August is near the end. September is going be full of amazing events. Have an awesome weekend!
Quote of the week:
"I would visualize things coming to me. It would just make me feel better. Visualization works if you work hard. That's the thing. You can't just visualize and go eat a sandwich."
Jim Carrey.
Pinterest Corner:
Stuff for sale or swap. Amazing items!
Click here to view
New Blog articles:
3 Trophies in 4 Memorable weeks
Click here to read
Tom Hopkins Business Building Workshop
Click here to read
Journey to Woodbine Racetrack
Click here to read
Career-Shift Strategies that work!
Click here to read
September events:
Sept 14th
Strategic Coach event with Paulette Sopoci
Click here to register
Sept 20th
Cash Flow game in Toronto
Click here for event details
Sept 25th
Power Talks! 4 amazing speakers
Click here to register
Sept 30th
Kensington Swap
Click here for event information
Branding Survey:
Your brand identity is important part you business and how you clients view you.
Below is survey as few questions on doing a Branding seminar
Click here to start survey
Get Connected 21st Century Learn, Speak & Socialize leads to Monetize
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Career-Shift strategies that work!
Myths and Solutions that work!
At recent event we discussed few areas of challenges for professionals in transition into new career and strategies to overcome them
Challenges and how to overcome them.
1st Focus-Energy-Motivation
Focus is a self-determining factor that can be only overcome with self-discipline and having an accountability partner to make sure you achieve your daily or weekly goals. Being accountable will give you a positive challenge to achieve daily goals to reach you personal success goal you have set complete
You can join or create a mastermind group to use the energy and power of group. They can the positive influence to suggest way to change your patterns and break the cycle of habits that you may not be working well for you.
2nd Expanding Ideas and possibilities
There is a great quote by Albert Einstein “ The significant problem you face can’t be solved with the same level of thing when you first created the problem” A power full quote that suggest you have to create new habits to overcome your challenges.
From reading a book to listen to an audio from a specific author to reading a “how to” book to get inspiration and empowering information to learn,do and apply.
Research groups on LinkedIn that interest you and participate in the discussion online. There are many groups that meet throughout the year to networking and share resources
3rd Figuring out your destination
It’s important to have a plan to reach your destination. From a specific job field or position that fits your career criteria.
You may do online research for specific companies that you interested in and learn about employment opportunities they have.
There are recruiters available you may recruit for specific industries (transportation, engineering etc), they can give you insights on the types of positions available and companies that you may find of interest.
You can all cold call human resources a targeted companies and ask for a information interview with them (not a job interview). The opportunity to learn more about the industry and what they do. Many companies have open houses, company barbeques that you can attend.
4th Overcoming fear developing confidence
Toronto Author Terry Gogna (www.terrygogna.com) has written a great book called “How can I get myself to do what I need to do? He shares insight on how to manage you day using a priority event management system and resulted oriented information to stay focused at the tasks at hand.
Books are a great resource to developing self-confidence and knowledge in specific topics from What colour is your parachute? To Seven Habit a highly effective people.
You local library and audios and dvd available that you can watch at specific times in your schedule.
Steve Flemming founder of The Soul City Social Club said “it’s about taking baby steps, which will lead to the next step” powerful message about creating critical mass and positive momentum forward to achieve your goals.
5th Where to go for empowering help
There many place to go for assistance from mastermind groups (mentioned above), local networking group (check meetup.com), professional organizations and LinkedIn groups (mentioned above).
Stepping out of your comfort zone and having the confidence to go learn and do some research and associate with other will give you the personal confidence and allow group dynamics to synergize and give you the necessary ideas and motivation to allow the “law of attraction” to work for you.
The Secret is a great movie because it discuss the dynamics of how to attract what you want and how to generate it.
6th Getting beyond discrimination
There are rules and regulations against discrimination and it’s your right to report it if needed.
This topic is not the easiest to deal with because it may deal with personal issue or previous experiences. Scarcity thinking is a silent killer and not talked about openly by many people, it’s important to reach out and listen and read about successes and the “abundance thinking” is great mindset to create.
I constantly see great sports cars and amazing houses in my daily travels and always remind myself that “wealth is abundant” and everyone wants and needs different the things for the universe of life. For some it may not be car but a great home and relationships.
7th Financing your art
Everything we have sell have value. No piece of art, speaking skills etc. You may do research and find other art dealers and create a dollar value . Take it to show and ask for an appraisal for industry experts.
You build wealth slowly, Steve Flemming say’s “ Getting a dollar then building from it”. You build on your value on a daily basis and you will see wealth happen!
8th Overcoming Negative Self-talk
This is one challenge which can have devastating impact on our ability to succeed. As mentioned in some of the previous answers its import to do some about it today! “Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone” says Larry Bogie, tremendous quote of how we can get to the and just stay there and not take the “risk” because of our inhibitions. We learned how to walk, ride a bike and connect with people all our lives.
There few things we can do:
Read great book from Blair Singers Little Voice Management System. Terry Gogna How can I get myself to do what I need to do?
Attend events in your area and learn from others about areas that interest you. There are Meetup groups in every area held throughout the week.
Read about successful people. Send me an email (jim@pagiamtzis.com) and put “send me spotlight series in the subject bar and I will email 40 amazing entrepreneur and professional that I have interviewed. Truly inspiring and motivating answers!
These were a few challenge that were shared with audience on this night and there may be more challenges out there. The key is to look not at the challenge but the opportunity within it that you can succeed. You can reach out and learn, share and attract the right mentors and leaders to be your success team of the future.
For information on future event go to
http://www.soulcitysocial.com/
http://www.soulcitysocial.com/
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Journey to Woobine Racetrack
Sunday August 26,2012 was special day. I took my dad to racetrack to watch the horse races live. He enjoys two other sport our beloved Toronto Maple Leafs (may not be playing this year) and European soccer.
We had been to the track few months back for a family event and he had enjoyed it very much so I wanted to him to make his day to enjoy the races. He was excited, he got of the car and he was of to the races, I told my mom for " for a76 year old he can really speed walk" she laughed and agreed.
