The Rhino must know of George Washington, as he rises early every morning of his life. Great leaders have been known to rise earlier than people in their cabinets, troops or teams. The first land phase of the monumental D-Day invasion by the allied forces began at 6:30 am, meaning that the soldiers and their commanding officers were awake well before that.

There are many historic events that occurred in the morning hours including the first manned flight, piloted by Orville Wright which took off at 10:35 am on December 17, 1903. Both Paul Revere’s ride, the formal surrender of Japan on September 2, 1945 and the first Marine Divisions landed on the beach at Iwo Jima in the morning hours… (OORAH)!

Sunrise holds much significance. As a new dawn breaks, I ponder my day and think about the mighty Rhino. I know that somewhere halfway across the world that he is up and seizing the early morning light by gathering food for his herd and planning his day’s strategy for keeping himself and his herd safe from harm.

Great leaders understand the significance of rising early and taking the day by storm. However, that cannot be done effectively unless you prepare yourself the evening before.

Below is a list of tasks that I perform every night after dinner. This keeps me from becoming sedentary and lazy and it gives me something to look forward to.

• At night I write down a list of all the things that I need to accomplish the next day. That has a two-fold purpose. First of all, it allows me to be prepared when I wake up. But more importantly, making a list keeps me from lying in bed at night and stressing over all I have to do the next day. Once I write down my agenda, I try not to think about it again until the next morning.
• After making my list for the next day I set my alarm 15 minutes earlier than when I have to be awakened. I then either watch a movie or read something enjoyable until I fall asleep. I try to get in bed at least 1 hour before my “official” bedtime. If your household is busy in the evenings and mornings you will learn to relish these nightly 60 minutes and morning15 minutes.
• I make sure that I have clean clothes for the next day, all the way down to my flip flops (Living in Orlando has its advantages). This alleviates the possibility of not being able to locate something the next morning. A hectic morning can lead to a nonproductive day.
• I make sure that my house including my kitchen, which is my favorite place, is clean and orgainized. To save time, I have even invested in a Keurig coffee machine so that my heaviest thought in the morning is which flavored pod of coffee I’m going to have. Waking up to an orgainized environment is refreshing and comforting. This helps lead to a non-stressful day.

These tasks may seem mundane. But I promise if you will integrate these simple tasks into your evening, it will make all the difference in the world the next morning and you will soon find yourself wanting to get up early. Keep in mind that the mighty Rhino may have to wake up charging, so he prepares himself for that the night before.

I will complete this installment by sharing one of my favorite passages from the esteemed poet and writer Maya Angelou. This is a part of the famous speech that Ms. Angelou delivered on January 19, 1993 at the Inauguration of President Bill Clinton.

On the Pulse of Morning

Here on the pulse of this new day
You may have the grace to look up and out
And into your sister’s eyes,
Into your brother’s face, your country
And say simply
Very simply
With hope
Good morning.

There are many, many great leaders who share or whom have shared my sentiment on rising early and seizing the day, in addition to the vast majority of the animal kingdom. So many successful creatures cannot be wrong!

Keep Charging Hard!

In today’s’ global business community it is not unusual for a single person to be a member of several crashes. Some may be in their department, paralleled throughout other departments, intranet-based or global.

• A team approach is a proven method for addressing business issues. When forming crashes it is imperative for each team to have a clear mission statement.
• Form enough crashes to get several initiatives handled simultaneously.
• Do not over build. Too many crashes will become redundant and ineffective.
• Do not form crashes for small initiatives. Sometimes one person can be effective enough to handle the job at hand.
• Each crash should contain one leader. Chose someone with proven ability in their area(s) of expertise.
• If a job is not crucial, chose a crash leader that needs some leadership experience. Communicate with them exactly what you are doing. Let them know that you are trying to give them some experience and that they will need to rely on their crash for help throughout the project. It might be wise to call a meeting to inform each crash member of your agenda and that each member is to aide the newest leader. This should alleviate feelings of frustration and confusion. Remember that the key to crash success is effective, communicative leadership.
• Teach your crashes to be proactive. Their mission is to head off any foreseen issues concerning their project.
• Reward your crashes. If a particular crash performs very well or especially beyond expectations set them apart and do something tangible for them. Give them a catered luncheon at the office or let them leave on a Friday at 3:00 pm instead of 5 or 6 like everybody else. Set goals and reward those crashes who work at peak performance.
• Follow-through. Once you have set a precedent of rewards, continue to reward. It will breed motivation. Trust me on this.

A Rhino and his crash keep their eyes and ears open at all times. It is obviously safer and smarter to have more than one set of eyes and ears for any big projects. As the old saying goes, “There is strength in numbers.” Form crashes and inspire them to perform their missions.

Once you begin building effective crashes, you will find that your employees will begin to use more ingenuity, resourcefulness and enterprise as assigning power will beget power.

Keep Charging Hard!
 
Christian

Copyright 2009 © Christian Warren ● All Rights Reserved

After the 1st level of leadership, the J-O-B level, in which you listened and learned as much as you could about your organization and the people around you, you hopefully developed some respect and recognition from your peers. At level 2, the people around you will have their ears perked and their eyes open. They have definitely noticed your leadership ability and will want to get to know you. These people will be very interested in your motivations.

On this level, you will have to, like the four-legged Rhino, fill two pairs of shoes.

Tennis Shoes – These are your kicking shoes. Use them to make a break through in your leadership by making people happy by your actions. These shoes allow you to run around and generate some buzz. They also allow you to work harder and get further. Take the time to get to know people and concern yourself with their motivations and work ethics. This is a great level to recruit.

Work Boots – Use these shoes to dig in and maintain a stance for your future. On this level, there will be people that will try to poke holes in your style, leadership, character and motivations. These people are the ones that probably feel threatened by your mere presence. As corny as it may sound, you must develop the Rhino’s thick skin and kill them with kindness. Do not patronize or condescend to these people, just smile and try to help them. The only way to develop a positive relationship with insecure people is to understand their insecurities and try to enlist their help. Asking for their help will help you in the long run. Turn to these people for advice and opinions. Even if you do not use their tips, the dynamics of the relationship will change and so will their attitude. Remember the saying: “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” At this turning point, these people will either jump on your bandwagon or get out of your way. Your job is to maintain your goals, keep your eye on the ball and show more leadership ability by having a positive attitude towards all people and all tasks.

There will come a point on this level of leadership, that your will begin to take ownership of your team and its agendas. This is when people will begin to ask your advice and they will consult you before taking any major steps or making any major decisions. People will follow your lead, so you must look within on a regular basis, to make sure that you are making wise decisions and not miss-steping. Towards the top of this level, you will take full rein and will be using your honed judgment.

Advice for Level 2:

• Maintain a great attitude at all costs. All eyes and ears are on you, so make wise decisions.
• Do not run over people. These people will help catapult you to the top, so utilize their talents and abilities. Appreciate them on a regular basis.
• Don’t let anyone knock you down. Some people may see you as a threat, but don’t let that get to you. Let your great attitude out shine any negative feedback.
• Show your happiness about being on the team. This will eventually turn around; and people will want to be around you and they will want to help you and follow your lead. They will want to be on your team.
• Hone and begin to fine-tune the relationships that you make on this level. Some of these people will be the ones that will help you get to Level 5.
• Always remember that this is the PEOPLE Level.

Remember that you are on the verge of climbing to the 3rd level where you will gain your momentum. Remember that the relationships that you develop and on the 2nd level will be necessary on the next level when your team will generate itself to stardom.

Keep Charging Hard!

 
Christian

Copyright 2009 © Christian Warren ● All Rights Reserved

While it is very easy to put on blinders and run through life, the rhino realizes that survival depends on constant observation and planning. A Rhinos vision can be likened to a mother’s vision-no matter what species she hails from. A mother’s main objective is to lead by example and protect herself and her herd of baby Rhinos.

While growing up you probably thought that your mother had eyes in the back of her head. You now know that she didn’t. However, what she did possess was an all-encompassing vision as she realized that she constantly had to be aware of her surroundings and protecting her herd, much like the Rhino’s lifelong vision.

What your mother envisioned was not just children running and playing. She crystallized her vision and saw dangers and pitfalls that may be lurking around any corner. Her visions, much like the Rhinos, gave clarity to her vision of her herd obtaining heights and depths that they were yet to realize.

That is not just blind faith; it is a very carefully calculated vision of what she wants for the future of her baby Rhinos, or herd. Now that is a leader that is not focusing on leadership or being in charge. That is a leader without blinders whom creates, shifts, and refines her vision based on circumstances, opponents of her herd, and activity in the herd.

Your mother, like the Rhino, believes without proof, that her herd will be a powerful force to be reckoned with. Part of that vision requires a little blind faith mixed with organizing, planning, and a 360° vision of what the world has to offer.

A Rhino, much like a mother, has eyes on the side of it’s head, allowing it to keep a 360-degree watch on everything that is going on around them, at all times. A Rhino’s babies run around with blinders on due to immaturity, lack of vision, and the blind faith that they innately posses for their mother. Her job is to instill her visions into her herd with skill and precise calculation.

The reality is that Rhino’s can only see approximately a 50 feet parameter around them. But that is insignificant to the mighty Rhino. What they envision is a world past the 50 feet and unexplored territory to be reckoned with.

The Rhino forms pictures in their mind of what they believe is out “there.” They become so steadfast in their vision that when they charge, they do so with their eyes closed. They are not interested in leading; they are interested in their target and exude so much power and bravery that they expect the herd to follow, much like a mother of any herd.

You’ve probably heard the question before, either asked aloud or whispered by that little voice inside your head. Or perhaps you’ve heard it another way: “Do you control how you Spend Your Time?”

You already know that time is precious; however many of us fall into the ratrace of society’s expectations and become victims of living on other people’s time, rather than our own. Think for a minute about why we use the verbs spend and own in relation to time. It makes sense when you consider how valuable your time is. In fact, it is arguably the single most important asset you possess. And, if YOU don’t own it, then someone or something else does.

To determine exactly who or what owns your time, take a few minutes to calculate everything you do in a 24-hour day, and subtract the hours spent sleeping, commuting, working – the everyday things that cannibalize most people’s time – you might have less than a few hours a day to call your own.

Even if you did have more time, would you have the financial resources to do the things you wanted to? Would you be able to afford a nice vacation or even a day at the spa? It wouldn’t matter if you had more time, if you lacked the income necessary to do those things you would love to spend your time doing. That old verbatim, “Time is money” truly does have a double entendre.

So, how can you buy back your time and make your hours worth more? The answer may lie in simply knowing the difference between acquiring riches and establishing true wealth. If you have these things, then you can buy yourself more time to do all of the coveted activities you’ve been missing out on. Think of all the clichés like, “Time is precious” that might apply here!

Do You Own Your Time®?

Have you lost sight of your dream? Have life’s circumstances made it seem implausible for you to pursue those long-lost goals? Complacency will rob you of your time – day by day – minute by second. Time is something you can never recover. Therefore, it is even more precious than any riches. So, to get more of your time, you must develop the Rhino mindset of leadership mentality. You must grasp your dream and do whatever it takes to see it through. Do you really want to be an old person one day who looks back on your life, only to wish you had seen, done or had more than you did? For many, it will be too late. For you, it is not.

You see, there is a correlation between – yet a distinctive difference – between being rich and being wealthy. Many people think those are one in the same. Based on the definition above, this simple phrase represents a monumental shift in perception, purpose and process, and it is the key to success in both your business and personal life. Please take note: “own” is a verb, an action, a step you actively decide to make. Taking ownership of every minute of your day is not only a critical step in leadership but also a philosophy of life that can move you from the rat-race of “income accrual” to a lifetime of “true wealth.”

This difference between acquiring riches and establishing true wealth is something that many people have lost sight of.

Riches = directly tied to a dollar figure. Everyone has their own imaginary figure that they would consider as rich. For some, that may be a six-figure number. Others may not consider rich to be anything less than a $mill. You could say that lottery winners become rich. They are not wealthy. This represents material possessions, monetary income, anything that projects the appearance of success. However, without due caution, it’s easy to become enslaved to these things, to the point where they own you instead of the other way around! Most people today spend their time simply earning an income, which is certainly a noble effort but, consider this. By nature, income is designed to “come in” and then “go out”. When you look at it that way, the process seems a bit futile.

True wealth = directly tied to owning your time. By contrast, when you own your time, the world looks different and each day feels different. True wealth is a holistic state of existence: a combination of focused mind-set, the ability to value what’s truly important in life, and the means by which to enjoy your life. You’ll still meet obstacles along the way, but you’ll be free to overcome those obstacles any way you choose – even if it requires walking away for a break from the action to reassess your approach. When you own your time, you alone dictate your life’s course!

So how can you own your time and create true wealth in your life? Start with three steps:

1. A leader understands to create wealth you must have the right dream.
   To create wealth, you must have a clear vision of your target and apply the right amount of action to achieve it. I’ve said for your years that, “Vision without Action is just a Dream; Action without Vision is a Nightmare!” Not only must you have the right dream, but the actions that you put forth to acquire that dream must match. Do you clearly know what the right dream is for you and do your daily actions support it? Have you taken inventory of your passions and skills? This critical step will help guide you toward a more fulfilling and balanced life, a more satisfying place where you can thrive and create true wealth while exceeding all your financial needs and goals.
2. A leader understands to create wealth you must have the right team.
   Who you spend your time with is equally important as how you spend it. We’ve all heard the saying, “Two heads really are better than one”. When you combine resources and ideas, it strengthens an organization. When you share the workload, everyone is more efficient and able to enjoy more personal time. But a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, so ensure that all hands are on deck. Find team members with skills and interests that complement each other and you’ll find yourself in a brewing pot of creative genius. The team might even be temporary, but with the right mix of people, everyone will part with more skills and knowledge than before, better equipped to own their time and create true wealth. Learn from great leaders who’ve gone before you and surround yourself with people who share your principles and support your dream.
3. A leader understands to create wealth you must have the right theme.
   Without a doubt, the theme – the underlying belief system – is your commitment to owning your time. The art of taking ownership of every moment of life is shared by the world’s greatest leaders. Working toward a goal is a journey, but what is the theme of your journey? Sometimes your theme is defined along the way, but you can identify your own theme in the beginning as a guideline. This will keep you both motivated and on track. One solid theme throughout a lot of success stories is “small steps toward big goals.” In other words, create an action plan of smaller, achievable goals to act as building blocks toward your end goal. It’s important to remember that the wealth you seek lies not only in the end goal, but in the journey. So celebrate small victories and enjoy the journey – and that sounds like another good theme!

Do You Need a New Dream, Team and/or Theme?

If you’ve come to the conclusion that you’re in need of some serious change in terms of who or what owns your time, I’ve got great news for you. While financial recessions – the current one included – are economic seasons none of us wish to encounter, they carry a silver lining and are historically known to create dynamic opportunities for entrepreneurial success stories. If you’re stuck in a cycle of chasing after income with little or no time left over, today may be a turning point.

If you surround yourself with successful people, guess what will happen? You too, will become successful. If you surround yourself with broke people who have very little to offer, aside from complaining or asking for more of your time, then you will never be able to get your time back, nor become wealthy. You will stay stuck right where you are, wishing you had more time and more money. You are the Rhino! Get back your time!

Once you take charge, your lifestyle will change dramatically and so will your financial riches. As a suggestion, rather than focusing on the monetary aspect; focus on the dream. The means and resources will fall into place once you take action towards your goals and find the right partners for success. This is not to say that you should let your responsibilities fall by the wayside. Of course, that would just create chaos and hinder your imminent success. Instead, allow those precious few moments that you do have (for now) to become more valuable and use them to take action towards fulfillment of your dreams.

Whether you’re the Assistant Manager of XYZ, Inc. or the CEO of your own entrepreneurial endeavor, the practice of owning your time holds the key to a lifetime of true wealth. It’s your time… OWN IT!

Keep Charging Hard!
Christian

Copyright 2009 © Christian Warren ● All Rights Reserved

Do You Own Your Time® Is A Registered Trademark of Christian D. Warren ● All Rights Reserved

In a downturn, it’s easy for companies to say, “Times are tough. Of course we expect slower sales.” But companies with a rhino-like mind-set never take that attitude. Strategically minded companies with aggressive marketing thrive during recessionary periods. That’s because their competitors, who had been free riders when the economy was strong, tend to fold their tents when the economy sours, leaving the field wide open. Is your business charging intently and fearlessly with its marketing? Or is it pacing inside a cage, waiting for times to get better?

Let’s look at three qualities that comprise Rhino Marketing—and three companies that have leveraged these qualities to their advantage.

