Don’t Bankrupt Your Leadership!

Dr. John Maxwell

"Leadership is a dealer in hope"
~Napoleon Bonaparte~

By Agustinus Gius Gala

“We need to keep some confidence in the system.What the Fed is doing … is taking every step possible to keep confidence in the financial system” (CNN). AIG chairman and CEO Edward Liddy said this Monday, after the insurance giant had received a pledge of $30 billion in bailout money. This was in addition to the $150 billion it had already received. And in spite of those large sums pouring into it, that very same day, AIG posted a 4th-quarter loss of $62 billion.

I’m sure with his words Liddy was trying to persuade the public that AIG would make good on the investment.
He even went on to say, “In the United States of America when you owe people money, you pay them back” (CNN Money). So how reassured did Americans feel?
Well, the Dow plunged to record lows, closing below 7,000 points.
Why? Why weren’t Liddy’s words of reassurance enough? Because in past months, the financial industry had lost credibility and thus people’s trust.

It’s hard for a financial institution to perform without credibility. It’s equally difficult for a leader to do so. Why? Because credibility is a leader’s currency. With it, leaders are solvent. Without it, they’re bankrupt. I think leaders in Liddy’s situation – trying to establish or re-establish credibility – need to remember:

1. Establishing credibility takes time.

When leaders are just starting out, this might not be obvious at first. That’s because for about the first six months of a leader’s tenure, followers put more stock in communication than in credibility. After all, they haven’t had time to judge leaders’ actions, so they listen to their words.
But after six months, followers have seen enough of the leaders’ actions to start deciding whether they’re trustworthy or not. At this point, words begin to matter less and less. And the effectiveness of the communication will depend more on the character of the messenger than on the content of the message. For credible leaders, the longer they lead beyond this point, the better it gets. But if leaders are not credible, then the longer they lead, the worse it gets.

2. Established credibility equals trust.

And trust carries huge rewards. It means confidence. It erases worry and frees you to get on with other matters.

Stephen R. Covey, in his book, The Speed of Trust, said,

Low trust is an unseen cost in life and business because it creates hidden agendas and guarded communication, thereby slowing decision-making. A lack of trust stymies innovation and productivity. Trust, on the other hand, produces speed because it feeds collaboration, loyalty and ultimately, results.

Good leaders know that if their followers don’t trust them, they’ll stop following them. Credibility is truly your currency as a leader. People believe that you’ll do what you say when you do what you say. Consistently live what you communicate, and over time you’ll establish solid credibility. With that, your followers will feel free to trust you. And they’ll be willing to partner with you in achieving great things for your organization. And that’s especially important in times like these when people are wondering what – and who – they can trust.

~From John Maxwell~

Leading Through Adversity

Dr. John Maxwell

"Don't tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results"

~George S. Patton~

By: Agustinus Gius Gala

Had Chesly B. Sullenberger known that US Airways Flight 1549 would fly through a flock of geese and lose both engines, then he likely would have stayed out of the cockpit that day. After all, who in their right mind wants to pilot an engineless aircraft? Thankfully for the 155 passengers on board, however, the veteran airman was at the controls to safely crash-land the plane in the Hudson River.

Although he never would have volunteered for the adversity he faced in the skies above New York City, Sullenberger's influence soared as a result of his leadership in the midst of harrowing circumstances. Before January 15th, Sullenberger was an accomplished, but anonymous pilot. Afterward, he was recognized as an American hero, drew a captive audience whenever he spoke, and was highly sought after by federal aviation officials for his safety recommendations.
Going through adversity, though not pleasant at the moment, opens the door to new levels of influence. By staying poised and keeping a positive attitude under pressure, leaders can pass through adversity having grown in stature more than they ever could have in comfortable times. In this article, I'd like to focus on the potential benefits that can be gained by triumphing over adverse conditions.

Overcoming Adversity Creates Resilience

A study in Time magazine in the 1980's described the incredible resilience of a group of people who had lost their jobs on three occasions due to plant closings. Researchers expected them to be discouraged, but they were surprisingly optimistic. Their adversity had turned into advantage. Because they had already coped with job loss and found employment at least twice, they were better equipped to handle adversity than people who had always worked for the same company and found themselves unemployed for the first time.