We entered the facility and quickly got the short program and got to our seats. Nobody was seating outside which was really peculiar realized in a few minutes that it was to hot!
The 5th races was just beginning to start and you can feel the energy of the crowd growing as the day went on.
Decided to put on wager on the 7th race to get into the action. $2 on the winner and to my amazement it won! It paid out $3.80
My mentor always said to "To win big you have play big"
Had some great momentum and put another bet for the 8th raise on the winner and lost. That's the way it goes sometimes at the races.
For the last race I went down to see the horses for the last race of the day. There 14 horses plus a spare in the waiting in case there in late scratches. Patrick Husband was having tough day on the races we no wins.place or shows all day. I saw him coming out with #14 Mount Diablo and he looked focused and determined! That's all I need to see, I rushed up to the betting line and places $3 bet for him to win. (my dad did the same, separate ticket)
The crowd was a buzz for the last race and I was excited to see it! 14 horses all headed down the stretch for a big pay day.
We were all standing as the were released for the starting gate, everyone started yelling (customary at the track). As the headed around the first bend I couldn't see where number 14 horse was in the batch of horses. The came across the last bend and down the bend and I look at the electronic video board and saw the #14 was in 4th place and gathering steam. I began to yell "Come on Patrick you can do it, keep pushing the horse!" The got within 8 metres of the horse and he kicked up a gear and he won the race! I gave my dad high five.
We gathered everything and headed to the cash in our tickets and there was a huge line up, we had to wait a few minutes and the excitement was building on how we had won. I cashed my $3.80 ticket and then I gave the attendant our 2 tickets and to my surprise we had won $13.80 each. Got our money and we head to the parking lots. Good payout for 4 hrs at the racetrack!
Outside the racetrack headed into the grounds
Sportscaster sharing the action at the track
Patrick Husband riding horse #14 (Mount Diablo 4 yr old) on the last race of the day. Read article to see if he won?
We had been to the track few months back for a family event and he had enjoyed it very much so I wanted to him to make his day to enjoy the races. He was excited, he got of the car and he was of to the races, I told my mom for " for a76 year old he can really speed walk" she laughed and agreed.
We entered the facility and quickly got the short program and got to our seats. Nobody was seating outside which was really peculiar realized in a few minutes that it was to hot!
The 5th races was just beginning to start and you can feel the energy of the crowd growing as the day went on.
Decided to put on wager on the 7th race to get into the action. $2 on the winner and to my amazement it won! It paid out $3.80
My mentor always said to "To win big you have play big"
Had some great momentum and put another bet for the 8th raise on the winner and lost. That's the way it goes sometimes at the races.
For the last race I went down to see the horses for the last race of the day. There 14 horses plus a spare in the waiting in case there in late scratches. Patrick Husband was having tough day on the races we no wins.place or shows all day. I saw him coming out with #14 Mount Diablo and he looked focused and determined! That's all I need to see, I rushed up to the betting line and places $3 bet for him to win. (my dad did the same, separate ticket)
The crowd was a buzz for the last race and I was excited to see it! 14 horses all headed down the stretch for a big pay day.
We were all standing as the were released for the starting gate, everyone started yelling (customary at the track). As the headed around the first bend I couldn't see where number 14 horse was in the batch of horses. The came across the last bend and down the bend and I look at the electronic video board and saw the #14 was in 4th place and gathering steam. I began to yell "Come on Patrick you can do it, keep pushing the horse!" The got within 8 metres of the horse and he kicked up a gear and he won the race! I gave my dad high five.
We gathered everything and headed to the cash in our tickets and there was a huge line up, we had to wait a few minutes and the excitement was building on how we had won. I cashed my $3.80 ticket and then I gave the attendant our 2 tickets and to my surprise we had won $13.80 each. Got our money and we head to the parking lots. Good payout for 4 hrs at the racetrack!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Tom Hopkins Business Building Workshop Sept 25 in Toronto
 | Would YOu LIKE TO DOUBLE YOUR BUSINESS WITHOUT WORKING TWICE AS HARD? 25th September @ 4.30 p.m. |
| Tom Hopkins Business Building Workshop Presented by Tom Hopkins Senior National Trainer David Behr LEARN HOW TO IMPROVE IN THE FOLLOWING: · TIME MANAGEMENT…How to get an Extra Two Hours out of each work day · GOAL SETTING · PROSPECTING AND GETTING REFERRALS · PRESENTING TO CUSTOMERS EMOTIONS · OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS · ASKING FOR THE ORDER (CLOSING SKILLS) PLUS MANY MORE IDEAS TO EXPLODE YOUR BUSINESS THIS YEAR! | |
| Power Talk 80 Bloor St E. Toronto Ontario 25th September @ 4.30 p.m. There is a $15 charge for the entire evening. | Tom Hopkins is probably America’s leading authority on the development of sales skills and personal effectiveness and has been training people for over 25 years. Tom speaks to hundreds of thousands of people each year, and has written over a dozen books including the huge bestseller “How to Master the Art of Selling” David Behr the Senior National Trainer doing your workshop has spent many years traveling the country assisting thousands of top professionals to increase their results through the strategies of Tom Hopkins. The interactive workshop David Behr will be conducting promises to be both entertaining and informative. He will also share some information about a rare opportunity to spend the day live with Tom in the near future. Please Note: If you have any questions or concerns regarding your Free Workshop please call 1-888-894-2929. Please do not respond to this e mail as your question will not be received. |
Friday, August 24, 2012
3 Trophies it was a memorable 4 weeks!
It was 4 week to remember! Below is the story of the meaning of these 3 trophies.
In the early 90's I had started playing competitive ball-hockey and really enjoyed it. It was great opportunity to play the sport I enjoy and playing with some amazing players was really an amazing experience.
In the fall 1995 I had joined two teams in September. The "Aruba Tigers" and "North York Chiefs"
Aruba Tigers was a tier 4 teams of individuals the league had put together ) to this day I still play with a few of them during the summer!)
North York Chiefs consisted of few school friends and other players recruited by the captain Jorge Da Silva.
This team was all a all-star calibre. There was Nelson Paiva, Jorge Da Silva, Jody McCappin, Helder Paiva, Chris Wooltran, Peter Frietas.
