Leadership Done Right

Brandon W. Jones

Leadership Done Right Blog

Podcast Episode #31 – 10 Reasons Goals Fail And 5 Steps To Make Goals Successful

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Hello, and welcome to the Leadership Done Right Podcast, Episode 31: 10 Reasons Goals Fail And 5 Steps to Make Goals Successful.

Leadership Done Right Podcast

LDR 031: 10 Reasons Goals Fail And 5 Steps To Make Goals Successful

First, I want to wish each of you a very happy New Year! 2018 is going to be the best year yet!

With the new year upon us, now is the best time to set and/or refresh your goals, but regardless of when you listen to this episode it is always a good time to set and work towards completing your goals.

In last week’s episode, I talked about setting goals using SMART goals. I also talked about creating a plan and 5 Keys to creating an effective plan. In this episode, I am going to discuss 10 reasons why people fail to complete their goals and 5 steps to ensure your goals are successful.

10 Reasons People Fail To Complete their Goals

Have you ever been discouraged when working on a goal? Have you ever failed to complete a goal? Or, have you started working on a goal and lost your way? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you are not alone. Many people lose their way on goals. In fact, here’s10 reasons why people fail to complete their goals.

1. Not a Strong Enough Why

People fail to complete their goals when they don’t have a strong enough WHY. When you set a goal, it must have a strong motivating WHY. Too often people set a goal because it sounds cool or fun, but they don’t have a reason why it is important. Michael Hyatt often says, “When you lose your WHY, you lose your way!” It is very easy for a goal to fall apart or be forgotten when you forget your WHY.

The WHY must be strong enough to motivate you through good times and bad. And, when you are busy and times are challenging. If the WHY will not keep you motivated, then don’t set the goal. Without a strong WHY, the goal will likely fail, which will lead to frustration and discouragement.

2. No Commitment

Many people begin goals with great intentions, but their commitment and progress quickly fades. How many of us have set a New Year’s resolution to wake up early and go to the gym just to quit a few weeks in when we realize the warm bed is much more inviting than the cold gym? That happens because we are not truly committed to the goal.

To be successful, we must be committed to our goals. Often goals seem simple or easy in the beginning, but as you get into them they are challenging and more complex than you thought. When that increased difficulty becomes visible, a high level of commitment is essential to complete the goal.

3. Lack of Direction

A strong WHY and a high level of commitment is not a guaranteed formula for success. Goals can still fail because of a lack of direction. When the pathway is unclear, it is easy to take a hiatus until it becomes clear again. That often leads to the goal being forgotten. As you work on the goal, plan time to clarify your direction as you reach hard times in the goal.

4. Goals Are Not Clear

An example would be to set the goal to “make the organization better this year.” What does that mean? Are you wanting to improve employee morale, increase profit, grow the company, or do something completely different? That goal is not clear. Each person can interpret the goal differently. For goals to be successful, they must be clear, easy to understand and follow. [Read more…] about Podcast Episode #31 – 10 Reasons Goals Fail And 5 Steps To Make Goals Successful

Podcast Episode #30 — Goal Setting Made Easy — A Proven Goal Setting Strategy

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Hello, and welcome to the Leadership Done Right Podcast, Episode 30: Goal Setting Made Easy — A Proven Goal Setting Strategy.

Leadership Done Right Podcast

LDR 030: Goal Setting Made Easy — A Proven Goal Setting Strategy

I want to start by wishing all of you in the Leadership Done Right community a very merry Christmas! Christmas is my favorite time of the year for a few reasons. I always get to spend time with my family, my birthday is three days after Christmas, and I get time to reflect on my goals and aspirations for the new year.

Goal Setting Made Easy — A Proven Goal Setting Strategy

Whether it is the start of a new year, you are starting a new job or you are starting another new stage in life, it is always a great time to talk about goal setting. Goals and goals setting can be challenging, especially if your goals cause you to stretch more than you have stretched in the past.

