Talking About Solid Business Foundations

Gratitude and Appreciation are so important

Gratitude and Appreciation are such important links to increased success!

Maybe you know leaders who exhibit these traits, or maybe you know of one that has no idea why they’re important, but really wish they did…..which one do you think is more successful?

There’s so much talk about ‘Skills for the future’, but this one skill is so often overlooked & needs to be part of everyone’s toolkit for now and the future.

Here’s a few reasons why to practice gratitude and appreciation:

1. Gratitude fosters a positive mindset which is essential for resilience.
2. Relationships are considered one of the most important ingredients for any team or business, so enhancing them using gratitude is a must.
3. Increased motivation results from appreciation and recognition.
4. Gratitude & appreciation are linked to improved emotional well-being and reduced stress, as well as the willingness to use creativity.
5. Gratitude attracts more opportunities and positive outcomes that can enhance a reputation and open doors to new connections and ventures.

In short, cultivating a habit of gratitude fosters long-term success by creating a supportive and fulfilling work environment with greater loyalty and an enhanced reputation that contributes to sustained growth.

Success and growth are always the winners!

And it is a skill that can’t be faked.    People are so aware of when someone is not genuine with their gratitude or appreciation.

So, reach out if you think that this is an area that your leadership style will benefit from by knowing more about this, or if you know someone else who would benefit from learning this skill.

5 Key Reasons Every Business Needs to Grow:

1. Of course, the easiest thing to understand is this: as a business grows, so does its profitability. Also, depending on the business size, other benefits can help. They include a reduction in overheads from better supplier deals or from using technology to boost efficiency.

2. Staying Competitive is a must when it comes to staying in business for the long term. Have you noticed how there are always competitors with new ideas, new technology, or who adapt to the changes of clients with ease? There is no place to rest on your laurels without the risk of being overtaken by competitors.

3. Attracting and retaining the best talent, is so often overlooked. Like a magnet, people are attracted to growth. A growing business offers career growth, exciting projects, and recognition. It rewards efforts that help it succeed.

4. Progressive business owners know the value of diversification. They may add new products, services, clients, or markets that fit their skills. Diversification is a way to reduce risk.

5. Innovation is a major ingredient for growth. There is so much potential within a team. When leaders create a culture that allows it, people love to contribute. It invites more innovation.

In a nutshell, as my dad said to me a few times, “The moment you stop going forward is the moment you start going backwards”. Growth is an intrinsic need we have as humans, and a business is also a reflection of that.

So many times I see how a business has grown to achieve so much and appear to be on top of it all, but then they stop…..and that’s when the rest of the market overtakes them & they start to slowly slide backwards. So, unless they find new ways to keep growing, overtime profits will slide backwards to.

Yes, there is always a way to keep growing and it often takes the help of someone from outside the business to assist.

If you’re as interested in Growing the Success of your business as I am, reach out and give me a call.

Is it Knowledge or Wisdom?

Is it Knowledge or Wisdom that you use to make decisions?

The reality is that decision making is a blend of experience, knowledge & intuition.    Some decisions are automatically taken care of with Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s), which are based purely on previous knowledge about a particular task.   But the experienced Leaders know that there are so many other factors that influence a decision.    They always take into account any possible consequences, while keeping the overall goal in mind, so that they can decide on the best path forwards.

The wisdom component requires weighing up the known elements of a task, the personalities involved, the emotions that may surface, or if there may be conflicts.    The Wise Leaders are always looking past the current situation, to what the future results may look like.   And of course, wisdom comes from experience – what has worked or not in the past.   They use the past to fine tune what needs to be done now.     The Wise Leader knows that winning one battle, doesn’t necessarily mean that they will win the war (metaphorically speaking), so they are always looking past the short term & setting up for long term gains.

The experience they have built up, point them in the direction of prioritising integrity, fairness, & accountability…..the ingredients that enhance Trust & Credibility.   The Wise Leaders believe in setting their teams up for success with Coaching, Mentoring & the right Training.    The reality is that a Wise Leader knows that the ‘Head and the Heart’ need to meet to make the best decisions.

Remember, the more successful Leaders, become great from gaining wisdom when learning about themselves…..yes they often have an experienced coach to help the process.

Wise Leaders are so inspirational to watch don’t you agree?

Evolution of a Leader

Everyone knows that the best leaders are forever evolving & they never settle for mediocrity…..just embracing this one secret is what makes them so much more valuable to any business or team.

What I have noticed they do differently is:

1. They embrace change as the norm
2. They are always looking for the latest innovations
3. They create an environment of credibility & trust
4. They are curious & open to new possibilities
5. They are forever learning new skills
6. They are open to feedback (the breakfast of champions)
7. They embrace coaching & mentoring to bring out more of the Leader within

They know that when they stop moving themselves forwards means they start going backwards.    And if they stop moving forwards, they start to notice others who are evolving past where they are at.

So, check in with me to see how to keep your evolution moving forwards with Leadership training, or coaching and mentoring.

Work/Life Balance

Tips for Solid Business Foundations

There’s an old saying that say’s “It’s tough at the top”.    And the reality is that it so often is (sometimes you just can’t sugar coat the reality).    And the further we progress up the tree of our development, the harder it can be.    Yes, the situations get harder, there are more decisions to be made, and sometimes there is more at risk.

And it is these very facts that see the number of willing participants ever decreasing in numbers the further up towards the top they get.   It takes a lot of courage, tenacity, and belief for a person to keep pushing themselves outside their comfort zone to achieve their goals (however big they are).

The sheer commitment these people have is nothing short of amazing.    They have the business, employees, suppliers, clients & their families all relying on them.    The pressure can be enormous, but they rely on the skills they have learnt along the way & a massive amount of self-belief.

And the one thing that I hear many times is how lonely it can be at the top.    To have a circle of people outside their family that are able to understand and support them through the tough times, as well as how to grow to the next level and create higher levels of success is something they need.

And it seems that the wisest of them have found that having a coach or mentor helps fill this gap in so many ways to create more fulfillment in their lives.    For these people, it is always about success first – success in their business as well as their personal lives.