Overcoming Adversity Develops Maturity

During more than four decades as a pilot, both with the Air Force commercial airlines, Chesly B. Sullenberger had to weather his share of storms and mechanical glitches. When questioned by Katie Couric about his heroic landing of US Airways Flight 1549, Sullenberger credited his past experiences for giving him the maturity to steer the plane. "One way of looking at this might be that, for 42 years, I've been making small, regular deposits in this bank of experience: education and training. And on January 15 the balance was sufficient so that I could make a very large withdrawal." As an African proverb says, "Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors." The bumps in the road may seem only to be nuisances, but they're often the best instructors on the leadership journey. If we're observant, the lessons learned during hard times can be mined at a later date for our advantage.

Overcoming Adversity Creates Greater Opportunities

Just about every successful entrepreneur I've met has numerous stories of setbacks that opened the door to greater opportunities. Consider these not-so-flattering moments from the lives of famous Americans.

~Early in his career, Walt Disney's Laugh-O-Gram studio went broke, leaving the talented man out of work.
~Abraham Lincoln plummeted into financial ruin as a young shopkeeper.
~Milton Hershey failed dismally in his initial attempts to open a candy store.
~Henry Ford's Detroit Automobile Company went bankrupt before reorganizing as Ford Motor Company.
~H.J. Heinz's venture to sell horseradish flopped before his recipe for ketchup met with commercial success.

In the middle of adversity, it can be difficult to stave off feelings of hopelessness, but oftentimes a bright future waits on the other side of hardship. The mental strength acquired in dealing with misfortune can be an invaluable asset in pushing forward into new ventures.

Overcoming Adversity Wins Respect

Respect almost always is gained on difficult ground. In the words of Plutarch, "The measure of a man is the way he bears up under misfortune." No one sees your courage in the sunshine. It takes difficulty and darkness to prove bravery. When others see your character and persistence during the rough stretches in leadership, they walk away with an enhanced opinion of you.

SUMMARY

The economic crunch creates adversity, and leaders feel its pain and pressure acutely. While no one hopes for adversity, it can actually serve to benefit a leader. By bearing in mind the potential upside of leading through difficulty, it can be easier to deal with our present troubles.

~From John Maxwell~

Discipline: The Path to Potential

Dr. John C. Maxwell

"Discipline is the bridge between goals
and accomplishments"
~Jim Rohn~

By: Agustinus Gius Gala

He may have been the most naturally gifted baseball player of all time. He was clocked rounding the bases in an incredible 13 seconds. Yet, his speed was nothing compared to the power of his hitting. It's been said there were home run hitters, and then there was this man - in a league of his own. The Guinness Book of World Records credits him with hitting the longest home run ever measured, at 643 feet.

The player I'm describing is the great Mickey Mantle. By the age of 19 he had been called up to play for the New York Yankees. He won a World Series his rookie year, and his teams would capture seven championships over the course of his career. By the time he retired, Mantle had played more games as a Yankee than any other player, and had been named MVP of the American League three times. He still holds the all-time World Series records for home runs, runs scored, and runs batted in.

Yet, in spite of his impressive accomplishments, experts believe Mickey Mantle never reached his potential. Most blame Mantle's chronic knee injuries for preventing him from doing more. But injuries weren't the root of the problem. What most people didn't know was that Mantle was a raging alcoholic. At age 62, with his health and family life a mess, Mantle checked into the Betty Ford Clinic and started the long road to sobriety. Looking back from this vantage point, he assessed his career:

I never fulfilled what my dad had wanted [to be the greatest player who ever lived, and I should have. God gave me a great body to play with, and I didn't take care of it. And I blame a lot of it on alcohol.Everybody tries to make the excuse that injuries shortened my career. Truth is, after I'd had a knee operation the doctors would give me rehab work to do, but I wouldn't do it. I'd be out drinking... I hurt my knees through the years, and I just thought they'd naturally come back. Everything has always come natural to me. I didn't work hard at it.

Despite his great natural talent, Mickey Mantle never disciplined himself off the field. By the time Mantle was ready to change, it was too late. His liver was ruined from a life of alcoholism, and he died at age 64 from inoperable cancer.

Four Truths about Discipline

What were you born to do? What is your dream? To become the person you have the potential to be, you have to cultivate a life of discipline. Consider these truths concerning discipline:

Discipline Comes with a Price Tag

Discipline is costly. It demands a continual investment of time, energy, and commitment at the expense of momentary pleasure and ease. Discipline means paying hours of practice to win the prize of skill. Discipline means giving up short-term benefits for the hope of future gain. Discipline means pressing on to excellence long after everyone else has settled for average.

