Good morning Leaders,
Here are some words to ponder as you go through your leadership day.
"Guard your integrity as a priceless element...because it is."
Mark Bowser
Make it a great leadership day full of influence. God bless you.
Mark
JEREMIAH 29:11
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Influence Someone Today by Helping Them Help Themself
Good morning Leaders!
It was Henry Ford who said, "Time and money spent in helping men to do more for themselves is far better than mere giving." Wise words. Serve the men and women on your team by teaching them to help themselves.
Make it a great day! God bless you!
Mark Bowser
It was Henry Ford who said, "Time and money spent in helping men to do more for themselves is far better than mere giving." Wise words. Serve the men and women on your team by teaching them to help themselves.
Make it a great day! God bless you!
Mark Bowser
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Corporate Leadership Training: Great Leaders Capture the Power of Vision
By Mark Bowser
Motivational Business Speaker
Mark Bowser knows his stuff when it comes to Corporate Training and Leadership Success. Enjoy this inspiring article from one of the world's best corporate trainers.
MarkBowser.com Editor
Throughout time, great leaders have always had vision. Vision is one of the most important elements to being a champion. The Ancient Writer states it this way, "Where there is no vision, the people perish. Vision keeps us on track. It even shows us where the track is. So, if vision is so important to success and happiness then where do we get it? That is not an easy question. One way is to ask yourself where you want to be ten years down the road? What will you have accomplished? Where will you live? Who will be with you? Questions like these will help you discover your inner vision for your life.
I believe that there are two elements we have to keep in mind if we are to be successful with our leadership vision. One, the vision needs to be a challenging vision to stretch you and your team (REMEMBER: In order to reach your vision, you are going to need to get people on board with it which means you have to lead them. Every great leader has a vision that is worthy of following and the confidence and integrity to get people to follow them).
When I think about a leader with a challenging vision, I think of President John F. Kennedy. In 1961, he stood before the nation and said, "I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth." That would be a challenging vision for NASA to repeat today let alone in 1961.
Let me remind you where we were when JFK made that statement. In 1961, we had just successfully launched Alan Shepherd into space as the first American into space. Up until that point we had had failure after failure. It was a miracle we didn't kill Alan Shepherd in the attempt to get him up there. Rocket after rocket had blown up in our faces. The Soviet Union was stomping on us in the space race.
Then, we have one success and President Kennedy said we are going to the moon. Our scientist probably wanted to send him to the moon. What an outrageous statement. Did we know how to accomplish it? Probably not. Was it possible? Some of them probably weren't sure. But what happened at 4:17 P.M. in the afternoon on Sunday July 20, 1969? The spacecraft ever so smoothly landed on the lunar surface. Neil Armstrong called back to earth, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." Later, as he and Buzz Aldrin stepped out of Eagle onto the moon, Neil said, "That is one small step for man one giant leap for mankind." We had done it! We had landed two men on the moon and we did return them safely back home to earth. You see, a challenging vision isn't one you necessarily have all the answers to at the beginning, but one that will stretch you to accomplish something you didn't know you were capable of. It makes you stronger and better.
The second thing we have to keep in mind in order to make our vision a reality is the courage to put it into action. Michele Borba tells a story about Rocky Lyons. When Rocky was five years old, he and his mother Kelly were traveling in their pickup truck down a country two lane road. Rocky was asleep with his legs resting on his mother's lap. When they turned onto a narrow bridge, the truck hit a pothole. Trying to get the truck out of a rut, Kelly sped up and turned the steering wheel. Rocky's foot got caught between the steering wheel and Kelly's leg and she lost control of the vehicle. The truck tumbled over a 20-foot ravine.
The crash woke up Rocky. He looked at his mother and said, "What happened, Mama?" Kelly was hurt bad. She was covered with blood. Rocky said, "I'll get you out, Mama." He crawled out the window and tried to pull his mother out of the truck. It didn't work. He climbed back into the truck and somehow used his 40-pound body to push his 104-pound mother out of the wreckage.
