Late last week, I received an email from my friend Bobbi Howe. She’s a real estate agent in Saint Joseph, MO, and one of the coolest people I’ve never met in real life. I was introduced to her thanks to my friend Brian Copeland and a webinar I did early in February for the Council of Residential Specialists on The Millennial Revolution.

Bobbi recently moderated a panel called Bridging the Gap (Gen X/Y) at a big event called Sell-a-bration. After the session was over, a gentleman in his 60′s approached her and recounted a story of a female Millennial in his company who told him, “I can learn everything I need to off the internet and you cannot teach me anything.”

Bobbi was curious if I had any resources or research on this seeming arrogance. Given that I hear stories like this so frequently, I thought I’d share with you the same things I shared with her.

I’ve learned that there are two things that are generally happening in these situations:

1. The Millennial was likely referring to Google-able information such as “how to file my personal income taxes in Rhode Island.” It’s unlikely that she meant it as broadly as he interpreted it. In fact, I doubt she even said it using those words. I’ve yet to speak to any Millennial who would make that claim. I’m not saying they aren’t out there – just that I’ve yet to meet one.
2. The Boomers are reaching an age when they desire relevance and legacy. Part of how they do that, is to pass on information to the younger generations. Unfortunately for them, the younger generation does things very differently and with very different tools. In fact, the entire technological knowledge base is tied up in a single generation. It used to be that technical skills were passed from generation-to-generation. Master artisans taught their apprentices the tools of the trade and then taught them how to be masters of them. However, very few of the “tools” are mastered by Boomers. They’re mastered by Millennials.

There’s a great article in the Harvard Business Review which you can see here.

You’ll notice that, from their bosses, Millennials stated that they desire mentorship. It came in #3 on the list of wants.

So how do we reconcile this? I have spoken to a large number of Millennials about this as it pertains to business and many of them have expressed a desire to be mentored by those who are older than them. However, it comes down to being shown the “behind-the-scenes” things you can’t learn from Google: negotiation techniques, how to read people, how to service your clients after the close, etc.

These things focus on the principles of business, not the tools of business. This is ultimately what they want and where Boomers have such a huge advantage. They’ve been in the game for so much longer. But they have to realize that it’s not played with many of the same tools (to Millennials, encyclopedias have almost always existed online). They don’t really care as much about how it was done – they care about how to get it done today. If Boomers could learn to take the principles of business that they take for granted and teach Millennials in a hands-on, interactive way (no lectures – please!), this is where both sides will find commonality.

Remember: You can’t Google principles.

Rather than doing courses on “negotiation techniques,” take them into the field and let them learn by doing it on their first day. And then give them instant feedback when it’s over. They want to learn by doing. So let them do it. They’ll mess up – a lot. Be patient with them and give them direct, immediate feedback. Think of it this way: Millennials grew up on video games where you could safely “die” if you messed up. They may have to move backward in the game, but they received immediate feedback – don’t open that door again or you’ll get shot – and went on to improve the next time they played.

You’ll notice that “give me straight feedback” is on the list of wants in that HBR piece. Millennials have the capacity to learn very quickly in experiential ways.

Another suggestion is listed at the bottom of the HBR piece and I think it’s very good – reverse mentoring. Occasionally put the Millennial in the driver seat of a mentoring situation. It shows that you’re willing to learn from them and it will make them more willing to learn from you. An area of opportunity for this is with the tools themselves. Have them show you how to use Twitter, Facebook or your iPad. They’ll love the opportunity to help.

Finally, this is something I recommend regularly: don’t just give a Millennial a task to complete. They want purpose and they desire to provide feedback. This is actually a good thing if done correctly because, again, they’ve mastered newer tools. Ask them to think, while they’re doing the task, about how it could be improved so that neither they, nor anyone else, has to do that same thing again or could do it much faster in the future. You’ll be shocked at how innovative and creative they are. It also causes them to invest into the task more than just labor through it.

I closed my email to Bobbi with this piece of advice. I’m including it here because I know a lot of agents and brokers read this blog. However, this principle has huge implications for any business:

Personally, if I ran a brokerage, I’d ask my Millennials this question: how could we improve our sales meetings. I haven’t met a Millennial yet who enjoys them and who doesn’t have ideas about how to improve them. Heck, I haven’t met many agents of any age who really enjoy or find value in them.

