WIIFM

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WIIFM stands for: “What’s In It For Me.”  WIIFM is the operational philosophy of nearly 100% of the population, nearly 100% of the time, including you and me. Yes, there are a LOT of people who say they operate under a different philosophy, and there may be a few who do, at least occasionally, but, by and large, that number is low.  Christians strive to operate out of a philosophy of love and consideration of others above self. This is as it should be and God’s design, but most give little thought to anyone or anything without first considering the WIIFM.

For more on this check out the short video below:

Pride goes before a Fall

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That is actually a variation of Proverbs 16:18 (from the Bible): “Pride goes before destruction….” Here is another, “Do not think of yourself more highly that you ought….” Romans 12:3. Jim Collins in Good to Great described the difference between companies which performed at good levels, and those which could be considered great. Several years later he wrote a follow-up book titled How the Mighty Fall which described how many of those “great” companies had crumbled.

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Respect, Honor, & Love

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I was listening to a speaker once, who said: men are fueled by honor and respect, while women are fueled by love. I have noticed that men do indeed respond better when they feel they are being treated with respect and honor; this applies to the home, the workplace and social gatherings. When we intentionally treat the men in our lives with respect and honor, they are more likely to live up to those expectations and be men who deserve respect and honor.

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Pick up the PHONE!!

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I know we live in a digital age.  I know that we depend on email and text messages for almost all of our communication, not to mention LinkedIN, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Snapchat, Instagram, etc.  In most cases these forms of communication are entirely adequate to get a message across. In fact, these forms of communication can be extremely effective because they leave a nice digital trail to refer back to if necessary.

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Mission Statement

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The benefits of the mission statement are that it clarifies what the company DOES and does NOT do, which allows greater ability to focus on quality. People can have mission statements, too. A personal mission statement clarifies why YOU exist. It provides boundaries in your life that can be very useful in keeping your focus on the goals you have for your life. Mission Statements must be dynamic, by that I mean that a mission statement’s value is in its active guidance in your life.

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Expediency, Exigency, and Ethics

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I think it is accurate to state that most of us would say that we live our lives according to an ethical standard. That standard includes such moral virtues as honesty, respect, fairness, etc. Yet, the Ethical conduct of our life is constantly under pressure to bend to the needs of Exigency and Expediency. Three ‘E’ words that make all the difference in how we live and conduct our lives. It is better to live right, and to choose right in advance of exigency than to allow expediency to prevail and push you into actions opposed to your values.

For more on this check out the short video below:

 

Apologize

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There is very little that is as effective in shutting down criticism as a simple apology. Saying you are sorry, and genuinely meaning it, is a powerful tool real leaders are willing to use in their pursuit of larger goals. If you can say, “I’m sorry” and mean it, and then learn from the experience, your credibility grows, as does your influence. If, instead, you try to cover up your mistakes or blame them on others, or the circumstances, you are effectively giving away your power and weakening your credibility; you are undermining yourself even though you may think you are presenting a strong position.

For more on this check out the short video below:

Hire People Smarter Than Yourself

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Hiring people who are smarter than you are seems counterintuitive. It seems like, as leader, you should know more than those you employ, about every aspect of the job. That, however, would be wrong, especially in the current age in which we live. Hiring people smarter than you will be difficult if you think you are the smartest person in the room. However, if you can get over yourself, you will soon realize there are a lot of areas where you don’t know the answers. Smart leaders hire even smarter workers who can help the organization move forward.

For more on this check out the short video below:

Posture

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You might not think it but when your parents told you to “sit up straight” and “quit slouching,” they were doing you a much bigger favor than you imagined. The reason for this is that we form opinions about people in the first three seconds of meeting them. Although not usually part of a conscious process, the awareness of a person’s posture, and general overall carriage is a strong factor in our first opinions. A person with an upright and erect posture is presenting themselves as someone who has a strong sense of personal worth and confidence.

For more on this check out the short video below:

Generosity

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St. Nicholas was noted for his generosity, and out of that grew the giving of gifts at Christmas. He did it as a response to God’s love that had been freely given to him. His generous spirit literally changed the world. How will you be remembered? As someone with a generous spirit, or as a scrooge? A spirit of generosity affects every area of our lives: our finances, our time, and our attitude, these being the major areas of application. In finance, take stock of how you respond in simple situations such as giving a tip to a server at a restaurant.

For more on this check out the short video below: