Leaders: If You Want To Get It Done, CLOSE The Deal!

Nearly every candidate running for office, and almost all individuals, serving in positions of leadership, claim to have the answers, or at least some of them. No matter how great an idea or plan may be (and few have no flaws or gaps), one's plan never moves forward, in a meaningful, significant manner, until, and unless, someone become a real leader, and takes steps, to CLOSE the deal. When does a plan transform from merely being empty rhetoric or promises, to realistic solutions? It's not when it's introduced, no matter how great the idea is! It is also not during a campaign, speech, etc. Rather, only when a leader, focuses on solutions and results, and takes the steps necessary, to create, develop, articulate objectives, needs, priorities, concerns, etc, and motivate others, introducing both a well-considered strategic, and action plan, does there become a path towards achievement. Therefore, capable leaders realize they must sell their approach, and get others to buy in, and thus move forward towards closing the deal, and getting things achieved.

1. Cooperative; creative: While negativism may attract similar individuals, it rarely develops sustainable solutions! Great leaders seek a cooperative, unifying approach, continuously explaining, how only when individuals work together, for the common good, are solutions achieved. Beware of the risk of boring others by using the same-old, same-old approaches and words, but use a creative, positive system, to get others to agree, and buy into your agenda, adopting it, as their own!

2. Listen; learn; lead: Empathetic leaders listen carefully to what their stakeholders feel important, and are concerned with. They pursue priorities, which address these needs and concerns. Why else would others listen, and follow? They continuously learn from everything they do, and observe. If you want others to care and do more, then you must lead by example.

3. Options; opportunities: Don't rule out an option, merely because you may not have initially thought of it! Consider viable alternatives, analyze the pros, cons and ramifications, and be prepared to take advantage of opportunities, as they present themselves.

4. Sustainable system; strengths: We each possess certain areas of strength, as well as weakness. A great leader uses his strengths properly, while addressing his weaknesses, by escaping from his comfort zone, and asking others to join in the effort. Doing so, one enhances the probability of developing and building a relevant, sustainable system.

5. Empathy; example; earn; elicit: Listen effectively, and see things through the eyes of those you serve, so you can be perceived, as an empathetic, caring leader! Never ask anyone to something you won't do, and set an example by your attitude, actions and behavior. Earn respect by your deeds, and show you deserve to be listened to! Elicit a desirable response, because you communicate properly, etc.

Just like in selling, there's no deal, in leadership, unless, and until, you CLOSE. You have to actually ask, or you won't get a response!

http://ezinearticles.com/?Leaders:-If-You-Want-To-Get-It-Done,-CLOSE-The-Deal!&id=9454356

Organize Your To-Do List into These 4 Categories

Don’t let busyness derail your business—prioritize your tasks and weed out distractions.

➽ I’m busy as heck but not getting anywhere. What am I doing wrong?

➽ Entrepreneurs say that staying focused is a huge challenge. So it’s crucial to have an ongoing plan to keep you on track, a written outline that stays within reach and states what you intend to accomplish every day.

I set aside an hour or so every Sunday night to map out my week ahead. What will I focus on first thing Monday? Then on to Tuesday, and so on. Whom do I contact and why? What are my top priorities—no more than three—for the week, and what activities could distract me? The more detailed my calendar, the more prepared and focused I am. Committing my priorities to words focuses me mentally.

Despite that, distractions can still derail you. I often find myself pulled in too many directions—reacting to phone calls, email and other stuff that pops up. The triage method below—touching things only once and then moving on—keeps me from being overwhelmed.

1. Do immediately. If a task feeds my priorities, my time is justified.

2. Delegate. Someone else can and should do these to save me time. Even micro-business owners can benefit from an intern or temp.

3. Drop. I ask myself, Will this make money for me right now or anytime in the future? Does it fulfill my current priorities? If the answer is no, I dump it.

4. Defer. Some items might appeal but aren’t time-sensitive or high-priority. Delay them to a more convenient time.

Jenn Lee, an Orlando, Fla.-based small-business coach, says her biggest time-drain involves dozens of mini-projects each week. “I used to try and squeeze them in between phone calls, emails and posting on Facebook, but there were days when I’d leave my office without accomplishing anything. Something needed to change.”

So Lee sets aside 25-minute blocks of time each day, one for each of three key tasks she must accomplish. “I look at everything I need to do and assign them one of my blocks of time dedicated to that task. I set up three a day, usually two in the morning, when my brain works best on creative things, and one in late afternoon to finish up. Knowing that I have dedicated time to each task means I don’t fret all day over them, and I get better results because I’m focused.”

Another time-sucking aspect of Lee’s business was trying to help clients who, for whatever reason, couldn’t be helped. One client “never did what I advised her to do,” she says. “As a coach, a good part of what drives me is seeing entrepreneurs succeed after gaining clarity and guidance from me. But when I work with someone who isn’t moving forward, it drives me crazy.”

Ultimately Lee told the client she could no longer work with her. “Since then, I am very careful who I work with,” she says. “Before I take on clients, I ask a series of leading questions. Their answers help me see if I will like working with them. Working with the right client saves me time, and time is what we all need to get it all done.” 

http://www.success.com/article/organize-your-to-do-list-into-these-4-categories

The Philosophy That Will Help You Get 'It' Done

Most entrepreneurs love a little inspiration from time to time. In fact, the whole self-help and motivational business is a booming industry. But what do you do when all that inspiration isn’t motivating you to tackle the to-do’s on your list?