I have a proven goal setting strategy that will help you set AND complete challenging goals. AND, now is a great time to set and work towards achieving your goals.

SMART Goals

First, for your goal to be obtainable, it MUST be a SMART goal. SMART is an acronym.

Specific Goals

The “S” stands for “Specific”. Specific goals are clear, concise, and easy to understand. Specific goals explain exactly what you want to do and how to do it. They are NOT lofty, ambiguous, “up in the air” goals that are difficult to understand.

Measurable Goals

The “M” stands for measurable. When a goal is measurable, it is quantifiable. If your goal is not measurable, there is no way to determine if it was successful or not. [Read more…] about Podcast Episode #30 — Goal Setting Made Easy — A Proven Goal Setting Strategy

Podcast Episode #29 — Developing a New Culture Through Leadership with Kane Ioane

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Hello, and welcome to the Leadership Done Right Podcast, Episode 29: Developing a New Culture Through Leadership with Kane Ioane.

Leadership Done Right Podcast

LDR 029: Developing a New Culture Through Leadership with Kane Ioane

Get to Know Kane

Podcast Episode #29 — Developing a New Culture Through Leadership with Kane IoaneOur guest today attended Montana State University where he earned his bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education. While there he was a 4 year letter winner in football. He was also named to the First Team All Americans in 2003 for his exceptional play at Safety.

The Start of His Football Coaching Career

After graduation he began coaching football. He spent 13 years as an Assistant Football Coach for Montana State including stints as Co-Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach. As a player and coach, he helped MSU win six conference titles.

The Move To University of Washington

Earlier this year, he became the Assistant Football Coach specializing in Defensive Quality Control at the University of Washington. He now coaches with Coach Chris Petersen, who is one of the most sought after coaches in college football.

Let Podcasting Begin!

In addition to his football career, he is also a fellow podcaster. He and his brother, Kip, started the “Cross the Stream” podcast this summer and I have to say I am an avid listener.

My Connection with Kane

I have a long-time friendship with our guest today. We both grew up in Billings, MT and went to junior high and high school together. We also had several of the same classes and played on some of the same football teams. Our guest today is Kane Ioane. Kane, welcome to the show!

Networking for Success

Networking for success is about what you know AND who you know. Through Kane’s hard work and networking, he earned the opportunity to coach at the University of Washington with Coach Chris Petersen. His experience proved that you must work hard to be the best at what you do. You must also develop strong personal connections with your team and others in your field. That develops camaraderie and enlarges your support network for success in the future.

“Networking skills pertain to every field. You have to have those people skills. It doesn’t do you any good if you are really good at something, but no one likes you!” If you are not liked, people won’t want to hear what you have to say. “If you have those personal skills and you’re able to connect with people, it opens up doors for you.” [Read more…] about Podcast Episode #29 — Developing a New Culture Through Leadership with Kane Ioane

Podcast Episode #28 — Lead For Transformation with Richard Osmann

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Hello, and welcome to the Leadership Done Right Podcast, Episode 28: Lead For Transformation with Richard Osmann.

Leadership Done Right Podcast

LDR 028: Lead For Transformation with Richard Osmann

Get to Know Richard

Podcast Episode #28 — Lead For Transformation with Richard OsmannOur guest today has expertise in International Business, Capital Raising, Infrastructure Funding, Business Growth, Business Transformation, Negotiation Facilitating, International Trade and Development, Infrastructure Development, and Global business Growth.

Richard’s Professional Experience and Educational Background

He is a principal at Provanedge and has held a variety of positions in leadership. He was the director of a community service organization, then held back to back roles as the department director for Community Health Care. From there, he became the CISD Team Administrator at Western Virginia EMS Council. Currently, in addition to roles and responsibilities as Provanedge, he is also a Non Executive Director for Kester Bottling Company.

He graduated from The College of William and Mary with a doctorate degree in Higher Education and received his Master’s degree in divinity from Emory University. He took his education very seriously and earned the honors of Summa Cum Laude and Magna Cum Laude respectively.

