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	August/September Newsletter Do you know you can realize your full potential, by envisioning and verbalizing your dreams and goals, while taking small steps one at a time, transforming your life towards a more vibrant, fulfilling future?

		Human Resource Management Successful Leadership In the Workplace by Taya Bennett. Read >> Career The Mystery of Agent Stan Conch...SOLVED!!! by Tina Kashlak Nicolai. Read >> Mind & Body Fit For Leadership by Rebecca Robinson. Read >> Health & Nutrition Make One Dietary Change At A Time by Marta DeWulf. Read >> SUBSCRIBE! Get Welcome to Living Newsletter sent to you via e-mail quarterly. Subscribe now >> Looking for the "PERFECT" gift? Take advantage of the coaching special. Give the gift of 4 coaching sessions and get the fifth for FREE! See the Specials page for details!

Look for useful tips to help you in your career or in your job search as well as healthy workout tips, information regarding nutrition. Welcome to living; welcome to an abundant and invigorating trip full of self-evaluation and growth. LEADERSHIP So far this summer has been filled with unpredictable weather changes all over the world, challenges of the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and the excitement of the World Cup. I have observed closely how various coaches, politicians, community leaders and leaders of companies have managed these challenges, stress, teams and the various people in and outside of the organizations. Some successfully and some not. I am sure that you feel the same way. I have asked a group of experts to share their thoughts, ideas on "leadership" and to provide us with tips on how to be leaders in our lives personally and professionally. Please welcome Taya Bennett our new Human Resources expert and writer in this edition. You will also find wonderful articles from Nutritionist Marta DeWulf, Career Strategist Tina Kashlak-Nicolai and Rebecca Robinson from Mountain State University. I hope that you will find the articles in this newsletter interesting and helpful. If we all took more responsibility in being leaders in our lives our world will be a better place. I look forward to your comments and feedback. Please remember to sign up and follow us FaceBook, Twitter and the Ask A Coach Blog. Enjoy the rest of your summer! Warm regards, LaVonne Dorsey Leadership, Career, Life Coach and Mentor HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Successful Leadership In the Workplace Leaders of organizations establish and maintain the level of comfort that other employees experience when they are asked to speak up. In most organizations, the willingness of employees, even managers, to speak up in disagreement with upper management is incredibly low. Why is this so? Is it because people lack personal and professional courage at work? Or are they too indebted to these executives for their jobs? Read entire article >> CAREER The Mystery of Agent Stan Conch...SOLVED!!! Do you know Agent Stan Conch? More importantly, can you manage working with him? He is in every part of our work life and personal life. We ALL know and work with Agent Stan Conch. He is wildly unpredictable, can be furiously stormy and always seems to show up at the least opportune times. Read entire article >>

Human Resource Management

Successful Leadership In the Workplace

In any case, it is the leader who establishes the tone and the work environment in which people choose to exercise personal courage and freedom of expression. In my experience, if the leader has traditionally proved to be genuinely open to comments and criticism, people are willing to agree, disagree, and express opinions. If the leader has not been open to disagreement or debate, his or her actions speak loudly and clearly to staff. Unfortunately, it only takes one display of closed mindedness for staff to learn whether their opinions are actually wanted.

A good leader, who wants to take advantage of the experience, knowledge and thoughtfulness of talented staff remembers this. A good leader is aware of their power to encourage or stifle opinions and debate. They use this power to genuinely appreciate and encourage input, debate and differing opinions. Truly successful leaders are genuine in word and action, but there are challenges leaders must face to build character in the workplace. In The Leadership Challenge, authors Kouzes and Posner define authentic leadership as doing what you say you will do and holding others to the same standard. The authors explain how leaders who lead by example foster respect, loyalty and commitment, and set the tone for how a leader wants the people he or she leads to behave.

Much is written about what makes successful leaders. There is a set of traits that define parameters of effective leadership ability. Understanding what characteristics define leadership is the first step to nurturing it. I will focus on the characteristics, traits and actions that I believe are essential to leadership.

Open-Mindedness—Open-mindedness and the inclination for flexible thinking is critical to great leadership effectiveness. If one is willing to try new things and approaches in the work setting, success as a leader is enhanced over someone who is rigid in beliefs and actions. The resourceful leader thinks outside normal parameters for unconventional solutions to problems.