The Ontario Ball Hockey Association was very concerned having us play in a lower tier, but in the end they allowed us to stay.
As the season started I had games once a week with both teams which was manageable at the beginning. I was attending Centennial College take a General Business Diploma 3yr Co-op program. The games were in the evening and weekend so it didn't affect my schedule.
It became very interesting at the end of the season when both Aruba Tigers and North York Chiefs both made the playoffs! I was elated in the beginning and by the end I was exhausted and elated. (keep reading)
Aruba Tigers we had a interesting group of players from beginners and season veterans. The biggest challenge we had was players didn't show up, this was rampant in ball-hockey. We each paid money to join and in the end they wouldn't show up for games. It was disappointing and tough playing with hardly any substitutes.
The key lesson I learned from the Aruba Tigers was determination, resilience to win. Even though we just barely made the playoffs we had a group of players who wanted to win, and we did on a few nights and the rest were character building nights.
There were great moment prior to games and during practices where players came up to me asking for insights on shooting and scoring. Scott Gallagher was a fellow team mate you had ask about getting better at his "wrist shot", I show him a few tips which he appreciated. That same day he scored a "goal" and he came a gave me a hug and game me the hockey ball!
The North York Chiefs we had an amazing season. We went the entire season without losing a game and tying one*. We had a team of all-star players who new how to play the game as team and were simply able to dominate the teams. We had 3 strong forward lines and defence that was unmatched by any team. Our passing and the ability to play a strategic and effective game was a sight to see.
As the season ended my worst fears had happened, both teams had made the playoffs! At that time I was also headed into examination time at Centennial College and there were some tough decisions to be made as the days went on.
I literally played 3 hockey games a week for 3 weeks. It was fun and exhausting at the same time.
With the Aruba Tigers we ended up going to the finals and losing. We still got a trophy for finishing in second. The memory I will not forget was the opposing teams appreciation on our determination to win. Memorable quote " you guys through everything at us but the kitchen sink".
The North York Chiefs we went all the way to the finals and won. The last series we had was a huge challenge for us as a team. We played a very tough team and played very aggresive and high tempo hockey. We beat them 2 games to 1 to win the championship. Last game was full of fights and penalties, in the end the dust settled and we claimed our two trophies.
*(This game was very special for me because I scored the tying goal in overtime and got the 1st star!)
The only casualty is I did fail (Organization Behaviour) I later took in night school and got an "A"
Moral of the story: We are on journey to success no matter what you do play your best and you will receive accolades in many ways from trophies, certificates and even money.
Monday, August 20, 2012
Ontario Summer Games 2012
It was amazing weekend to volunteer for the Ontario Summer Games at York University (Tait Mackenzie Centre) where the Men's and Women's basketball tournament were being held. On Friday I had an adventure getting to the facility lots of construction everywhere. York University is a huge facility plus another surprise (revealed at the end).
I was going to assisted in food service area. They had POD's (refridgerated truck to keep the all the food chilled for the volunteers and athletes). Lunch was served between 11:30 -1:30 and there were strict protocols in place to make sure the food was handled and processed effectively.
We had a hungry crowd who appreciated our assistance and numerous "thank you" we received is a we need to hear as appreciation.
2nd day at the venue I assisted in Food Service and answering attendee questions and concerens.
On Sunday I had the great experience on volunteering at the Volleyball tournament at Ashbrigdge's Bay in the morning. Had an amazing bike experience to the location and watched some amazing volleyball games. I assisted in loading the POD when the food arrived and help the volunteers set up signs and tables.
Big surprise revealed! The reason for the adventure I had at York University is that its the main location for the upcoming Pan-American Games and Parapan American Games happening in 2012
They are building a 10.000 seat stadium for the event and 2 new subway stations. Hence for all the construction!
For more information go to http://www.toronto2015.org/
Power of Facebook
In December 2010 my younger brother (Kostas) receiving the most unusual email from Facebook. He got a message that we a cousins in Australia! (There are about 1 million Greek living in Australia)
We were headed my dads brother home in Richmond Hill that morning to celebrate Christmas Day, so we shared the news with the entire family! There was lots of excitement in the air that morning, it took a few minutes to figure out the family tree on how this occured, it so happened that my dad's first cousin went to live in Crete in the early late 70's and later moved to Australia and settled there.
Fast forward to August 2012 my brother and his wife are headed to Australia for a two week vacation and will be visiting our long distance cousins in Melbourne, Australia in a few days. There are excited about this reunion.
Moral of the Story: Facebook is a powerful to that has connected millions of people all over the world. You just never know who you will connect with or who may send you a message!
What do these covers have in Common?
What do these covers have in common?
Barb Sawyer, Hirantha Nandasena and Diane Ojar-Ali are all entrepreneurs that I have met in my journey of networking in creating long lasting win-win relationships
Hirantha Nandasena I met by accident online.I was getting ready to listen to That Channel.com where entrepreneur was going to appear. Hirantha was there promoting his upcoming book Success in Toronto and sharing his journey of living in Toronto the last 10 years. How this inspired him to write a book to inspire and educate others to avoid the pitfalls he went through.
I was so impressed by his story that went to website and sent him an email regarding his appearance on the radio program. We met for a coffee few weeks later where I learned more about his busy life! He works for well know bank, has a cleaning a franchise and wrote a book! That was very impressive.
Hirantha Nandasena read my book How you can become a Networking Success and allowed me to read the draft copy of his book before it was published. Provided some feedback for his book and written testimonial for it. To my surprise he put on the back cover of the book! It was such an great gesture that I have invited him to speak numerous times at the Canada Job Expo in North York.(more information check out the link below)
Barb Sawyer first met online through her newsletter which I been receiving for the past few years and had the great opportunity to meet and learn about her journey of writing her book You write like you talk only better.
After reading draft copy of her book, I send her some suggestion of areas of improvement to the book and few editorial errors that I had found. She was gracious to include me in the acknowledgements in the book.
Diane Ojar-Ali I have met many years ago at seminar in Toronto and we have attended many various networking events throughout the years. She has an amazing entrepreneurial family who supports her in all here entrepreneurial endeavours.