My Connection with Richard

We connected through the LinkedIn Group Informal Leadership. It is evident that he is an experienced leader. Our guest today is Richard Osmann. Richard, welcome to the show!

Lead for Transformation

Richard explained that the key to his background is that his goal is always to lead for transformation. “We mature throughout life. I’m not saying that any role I’ve had previously was less mature than the one I’m doing now. But, the key element of all this is transformation.” Each position he’s held focused on different aspects of life and the community with the common thread to lead for transformation. [Read more…] about Podcast Episode #28 — Lead For Transformation with Richard Osmann

Podcast Episode #27 — Surround Yourself With Great People with Meg Zampino

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Hello, and welcome to the Leadership Done Right Podcast, Episode 27: Surround Yourself With Great People with Meg Zampino.

Leadership Done Right Podcast

LDR 027: Surround Yourself With Great People with Meg Zampino

Get to Know Meg

Podcast Episode #27 — Surround Yourself With Great People with Meg ZampinoOur guest today is an attorney, entrepreneur, strategist, writer, and experienced leader. She currently has several roles and responsibilities. She’s the president of DT Legal Consulting. Our guest is also the motivational strategist and writer for Goals with Heart and a freelance writer.

She’s experienced with legal recruiting, consulting, and coaching and has written sales presentations, seminar materials, blogs, articles, speeches, and a wide range of other materials.

Meg’s Educational Background

Her educational background is in law. She has her juris doctorate in law from Emory University, School of Law and passed the State Bar in Georgia. She currently lives in Las Vegas. From just this small glimpse, you can see she is very intelligent and has a broad background.

My Connection To Meg

I first connected with her through the LinkedIn group she manages, Motivational and Success Digest. We have had some great conversations related to all things leadership, motivation, and success. Our guest today is Meg Zampino. Meg, welcome to the show! [Read more…] about Podcast Episode #27 — Surround Yourself With Great People with Meg Zampino

Podcast Episode #26 — Learning the Human Side of Organizations with Duke Okes

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Hello, and welcome to the Leadership Done Right Podcast, Episode 26: Learning the Human Side of Organizations with Duke Okes.

Leadership Done Right Podcast

LDR 026: Learning the Human Side of Organizations with Duke Okes

Get to Know Duke

Podcast Episode #26 — Learning the Human Side of Organizations with Duke OkesOur guest today is a knowledge architect specializing in quality management. He has been in private practice since 1985 working with organizations in the U.S., Canada, Caribbean, Asia and the EU. He was formerly a quality professional in TRW’s automotive sector.

Duke’s Accomplishments

He was elected Fellow of the American Society for Quality and holds degrees in technology, business, and education, and completed doctoral coursework in applied management and decision sciences.

Duke has served as an adjunct university faculty member teaching statistics and management research. He is also a graduate of the international program in the Gestalt approach to organization and system development.

Duke the Author

He is the author of three books and more than 60 articles on quality management topics, and is a frequent speaker for professional and trade audiences.

Seminars

He conducts seminars for a variety of professional societies, training organizations and universities, and has served as an examiner for the Tennessee Performance Excellence award. He has also worked as a volunteer SCORE counselor to small business.

My Connection To Duke

I had the privilege of attending one of his classes on root cause analysis and it was evident that he is very talented, knowledgeable, and a leader in his field. Our guest today is Duke Okes. Duke, welcome to the show!

Leadership is Influence

Duke’s lifelong desire has always been to find out how things work. He accomplishes that by studying, reading, and learning. “I am always fascinated with learning. Always doing this since I was a kid. I’ve been taking things apart, trying to figure out how things work. Obviously when you get into leadership it’s more complex, because people are not nearly as predictable as the laws of physics.”