Rocky was planning on climbing to the top of the ravine to get help for his mother. Fearing he would get hurt, Kelly refused to let him go by himself. Inch by inch they struggled along. Rocky not only had a vision to save his mother, he also knew how to motivate her to success. He told his mother to remember that little train. He was referring to the train in that children's classic The Little Engine that Could. In Rocky's own version of that famous line, he kept motivating his mother by saying, "I know you can, I know you can."
Well, they made it to the top and Rocky flagged down a vehicle. They got Kelly to the hospital and after 8 hours of surgery and 344 stitches, she was put back together. She looks much different today then she did before the crash. BUT SHE IS ALIVE! She is alive because a five-year-old boy had a vision to save his mother and the courage to put it into action. Rocky just did what he had to do. He wasn't trying to be a hero. He just did what he was called to do.
That is what vision is all about. A challenging vision which will get you out of your comfort zone and the courage to put it into action. What is your vision? Is it to change the entire world or just your corner of it? Whatever it is; wherever it is, GET THAT VISION AND MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Take some time right this moment to think about and answer the following questions. Then, come up with 3 action steps to start the ball rolling towards your vision.
1. If you knew you could not fail, what would you want to accomplish?
2. Where do you want to be in your career in five years?
3. Where do you want to be with your relationships in five years?
4. If you were able to hear the eulogy at your funeral, what would you like to be said about you?
Motivational Business Speaker
Mark Bowser knows his stuff when it comes to Corporate Training and Leadership Success. Enjoy this inspiring article from one of the world's best corporate trainers.
MarkBowser.com Editor
Throughout time, great leaders have always had vision. Vision is one of the most important elements to being a champion. The Ancient Writer states it this way, "Where there is no vision, the people perish. Vision keeps us on track. It even shows us where the track is. So, if vision is so important to success and happiness then where do we get it? That is not an easy question. One way is to ask yourself where you want to be ten years down the road? What will you have accomplished? Where will you live? Who will be with you? Questions like these will help you discover your inner vision for your life.
I believe that there are two elements we have to keep in mind if we are to be successful with our leadership vision. One, the vision needs to be a challenging vision to stretch you and your team (REMEMBER: In order to reach your vision, you are going to need to get people on board with it which means you have to lead them. Every great leader has a vision that is worthy of following and the confidence and integrity to get people to follow them).
When I think about a leader with a challenging vision, I think of President John F. Kennedy. In 1961, he stood before the nation and said, "I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before the decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth." That would be a challenging vision for NASA to repeat today let alone in 1961.
Let me remind you where we were when JFK made that statement. In 1961, we had just successfully launched Alan Shepherd into space as the first American into space. Up until that point we had had failure after failure. It was a miracle we didn't kill Alan Shepherd in the attempt to get him up there. Rocket after rocket had blown up in our faces. The Soviet Union was stomping on us in the space race.
Then, we have one success and President Kennedy said we are going to the moon. Our scientist probably wanted to send him to the moon. What an outrageous statement. Did we know how to accomplish it? Probably not. Was it possible? Some of them probably weren't sure. But what happened at 4:17 P.M. in the afternoon on Sunday July 20, 1969? The spacecraft ever so smoothly landed on the lunar surface. Neil Armstrong called back to earth, "Houston, Tranquility Base here. The Eagle has landed." Later, as he and Buzz Aldrin stepped out of Eagle onto the moon, Neil said, "That is one small step for man one giant leap for mankind." We had done it! We had landed two men on the moon and we did return them safely back home to earth. You see, a challenging vision isn't one you necessarily have all the answers to at the beginning, but one that will stretch you to accomplish something you didn't know you were capable of. It makes you stronger and better.