Had the great opportunity to be the lead editor for her upcoming book Mrs Fraud and You. I was very impressed in year insight and experience in a very challenging and controversial topic in the last 10 years.
She had written a "thin book with a powerful message" that give you insight and helpful information to protect your identity.
In the journey of networking I have had the opportunity to meet entrepreneurs who have become authors in sharing the experience and success in their fields of experience.
To answer the question What do these covers have in common? The were edited by yours truly!
Moral of the story: You will meet people in various ways and in return you may be able to serve them your expertise to enhance both your entrepreneurial journeys.
If you have a book that needs editing feel free to email me at jim@pagiamtzis.com
Canada Job Expo next event link below;
http://www.canadajobexpo.com/
Friday, August 17, 2012
Summer Bash 2012 at Ontario Place- Atlantis was a massive success!
Summer Bash 2012 was the biggest party of summer happening at Ontario Place-Atlantis, with 700+ professional in various industries descended to the great waterfront.
Prior to the event starting Constant Contact had a session led by Susan Corcoran Authorized Local Expert who shared Social Media Made Simple to jammed room. (picture below)
After the session everyone headed to the main floor to join the rest of the group who had arrived and check out the various booths, have some appetizers and network and enjoy the evening.
Donna Messer the queen of networking led three session throughout the night on strategies and insights that have worked in her 30+ career in the networking field.
I had the great opportunity to work the evening with Marc Gordon (speaker,consultant) and well known for http://marctv.net/ (offensively good business show). I served as the photographer with my new iPad as we walked around asking unsuspecting attendees questions like What is your 30 infomercial? What is your unique selling proposition? (Check out the pictures below) We had them try on some very quirky and funny costumes and everyone enjoyed in participating.
There was big cake served to celebrate the 10th year anniversary of Unleash Pr and Jennifer Beale mom was in attendance to join in the celebration.
Summer Bash 2012 10th Anniversary cake
Jennifer Beale and her mom
Marc Gordon and attendee
Joe Dellano from Referral Quest and Marc Gordon
Everyone had amazing time enjoying the ambiance of the water and the sights of Toronto (see picture below). Atlantis is a 3 story spectacle that makes it great location this event.
CN Tower for Atlantis (Ontario Place)
Attendees networking and check out the trade show booths
Jennifer Beale and Jim Pagiamtzis
It was an exciting evening for everyone for the attendees, trade show participants and the speakers and amazing team to make it a memorable and amazing evening to remember. Look forward to summer bash of 2013! Be there
Got to http://www.biznetworknews.com/ and join the mailing list and email you information and you get copy of the Get Connected newsletter providing weekly information on weekly events,articles and much more (jim@pagiamtzis.com)
Congrats to Cheryl Scofield for winning the video contest & Android tablet from Constant Contact!
http://youtu.be/esgKhvnkf3E
2nd
http://youtu.be/f0b4lab0juw
Yours truly came in second.
1st
http://youtu.be/w_uo-NrcT2w
2nd
http://youtu.be/P3lsOc1cQcw
Randy Ramadhin outstanding video with participants sharing
https://www.facebook.com/jim.pagiamtzis
Follow up video from Jim Pagiamtzis
http://youtu.be/_n_WUQ0Wcro
Pictures from event:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151157261926206.497145.726211205&type=3
Prior to the event starting Constant Contact had a session led by Susan Corcoran Authorized Local Expert who shared Social Media Made Simple to jammed room. (picture below)
After the session everyone headed to the main floor to join the rest of the group who had arrived and check out the various booths, have some appetizers and network and enjoy the evening.
Donna Messer the queen of networking led three session throughout the night on strategies and insights that have worked in her 30+ career in the networking field.
I had the great opportunity to work the evening with Marc Gordon (speaker,consultant) and well known for http://marctv.net/ (offensively good business show). I served as the photographer with my new iPad as we walked around asking unsuspecting attendees questions like What is your 30 infomercial? What is your unique selling proposition? (Check out the pictures below) We had them try on some very quirky and funny costumes and everyone enjoyed in participating.
There was big cake served to celebrate the 10th year anniversary of Unleash Pr and Jennifer Beale mom was in attendance to join in the celebration.
Everyone had amazing time enjoying the ambiance of the water and the sights of Toronto (see picture below). Atlantis is a 3 story spectacle that makes it great location this event.
It was an exciting evening for everyone for the attendees, trade show participants and the speakers and amazing team to make it a memorable and amazing evening to remember. Look forward to summer bash of 2013! Be there
Got to http://www.biznetworknews.com/ and join the mailing list and email you information and you get copy of the Get Connected newsletter providing weekly information on weekly events,articles and much more (jim@pagiamtzis.com)
Congrats to Cheryl Scofield for winning the video contest & Android tablet from Constant Contact!
http://youtu.be/esgKhvnkf3E
2nd
http://youtu.be/f0b4lab0juw
Yours truly came in second.
1st
http://youtu.be/w_uo-NrcT2w
2nd
http://youtu.be/P3lsOc1cQcw
Randy Ramadhin outstanding video with participants sharing
https://www.facebook.com/jim.pagiamtzis
Follow up video from Jim Pagiamtzis
http://youtu.be/_n_WUQ0Wcro
Pictures from event:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151157261926206.497145.726211205&type=3
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
Book review: The Servant Leader by James A. Autry
An amazing book on Servant Leadership. Enjoy reading it.
Below is excerpt from Chapter 1 on Characteristics of the Leader as Servant
Five way of Being
1st Authenic
2nd Be Vulnerable
3rd Be Accepting
4th Be Present
5th Be Useful
Be Authentic
What does being authentic mean? Simply stated, it means be who you
are. Be the same person in every circumstance. Hold to the same values
in whatever roles you have. Always be your real self. Maybe the best
way to say this is to ask if you’ve heard the expression “He’s real”
That’s what I’m talking about. Being real.
I recall once in when I was in serious conflict with the vice
president who was over my department. I had be given his job and felt,
probably a little arrogantly, that it was mine to do and define. We
were in a conflict from the beginning. Finally, I got a very
attractive offer to go to New York in a substantial position in our
industry. So I resigned.
