mentorship Archives - Page 4 of 4

✏ Leadership Lessons by Mr. Myagi

You know you’re old when you open with a reference from the 1984 classic, “The Karate Kid”. Who remembers Mr. Miyagi befriending the new kid in the apartment complex, Daniel? Those famous lines: “wax on, wax off”, “sand the floor” and “paint the fence”. A frustrated Daniel just wanted to learn karate as fast as he could in an effort to defend himself against the Cobra Kai. Instead, he was taught lessons by the master of patience and intent. Expecting nothing in return — with the exception of a free waxed car, a sanded deck and a freshly painted fence — Mr. Miyagi contributed to Daniel-san being a champion. Ok, so that’s Hollywood and you knew it would be a great ending. Here’s the reality:

We need more Mr. Miyagis in the world today.

We need “masters” willing to step up and mentor those who strive to succeed. We are at a critical point where we need more existing leaders inspiring aspiring leaders if we hope to build a stronger next generation of leaders.

“Masters”? Are you looking at me?

How many people can one person positively affect through successful leadership and mentoring? Let me give you an example based on the National Football League. Head Coach Bill Walsh (coached from 1960 – 1994), who made a name for himself with the San Francisco 49ers by winning three Super Bowls, has a monstrous coaching tree of 15 former assistants who all went on to be Hall of Fame coaches in their own right. Their successes pointed back to the way Walsh led. Do you think he planned to be a mentor? Or just be a great coach who shared his knowledge with those who worked with him?

It simply takes a willingness to pass on lessons
and share knowledge to be a mentor.

It’s all about gratitude: a thankfulness for what you have achieved and the success that has come with it. It goes beyond what is expected at work. It is a one-on-one relationship to guide another who will make an impact. Think back to all of the hands on your back that pushed you along the way at any given time during your journey. How about the ones who reached out from in front to pull you up? If we don’t guide the next generation, who will?

If integrity is important to you, then passing along your wisdom will be second nature. How many times have you uttered the words “if I only knew then what I know now…”? Give somebody that gift.

Now, let me be clear — all those who are on the path to leadership need to experience failure, challenges, adversity and doubt. We all must face our fears: mediocrity, loneliness (leading can be truly lonely at times), and fatigue. But what if you could contribute to the lesson? Imagine mentoring others simply through “guided discovery” to set them apart.

Imagine those you mentor five, ten, even 20 years later. Think about the lives they may be able to change as a result of your willingness and encouragement to help someone grow. The possibilities are endless. They will not forget your role, and they, in turn, will feel a desire to pay it forward. THIS is how we change the world — one great leader at a time.

As professionals, leaders and good people, we owe it to others and ourselves to give back a portion of the rewards we have been blessed with. What better way to show your gratitude than to be the person who doesn’t allow somebody to quit right before a breakthrough was about to occur.

If you have been blessed with fortitude and talent,
it is not only your gift,
but your responsibility to share it.

You surround yourself with like-minded people for a reason. They make you better at everything you do – family, work, friendships. Bring new people into your circle, and let them discover your amazing stories of struggle and success. Give them a perspective that no class, book, seminar or training could provide. You were constantly in a state of self-awareness evaluating and learning as you developed the skills necessary to become an effective leader, and that’s where they are now.

You learned to embrace failure and make it a tool for success. You learned the unselfish art of passing along the attention that success brings to your team rather than to yourself. You learned to lead by example, which earned you trust and respect. Now it’s time to share that learning.

Don’t waste the opportunity to assist another in their quest. Maybe it’s somebody who works for you, in whom you see a passion and drive that reminds you of yourself. Or perhaps you have a friend who is aspiring to lead – do the same unto them that was done to you. Reach out and mentor somebody deserving without expecting anything in return. The rewards you reap later in life will far outweigh anything you invest right now.

Motivate. Inspire. Mentor.

LEAVE IT BETTER THAN YOU FOUND IT!

Thank you, sensei.