Discipline Turns Talent to Greatness

When you read about someone like Mickey Mantle, you realize that too much talent can actually work against someone. Super-talented individuals can coast on sheer ability and neglect building the daily habits of success that will sustain them. Poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow shared much insight when he wrote:

The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they, while their companions slept,
Were toiling upward in the night.

If you want to reach your potential, attach a strong work ethic to your talent.

Discipline Focuses on Choices, Not Conditions

In general, people approach daily discipline in one of two ways. They focus on the external or the internal. Those who focus externally allow conditions to dictate whether or not they remain disciplined. Because conditions are transitory, their discipline level changes like the wind.

In contrast, people with internal discipline focus on choices. You cannot control circumstances, nor can you control others. By focusing on your choices, and making the right ones regularly, you stay disciplined.

Discipline Does Not Bow Down to Feelings

As Arthur Gordon said, "Nothing is easier than saying words. Nothing is harder than living them, day after day. What you promise today must be renewed and redecided tomorrow and each day that stretches out before you."

If you do what you should only when you really feel like it, then you won't build disciplined habits. At times, you have to act contrary to emotions. If you refuse to give into your lesser impulses, no matter how great they will make you feel in the moment, then you'll go far.

Summary

Discipline is a matter of taking total responsibility for your future. Choose not to blame circumstances for the outcome of your life. Choose to go beyond your natural talent. Choose to make wise decisions repeatedly. Choose discipline as the path to your potential.

~From John Maxwell~

Lead by Doing What Others Won't Do: Drive to Completion

Mark Sanborn

"A great leader's courage to fulfill his vision
comes from passion, not position"
~Dr. John Maxwell~

By: Agustinus Gius Gala

Visit any home improvement store on a Saturday morning, and you will see the beginning of hundreds of projects. People gather supplies, get instruction, and consult with professionals to get their game plans in order. Week after week the same scenario plays out. Based on sales, it would appear that these weekend warriors will soon beautify and improve the entire planet.
But reality and results tell another story entirely. A quick look through the garages and basements of many of these great starters would likely reveal the truth about completion: the final ten percent, for many people, is virtually uncharted territory - meaning they never get there.

Carry the accumulation of half-demolished foyers, clogged caulk guns, and piles of debris into the business world, and it's no different. The pattern for success in business is to recognize an unsatisfied need, innovate to find and provide a solution, then to expand and repeat the process. Somewhere between innovation and delivery, we find the no-man's zone known as completion.
I once employed someone who proved to be an excellent initiator but a terrible finisher. She would start a task but get hung up once she encountered an obstacle. When asked why she didn't get the job done, she blamed someone for not getting back to her or a situation she'd encountered. In short, she didn't understand how to drive to completion.

What makes completion such a challenge?

Completion forces us to step forward.

For many people, the thought of completing a goal is unsettling - even when the task at hand is unpleasant. Maybe it's the sense of the 'known evil' being preferable to the unknown one. No matter how ornery a project has become, at least it's a pain in the neck that is familiar. We know that upon completion, we must choose again. We question whether we've got the goods needed to accomplish the next challenge.

Completion forces us to step up.

Concluding the current initiative inevitably moves us to a point of "what next?" For success-minded people, the answer to that question always comes in the form of raising the bar. Knowing that an even greater challenge lies ahead can make incompletion insidiously alluring. We know that each completion is followed by a call for even more. We wonder how we will bear up as the stakes are raised.

Completion forces us to step out.

Whether the task at hand is pleasant or not, we become attached to it. No matter how hard it seemed as we first put our hands to the plow, it is now within our comfort zone. It is familiar, and it seems manageable. People generally fear change. We convince ourselves that survival depends on staying inside our circle of competency. Completion represents a not-so-subtle nudge out of that circle. For many people, incompletion has become a way of life. It takes the form of procrastination, loss of interest, confusion, and frustration. By remaining at the 90% complete mark, we reap the dubious benefits of security, mediocrity, and familiarity.

How can we push forward for completion?

Assess the current situation.

Focus on one task at a time until it is complete. This sounds like an effective solution - on paper. Chances are, though, that your world is more complex than that. However, even with multiple projects and priorities going on at the same time, you can still focus on one idea at a time and then move on. Each new opportunity should be evaluated before you commit. Remember that 'good' is the enemy of 'best' in your consideration. Does it serve your purpose? If so, engage and then move forward into completion.

