Les Brown

Why do people follow certain leaders?

Some leaders are more successful than others at attracting people to their team. They seem to have few people leaving, unless they are promoted, and can easily fill any opening they have. What do these leaders do that sets them apart? These great leaders accelerate the dreams of their followers.

Are dreams important? William Shakespeare wrote, “We are such stuff as dreams are made on.” The dreams we have for our lives are who we are, who we want to be, where we want to go, there our hope for the future.

So yes, people’s dreams are very important to them. And if you want to be a great leader, they should be important to you. Master motivator, Les Brown laid out the plan for success and dreams when he said, “Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours.”

Here are the steps to accelerating the dreams of those who you lead:

Know their dreams. Leading people is nothing more than unlocking the full potential of everyone who follows you. If you want the best team, then you need to know their dreams to bring out their passion in life and work.

“The dreams and passions stored within hearts are powerful keys which can unlock a wealth of potential.”– John Maxwell

Connect their dreams with the team. Each person has unique dreams that are theirs alone. There are many rolls on each team, many activities, many projects, much that needs to be done. Once you discover each person’s dreams, you should find a way to incorporate them into the plans of the team to bring the best thinking to everything you do.

“We need men who can dream of things that never were.”– John F. Kennedy

Lead the dream and the team to succeed. Great leaders can, and must, bring success to their team and to the members of their team. One without the other is not sustainable. The best possible work environment is for everyone to live their dreams while accomplishing the work.

“I don’t dream at night, I dream all day; I dream for a living.”– Steven Spielberg

 

Speak plainly about transitions.

transitionsTransitions can be difficult. What makes them even harder is when we don’t talk about what’s needed to succeed. Going off to college, starting a new job, retiring from your career are all transitions that require planning and the same three action steps.

“The key is to take small, conscious steps and prepare yourself for a successful transition.”– Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul

Self-motivation. Successful transitions require that you get yourself started. No one is going to make you succeed, you have to want to succeed. Determine to be the best at whatever this next phase of your life is and to not give up until you reach it.

“Wanting something is not enough. You must hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way.” – Les Brown

Self-sufficiency. Successful transitions require that you get what you need. Self-sufficiency is not having all that you want – It’s knowing how to connect, communicate and cooperate with other people to obtain what you need. Every transition means starting over in building your network of people that will help you.

“It is precisely because neither individuals nor small groups can be fully self-sufficient that cooperation is necessary.” – Tom Palmer

Selflessness. Successful transitions require that you give what others need. The end goal of transitions is to have made it to the next level. Once you are there, you help others who are trying to make it like you did if you want to fully reap the benefits of your work.

“Only those who have learned the power of sincere and selfless contribution experience life’s deepest joy: true fulfillment.” – Tony Robbins

So much to teach – so few opportunities

smal opportunities to helpWhatever you have accomplished…Whatever you have learned…Whatever you have experienced…adds to who you are. I believe that who we are is meant not just for ourselves, but to teach others.

The only way to pass on all we know is to use every opportunity as a teaching moment. Think of each interaction as a chance to add value to another person. I have found that in doing this I gain more personal and team success in the long run. Brian Tracy points out that, “Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others. Unsuccessful people are always asking, ‘What’s in it for me?’”

When will the opportunities come? There is no time like the present. And if you think you have missed opportunities in the past, then the second best time to look is still right now.

“Your big opportunity may be right where you are now.” – Napoleon Hill

How will I be able to spot the opportunities to teach? Here’s how I began looking for opportunities to teach early my leadership career: Each morning I picked one key item from a book I was reading and looked for a chance to teach someone what I had learned. I didn’t let a day go by without sharing at least once.

“Opportunities are like sunrises. If you wait too long, you miss them.” – William Arthur Ward

How many opportunities should I expect to get? As many as you can find the time to take advantage of. You’ll be amazed when you start looking how many you will see.

“In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. That means we have 1.440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact.” – Les Brown

The Commitment of Leadership

commitment LombardiLeadership is not for the faint of heart. If you want to succeed, plan on making the commitment to being in it for the long haul. As Abraham Lincoln said, “Commitment is what transforms a promise into a reality.”

There is no overnight successes in leadership, but there are steps you can take in the right direction towards success if you are committed to the climb. For every person who climbs the ladder of success, there are a dozen waiting for the elevator.

Now here are the challenges that many face when they look to make the commitment of leadership:

What if I don’t have a complete plan for success? Here is the thing about plans – they always change. If you wait for the perfect plan before you will make the commitment, you will never commit. As long as you have a clear picture of what success looks like when you achieve it, you can start moving in that general direction and modify your plan as you learn more.

“You need to make a commitment, and once you make it, then life will give you some answers.” – Les Brown

What if I don’t have time for a commitment? Here is what I have found in my life. I do lots of things throughout the day, week, month, or year. When I choose to make a commitment to something I free up time to fit it in by not doing other things that don’t lead to success.

“I have the time for anything I am committed to.”

I am not sure I’m up for a long-term commitment. Actually a long-term commitment is nothing more than a set of daily activities that leads to long-term success. Take this one day at a time, one action at a time.

“The only way saying ‘ I will’ leads to ‘I did’ is through the daily practice of ‘I do’” – Denis G. McLaughlin

To be the best, Invest more than the rest. Are you investing in yourself? Are you continuously growing in knowledge and wisdom?

As a leader, you owe it to your team to run the race just as fast, if not faster, than they are.

I attend conferences all over the country to hear from the best.  I recently attended a conference in San Diego where I had the pleasure of hearing great leaders fill me with their wisdom. Leaders like Les Brown, Sharon Lechter, Gene Landrum, Frank Shankwitz, and others, all spoke from their experience.

We were in a packed room sitting close enough that I could see each of these special teachers in their seats before and after their time to speak.  As I was busy taking pages of notes, I could see out of the corner of my eye that each of them was taking just as many notes as I was.  At one point Gene Landrum asked the people at my table if anyone had more paper so he could continue taking notes.

Along with the knowledge I gained from each leader, I learned a life lesson that day:

No matter how much you know; there is always room to grow!

Denis Waitley said, “All of the top achievers are life-long learners…Looking for new skills, insights, and ideas.  If they’re not learning, they’re not growing…not moving toward excellence.”

As a leader, you owe it to your team to run the race just as fast, if not faster, than they are.

What have you done today to invest in yourself?  What will you do tomorrow, the next day…How are you continuously growing in knowledge and wisdom?

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