Humbled to lead,

#chargeup #chargeuptoday #lessonsinleadership #leadership #lead #process #strongleader #patience #leadershipjourney #resilience #failure #success #moveforward #areyouready #leadandfollow #sensei #karatekid #mentorship #mentor #payitforward #danielsan #mrmiyagi #cobrakai #waxonwaxoff

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©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up. All rights reserved. You are free to use portions of this publication, provided the following credit is listed at the bottom: ©2018 Victor Pisano/Charge Up, is a media-based entity that provides intriguing, innovative and distinctive content, engaging its readers with real-world challenges and solutions while embracing obstacles and the value that failure can provide. While that sounds serious, we promise you will both learn AND laugh (and sometimes cry).Contact Charge Up at victor@chargeuptoday.com or visit our website at www.chargeuptoday.com.

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✏ Your Actions Must Match Your Ambition

Leadership, like life, is largely a matter of paying attention. It’s the small steps, not the big ones, that matter most. The key is to always move forward. If you have ambition, these steps will add up to success only if you have the actions to match. That’s where the work comes in.

Are you still paying attention?

“Ambition is the first step to success.
The second step is action.”

There are plenty of people with incredible ideas and dreams of success. The problem is, they’re all bark and no bite. The majority don’t act upon their ambitions, because it takes work — and a lot of it. Success is the result of blood, sweat and tears.

It’s the action that separates the weak from the strong. And successful leadership isn’t for the weak. It’s not for those who have insufficient ability and stamina to drive through the adversity of the long journey.Those folks are blinded by the quick win, who are constantly looking for shortcuts to success. They are also lacking in the most important trait of all, patience. Without patience, you don’t gain experience. Without experience, you only have ideas. And ideas without action will never become reality.

The Art Lies in the Execution

This is where qualities such as courage, bravado and vulnerability come into play. What are you willing to sacrifice to achieve your ambitions? Do you understand the risks involved? Your actions may not be popular in the moment, but you must have the confidence to stick to a well-crafted plan.

Being a strategic thinker will aid you in your quest. Thinking things through and evaluating all possibilities will solidify your actions. Entrusting the right people and empowering those with the necessary skills will also increase the odds of success.

Beware Though — You Will Fail

Those with ambition are willing to fail. They see the lessons within, and will keep trying until they find the solution. They are relentless in their pursuit, and their actions speak louder than words. Others see this, and are motivated to jump in and assist. Teamwork has now come into play — and a leader is born.

Leaders are drawn to leaders. We are a product of who we interact with. If we surround ourselves with ambitious people, it inspires us to go further. And when we recognize the opportunity to contribute to someone else’s success, without regard to our own egos, big things can happen. Either way, allow yourself to eliminate the fear of failure, and the distractions of barriers to reach your end goal. That said, it’s okay to show vulnerability and be human.

Leadership can be lonely at times, but when your actions provide the example and you earn the trust and confidence of the team, respect from your team will be the reward.

Take another step forward; just make sure you are paying attention.

Venture + Lead + Prosper

Humbled to lead,

#chargeup #lessonsinleadership #leadership #lead #process #fail #learnfromfailure #bounceback #failure #success #moveforward #patience #change #venture #lead #prosper #empower #motivate #inspire #beyou #gratitude #integrity #starttoday #humilty #ambition #action #stepforward

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✏ Pay It Forward Like a Leader

“To move forward, you must give back.”
— Oprah Winfrey

Leadership in and of itself is the ultimate gift.

Leadership in duration is a blessing.

I am writing this for the leader that has been in the role for ten or more years. If this isn’t you, stay with me anyway. There’s always a lesson, and 10 years from now, you very well may be in this role — might as well prepare now.

The unwritten rule for leaders is that since somebody
was willing to help you in your journey, it is your responsibility
TO PAY IT FORWARD

I want to go beyond the obvious; most will relate the “pay it forward” to be a mentor. This is an incredible resource for you to contribute to the success of others, but I want you to think deeper and find the courage and gratitude to go even further in your commitment.