Realize that the final 10% isn't so bad.

Often the final stretch is comprised of unremarkable, monotonous, or tedious tasks. Because they are less than exhilarating, they seem onerous. Reality is that these final milestones are a lot closer, and a lot easier to attain than they seem. These loose ends rarely take the time or energy we fear they will. Just like the sticker on your car's rearview mirror reads, completion "may be closer than they appear."

Understand the price you pay for incompletion.

The process of beginning an initiative and working on it requires that you fully engage your commitment, your creative power, and your attention. The deepest recesses of your mind loathe letting go of these commitments. Like an elbow constantly poking into your ribs, your mind will nag you unceasingly about your incompletion. This distraction is often enough to pull you right out of the game when it's time to take your next step.

Enjoy the rewards of completion.

The marketplace rewards completion. Every purchase of goods or services is immediately and unconsciously evaluated for completion. If you were to go out for dinner, place your order, and then never receive your food, you would complain, refuse to pay, and never want to go there again. If you purchased a car and discovered it was missing some key component, a steering wheel for example, you would refuse to take delivery. It's been said that the key to outrageous success is to do what nobody else will do. This brings to the forefront an opportunity to excel through completion, and reap the rewards of your diligence. A quick look around illustrates people's tendency toward procrastination, loss of momentum, distraction, and incompletion. By committing to completion, you will do what nobody else will do, and the rewards will follow.
Recognizing the prices and benefits of completion may be enough to move you forward. What prize awaits when you push forward for completion?

~From John Maxwell~

Gaya Kepemimpinan Layang-layang Ala Agung Adiprasetyo

"Karyawan bisa tidak produktif, karena pemimpin dianggap tidak manusiawi"

By: Agustinus Gius Gala

Gaya kepemimpinan layang-layang ala Agung Adiprasetyo sangat menarik untuk dicoba oleh kita sebagai pemimpin saat ini. Penduduk Indonesia pada dasarnya adalah orang baik sehingga para pemimpin perusahaan tidak perlu menerapkan gaya kepimpinan yang otoritatif atau pusing membuat aturan yang ketat bagi karyawannya. Berangkat dari pemikiran itulah, Agung Adiprasetyo, CEO Kompas Gramedia, menerapkan gaya kepemimpinan yang disebutnya gaya kepemimpinan layang-layang.

Gaya layang-layang yang ia maksudkan adalah jangan pernah menganggap adalah orang yang bodoh sehingga harus selalu diawasi. Jangan pula menjadi pemimpin yang otoriter dan selalu mengawasi karyawannya. "Karyawan bisa tidak produktif, karena pemimpin dianggap tidak manusiawi," jelasnya seusai peluncuran buku Indonesian Top CEO Wisdom: Precious Lessons, di Jakarta, Selasa (16/6).
Sebaliknya, tidak bagus pula jika karyawan dibiarkan begitu saja tanpa arahan, mereka akan merasa tidak diperhatikan. "Tinggal tarik ulur pada waktu yang tepat, jangan sampai lepas. Yang terpenting layang-layang harus tetap diberi angin," kata dia.
Ia menemukan teori tersebut dari pengalaman dirinya sendiri, Agung yang memulai kariernya sebagai petugas yang memberi cap pada koran, yang menjadi bukti iklan telah merasakan pahit getirnya menjadi karyawan.

"Pekerjaan awal saya sedikit di atas satpam. Seluruh keluhan karyawan dialami. Karena saya juga ikut mengalami bagaimana susahnya dulu merintis," ujarnya.
Selain terlalu otoritatif, menurut dia, kesalahan lain yang juga sering dilakukan para pemimpin adalah, mereka takut jika akan tergeser dari posisi yang ia duduki saat ini. Agung menerangkan, dari awal ia telah siap jika sewaktu-waktu dirinya dipindahkan.
"Kalau saya terus menjabat pada posisi yang sekarang, berarti saya tidak bisa naik jabatan. Kalau mau naik jabatan berarti harus siap untuk diganti," guraunya. Agung mengaku saat ini telah menyiapkan dua nama pengganti dirinya. Lebih jauh dia menerangkan, karyawan harus terus diingatkan untuk mengikuti perkembangan zaman, kalau tidak kemampuan yang dimiliki seorang karyawan lama kelamaan tidak lagi dapat dipergunakan.
"Itu yang berbahaya, tugas dari CEO untuk membawa karyawannya agar bisa up to date pada zamannya. Makin banyak karyawan yang dibawa up to date pada zamannya, perusahaan akan bertahan baik, jika tidak ya gagal," terang dia.

