Leadership Solutions

Leadership: Adults That Children Admire

What is being an adult?

One answer is: Being someone a child would want to become.

So let's consider this: if you were four years old, would you want to grow up to be you?

Would you want to be working at the job you have?

Would you want to be spending time the way that you do?

Would you want to be where you are?

That is, would you look forward to having the life that you have?

Some of you may respond with an emphatic "Yes!"

Others may be preparing excuses, such as:

"But I have to . . . ."

"But I never got . . . ."

"But . . . ."

Let's go back to the beginning. This is an article about creating the future. So let's assume that you are four years old. What do you want to be when you grow up?

And for those of us who have grown up a little, what do you want to be doing ten years from now?

Next year?

Tomorrow?

Admittedly, some changes take time. Some are difficult. Some require courage.

And if you want those changes, the best time to start working on them is now.

After all, you deserve to grow up to be the best person possible. Because that's what being an adult is all about.

Key Point: An adult is more than someone who grew up.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Leadership: More Than a Dollhouse

This started as a good idea.

I decided to build a doll house for our daughter. It was going to be a Christmas gift many years ago when she was a young girl.

So, I bought a kit. Then I spent evenings in the basement assembling, sanding, and painting.

Certainly, our daughter was pleased when she pulled the paper off the large pink dollhouse.

And this was only the beginning of the gift. During the weeks ahead, we decorated the house.

So we painted the rooms. We put wallpaper in other rooms. And we built a few pieces of simple furniture. By the time we finished, each room was a different color, just like a real house.

This dollhouse became more than just another toy. It became a father-daughter project. And with this came the lasting gift of spending time together making priceless memories.

We've worked on other projects, too. When she was eight years old we installed a garage door opener together. From this she learned how to use a socket wrench and other tools.

This brings forward an important lesson for the holidays.

For many of us, giving gifts is a tradition. So we spend a month finding, buying, and accumulating them.

Let's pause to reflect upon what we're really giving as gifts.

Most of them are things.

Things are really ordinary. They can be returned, ignored, or forgotten. 

This happens because people want something that's more important than another thing. They want the gift of spending time with you.

Consider this when you plan your shopping.

Your time is far more precious than any object that you could buy. And giving some of yourself will be more appreciated, leaving memories that last a lifetime.

Key Point: Find ways to give part of yourself as a gift.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Leadership: Everyone's Perfect Role Model

Have you ever wondered why cats are so successful?

Note: If you prefer, imagine that this article is about dogs. (This is a equal pet information resource.)

Since we can achieve greater success by emulating those who have achieved it, here's the answer:

1) Clear Mission

Every cat knows that the mission of a cat is to be a cat. Thus, they spend all of their time being a cat. They never attempt to be something else, such as a hamster or a goldfish.

Humans: Do you have a clear mission for your life? Do you follow it daily?

2) No Fear

Cats fear nothing. In fact, the word fear does not exist in their vocabulary. Thus, cats spend no time on worry, excuses, or blame. They live each day as fully as possible without any hesitation.

Humans: Eliminate fear. Meet with yourself to find it and then toss it out.

3) Enough

Cats live within enough. They eat enough. They sleep enough. They work enough. They never stay up too late watching too much TV while eating too many snacks.

Humans: Live within enough. Refrain from packing more of what you already have.

Key Point: If the keys to success are so simple that a cat an apply them, what about us?

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Everyone's Perfect Role Model

Have you ever wondered why cats are so successful?

Since we can achieve greater success by emulating those who have achieved it, here's the answer:

1) Clear Mission

Every cat knows that the mission of a cat is to be a cat. Thus, they spend all of their time being a cat. They never attempt to be something else, such as a hamster or a goldfish.

Humans: Do you have a clear mission for your life? Do you follow it daily? If not, spend the closing weeks of this year to find your personal mission.

2) No Fear

Cats fear nothing. In fact, the word fear does not exist in their vocabulary. Thus, cats spend no time on worry, excuses, or blame. They live each day as fully as possible without any hesitation.

Humans: Fear causes all human problems. It weakens and leads to bad decisions. Thus, eliminate fear. Meet with yourself to find it and then toss it out. Seek help if needed.

3) Enough

Cats live within enough. They eat enough. They sleep enough. They work enough. They never stay up too late watching too much TV while eating too many snacks.

Humans: Most people have enough. In fact, it's likely that most people in the world live on less than you do. Thus, strive to make enough a personal strategy.

Key Point: Simplicity leads to serenity.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Web Site

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Leadership: Would You Do This?

In the middle of nowhere, you will find an opera house.

- - -

 - - -

It's located in Death Valley Junction, CA, which is 88 miles north of Baker or 30 miles southeast of Death Valley National Park. (If you decide to drive there, be sure to leave Baker with a full tank of gas because there is only one service station on the way to Death Valley.)

