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Why Baking A Cake Is Leadership in its Purest, Most Delicious Form by David Guerra

Have you ever baked a cake? Most people have at one point or another in their lives have baked a cake. I have baked cakes for as long as I can remember. While cake baking/making is not my vocation (and for good reason) I have baked cakes for many reasons and while all have been tasty, none of them have caused me to quit my day job. All that cake baking has failed to land me a private jet. However, it has done so much for my leadership skills. There are at least three leadership skills that are put into play every time anyone bakes a cake: planning, patience, and doing what you say.

Planning

I would be hard pressed to say that people are ever ready to bake a cake, even bakers. They have to plan for the cake they want to make. They have to know things like flavor, type, number of slices, frosting, frosting type, and any extras. No one just happens to have the flour they need. They plan and prepare for it. Any experience baker will know that you just have a “magical” supply of flour. You have to have an inventory of flour and all the other ingredients to make the cakes you make. Every leader, worth his or her weight in Almond Flour knows before beginning any new project or mission planning must take place. Planning to prepare for the people, resources, and time needed is key to becoming a successful leader.

Patience

Every baker, knows if they do not wait the minimum time to bake a cake the cake will not be done. No one likes a mushy cake, especially when you take it out the oven too soon. On the other side of the coin, no one truly likes a dry  cake. By dry I mean, the Sahara Desert has nothing on how dry the cake is because it sat in the oven for too long. Whether it is baking a cake or leading a group of individuals you have got to have patience to know when to start and the patience to know when to stop.

Doing What You Say

Those that eat the cake know first hand if that baker is worth the investment or not. The baker knows he/she is only as good as the cake that is eaten. If people are not eating the cake then he isn’t putting his money where is mouth is (literally). If the baker is not delivering a quality product then it should come as no surprise that he is not doing what he says he can do which in this case, bake a delicious cake.  Doing and delivering on what you say is essential as a leader, as intent (intending to do something) is not what is going to make you a great leader. Doing things makes you a great leader.

When it comes to being a leader there are so many things that go into becoming the individual that others will follow. However, when it comes to planning, patience, and doing what you say are the top three elements that all future and current leaders must master. To master the top three and just like the cake maker, you have to practice. Practice every day, all day giving no quarter to slacking off. Those that follow you expect nothing less.
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Let me know by email [email protected] on on Twitter @daveguerra

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#Leadership In The News – March 9, 2017

Lately in my world, there has been plenty of talk about change. Change comes in all shapes and sizes and forms; commercial and personal. Change will continue. It will continue for a long time to come. Enough of what you already know, let’s get to the meat and bones.

I found this article on the USA Today website, “A Financial Adviser’s Top 10 Investment Lessons Learned” and it is loaded with great advice.

The article’s content, while focusing on Finance, with a few minor tweaks can be applied to everyday life.

#1 Don’t Follow The Herd:
Be unique, be yourself. Just do your think and don’t worry about others.

#2 The best investment may be the one you don’t make:
Sometimes the best thing to do is to do nothing.

#3 Invest in your own human capital:
Invest in your own education. Invest in yourself (only of it makes you better)

#4 Avoid large holdings of your company stock:
If only you know what you are worth then it is safe to say you are worth nothing to anyone else. Spread the wealth.

#5 Don’t try to time the market:
There will NEVER be a perfect time. Pick the moment and dive right in. Win or lose

#6 Avoid the noise:
While mob mentality may be all the rage (well according to the news) it is not the way to get things done. If you find yourself in a place where everyone thinks alike then you are in the wrong place.

#7 Equities are for growth, and bonds help you sleep at night:
No matter what you do to pay your bills, be sure to pay yourself for the future.

#8 Implement a disciplined investment strategy and stick with it:
Habits are hard to make but once made they are easy to keep.

#9 Control your behavior:
Attitude, Self-respect, and Discipline are key to success. This applies to everything you do or plan to do.

#10 Time is your best friend:
Think long term, look at the big picture, and be in it for the long haul. The longer you do something, invest in something, and believe in something the better off you will be.

As you can see, with a minor tweak or two these 10 pieces of financial advice can be applied to just about anything in life. Try all ten for yourself and see what happens.

 

Title: A Financial Adviser’s Top 10 Investment Lessons Learned
Link: http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2017/03/05/financial-advisers-top-10-investment-lessons-learned/98614800/

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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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