Agung juga menegaskan pentingnya sumber daya manusia dalam sebuah perusahaan. Oleh karena itu, ia terus mendorong seluruh karyawannya untuk terus berinovasi dan menguasai teknologi yang sedang berkembang. "SDM ditempatkan pada posisi paling depan nomor satu, setelah itu semua masalah akan beres. Mau urusan marketing, keuangan semuanya beres. Makanya SDM hal yang paling penting," pungkasnya.


~From Kompas.com~

Crises Call for Critical Choices

John Maxwell

By Agustinus Gius Gala


With the economy in its current state, it seems like every time we turn around, a new crisis appears. Bank failures, home foreclosures, business ventures reluctantly abandoned. In times like these, good leadership is especially critical. I recently addressed this in a session for the Maximum Impact program, which will be available in October. One of the things I talked about was decision-making during a crisis. Here are the top five types of tough choices good leaders make during tough times:

1. Courageous decisions. What must be done?

Crises usually prompt an organization to narrow its focus. Leaders have to make those calls. That requires courage when others have a lot invested in what will be eliminated. A leader has to be willing to stand up to all competing agendas and do what must be done.

2. Priority decisions. What must be done first?

The Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto once said, “If you’re Noah, and your ark is about to sink, look for the elephants first, because you can throw over a bunch of cats and dogs and squirrels and everything else that is just a small animal - and your ark will keep sinking. But if you can find one elephant to get overboard, you’re in much better shape.” If you’re a leader, identify your elephants.

3. Change decisions. What must be done differently?

Even ideas that would have worked well a month earlier may be useless in an emergency. Leaders know when it’s time to make a change. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: When the horse is dead, DISMOUNT.

4. Creative decisions. What are my options?

You probably know how this saying ends:

“If I always do what I’ve always done….” That’s right: “. . . I always get what I’ve always gotten.” When the old methods aren’t working to solve the crisis, they need to be questioned. Think outside of the box. Get every option out on the table. A good leader will be open-minded and explore all options on the spectrum between “change nothing” and “change everything.” The right choice usually lies somewhere in the middle.

5. Support decisions. Who can help me?

Leaders are responsible for having the right people on the team and making sure they are in the right places. In their book, The Wisdom of Teams, Jon R. Katzenbach and Douglas K. Smith write,

Team leaders genuinely believe that they do not have all the answers-so they do not insist on providing them. They believe they do not need to make all key decisions-so they do not do so. They believe they cannot succeed without the combined contributions of all the other members of the team to a common end-so they avoid any action that might constrain inputs or intimidate anyone on the team. Ego is not their predominant concern.

Leaders are not MADE in a crisis. Leaders are REVEALED in a crisis. It’s easy to steer a ship in calm waters. Only the turbulence of a storm shows a captain’s true skill. If your organization is facing a storm, take the wheel and make the decisions that only a leader can make.

~From John Maxwell~

Does Teamwork Really Make The Dream Work in Tough Times?

John Maxwell

By Agustinus Gius Gala

In today’s economic climate, layoffs seem to be a fact of life. The newly unemployed take the biggest hit, of course. But layoffs and restructuring cause difficulties for those remaining, too. Last week’s post was about pre-layoff decisions that a leader must make. This time I want to talk about post-layoff situations that leaders must often navigate. Suppose you’re facing a situation where staff has been cut, and departments have been combined and shuffled. Work teams that had years of experience together are dissolved, with their remaining members split up and partnered with people they have no history with. Employees are suddenly expected follow a leader they know only a little - or not at all.

Now imagine that you’re one of those team leaders. You’ve been assigned an unfamiliar team and new objectives. How do you get this new team up to speed and working toward a common goal?

1. Acknowledge the Challenge

The situation is awkward. You know it; your team knows it. Don’t be afraid to state the obvious: A group that has never worked together will not perform as well as one that’s been together for years. By sitting down with the entire team and acknowledging the challenge, you create common ground. You also relieve the pressure of expecting instant camaraderie, while at the same time setting the team’s first goal: Getting to know each other.

