executive coach Archives • Page 2 of 11 • Living to Lead

A Three-Part Plan for Finding Motivation

March 6, 2019 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Featured article by Dave Ferguson in CEOWORLD magazine. Reprinted by permission.

Leaders are often faced with the challenge of keeping their team motivated.

But…who motivates the leader?

Leaders are people, just like everyone else. And like others, there are times when they lose momentum, get weary, feel rudderless, or suffer from apathy. During these times, motivation becomes a challenge, even for those who are naturally goal-driven.

Who motivates the leader?

Ultimately, the leader motivates the leader. But when there is nothing left within, he or she must also know where to find outside help.

What can you do to get your motivation back?

This three-part plan, mostly crafted in advance, will get you back on track quickly.

1. Examine Your Wheel of Life

When you are off your game, it means some area of life is out of order. This is why, in coaching, the wheel of life is addressed on a regular basis.

The areas of the wheel are as follows:

Physical
Mental
Social
Spiritual
Relationships
Finances
Work

If you lack motivation, visit each area, and ask yourself if something in that area is de-motivating you.

For example, you may have just completed a major initiative. Work has had strong focus for weeks, with all hands on deck and high alert. But it paid off with a highly successful launch.

Yet, suddenly, on the heels of great success, you find yourself de-motivated. When you look at your list of upcoming initiatives, you feel a sense of dread. You can’t convey your enthusiasm to your team for the next goals because, frankly, you don’t have any enthusiasm.

This is a warning signal for you to check your wheel of life.

When you do, in this scenario, you will see how spending so much time on work has impacted other areas. This often happens without conscious awareness until you stop and examine each area.

Physical recalibration is one of the first areas to address. Good health is central to everything you do in life. It is a game changer. To regain motivation, first be sure you are rested, well-hydrated, nourished, and refreshed by physical activity.

Beyond that, look to the other areas that need to be adjusted. Perhaps as part of that work cycle, you tapped into a great deal of mental energy. You will need to refill the bucket.

Relationships are often impacted by a heavy work cycle, so be sure to spend some time with those who mean the most to you.

While many bosses will push themselves and their teams from one intense sprint to the next, with no break in between, wise leaders will pause between initiatives to refresh the wheel of life and allow their team to do the same. Even a short pause can make a difference.

2. Determine Your Personal Motivators

There are essentially four types of personalities, with varying combinations. Each type is motivated and recharged in different ways. For some, doing something active outdoors will quickly re-charge their batteries; while for others, being indoors and reading a book is highly energizing. Some are energized by socialization; others are drained by it. Motivators are different for each person, but every person needs them.

Identify yours ahead of time. Write them down. As a leader, it is not a matter of “if” you will need them; it is a matter of “when.”

Energy is everything to a leader. When you lack energy, do something on your list.

3. Identify Your Motivational Team

As a leader, you may not be a direct report; but you do need to create a system of support and accountability. You can do this by proactively identifying your motivational team.

A good motivational team will include four key types of members: mentors, partners, supporters, and mentees.

Mentors will guide you and hold you accountable during those times when you do not feel engaged.
Partners will provide the collaboration you need to ignite new ideas; and new ideas bring renewed motivation.
Supporters are essential to motivation. Those who support you will keep things moving, even when you need to step away and re-charge. Support comes from two facets: systems and people.
Mentees are often overlooked as part of a motivational team, but their role is critical. They give you purpose and a path to legacy. And there is no greater motivation than purpose.

It is important to identify your motivational team ahead of time so that when you hit a wall, you have a place to turn. Each of the four team roles is critical. If you short-circuit even one of them, you are short-circuiting your ability to experience full impact.

Are you a leader experiencing a lag? Be assured, this is normal. But staying there is not. Follow the plan above, tap into the resources you have identified, and your motivation will return.

PE 101

The registration for our next class is now open. I’m excited to once again be sharing the stage with Titus Bartolotta and others.

The program is four half-day group workshop-style sessions that, combined, make up a really amazing experience.

Where:
9820 NorthCross Center Ct.
Huntersville, NC 28078

When:
April – 12th & 26th
May – 10th & 31st

Time:
8am – 1pm

If you are interested, reach out to me directly (email Dave@LivingtoLead.com), and let’s get you registered. I’m giving away a FREE coaching session to a few early birds.

Dave Ferguson is “The Leaders’ Coach”, an internationally recognized executive leadership coach, speaker, facilitator, and author. Are you interested in talking to Dave about coaching or having Dave speak to inspire and motivate your team? “ASK COACH DAVE” at 704-907-0171 or at Dave@AskCoachDave.com.

