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 Quotable
Quotes
"My mission is to help other people achieve
their goals - assuming that they are not immoral or unethical!"
Peter
Drucker
“The three greatest leaders of the 20th
century were Hitler, Stalin, and Mao. Exalted
leadership…
I want no part of.”
Peter Drucker
“Organizations are no longer built on
force. They are increasingly built on trust.”
Peter Drucker
Peter Drucker 1909-2005
In honor and appreciation to the most quoted
and most highly regarded management writer and thinker of
our time.
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Strengths
for Life
The
oldest company in the world is a hotel.
The Hoshi Hotel in Japan, has been in existence
since 721 AD. There are 31 other
companies in the world that have been in existence between 200 and
1300 years. These 32 companies all belong to one of the most
elite clubs in the world – The Henokein Association.
If you study these companies, they have three things
in common –
- All have
some level of family management
- There
is a collective spirit of team, not self-interest
- They continue
to work with their unique strengths, as they have for centuries
This
issue of PI-Online is dedicated to strengths, because frankly none
of us leave particularly valuable legacies from our weaknesses.
We offer you our thinking on how
to identify and intentionally develop your unique abilities.
This issue is also an announcement. After
25 years in business, The Professional Image, Inc. will become the
Bixler Consulting Group as of January 3, 2006.
While professionalism and visual impact will always be a part of
our coaching, it is no longer the core of what we do. We will send you
new contact information on January 3rd.
Our consulting team has grown and today we offer
a wide range of senior leadership consulting, including long-term
development and succession planning.
We are grateful for all that our clients have
contributed to our company and our lives. The Bixler
Consulting Group continues to be fully invested
in your development and legacy – both personal and corporate.
Warm wishes for a great
holiday and New Year,
Susan
& Lisa
______________________________________________________________________
Strengths
for Life
"Your success will be defined in myriad ways so get competent
and credible in what you love to do."
Commencement address given by Jon Stewart, host of The
Daily Show, Comedy Central
Much in the world is uncertain. Much
in life we don’t control. But
specifically knowing your strengths and how to access them,
gives you fearlessness in an uncertain world.
You get to lead your life – it doesn’t lead you.
Using strengths, you have an opportunity
to see who you really are. You won't waste
time trying to significantly improve in areas where you aren’t
naturally gifted. It is probably the best New Year’s
present you can give yourself. No one
is good in everything. That’s why we have teams and
partnerships.
Identifying strengths and then
getting competent saves time, cuts down on frustration, opens conversation,
and generates profits. Why would Tiger Woods take up
ballet and how much impact would he have there? Why
would Oprah become a financial planner, even though she has made
a lot of money? Their strengths reside in leveraging their
natural gifts.
Strengths fortify you
emotionally. Once you identify your strengths, you
won't second guess yourself and your decisions. A
sense of self-confidence, assurance, and courage naturally
emerges.
Simply stated, going with your
strengths today gives you a rock solid future. Success
comes from staying focused not on what you can’t do, but what
you can do.
Dick and Ricky Hoyt are an example of focusing on
what can be done. As a
father and son team, they have completed 212 Triathlons and
4 Ironmen. Together they are 35 minutes off the world record
at the Boston Marathon for their age group.
But Ricky has never walked, much less run a step
in his life. And he can’t talk without the use of a
computer. His umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck and
from birth his life has been very different than yours and mine.
But he has gone with his strengths –
a fierce, competitive spirit and an attitude of "Yes I Can".
You may have heard their story on HBO's Real Sports. If not,
you can order their DVD at teamhoyt.com.
A few ideas:
-
Purchase the book “Now, Discover Your Strengths”
by Marcus Buckingham and take the StrengthsFinder assessment
that accompanies it. It is a thought provoking tool that will
identify your top 5 strengths.
- Review
any assessments you have taken: The Myers Briggs, DiSC, HBDI, Hogan
Leadership Series, or others and write down the strengths you find
in these. We often take them for granted and
need to be reminded of what we naturally possess.
-
Review your past year. Where did you succeed?
What were your disappointments? What did you really enjoy doing?
- Ask
someone you know well and trust to articulate the strengths they see
in you.
-
List 20 things that you like to do.
List 20 things that you don’t like to do. You won’t
even need an on-line assessment for this strength evaluation.
- Everyone can leave a legacy, not just the rich and famous.
Take one day off before the end of the year (either by yourself
or with a significant person in your life) and write
down your 2006 goals. Then write
down your 2026 goals. What do
you need to do immediately and in the next 20 years to achieve
your life time goals?
-
Write the inscription that would be on a plaque
or statue built in your honor, or have someone who knows you
write it. In a sentence, you will have the end result
of your hard-wired and factory-installed unique strengths and abilities.
Here's
to another great year and your continued growth and enduring legacy
for many years to come!
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