My big boss, the CEO of the company, asked by phone that I hold my
letter of resignation until he could fly back from New York and meet
with me. I agreed but offered no promises. My new employer was waiting
for the go-ahead to prepare a press release. This was no maneuver of
that type, in fact it would not have been authentic for me to try to
pull such a maneuver.
At four in the afternoon, I went into the CEO’s office and handed him
the letter. He read it. He looked at me, right in the eye, put his
hand on my arm, and said “I’ve been such a jerk, and I’m sorry, I knew
this was a big problem, but I hoped it would go away. I should have
known better. I should have known that the structure I set did not
free you to the creative job I expected. I’m sorry. I’ll change it. I
need you here to help carry out the vision. Please stay.”
To make the story short. I stayed. I didn’t stay for more money or
power or position. I stayed because I believed the CEO. I had always
believed in him as a visionary leader, but it was at the moment that I
got the measure of him as an hones, authentic human being- one willing
to admit his mistakes, who did not allow his sense of position, his
ego, to prevent him from apologizing to some lower in the hierarchy.
This may seem simple enough on the surface, but the fact is the much
of our conditioning is against being authentic. In the process of
socializing us, of teaching us how to be in the world, our parents
taught us to not say some of what we were feeling or thinking. This
carries over to the workplace, where we are taught, through direct
instruction or through our own observation, that some subjects are
“taboo” around here. “We learn the politics
Of when to speak and when no to speak, of what to say, of how to
handle bad news. We learn to fudge the budget or cover our rears with
memos.
I’m not talking about dishonesty, through that could be considered
radical inauthenticity. I’m talking about how we are considered to not
be the true to ourselves.
I recently worked with a top manager who had two major management
flaws, both having to do with his unwillingness to be authentic. He
believes that telling people what they want to hear is the most
effective way to manage them., whether or not he really believes what
he’s telling them. He is always sure to use language that is
slippery, that gives him an out if he doesn’t want to do what he has
led them to expect he will do. For instance, when asked about a
policy that I knew he instituted and fully supported, he replied,
“Good point, I could be persuaded to take another look at that one”.
Notice that he didn’t say, “I will take another look”, or, “You’ve
persuaded me to take another look,” though that is what the employee
was let to believe. When I, as a consultant , called the manager on
his language, he even tried to pull it on me.
“I didn’t lie,” he said. “I really could be persuaded to take another
look.” Slippery slippery- and not the language of authenticity.
Authenticity means much more than being technically truthful.
Another senior manager I know is fond of committees or as he calls
them, “work groups.” But here’s the way it works. The group spends
time studying the situation of the manager’s choosing, then works out
recommendations and sends the manager a report. He then red-pencils
the report and sends it back. The it comes back, The he red-pencils it
again with suggestion. Finally, when the committee recommends what he
wanted done in the first place, he approves the report.
When I asked why he didn’t just tell them how he wanted it done,
rather than putting them through all the work and frustration, he
replied. “ I saw it as a learning experience for them.”
That is not authentic way to provide a learning experience.
Learning experiences are important, and it is important to mentor
people and help them learn. But realize that mentoring is also about
helping people learn to be themselves. You do that by honoring what is
good and unique about those you are mentoring, not by trying to bend
them to your image. That’s playing God.
Being authentic is, first knowing yourself, then being yourself.
Authenticity derives from our deepest, truest selves. How do we come
to know ourselves? Only through what we can be called spiritual
disciplines, silence, mediation, prayer. And certainly , sometimes,
traditionally therapy or groups dedicated to self-exploration.
If you are truly authentic then you’ll also…..
Be Vulnerable
Back in the 1980’s during the farm crisis, on of my company’s
magazines, Successful Farming, decided to sponsor a major conference
on alternative agriculture. We decided to give farmers all over the
country a change to come to our headquarter’s city and participate.
The conference would be free to the farmers, and we promised to get
them good prices on room and board. We would even charter buses at no
cost to transport farmers. As you might imagine, this was an expensive
proposition with no apparent payoff, but that’s the kind of
relationship we felt we had our readers, our customers, who were
suffering.
The letters began to pour in. Many of them cam to the CEO.
At an annual employee’s meeting in New York, at the big luncheon , the
CEO referred to what we were doing and to some of the letters he
received. He began to read one: “We’re dying out here”, it said,”and
you’re the only ones who seem to care.” The CEO could hardly finish
the sentence because he became so choked up. He himself had grown up
in a rural area and could feel deeply the words he was reading.
You might imagine that crowd of New Yorkers was cynical or hard-edged
in its response. Not at all. Here was our big boss who, in sharing the
letters as part of his business presentation, let us sell and
experience his own sympathy and grief about what those letters
represented, as well as his pride about what we were doing. He did not
intend to choke up; it was certainly not a technique, a cynical ploy.
The paradox in being vulnerable is that it also requires you to be
courageous. What does vulnerable mean? Wearing your feelings on your
sleeve? Sharing your pain? Tearing up at moment’s notice? No. Doing
any of those things as some kind of “technique” would be neither
authentic nor truly vulnerable.
Basically, being vulnerable means being honest with your feelings in
the context of your work: being open with your doubts and fears and
concerns about an idea, an employee’s performance, or your own
performance; and being able to admit mistakes openly, particularly
with your employees. Simply saying, “I was wrong,” and meaning it,
embracing it, is an extension of vulnerability and, I believe, is a
sign of being spiritually attuned and aware.
Being vulnerable take a great deal of courage because it means letting
go of the old notions of control, forgetting forever the illusion that
you can be in control. Too many of us think that our powers comes form
our ability to maintain control. To the contrary, our power comes from
realizing that we can’t be in control and that must depend on others.
Despite the image of the rugged individual, you really don’t succeed
at anything in an organization by yourself. It’s myth we need to get
rid of.
But just as we are conditioned against being authentic, we are
conditioned against being vulnerable. Men especially, are taught to be
tough, to not show their feelings. This is an old story, and to much
has been made of the gender differences in this regard, but we should
recongnize that all of us have been taught to cover up our emotions.