His desire to learn how things work transitioned into learning more about leadership to influence others. He had to learn leadership skills to effectively influence others with his technical skills. [Read more…] about Podcast Episode #26 — Learning the Human Side of Organizations with Duke Okes

Podcast Episode #25 — Continuous Learning As A Leader Or Manager with Kevin Sorbello

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Hello, and welcome to the Leadership Done Right Podcast, Episode 25: Continuous Learning As A Leader Or Manager with Kevin Sorbello.

Leadership Done Right Podcast

LDR 025: Continuous Learning As A Leader Or Manager with Kevin Sorbello

Get to Know Kevin

Podcast Episode #25 — Continuous Learning As A Leader Or Manager with Kevin SorbelloOur guest today was raised in California and graduated from the California Maritime Academy in 1979 with a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering.

Military Sealift Command

He worked for the Military Sealift Command as a Chief Engineer, Port Engineer, and Engineering type desk until 2007, then worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a Chief Engineer and Chief of Fleet Maintenance and Logistics until he retired from federal service in 2012.

Educational Background

He graduated from the Naval War College in 1999 with a Masters in National Security and Strategic Studies and is now completing his PhD dissertation at Walden University. He is currently a program manager for a government contractor providing technical support for his two former employers.

Outside Work and Career

He is also a family man and has been married for 37 years, with 3 children and 5 grandchildren. His hobbies include writing poetry, music, and playing guitar in a local bluegrass band.

My Personal Connection

I connected with him through some LinkedIn groups a few years back. I’ve learned a lot from his knowledge, experience, and expertise. He really knows a lot about the traits of good leadership. Our guest today is Kevin Sorbello. Kevin, welcome to the show! [Read more…] about Podcast Episode #25 — Continuous Learning As A Leader Or Manager with Kevin Sorbello

To Manage Or Lead: That Is The Big Question

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To manage or lead… that is the big question. This is a guest post by Alex Williams.

Leadership and management are complementary and inseparable skills, but they cannot be used interchangeably. When promoted to a project manager, you don’t automatically become a leader. Every good leader must learn to manage both their teams and projects.

To Manage Or Lead: That Is The Big Question
Photo: Pixabay/MichaelGaida

To Manage or Lead?

Here are some of the most significant differences between management and leadership.

1. Leaders Pull, Managers Push

Managing people is a task-oriented and highly rational process. It focuses on events, processes, and calculations. Managers focus on current setting and control situations to achieve or exceed certain short-term goals.

What Do Managers Do?

Managers resort to the “push” principle. They “allocate resources,” “estimate effort,” and “calculate durations” regularly. They assign tasks, provide necessary guidance, and monitor and assess their employees’ performance constantly. Most importantly, managers have authority over their employees and usually provide work direction.

Employees report progress to managers and, in turn, earn a salary for doing their job. Managers follow the “push” principle by pushing work, projects, etc. to their employees.

How do Leaders Lead?

Leadership, on the other hand, is people-oriented. Leaders are different from managers because of their high levels of emotional intelligence. Namely, good leaders don’t necessarily focus on their employees’ skills and performance. Instead, they focus on their behaviors, interests, and attitudes.

Apart from being authoritative, leaders inspire. They contextualize ideas and encourage team members to look at the big picture. Leaders also motivate people to follow their vision and become part of something bigger.

They trust their employees and believe they are competent enough to make smart decisions on their own. Leaders motivate people using the “pull” approach, instead of pushing them.

2. Leaders Innovate, Managers Use Proven Patterns

“Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower,” ~Steve Jobs

This statement is the backbone of effective leadership. Leaders are authentic, self-aware, and decisive. They constantly inspire change.

While everything around them is working like clockwork, leaders seek a better way forward. They constantly seek learning and acquire new skills. Most importantly, they’re comfortable in their own shoes and stand their ground. They make difficult decisions even if they know they’ll be criticized. [Read more…] about To Manage Or Lead: That Is The Big Question

Five Questions To Ask When Opportunity Knocks

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Hi, and welcome to the Leadership Done Right YouTube Channel. Each day you probably have a new opportunity that comes your way. Would you like to participate in this committee? Can you be on the board for this organization? Would you be willing to accept this job? Will you move here? Can you please assist me with this? Can you attend this networking opportunity? This will be a great OPPORTUNITY for you…

The list of opportunities goes on. In a world filled with opportunities, it is very important to identify which opportunities are ones worth pursuing and which ones are not.

