Quiet Enthusiasm

The idea of Quiet Enthusiasm from Ralph Marston demonstrates that introverts do have enthusiasm, but it is on the quest side.

Sometimes enthusiasm shouts loudly and is very obvious. Yet many times enthusiasm works quietly, diligently and effectively behind the scenes to make great things happen.

Both kinds of enthusiasm are valid and powerful. Both kinds of enthusiasm can change life for the better.

Noisy, flashy enthusiasm commands great attention and makes many promises. Quiet enthusiasm follows through and fulfills those promises.

You don't have to be loud and boisterous to be enthusiastic. You can be just as enthusiastic and committed by being fully and yet quietly engaged in getting the work done.

Outer actions may be a sure sign of enthusiasm, yet they are not where enthusiasm comes from. Enthusiasm originates in the authentic passion that lives deep within you.

Explore, understand and feel that passion. And express enthusiasm in your own very special way.

- Ralph Marston

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Soft-Spoken Corporate Leaders

Being honored for his leadership style, David Baker gave a speech in his usual way, soft-spoken, that won him the advanced leadership award of the year. Most people at the dinner thought that David spoke soft because of a leadership secret he found that worked and worked well in his 35 years being the CEO of WXT company. What most people did not realize was that David always spoke softly all of his life. David, an introvert is a tough leader and gets results by the way he leads.

The quiet revolution is moving forward and gaining steam as I write this. According to research, there are between 40-70% of CEOs and other executives who consider themselves as being introverted. With this in mind, even though they are introverted, these

We often read books and articles expounding on leadership traits or skills that a leader should possess. Do not let the cover fool you. There are many people who do not seek the spotlight, even though they are corporate leaders. They do not need the trappings of leadership- they just lead.

Leaders lead not through their loud speeches, but rather by doing what needs to be done, and by example. The gruff, non-nonsense company leader may be just as much a leader as the soft-spoken one. Optimize who you are. Some leaders who are soft-spoken, introverted, and quiet; while others are extroverted and like to be in the limelight all the time. Allow yourself to be who you are even with demonstrating your active listening skills, and look carefully into what your leadership style is. Think about the idea that you can expand your horizons by demonstrating more of who you are through your leadership style and work on how you want that to be.

Kenneth Chase, a 57 year old vice-president never wanted to be president or CEO of the organization he has worked at since graduating from Penn State University. As a self-confident leader is usually soft-spoken, Kenneth’s dynamic leadership brought forth his great insights and vision for his company that demonstrated his creativity as it began as an artist, and then switched his major to business. He did not plan on being a corporate leader, but he has made the position comfortable enough that he has been there for over 20 years.

Many people may look at themselves and say, “I am soft-spoken, quiet and opinionated”. These are some of the same people who notice that almost all charismatic people are soft-spoken.

There are some people who are naturally soft-spoken and it may be part of their emotional make-up. Sometimes it is taught in families as to not raise your voice even when you get angry. Others are introverted so they do not speak up or are slow to respond because introverts have to think first before saying or taking any action.

Some believe that soft-spoken people are creative and mask a hidden agenda. Others believe being soft-spoken is a sign of weakness. When people use their actual strengths, they can be powerful in their own way. Many people do not understand that.

Talking softly actually makes others listen to you more. Some might say that people who talk over others are self-absorbed and have a skewed self-esteem issue that they rarely listen to what others say. They are too busy listening to the sound of their own voice.

Having a brilliant mind which gives her unique ideas, even though she prefers to make policy based on what she observes, Megan Anderson is one of those creative types who likes management by walking around. She likes to talk to employees and get their opinions, suggestions, and feedback because when changes need to take place, Megan wants the buy-in from her workforce as to the changes she wants to implement as it affects them as well.

Megan is soft-spoken and remains quiet when she is in a large group, such as networking events. She prefers not to have attention put on her because she gets flustered and blushes. She prefers one-to-ones instead.

With the quiet revolution taking place within leadership, and more and more quiet leaders demonstrating that they are getting results beyond their expectations. Soft-spoken leaders are not shouting their secret leadership skills, strategies and techniques from the rooftops; they still keep a low profile and look forward to stellar years due to their leadership and how they do what they do.

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MBWA (Management By Waking Around)

Why do some leaders quickly implement change and inspire their team(s) to exceed all targets- while others try everything possible and their team(s) barely meet expectations?

For many employees, one of the most popular questions they are asked every morning is “How are you?” By the way, this question is stated not by a co-worker, but by their boss. Many ineffective managers and leaders have distinguishing factors such as not asking good questions or offering little or no help, support or even encouragement or suggestions to their employees to be more productive. Many leaders do not avail themselves to the potentially useful techniques that help them manage better either because they do not know them or do not believe in them.