1. The rhino knows that when it comes to marketing, he must have a take-no-prisoners, no-holds-barred approach. He ignores the doomsayers and creates products and services unique and attractive enough to turn them from “What’s that?” to “Must have!”

Apple launched its revised and updated iPhone 3G at a time when gas prices were nudging toward $5 a gallon, the housing market was in its biggest slump in decades and the general mood in the country was getting grim. Apple could have said, “Let’s hold off. This economy will never support a new, expensive phone.” But Apple didn’t; it charged like a rhino. Apple eschews traditional marketing approaches like focus groups and consumer studies. Instead, it invents a category, like the iPhone, the iPod or iTunes, and then it turns just about everybody into people who either are possessors of these things or wish they were. Like a rhino, Apple gets what it wants pretty much every time.

2. The rhino has a need for speed. When his competitors are slowing down and cutting back, the rhino charges forward, taking risks and accelerating growth.

• These days the shortest distance between two points is Southwest Airlines. According to Forbes, Southwest last year posted its 35th consecutive year of profitability, was the most punctual, lost the fewest bags and garnered the least complaints from its passengers. What made the difference? Southwest communicated the fact that while other airlines were cutting back on amenities and charging for services like checking bags, Southwest was actually offering more services, like Wi-Fi on its flights. In an era of zero consumer loyalty and enormous amounts of information available to all thanks to the Internet, can you possibly afford to give your customers less?

3. Practically no animal in the jungle has a tougher skin than the rhino. Rhinos are sometimes called living tanks because the bumps and grooves in their skin create the illusion that they are armor-plated. If you’re going to survive and thrive in tough times, you’d better be just as thick-skinned as the rhino.

• The Trump Network has just begun making its impact felt in the home-based arena with a commitment to providing those looking for financial change with a real chance to opt of the recession. With the current criticism surrounding the state of our economy today, the Trump Network has stepped away from the masses creating a company that is setting the pace for all future companies of its type to follow. Go to Facebook, the social networking Web site, and you can see the tremendous impact that the Trump Network is making on average, everyday individuals. Go to YouTube and you’ll find video clips of Donald J. Trump talking about his commitment to deliver the finest opportunity to the masses. While most companies are feeling the economic crunch, the Trump Network understands the big difference between opportunity and success and that tough times never last but tough people do.

Put it all together and you’ve got three top companies—Apple, Southwest and the Trump Network—all emulating various aspects of the rhino. They’re communicating their messages loudly and boldly, they’re offering speed and more services, and they’re taking a tough-skinned approach to criticism. Who knew that the ultimate marketing symbol of the age was a great big animal with one horn in the middle of his forehead? It’s time to put the power of the rhino to work in your marketing.

Think about it. With the simple push of a finger, a thermostat creates huge changes in our environment. It dictates how comfortable or uncomfortable we’ll be in our surroundings—and in some seasons, it even determines whether or not we can continue to function. If your home is too hot, you simply push a lever to the left, initiating electrical currents that signal the air conditioner to power up a compressor. The compressor begins to chill the air, which is systematically blown throughout your entire house by a fan. When the house is cooled to your desired temperature, the thermostat intelligently shuts off the fan and compressor. And, of course, the exact reverse happens when your house is too cold and you turn on the heater.

In either case, the thermostat repeats the cycle when the air temperature once again needs an adjustment. In other words, when you’re happy with your environment, you can leave the thermostat alone. When you’re unhappy with your environment . . . you adjust your thermostat. And, perhaps most miraculous of all, the thermostat will make your desires a reality to the exact degree you choose. You set a temperature, and without your having to give it another thought, your entire environment adjusts to that temperature.

Now here’s the good news. This amazing function of the thermostat isn’t just something reserved for the realm of technology. Most of us have a thermostat that adjusts the temperature of our home environment, but we also all carry with us a thermostat that adjusts the direction of our lives: our vision. If you’re happy with your life, your vision leads you forward as if automatically. If, however, you’re not happy with your life . . . or you feel you can do much better . . . then you need to adjust your thermostat. It’s time to fine-tune your vision.

