Kids, husband, wife, soccer, vacation, mom, dad, work, friends, whatever…

“Yeah, right” Now you want me to be fit?

“Get real!”

“You see sleep on my list?”

We are real.

Fitness is the state of being physically prepared and in top physical condition to face life’s challenges.  It is being vim, vigorous, vital and strong. It is the process of respecting, maintaining and caring for the human body.  Good health and sound physical condition result.

These factors are important because they allow you to:

Engage life.

Fight off spiritual and mental fatigue.

Reduce stress and increase recuperation.

Reduce multiple health risk factors.

Heighten your self image and esteem.

Being fit helps you achieve your maximum success, become your personal best and, achieve success and victory.

“I think so…  I believe that is what happened…  That’s what they told me…  I’m not sure but…”

Holy Mackerel Andy, is this how you talk or the way you receive information.

Precision is conduct and information that is accurate and exactly defined. It is paying attention to detail.  It is conduct that is timely, disciplined and orderly.  It is conduct that is measured and controlled.  Precision represents a lifestyle that is planned, executed and managed.

Precision is demonstrated by:

Meeting high standards with exceptional conduct and great skills.

Doing the job “right” the first time.

If the job is not right, or does not work, fix it.

Remember, your thoughts, words and deeds reflect the importance you place on precision.  It demonstrates your discipline, professionalism and attention to detail.

Think, Talk and Act with Precision

What? I just do yoga on the weekends.  I’m not a guru or spiritual leader?

Show me the money baby!!!

Hold on there “ole practical one”. Spirituality is an understanding that there is a higher order to life. That life has meaning.  It is an expression of your attitude and disposition to the essence and meaning of life.

Spirituality, regardless of its origin, is meant to convey a lifestyle of charity, fellowship and goodness.

When you possess fundamental values, high standards and ethics, and spirituality they are reflected in your attitude, your demeanor, and your personal and professional conduct.

They are reflected in your thoughts, words, and deeds.

People are quick to pick up on your values or of your absence of these qualities.

Convey spiritual qualities of goodness to your people.

It’s the right thing to do and ”your values become your destiny.”

Where does an organization start?

A great organization starts at the top with the leader. It starts with your intelligence.  This means at some point a organization will rely on your:

Ability to think or to process information

To understand

To solve problems and implement solutions

Intelligence is the mental capacity to know or to understand.  It is the ability to use your brain to seek solutions and achieve goals.  It is the ability to see opportunity in problems.  Intelligence provide a way to remove oneself, emotionally, from a difficult situation and, thus to view problems from a distance and fresh perspective.

Keep your eye on your goals.

Do not get diverted.

Think

A genuine enthusiasm for life can be your greatest ally and be seen in all you do or produce.  Enthusiasm is responding to other people and their problems in a positive manner. It is demonstrating excitement, spirit and optimism.  It is an ardent interest of a study or pursuit.

Enthusiasm is an absorbing passion of the mind, body or spirit to engage in activity.

People crave contact with real people and real leaders.

They want you to care about them and their problems.

They want you to fix their problems quickly.

Respond to their problems and needs in an enthusiastic manner. Throw in a smile or two, and you will be amazed how your personal and professional life will change for the better.

You will make many new friends and your life will soar.

As a leader your job is to be “so good” to your people or followers that they believe that without you, their lives will suffer.

They believe that you, your leadership, your skill and knowledge are indispensable to them.

Loyalty is being faithful. It is being constant in your devotion and regard for a person, an organization, an entity, or ideology.

Loyalty is an emotional bond that once established, ties people together allowing them to achieve a greater good.  It is a bond that often times is difficult to dissolve.

Become indispensable to your people.

Be loyal to them.

They will return your loyalty in kind and remain loyal to you.

You will achieve super star status from your followers.

They in turn, will become advocates for you and your leadership.  They will tell everyone that will listen what tremendous perspective you have and what a great person you are.