Management By Walking Around or MBWA for short, was pioneered by the two men who started HP-Hewlett-Packard (Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard) in the 1940’s. The “HP Way” of MBWA was based on the concept that employees are capable of being part of the problem solving process and that a team approach to creating new business ideas and innovating ways to solve problems was far superior to the “top down” approach of management coming up with all the answers and dictating them to their employees.

The idea behind MBWA, according to author Tom Peters who popularized the term, is simple: “Managers can be a lot more effective when they wander around the work site. Companies that perform the best are the ones whose managers actively go out into the trenches and listen and engage with their employees.

Managers can best engage employees by asking how their day is going, what barriers they face, what problems they see, how the organization could do better, and how management can help them do a better job. Some may remember the notion of management by walking around as an old idea that is coming back in many companies.

Some organizations who have used “management by walking around” focused on leading that resulted in productivity improvements of at least 30%. Effective managers have their fingers on the pulse of their projects, their teams, and the organizations. Some of the ways “Management By Walking Around” improves leadership includes:

· Motivates employees to achieve individual and team goals
· Focuses the team’s attention on business priorities
· Increases the ability to drive cultural change
· Builds company spirit
· Reinforces company values

Management By Walking Around builds trust and relationships, motivates the staff by management allowing employees to take an active role in the company they work for, and creates a healthy organization.

Management By Walking Around recognizes and appreciates the employees who help make you successful. Managers who practice this style, take note of the following:

1. Speak with People One-on-One as this builds trust.

2. Get to Know People more on a personal basis as this shows your interest in them. Tell them something about yourself.

3. Be Prepared to hear some things you would rather not hear. Some things may not be going so well. Accept these things as information that may be useful to you without being critical of the employee who presents the information.

4. Always Ask people for their ideas on how their work could be improved. Listen carefully to their ideas.

5. When You Notice something out of line, make a mental note and go back later to address the problem.

6. Practice MBWA with everyone as often as you can. Be humble. Let them show you how to input the data.

7. Try to Catch Employees in the act of doing something right. Notice the things that are right and express your appreciation. This builds loyalty.

These are simple and powerful tools for you to use daily. Today, many business owners and leaders walk the floor only when a crisis occurs. They think their presence will calm their employees. The trouble is, that is not effective if you have been hiding in your office before you notice a problem has hit. MBWA only works (and does work) if you do it regularly and you really want to know what is going on in your organization. So Instead of staying in your office all day, every day, visit your employees on a regular basis, and discover how to improve your leadership with your employees and your company.

“Ninety percent of leadership is the ability to communicate something people want.”
- Dianne Feinstein

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Resilient People

How do you react to unexpected difficulties? In today’s workplace everyone feels pressured to get more done, of higher quality, with fewer people, in less time, and with less of a budget. It is more challenging when life throws you a curve especially in difficult times when it is important to be resilient as much as possible.

Healthy, resilient people have stress-resistant personalities. Resilience is the process of successfully adapting to difficult or challenging life experiences. Resilient people bounce back from setbacks quicker than others, and can thrive under extreme, on-going pressure without acting in dysfunctional or harmful ways.

Resilience comprises 2 different elements: (1) The ability to keep it together when you are subject to great demands and pressures; and (2) The ability to overcome difficulties, to learn from mistakes and to develop creatively, by turning difficult circumstances into opportunities.

Resiliency is what sets some people apart from others. The traits of resilient people are plenty for people to understand. Here are several characteristics. See if they fit for you!

· Resilient people are connected to what is most important to them in their lives (meaning, direction and purpose in what they do).

· Put things in perspective.

· They understand that emotions are great sources of energy and motivation but are often poor guides for action. They know how to motivate themselves to take action.

· They are focused with having a clear vision of what they want to achieve.

· Resilient people are positive. They are optimistic in their thinking as negative thinking is just a “bad habit”. (Challenge yourself to reframe situations in more positive terms).

· They are flexible especially when responding to change.

· Resilient people are organized as they develop structured approaches to managing change.

· Always exploring their options. If one door closes, they look for another door or window of opportunity. They even create them when needed.

· Resilient people have excellent problem-solving skills. The can brainstorm and negotiate with the best. They think critically.

· Maintain a higher level of quality and productivity in their work.

· Resilient people have the ability to re-frame their experiences to see the positive side of things. They always look for the silver lining. They ask questions like, “What can I learn from this experience?”

· Achieve more of their objectives.

· They look for adversity as a challenge rather than as a threat. They realize that no matter how the present situation turns out, they will learn and grow from it.

· Resilient people respect themselves and others. They have a spirit of cooperation and look for win-win solutions rather than try to win over people or ignore their own wants and needs.

· They know how to let go of things they have no control over. They know the only thing in their control is “Me, Myself, and I”.

· Resilient people use positive self-talk. They spend time thinking what they want versus what they do not have. They understand and use the power of positive affirmations.