The second thing we have to keep in mind in order to make our vision a reality is the courage to put it into action. Michele Borba tells a story about Rocky Lyons. When Rocky was five years old, he and his mother Kelly were traveling in their pickup truck down a country two lane road. Rocky was asleep with his legs resting on his mother's lap. When they turned onto a narrow bridge, the truck hit a pothole. Trying to get the truck out of a rut, Kelly sped up and turned the steering wheel. Rocky's foot got caught between the steering wheel and Kelly's leg and she lost control of the vehicle. The truck tumbled over a 20-foot ravine.
The crash woke up Rocky. He looked at his mother and said, "What happened, Mama?" Kelly was hurt bad. She was covered with blood. Rocky said, "I'll get you out, Mama." He crawled out the window and tried to pull his mother out of the truck. It didn't work. He climbed back into the truck and somehow used his 40-pound body to push his 104-pound mother out of the wreckage.
Rocky was planning on climbing to the top of the ravine to get help for his mother. Fearing he would get hurt, Kelly refused to let him go by himself. Inch by inch they struggled along. Rocky not only had a vision to save his mother, he also knew how to motivate her to success. He told his mother to remember that little train. He was referring to the train in that children's classic The Little Engine that Could. In Rocky's own version of that famous line, he kept motivating his mother by saying, "I know you can, I know you can."
Well, they made it to the top and Rocky flagged down a vehicle. They got Kelly to the hospital and after 8 hours of surgery and 344 stitches, she was put back together. She looks much different today then she did before the crash. BUT SHE IS ALIVE! She is alive because a five-year-old boy had a vision to save his mother and the courage to put it into action. Rocky just did what he had to do. He wasn't trying to be a hero. He just did what he was called to do.
That is what vision is all about. A challenging vision which will get you out of your comfort zone and the courage to put it into action. What is your vision? Is it to change the entire world or just your corner of it? Whatever it is; wherever it is, GET THAT VISION AND MAKE IT HAPPEN!
Take some time right this moment to think about and answer the following questions. Then, come up with 3 action steps to start the ball rolling towards your vision.
1. If you knew you could not fail, what would you want to accomplish?
2. Where do you want to be in your career in five years?
3. Where do you want to be with your relationships in five years?
4. If you were able to hear the eulogy at your funeral, what would you like to be said about you?
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Corporate Training: The Influential Leader Empowers
By Mark Bowser
It was leadership experts John Maxwell and Jim Dornan who said When you empower people, you're not influencing just them; you're influencing all the people they influence. But, what exactly is empowerment? It is a buzz word that we hear all the time, but what does it really mean? Well, the word empowerment can be defined as to give the ability to. So, when we empower someone we are actually giving them the ability to do something.
The problem with empowerment is in how we give it to someone. We walk up to team member Jane and we say, Jane, project ABC is now your baby. It is your project. Make it happen. Oh, by the way, if you need to make any changes, then come check with me first. Do you see what just happened? We just handcuffed Jane. We gave her the responsibility for project ABC but we didnt give her any authority. That is not empowerment.
Empowerment is actually an equation. It is not an equation original with me but very accurate and very powerful.
Empowerment = Responsibility + Authority
That is true empowerment. We give Jane the ability to do project ABC by not only giving her responsibility but also the authority to make decisions to make it happen. That not only empowers her but also begins developing her leadership skills. It also frees us up so that we can focus on the things that only we can do. We must never micro-manage people. When we empower Jane, it frees her and us to be our best. It also makes the team stronger. We become a leadership focused team where we are developing everyones leadership abilities.
You might be saying, But what if Jane messes up? If she does, that is not a big deal. Use it as a teachable moment. We all mess up from time to time. When we learn from our mistakes, they actually make us stronger and draw us closer to our goals completion.
Another point to remember is that we cant empower every team member the same way. Why? Because not everyone has the same experience or gifts. If we over-empower someone then they are over their head and they begin to drown. I have seen this happen and it not only is devastating for the team member but also the team. Everyone is an individual and we must lead them to success at their own pace. Help each member on your team be the best they can be..and your success (and theirs) is secure.