Would you buy a used car from someone with that demonstrates a poor work effort, was untrustworthy, or unbelievable?

Why not?

Credibility is conduct that is believable.  It is establishing a good, long-term, trusted reputation.  It is the sum of your professional and personal behavior and that you are worthy of esteem and praise.

You can gain the “half step” on your competition by:

Demonstrating your intensity, determination, and discipline

Standing by your personal and professional behavior

Fix your people’s problems.

Be worthy of their praise and trust.

Hey boss… “Sorry I missed the sales presentation, I over slept. It wasn’t my fault, my alarm didn’t go off”.

Dependability is conduct which is reliable and trustworthy. It is consistently performing when others are relying on your conduct, your products, or service. It is measuring up.  When others rely on you, it is simply being there when you are needed.

What is your response to the fellow that missed the sales presentation?

Is that fellow you?

Is it OK with you?

Will, or would you promote him?

Who are you going to select to represent your business next time?

Performing in a timely manner gives you the opportunity to be outstanding!!!

Your reward is more responsibility and greater access to success.

What’s the difference between the apes and us?

Well… if you said “not much” you are close.  But, one answer is judgment.

Judgment is the ability to make accurate determinations. It is having the ability to discern “right” from “wrong”.   It is the internal decision making process that allows you to determine the “correct” path to follow.

Consider:

Are you judgments emotionally based?

Do you make decisions based on verifiable facts and not on rumor or innuendo?

Do you confirm information before you move to action?

Have you determined the correct path for you and your actions?

Are your decisions intelligent, rational, reasonable and astute?

If not…enjoy your banana.

Do you “do” what you say?

Do you “say” what you mean?

Being responsible for your conduct establishes a base line behavior that separates you from your competition.  Responsibility is conduct that is answerable and accountable. It is being able to answer satisfactorily to any reasonable claim, duty, or charge.

Being responsible means that the “buck stops with you.”

Is your spoken “word” as good as, or better than a written agreement?

People only care about your performance and how you are going to help them.

Stand by your words.

Performance is Golden!

You are judged by “your word” and your performance.

How do you measure up?

What is a very important factor that separates you and thus your personal and professional conduct from the pack?

It’s foresight. Foresight is the ability to see and prepare for the future.  It is the ability to see the potential “effect” of present decisions on future outcomes.  Foresight is also the ability to benefit from past experience to improve future performance. It is learning from your mistakes.

Foresight is the ability to see trends and foresee action when no one else is aware of situations unfolding.

Think for a moment.

Where will you be in 5 years?

What factors will change?

Who will be your competitors and why?

What will you need to accomplish to survive?

How will your foresight enable you to meet future challenges?

Virtue is conduct that is noble, righteous, and praiseworthy. It is performing good deeds and demonstrating good behavior.  It is a trait similar to chivalry shared by the Knights of King Arthur as they fought with gallantry and honor.  It is being moral, sound, and upright.

Wow, read that definition again.

Me… behave like one of King Arthur’s Knights?

Me…I’m just an average guy [girl].

Me… act like a Knight of the Round Table.

You bet.

Conduct yourself with good behavior, satisfy your people’s needs, and watch your influence grow.  Be a “hero” to people. It pays dividends and your reward will be many new friends.

Is there a place or a need for humility in today’s “dog eat dog” competitive environment?

Humility is the manner of being humble. It is control over your ego or self.  It is being modest in success and victory.  Humility is sharing credit with others for your success.  It is being a “good winner” by appreciating and respecting the competition and their effort.

It is a balanced ego.

It is sharing success with your people.

What about you? How do you handle your success or occasional failure?

Reflect on what it means to be a good winner.

Remember your thoughts and feelings the last time you happen to lose to a competitor?

How do you want to be remembered when you win?

There will not be any disagreement when we say that honesty is critical to your survival.