· Resilient people let go of the past and learn from past experiences and plan for the future.

· They know how and when to ask for help. They do not try to do everything themselves. They do not expect others to do everything for them. They understand the benefits of tapping into the strengths of others.

· Resilient people enjoy living in the NOW. They do not put important things off for another day.

· Actively seek solutions. Active coping rather than being passive and waiting for things to happen.

Think about how resiliency impacts you and your organization!

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Leaders Understanding Their Own Awareness

One who knows others is wise.
One who knows oneself is enlightened.
Lao-Tzu

Although it is probably one of the least discussed leadership competencies, self-awareness is one of the most valuable. Many of us operate on the belief that we must appear as though we know everything all the time or else people will question our abilities, diminishing the effectiveness of leaders.

Self-awareness is the cornerstone of leadership. When you are self-aware, you are mindful of the impacts that your emotions, your behavior, your communication patterns have on those around you. Strong leaders take time to reflect on their strengths and development needs.

Self-awareness is the first step to better leadership. If you do not know what you do not know, you cannot improve on your weaknesses. If you are unaware of your strengths, you will not reach your potential. A lack of knowledge about who you are and how you operate can lead you to overemphasize your strengths, to the point where they become a weakness. Once you know yourself- your strengths, weaknesses, behavior tendencies and motivators- you can begin to lead yourself to success.

Recognition of your own strengths and limitations means that you are more likely to empower others, giving them the opportunity to develop and support broad improvement goals. On the interpersonal level, self-awareness of your strengths and weaknesses can net you the trust of others and increase your credibility – both of which will increase your leadership effectiveness.

On an organizational level, the benefits are greater. When you acknowledge what you have yet to learn, you are modeling that in your organization then it is okay to admit you do not have all the answers, make mistakes and most importantly, to ask for help. These are all characteristics of an organization that is constantly learning and presents itself as a springboard to innovation and agility – two hallmarks of high performing organizations.

So How Self-Aware Are You?

According to research on management styles, you are more likely to be unaware of your behavior and how it impacts others if you normally tend to operate at the extremes.

Developing your leadership potential begins with self-reflection. Leadership development helps leaders understand their own style. Knowing your own strengths and limitations helps you understand your own emotions and the impact of your behavior on others in diverse situations.


Leadership guru, Warren Bennis states, “Know thyself means separating who you are and who you want to be from what the world thinks you are and wants you to be.”

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Who Are Your Star Performers

Brent was a successful senior executive working for a large manufacturing company. He was the person that you wanted to have when things did not go well. Everybody loved him for his enthusiasm, never-ending motivation and his vision of taking the organization to the next level. About one year after this bright star was brought in and produced so well he started getting frustrated due to the fact that his boss was not spending any time to groom him and was not receiving any recognition or bonuses for the work he was doing. When he accepted an offer at another firm nobody could believe it. His boss did not understand his reasons, his team was disappointed, and his peers simply didn’t get it. Brent never told anyone what he was going through. But everyone knew he was a top performer who everyone expected to run the company one day soon.

It is a difficult event for an organization when a star employee leaves, ripping a hole in the organization. Most managers are aware of the 80-20 rule that states that “80 percent of the work is done by 20 percent of the people.” Whether this is fact or fiction, few managers would disagree that the bulk of the work is done by a few key staff.

Ask a manager where they spend the bulk of their time, and most will say that it is spent with underperformers in an attempt to raise the overall level of the team. Most people don’t spend a lot of time trying to identify their best producers.

I came across an article recently from World at Work that reported an alarming 47% of high performing employees are actively looking for another job. In many cases stars are only identified long after they have left.

Star Performers Are:

· Known within the team, but may not be known to management

· Not clock watchers starting to pack their bag at 4:58.

· Usually approached when something important needs to be done

· Stars don't think of networking as something to do with other people. For stars, it's a constant. Nothing is a complete waste of time because you can always meet someone, talk to someone, or help someone. That last piece is important – stars know that networking is as much giving as taking. And there is an inherent humility in this way of life; stars know they can't get what they want by acting alone.

· Stars exceed expectations. Just doing your job is not enough. Stars do their own job well and then perform well in areas that exceed the job description. Generally star initiative includes helping people, taking risks and seeing a project through to the end – all in arenas that go beyond their job duties

Star performers are usually not the ones flapping around and spending time each day telling others how busy they are. They may be easy to spot in areas such as sales, because it is a numbers game.

Not only are star performers a dumping ground for additional work and some say they are often a victim of their own success.

What Drives Star Performers Away?

• Lack of recognition or feedback with respect to performance
• Internal promotions that are not based on performance
• Others taking credit for their work

It does not matter what profession you are in, the following is a formula to use to identify your star performers.