1. There are countless benefits to having a clear, stated vision. Your vision . . .

• Identifies direction and purpose.
• Provides continuity, so that you can avoid the stutter effect of planning fits and starts.
• Promotes interest and commitment.
• Promotes laser-like focus.
• Results in efficiency and productivity.
• Alerts you and your stakeholders to problems and the need for change.
• Encourages openness to unique and creative solutions.
• Breaks you out of boundary thinking.
• Builds confidence.
• Builds loyalty through involvement.
• Promotes a sense of accountability and ownership.

2. Your vision must incorporate and promote your core beliefs. Your beliefs . . .

• Are a statement of your values.
• Are a public/visible declaration of your expected outcomes.
• Guide the actions of all involved.
• Reflect the knowledge, philosophy, and actions of all involved.
• Must meet your organizational goals as well as your community goals.
• Must be precise and practical.
• Are a foundation for strategic planning.

3. A leader understands—and avoids—the things that kill vision.

• Tradition
• Fear of ridicule
• Short-term thinking
• Stereotypes of people, conditions, roles, and governing councils
• Complacency of stakeholders
• Fatigued leaders
• Naysayers

If you walked into your house and discovered that it was too sweltering hot to move, you wouldn’t just plop down on the couch and live with it. You’d adjust your thermostat. So why do we so often accept less-than-optimal outcomes in our lives? We do have the power to alter the course of our lives. All we have to do is adjust our vision.

When you begin to incorporate the above action steps into your life and business, by first understanding how powerful a vision can be to your future, then beginning to think about what your vision must include and what negative influences it must exclude . . . you’ll find yourself moving forward free of all the old straining and confusion. With a vision, you’ll naturally leave behind ineffective and unsupported behaviors and start leveraging the daily practices that drive you toward success.

But there’s another kind of cancer that is talked about less often, but that is just as insidious. I’m talking about financial cancer. In today’s social and economic climate, financial cancer is spreading rampantly, and its effects are no less devastating than a health-related cancer’s. Like any other cancer, financial cancer starts with one cell—one ill-considered investment, one haphazard financial decision—and spreads quickly, undermining the health of the rest of the body, weakening all of your assets, your entire livelihood.

Creating financial health, wellbeing, and resilience is no different from maintaining physical health. If we want to reduce our risk of succumbing to the plague of financial cancer, we have to be prepared to follow the same path to robust financial health as the Rhino. The Rhino has immunity to financial cancer—and so can you. It’s about choosing consistently, on a daily basis, to incorporate the leadership actions that can act as changing agents in your financial body. Just as you care for your physical body by eating beneficial nutrients and exercising regularly, you can create financial fortitude by incorporating financial nutrients and leadership action that will lead you into an exciting, balanced, healthy life.

• The Rhino is healthy because his net worth is tied to his network. He leverages People Equity. In the health sphere, it’s been proven that people who don’t have a strong support network of family, friends, or colleagues succumb to illness more often than people who have a network to rely on. The same holds true in maintaining the health of your financial body. Our real value does not lie in the objects or assets we own, it lies in the people we connect with. You can’t stand up to financial cancer if you go it alone. Build contacts, mentor your team, ask questions of those who have forged the path ahead of you. Create an indestructible army to help you combat the threat of financial cancer.

• The Rhino never gives up. He knows he is never out of options. Imagine for a moment, those of you who are parents, that your child has been stricken with a deadly cancer. It’s a nightmare that no parent wants to think about—but indulge me for a moment. You know that your child will die if you don’t find a cure for this cancer. Suddenly, you hear of a doctor who practices somewhere on the other side of the country who has a failsafe cure. If you can just find her, she will cure your child. The catch is that you don’t know her name, and your child has a limited amount of time left. You know this doctor exists, she has the cure that will save your child, all you have to do is find her. But how? I guarantee you that you wouldn’t be sitting around in that situation saying, “I don’t have the resources,” or “I don’t know where to start.” You would try everything in your power—you would never run out of options. When you deeply believe there is no limit to your options, that’s when you can truly open your mind to finding a solution. That’s Rhino vision.

• The Rhino knows that it’s up to him to opt out. It’s that easy. You can opt out of the recession; the power is entirely yours. As tough as it is to own up to, we all choose to be affected by the recession—or not to be. It is in your power to say, “I choose to opt out. I choose to find other ways to create income. I choose to connect to new people who can lead me to new resources.” Understand that the future is in your hands, that you can choose to fall prey to the spread of financial cancer, or instead, choose to make healthy decisions and build a robust immune system. That’s the first step in recovering from the blow of the recession . . . and building indestructible Rhino immunity.

