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All Roads (In Life) Must Have Curves!

In a recent discussion with a long time friend, I was talking about changes in life and changes are part of of life. I also mentioned that bends in the road (literally and figuratively) are part of that change. When it comes to change in life, the curves are always there. Of course, you can accept those curves or you can stick your head in the sand thus leaving your backside sticking up in the air for the whole world to (well you know where I am going with this). No matter whether your head is in the sand or you are facing the curves head on you nor I can change the fact that the curves are coming whether we like them or not.

There are just so many things in life we cannot change. The twists and turns in life are a guarantee. There are just too many outside factors and influences to make the twist and turns, the curves in the road unavoidable. So don’t fight it. Realize the fact that curves in the road are essential to moving forward. It is critical to growing. When you are moving forward and growing you are winning.

No matter where you go, how careful you are or what you try to do to avoid them, there will always be curves in the road (of life).

Unfortunately, too many people instead of accepting the curves would rather stick their head in the sand and hope the upcoming curves leave their exposed backsides in one piece. Sticking your head in the sand is certainly something that real leaders cannot afford to do. They cannot afford to look weak or appear afraid. A leader that shows fear and acts with fear is not a leader. Sure, it is acceptable to have fear and to be afraid. Fear and being afraid is a healthy part of being a human being. When people look to you to guide them through those curves that is when fear should take a back seat and not be the dominant force that drives or dictates your actions. As a leader, you must control your fear and move forward. Moving forward and moving past the curves is what happens when you gain and maintain control of your fears.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I am not saying that you should be fearless when it comes to facing the curves in life. What I am saying is to know and understand that all curves are there to slow us down when life moves too fast or to help make certain we are on the right path. I see the curves as one of those few warnings that are part of life. Unfortunately, too many don’t see them that way and end up going off track or completely spin out of control. No matter what they do, they cannot change the fact that there will be more curves ahead.

Just like change, there will be some curves we like and there will be some we don’t like, but both are a good thing. It means that we faced a challenge and we either reap the reward or we have to try harder to get to that place where we reach the rewards we are looking for. The curves are the “hard knocks” we have to endure to get there. Whether we like them or not, there is no one size fits all approach to dealing with the curves as they happen. Sure they are a hassle but they are worth it? Of course, the curves are worth it. See anything going through is worth going through so long as you do the best that you can to deal with those issues, as they happen. Sure you can try to prepare for the upcoming curves, just like a road sign warning us before it is too late.

Posted or not, the warning signs are there because there will always be curves in the road (of life). Now you can choose to accept them or you can stick your head in the sand. Personally, accepting the fact there will always be curves ahead makes dealing with those curves a little easier.  Dealing with them head on and not side stepping them or avoiding altogether will get you to where you want to go. Besides the reality is that the path from Point A to Point B is seldom a straight line but one loaded with twists, turns, curves, exit ramps and sometimes, a few dead ends. Then again, a journey navigated on a straight line is rarely any fun and where’s the fun in that. Just keep you eyes on the road and you will get there.

 

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The Leadership Minute #82 – Give Up Excuses (Current Events Edition)

Welcome to the Leadership Minute #82 and it is the Current Events edition of things to Give Up To Be a Successful Leader. Today I am continuing my talk about Giving up Excuses.

When I first started writing the notes to this video I had a little trouble finding a real world current event that I could use then it happened.

At the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio at the 400 Meter Hurdle quarterfinals US athlete and the youngest to ever qualify for this Olympic event, Sydney McLaughlin, a 17-year-old high school senior was interviewed after the race that put her into the finals and that’s when it happened. While she did not finish in the top three to automatically move her into the semifinals her time had to beat the rest of the remaining athletes to fill in the other spots in the semis. Her youth, inexperience, and overly ambitious reporter got the better of her. She started with the excuses as to why she did not finish in the top three.

“It’s hard coming to a place like this, so many people, so much expectations, the rain, the change in weather, I’m sick – I have a cold. It’s a lot to take in, a lot to process, and a lot to deal with at the same time.”

Having a daughter just a less than a year younger than McLaughlin who also happens to participate in her high school track and field saw all the excuses right off the bat.

One you are not there to see the crowd. The only expectations are your own and as world class athlete you know that by now. The ringer was that she had a cold. Like I said she is 17 years old and her inexperience dealing with the media came shining through. Here was a great opportunity to be a role model for her peers and those future Olympians but instead gave the opposite.

She gave what kids her age give. Again, I am not blaming her but it does show the inexperience. It does show that people will blame others and make excuses to their advantage or they think it is to their advantage. Ultimately, it is just fronts, it’s a barrier and that’s not good leadership.

Thank you,
David Guerra

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The Leadership Minute #81 – Give Up Excuses


I am going to talk about Giving Up Excuses as one way To Be A Successful Leader.

You’ve heard the old saying, Excuses are like a certain body part, everyone has one. Nothing truly says that your level of maturity is not where it should be, you are not ready to take responsibility for your actions and you are not ready for anything that comes with the job of being a leader than being a leader that makes excuses for everything good or bad, chiefly bad.

People want to know that they have a leader that inspires them because he or she is confident, has high self-esteem and is ready to handle any situation good or bad. What people do not want is a leader that is uncertain, unproven, wishy-washy and most of all they do not want a leader that will throw them under the bus
the moment something goes wrong.

Unless if blatant there should never any reason for a leader to blame others or use others as an excuse as to why something went wrong or did not meet the expectations of the organization.

Remember, in any organization it is the leader that is there for his or her followers and not the other way around
As a leader you look good because your followers make you look good. When you look bad or your followers look bad the first and only question that should be asked and answered is who is the leader?

Thank you,

David Guerra