1. Look at the people in your organization, and then inventory their skills.
2. Compare those skills to what’s hot in the open job market.
3. Compile a list of people that have extremely valuable skills.

High performers are usually people who need a different form of motivation in order to stay passionate about their jobs. Stars thrive on executing results. Seldom do they sit down and reflect on the things that “just happen.”

Most of us can divide the people in our organizations into three categories: Star performers, moderate performers and substandard performers. Suppose you have 100 employees. In a typical work force, that would probably mean 15 star performers, 83 moderate performers and two substandard performers. . A study of computer programmers at Bell Laboratories showed that the star performers outperformed moderate performers by a margin of 8-1.

Retain Your Star Performers

· Work with star performers to set realistic performance targets.

· Give them more of your time than underperformers. Meet with them on a weekly basis for an informal catch-up. They are the backbone of your company, so why spend all your time with staff that are not producing the results?

· They want to be in the limelight. They want to make decisions. They want to shine. Be sure to create an environment where they can do just that.

One of the best ways to get what you want is to be an extraordinary performer at work. The interesting thing about star performance at work is that it actually demands that you be the person you want to be anyway. Being a good person, seeking self-knowledge, and taking responsibility for where you're going are probably key pieces of your core belief system. So you truly do not need to stray from your idea of a good life in order to be wildly successful in your career.

For a 30 minute complimentary session to see how we can help you for the leadership skills you may be seeking, please contact us at 602-405-2540, or email nburgis@successful-solutions.com

Leadership Action to Move Forward

Leadership is not something you “do”…it is a quality of who you “are”

What are you willing to take action on, whether you feel like it or not, in order to help you drop the old way and empower the new way? One of the prime differences between leaders and followers is that leaders go out and make something happen, while followers wait for something to happen. In fact, there are three kinds of people in business. See which you most resemble:

1. Those who make things happen.
2. Those who wait for something to happen.
3. Those who wonder, “What happened?”

While leaders have numerous qualities, the following helps you start to move forward as a leader.

Leaders Focus on Strengths

Besides assessing and identifying your own strengths, as a leader you need to focus on the strengths of your employees and of the organization. Leaders know that by focusing on and developing strengths, they gain momentum and can become exceptional in an area(s). Leaders focus on strengths because they know it takes more time and energy to go from miserable to mediocre than it does to go from good to great and great people make an organization great and great people and organizations make things happen!

Leaders Set the Tone and Climate for their Workplace Each Day

Effective leaders are the ones who make the work environment a place in which employees: (a) want to show up for work and (b) want to follow the leaders.

Leading by example is the best way many employees view of their top company execs are doing and especially of how they feel about the company they lead. Many employees like to wait and see how their leaders handle various types of situations before believing they are doing well for the company. Other employees go along with the flow and perceive their leaders at the moment of what they say and how they present to employees their vision, expectations, etc.

Be Forward Looking

The whole point of leadership is figuring out where to go from where you are now. For leaders to be able to look ahead in the present context means that they need to be able and willing to stay informed continuously about developments.

Leaders are charged with taking organizations forward, and rely on information systems to see what’s coming ahead.

Forward looking leaders need to know when to take a few steps back to see what is in front of them and how to solve the challenge(s) they face. Some leaders know that it is hard to see the bigger picture when you're inside the frame. That's why they regularly step back to see themselves, their team, or their organization through the eyes of others.

Optimism

There are some who are naturally pessimistic, while others are naturally optimistic. Successful leaders are part of the second group. They know that they cannot control every eventuality but they can control how they respond. They focus on solutions, not problems. Optimistic leadership help you not just look for the positives, but gives you energy that inspires others.

Sometimes leaders need to look at things from an open perspective. “The mind is like a parachute. It doesn’t work unless it’s open.” -Unknown Author

Be Decisive

A leader who does not make decisions, who waffles, gets his management team into a position of standing still — ‘If s/he’s not going to make a decision, I’m not going to make a decision because I don’t want to go out on a limb.’

When you start getting that groupthink of, ‘Inaction is what he or she wants,’ then you develop a company that is focused on inaction. Then you have your customer facing managers who need something to happen and confused about what corporate is doing. Then the frustration starts to build, customers start to feel it, and your business starts to go sideways.

Leaders Plan for Success

In planning for success, leaders encourage their employees to take risks, and look for breakthroughs by empowering employees to complete tasks/projects/assignments by using their thinking skills. Asking questions to get people to think more critically helps them solve challenges and helps them improve their self-confidence.

It is now time to take action.

"We have good corporals and good sergeants and some good lieutenants and captains, and those are far more important than good generals." - Gen William T. Sherman

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Looking Down from the Balcony to Lead on the Dance Floor

So much has changed in the past few years. The best ways of running a sustainable business has also changed. Successfully managing change will be your competitive advantage. Every bookstore or library shelf has an abundant number of leadership from the theoretical to the practical and everything in between. Find a book on leadership shifting gears slightly about how to lead from a different perspective. This will help you immensely especially if you are thinking about moving your organization to be more efficient and effective, but not know where or how to start.