How to identify if the opportunity is right for you

In Michael Hyatt’s blog post, Is It an Obstacle or an Opportunity?, he said, “If you want to improve the quality of your life or business, planning is essential. You have to be honest about your current reality, envision a better future, and then create a roadmap for getting from one to the other.”

5 Questions To Ask When Opportunity Knock

So how do you know if an opportunity is right for you? I use the following five questions on a regular basis to identify if an opportunity is right for me. These questions will help you as you look at each opportunity that comes your way.

1. What is the opportunity?

Before deciding whether or not to accept an opportunity, it is very important to know exactly what the opportunity will be. Is the opportunity part of your regular work requirements? Will you be doing something directly in line with your career goals? Will it be a something you have never worked on before? What is the opportunity and why will it be good for you?

It is important to gain a full understanding of what you are getting yourself into before you move forward. To do that you need to know the scope of the opportunity and how it relates to you.

2. Will the opportunity further your goals?

This question is crucial in deciding whether or not to accept an opportunity. Many times people will define something as an opportunity when it truly isn’t one.

Ask yourself, “Is the “opportunity” in line with your career goals? Will this opportunity help you reach your 5, 10, and 15 year goals?” If the opportunity causes you to deviate from your goals, be sure to review it very carefully. It may take you in a new direction that is better than what you imagined, or it could take you way off your path and not be worth pursuing.

3. Is the opportunity worth the cost?

With each opportunity comes a cost. You must give up something to move forward with the opportunity. That something may be your time, money, effort, or something else altogether. Remember, there is always a cost or trade-off for each new opportunity.

Nothing comes without a price. Prior to pursuing an opportunity, identify the cost. You don’t want to be negatively surprised once you move forward on a new opportunity, especially if it had a high cost.

For example, I’ve seen many people that switched from one company or job to another because they were seeking something better or a higher salary. Once they got the new job, they realized the costs in the form of time with their family, lower job satisfaction, a new living location, more responsibility and/or stress, or less freedom over their time. Several of my friends that went through this experience later told me that they regretted jumping into the new “opportunity” because it actually set them back and took them off their intended course.

Now there are some opportunities that are definitely worth the cost, but be certain that you explore all the costs before jumping in.

4. What benefits will come from the opportunity?

Opportunities are only opportunities if what you are giving up is less valuable than what you are receiving in return. So, what are you receiving from an opportunity? What benefit is the opportunity?

Five Questions To Ask When Opportunity Knocks

Each opportunity has the potential to bring a wide range of benefits and challenges, so it is important to identify what they are before you move forward.

5. Is the opportunity right for you at this time?

As the saying goes, “Timing is everything.” When opportunities come at the right time, they have a huge positive impact on our lives, but they can actually set us back if the timing is not right. As a leader, it is essential that you identify what the right timing is for you.

For example, leaders are often tapped for committees, programs, projects and other team activities. When they have the time to fully participate, they can be a huge asset for the committee, program, or other activity. If they accept the opportunity, but don’t have the time to participate, on the other hand, they can actually be a detriment to the group by slowing progress. I’ve experienced both of these situations before. When you are the team leader and can’t fully participate it is very frustrating. It is also frustrating when you are on the team and the leader doesn’t fully participate. Neither the team nor the leader feel good in these situations.

It can be easy to think that something should happen right now, but it may not be the right timing. At the same time, if a great opportunity comes along but you are not ready for it, it’s probably okay to decline for now so you can become more prepared for it in the future.

It is important to understand, however, that for many opportunities there is no “PERFECT” time. Sometimes you need to seize the opportunity even if the timing isn’t perfect. When the opportunity comes it may not be what you would call the “ideal time,” but if it is a timing that you can live with, jump on the opportunity if it fits the other mentioned criterion.