So, how do we do this? Well, we start with what are the qualifications to empower. Do we have the qualifications to empower this team member? It is a good question. Lets explore the answer together. There are four qualifications that I believe must be present in order to effectively empower someone.
One, position. Fred Smith said, Who can give permission for another to succeed? A person in authority. Others can encourage, but permission comes only from an authority figure: a parent, boss, or pastor. Mr. Smith is right. Are you a person of authority with this person you seek to empower? If not, you cant empower them. You can motivate and inspire them but not empower them. You must have the position to truly empower someone.
Two, relationship. You must have some sort of a relationship with them. If they have very little contact with you, then you wont be able to effectively empower them. Even if you are their boss, you cant empower them unless you have a working relationship with them.
Three, respect. There has to be a mutual respect with each other for the empowering relationship to be truly effective.
Four, commitment. There needs to be a commitment on your part as a leader. You are in it for the long haul. You dont give them their assignment and then disappear to another project. As a leader, you need to be available. Available for guidance, available for strength, and available for help. The team member needs to be committed to you as their leader and to the organization to do the very best job they can. The commitment to go the extra mile, to give that extra amount.
Those are the four qualifications to empower someone. Once they are in place, we can move to the empowering process itself. There are also four keys to empowering people.
How To Empower People
1. Discover their strengths
2. Develop their strengths
3. Give them a project
4. Help them succeed
First, we have to discover their strengths by observing them. Second, like a great coach, we must help them develop their strengths. Their strength is like a muscle. Without use, it gets weak. With constant use, it grows strong and powerful.
The third thing we must do to empower them is give them a place to use it. A basketball player might have a sweet jump shot but it doesnt really do any good until the coach puts him in the game. We must put them in the game. Once they are in the game, we move to the fourth thing which is to help them succeed. Chances are they will make some errors. Not a big deal. Coach them to success. Even Michael Jordan needed a coach. We all do. A great coach can pull out the best from their team members.
So, do you sometimes feel overwhelmed at work? Too much to do and not enough hands to do it? Or is it you havent empowered those hands to do it? Take a good look at your winning team and start empowering them today.
It was leadership experts John Maxwell and Jim Dornan who said When you empower people, you're not influencing just them; you're influencing all the people they influence. But, what exactly is empowerment? It is a buzz word that we hear all the time, but what does it really mean? Well, the word empowerment can be defined as to give the ability to. So, when we empower someone we are actually giving them the ability to do something.
The problem with empowerment is in how we give it to someone. We walk up to team member Jane and we say, Jane, project ABC is now your baby. It is your project. Make it happen. Oh, by the way, if you need to make any changes, then come check with me first. Do you see what just happened? We just handcuffed Jane. We gave her the responsibility for project ABC but we didnt give her any authority. That is not empowerment.
Empowerment is actually an equation. It is not an equation original with me but very accurate and very powerful.
Empowerment = Responsibility + Authority
That is true empowerment. We give Jane the ability to do project ABC by not only giving her responsibility but also the authority to make decisions to make it happen. That not only empowers her but also begins developing her leadership skills. It also frees us up so that we can focus on the things that only we can do. We must never micro-manage people. When we empower Jane, it frees her and us to be our best. It also makes the team stronger. We become a leadership focused team where we are developing everyones leadership abilities.
You might be saying, But what if Jane messes up? If she does, that is not a big deal. Use it as a teachable moment. We all mess up from time to time. When we learn from our mistakes, they actually make us stronger and draw us closer to our goals completion.
Another point to remember is that we cant empower every team member the same way. Why? Because not everyone has the same experience or gifts. If we over-empower someone then they are over their head and they begin to drown. I have seen this happen and it not only is devastating for the team member but also the team. Everyone is an individual and we must lead them to success at their own pace. Help each member on your team be the best they can be..and your success (and theirs) is secure.