While not everyone is cut out to be a leader, not everyone can or wants to be a follower all the time, also. It is often the mix of the smartest, most effective and efficient way to build and sustain your business, team and productivity. Orchestrating your leadership and how your employees go about completing their day work, may need some

Leaders need to identify if a change they are introducing requires primarily technical expertise, or represents a deeper, adaptive challenge. The key to success is to correctly identify which type of challenge leaders are facing and then proceed to orchestrate the change based on whether the type of change they are facing is a technical or an adaptive challenge.

Ron Heifetz, professor at Harvard University and author of Leadership Without Easy Answers (1998), makes the point that leaders periodically need to get off the dance floor and get up on the balcony. By doing so, you can see the patterns and the flow of your employees working better than when they are right in front of you.

Heifetz believes that leaders need to regularly “get up in the balcony” and get a different perspective of everything that is going on. You also can see who is dancing well and who is struggling.

In their book, “Leadership on the Line”, authors Ron Heifetz and Marty Linsky offer a practical solution of “getting off the dance floor (daily operations) and up in the balcony.

When growing or leading your business, it is important to regularly make the time to consider where you want to be and what is changing around you rather than always being bogged down in (with) the details. Applying the “getting off the dance floor” metaphor, spending less time dancing and more time looking down from the balcony at the dancers to assess whether there is better way to do things. On the Dance Floor, you can find yourself in action, consumed in the day to day running of your business. On the “Balcony”, you can take a step back from the details and take a clearer, more strategic view of what is going on in your business. Spending regular time in the Balcony is important for you to see what you need to do in order to grow or lead your business.

Return to the dance if you want to affect what is happening. Staying on the balcony for short periods of time to give you a different perspective is great.

Position your people to be able to provide feedback, opinions and suggestions without fear of intimidation or being ignored. Provide regular opportunities to hear what they are thinking, feeling, and how they respond to current trends and issues affecting their work.

Many leaders modify their behaviors according to their responses from their employees. A masterful leader understands that their leadership is a work in progress and that their ability to manage and lead depends on many factors and situations. Continuous monitoring and confirming with observations and feelings of others is a good barometer for leaders.

Leaders that develop and practice emotional intelligence seek feedback when it comes to behaviors and attitudes may find they actually get it if they are responsive to improvement(s).

The notion that leadership means “I know where we are going just follow me”; or “I’ll bring in the best experts and then follow me” is clearly inappropriate to adaptive contexts and puts enormous pressure on people in authority to fake it and provide quick technical fixes that tend to avoid the more significant questions.

Taking a balcony perspective is difficult especially when you have been leading from down below. When you break away, step back and you will see the big picture. Sometimes it is complicated by several factors.


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Characteristics of Inspiring Leaders

A survey of more than one and a half thousand managers, people were asked what they would most like to see in their leaders. the most popular answer, mentioned by 55% , was "Inspiration". When asked if they would describe their current leader as "inspiring", only 11% said yes.

An inspired and motivated workforce is essential for any business that stays ahead of their competition. Ann Clarke Judd, the chief executive officer of the American red Cross National Testing Laboratory in Charlotte, N.C., "Inspiring leaders under the consequences of their decisions, are trustworthy, presevere, and plan carefully."

An Inspiring Leader is an authentic individual who demonstrates the following characteristics.

1. Is open to change and is always looking for better and easier ways of doing things.

2. Their decisions are based on the greater good of all and not solely on one individual.

3. Is flexible, responsive, and adaptable.

4. Are "Big Picture" vision thinkers.

5. Not threatened or intimidated by others.

6. Accepts 100% responsiblity for their leadership style and not only admits but apologizes when they are wrong.

7. Knows who they are and acknowledges their strengths and weaknesses. they surround themselves with people that complement their weaknesses and capitalize on their own stengths.

8. Is solution focused.

9. Always gives credit to those who the work or idea belongs to.

10. Builds people up, empowers them as the leader provides direction, guidance and encourages others to believe in themselves.

11. Create an open forum for ideas to flow freely from everyone and encourage others to express their ideas.

12. Involves people in decision making on every important issue. (Seeking the opinions of others communicates that leaders respect and appreciate them).

13. Listens well and gives others the courtesy of their full attention.

14. Delivers extraordinary results.

15. Articulates compelling course of action. (Inspiring leaders craft and deliver specific,, consistent and memorable vision).

16. Reinforces an Optimistic Outlook. Speaks in positive, optimistic language. (Extraordinary leaders throughout history have been more optimistic than the average person).

The inspirational leader feels passionately about the vision and mission of the organization. They share their passion with others.