Timing is very important and can make a significant difference in the eventual outcome.

Summary

In summary, when thinking about opportunities, an opportunity will only be an opportunity if the mentioned conditions work to your favor. The opportunity must truly be an opportunity for you and help you further your goals. Also, the benefits should outweigh the costs.

Viewer Question

I’d like to finish off with a few viewer questions. How do you determine if an opportunity is right for you? What questions do you ask? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below!

Conclusion

Well, thanks for watching this video. If you enjoyed it and would like to watch more great videos just like it, please subscribe to the Leadership Done Right YouTube Channel and check out LeadershipDoneRight.com. Also, please like the video and share it with others! Until next time, go and be the best leader you can be!

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Techniques to Effectively Communicate Your Message

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When you are a leader, the most important thing you do is communicate. You communicate with your employees, coworkers, and other leaders. If you effectively communicate with others, you will likely be an effective leader.

Is It Important to Effectively Communicate?

A little while back, I was asked to attend a conference. I was excited and knew it would be a great experience. There were several presentations on a variety of topics related to leadership and how to effectively communicate your message. The majority of the presentations were exceptional and very beneficial to all in attendance.

Do You Effectively communicate Your Leadership Message?

Don’t Be This One!

There was one presentation, however, that stood out for the wrong reasons. The speaker was not prepared to effectively communicate his message. With the focus of the conference on leadership and how to be a great leader and communicator, this speaker got up and spoke about the politics of education.

His topic was a interesting, but didn’t fit with the purpose of the conference. In addition, he didn’t identify where he was going with his presentation.

Lack of Clarity

As I listened, many questions came to my mind. “What is the focus of his presentation? Where is he going with this? How is he going to relate this to leadership? How many points is he going to talk about?”

After he finished speaking, I asked the others at my table what they thought. They also all felt lost.  None of us were clear on where he was going with his speech. Needless to say, the speaker didn’t effectively communicate his message.

This Happens Too Often

If you are anything like me, you have probably sat through a presentation before like the one I mentioned. The speaker probably had several points, but didn’t hook you from the beginning. The speaker didn’t effectively communicate the message.

I had a hard time figuring out the context of his presentation, his main points, the direction of his speech, etc. As he started his presentation, he failed to let the audience know the topic and its relevance. The audience quickly became completely lost. From there, they began thinking about other things.

How You Can Effectively Communicate

So how can you effectively communicate your message to avoid losing your audience? This can be done in many ways. One approach I recommend is Twain’s Rule, “Tell ’em what you’re going to tell ’em. Then tell ’em. Finally, tell ’em what you told ’em.” So how does this approach apply to communication?

“Tell ’em what you’re going to tell ’em.”

Start by letting your audience know what you are going to talk about. Explain the context of your message and the points you intend to make. This gives your audience a reference point to start from. Your audience then has an outline to follow which helps them stay on track.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to give away your main conclusions. You can also add in some hooks to keep them listening through it all. The key is to give them enough so they have context but not too much that they lose interest.

“Tell ’em.”

Once you’ve provided a rough outline, effectively communicate your message. Stay on point with your message and follow through on the points you’ve laid out.

Use stories as appropriate to convey your message, but don’t get sidetracked with irrelevant stories that don’t convey your message. If you go off topic, you will likely lose your audience and it will be difficult to bring them back. They will likely tune you out and that will be it.

“Tell ’em what you told ’em.”

In your conclusion, summarize your points to close the loop. Re-emplasize the invitations and/or action items while the topics are fresh in their minds. Finish with an invitation for everyone to follow through on their commitments.

Summary

Techniques to Effectively Communicate Your Message
Photo: Pixabay/rawpixel

This approach is beneficial in a formal presentation. It also enables you to effectively communicate your message in other settings. I’ve used this method in meetings to keep everyone on task.

Reader Question!

Have you used this approach before? How has it helped you to communicate your message? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below!

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