TrevorNelDailyOnline

Leaders are always testing new frontiers, going where others fear to tread, walking on the edge, often in the dark, where it is very easy to fall off.

They recognise that we all live in a fast changing world, where one has to be flexible to adapt to new and different circumstances and then to continuously improve to excel with the new technologies.

More tomorrow:

posted by Trevor Nel: Developer - INNER Circle Business Forum

Often, leaders are led to develop solutions which are not immediately apparent to, or distinguishable by, the masses. Many times these solutions are seen as ‘too-good-to-be-true’ or just plain unbelievable.

Leaders recognise the failure of the masses to readily adapt to new technologies and change.

They willingly persist through the stages of disbelief, criticism, and tentative trial, through to critical mass acceptance, which every new idea or concept has to go through.

More tomorrow:

posted by Trevor Nel: Developer - INNER Circle Business Forum

Leaders develop businesses, projects, ideas, and concepts which brings together people who share a common vision, under-pinned by natural laws and principles.

They recognise that such people, working towards a common vision are personally-inspired and self-motivated.

Stephen Covey - the guru of Principle-Centred Leadership - says, ‘When we focus on principles... we become submissive and obedient to those natural laws, then we begin to experience the fruits of internal peace of mind, courage, consideration, maturity, respect, and love for people. People become accountable to the principles, not to politics or other people.’

More tomorrow:

posted by Trevor Nel: Developer - INNER Circle Business Forum

By first valuing themselves so highly, leaders recognise the right of others to achieve their own personal dreams and enjoy their lives.

They have enormous respect for the deep-seated integrity and unlimited potential of people.

Such leaders are always successful in creating new business because they are always looking for ways to help meet the needs of people.

More tomorrow:

Just what will it take to become recognised as a leader?

What characteristics are we likely to see exhibited by ‘leaders of leaders’?

In my personal opinion this is the list of characteristics present, or that we will need, in quality leaders:

Leaders consider their own priorities first and foremost - Such people are driven by a personal mission, a clear vision of their future, a sound or higher purpose for their lives, which they understand… leads to their ultimate happiness.

This will not be an ego-centred need, but rather a personal enjoyment-centred need which includes their close family members as extensions of themselves.

They conduct their lives by age-old principles and natural laws of success and caring that have stood the test of time. They do whatever they do because it is good common sense and they really have fun doing it.

More tomorrow:

So, what is this thing called leadership?

What will it take to be a truly successful leader in the years ahead?

Let’s go to one of the world’s richest men - multi-billionaire Bill Gates, chairman and CEO of Microsoft - who says, ‘...leaders will be those who empower others. Each individual can make a difference and play a leadership role. Empowering leadership means bringing out the energy and capabilities people have and getting them to work together in a way they wouldn’t do otherwise.’

Gates touches on perhaps the most significant difference between leaders of the past and those that will emerge as leaders in the future.

In the past, schools of leadership thinking felt that for a leader to succeed, that leader had to have a band of loyal and obedient followers.

Power politics, domination, fear, submission, autocratic rule, chains of command, regulations, are all the negative consequences of this style of leadership.

And guess what? You see it all the time: in business; in sports teams; and political parties. Generally this style of leadership ends up hurting people, whether physically or emotionally.

However, leaders of the future will come from those that recognise that God has created all of Man to be equal. And that everybody has the right to be treated equally, with respect and dignity.

Gates recognises that it is the leaders who really understand this principle of equality of every individual, that will set about freeing or empowering society to take responsibility for it’s own actions.

In other words, quality leaders of the future will not look to beat, or fool, a band of dumb followers into submission to achieve their aims - yet, there will still be the idiotic dictatorial types who will do this for their own warped ego needs.

Rather, quality leaders will look to empower others with the qualities of personal leadership, personal vision, and enduring principles, which results in a group working to achieve common goals in life.

Meaning that such leaders will stimulate the process of building self-esteem, greater knowledge and personal mastery in others.

Such leaders will then be content to arise naturally from the ranks of intelligent, honest, caring individuals who each recognise that they can make a difference in whatever they do.

So, quality leaders of the future will in reality be ‘leaders of leaders’.

More tomorrow:

Review update by Trevor Nel – April 2003

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ed.'s Note: I first penned these comments back in July 1996. It will be interesting to see how far we have come... and how far WE have progressed in that time. The sentiments expressed then, in the main, still hold good for today. In fact, they are timeless… and priceless.

As one travels around our country and listens to the comments from people on the ground, on local talk radio stations, and in the local press, it becomes all to apparent that South Africa is suffering a plague of ineffectual talkers.

At this critical time in the growth of our fledgling democracy, when South Africans are in desperate need of an exciting future... overflowing with vision, opportunity and hope - what do we find?

Talkers..!

They’re talking on T.V. debate programs; they’re talking on political platforms; they’re talking on radio talk show programs; they’re talking from church pulpits; talking; talking; talking! Talkers giving an opinion - “The problem with the government is...”; “The problem with the Minister of Police is...”; “The problem in our community is...”; “The problem with you is ...” - talkers busy criticising. Talkers… magnifying solvable problems into national disasters!