Share Your Thoughts

Boomers, have you heard something to the effect that this gentleman did from Millennials? How did you respond? Millennials, what are the areas you want and need mentorship in your career? Leave a comment below so we can all learn and grow.

Image courtesy of ultraBobban

Management as we know it is a dead man walking. I believe the future of management isn’t even management as we have it defined today – a type of command-and-control centralization of power and information.

I’ve written on the difference between leadership and management before and was met with a dichotomy of viewpoints – some heartily agreed while others adamantly disapproved with my characterizations of the two styles.

But, the truth is, management is broken. It’s a system designed for a world that no longer exists except in the management books of yesteryear. Don’t get me wrong. Management worked quite successfully for hundreds of years when the bulk of our economy and industry centered around the manufacturing and distribution of product. However, that world no longer exists – at least in the United States (which is where most of my readers reside).

Instead, over 80% of the US economy is comprised of service-based businesses. The vast majority of us don’t construct physical products – we provide a service to people. In spite of this, we cling blindly to a management system that wasn’t designed for the world we now find ourselves in the middle of. Manufacturing is a slow process. It’s a linear process. Service is a dynamic, non-static, non-linear type of business that must be adaptive and flexible – the antithesis of what management craves.

When I talk about The Millennial Revolution, some people get upset with me. I’m okay with that because I’m not here to tickle their ears with a message that everything is going to be okay simply by holding firm to a system many are starting to realize is no longer working. There are plenty of other people that will do that for you.

Instead, I want to explain what’s happening and why. I want to increase understanding so that real innovation in the workplace can occur. Because it’s the innovators that will ultimately succeed – not those companies that continue to do something simply because that’s how they’ve always done it. This is a form of pride and we all know that pride comes before the fall.

As it stands, Millennials are a generation of people 80 million strong in the US. Over 50% of the world’s population is under the age of 34. Many have already entered the workforce and more will be entering the workforce in the coming years. As I mentioned before, it’s not whether you think they’re right or wrong that matters. If it comes down to a fight, they’re going to win out simply by sheer size and the attrition and mortality of those generations above them. In three short years, they will comprise 50% of the workforce in the US. I’m betting that in 10 years, they will hold the majority of the management and executive positions in most companies.

So, who do you think will be shaping the future of how companies are run?

I’m writing this to let you know that I’m shifting the emphasis of this blog a little. I’ll still focus on leadership, entrepreneurship and management. However, I’m going to tell you what’s coming and help you get prepared for the inevitable changes.

I also want to help you shape the future. If you’re a Baby Boomer or Gen Xer, you’re needed. This isn’t about rolling over and blindly accepting what Millennials want. But the goal shouldn’t be to blindly fight to protect a dying system. The goal should be about shaping and guiding the evolution of business and management. Neither side is fully right or fully wrong. My purpose is to focus us on the principles that transcend the right-versus-wrong argument and examine how we can allow for differing implementations of the principles that should remain unaltered.

Management as we’ve come to know it is not a principle. It’s a system. And it’s a broken system.

I want to hear from you. I want to know what you’d like me to write about. This is a dialogue. So, start talking.

I’ve been speaking a lot lately on Millennials and have an increasing number of engagements lining up for this year which I’m looking forward to.

However, in every audience exists a batch of people who wonder why they should care what Millennials want, think or feel. It’s a fair question that deserves a straight answer.

Here’s the Twitter version of the answer: Millennials are the largest generation and, by 2014, will make up 50% of the workforce.

How’s that for a good reason?

Stop and think about that for a moment. In three short years, Millennials workers will outnumber both Baby Boomers and Gen X combined. I actually think it will happen sooner than 2014. Once they hit 50%, they will continue to swell their ranks. Eventually, they’ll end up being around 60-65% of the work force. Possibly even more (depending on Gen X mortality rates and retirement age).

Millennials already outnumber Gen X by about 2-to-1. Want to know who will comprise the majority of your management within 10 year (the older segment of Gen Y will be around 44)? Millennials. Want to know who will be your largest pool of potential buyers? Millennials. Want to know who will be heavily responsible for the future of your company? Millennials.

Seeing the trend? Much like the Baby Boomers did in their time, Millennials will be the next, big, trend-setting generation. How they think and feel and what they want is of vital importance to every person at every level of business.

As I see it, the question shouldn’t be “Why should I care?” It really ought to be “How am I going to respond?” If you haven’t yet, I encourage you to check out my free e-book The Millennial Revolution. It can help get the conversation going in your organization.

Share Your Thoughts

How do you think companies should prepare for millennials? Or should they?

If you want to skip all of this and get the book, enter your email address below and I’ll send it out to you.

The quick-and-dirty elevator pitch:
The Millennial Revolution contains insights from Millennials about what it takes to attract, manage, and retain the best and brightest of our generation. Plus there’s an MP3 of me presenting this information to a room full of executives and business owners.

From the back cover:
The Millennial Revolution is happening whether leaders within organizations choose to acknowledge it or not. In this book, you will learn three things that every organization must do if they wish to attract, hire, and retain the best workers of the Millennial generation.

• Discover why the prevailing management theory is driving away Millennials and what your organization can do to combat the exodus.
• Find out why the traditional methods of motivation are not working. Then, learn about inexpensive and zero-cost alternatives to motivate Millennials.
• Uncover secrets to creating a company culture that works for all employees – not just Millennials. Also, find out why you should get rid of your current mission statement and vision statement.

On top of all this, you’ll get a list of resources including books, blogs and organizations dedicated to helping leaders and companies make the transition for a new generation of workers.

BUT WAIT! THERE’S MORE!! (Sorry…I had to do it.)

You’ll get to hear from Millennials, Gen X’ers, and Boomers on The Millennial Revolution.

BUT THAT’S NOT ALL!! (Okay, I’m done.)

You’ll also get the 25 minute MP3 of our my presentation to business leaders and executives.

Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback and support. As always, I look forward to hearing your thoughts about this version as well. If you have any problems getting the updated version, send me an email (travis@travisrobertson.com) and I’ll help you out.

If you like the book, it would mean the world to me if you shared this on Facebook, Tweeted about it, Stumbled it, or even share it on your blog or website.

“We should have captured this on video!”

That was the first thing out of our mouths when it was all over. Sure, the world would have seen me and my brother screaming like little girls at a Justin Beiber concert. But it would have made for great video.

It all started a few weeks ago when I noticed a number of wasps flying around in our backyard. At first, I didn’t think much of it. But then they started showing up in our house.

My wife, Lisa, and I couldn’t figure out where they were coming from. We just knew that it was a problem. So I walked the perimeter of the house and looked for a nest. I checked the trees, I checked underneath a balcony, I even looked at our neighbors homes just to be safe – nothing. Just a bunch of wasps with no nest in sight.

So we went back to suffering with a problem we had no clue how to fix.

A few days later, my brother came over to watch football with me. We were enjoying the Titans game when a wasp flew out of the fireplace into the room. It turns out they had built a nest in our chimney.

Now, I really only know two facts about wasps:

1. Wasps don’t like their nests messed with.
2. Wasps sting.

However, I don’t like my nest messed with either and they were annoying me and my lovely wife. It was time to fix the problem.

My brother and I evaluated our three options:

1. Call the landlord and let her deal with. Given that it was Sunday, we knew it would take a day or two to get it resolved.
2. Call an exterminator and send the bill to the landlord. Again, tough to find an exterminator on Sunday during football season.
3. Light a fire. This seemed the obvious option. After all, what could go wrong?

We grabbed one of those quick-start logs, placed it in the fireplace, grabbed a couple of rolled-up magazines as backup weaponry, opened the flue and quickly lit a fire.

All hell broke loose. Wasps started dropping into the fireplace. Roughly eight of them escaped. My brother and I ran around the room like banshees trying to swat them without getting stung. It was awesome.

Now, I can’t say that lighting a fire is the approved method for removing wasps from your chimney – but it worked.

And I learned seven valuable lessons for dealing with problems in your life – let’s take a look!

Lesson #1 – Problems Usually Start Small

A wasp here, a wasp there. Just kill it and move on.

An upset client here, an upset client there. No big deal. You can’t please everyone, right?

Sometimes it really is no big deal. Other times, there’s a problem you’re not seeing that needs to be fixed before it grows into a nightmare. If you can catch it when it’s small, you can save a lot of time, money, and headaches.

If something seems amiss, it probably is. Pause for a second to evaluate whether the signs you’re seeing point to a larger unseen problem before dismissing it.

Lesson #2 – Problems Don’t Go Away on Their Own

If you recognize there’s a problem, don’t expect it to go away on it’s own.

Maybe it’s a problem employee. Maybe it’s a problem client. Maybe it’s a problem with your processes. Whatever it is, don’t expect the problem to right itself without your involvement. Be proactive.

Lesson #3 – Determine the Source of the Problem

Knowing that there’s a problem and knowing the cause of the problem are two different things.

I knew we had a wasp problem. What I didn’t know was what was causing the problem which meant that I couldn’t fix it. Simply saying, “We have a problem,” is usually stating the obvious. Work at trying to find the source of the problem and don’t just treat the symptoms.

It may take a bit of time before the problem becomes evident. Keep at it – it’s not always obvious.

Lesson #4 – Evaluate the Possible Solutions

Every problem generally has a range of possible solutions. Work through them before making a decision. Weigh the pros and cons of each and discuss them as a team where necessary. Seek the advice of others.

Before lighting a fire, we sought the advice of those who came before us. We Googled “wasp nest in chimney.” Also, remember that some decisions shouldn’t take a long time. As in our situation, sometimes the best choice is obvious.

Lesson #5 – Keep Fear in Perspective

Were we afraid of getting stung? Yep. But it seemed worse to live with an entire nest of wasps in our chimney and run the risk of being attacked while waiting for someone else to fix the problem.

In reality, we knew that if we could get the fire started quickly and keep escapees to a minimum, the risk would be a lot smaller than hundreds of live wasps that could continue to venture into the house. We put the fear into perspective.

Make sure that you’re more concerned about not fixing a problem than you are of the short-term conflict involved in the resolution.

Lesson #6 – Just Light the Fire

In other words, get it over with quickly. Very few people like conflict so they try to avoid it for as long as possible. Remember Lesson #2. Problems don’t go away on their own.

If you know the right course of action, don’t delay the inevitable. Just light the fire and deal with the fall out. It won’t get any easier if you put it off.

Lesson #7 – Revisit the Problem Area Frequently to Prevent a Recurrence

Apparently, wasps aren’t smart. They built a nest in a chimney. I assumed that after the first fire they learned their lesson. However, the next day, I noticed a few flying outside the chimney.

As a result of not wanting to give them any ground to start over, we continued to light fires every few days. The wasps have now moved on to another location and I don’t have to think about the problem very often. However, had I only lit that one fire, it’s possible they would have returned. We had to apply consistent pressure for a while to make sure the problem was really gone.

Do You Have Wasps in Your Chimney?

Problems are going to arise in business and in life. It’s not a matter of if, but when. Just follow the steps above and you’ll be able to quickly address and fix them before they become disasters.

And one more thing: capture it on video.

Share Your Thoughts

How do you deal with problems? Do you see any steps missing from the list? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Photo Credit: Samucs

I’m in the process of overhauling my business. When you’re in start-up mode, things change – a lot. But you get used to it.

Unfortunately, things changed so drastically for me that I had to call into question my original vision of what I was trying to build. That’s when I realized that my vision for my life needed some serious work. This week has been a focus on resetting my vision and my goals in light of new information and insights. If you feel like life isn’t turning out how you expected, I suggest you do the same.

Don’t wait until the new year to set a bunch of useless resolutions. Set a big vision for your life, create your goals, make a plan, and go after it. Right now.

“Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I’ll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with no goals and I’ll give you a stock clerk.” – J.C. Penny

So how do you create better goals? Here’s a high-level overview of the process I use. There’s much more to my process, but this should help you get a great start. If you feel like you need help, keep reading to the bottom of the post for how you can get a free 30-minute consult with me.

Step 1 – Begin with the End in Mind

I’ve written on legacy before and I’m a big believer in having huge dreams for your life. What are you trying to create? What legacy do you want to leave to your family? How do you want to be remembered by the people you loved or worked with?

“Where there is no vision, the people perish” – Proverbs 29:18

Be as detailed in this phase as possible. I’m currently only working on the business aspect of my vision as it’s changed so much since the beginning of the year. I cast a vision that was about two pages long for just my company (I went out 20 years). The more detailed it is, the more capable you’ll be of working backwards.

Areas you should cast a vision for:

• Career
• Financial
• Spiritual
• Family
• Spouse (Create a whole category for them if you want a strong marriage.)
• Health/Physical
• Intellectual/Education/Growth
• Friendships

Step 2 – Work Backwards to Shorter Time Frames

Once you know where you want to be, it will become much clearer which steps you’ll need to take along your journey. Some people get really intense with this part and do 10-year, 5-year, 3-year, 1-year, 6-month, 3-month, 1-month, and weekly plans.

