Monday Morning Encouragement Message

HAPPY MONDAY EVERYONE:

Welcome to this week’s Monday Morning Message …..I hope you had an amazing weekend and made time to share it with friends and family.  This week, let’s take a look at something that we all strive to be.  Let’s take a look at leadership.  We need to first differentiate between the two types of leaders.  There are leaders and there are Those Who Lead.  Leaders hold a position of power or authority.  Those Who Lead inspire us whether they are individuals or organizations.  We follow Those Who Lead not because we have to but because we want to.  We follow Those Who Lead not for them but for ourselves.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was Someone Who Lead.  He did not say he had a plan.  He said he had a dream.  People followed him for themselves.  We all have the ability to be Those Who Lead.  We can inspire change, we can have a dream and we can make the world a better place for ourselves and our families.

ENCOURAGEMENT CORNER…

What I Know About People

One of the things that characterized the leadership of Mary Kay Ash and contributed greatly to her success was the fact that she valued the individual worth of people. This concept wasn’t just a corporate slogan for the cosmetics company that bears her name; it was the way she lived her life.

This remarkable lady started her company as a way to provide women with an unlimited opportunity for personal and financial success. Why did she have that goal? Because she valued people. To her, everybody was somebody. And in the end, that’s what made her a success. Thinking about this philosophy that was so much a part of Mary Kay’s life brought to mind a few truths that I have discovered about people over the years. Here are five key principles that will help you understand the people you lead and help you lead them more effectively.

1. Everybody wants to be somebody

Isn’t that true? Everybody wants to accomplish something. They want to have some worth. They want a little recognition and they certainly want some affirmation.

2. Nobody cares how much you know until they know how much you care

I say this often; in fact, you’ve probably read it before in this e-newsletter (Leadership Wired), but it’s worth repeating because it’s so important. If you want to touch people and change lives, you have to touch them relationally first. Don’t tell them what you know. You don’t impress them with your knowledge; you impress them with your compassion.

3. Everybody needs somebody

Every so often, I come across someone who says, ‘I don’t need anybody. I’m independent; I’m a self-made man or woman.’ When people tell me this, they think I’m going to congratulate them. But I don’t. In fact, my reaction is just the opposite. You can’t achieve greatness by yourself. So if you’ve done something all by yourself, you haven’t done much at all.

4. Anybody who helps somebody influences a lot of somebodies

When you help someone, you’re not only helping that person. Either directly or indirectly, you’re also helping everyone within that person’s sphere of influence. The power of influence always adds and multiplies.

5. Today, somebody will rise up and become somebody

This was one of Mary Kay’s foundational understandings. Because she believed so strongly in the individual worth of every person, she could see your value before you saw it yourself. She could latch onto your potential before you ever bought into it. That’s just how she was. It’s part of what made her a great leader.

You may not achieve the kind of name recognition that Mary Kay realized in her lifetime, but if you take these five ideas to heart and act accordingly, you will greatly increase your chances of succeeding – as a leader and in all your other roles.

WORDS TO LIVE BY…

The big secret in life is that there is no big secret. Whatever your goal, you can get there if you’re willing to work.

Oprah Winfrey

The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Just keep on the road, You’re the white line!
John Lennon

Gray is not a substitute for black and white. You don’t bump into people without saying you’re sorry. When you shake hands, it’s supposed to mean something. If someone is in trouble, you reach out.
Jon M. Huntsman, Sr.

I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

This week, work on making your dreams reality!