But there simply is no way to be authentic without revealing our true
selves, and that means revealing our emotions, how we feel, and that
means revealing our emotions, how we feel about the work, the
workplace, and one another.
Expressing anger in this definition. Is there a spiritual way to show anger? Yes
Expressing anger honestly is very different from acting in anger. You
can properly express anger, buy you can’t act properly if you act in
anger. One can be called spiritually appropriate, the other is the
opposite.
Vulnerability has an aspect of empathy as well, the ability to put
yourself in the other’s shoes, to view the world or the situation from
the other’s viewpoint. So…
Be Accepting
Acceptance is more important than approval. I believe this is true in
friendship and marriage and parenting, as well as in professional
relationships. I observed that most of the conflicts in a workplace
are more concerned with style and personality than a product or
process. Thus, communities of work, from teams to large department,
will become dysfunctional unless the art of acceptance become the
norm.
A lot of organizations are emphasizing teams for more productivity and
a general better working environment. But the fact is that teams often
don’t work because the expectations is that everything will be
hunky-dory all the time, the real team members will always agree, I’m
sure you’ve heard it said of someone who disagrees with other members
of the team that he or she is “not a team player.”
The art of acceptance does not imply that you accept everyone’s ideas
without critical analysis, discussion and judgment- only that you
accept the ideas as valid for the discussion and review, and that you
focus on the ideas themselves, not on the person who presented them.
It also means that you accept and embrace disagreements as a human
part of the process of work.
If you are to express your spirituality fully, if you are to achieve
the goal of servant leadership, then you must abandon any dualistic
notion of winners and losers. My goodness, we have done way to much to
turn the workplace and business into some kind of war, or at least
high-contact sport. But the truth is that we are participants
together. All can win, nobody has to lose. Authentic people never feel
themselves to be losers, thus, they can never be losers. Others may
call you a loser, but that’s only because they may have some need to
feel that they are winners- something they simply can’t do unless they
can think of someone else a loser.
Authentic people do not get into this trap. Authentic people accept
others without judgment, just as they want to be accepted, without the
need for approval or disapproval.
Being accepting is possible only if you can.
Be Present
When I say “be present,” you might be tempted to look around and say,
“I’m here, aint I?” I can’t argue with that, but being present is not
just being here or there, but having your whole self available at all
times- available to yourself as you try to bring all your values to
bear on the work at hand, and available to others as you respond to
the problems and issues and challenges of team members, collegues,
managers, employees, vendors, and customers.
This is difficult task because of the pressure of the past and the
future. We’re always trying to learn from the past, and if we’re
fulfilling our full management role, we’re always planning for the
future. So being attuned to all your management responsibilities
while living in the present and focusing on the here and now sometimes
seems impossible. It often seems counterintuitive as well.
But believe me, the effect on those around you is palpable. When they
see you remaining centered and grounded in the midst of whatever
perceived crisis is at hand-and there is usually one crisis on a
regular basis in most workplaces-they will be more assured and
confident in their own actions.
Conversely, when they see agitated, worried, stressed, short-tempered,
and distracted, then they become the same way, only worse because
they’re worried that you might take it (whatever it is) out on them.
So be present, Think about it. Concentrate on it. Do you want a
little, almost trivial-sounding, ten-second tool for quickly helping
you come back to center? Try this meditative technique I learned a
long time ago and still use to this day. In fact, I used it before I
began writing today.
Think about something that makes you smile: a loved one, a child, an
experience you had, great vacation. Just visualize what makes you
smile.
Now close you eyes, take a deep breath as you can, hold it for a
couple of seconds, think about what makes you smile, and exhale
slowly, Open you eyes. Try this couple of times a day, perhaps once in
the morning and once in the afternoon, It’s a ten-second investment in
being present. Guaranteed.
Now, if you authentic, vulnerable, accepting and present, there’s only
one other aspect to manisfesting your spirituality of work, And that
is simply to…
Be Useful
I have to smile a little as I write this, because I recall my
grandmother saying to me-it seemed several times a day-“Jimmy, make
yourself useful around here.”
And that goes to the very heart of this book: service. The most
important thing you can be as a leader is useful. Let me put that
another way. The late Robert Greenleaf wrote and lectured extensively
on the servant leader. He also established the highly regarded
Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership in Indianapolis. Underlying
Dr. Greenleaf’s work and my own urging to make yourself useful is the
fundamental concept of being of service to others.
Another way to think of this is a resource for you people. On the
primary functions of the manager/leader is to assure that people get
the resources they need to do the job. To be a leader who serves, you
must think of yourself as –and indeed a must be-their principal
resource.
Clearly this requires a change of orientantion for many people. After
all you worked hard to get to be a manager, to get to be the boss. And
now I’m telling you to be a resource.
Yes.
Because the concept of serving others is a essential part of what I
believe about leadership, let me offer you a list of six thing I
believe about leadership.
1. Leadership is not about controlling people; it’s about caring for
people and being useful resource for people.
2. Leadership is not about being the boss; it’s about being present
for people and building a community at work.
3. Leadership is not about holding on to territory, it’s about letting
it go, bringing your spirit to work, being your best and most
authentic self.
4. Leadership is less concerned with pep talks and more concerned
with creating a place in which people can do good work, can find
meaning in their work, and can bring their spirits to work.
5. Leadership, like life, is largely a matter of paying attention.
6. Leadership requires love.
Below is excerpt from Chapter 1 on Characteristics of the Leader as Servant
Five way of Being
1st Authenic
2nd Be Vulnerable
3rd Be Accepting
4th Be Present
5th Be Useful
Be Authentic
What does being authentic mean? Simply stated, it means be who you
are. Be the same person in every circumstance. Hold to the same values
in whatever roles you have. Always be your real self. Maybe the best
way to say this is to ask if you’ve heard the expression “He’s real”
That’s what I’m talking about. Being real.
I recall once in when I was in serious conflict with the vice
president who was over my department. I had be given his job and felt,
probably a little arrogantly, that it was mine to do and define. We
were in a conflict from the beginning. Finally, I got a very
attractive offer to go to New York in a substantial position in our
industry. So I resigned.
My big boss, the CEO of the company, asked by phone that I hold my
letter of resignation until he could fly back from New York and meet
with me. I agreed but offered no promises. My new employer was waiting
for the go-ahead to prepare a press release. This was no maneuver of
that type, in fact it would not have been authentic for me to try to
pull such a maneuver.
At four in the afternoon, I went into the CEO’s office and handed him
the letter. He read it. He looked at me, right in the eye, put his
hand on my arm, and said “I’ve been such a jerk, and I’m sorry, I knew
this was a big problem, but I hoped it would go away. I should have
known better. I should have known that the structure I set did not
free you to the creative job I expected. I’m sorry. I’ll change it. I
need you here to help carry out the vision. Please stay.”
To make the story short. I stayed. I didn’t stay for more money or
power or position. I stayed because I believed the CEO. I had always
believed in him as a visionary leader, but it was at the moment that I
got the measure of him as an hones, authentic human being- one willing
to admit his mistakes, who did not allow his sense of position, his
ego, to prevent him from apologizing to some lower in the hierarchy.
This may seem simple enough on the surface, but the fact is the much
of our conditioning is against being authentic. In the process of
socializing us, of teaching us how to be in the world, our parents
taught us to not say some of what we were feeling or thinking. This
carries over to the workplace, where we are taught, through direct
instruction or through our own observation, that some subjects are
“taboo” around here. “We learn the politics
Of when to speak and when no to speak, of what to say, of how to
handle bad news. We learn to fudge the budget or cover our rears with
memos.
I’m not talking about dishonesty, through that could be considered
radical inauthenticity. I’m talking about how we are considered to not
be the true to ourselves.
I recently worked with a top manager who had two major management
flaws, both having to do with his unwillingness to be authentic. He
believes that telling people what they want to hear is the most
effective way to manage them., whether or not he really believes what
he’s telling them. He is always sure to use language that is
slippery, that gives him an out if he doesn’t want to do what he has
led them to expect he will do. For instance, when asked about a
policy that I knew he instituted and fully supported, he replied,
“Good point, I could be persuaded to take another look at that one”.
Notice that he didn’t say, “I will take another look”, or, “You’ve
persuaded me to take another look,” though that is what the employee
was let to believe. When I, as a consultant , called the manager on
his language, he even tried to pull it on me.
“I didn’t lie,” he said. “I really could be persuaded to take another
look.” Slippery slippery- and not the language of authenticity.
Authenticity means much more than being technically truthful.
Another senior manager I know is fond of committees or as he calls
them, “work groups.” But here’s the way it works. The group spends
time studying the situation of the manager’s choosing, then works out
recommendations and sends the manager a report. He then red-pencils
the report and sends it back. The it comes back, The he red-pencils it
again with suggestion. Finally, when the committee recommends what he
wanted done in the first place, he approves the report.
When I asked why he didn’t just tell them how he wanted it done,
rather than putting them through all the work and frustration, he
replied. “ I saw it as a learning experience for them.”
That is not authentic way to provide a learning experience.
Learning experiences are important, and it is important to mentor
people and help them learn. But realize that mentoring is also about
helping people learn to be themselves. You do that by honoring what is
good and unique about those you are mentoring, not by trying to bend
them to your image. That’s playing God.
Being authentic is, first knowing yourself, then being yourself.
Authenticity derives from our deepest, truest selves. How do we come
to know ourselves? Only through what we can be called spiritual
disciplines, silence, mediation, prayer. And certainly , sometimes,
traditionally therapy or groups dedicated to self-exploration.
If you are truly authentic then you’ll also…..
Be Vulnerable
Back in the 1980’s during the farm crisis, on of my company’s
magazines, Successful Farming, decided to sponsor a major conference
on alternative agriculture. We decided to give farmers all over the
country a change to come to our headquarter’s city and participate.
The conference would be free to the farmers, and we promised to get
them good prices on room and board. We would even charter buses at no
cost to transport farmers. As you might imagine, this was an expensive
proposition with no apparent payoff, but that’s the kind of
relationship we felt we had our readers, our customers, who were
suffering.
The letters began to pour in. Many of them cam to the CEO.
At an annual employee’s meeting in New York, at the big luncheon , the
CEO referred to what we were doing and to some of the letters he
received. He began to read one: “We’re dying out here”, it said,”and
you’re the only ones who seem to care.” The CEO could hardly finish
the sentence because he became so choked up. He himself had grown up
in a rural area and could feel deeply the words he was reading.
You might imagine that crowd of New Yorkers was cynical or hard-edged
in its response. Not at all. Here was our big boss who, in sharing the
letters as part of his business presentation, let us sell and
experience his own sympathy and grief about what those letters
represented, as well as his pride about what we were doing. He did not
intend to choke up; it was certainly not a technique, a cynical ploy.
The paradox in being vulnerable is that it also requires you to be
courageous. What does vulnerable mean? Wearing your feelings on your
sleeve? Sharing your pain? Tearing up at moment’s notice? No. Doing
any of those things as some kind of “technique” would be neither
authentic nor truly vulnerable.
Basically, being vulnerable means being honest with your feelings in
the context of your work: being open with your doubts and fears and
concerns about an idea, an employee’s performance, or your own
performance; and being able to admit mistakes openly, particularly
with your employees. Simply saying, “I was wrong,” and meaning it,
embracing it, is an extension of vulnerability and, I believe, is a
sign of being spiritually attuned and aware.
Being vulnerable take a great deal of courage because it means letting
go of the old notions of control, forgetting forever the illusion that
you can be in control. Too many of us think that our powers comes form
our ability to maintain control. To the contrary, our power comes from
realizing that we can’t be in control and that must depend on others.
Despite the image of the rugged individual, you really don’t succeed
at anything in an organization by yourself. It’s myth we need to get
rid of.
But just as we are conditioned against being authentic, we are
conditioned against being vulnerable. Men especially, are taught to be
tough, to not show their feelings. This is an old story, and to much
has been made of the gender differences in this regard, but we should
recongnize that all of us have been taught to cover up our emotions.