Take on the mantra of the best entrepreneurial philosophy out there. It’s called G.S.D. or “Get Shit Done.” When all else fails, set aside your feelings about the work and get started doing it. 

Here are three easy approaches to help you put your G.S.D. philosophy into action.  

1. Centralize your task list. Write down all your to-do lists in one place. Whether it’s your phone, an organizational app or a notebook, make sure all your ideas and tasks get written down and tracked in one central place. How are you going to know what shit needs to get done if it’s scattered across your phone notes, email inbox, post-its and scribbled on the back of envelopes? One great way to get started is to use the “Remember the Milk” app. It makes centralized list management across all your devices simple. Make it your job today to organize all the little miscellaneous tasks into one master list. Better yet, get someone on your team who is a real organization pro to help get this all together for you.

2. Update it regularly. It will take a little time commitment to get your list together, but once it’s centralized it will be simple to keep track of it and streamline your G.S.D. lifestyle. What’s the next step? Keep the list updated. When things get accomplished, cross them off the list or delete them. When dates change, update them. When you have new things that come up, plug them into the list. This is a working, fluid list you should be adding to and deleting from every day. Keep the list current and get shit done.

3. Start with the painful ones. There are plenty of different opinions about how to tackle your to-do list, but starting with the tasks you’re least fond of is the G.S.D. philosophy for a few reasons. First, it gets the proverbial monkey off your back. When there’s something you know you need to do, but don’t want to, there’s a sense of dread that can build and build, spiraling the task into something bigger and worse than it likely is in reality. Often this will lead to postponing and procrastinating on important tasks for your business. Running straight toward that painful task first will help you deal with it and remove the mental anguish that continually postponing it creates.

Second, when you complete the dreaded “monkey on your back” task, there’s a tremendous sense of accomplishment that can help bolster the rest of your day. It gives you a shot of confidence to go out and attack the other items on your G.S.D. list. Finally, doing the most painful things first means the rest of your list will be things you enjoy and can look forward to breezing through. 

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/233028

7 Ways to Just Get It Done.

There are ways to cross even the most unpleasant tasks off your list.

It’s a Secret of Adulthood: Happiness doesn't always make me feel happy. Often, I know I’d be happier if I did something I really don’t feel like doing: Making that phone call. Dealing with tech support. Writing that email. Going to the gym.

Those dreaded tasks hang over my head; they make me feel drained and uneasy. I’ve learned that I’m much happier, in the long run, if I try to tackle them as soon as possible, rather than allowing myself to push them off.

Here are some habits I use:

1. Do it first thing in the morning. If you’re dreading doing something, you’re going to be able to think of more creative excuses as the day goes along. One of my Twelve Commandments is “Do it now.” No delay is the best way.
   
2. If you find yourself putting off a task that you try to do several times a week, just do it every day. When I was planning my blog, I envisioned posting two or three times a week. Then a blogging friend convinced me that no, I should post every day. As counter-intuitive as it sounds, I’ve found that it’s easier to do it every day (well, except Sundays) than fewer times each week. There’s no dithering, there’s no juggling. I know I have to post, so I do. If you’re finding it hard to go for a walk four times a week, try going every day.
   
3. Have someone keep you company. Studies show that we enjoy practically every activity more when we’re with other people. Having a friend along can be a distraction, a source of reassurance, or moral support.
   
4. Make preparations, assemble the proper tools. Clean off your desk, get the phone number, find the file. I often find that when I’m dreading a task, it helps me to feel prepared. There’s a wonderful term that chefs use: mis-en-place, French for “everything in its place.” It describes the preparation done before starting to cook—gathering ingredients and implements, chopping, measuring, etc. Mis-en-place is preparation, but it’s also a state of mind; it means you have everything at the ready, with no need to run out to the store or begin a frantic search. You’re truly ready to begin.
   
5. Commit. We’ve all heard the advice to write down your goals. But this really works, so force yourself to do it. Usually this advice relates to long-term goals, but it works with short-term tasks, too. On the top of a piece of paper, write, “By October 31, I will have _____.” This also gives you the thrill of crossing a task off your list. (See below.)
   
6. Remind yourself that finishing a dreaded task is tremendously energizing. Studies show that hitting a goal releases chemicals in the brain that give you pleasure. If you’re feeling blue, even though the last thing you feel like doing is...something you don’t feel like doing, push yourself. You’ll get a big lift from it.
   
7. Observe "Power Hour." I get enormous satisfaction from my new habit of Power Hour. I came up with Power Hour because, as I was working on Better Than Before, my book about habit-formation, I wanted to create a habit of tackling dreaded tasks. But how could I form a single habit to cover a bunch of non-recurring, highly diverse tasks? I hit on an idea. Once a week, for one hour, I steadily work on these chores.  An hour doesn’t sound like much time, but it’s manageable, and it’s amazing how much I can get done.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-happiness-project/201408/7-ways-just-get-it-done