The ability to inspire people to reach great heights of performance and success is a skill that leaders need. Passion, purpose, listening and meaning help make a leader inspirational. The ability to communicate that passion, purpose and meaning to others helps establish the inspirational culture of your organization. These points will tell you how to enable inspiration and motivation in the people you lead.

For a 30 minute complimentary session to see how we can help you, please contact us at 602-405-2540, or email nburgis@successful-solutions.com.

How Extraordinary Are You?

Everyone is unique in their own way, but few of us actually die as extraordinary people.
No matter what field you’re in, you can create extraordinary results. Your life may seem ordinary compared to people who are famous for changing the world. And many extraordinary successful people want it like this. Others want the limelight to go with their extraordinary successes.

When you think of extraordinary success, what comes to mind? Since extraordinary success is unique for everyone, you need to first define what success is for yourself, and then ask yourself how extraordinary is your success and do not compare yourself with anyone else.

Many have unique traits but either do not use them or do not get the chance to use them to your advantage. For many, being mediocre is not for them. They feel that they have to contribute or make a name for themselves by doing things different and better than following the crowd. From ordinary to extraordinary is taking the first step. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Don’t be too timid or squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make the better.”

Imagine all the things you could make happen if you were able to overcome any barriers you have and tap into the strength and skills that are already within you! Ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things if they:

· Believe in what they do
· Think outside the box
· Take action

Skyrocket Your Self-Confidence

Ordinary won’t take you to the next level of your success. Put yourself in the top 3% now and see your success and confidence sky rocket. Building self-confidence is an inside job. To build a real solid foundation in your self-confidence you want to experience yourself in a way that is new or different from past experiences. Skyrocket Your Self-Confidence by:

• Staying Positive

• Staying in Control

• Believing in Yourself and Reaching Your Potential

What are you doing to make yourself extraordinary in what you do?

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Untapped High Potential Leaders

At this point, who is not aware of the talent wars of finding the best employees or the next best high potential leaders? Companies need to look carefully at many of their own employees as they may be missing opportunities within their own ranks. The talent wars change with the needs of each organization. But one thing is sure, there is a need shortage of leaders stepping up to the plate and showing what they can do before becoming a leader in that organization.

Many high potential leaders go unnoticed, so very few ever reach their leadership potential. They live in the shadows of others. Mostly, they help others reach their potential. Unlocking the vast untapped potential for leadership right in your own backyard can be a positive thing as long as you recognize it in your employees.

Leonardo Da Vinci said there were three classes of people: Those who see; those who see when shown; those who do not see; and A leader needs to be a fourth type: One who sees the potential in others that they may not even see in themselves.

Do you know what your potential is? The word potential implies untapped capability. Within the untapped potential you have dwells the power to solve problems, the power to be creative and innovate, improve productivity, please more customers, and improve results however you measure them.

While it is difficult to measure, a leader must see her job as that of assessing the potential in others. For without an acknowledgement of potential, it may never be extracted. And all the ignored possibilities for solutions, innovations, and growth, will forever lie dormant, stunted, and wasted.

Take Action:

Seek the potential in others. What we see is often what we look for.

Provide others with a chance to grow. Ask your colleagues to try new assignments, to recommend some changes, to take-on special projects. The people who step forward may surprise you. Everyone is more than their job description.

In today’s economic climate, go beyond and look for those who have the potential to be leaders, but also take notice of how creative and innovative they are in the work they do. Out of the ordinary, you may find the extraordinary person you have been looking for.

You are capable of doing much more than what people expect of you. You have the potential of going beyond your expectations. But you need to have someone give you the opportunity to show what you can do. Some people are recognized for their efforts, and others need to be pushed a little. Which one are you?

For a 30 minute complimentary session to see how we can help you, please contact us at 602-405-2540, or email nburgis@successful-solutions.com.

Are You Already Working in Your Dream Job/Career?

Many people go to college and spend four years getting a degree. When they graduate, they either work using that degree they earned, or decide to work doing something else. When you’re finally fed up with your unfulfilling, dull career doing whatever pays the bills, it’s time to find your dream job.

Many people are not working their dream job/career because if you are like most people you work because you have bills that need to get paid, and you work in any job. For most people, they are dissatisfied with the job or work they do.

The reason you may not be working on getting to the next level of your success might be because you are not interested in the job or career you are in. With so many people dissatisfied with their jobs/careers, and no doing anything about it, they miss out on opportunities that could be exciting enough to do want they want, instead of what their employer wants.

Finding the perfect job can be a challenging task. For many, it becomes a life long journey that can feel nearly impossible to reach. Each individual may have a very different idea of what that means for them. Up to 75 percent of workers are still searching for a job they love, according to the job search Web site Career Builder.