But there simply is no way to be authentic without revealing our true
selves, and that means revealing our emotions, how we feel, and that
means revealing our emotions, how we feel about the work, the
workplace, and one another.
Expressing anger in this definition. Is there a spiritual way to show anger? Yes
Expressing anger honestly is very different from acting in anger. You
can properly express anger, buy you can’t act properly if you act in
anger. One can be called spiritually appropriate, the other is the
opposite.
Vulnerability has an aspect of empathy as well, the ability to put
yourself in the other’s shoes, to view the world or the situation from
the other’s viewpoint. So…
Be Accepting
Acceptance is more important than approval. I believe this is true in
friendship and marriage and parenting, as well as in professional
relationships. I observed that most of the conflicts in a workplace
are more concerned with style and personality than a product or
process. Thus, communities of work, from teams to large department,
will become dysfunctional unless the art of acceptance become the
norm.
A lot of organizations are emphasizing teams for more productivity and
a general better working environment. But the fact is that teams often
don’t work because the expectations is that everything will be
hunky-dory all the time, the real team members will always agree, I’m
sure you’ve heard it said of someone who disagrees with other members
of the team that he or she is “not a team player.”
The art of acceptance does not imply that you accept everyone’s ideas
without critical analysis, discussion and judgment- only that you
accept the ideas as valid for the discussion and review, and that you
focus on the ideas themselves, not on the person who presented them.
It also means that you accept and embrace disagreements as a human
part of the process of work.
If you are to express your spirituality fully, if you are to achieve
the goal of servant leadership, then you must abandon any dualistic
notion of winners and losers. My goodness, we have done way to much to
turn the workplace and business into some kind of war, or at least
high-contact sport. But the truth is that we are participants
together. All can win, nobody has to lose. Authentic people never feel
themselves to be losers, thus, they can never be losers. Others may
call you a loser, but that’s only because they may have some need to
feel that they are winners- something they simply can’t do unless they
can think of someone else a loser.
Authentic people do not get into this trap. Authentic people accept
others without judgment, just as they want to be accepted, without the
need for approval or disapproval.
Being accepting is possible only if you can.
Be Present
When I say “be present,” you might be tempted to look around and say,
“I’m here, aint I?” I can’t argue with that, but being present is not
just being here or there, but having your whole self available at all
times- available to yourself as you try to bring all your values to
bear on the work at hand, and available to others as you respond to
the problems and issues and challenges of team members, collegues,
managers, employees, vendors, and customers.
This is difficult task because of the pressure of the past and the
future. We’re always trying to learn from the past, and if we’re
fulfilling our full management role, we’re always planning for the
future. So being attuned to all your management responsibilities
while living in the present and focusing on the here and now sometimes
seems impossible. It often seems counterintuitive as well.
But believe me, the effect on those around you is palpable. When they
see you remaining centered and grounded in the midst of whatever
perceived crisis is at hand-and there is usually one crisis on a
regular basis in most workplaces-they will be more assured and
confident in their own actions.
Conversely, when they see agitated, worried, stressed, short-tempered,
and distracted, then they become the same way, only worse because
they’re worried that you might take it (whatever it is) out on them.
So be present, Think about it. Concentrate on it. Do you want a
little, almost trivial-sounding, ten-second tool for quickly helping
you come back to center? Try this meditative technique I learned a
long time ago and still use to this day. In fact, I used it before I
began writing today.
Think about something that makes you smile: a loved one, a child, an
experience you had, great vacation. Just visualize what makes you
smile.
Now close you eyes, take a deep breath as you can, hold it for a
couple of seconds, think about what makes you smile, and exhale
slowly, Open you eyes. Try this couple of times a day, perhaps once in
the morning and once in the afternoon, It’s a ten-second investment in
being present. Guaranteed.
Now, if you authentic, vulnerable, accepting and present, there’s only
one other aspect to manisfesting your spirituality of work, And that
is simply to…
Be Useful
I have to smile a little as I write this, because I recall my
grandmother saying to me-it seemed several times a day-“Jimmy, make
yourself useful around here.”
And that goes to the very heart of this book: service. The most
important thing you can be as a leader is useful. Let me put that
another way. The late Robert Greenleaf wrote and lectured extensively
on the servant leader. He also established the highly regarded
Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership in Indianapolis. Underlying
Dr. Greenleaf’s work and my own urging to make yourself useful is the
fundamental concept of being of service to others.
Another way to think of this is a resource for you people. On the
primary functions of the manager/leader is to assure that people get
the resources they need to do the job. To be a leader who serves, you
must think of yourself as –and indeed a must be-their principal
resource.
Clearly this requires a change of orientantion for many people. After
all you worked hard to get to be a manager, to get to be the boss. And
now I’m telling you to be a resource.
Yes.
Because the concept of serving others is a essential part of what I
believe about leadership, let me offer you a list of six thing I
believe about leadership.
1. Leadership is not about controlling people; it’s about caring for
people and being useful resource for people.
2. Leadership is not about being the boss; it’s about being present
for people and building a community at work.
3. Leadership is not about holding on to territory, it’s about letting
it go, bringing your spirit to work, being your best and most
authentic self.
4. Leadership is less concerned with pep talks and more concerned
with creating a place in which people can do good work, can find
meaning in their work, and can bring their spirits to work.
5. Leadership, like life, is largely a matter of paying attention.
6. Leadership requires love.
Looking for DvD's and other stuff
Sons of Anarchy(all seasons
Clint Eastwood sets
Any boxing,wrestling,hockey football,basketball dvds or sets
ll in the Family(Any season)
Curb your Enthusiasm(any season)
The Persuaders(British)
The Prisoner(British)
The Champions(British)
The Three Stooges(Any box set or singles)
24 Seasons 7,8
Any movie box sets The Godfather,Star Wars,Superman etc.
Single movies always interested to trade for those.
Mounted sports and entertainment. 16 in by 20 in or smaller
two hockey sets.One is the WHA chronicles and the second is
Inidianapolis ,Gretzky and the WHA.
Email jim@pagiamtzis.com if you know of anyone who has the above mentioned dvd's
Buying dvd's,blu-rays,laptops and electronics, guitars
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