These critics are a dime a dozen, talking the hind leg off a donkey, empty vessels making the most sound, with nothing positive to say about anything in life.

Well, my friends, the time has come for all reasonable thinking South Africans to take these talkers to task, and stop them in their tracks to ask them what they are doing, or what they intend intend to do, about the problems they have identified.

Yes, what our country is desperately in need of is leadership. True leadership! Leadership at all levels of our society.

Leadership that recognises that talk is cheap, and that actions speak much louder than words.

Leadership that recognises that we are living in a world of transformation, a world of change, a world where people want to be treated like human beings.

Leadership that does not seek to dominate others.

Leadership that recognises that true power and respect comes only from making a difference in peoples lives.

Not by ruining peoples lives.

True leadership seeks to make a difference without ruining other peoples lives!

More tomorrow:

Wendy identifies the four main personality styles you will come across in marketing your business.

The enquirers (analytical types); the aspirers (entrepreneurial types); the admirers (administrative types); and the inspirers (visionary leader types).

The trick is to understand what personality type you are, and when you understand yourself you will understand how to relate profitably with others.

Only when you can adapt your Personal Communications Style to that of your audience will you begin to transfer information about your business effectively.

In this section we learn that “we humans have three different styles of learning”. Sight (visual stimulus), sound (auditory stimulus), and feeling (emotional stimulus).

“Forty percent of people hear by seeing pictures as you talk to them” in highly visual language.

“Twenty percent respond best to auditory words” and... “forty percent of people respond to feeling words”.

A great tip from Wendy is to use all three styles together by saying: “How do you feel about my coming to see you and talking through your needs”.

If your customer can see, hear, and feel how your business can benefit them, then you are well on your way to business success.

Wendy closes her excellent production by pointing out that “it is not hard to stand out in a crowd. If you want to be a market leader in your field, it only takes common sense and good manners”.

Bibliography:

Evans, Wendy. “How to get New Business in 90 days... and keep it forever”

Revised edition. Publ. The Directors Collection.


Points To Ponder

1. It can take 3 to 5 years for the outside world to notice my product.

2. Persistence pays. Keep on keeping on.

3. Get out there and do something.

4. If I am not growing I am going backwards.

5. The average closing-the-sale cycle is between 15 to 18 months.

Ends.

As far as I am concerned, this is one of the essential ingredients of success in life and in business - PERSISTENCE!

Says Wendy, “Almost anyone can put these steps into place, but not many people will keep on keeping on for days, weeks, months, years afterwards. Nothing replaces persistence. Persistence is what makes the other steps so powerful”.

She points out that... “The commitment time is a minimum of two years (in three-monthly cycles), a fairly standard time period given the the average closing-the-sale cycle is between fifteen and eighteen months”.

Wendy discovered that... “it takes around one hundred enquiries to convert five pieces of business over about a year. New business takes time”.

With persistence you can phone and/or mail three to five new business prospects per day, and come up trumps.

Five new-business prospects every day for sixty working days translates to over 300 people you are “phoning, sending cards to, faxing, following up on, and sending articles to over a three month period”.

Do this, and no one will touch you in business!

More tomorrow:

The problem of effective time management affects almost every entrepreneur I know.

Wendy advises you to manage your time to meet your business plan objectives. Does whatever you are about to do help with meeting your chosen goals?

She warns that your new-business contact calls are high-priority, because... “if you are not growing your business you are standing still and... if you are standing still you are going backwards”.

More tomorrow:

Here Wendy discusses the importance of making effective and continuous special offers to stimulate and bring forward the decision to purchase.

She has had great success with promotional offers that include the wording “two for the price of one”, or “free gift with purchase”, or “buy one get one free”.

When it comes to the art of negotiating a contract, Wendy points out that “closing the sale is often not closing the sale at all, it’s just the beginning of many such negotiations”.

In this chapter Wendy also touches on the importance of establishing win-win relationships with your clients and suppliers.

More tomorrow:

Wendy warns that the secret of great marketing and prospecting is consistency.

No matter how bored you might be, “never give up on your basic central message. Stay with it”.

You will be the only one regularly contacting your clients every 90 days with the same regular message.

Coca-Cola has done it for decades, so why not you?

This section also deals with the art of writing press releases and articles. “Why pay for press advertising when you can get it for free?”

More tomorrow:

Nothing puts a potential customer off more than a poor impression over the phone.

Wendy builds on this important theme of sounding good with a great section on telephone etiquette. I was particularly impressed to learn that “it makes a difference whether you listen to a caller with your right ear or left ear, believe it or not!”

If you want to evaluate complicated facts you need to hold the phone to your right ear, because it communicates to the analytical left side of your brain.

For sympathetic listening hold the phone to your left ear which communicates with the emotional right side of your brain.

Another excellent tip is to “always start with the head of any corporation with which you want to do business. You can get passed down an organisation but not up”.

More tomorrow: