I couldn't resist this excerpt from an article by Bruna Martinuzzi entitled, The Talisman of Leadership: Authenticity.

In it she describes those qualities that make a leader stand out from the 'pack'. Qualities such as transparent communication, lucid thinking, directnesss of language, uncompromising ethics and a clear congruence between their internal vision of the world and its outward expression.

These are what she terms as 'the leaves of authenticity'.

• Living your values as a leader every day is an important key component of authentic leadership. However, you need to examine these values periodically to consider their validity in today’s environment. Work-life balance, for example, is no longer a perk – it may be an essential requirement for attracting the best minds to your organization.

• Are you in the habit of making hasty promises that you know from past experience you are unable to keep? Think back on what promises you made, to whom, and see if you can fulfill some of these.

• There is a real freedom when we shed all affectation. Are there times in your life when you see yourself being forced to put on a show to make an impression on others? Resolve to stop that, once and for all. Watch yourself soar when you are unencumbered by the weight of pretense. Tell yourself, “I am enough” – and mean it.

• Straight talk, self-confidence, and simplicity – these are the building blocks of substance; the triumph over image. Think about how you can make these a daily habit.

• Are there areas in your life where you might lack consistency without intending to? For example, are you kind to some people, but not to others? Are you completely truthful in some circumstances, but not in others? What does this insight tell you?

• Start collecting personal stories that you can use to illustrate to others important aspects of your leadership style, such as, what motivates you to lead; what your philosophy of leading is; and who you are as a person. Personal stories are the most effective form of storytelling for leaders.

• Adversity reveals our true character. Consider your conduct when things go wrong. Remind yourself that, as a leader, you are continuously under a looking glass. People want to be inspired by you.

• When you are given a script you didn’t write for a presentation that you have to deliver, spend extra time to make the words your own. Purge your presentations of inadvertently inflated language, which often ends with others questioning your authenticity as a speaker. For example, replace the words ‘eating establishments’ with ‘restaurants’, ‘learning environments’ with ‘schools’ or ‘universities’, ‘expeditious’ with ‘efficient.’ Take inspiration from Winston Churchill, who said, “Speak in short, homely words of common usage.”

• Are you forced to live in disharmony between who you are and what you do? Have you turned a deaf ear to the whispers of your heart? Resolve today to take action to start the journey back to finding yourself, to reconnecting with your passions and values. If this is not possible for you because of restrictions in your current circumstance, think about small compromises that you can start making right now to be more in a state of harmony.

• If you are an emergent leader, comfortable with seeking approval before making any decisions, develop a plan to start practicing self-reliance. Start with smaller-scale decisions, and progressively move on to more significant ones. Only when you free yourself from the need to have others’ approval can you truly start to evolve into the authentic leader you were meant to be.

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By: Brian Tracy

Everyone makes mistakes and the busier you are, the more mistakes you will make. The only question is "How well and how effectively do you deal with the inevitable ups and downs of life?"

In this newsletter, you learn the difference between a positive and negative worldview. You learn how to benefit from your mistakes and how to remain positive in the face of adversity.

Let the Light Shine In
This is achieved through the simple exercise of self-disclosure. For you to truly understand yourself, or to stop being troubled by things that may have happened in your past, you must be able to disclose yourself to at least one person. You have to be able to get those things off your chest. You must rid yourself of those thoughts and feelings by revealing them to someone who won't make you feel guilty or ashamed for what has happened.

Using Stumbling Blocks as Stepping Stones
There are two ways to look at the world: the benevolent way or the malevolent way. People with a malevolent or negative worldview take a victim stance, seeing life as a continuous succession of problems and a process of unfairness and oppression. They don't expect a lot and they don't get much. When things go wrong, they shrug their shoulders and passively accept that this is the way life is and there isn't anything they can do to make it better.

On the other hand, people with a benevolent or positive worldview see the world around them as filled with opportunities and possibilities. They believe that everything happens as part of a great process designed to make them successful and happy. They approach their lives, their work, and their relationships with optimism, cheerfulness, and a general attitude of positive expectations. They expect a lot and they are seldom disappointed.

Read more from Brian Tracy  http://www.briantracy.com

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This is the second part of the article in Success Magazine about taking on a partner in a new business.

 Q: I have started a business and a friend wants to join me. I am not sure if I should make him a co-owner and partner or not. What do you think?

Nancy Michaels: I don’t recommend friends work with each other. Should something go south in the relationship or you feel that obligations are not being met in the business because there’s some perceived leeway due to friendship, problems are likely to arise. Personally, I feel partnerships are inherent with problems. They’re like marriages without the physical intimacy and, therefore, a challenge to maintain long term. Even hiring a friend can be risky business because oftentimes familiarity breeds contempt, and you may be listening to too many excuses when your friend (turned employee) can’t show up one day, misses an important appointment, etc.

Mark LeBlanc: Congratulations on starting your own business. The decision to partner with another person is a serious one most people take too lightly. Partnerships fail because people often get into them for the wrong reasons. Sometimes, a person is insecure about his or her ideas or the potential of the business, and seeks someone else who bolsters confi dence and will share the risks of venturing out into the entrepreneurial world.

Partnerships can succeed when two people share common values and complement each other’s skill sets. When two people share a similar work ethic, and agree to share the risks and the rewards, it can be very exciting to link up with a partner.

A real partnership agreement is crafted with help and support from a trained professional. Go online or find a template for creating a partnership agreement, and then find someone who can help facilitate the hard but important questions, such as the process for dealing with different perspectives and navigating different ways of running and growing your business.

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Q: I have started a business and a friend wants to join me. I am not sure if I should make him a co-owner and partner or not. What do you think?

John Assaraf: It may feel like a great idea to have a friend in business with you—someone who can help boost your confidence as you grow the business and manage all the tasks at hand. However, a partnership in business is no different than getting married. Two friends usually don’t get married just because they’ve known each other for a while. More often than not, a business  partnership is a recipe for disaster because the rules for friendship are vastly different than the rules for growing and maintaining a business. Sometimes it will even lead to the loss of the friendship because of the many complexities, including money, that get in the way.

The key to a successful partnership in business is to make sure both of you have complementary skills, vision, work ethic and expectations. Once that is established, I would set a timeline of six to 12 months to “date” and really experience the business relationship.

In addition, you can agree on what the terms of the deal are in advance and set measurable benchmarks to strive for. Once these benchmarks are achieved, you can offer whatever piece of your company you want to offer for cash, sweat equity or a combination of both. I always suggest the “Four Season Rule,” allowing four seasons to pass to make sure you really get to know your potential partner under as many situations as possible.

This article is from 1- on -1 Growing your business Q and A in Success Magazine

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