Honesty is conduct that is trustworthy. It is conduct that is upright, fair, sincere, and truthful. It is saying what you mean and doing what you say.  Honesty is more than not lying… it is telling the truth. It is living up to the spirit of an agreement, word or bond between responsible parties.

Honesty is essential, if you don’t agree, try running your life, your personal or professional conduct, without it.

Your character and reputation will become so spoiled that you will not survive.

Discipline, are you kidding me? I’m not a soldier. What does this do for me?

Discipline is obedience and restraint.  It is your mind’s control over your body and spirit.  Discipline is utilizing your inner strength to force your body and spirit to comply with the commands of your mind.  Discipline is accomplishing the hard tasks (first) and making the hard decisions (first) that lead to ultimate success and victory.

Accomplishing hard tasks and making hard decisions, sounds like another normal day at the office.

Do you believe that possessing discipline is any less important to you than it is to a soldier?

Remember you both battle for survival and “to the victor goes the spoils of battle”.

What in the world does courage have to do with me, and my life?

Courage is conduct that is bold, spirited, and brave.  Courage is having a “Warrior’s Mentality”.  It is having the nerves, guts, or stomach to preserver when others retreat.  It is an attitude of persistence, backbone and tenacity to stay the course.  Courage is having the resolve to face doubt, fear, and pain, sometimes, against overwhelming odds.

“Holy Smokes” what a principle!!

At some point in our lives we have all wanted to quit tasks when the going got tough.  When you stay the course, work on problem solution, achieve goals, you become a “warrior”, and then you become a winner.

That’s what courage has to do with you and your life.

That’s what courage means to you.

Live with courage.

OK we know you work hard… or so you tell us!

Do you know how hard you can really work or how hard your competition is working?

Work effort is a voluntarily exertion. It is performing strenuously. It is demonstrating “the drive” and possessing “the energy” to labor with all your might to achieve goals.  It is to strive and toil tirelessly in a practical and effective manner.

What about you?

Are you working “with all your might to achieve goals”?

Do you really know how hard you can work?

Are you giving 100% effort?

If not, just think what you will achieve with a renewed vigor and effort towards your goals.

Do you have a personal understanding of “positive attitude” vs. ”negative attitude”?

Positive attitude is responding to life’s challenges with an enthusiastic, “can-do”, “high spirited” response.

It is an affirmative response, as opposed to a negative response, which is responding with a sour, negative, uncooperative demeanor.  Positive attitude is unbridled optimism in the face of challenges.

Will having a positive attitude do anything for my life, my bottom line and me?

It has been said before many times and in many different ways, “Positive attitude will not help you do anything…but it will help you do everything better.”

Try it.

What does achieving poise have to do my life?

Poise is maintaining your equilibrium and demeanor in times of stress.  It is discipline over your mind, body and spirit during time of adverse conditions or duress.

Poise is behavior that is polished, confident and is conduct marked by a smoothness of action.

When your behavior is poised you become the “go to guy or girl” because people recognize you as the person that solves their problems in a calm and cool manner.

Are you professional at your job?

What does this mean?

Professionalism is achieving a skill level that is not amateur or sophomoric.  It is being an expert, a master and proficient in all aspects of your job.

What action are you going to take today to become more professional?

You begin by saying: “I am worthy of the occupation that I represent”.  It is by demonstrating specific skills that set you apart from others, especially your competition.

Professionalism is demonstrating job skills that keep people satisfied with your performance and keeps them coming back.

How does integrity apply to you?

Well integrity is the behavior of doing the right thing, at the right time and place, doing it consistently, and doing it when no one is looking.

What can you do today to demonstrate that you possess integrity?

You can behave with fidelity to high moral standards and principles.  Understand that the word is derived from the word integral: which means whole or not fractional. This means, integrity should encompass your entire existence down to your core.

How will integrity give you a “Half Step” Advantage over your competition?

The answer is that integrity is where character begins.  Integrity is “the” character trait that is “first among equals”.

Operate with integrity and you will have followers for life.