Confucius says: “Find a job you love and you'll never work a day in your life.” Finding the job/career of your dreams means that you focus and concentrate on the work you are doing. It is something you want to do and feel good about yourself while and when you complete what you are working on.

Knowing what you want as your dream job/career helps you feel excited about what gives them satisfaction in the work they do. Having a sense of positive self-esteem and being positive with what you do helps you feel confident, less stressful and able to be creative and innovative in using your maximum potential as you feel fulfilled in what you enjoy doing.

Imagine your ideal career, and what you would be doing right now if you were there. Start to think about what you REALLY WANT from your dream job/career. Figure out what you want out of life and look at your skills, talents, knowledge, abilities, interests and passions. Write down what you really want to do and then how to get there.Think about what inspires you and how finding your dream job/career will help you feel great about yourself.

Anyone can get a job and get paid. But doing what you love and getting paid is a double plus for many who are more than satisfied in the work they do. So,take a risk and take action to feel good at what you do in your job. Best wishes in finding your dream job/career.

For a 30 minute complimentary session to see how we can help you, please contact us at 602-405-2540, or email nburgis@successful-solutions.com.

Getting Your Point Across When You Only Have 60 Seconds or Less

You need to get an important message across to employees and the problem is, employees have so little time and attention. I am sure that you receive several emails daily where a few people at least, do not get their point(s) across to you asking you to do or respond to something they ask for/about.

But if you were given less than 60 seconds to get your point across to another person, most people give excuses. Some have said, “I cannot possibly make my point in a short period of time.” Granted that 60 seconds or less is not much time to get your point across to anyone, but think of about this. If you were in an elevator with someone who you wanted to ask a question to or say something to, the time between floors is the only time you have to see that person and say anything to. Do you think you can talk with them in that short period of time? They probably do not have any other time to stay on the elevator with you.

The basic principle of a 30 even a 60 second message is to have a clear objective. Essentially, what do you want to achieve?). To get your point across in business today you need to focus on your own communication skills and your audience’s ability to understand. Speakers who get their points across in a short period of time and know to concentrate less on what they want to say and more on what they want you to hear are the most successful

One of the most important abilities of a manager is the ability to get your point across. Some have said that, “85 percent of what you accomplish in your career and in your personal life will be determined by how well you get your message across and by how capable you are of inspiring people to take action on your ideas and recommendations.”

When we're trying to get a point across to someone else we often think long and hard about what we want to say. Instead of focusing on what you want to say to get your point across, you should focus on what you want the other person to hear.

You want to say just the right thing so the other person understands your point. Sometimes you practice what you are going to say.

Verbally, 3 Seconds is all it takes to lose your audience. It is also all it takes to grab their attention – if you know how.

3Basic Principles

1. Know What You Want- Have a clear objective of what you want to say.
2. Who Can Give It to You- Know who you are talking to.
3. How to Get It

Keep it Brief and Simple
Say what you need to say and nothing more. Keeping it simple will allow your audience to understand and remember what you want them to.

Use a hook in your message to grab their attention. This is what you create to have your listener think about what you are saying or asking about.

Use descriptive words that catches you listener’s attention. Paint a vivid picture for your listener.

Be Detailed
In what you do choose to say, tell the audience specifically what they need to know, including quantities, hard deadlines, and delivery.

Body Language
Make sure your posture depicts someone who considers themselves as confident and successful. Otherwise, your listener is not going to have a good impression about you no matter how well you come across to them. Do not have your arms folded, and as long as you sound confident with good eye-contact and do not apologize for possibly feel anxious or nervous, you will probably be in a good position to get what you want from them.


You may feel that what you have to say is important enough to you. So create a compelling opening line for your listener to grab onto what you are saying. Be a little creative in your opening statement, and then ask a specific question relevant to what you just said.

For a 30 minute complimentary session to see how we can help you, please contact us at 602-405-2540, or email nburgis@successful-solutions.com.

Maintaining & Sustaining Work Productivity

On a scale from one to ten, one being the least productive and ten being the most productive, how would you rate yourself on productivity during an average work day?

Do you constantly look for files or papers, while your inbox is overflowing with unanswered messages? You have to move two stacks of papers to get to your keyboard, and you need to find your contact information for the day. You have a constant nagging feeling that you’ve forgotten about something vital, and that major project you want to start work on still remains a pipe dream. Are you always leaving your seat to retrieve supplies or materials that are crucial to your most important work?

Do you have the tools you need to work at your optimum level of efficiency? Here are 8 essentials for a productive work environment. None of them require a degree in rocket science, and most offices have them, but may not be using them in an effective manner.

Organize Your Day on Paper, Before Your Day Begins
Spend ten minutes each evening or ten minutes each morning planning your day on paper. Write down your top priorities for the day, and circle the two most important items on your list. Instead of feeling overwhelmed at all the work you must do, focus only on those two items. Even if all you complete on this day are those two items, they are the two most important and can be marked off as major accomplishments. Do this every day, and you’ll power up your performance fast!

