doug smith training

Do you stand tough? While high performance leaders must be open to being influenced, we must also know when to stand tough. Temptation can be all too easy. Charismatic foes can be all too manipulative. We need a careful blend of boldness and precision -- of analysis and action. If you are too easily swayed you are easily played. Stop. Breathe. Think. Act. -- doug smith  

Our time on earth is short but our footprints are deep. -- doug smith  

Are you facing any difficult choices? Every time we figure out the choices, the ground shifts and the mood changes. We weigh evidence against evidence, idea against idea, and constantly refresh the goal.  Of course it will change. We're going, changing, shifting creatures, all in search of better ways to do what we already do and new ways to do something better. We have so many choices and we also have so many strategies available to pursue those choices. Is it dog eat dog? Is it one great collective? Is it something else? How do we know when our high ground is high enough? How do we know if our ethical foundation is strong enough to withstand the winds of temptation and opportunity that assail us? We do our best. We keep learning. And we choose wisely. When we can choose love, we can choose wisely. Choose love. -- doug smith

Every goal is a project or a habit. Projects end. Habits last as long as you like. -- doug smith  

The sooner you can let go of uninspiring goals the faster you can work on goals you care about. If you need to you can always come back to the less inspiring goals later. Work on what matters most now. -- doug smith

  Have you ever experienced a leader who tried to motivate you thru fear? Fear of consequences, fear of failure, fear of your own loss of self-esteem? We used to call it "old school" leadership but it's made a return in some companies. Some leaders think that they have to bully people into doing what they want them to do. Even if that works on a short-term basis, it doesn't last. The side-effects are deep. The price is high.  Fear is a terrible motivator because it keeps biting even after it's achieved its goal. And that makes each consecutive goal harder and harder to achieve. High performance leaders can do better.  -- doug smith

Have you ever put off a goal you are really excited about to work on another goal? Maybe it was someone else's idea of an important goal. Or, maybe it had an arbitrary deadline so you felt compelled to give it your attention. How did that feel? For me, it always feels frustrating.  That's why I need to remind myself: The sooner you can let go of uninspiring goals the faster you can work on goals you care about. Isn't that what you want to do? -- doug smith  

  How do you know what you don't know? Isn't the first step in learning something figuring out that you don't know what you need to know? We need that moment of cognitive dissonance to motivate us into learning. Or do we? Learning occurs in so many ways that I don't even pretend to have figured it all out. But I do know this: ignorance has a way of hiding itself. There are times when we just can't figure it out on our own. We need help. We need someone else to tell us. We need feedback. We don't know what we don't know, and that creates some awkward mistakes. Get the feedback. Ask, and then decide. There is so much more to learn. -- doug smith

Do you ever get over-excited? Does stress ever bring on strong emotions for you? It's certainly happened to me. Feeling that urgency without seeing an answer is tough. That's when I've learned to breathe deeply, count to ten (or higher) and stay aware to exactly what is going on. Experience the experience and then, slowly if necessary, move forward. High performance leaders master calm and composure.  Of course, I'm still working on it. How about you? -- doug smith

It's easy to tell someone else how to live your values, but harder to live them yourself. -- doug smith

Dissonance is the start of the search for truth. Keep searching. -- doug smith  

  Are you catching resistance? Are things standing in your way. Set solid and clear goals. A solid, clear goal can withstand any judging. You've got this. -- doug smith