Three Ways to Create a Legacy Management Plan

February 20, 2019 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Featured article by Dave Ferguson in CEOWORLD magazine. Reprinted by permission.

Several years ago, a rebranding trend made its way into the financial world. “Retirement Planning” became part of “Wealth Management.”

There are numerous reasons this change was made, one of which was the perceived value it created in marketing. Another interesting reason was because companies began to realize that “retirement” was not always the goal; and that using the term no longer resonated with their more active and engaged clients.

What most people desire, at any given point in their career, is purpose and fulfillment. Managed wealth allows them to be able to do what they most desire to do.

The sad part is that most put off the idea of purpose and fulfillment for when they can “retire.” They treat it as a delayed gratification that is only available after decades of doing work that they do not enjoy or find fulfilling.

What if you could have both a rewarding career and purposeful fulfillment in your work?

The good news is…you can. In fact, there are more resources available now than ever to make this possible.

Let’s say, for example, that you want to retire so you can travel. In previous decades, travel was normally limited to short weekend getaways or two weeks a year. Now, however, there are millions of people leading businesses and traveling on a more frequent or extended basis. Technology and the nature of business has made this possible.

For some, making a difference in the lives of others is a compelling passion, yet they have little time to do volunteer work. As a leader, you have a major opportunity to make a difference, not only after your career when you have more free time, but throughout your entire career.

How?

You can make a difference every single day by serving your team. You provide income to families who need it, and help people grow personally and professionally. In fact, leadership done right is one of the most fulfilling professions of all. It creates legacy.

Consider a certain CFO who managed to create a highly profitable company that served a city for decades. This company provided employment, and also created enough wealth to give back to the community. The CFO traveled the world, negotiating deals with leaders of major corporations; but she also was known to frequent the manufacturing floor. Board members knew and respected her immensely; and employees loved and appreciated her for caring sincerely about their well-being.

As she approached her sixties, she began to consider retirement. But given that she had been with the company for decades, replacing her proved to be a challenge. So, she stayed. One year…three years…ten years more. Finally, she was able to retire.

Not long after, she passed away from cancer.

Now some may consider it a tragedy that she had spent so much of her life working, only to have it end so abruptly in the prime years of retirement.

And it would have been tragic, except that she had fully lived every year she worked. She didn’t wait until retirement to spend time with her family, become an artist, write a book, help others, enjoy nature, or travel the world. She did those things while she worked; and in fact, they were integrated into her life on daily basis.

As an executive coach, I meet leaders every day who are sacrificing other areas of life in order to have a successful career. The impact takes its toll on their health, relationships, and their own personal development. These leaders will someday come to the end of a successful career only to learn that they cannot pack a lifetime of purpose into a few short years of retirement.

While there will always be limitations of time, and no one can do everything at once; there are ways to create an intentional life, where you live your values and find great purpose in your life and work every single day.

Here are ways you can create purpose and find fulfillment across your entire life, not just when you retire.

Know your values.

This is foundational. If you do not know your values, you will spend a lifetime in search of an undefined vision. Take the time to define your values. It has the potential to change the trajectory of your life.

Have you taken the time to identify and write down your three to five values?

Intentionally plan each day and week with those values in mind.

My top three values are addressed daily, and I have ways of keeping myself accountable to them. This has created a great sense of fulfillment, which has also carried over into other areas of life. Failing to plan intentionally means you will fall prey to the intentions of others. You will be living their purpose and not your own. Do this long enough, and you will be at the end of your life wondering why you never quite got around to living your purpose.

Do you have a system of intentional planning?

Click here for a complimentary copy of the Playbook for Setting and Achieving Goals.

Live your values now.

As a coach, I can tell quite quickly if someone is going to reach a goal. If I hear the word, “someday,” it is a pretty good indicator that they will never reach the goal.

But if they say, “I am going to write a book. I will write for one hour each day from (date) to (date),” I know that I am talking with someone who is living with purpose and intention. They know their values, have set goals, and are creating a habit to support those goals. In addition, they have made a commitment for accountability. These are all great indicators of success.

Are you taking action NOW to live your values and create legacy?

In addition to your “Wealth Management Plan,” do you also have a “Legacy Management Plan?” Like any investment plan, you get the best results if you start early, make regular deposits, and manage it carefully.

Why It is Important to Experience the Full Cycle of Success

February 6, 2019 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Burnout and boredom.

No matter what your career or leadership level, you will sooner or later (or more likely sooner and later) encounter these two facets of work.

There was an attorney who went into law mainly because his parents urged him to do so. “There is good money in the legal profession,” they said, out of genuine concern that their son would have income security.

