Inspiration for your work & life » Huxley http://blog.givemore.com Work is more than a job. Work is how we make our lives and world better. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:15:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Huxley on Climbing the Ladder http://blog.givemore.com/huxley-on-climbing-the-ladder/ http://blog.givemore.com/huxley-on-climbing-the-ladder/#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:15:02 +0000 Sam Parker http://blog.givemore.com/huxley-on-climbing-the-ladder/ “The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man’s foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher.”

- Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–1895)
English biologist and educator

Give more leadership check…

Are you holding yourself accountable as a leader (with a title or not)?

As leaders, we enjoy the responsibility of helping people develop in a way that encourages them to hold themselves accountable for their attitudes, their work, and their results.

We need to be as disciplined, resourceful, and resilient in our efforts as we ask our people to be in theirs.

Relentless leadership is embracing the fact that the need for solid & ongoing reinforcement never ends and uncomfortable conversations are a necessity. This is how we create something special. (I talk a little bit about this in this quick video.)

Managers: How much development attention are you giving to your team? (20% of your week would be a full day of nothing but development time… 40% would be two full days, beginning to end)

Smile & Lead. Need some ideas?
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4th quarter printable calendars and wallpapers are up.

Connect with Sam (guy behind this stuff)…

Facebook | LinkedIn | Google+ | Twitter

]]> http://blog.givemore.com/huxley-on-climbing-the-ladder/feed/ 1 Huxley on The Brooding Muck http://blog.givemore.com/huxley-on-the-brooding-muck/ http://blog.givemore.com/huxley-on-the-brooding-muck/#comments Wed, 07 Sep 2011 10:15:41 +0000 Sam Parker http://blog.givemore.com/huxley-on-the-brooding-muck/ “On no account brood over your wrong-doing. Rolling in the muck is not the best way of getting clean.”

- Aldous Huxley (1894–1963)
English writer

Give more truth…

You don’t know everything.

You do know that, don’t you?

Continual learning is a basic necessity to professional improvement and in many cases it’s other people who will help you get there.

But only if you’re coachable. Are you?

To be coachable means to be…

  • Approachable
  • Attentive
  • Receptive
  • Curious
  • Objective
  • Trusting
  • Shapeable
  • Confident

It means you must listen with the intent to learn rather than to show what you know. (be no ego)

Get more insight and a quick 8-point check on your coachability.
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Leaders: If I missed you earlier in the year with this… I’ll be giving a short online talk later today about how to keep a team of people from going through the motions at work. You can sign up here.

Connect with Sam (guy behind this stuff)…

Facebook | LinkedIn | Google+ | Twitter

]]> http://blog.givemore.com/huxley-on-the-brooding-muck/feed/ 0 Huxley on Can Do, Will Do http://blog.givemore.com/huxley-on-can-do-will-do/ http://blog.givemore.com/huxley-on-can-do-will-do/#comments Wed, 22 Jun 2011 03:15:11 +0000 Sam Parker http://blog.givemore.com/huxley-on-can-do-will-do/ “Do what you can to do what you ought, and leave hoping and fearing alone.”

–Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–1895)
English biologist and educator

Give more reminder…

complainless: (adj.) 1. to be free of complaints 2. a pleasure to be around

Your words move others. Your words move you.

Let yours send everyone in the right direction.

Here’s how to be "ComplainLess"…

  1. Be aware. Recognize your typical paths to complaining – what (who) sparks your tendency to gripe. Minimize your exposure to them (eliminating those ‘sparks’ altogether may not always be realistic or the best thing). Know that your grumbling is a complete waste of energy.
  2. Be thankful. Regularly reflect on all the good in your life (people, opportunities, things). Understand and enjoy how lucky you really are. Be entitled to nothing.
  3. Pause before you begin. Clip a complaint as you feel it coming. Put a smile or thoughtful statement in its path. Blame no one. Blame nothing.
  4. Be accountable. Focus on solving problems rather than having them (especially with prospects and customers). Set the example for others and recommit when you slip. Care for yourself and create a positive habit.

Simple. More enjoyable for everyone. Smovish.

Spread the message with the ComplainLess pocket cards or forward this email to someone with a "Let’s commit to being ComplainLess together."
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If you’ve not seen it (outside the money hours or on a well-earned break)… Be inspired to think more and fear less with this favorite clip from the film Defending Your Life.

]]> http://blog.givemore.com/huxley-on-can-do-will-do/feed/ 0 Huxley on The Big Picture http://blog.givemore.com/huxley-on-the-big-picture/ http://blog.givemore.com/huxley-on-the-big-picture/#comments Mon, 07 Mar 2011 03:15:52 +0000 Sam Parker http://blog.givemore.com/huxley-on-the-big-picture/ “The great end of life is not knowledge but action.”

–Thomas Henry Huxley (1825–1895)
English biologist and educator

Give more inspiration…

What if…

John and Abigail Adams had been more concerned with themselves and work/life balance than creating a democracy (if you’ve not seen the HBO miniseries – great stuff)?

What if… Abraham Lincoln (born on 2/12) had quit trying after having a business go under and losing his first local legislative race (and then 3 congressional races and 2 senatorial races)?

What if… Martin Luther King didn’t have a dream and played it safe (and didn’t travel over 6 million miles giving more than 2,500 speeches). What if he thought he was too young to have an impact (he did everything he did in a life of only 39 years)?

What if… Gandhi, Teresa, Roosevelt, Ford, Disney, Walton, Gates, Winfrey, Jobs, Stewart, and Ash hadn’t stepped up and worked hard. (What if the thousands of people who supported them hadn’t?) What if your police, military, firefighters didn’t?

What if… No one pushed it, risked it, and pushed it again (and again)?

Be obligated to your world (your people). Give > Take.

(19 workdays remain in the quarter. Get your 2011 printable WorkDays.)

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