2. Build Relationships

Relationship-building requires time. If members of your team barely know each other, you need to provide specific opportunities for them to interact. Call a meeting with a primarily social agenda. Encourage people to talk about more than work - i.e. topics like hobbies, background, family, etc. This will increase their comfort level for future interactions, when it’s time to really get down to business. As the leader, you also need to get to know everyone individually. Schedule your own one-on-one time with each member of the team. Be intentional about getting to know them. The better you know their strengths and weaknesses, the better you can help them play to their strengths, maximize their potential, and work together as a team.

3. Develop a Clear Strategy

A new team probably means new goals and responsibilities. Bring everyone together to communicate the big picture for the team. Then strategize with the entire group on how you will work together to achieve team goals. Creating a strategy helps team members to know their position, which creates clarity and security. They’ll be confident of what they need to prioritize and what they can expect other team members to deliver.

Tough times bring tough leadership situations. But then again, so do good times. Everyone’s saying that this economy will eventually turn around. When it does and organizations start growing, you may again find yourself leading new teams of people that you don’t know in tasks that they’ve never done before. You’ll be able to use this same trust-building strategy then, because it works in good times as well as bad.

~From John Maxwell~

Seeking Creativity In Its Natural Habitat

John Maxwell

By Agustinus Gius Gala

In Part 1 on the topic of creativity, I told you that I didn’t fit the creative mold. But I didn’t let that stop me from working to become more creative. I shared with you how I look to the creative thinking of others for the tools and inspiration to grow in this area. But learning from others wasn’t enough. I have discovered that my usual environment and learning methods sometimes make it very hard to get into a creative frame of mind.

Forget waiting for creativity to find you.

You see, I’ve been described as a “high energy person.” I’m always on the lookout for new opportunities, and I really like being busy. I find great enjoyment in multitasking. In the Fast Company interview that I referenced in the last post, Teresa Amabile said, “Time pressure stifles creativity because people can’t deeply engage with the problem. Creativity requires an incubation period; people need time to soak in a problem and let the ideas bubble up.”

That can be a problem for me: Lack of time. I’m capable of filling every hour with tasks and appointments. When that happens, creative thinking falls by the wayside. To change this, I have to give creativity the time and attention it deserves. The first thing I do is write thinking time onto my calendar like a regular appointment. And then I treat it like an appointment. I gather my legal pads, files and other resources, and I move from my normal work area and settle into a quiet, peaceful spot. There I narrow my focus. Over time, I’ve developed the discipline to keep my mind from wandering off-topic. And carving out these distraction-free hours makes me quiet and still enough to let creative ideas “bubble up.”

When I was younger, my thinking spot was a rock on a hill. Later, I set up a “thinking chair” in my office, which I use solely for that purpose. These days, I also do some of my best thinking while swimming laps in the pool. It doesn’t replace the writing time that I still schedule. (I just haven’t found a waterproof legal pad yet…) But an hour of swimming laps back and forth, with its silence and rhythm, gives me just what I need to focus on one or two specific problems or ideas. Maybe deep thinking and introspection comes more naturally for you. Even if it does, setting aside dedicated time for creative thinking will help you be intentional. No one can afford to go about their daily life waiting for the muse to strike. Instead, chase after and tackle her, doing so in a way that works for you.

No one person has a corner on all of the creativity.

If you want to do something creative, bring in others to help you. Now this comes easily for me. I love spending time with people. The synergy of a good conversation energizes me like nothing else. And my favorite thing is to gather with people I respect for a shared creative meeting. In fact, I do this with just about everything I come up with. And I promise you, every idea I take into a collaborative environment comes out better than it was before.

Here’s a current example. My newest book, Put Your Dream to the Test, started out going in a completely different direction. Sitting with a “creative brain trust,” I shared an outline that I thought would be great for the new book. But as we batted it around, my writer, Charlie, zeroed in on a single chapter and its outline. He spoke up: “John, THIS is the book you need to write.” The energy in the room ignited. We all knew very quickly that he was right. And that single chapter outline bloomed into one for the entire book. I think it goes without saying that Put Your Dream to the Test is a much better book than that original outline would have produced.

Do you share your creative ideas with others? Or do you merely turn them over and over within your own mind? If so, you might be limiting your ideas, when including others in the process could take them to a level 10. Pull together a team of people who can increase the creative energy in a room. Then toss your idea into the middle of the table and let them have at it. Want to be more creative? Be proactive. Schedule it. Chase after it. Don’t wait for the muse to strike. Creative thoughts rarely come and find us. We have to be intentional about finding them.