A good son, with great respect for his parents, he dutifully went to law school, hated every minute of it, but did extremely well. He graduated and went on to an equally successful career.

Then one day, in his mid-forties and experiencing severe burnout, he realized the hot dog vendor he visited frequently outside his office was happier in his job than he was.

To the shock of many, he quit his job and purchased a hot dog stand.

Not only did he find joy in his new career; he went on to expand the business. In time, he was making more income than he did as a successful attorney. He found work he enjoyed in an unexpected place. And the legal training took its rightful place in his career – it served him as the businessman he had always yearned to be.

In my work as an executive coach, it is not uncommon to work with someone (or a team) who has this type of “burnout in success” syndrome.

Burnout and boredom are the “check engine” lights for leaders at all levels. They indicate that something you are doing in some area is not working optimally, and that something needs to be addressed.

Burnout is an indicator of overload.

It signals a need for you to rest in order to recharge physically, and in other areas as well. Failure to do so is like driving a vehicle without oil, and we all know the consequences that can come of that.

Boredom is an indicator that you need a new challenge.

Its effects are similar to burnout, in that your energy will be low. But the action you need to take is quite different. In the case of boredom, adding something new and challenging to your work will serve to recharge your battery.

As I work with leaders facing these issues, it becomes clear that there is often a combination of both factors going on, and so it requires a time of retreat and then a pursuit of new challenges. This is why I especially enjoy doing leadership retreats. They give individuals and teams the chance to recharge and also reignite their passion for their work.

It is amazing how a little rest, time in nature, and a change of scenery helps clear the mind for better strategic thinking, goal setting, and problem solving.

For this attorney, changing careers was exactly what he needed to do. The passion to lead his own business was so deeply entrenched in his being that nothing else could take its place.

For others, it may not be a matter of changing careers but changing something in their careers that is needed.

Delegating some duties in order to take on ones that are a better fit or taking a different position in the same company are solutions for some.

For many, getting to the “why” of what they do is key. If they are “people-focused” but trapped by success in a corner office, they may do well to purposely leave the office several times a day in order to engage with their team or customers.

Boredom and burnout can hit at unexpected times.

Many leaders find that, after reaching a major milestone in their business, career, or income – at a time they would expect to have high energy – they experience a combination of fatigue and apathy. These are burnout and boredom in disguise.

Therefore, it is important to experience the full cycle of success – develop, launch, and celebrate; then rest, reflect, and seek a new challenge. That feeling of fatigue and apathy is a normal pattern that follows success. It is your indicator to finish the cycle of rest and reflection followed by taking on a new challenge.

Not only is this important for leaders as individuals; it is important for teams. Your team works hard to reach milestones; help them finish the cycle of success before diving full throttle into the next phase of development. The last half of the cycle does not have to be lengthy, but it is necessary. It could be the period of wrap-up after a major project, where your team has time to document the process and reflect on ways to improve it for the future. It could be an administrative day for a business owner or it could even be a day out of the office for a time to think and plan.

This cycle of action plus reflection is healthy for businesses and individuals.

Are you taking time to experience the full cycle of success? Are you allowing your team to do the same?

What Will You Subtract This Year?

January 9, 2019 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

Back in the 1990’s, it was all about “collecting.” Baseball cards, toys, coins, comic books – you name it. If you had an interest, there was a “limited edition” just waiting for your purchase. This ran in tandem with a housing market where people were leveling up to bigger and better houses. All these things also elicited another big increase – a sinister side effect that eventually came back to bite us economically – and that was the level of consumer debt.

As with all things that fall prey to a frenzied pace, there came a time of rebalancing. It was ushered in as a housing bust. Suddenly, the market had an influx of expensive houses full of expensive collections that no one was buying.

Then came a new generation whose interests were more in the range of “tiny houses” and minimalistic lifestyles, and where now older and wiser Baby Boomers were seeking to downsize in similar fashion to their younger counterparts.

A similar frenzy occurred in the internet world as well. The frenetic pace of internet marketing coming at the average consumer from every conceivable angle reached a peak. As in anything, there is a need for balance.

And today, people are seeking that balance – in their work, personal development, relationships, finances, and health.

As a coach, I work with leaders across many demographics, across the country, and around the world. And in each case, the reason we work together is to identify those areas of imbalance and make the needed adjustments.