This opera house is special because of Marta Becket.

Marta (now 85) sings opera, dances ballet (was on point at the age of 81), paints beautiful murals, and writes. Her book, To Dance on Sands, tells her story, which includes Broadway, national tours, and famous people.

And here's the point.

As you might expect, attendance at an opera house in the middle of a desert can be somewhat spotty. In fact, there have been nights when only two people came.

And Marta still performed.

In fact, a member of her staff told me that she has even performed when no one came.

In business terms, this means she has worked for free.

Why?

Because she is so passionate about being an artist that she is willing to perform entirely for the personal reward of creating something beautiful.

This brings us to a hard question: Would you do this?

That is, do you love your work so much that you would be willing to do it whether you were paid or not?

I realize this must seem absurd to some of you, especially those who have marked their retirement date on a calendar ten or twenty years in the future.

Yet, loving what you do is the key to happiness.

Life is too precious to spend coping with a job. In fact, if you hate your job, you don't have a career. You have a sentence.

So here's a challenge: How can you design your work to bring more joy into your life?

If you can achieve what Marta has, you'll find greater happiness, and you'll give a stellar performance every time.

Key Point: Live is precious. Spend it doing things that you enjoy.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Happy Thanksgiving

Hello Everyone,

Happy Thanksgiving.

Best wishes for today and the holidays,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Web Site

Leadership: One More Day

Certainly, anticipation has been building.

Now here we are, one day away from the great food festival, known as Thanksgiving.

Here are five friendly suggestions to help make the day something to be grateful for.

1) Keep it simple.

Rather than cook 47 different courses, prepare a reasonable number of choices. If you already bought six tons of food, put the extra things in the freezer. Rather than attend a dozen parties, go to one or three. And so on.

2) Keep it real.

Eat, drink, and party in moderation. Remember that you have to wake up the next day, and you want to feel like it's worth being alive when you do.

3) Keep it personal.

Other people matter. So be a gracious host, even if you visit. Talk about good news, things that work, and achievements. Thus, avoid complaints and negative topics. Be friendly, be gracious, be kind.

4) Keep it loose.

Decide to enjoy yourself. Relax. And set boundaries. Excuse yourself from negative conversations. Detach from other people's mistakes and problems. They worked hard to create them and thus they own them.

5) Keep it funny.

Find the humor in everything. Smile. Laugh. Giggle. For some people this will be a new experience. So, take a risk and try it. You'll be amazed by how good it feels.

Key Point: It's supposed to be a holiday. So enjoy it. And help others enjoy it too.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

www.stevekaye.com Web Site

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Leadership: Other Side of Gratitude

It's possible that someone read yesterday's blog and thought,

"Hey, I have too many problems to spend time being grateful."

Really?

Those problems might be your greatest gift.

Here's how:

1) Problems challenge your creativity.

They force you to seek improvements, learn new skills, and invent strategies. They also test your resolve. And sometimes they serve as warnings about impossible projects that need to be abandoned.

2) Difficult people challenge your maturity.

They test your ability to be kind when under stress. They teach you better ways to communicate and get along. They cause you to avoid doing things that make others become difficult (i.e., retaliate). And they provide examples of what NOT to do.

So take a deep breath and bask in the warm comfort of being grateful.

Then stand up and shout, "I'm grateful for everything and everyone who has made me miserable!"

There. Does that feel better?

Key Point: Our challenges are actually gifts that we need to open.

Bonus Idea: Make sure that you're working in ways that make others feel grateful for the right reasons.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership: Thanksgiving Project

Here is something that you can go for yourself.

Take a moment to reflect on everything that you're grateful for.

If possible, I encourage you to write out a list.

Include the things that make your life comfortable, the people who help you, and the activities that reward you.

Use this list as the basis for your thoughts during the days going into Thanksgiving.

You may find that it makes life more enjoyable.

In fact, you might find this to be so worthwhile, that you'll continue doing it all year.

Key Point: We are all fortunate in many ways. Find them and be grateful.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Web Site

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Leadership: World Record

You may not have heard of Esther Johnson.

But she's famous in the World Flying Disc Federation.

She holds the world record for throwing a flying disc in her age group.

She threw a disc 8.08 meters, which is just a little more than 26.5 feet. 

Wait, before you laugh, her age group is women, age 102 and older. Her name appears near the top of the list.

Now, are you impressed?

I am.

Admittedly, there's not much competition in this age group.

So her achievement is more a matter of showing up (or being there) than anything else.

So what are your plans for age 102?

Do you plan to show up?

In fact, do you show up now, regardless of your age group?

Do you show up at work, giving your most creative ideas? Do you show up in your relationships, giving your most respectful self? Do you show up in your life, giving your most courageous effort?

Every success begins with just that: showing up. After that, the rest is easy.

Key Point: Show up. Then do something.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

Web Site

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