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#Leadership in the News – March 8, 2017

Leadership in the news is where I will take random news articles found on the Internet and talk about their leadership content (good or bad). The content might not always be from the boardroom or Fortune 500 companies but they are all about Leadership.

‘Star Wars’ actress empowers young girls with her own fashion line

article link: http://www.reviewed.com/home-outdoors/news/star-wars-actress-ashley-eckstein-fights-bullying-with-her-fashion-line

Great article about how one actress (in this case a voice actress) brought her character from a galaxy far, far away and onto t-shirts right here on our humble little planet. Actress Ashley Eckstein is the force behind the voice of Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker’s former apprentice, from Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. Now she is running a clothing company named, Her Universe. The company produces “geeky merchandise for women and kids”.

Seizing the opportunities before her and exploiting her role in the Star War universe, Eckstein is on the right track to not only cash in but deliver a message of empowerment and leadership to all that follow her whether it be in business or on the small screen as potential Padawans (learners/students).

Every leader at one point or another has had to start at the bottom. While at the bottom, future leaders might have to do work that they feel is beneath them or not something they see themselves doing. Guess what? That is known as paying your dues. Everyone has to pay them. Some pay them longer than others and some pay them later rather than sooner but trust me, everyone pays those dues. Then next step on their way to becoming leaders is to not give up.

Sometimes it may feel like you are spinning your wheels but keep trying. Keep moving forward. Keep doing. It is obvious that entrepreneurs like Ashley Eckstein are doing just that. Their ability to take their opportunities and turn them into realities is truly the stuff of legends. Now don’t mistake my use of the word “legends”.

When I say “legends” I mean individuals that because of their hard work, determination, and continued innovation have become larger than life. A great example of larger than life is Sir Richard Branson (Virgin Group) . Though I have never met him, I can see that hard work is still very much part of his life. Getting in the trenches is as much a part of his life today as it was back when started Student magazine, in the late 1960s.

When it comes to Ashley Eckstein, seizing the moment and running with it is the stuff that larger than life people do. It is the stuff that legends do on a daily basis.

So don’t give up. Those that follow you expect you to never give up. Show them the way to becoming leaders of their own by never letting opportunities pass you by as Ashley Eckstein did with Her Universe.

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What did you think of this #Leadership In The News post? Let me know by email [email protected] on on Twitter @daveguerra

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What Happens When Your Flowers Don’t Bloom? by David Guerra

What happens when your flowers don’t bloom?

Do you replace the flowers or do you find a new location for your garden?

In life there will be many things that will refuse to take root let alone bloom. When that time comes (and it will) what will you do? What can you do?

Most people will tell you to get rid of the old flowers and get yourself some new ones. That is all fine and dandy but what if they too fail to bloom? What then?

You most certainly cannot go changing flowers after every failed attempt at making them bloom.

Farmers have this thing called crop rotation. In crop rotation they change where they are going to plant their crops. See if they plant wheat or soy or corn or whatever on the same soil for too long the plants will suck the nutrients out of the soil and eventually nothing will grow there.

That being the case, it might be time to change the location of your garden and who knows your flowers might bloom.

The same applies to life. As human beings we love to get into a comfort zone. Especially, in a world where being a nomad means traveling here or there for a brief time then returning home. Oh no, not like our ancestor who moved because they went where the food went. They didn’t stick around once all the Woolly Mammoths were either killed off or migrated away. Early man, moved. They traveled to get the best chance at hunting for food and surviving.

Unfortunately for us, there are no more Woolly Mammoths (at least not yet) nor are there any sabre tooth tigers that are out there making a meal out of us. No, nowadays we travel to the local Mega-Mart to pick up a modern prepackaged version of Brontosaurus burgers (a la Fred Flintstone). Yes, we are firmly entrenched in our comfort zones, our homes with a nice solid foundation.

Now, there is no need to move around. There is no need to rotate our crops. There is no need to do anything but sit back and reap the benefits and rewards that modern society has worked long and hard to attain. We seem to have forgotten that change is VITAL to our existence. Change is what keeps us alive. Change is what makes us better people. Change is essential to making the flowers bloom.

No matter what you want to grow (relationships, business, education, whatever) it is time for change. It may be as simple as finding a new spot for your garden, changing the way you think about relationships or deciding what education you need to succeed. It is all about change and finding what works for you.

As a leader, you have to be flexible to change. Remember, leading people is NOT done with a cookie-cutter approach, all people are NOT the same. You are unique and you are different. Being different means being receptive and open to change and in most cases, initiating change.

Thank you,
David Guerra, MBA

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David Guerra’s Daily Challenge for Monday February 13, 2017

ALWAYS HAVE A PLAN B.

Always have a Plan B. Yes, I know there is people that say, “Why have a plan B or why have a plan A if you are going to have a Plan B?”

Remember, it can all be going great until the road comes to a dead end and then what do you do?

Seriously, always have a Plan B. Have it in the back of your mind. Always have an out. Have a way out. Have an emergency plan. Consider those pre-Take Off speeches telling you where the Emergency exits are; front, center and rear of the plane is where you will find your closest emergency exit. Remember, they are telling you this because this is their Plan B. Normally, you just exit out the front door but you never know. So that’s why it’s important to always have a plan be especially on a Monday because you never know how the rest of the week is going to turn out.

Just get through Monday and you pretty much have the rest of the week take care of and that is just life. In anything, you do always have a plan B because you never know what is going to happen. Live your Plan A and execute it all the way, as much as you can.

If it does not turn out the way you want it to then you know what to do. You fall back on Plan B. Now once you are executing Plan B start thinking of a Plan C and so on. However, do not think about Plan C if you are on Plan A.  You do not need to do think Plan C because that is just a waste of Resources and Energy causing you to create more frustrations because now you are setting yourself up for failure.

Always have one back-up plan, Plan B.

Thank you,
David Guerra