~From John Maxwell~

Imagination: Your Ticket To A Dream

John Maxwell

By Agustinus Gius Gala



In only a few days, I’ll be boarding a plane to fly halfway around the world, where I’ll have the privilege of teaching in the Philippines, China, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, and Malaysia. This kind of work is a dream come true for me. Of course, the scope is much larger than I originally imagined. But the dream of adding value to others is something I’ve been pursuing for close to 40 years. The following excerpt from my book, Put Your Dream to the Test, is about the importance of imagination to the achievement of your dream. I hope it encourages and equips you as you examine your own dreams. How do people discover their dreams? By dreaming! That may sound overly simplistic, but that’s where it starts. Imagination is the soil that brings a dream to life.

Nobel Prize-winning physicist Albert Einstein, a dreamer and thinker, understood the value of the imagination. He said, “When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive knowledge.” Einstein called his imagination a “holy curiosity.” If you come from a discouraging background, or you don’t think of yourself as an especially imaginative person, don’t lose hope. You can still discover and develop a dream. God has put that ability in every one of us. If you know and watch children, then you know that’s true. Every child dreams. Every child possesses imagination.

My wife, Margaret, and I have five grandchildren, and whenever we are with them, we see their vivid imaginations at work, whisking them away from this world to ones of their own creation. You have it in you to dream. Author and friend Max Lucado is clear about your possibilities: “You weren’t an accident. You weren’t mass produced. You aren’t an assembly-line product. You were deliberately planned, specifically gifted, and lovingly positioned on the Earth by the Master Craftsman.” Beyond that, some people would even argue that the more drab your beginnings, the greater your potential for dreaming. Businessman Howard Schultz, who came from a very humble background, used the fertile soil of his imagination to help him cultivate the idea of Starbucks, the company he founded. Schultz says,


One thing I’ve noticed about romantics: They try to create a new and better world from the drabness of everyday life. That is Starbuck’s aim, too. We try to create, in our stores, an oasis, a little neighborhood spot where you can take a break, listen to some jazz, or ponder universal or personal or even whimsical questions over a cup of coffee. Who dreams up such a place?

From my personal experience, I’d say that the more uninspiring your origins, the more likely you are to use your imagination and invent worlds where everything seems possible.

That’s certainly true of me.

I believe God wants us to dream, and to dream big, because He’s a big God who wants to do big things and He wants to do them through us. My friend Dale Turner asserts, “Dreams are renewable. No matter what our age or condition, there are still untapped possibilities within us and new beauty waiting to be born.” It’s never too late to dream.

If you’re wondering whether the dreams of your imagination are likely to take root in the soil of reality, then start by asking yourself the following questions (from Put Your Dream to the Test.)
~The Ownership Question: Is my dream really my dream?
~The Clarity Question: Do I clearly see my dream?
~The Reality Question: Am I depending on factors within my control to achieve my dream?
~The Passion Question: Does my dream compel me to follow it?
~The Pathway Question: Do I have a strategy to reach my dream?
~The People Question: Have I included the people I need to realize my dream?
~The Cost Question: Am I willing to pay the price for my dream?
~The Tenacity Question: Am I moving closer to my dream?
~The Fulfillment Question: Does working toward my dream bring satisfaction?
~The Significance Question: Does my dream benefit others?

I believe that if you really explore each question, examine yourself honestly, and answer yes to all them, the odds of your achieving your dream are very good. The more yeses you can answer, the more on target you are to fulfill your dreaming. I truly believe that everyone has the potential to imagine a worthwhile dream, and most have the ability to achieve it. And it doesn’t matter how big or how seemingly outrageous your dream appears to others if your answers are yes to the Dream Test questions.

~From John Maxwell~

How Successful People Think

What’s a successful person’s greatest

resource in difficult times? Good thinking!

By Agustinus Gius Gala


Good thinkers are always in demand. A person who knows how may always have a job, but the person who knows why will always be his boss. Good thinkers solve problems, they never lack ideas for building an organization, and they always have hope for a better future. Good thinkers rarely find themselves at the mercy of ruthless people who would take advantage of them or try to deceive them, people like Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, who once boasted, “What luck for rulers that men do not think”. Those who develop the process of good thinking can rule themselves - even while under an oppressive ruler or in other difficult circumstances. In short, good thinkers are successful.