It’s true that health-related cancers are a terrifying fact of life in our world. There are some clear steps we can take to avoid them—not smoking, wearing sunscreen—but the reality is that health-related cancers can strike without warning or apparent reason. This is not true of financial cancer. Building Rhino immunity is your choice, and it’s in your power. It’s only a matter of deciding to incorporate, every day, the leadership action steps that will act as changing and reinvigorating agents in your financial body.

While most of us might think that we want “to leave the past behind,” we are ignoring the future if we really have this mind set. The only real way to a clear future is to have a clear vision and total grasp of our past.

• Accept who you are. If you do not recognize and embrace your past, you will never be able to charge ahead and make a difference in the future.
• Realize that your past is a building block to your future. Whether you have eaten from the “silver spoon” or not, I promise that you have had advantages that have helped you be on the right track to success.
• NEVER stop listening. Every time that you listen to someone else, consider it a learning experience, even if you chose to never take their advice, they at least have given you a larger perspective. Just remember that listening is more important than talking and that you have listened in your past; otherwise you would not be here today.
• Give yourself and others a break. We ALL make mistakes, if we chose to learn from them, we are smart. If we chose to make the same mistakes over and over, we are gaining nothing.
• Believe it or not, your parents still know what they are talking about. They may not be “modern,” but there is wisdom in their words. You can gain knowledge and insight from them your whole life.

Sit down and write down your biggest mistakes. Knowing what you know now, how would you have handled the situation(s) differently? When moving forward, apply those solutions. Application is one of the biggest parts of learning. If you refuse to try new approaches, you will probably not forge ahead. A Rhino approaches every situation from a new vantage point; whether that be experience or location; the Rhino looks at every aspect of his vision, then charges.

Look back and reflect; frequently. It is healthy to go over past situations and pull knowledge and wisdom from them. As you charge ahead, realize that you are not a victim of your past, but rather a unique individual with the advantage of understanding the past and your mistakes.

Just remember that it is OK to ask questions. Not knowing something doesn’t show weakness. Asking for the correct answers shows your strength. The mighty Rhino does not stand alone. He is surrounded by his herd; without the herd he would have no real purpose other than self-preservation. The Rhino understands that his herd is his past and his future. Charge Ahead!

Whether you realize it or not, you belong to and/or are associated with many different groups.

• You may be a member of a church;
• You may take classes outside of work;
• You might be married with children;
• You might have hobbies and/or special interests separate from all of these.

Natural groups include those relationships that you have socially. Friendships, family and church are considered to be natural groups as the social aspects of these relationships take precedence over functional groups such as work, school or even hobbies or interest groups. No matter which groups that you are member of you have a certain responsibility to bring your leadership skills to the forefront of the group’s overall agenda.

Many of today’s companies take the total person approach when hiring. This means that the company hires a whole person and not just his or her job skills. This line of thinking has become very popular for many reasons.

• First of all, good companies realize that a person is not just his or her job. Studies have shown that this approach to hiring is much more effective as far as productivity and company loyalty are concerned.
• Secondly, team members form much more cohesiveness and synergy if they are very familiar with one another. Since communication is the key for success in any combined action or operation, the total person approach enhances and hones work behaviors. In other words, there is much more team spirit.

As a total person you need to revolve the total person approach mindset and integrate your leadership qualities into every aspect of your life. If you are a leader in the making, you cannot expect to be a person that people turn to and look up to at work if you are not a leader in the other “groups” that you are associated with outside of the workplace. It is obvious that you cannot approach every group in the same manner, as all groups have a different agenda and a different dynamic.

A few steps that you can take in all of your groups are:

• Keep your promises
• Under promise and over deliver
• Spend your spare time doing volunteer work
• If something needs to be done; do it

Being a total person and a leader can be difficult at times. But always keep in mind that while you can not be all things to all people, you can put your best foot forward in every group that you belong to, as this behavior will spill into your attitude and into every aspect of your life.

Keep Charging Hard!
Christian

Copyright 2009 © Christian Warren ● All Rights Reserved