I’m not that person. I first list out major milestones for what I want to accomplish. Then I put them in the following ranges:

• 1 Year or Less
• 2-5 Years
• 5+ Years

After you’ve set your ranges, make sure you don’t have too much in your “1 Year or Less” category. By all means, be aggressive. Just don’t be unrealistic. If your long term vision is to have a nest egg of $5 Million dollars, don’t put “Save $250,000″ in the first year if you’re starting from $0. Unless you make a lot more than that or are a drug dealer, this won’t happen.

Step 3 – Get Specific With Your 1-Year Plan

Do you know why I hate New Year’s Resolutions? They’re arbitrary and they don’t really bring about change. We all know this, but so many people create them anyway in an effort to feel better about themselves.

Here’s an alternative: take your 1-year goals and map them out over the year. For example, if you want to start a business in the next year, figure out what steps you’ll need to take and the order you’ll need to do them in. For example, you can’t (or shouldn’t) quit your job without first lining up some clients. Don’t try to do it all in a single month. Here’s what it might look like:

• January: Write out vision for the company and discuss it with my spouse. Create a household budget. Create a quickie business plan.
• February: Launch a simple website/blog and let friends and family know what I’m doing. Ask for referrals. File legal documents.
• March: Speak at 3 clubs or events that have members in your target audience. Have 1 month of expenses saved in an emergency fund.
• April: Speak at 2 clubs or events that have members in your target audience. Offer a new service to your existing/previous clients.
• And on it goes…

Be realistic with your time and the steps you need to take. These are obviously just examples and your steps and time frames may be substantially different.

Step 4 – Create Weekly or Daily Action Items

Now you know what you need to do each month, right? So create your weekly or daily action list that will propel you forward toward each step along the path.

This is where most people fail. It’s where I can go wrong if I’m not careful. We don’t control our schedules and our time. We aren’t deliberate. Therefore, it’s our schedule that controls us. We become victims of time.

“Don’t confuse activity with action.” – Zig Ziglar

Life is busy so make sure that what you’re working on is what you should be doing, not just on the tyranny of the urgent.

Step 5 – Decide What You’re Willing to Sacrifice

Balance is a myth. There’s no such thing. If you want to rapidly lose weight, you have to give up sugary sweets. If you want to slowly lose weight, you just have to give up some of it. Either way, you’ll need to sacrifice – it just comes down to how much you’re willing to give up. You can’t “balance” a healthy body with an unhealthy diet.

Decide going into what you’re willing to sacrifice. If you want to start a business, plan to sacrifice some sleep, some evenings, and some weekends with your family – at least for a phase.

Prepare everyone for this. Talk with your spouse, your kids, your family, your friends, etc. Make sure you all agree to healthy boundaries. Monday through Saturday are generally work days for me. For my own sanity, for my marriage, and for my health I don’t work on Sundays. An exception might be if we have a function on Saturdays that I feel is important to attend. However, I’ve chosen to sacrifice more “optional” functions as well.

Step 6 – Review Your Goals and Vision Weekly

I screwed this up big time this year. Had I been doing this, I would have caught some course correction a lot earlier and saved myself some frustration (and some money).

Review your vision and goals at least once per month. I’ve now included a weekly review of both my vision and my 1-year goals to make sure they still align with what I’m trying to build. I’d rather correct frequently and slightly than rarely and drastically.

What Makes a Good Goal?

A good goal will have the following characteristics:

• It will be in writing. If you type it, print them out and keep them where you can see them. We all have those documents we’ve created on our computer and that are lost in some random folder.
• It will be specific. Don’t create the goal “Start a business.” That sucks. Be specific about what type of business you’ll create.
• It will be measurable. If you can’t tell if you reached a goal, you set the wrong goal. “Start a business” is a bad goal because you don’t really need to do anything measurable. “Land my first client” is a measurable goal. “Start a business” is little more than a vague vision.
• It will be time sensitive. Set a date for when a goal will be reached. Be aggressive yet realistic. I’ve heard it said you should create goals that will require you to execute and God to show up. Works for me.
• It will move you closer to your vision. If it doesn’t apply to your long term vision from the first step, you need to question whether it’s a good goal. You should be able to clearly articulate to someone why accomplishing this goal will get you closer to your vision.