So, how do we do this? Well, we start with what are the qualifications to empower. Do we have the qualifications to empower this team member? It is a good question. Lets explore the answer together. There are four qualifications that I believe must be present in order to effectively empower someone.
One, position. Fred Smith said, Who can give permission for another to succeed? A person in authority. Others can encourage, but permission comes only from an authority figure: a parent, boss, or pastor. Mr. Smith is right. Are you a person of authority with this person you seek to empower? If not, you cant empower them. You can motivate and inspire them but not empower them. You must have the position to truly empower someone.
Two, relationship. You must have some sort of a relationship with them. If they have very little contact with you, then you wont be able to effectively empower them. Even if you are their boss, you cant empower them unless you have a working relationship with them.
Three, respect. There has to be a mutual respect with each other for the empowering relationship to be truly effective.
Four, commitment. There needs to be a commitment on your part as a leader. You are in it for the long haul. You dont give them their assignment and then disappear to another project. As a leader, you need to be available. Available for guidance, available for strength, and available for help. The team member needs to be committed to you as their leader and to the organization to do the very best job they can. The commitment to go the extra mile, to give that extra amount.
Those are the four qualifications to empower someone. Once they are in place, we can move to the empowering process itself. There are also four keys to empowering people.
How To Empower People
1. Discover their strengths
2. Develop their strengths
3. Give them a project
4. Help them succeed
First, we have to discover their strengths by observing them. Second, like a great coach, we must help them develop their strengths. Their strength is like a muscle. Without use, it gets weak. With constant use, it grows strong and powerful.
The third thing we must do to empower them is give them a place to use it. A basketball player might have a sweet jump shot but it doesnt really do any good until the coach puts him in the game. We must put them in the game. Once they are in the game, we move to the fourth thing which is to help them succeed. Chances are they will make some errors. Not a big deal. Coach them to success. Even Michael Jordan needed a coach. We all do. A great coach can pull out the best from their team members.
So, do you sometimes feel overwhelmed at work? Too much to do and not enough hands to do it? Or is it you havent empowered those hands to do it? Take a good look at your winning team and start empowering them today.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Make 2011 a Great Year of Influence
Happy New Year Leaders!
Here is a simple reminder for all of us of what leadership is really all about.
"Leadership is influence."
John C. Maxwell
Now, let's go out and work to increase our influence. God bless you!
Mark Bowser
Here is a simple reminder for all of us of what leadership is really all about.
"Leadership is influence."
John C. Maxwell
Now, let's go out and work to increase our influence. God bless you!
Mark Bowser
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Leadership by FDR
Good morning Leaders!
Here is a great thought to ponder about FDR and how he led.
"The quality of Roosevelt's being one with the people, of having no artificial or natural barriers between him and them, made it possible for him to be a leader without ever being or thinking of being a dictator."
Frances Perkins
Make it a great leadership day. God bless you!
Mark Bowser
JEREMIAH 29:11
Here is a great thought to ponder about FDR and how he led.
"The quality of Roosevelt's being one with the people, of having no artificial or natural barriers between him and them, made it possible for him to be a leader without ever being or thinking of being a dictator."
Frances Perkins
Make it a great leadership day. God bless you!
Mark Bowser
JEREMIAH 29:11
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
The True Height of a Leader
Good morning Leaders,
What does it take to be a leader? Well, for one thing it takes height. No, I am not talking about how tall you are. So, what am I talking about? Check out the following article.
"The True Height of a Leader" An article about Abraham Lincoln by Mark Bowser http://short.to/1piee
Make it a great leadership day. God bless you.
Mark Bowser
What does it take to be a leader? Well, for one thing it takes height. No, I am not talking about how tall you are. So, what am I talking about? Check out the following article.
"The True Height of a Leader" An article about Abraham Lincoln by Mark Bowser http://short.to/1piee
Make it a great leadership day. God bless you.
Mark Bowser
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)
.jpg)
.jpg)