People Management Skills—Excellent people skills are typical of great leaders. The ability to lead a team and facilitate relationships has become increasingly important in running businesses. One must be perceptive in dealing with others, good at assessing moods and trends and able to handle any situation involving sensitive matters and emotional issues. Some of the charisma attributable to great leaders has been a byproduct of the ability to read their constituency.

Optimism—A great leader sees the world in a new way and makes it happen. Positive thinking and self-motivation, often in the face of adversity is perhaps the single most important trait for any leader. One who sees the world with a "glass half-empty" perspective is seldom the conduit of positive change.

Tenacity—Effective leaders aim high and push on when confronted by adversity. This might mean trying something one hundred ways before getting it right or pushing for a goal when most other people would have given up. Historically, many great leaders have been tenacious without ever seeing significant strides toward their causes and goals during their lifetimes but they persevere.

Risk-Taking—Successful leaders are willing and able to take calculated risks. This also involves the intelligence to assess risk objectively and to have the fortitude to make changes and deal with the consequences.

Integrity—A leader can have all the other traits, but without integrity and honesty, leadership ability is unlikely. High moral character goes hand-in-hand with great responsibility in today's business climate, where social corporate responsibility has come of age.

According to Joseph Badaracco in, The Discipline of Building Character, almost every leader experiences defining moments that shape their character or authenticity—situations that force them to transform beliefs and values into calculated action. Those situations build and define a leader's character because neither choice is the wrong choice, just a deeper reflection of the leader and person he or she chooses to be.

In closing, becoming a great leader is possible even for those who do not possess all the characteristics. Working on areas that need development can turn a good leader into a better one. Professional coaching for leaders is often the way to help a very effective management person become more than just a manager. Getting straight talk feedback and working on issues identified will facilitate the development of many budding leaders in business settings.

References:

Badarcco, J. (1998). Harvard Business Review Articles.
http://hbr.org/2006/01/the-discipline-of-building-character/ar/1

Kouzes,J. and Posner, B. (2007). The Leadership Challenge. http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadershop/9780787984915.html

The Leadership Challenge.
http://www.leadershipchallenge.com/WileyCDA/

Taya Bennett is a Professional in Human Resources (PHR) with Legacy Enterprises Inc. She can be contacted at: legacyent@pacbell.net.
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Career

The Mystery of Agent Stan Conch...SOLVED!!

How does one prepare to deal with his/her Agent Stan Conch? The strong, the mighty and unflappable remark that when they are faced with the agents' turmoil, they rely heavily on their greatest strengths.

As a behavioral guru, I thrive in helping others realize their greatest work potential through their core competencies. You were born with them and carrying them with you your entire life. Are you however, aware of what they are?

Core competencies are the natural strengths that you embody, assisting you in all situations, good and bad. If you know your competencies, you can call upon them in times of turmoil and times of celebration.

Recommended competencies needed to deal with Agent Stan Conch:

While the assortment of competencies range in the hundreds, focusing on your top key strengths are the most important. Listed below are my TOP 10 picks to muscle up when the agent arrives.

1. Innovation Management

2. Courage

3. Working through Conflict

4. Dealing with Ambiguity

5. Standing Along

6. Humor

7. Perspective

8. Personal Learning

9. Dealing with Paradox

10. Learning on the Fly

Bouncing back from the agents visit is when the work really begins. As a proponent of backup plans, getting caught behind the '8' ball has never been easier. Planning for tomorrow is more than dollars and cents. It is about have backup contingency plans for employment.

Having more than one backup stream of employment revenue is no longer an option but a requirement. The courageous see this as a challenge! Those with humor see this as fantastically ironic and funny. Those with an overzealous ability to stand alone see this as the next new mountain to cross without fear of what he/she may have to conquer. You get the point.

When backed into a corner upon the arrival of the agent, we all have our inner strengths to rely on. Nothing more is needed. When properly prepared with a backup plan of generating employment revenue, we sigh a breath of relief. We have all that we need.

So who is Agent Stan Conch? Constant change.

The mystery is solved. Know your competencies, know your plan and be ready to execute it!

Tina Kashlak Nicolai, PHR, is a 22 year Human Resources veteran whose expertise is in recruiting, employee relations, and career development. Her passion for helping others reach their career goals is her driving force behind RWI. You can contact Tina at: http://www.resumewritersink.com (407) 578-1697. Current trend information coupled with customized, polished, professional resumes branding the most important person...YOU.
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Mind & Body

Fit For Leadership

I have some new aches and pains today, the result of making good on one of my birthday resolutions. I am finally emerging from the haze of new motherhood, with three births in six years setting me back in my fitness each time. Before having the girls, I had planned to enter a marathon. At my running peak, I logged more than 30 miles a week. In the past eight years, my dedication to exercise has been half-hearted at times. I've run a few races, but been less successful in my efforts to expand my routine. Each time, I lasted about a day.