Get a Free 30-Minute Goal Setting Session

Because I believe so strongly in the idea of creating big goals in life, I’d like to help 5 readers get started on their journey for free. Here’s how you can be one of them:

1. Leave a comment below telling me about your biggest frustration(s) with goal setting and why you’d like help creating a plan.
2. Link to this post on Twitter or “Like” this post on Facebook.
3. On Saturday, October 30, I will contact 5 people by email for a free 30-minute phone consult. That’s it! Whether you are selected or not, you will hear from me personally so you’re not waiting around wondering.

So, let’s hear it! What’s been keeping you from setting bigger goals in your life? Leave a comment below!

Sorry I haven’t posted one of these in a while. It’s been busy around here preparing for my upcoming BarCamp sessions as well as some client projects I’m working on. Here are a list of articles I think you’ll find interesting. Maybe you’ve seen some of them; maybe you haven’t. Have a great weekend!

Living Self-Employed Online: The Manual They Forgot to Give You

15 Ways to Handle ‘Pick Your Brand’ Requests

Why Amish Businesses Thrive

Looking for Work by Chris Brogan

What Shape Is Your Funnel by Seth Godin

The Freakonomics Guide to Making Boring Content Sexy by Stanford Smith

What If?

Warning: 6 Signs Your Legacy Will End Up In A Trash Can

Photo Credit: mamiyaesdedia

Late last week, my wife Lisa came down with some cold/flu thing so we swung by our nearest Redbox to pick up a movie. What we ended up with is the ultra chick-flick “Letters to Juliet.” Other than being your typical, predictable film, it was cute.

Then something unexpected happened. Toward the end of the movie, one of the characters said something that knocked me upside the head:

“What” and “if” are two words as non-threatening as words can be. But, put them together side-by-side and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life.

If you want to create a life you’re proud of, build a legacy, and live a life with few regrets, you need to wrestle with the “What if” questions right now. Here’s a tip: read them as if you’re at the end of your life looking back. Then ask yourself what you can change in your life today. I’ve broken them into categories to make it easier to think about the different areas of your life.

Warning: You will ask these questions eventually. Better now than when it’s too late to do anything about them.

Career
What if you started that business you dreamed about for years?
What if you made your living doing something that made you feel alive?
What if money were no object? What would you do?
What if you could answer that question with, “I’m already doing it”?
What if your unemployment was really just an opportunity to try something new?
What if you didn’t accept that “this is how life works”?
What if you didn’t spend 2 weeks each year escaping from the work you do the other 50?
What if you found a job that combined your strengths and passions?
What if you spent less time in front of the TV?

Risk/Fear
What if you didn’t care what other people thought of you?
What if you acted in spite of your fear?
What if you said “Yes” when fear told you to say “No”?
What if you said “No” when fear told you to say “Yes”?
What if you didn’t quit?
What if you did quit?
What if you failed knowing that at least you tried?
What if you didn’t fail?
What if you didn’t learn from your failures?
What if they laughed at you?
What if they gave you a standing ovation?
What if you tried out for that team or applied for that position?
What if they say no?
What if they say yes?

Relationships/Family
What if you worked as hard on your marriage as you do in your job?
What if you spent more time with your kids and less time with your work?
What if you made the phrase “I love you” part of your daily life?
What if you called your parents more often?
What if you said, “I’m sorry”?
What if you said, “I forgive you”?
What if you said, “Thank you”?
What if you did something unexpected for someone you love, just because?
What if you did something for someone who couldn’t give you anything in return?
What if your memories were filled with more laughter than tears?
What if you cared as much about others as you do about yourself?

Health
What if you exercised just 20 minutes each day?
What if you quit smoking?
What if you lost weight?
What if you ate better?

Finances
What if you had no debt?
What if you spent less money?
What if you saved more money?
What if you gave more of your money?
What if you cut up your credit cards and consumed less?
What if you paid for things with only cash?
What if you didn’t measure your success by how much money you made or stuff you had?

Spirituality
What if you prayed more and worried less?
What if there is a God?
What if that God loves you?

Live Without Regrets

What if you could do it all over again?
What if these questions weren’t filled with regrets?

What if you got to the end of your life and never wondered, “What if?”

It’s better to ask, answer, and act on the “What if” questions now rather than wait until you’re older or until you’re told you have just a short time to live. We can’t go back and change what’s been done. But we can learn from the past and change how we move forward.

Don’t settle. Don’t accept status quo. Don’t wonder, “What if…?” It takes courage. But your family, your friends, the world, and your legacy are waiting on you to live with courage.