I’ve studied successful people for forty years, and though the diversity you find among them is astounding, I’ve found that they are all alike in one way: how they think! That is the one thing that separates successful people from unsuccessful ones. And here’s the good news. How successful people think can be learned. If you change your thinking, you can change your life!

HOW TO BECOME A BETTER THINKER

Do you want to master the process of good thinking? Do you want to be a better thinker tomorrow than you are today? Then you need to engage in an ongoing process that improves your thinking. I recommend you do the following:
1. Expose Yourself to Good Input
Good thinkers always prime the pump of ideas. They always look for things to get the thinking process started, because what you put in always impacts what comes out. Read books, review trade magazines, listen to CDs, and spend time with good thinkers. And when something intrigues you-whether it’s someone else’s idea or the seed of an idea that you’ve come up with yourself-keep it in front of you. Put it in writing and keep it somewhere in a favorite place to stimulate your thinking.
2. Expose Yourself to Good Thinkers
All of the people in my life whom I consider to be close friends or colleagues are good thinkers. Now, I love all people. I try to be kind to everyone I meet, and I desire to add value to as many people as I can through conferences, books, audio lessons, etc. But the people I seek out and choose to spend time with all challenge me with their thinking and their actions. They are constantly trying to grow and learn. The writer of Proverbs observed that sharp people sharpen one another, just as iron sharpens iron. If you want to be a sharp thinker, be around sharp people.
3. Choose to Think Good Thoughts
To become a good thinker, you must become intentional about the thinking process. Regularly put yourself in the right place to think, shape, stretch, and land your thoughts. Make it a priority. Thinking is a discipline.
Recently I had breakfast with Dan Cathy, the president of Chick-fil-A, a fast food restaurant chain headquartered in the Atlanta area. I told him that I was working on this book and I asked him if he made thinking time a high priority. Not only did he say yes, but he told me about what he calls his “thinking schedule.” It helps him to fight the hectic pace of life that discourages intentional thinking. Dan says he sets aside time just to think for half a day every two weeks, for one whole day every month, and for two or three full days every year. Dan explains, “This helps me ‘keep the main thing, the main thing,’ since I am so easily distracted”. You may want to do something similar, or you can develop a schedule and method of your own. No matter what you choose to do, go to a special thinking place, take paper and pen, and make sure you capture your ideas in writing.
4. Act on Your Good Thoughts
Ideas have a short shelf life. You must act on them before the expiration date. World War I flying ace Eddie Rickenbacker said it all when he remarked, “I can give you a six-word formula for success: Think things through-then follow through.”
5. Allow Your Emotions to Create Another Good Thought
To start the thinking process, you cannot rely on your feelings. In Failing Forward, I wrote that you can act your way into feeling long before you can feel your way into action. If you wait until you feel like doing something, you will likely never accomplish it. The same is true for thinking. You cannot wait until you feel like thinking to do it. However, I’ve found that once you engage in the process of good thinking, you can use your emotions to feed the process and create mental momentum.
Try it for yourself. After you go through the disciplined process of thinking and enjoy some success, allow yourself to savor the moment and try riding the mental energy of that success. If you’re like me, it’s likely to spur additional thoughts and productive ideas.
6. Repeat the Process
One good thought does not make a good life. The people who have one good thought and try to ride it for an entire career often end up unhappy or destitute. They are the one-hit wonders, the one-book authors, the one-message speakers, the one-time inventors who spend their life struggling to protect or promote their single idea. Success comes to those who have an entire mountain of gold that they continually mine, not those who find one nugget and try to live on it for fifty years. To become someone who can mine a lot of gold, you need to keep repeating the process of good thinking.

This article is an excerpt from the introduction to my latest book, How Successful People Think. Available now from booksellers in the United States, it’s derived from my book, Thinking for a Change.
Edited and distilled down to the bare essentials, this book is designed to help you expand your thinking and achieve your dreams with the following

11 keys to successful thinking
1. Cultivate Big-Picture Thinking
2. Engage in Focused Thinking
3. Harness Creative Thinking
4. Employ Realistic Thinking
5. Utilize Strategic Thinking
6. Explore Possibility Thinking
7. Learn from Reflective Thinking
8. Question Popular Thinking
9. Benefit from Shared Thinking
10. Practice Unselfish Thinking
11. Rely on Bottom-Line Thinking

~From John Maxwell on Leadership~