This may be the worn-out executive who is weary of the financial responsibilities that come with keeping a company profitable and making payroll week in and week out in a highly competitive marketplace.
This may be the entrepreneur who has hit the wall on capacity and is fast becoming a victim of his or her own success.
It could be a leader who has climbed the ladder of success only to realize it was the wrong ladder for them.
It could be a very successful leader who suddenly finds themselves in need of a new challenge, a retreat, or a combination of both.
Often, it is a leader who has devoted so much to a successful career that their health and relationships are in jeopardy.

The point is, leaders are people, too. They push too hard, strive for too much, and, yes, even leaders need to take the time to declutter some part of life and work and do some rebalancing.

And so, as we begin a new year, I challenge you to consider where you need to recalibrate.

I am not going to challenge you to take on new initiatives and new endeavors – not yet. Not until you have first considered what you are NOT going to do this year.

Ask yourself, “What do I need to release this year in order to gain margin for the things that matter most to me?”

Here are some considerations for decluttering.

1. Work

Are you finding yourself working all the time? Do you stay late most nights, work weekends, catch yourself checking email in the middle of the night? This level of work will crowd out all other areas of life if you let it. I know, as I spent my many years trying to do it all as well…until the day I got a wake-up call regarding my health. Don’t wait until you hit that wall. Set boundaries for yourself regarding work.

And, by the way, do your team a favor, and don’t email them in the middle of the night, on weekends, and at all hours. Be respectful of your time and theirs.

2. Volunteer Work

I am a major proponent of giving back and supporting my community. But ask yourself if all the obligations you have make sense for you. It is easy to fall victim to volunteer overcommitment. Does the volunteer work fit your values, your schedule, and your passion? Then by all means, continue.

But if those volunteer opportunities have simply become a source of dread, with no purpose behind them, then it may be time to do some shifting. The fact is, organizations are best served by those who have the passion and resources to do the work well. If you can’t be that person, allow someone else to take your place who can fill that role with passion and purpose.

3. Screen Time

Nothing has had more impact on society in recent years than screen time. We are bombarded everywhere with screens – tablets, TVs, mobile phones, movie screens, digital signs and billboards, and JumboTrons™.

According to a shocking study by Nielsen, “American adults spend over 11 hours per day listening to, watching, reading or generally interacting with media.”

The greater impact may be what we are missing during those 11 hours each day. What could you do with 11 extra hours a day? Think about that.

While all our devices and even social media have some benefit, I challenge you to see if you are gaining 11 hours’ worth of benefit from them each day. If not, it may be time to set some limits. Don’t miss the game by giving all your attention to the JumboTron™.

4. Meetings

Teamwork is important. Communication is essential. But ask yourself if you are having meetings that do not result in actions taken, problems solved, or goals determined. If meetings are needed for a specified purpose, then, meet. But if they are simply obligatory because they are on the calendar and have become routine ruminations of the same weekly cud, it may be time to seek more productive endeavors.

Click here for some additional ideas on ways to have productive meetings.

5. Projects

For many of us, activity is key. Idleness is a function we avoid at all costs. But activity is not the same as productivity. If you are always moving, pushing, and ideating, it may be time to stop for a bit and just “be.”

This is another leadership lesson I have learned through the years. You may observe I spend regular time at the beach. This is my time to “be.” During these times, I am giving my mind time to reflect and recharge. It is often during these times of “inactivity” that ideas come, or resolutions present themselves.

Ask yourself if all the projects currently on your plate are the right ones for you at this time. Or are they simply ways of keeping yourself busy?

When you focus in on the one to three projects that will get you to where you want to be, you have a greater chance of success. When you focus your activities on that narrowed field, you can reach your goals. And when you schedule fewer activities on your calendar, you can, ironically, accomplish far more than you imagined.

It may come as a welcome relief to many to have read an article about “less” in a world that constantly demands “more.”

What will YOU subtract this year?

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Here is a complimentary tool to help you narrow your focus…and broaden your success.

Looking for a leadership development program you can use with your team? Check out the Boss or Leader: Lead and Learn Kit. It is affordable, effective, and provides high impact. Be a leader who makes a difference!

Click here for details.

Crossing the Finish Line

December 19, 2018 By Dave Ferguson Leave a Comment

This time of year, in the busy-ness of the holidays, we are also casting a vision for next year and wrapping up this current year. As a leader, I encourage you to watch this short video and consider HOW you are creating the vision…and where you are crossing the finish line with respect to your team.

It’s a short, but powerful message.

PERFORMANCE ESSENTIALS 101 – LIVE GROUP COACHING EVENT

To learn more, click on the image below or click here.

Looking for a leadership development program you can use with your team? Check out the Boss or Leader: Lead and Learn Kit. It is affordable, effective, and provides high impact. Be a leader who makes a difference! Click here for details.