our hospitals, our local businesses, even our sports teams! Goffee and his students asked over 1,000 people what they wanted from leaders in these tough times and they arrived at four things, listed here in order of importance:

Community. People want to belong to something. Being part of a team is highly motivating.

Authenticity. People want to be led by a real person they can trust. We know instinctively when leaders are only in it for themselves. Performance is always the first thing to suffer and if demoralization sets in, there may be dire consequences to the entire organization.

Significance. People want to be recognized for their part in the contribution to the whole. We want to have meaning but, again, not just bring home a paycheck. Individual recognition is one of the most critical functions a leader must fulfill regularly.

Excitement. Leaders, from local business owners to CEO’s, have the ability to transform organizations and enrich lives. If leaders are not excited about what they are doing, you can be sure the employees are dragging quietly behind them.

Effective leadership is an authentic, skillful role performance. It requires lots of action, and it’s always difficult, but it’s always worth it. Try it with those who follow you and share these tips with your clients and colleagues!

Try Something New

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When was the last time you really tried something new?

new

When was the last time you tried a new restaurant, a new route home, a new vacation stop? I guess what I am really asking is, when was the last time you were out of your comfort zone?

As years go on and on and we get older, we get in such a routine that we get stuck and resist anything  new or different. When you were young you were all about new things; new roller coasters, new faster water slides, new places and new people but somewhere along the ride of life you stopped the desire to change. More than that you don’t want to get out of what you know is comfortable. I challenge you this week to make yourself focus on the new (change). Drive a different way home, change your radio stations in your car, go to a restaurant you have never been. If you really want to break out of your rut , make some calls to new prospects (lead generate) today. Remember when you first got in the business, you made the calls, you went on appointments, your days were filled with new and exciting adventures.. Then, somewhere in your path to success, you lost that drive and zeal. Now it’s time to take your life back and get out of that box that is closing in on you year after year. Embrace the change, see change as a growth pattern of your life and start having fun again! If you take this challenge, you really will start to see a new you and get that smile back!

Finding Your Way To Success

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This week I want you to ask yourself, “Why am I not doing what I know I can do to be a success?”

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Get past all the fears and excuses and really ask yourself, “What would my life look like if I just did it?” Would I have l that I wanted and wished for? Would I be able to provide for myself and my family the way I dream about it? Would I wake up each morning with the feeling that I am doing all that I can to be the person I want to be? So today I want you to figure out WHAT IS STOPPING YOU! There is a reason you write goals each year and really believe that this is the year and then you stall out before January ends. You cannot get better at anything unless you figure out what it is you need to get better at. If it is making calls, seeing new people, asking for business or getting out of you comfort zone; figure out what you need to get better at and find a way to do. There are many books, seminars and personal coaches to make you better and help you on your journey but the best people at anything have a coach, a mentor or a formula for their success. Stop making your career a hobby and get serious! Stop waiting for life to happen and start making life happen for you! It’s time to get serious for your success, conquer your fears and take real action this week. We all know what we need to do but achievers take action. Make this week count!

Radical Change

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Radical Change

change-architect-sign1

Who is your support group or person? Every successful person has that person or group, that no matter what you do it gives you unconditional motivation. That same person can call you out on your shortfall without you getting defensive. We all need a person or group that will bring us up after a day of lead generating that felt like you accomplished nothing. At the same time they call us weak for quitting before you get a lead.

We all like to say we are self starters, self motivated. It’s time to wake up! If you keep showing up and getting the same results, you’re not moving forward, you are back sliding. CEO’s at the highest level have a coach and or a mastermind group that they consult to perform at higher levels.

Stop waiting and start wanting. Michael Caplan, CEO E Trade Group wrote, “To succeed as a team is to hold all of the members accountable for their true actions and expertise.”

Go to your office today, find the people in your office that you want to emulate or simply respect, and set up a mastermind group. If you take this challenge, make sure that at your first meeting you all agree to be BRUTALLY HONEST with each other. This group is not to be a social wine club, this group is to push you to new levels, to call each other out with respect and always reminding each other that this is to break the barriers of complacency.

If you want unconditional love, with no feedback on anything you do wrong, or helping you to new financial levels, its best you just get a pet! We all love what we do and I wouldn’t do anything else than what I do. So I have to have people around to tell me when I get off focus and realign me with my goals. I said we need radical change. Will you make a radical change?

Changes

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Changes

As the year is moving forward, I am blessed that I get to speak to a lot of people and hear their goals. Yet some are still resisting change when they know it’s the best thing for them. So those people I will quote REO SPEEDWAGON (dating myself), “If you’re tired of the same old story, It’s time to turn some pages, I will be here when you’re ready to roll with the changes”.

Remember change my equal stress and uncertainty,but is necessary for you to grow in life. Keep on rolling!

Having Fun (What Is Your 7 Iron?)

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It’s time for all of us to start having fun again. We have all been caught up in the news and the turmoil of the marketplace. Some are waiting for the market to move (Just a reminder: If you’re waiting for it to move, it has and it’s moving right past you).

The definition of ‘fun’ is ‘a time or feeling of enjoyment or amusement,’ while ‘work’ is described as ‘labor, effort, exertion.’ That certainly doesn’t sound fun, but you can make what you do fun. Have fun at what you do, and the money will flow. What do you enjoy most about you career? What’s that one thing that makes you want to do it again?