You don't have to be a mother of young children to relate to my ambivalence. Sometimes the effort to get to the gym doesn't seem worth the payoff it brings, and it always seems that something more immediately pressing demands my attention.

For CEOs directing multinational corporations or executives overseeing dozens or hundreds of employees, the difficulty is even greater. Recently I read an article in Newsweek about marketing great Peter Arnell. The author, Daniel Lyon, describes Arnell's boundless energy—"Arnell doesn't walk. He dashes." He also mentions Arnell's fairly recent physical transformation: "(Arnell) lost 250 pounds, going from 407 to 152 pounds in 30 months."

When I read the article, I wondered: Is there a correlation between people's physical fitness and their career success? Is Arnell more successful now that he is living a healthy lifestyle? Would he say his physique was an impediment to his career before? Does physical fitness matter for CEOs, or is it more useful for leaders to have a singular focus on the health of their organizations?

For most people, exercise is a contributing factor to success. However, with all the demands on executives' time, I can understand why exercise might be relegated to the absolute bottom of their list of priorities. Obviously, people can and do excel in their fields without a high level of physical fitness—Arnell did.

Still, research shows that people who exercise are more productive. They are better at managing their time, better at completing projects, and have improved mental and interpersonal performance. The self control and self discipline involved in sticking to an exercise routine transfer to other areas of life as well. It makes sense to me that CEOs, as people who are striving to use every resource imaginable to maximize their impact, would find a way add this proven productivity booster to their schedules.

Ted Kennedy, the founder and head of CEO Challenge LLC, says that CEOs who stay fit "show an incredible knack of being able to juggle numerous things at one time. They are a true inspiration, and their ability to focus is enviable." Kennedy's company plans and promotes sports competitions designed to find the best CEO worldwide in a variety of sports.

When fit CEOs use sports and exercise to help them manage stress, they model a healthy lifestyle for others in their organizations. So the benefits extend beyond the individual CEO to the entire company.

Knowing that, I will lace up my running shoes, and push past the pain.

Reference:
http://mountainstate.typepad.com/leadership/2009/06/fit-for-leadership.html

Rebecca Robinson, Mountain State University, School of Leadership and Professional Development.
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Health & Nutrition

Make One Dietary Change At A Time

The most effective way to implement healthy eating habits that last a lifetime is to make changes, one at a time. I recommend to my clients that they make changes weekly. This way they don't become overwhelmed and the changes become ingrained in their day-to-day living.

The reason diets don't work long term is that people don't stay on them for a lifetime. When people "go off" their diet, they go back to known patterns and they begin to gain weight again. I recommend to my clients that they add one thing a week, and remove one thing a week. The "thing" can be behavior or a food or beverage; e.g., add eating breakfast or add eating more fruit. Remove eating fast or remove diet sodas. More healthy suggestions to try:

Eat a substantive breakfast. This will fuel you for longer and help you eat fewer total calories throughout the day.
Follow my 60/30/10 rule. On your plate is 60% vegetables, 30% protein and 10% carbohydrates.
Snack on protein between meals; e.g., nuts, low fat deli meats, yogurt, low fat cheese, hummus, etc. By doing this you will avoid overeating carbohydrates throughout the day and avoid hunger pangs which can lead to overeating.
Add one fruit or vegetable serving daily until you reach 8 to 10 a day. Have at least three colors on your plate, e.g., orange (carrots), green (broccoli), and brown (includes all meats, starches and grains)
Reduce your plate size; you will eat less.
Put your fork down between mouthfuls and chew: Slow down!
Enjoy eating and experience your food: Smell it, taste it, feel it, enjoy every mouthful. By engaging all of the senses, you will be satisfied on many levels. Allow yourself to enjoy your food. It nourishes more than just your body.

"Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper" Adelle Davis, Nutritionist 1904-1974

Marta De Wulf is a Natural Health Practitioner in the Seattle area who uses body chemistry analysis to create personalized programs to support the lifestyle and health goals of her clients. Marta has nearly 20 years of experience helping clients, working with them to discover the power of healthy choices. You can view her website at www.martadewulf.com.
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