Photo courtesy of fadedmilkyway

It’s been a long time since I’ve done a video and I figured since I’m on vacation, I’d use this as an excuse to not hole up indoors on my computer.

If you’re interested in attending BarCamp Nashville and would like to participate in my sessions, use the links below:

Session #1
The Entrepreneurial UnPanel: 4 Hot Guys In Underwear Talk About Starting A Business

Session #2
The Millennial Revolution: Why Your Dad’s Management Manual Belongs in the Trash

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What makes a great leader? Is it an MBA or the title of President of the United States? Is a great leader born with certain personality traits? Do they develop certain skills that anyone could learn?

Do I have what it takes to be a great leader? Do you?

If you look back through history, you will find that great leaders do not all share the same set of skills or personality traits. You may find a lot who were talented speakers. Others possessed spectacular minds. Some were unexpected leaders like Harriet Tubman who shocked the world with their bold actions.

Being a great leader is not about skills or personality traits. While your skills and personality traits will impact how you lead, great leadership is much more than that.

Being a great leader is about heart. If you study the great leaders throughout history, you will find that they shared five qualities. These five qualities are not the only qualities of a great leader. However, they are five qualities that every great leader possessed.

Quality #1 – Great Leaders Care Deeply About a Group of People

Behind every movement, every cause, and every vision is a group of people who need help. Great leaders don’t see a cause – they see a child dying of a preventable disease or an abused woman who needs compassion and help to break free from an abuser and begin a new life.

Great leaders don’t see employees. They see individuals who have dreams, goals, families to support, and a desire to be valued. They see people who deep down want to make a difference in the world and who want to matter.

Great leaders see people not as what they are, but as who they can become. Then great leaders make it their vision to see those people transformed.

Quality #2 – Great Leaders Are Deeply Passionate About Justice

Great leaders possess a strong sense of right and wrong. They believe that injustice must never be tolerated. More often than not, it is this deep-seated sense of justice that spurs them to their initial actions.

They have a vision for what their world could be as opposed to what it is. It is the closing of this gap that motivates them.

Quality #3 – Great Leaders Confront Fear and Take Risks

It is impossible to be a great leader without fear and risk. If it were possible, anyone could do it. It’s easy to see great leaders as fearless men and women filled with a supernatural courage. But this is not at all accurate.

It’s not the lack of fear that makes a leader great. It’s acting in spite of the fear that makes them great. Risk will always involve fear and it is the presence of fear that paralyzes so many of us. Only those who acknowledge the fear and still choose to act can hope for greatness.

Quality #4 – Great Leaders Don’t Need A Title

Too often, we buy into the lie that to be a great leader requires a position of influence. We think being a great leader requires the title of CEO, vice president, pastor, team leader, etc. What we fail to remember is that people who hold those positions were great leaders before getting them.

Great leaders believe they can make a difference without a title. They don’t see titles as prerequisites for leadership. They understand that people don’t follow titles – people follow passionate leaders who believe in them and inspire them to greatness.

Quality #5 – Great Leaders Recognize Their Dependence on Others

It’s easy to look at a great leader and perceive them as above the movement and people they led. However, great leaders doesn’t view themselves in the same light. Instead, they think of themselves as a component of the movement. Great leaders recognize that they are fully dependent on others to see out their vision.

Consequently, great leaders inspire others to greatness. Martin Luther King inspired a generation. Winston Churchill and Teddy Roosevelt inspired nations to greatness. A movement has to be greater than the leader if it hopes to survive since leaders come and go.

Bonus Quality – Great Leaders Are People of Character

Originally, I wasn’t going to add this one in. Not all great leaders have been people of character. You can have all of the above and not have character. When that happens, evil generally results. Let me give you an example: Adolf Hitler. Hitler was an evil man. However, he was also a great leader. Hitler possessed all of the above qualities but they were born out of a heart that desired evil.

If attaching the word “great” to Hitler makes you uncomfortable, I’m thankful. It should. It should also make it clear to you that there is a vast difference between great leadership and Great Leadership.

True greatness is more than just the ability to get people to buy into your vision. True greatness is about leading people into a vision born out of character and integrity. It is ultimately your character that determines whether you will be a great leader or a Great Leader.

That’s also why many of those whom we consider great leaders were people of faith. Their faith instilled in them the character which directed the above qualities.

Share Your Thoughts

What do you think it takes to be a great leader? Who do you think of when you hear the term “Great Leader”? Are there Great Leaders in your life? Share your thoughts in the comments below.