Volunteer at a local school: There are so many schools that would welcome you to volunteer, regardless of grade. This is where you can put some thought into it and match your interests. For example, if reading out loud to a classroom of 2^nd or 3^rd graders sounds great to you, do it! Most schools have mentoring programs where you visit the same student one a week during lunch and just talk. If you have a passion for writing, go talk with the counselor of a high school and see if you can speak to an English class, Yearbook staff, newspaper staff, etc. My point, there is a place for everybody to give back to their local schools.
Coach a local youth sports team: If you are that person who still talks about the “remember when” from your high school or college sports days, this is right up your alley. There are so many youth-based teams that are in critical need of talented and willing coaches to volunteer their time. I challenge you, though: this is not just about teaching sports. This is also about teaching character, integrity, sportsmanship, the concept of team, gratitude, encouragement, etc. Be the “complete” coach, and you could be doing this for a long time.
Serve on a community-based board: Go to the website of your local City Council or Chamber of Commerce, and there will be a prompt that will take you to an area listing all of the committees and boards that you can serve on. Do your research, narrow it down and match your skill sets to the areas where volunteers are needed. When you narrow it down to three, go talk to the director or leader of the groups, and get a feel where you think you can make an impact.
Visit a Senior Center: This is all about perspective. Don’t make the assumption that a senior center is simply a place where people go to live the last days of their lives. Find an “active” senior center, and not only will you be able to contribute your time and skills, but the stories and lessons that you learn will be applicable in your day-to-day life. The best part: you will make friends who will look forward to your visits.
Volunteer at a disaster area: We tend to fulfill our obligations in this specific category by writing a check. I don’t want to take anything away from your generosity, because money is extremely important in disaster situations. My challenge is to take it a step further. Volunteer at a disaster center in your local community and do whatever it is they need. Whether is a clothing a drive, a food drive, emergency medical equipment, or just setting up cots, anything that can benefit the center is a debt nobody could ever you pay back for.
Volunteer at a Food Bank: Again, this is a great experience – I would encourage you to go with a group. Call your local Food Bank, find out when they need one person or a group, schedule it and go assist for a few hours helping those in need. It’s a rewarding experience and one that I bet you go back to again and again.
Become a mentor: When I say be a mentor, I mean call the middle or high school to become a mentor through the school. Your commitment will vary based on the programs offered. There are also community-based mentor programs depending upon the size of your city. Some are weekly, some bi-weekly, or once a month. Regardless, go mentor a young person who needs direction in their life. Teach them about life, and the character and skills necessary to succeed. For some of these kids, you may be the only positive figure in their life. Be humbled and make a difference.
Help a local charity: This is the easiest one of all; nobody will say to no to, “how can I help?”. You may have friend or family involved in a charity. You may have seen one on social media that sparked your interest. You may have attended a gala or fundraiser and felt compelled to give back. Let that spark determine who the charity is that you want to contribute your time, money and skills in building.
Clean up the environment: As I have gotten older, it’s funny to me to pass the signs along the highway and read the ones that tell you which organization is in charge of keeping a particular stretch free of trash. I have admiration for those groups, and when I see a fundraiser or event that they are a part of, I tend to give. I call it “top of mind gratitude”. With a few clicks on Google, you can find out how you can assist and volunteer a few hours on a Saturday or Sunday to clean a highway, possibly lead a neighborhood clean-up effort, or even a park. Take your kids along – they will be less likely to litter if they have to experience picking up trash.
Encourage employee volunteerism: I saved this for last on purpose. Think of it like this. “Pay it Forward Like a Leader Should” and its intention was to focus on what YOU could do. Once you get the motivation to pay it forward, you will see the immediate benefits, and a true leader will find the purpose to get more invested in the mission. If one person can make such a dramatic difference, imagine what an entire team could do. Even better, imagine what an entire company could do.

Giving and gratitude go hand-in-hand. The more you practice it, the better you will get at it. I challenge you to take the first step. Once you reap the reward, pass it on and grow the efforts.