Golf is a difficult game. When playing, I often hear people say, ‘I hate this game. It’s no fun.’ But then the next shot is great, and they’re saying, ‘I love this game! I’m Tiger Woods!’ You can repeat that feeling.

Remember back to when you started in your industry, that feeling you had – there was no stopping you. You were doing all the work, with no limits, and there was a twinkle in your eye. You were determined, and you felt unstoppable. Then, like in golf, you had a slice, hook, shank, and suddenly you didn’t like the game – until you got a call from someone you had been prospecting for weeks, and suddenly you are the sales master again! You can’t wait to let everyone know about your success.

When you make a great shot, you are compelled to ask everyone around you, ‘Did you see that?’ But how do you apply this to your career? Examine that day when you felt like the Tiger Woods of sales and get to the root of what made that happen. You need everyday to be that day, so don’t leave until you make that call, or go see the person you know you need to get in front of. Go find the person who can help you stay on top.

You don’t have to reinvent success. Do what works for you. That is the fun! If your 7 iron is your best club, use it more. If that’s what brings you the most success, use it more often.

Every shot isn’t going to be the perfect shot (even Tiger Woods has a bad hole or two every now and then), the key is to control your misses. Do that and you’ll be one step closer to that hole-in-one.

What is the best thing about you? In what area do you really shine? Brainstorm to discover your own personal ‘7 iron’ that can help you become the Tiger Woods in your marketplace.

Download this and other FREE Chapters at www.ManginelliGroup.com

It’s All In Your Head

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When I try to think ‘big picture’ about what makes people successful in business or in life, the first and most obvious part of the ‘big picture’ to me is this: It’s all in your head!

Meaning, it’s what’s in your head that sabotages you. Our minds are powerful tools that can be used to both imprison and free us.To be successful,we have to be mentally strong enough to respond to whatever happens in a positive, pro-active way.

Mental toughness is a process. It just doesn’t happen overnight. It’s like any kind of strength training. You start out slowly, with smaller weights. You learn to pick and choose the options that work best for you, where you are.

When something terrible or unexpected happens, youmay be prone to thinking, “You know, that’s just my luck. Stuff like this always happens to me.”
Or, even when things are rolling along smoothly, you may be one of those worriers—that personwho always assumes theworstwill happen in any given situation.

Self-image is a tough thing for all of us. We all have our own insecurities, our own sense of inadequacy, even failure. And if you really just want to try to hold on to what you have, that negative self-image will always speak louder in your head than anything else. People with half your ability will accomplish more in life only because they believe better things about themselves. Their perception makes for a more successful reality.

The beginning of mental conditioning is training yourself to recognize and acknowledge the strengths you already have. Everyone says, ‘If I could just live up to my potential,’ but to be honest, I don’t buy that.We’re always looking for abilities we wish we had, rather than recognizing the gifts and skills we already have.

Why do you suppose that is?

Everybody’s afraid of what others think.When you close your eyes, that person is in your head, saying what you think they think about you (and it’s never good).We’re always afraid that someone’s going to pull the curtain back and find out we don’t know asmuch as we think we know.That somehow we’re not as accomplished, smart or successful as they are.

Even when all the talent and know-how and drive and determination is already there to succeed, just a whiff of fear will kill it before it even begins.

That’s why it’s essential to ‘retrain’ your mind to work FOR you, not against you. Train it to take the time to gain perspective, to respond, not to react.To think: ‘What are my options here?’

Whatever the situation—whether it’s personal relationship trouble or challenges in business—you always have options. Mentally, you lay it all out: What do I really want to do? What is the best way to respond to get what I want?What will be the best scenario short-term? Long term?

Each option comes with a given consequence, so you train yourself to think through those as well. Some of the consequences automatically rule out the option.

Once you narrow down the options, keeping ‘mind over matter’ means you learn to play to your best strength and go with the option you know you’ll be best at, the response that will work best for you.

If you see yourself as a person who already has the talent and skill and drive and determination to get things done…If underneath all that is a fundamental belief that you deserve to succeed in everything you work hard at…

How and where and who you envision yourself to be is how and where and who you are…and will be.

Always…
be willing to try…
be actively learning…
lead by example…
believe you add value to whatever you do…
be open…
be contagious…
Is this you? If not, begin each day retraining yourself to think, speak and act in affirming, intentional and positive ways. To change your perspective is to change your life.

The Value of “Thank You”

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There are certain times of the year when thankfulness seems more plentiful. Thanksgiving Day is a natural time to pause and count our blessings, while the Christmas holiday is a natural time to be thankful for the family, friends and celebrations that add meaning to our lives.

The rest of the year, most of us don’t say ‘thank you’ nearly enough.

I know the importance of those two little words, though. That’s why I make sure to say ‘thank you’ to all those who help me do what I do:

• Thank you for working alongside me.

• Thank you for your loyalty and belief in me.

• Thank you for your strength to get through the frustration and the tears.

• Thank you for your drive to work hard and be the best you can be.

• Thank you for your part in helping us grow by leaps and bounds.

Taking time out to let those around you know they are appreciated, that the work they do is noticed and valued, goes a long way. It can turn a promising newcomer into a top producer. It can make a committed team member really shine. It can make the people around you not just willing but eager to help you look your best.

Do you want to reach the top? Don’t forget to say ‘thank you’ along the way to those who are helping you achieve that goal.

Who can you thank today and for what? Don’t wait. Do it now.