“WE RISE BY LIFTING OTHERS . . .”
— Robert Ingersoll

Here are 50 of the Best Workplaces for Giving Back that have committed themselves to adding the pillars of gratitude and charity to their corporate culture. Let them serve as the example and inspiration for other companies to step up in their communities and make a difference.

Once you’re ready to commit, trying to figure out the how and where can be a job in and of itself! I have found that Charity Navigator is a great resource to match your skills and interests to the right charity. Founded in 2001, Charity Navigator has become the nation’s largest and most-utilized evaluator of charities. Their mission? To help donors by deploying a team of professional analysts to examine tens of thousands of non-profit financial documents. According to their website, “we have used this knowledge to develop an unbiased, objective, numbers-based rating system to assess over 9,000 of America’s best-known and some lesser-known, but worthy, charities”.

I promise you, giving back to others in ways outside of the traditional mentorship role will pay dividends for the rest of your life. The gratitude you will be exposed to will not only change the lives of others, but it will change yours: making you a better person and leader. So go change the world!

Venture + Lead + Prosper

Humbled to lead,

#legacy #hero #chargeup #chargeuptoday #lessonsinleadership #leadership #lead #process #strongleader #patience #leadershipjourney #resilience #failure #success #moveforward #adversity #areyouready #leadandfollow #mentorship #mentor #venture #lead #prosper #reflect #inspire #empower

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✏ The Myth of Vertical Leadership

Does advancement always mean moving up?

The infamous hierarchal chart, first called the “matrix” was a product of distinguishing the rank in nobility. Its purpose was simply to establish the path to the throne. It was then adopted by the military to determine rank and advancement. It was adopted by politics to diagram leadership from the local, state and national levels.

Along the way, this hierarchy (flat, horizontal, chain of command) became a common tool for large companies to display the gaps between titles and the path to the top. No longer would we depend upon a simple introduction or business card — now we needed a published glossy document to identify senior leadership and all of those below them with perfect head shots and titles only an ad agency could come up with.

While necessary, does it establish a realistic and fair representation of how leadership should work?

I call this vertical leadership because as the saying goes, “one must climb the ladder to the success.” But is that really necessary?

Is success only achieved vertically?

Why does one have to correlate the process of moving up the chain of command with being an effective and successful leader? I know many people without a title who are extremely successful.

Why is leadership associated with a title?

For example, does the manager, and the manager only, deserve all the credit for the successful, efficient and productive team? Of course not. The results of the team were a result of their hard work and perseverance, as well as the respective managers ability to empower, lead and inspire. With that comes shared credit for the achievements.

What’s my point?

Why does society pressure those who are extremely successful in a role to move up the proverbial ladder to success? Why do we invest in performance consultants that stress the importance of the pathway for advancement?

Why do we push employees to participate in job rotations where WE think they would be successful, without really having an honest dialogue?

For example, some will tell you that a successful sales person will lose their passion and the challenge of sales if left in the same role too long. When you find one that has been on top for many years, look to promote them or possibly risk losing them to the competition for lack of advancement.

Although I agree to an extent with the logic, I do so with one caveat … are they being promoted on their own free will, or as a result of the pressures of management and job security? In other words, are we really listening to them, both verbally and non-verbally, or are we making assumptions?

Each year during reviews at most companies, we ask our employees:

“Where do you see yourself a year from now?”
“What are your goals?”
“What career path do you see yourself on?”

Why do these questions have to be so persuasive in their delivery? Those being reviewed have no other option, without putting themselves in a vulnerable position, than to not be completely truthful.

Would it be too far-fetched to believe that there are some people who actually find their current role to be amazing, challenging, rewarding and something that they may want to continue to pursue for years to come? Would that be the wrong answer to their superior if they were asked if they wanted to advance?

Would that leader walk away from that discussion, and come to the conclusion that the employee lacks the passion for advancement or take on new challenges? In other words, are they stagnant and in a comfort zone?

I have personally seen companies put some of the best sales people into management positions based on their record of achievements — only to watch them crash and burn. The assumption is that because they were successful, they must have the ability to teach others their skills, and empower the team under their leadership to be just like them. But the truth of the matter is this:

Not everybody has the skill, nor desire to lead a team. I’m not being disrespectful; it’s just an honest statement. The success of those individuals comes from their ability to lead themselves.

They have a gift, and they challenge themselves to grow in their existing role every day. If you really know the people you lead, you should know this, because of the relationship you already have with your key staff. It should not come as a surprise, nor should you have to justify it to upper management. If you don’t know the goals and desires of your staff, you need to be having more conversations with them.

Remember this: success doesn’t come from “upward” steps, it comes from small steps forward. Each of those small steps forward will result in amazing things. In other words . . .

You don’t have to aim for the clouds
if you want to be a successful leader;
just keeping moving forward.

Venture + Lead + Prosper

Go do great things today and make a difference.

Privileged to lead,

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✏ The Roots of Leadership

Is your leadership secure in its roots and healthy enough to withstand any storm?

The tallest tree in the world is a sequoia in northern California. It stands at 379 feet tall, which is about 7 stories higher that the Statue of Liberty. The tree is named Hyperion, and is estimated to be over 800 years old.

Like any other tree, when it first started to grow, Hyperion was small, and didn’t look much different than any other tree in the forest. But over time, it grew. New wood layers, new tree rings, new growth. It grew, and grew, and grew — until it towered over the forest.

“Leadership is the companion of wisdom.”

– Augustine of Hippo (354 AD)

It is within this metaphor that I want you to think of leadership. The tree grows DOWN first, and establishes its roots before it can begin its growth pattern upward. This process takes a tremendous amount of time, but it is the only way to ensure that the tree has the power and strength to stand up to even the roughest of wind and storms.

“When the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.”

– Chinese Proverb

We now live in a time where leaders want their tree to grow UP before giving it a chance to establish roots. What tends to happen is that when the first storm hits (we can refer to this as adversity), with heavy winds (more adversity), the tree gets knocked down. How will the tree survive if drought hits? What are the implications if the tree is infected with disease because it doesn’t have the resiliency to fight it off on its own?

But look at the tree standing proudly nearby. Absolutely no damage with the exception of a few leaves blown off. Always healthy, regardless of weather. And strong enough to withstand any disease. Why?

This tree was planted years ago; nurtured very slowly and fed regularly to ensure a solid root system. Every year, dead branches or clumped growth were trimmed in an effort to keep the tree healthy. Over the years, the tree grew both in diameter and height. This tree was well-maintained. This tree was cultivated to be able to remain upright regardless of the adversity it may face.

Now compare those two trees to the way you have invested in your leadership skills, abilities and knowledge. Have you devoted the patience, integrity, and endurance to the process? Are your roots firmly established? Do you know your purpose? Are you – and your team – willing to withstand the storms of adversity and change?

Leadership is an internal quality, not an external one. All of your growth will occur “within”. Invest the effort in yourself to build your character and confidence, and as a result . . .

The Devil whispered in my ear, “You’re not strong enough to withstand the storm.”
Today I whispered in the Devil’s ear, “I am the storm.”

Venture + Lead + Prosper

Humbled to lead,

#chargeup #chargeuptoday #lessonsinleadership #leadership #lead #process #strongleader #patience #leadershipjourney #resilience #failure #success #moveforward #areyouready #leadandfollow #mentorship #mentor #treeroots #venture #learn #prosper #storm #withstandthestorm

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The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

Venture + Lead + Prosper

The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

Venture + Lead + Prosper

The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

While necessary, does it establish a realistic and fair representation of how leadership should work?

Is success only achieved vertically?

Why is leadership associated with a title?

What’s my point?

Venture + Lead + Prosper

The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

“Leadership is the companion of wisdom.”

– Augustine of Hippo (354 AD)

“When the roots are deep, there is no reason to fear the wind.”

– Chinese Proverb

Venture + Lead + Prosper

The only way we can inspire is to grow our community – would you please share this with family and friends, ask that they subscribe to Charge Up, and follow us on social media?

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