Motivational Momentum
How many times have you been asked "What are you going to do to motivate your employees?" Know that your employees value your opinions, your insights, and your time. They value the effort you take to work with them to develop their skill sets and their careers.

Everyone knows that motivation will increase our productivity. Don't wait for inspiration to hit. Take action first and the motivation will follow. Play to Your Strengths

"Keep a positive attitude: There’s is nothing more powerful for self-motivation than the right attitude. You can’t choose or control your circumstance, but can choose your attitude towards your circumstances."

Take the Time to "Connect"
Network with other professionals in your field who you gain the most benefit from. Also, set some time each day to connect with the individuals you entrusted with the projects and/or tasks you delegated. Take the time to consider how you can use skills in your business/department and watch productivity and profits soar.

Minimize Distractions
If you must attend mind-numbing meetings, mentally challenge yourself to solve problems inside your head as the minutes go by. Set aside a specific time to answer emails and phone calls, rather than answering every call at all times. If you are having personal problems, mentally picture yourself putting them inside a drawer and closing it to refocus on your work.

Manage Your Employees by How they Work
Take notice of your employees. Are they working using their personality preference levels, or do they just plug into a slot to fill a desk that was available? Low productivity among the employees could be because the job that they are doing does not suit their temperament or qualities or skills. Through assessments and appraisals, managers are better able to evaluate an employee's skills and thus, can shift him to a department or a job that suits his qualities.

Action Files:
These are the files that you use every day. Many people use these as their to-do list. Action files should be located on the desktop or as close to you as possible. They can be organized by date, topic, or type of action. Some examples of names for action files are: to read, to file, waiting for response, consider this, call, email, etc.

Sustaining Your Results
Essentially, think about what works and what works very well for you to keep your results from declining. Delegate projects and tasks to those who are capable of completing them by your specific clear instructions and vision of what you want done. Let your employees figure out how to complete the project or task as this will give them an opportunity to be creative in what they do.

Appreciate Employee Days

If a manager wants to know how to improve productivity in the workplace, then the most effective tool that he can employ is employee appreciation. Many organizations today use various methods, such as giving out gifts, celebrating employee appreciation days, having special events in office, for appreciating and motivating their employees.

Follow the steps above to create your own productive work environment. Monitor each step and modify when needed. Be open to suggestions and other opportunities in getting things done.

For a 30 minute complimentary session to see how we can help you, please contact us at 602-405-2540, or email nburgis@successful-solutions.com.

Former Military Leaders as Elite Captains of Industry

From the people who brought us $640 toilet seats and $500 hammers, the government this time has actually helped corporate America by teaching military leaders the worthiness of being a corporate executive. At a time when executives across the United States are confronted with the potential crisis of the looming shortage of younger talent being executives of the future, executives are addressing the junior leadership void.


Corporate America has long tapped the talent of leaders who began their careers in the U.S. military- a testament to how well the Armed Forces train future leaders. Military metaphors abound in the world of business. Companies rarely enter new markets,; they usually "invade" them.

Many former military leaders have MBAs and after they leave the military, they became business leaders in various organizations across the United States. The experiences many of these individuals have from their military careers serve them well as leaders in corporate America.

According to a study completed by Korn/Ferry International, that companies led by executives who had been soldiers often fared better than their competitors and the CEOs lasted longer in their jobs. They had an average tenure of 7.2 years, while those who did not have a military background lasted 4.6 years on average.

Its researchers believe that because CEOs often have to make difficult decisions in demanding circumstances, the military is a good training ground as it gives soldiers considerable expertise in handling high-pressure situations.

Running a corporation, like waging a war, requires strong leaders who can focus on the mission at hand amid enemies bent on defeating them. Clearly, some tactics and strategies are interchangeable between the boardroom and the battlefield.

The trend is not entirely new. Within the past decade, corporate honchos could march to the advice of books that enlisted the strategies of such noted warriors as Gens. Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, and General George S. Patton. But today's military leadership books are riding a crest of fortunate timing.

At the beginning of 2009, there were 39 CEOs of S&P 500 corporations who are military veterans. Countless others are leading smaller companies or serving in key senior executive positions throughout corporate America.

The Korn/Ferry report identified six common leadership traits that serve veteran corporate leaders well in the boardroom:

1. Learning how to work as part of a team
2. Organizational skills, such as planning and effective use of resources
3. Good communications skills
4. The ability to define a goal and motivate others to achieve it
5. A highly developed sense of ethics
6. The ability to remain calm under pressure

7-Eleven CEO Joe DePinto, "I give the Army and the military a lot of credit for progress I've made my career." He went on to say, " A lot of it has to do with leadership development that I learned. How to lead soldiers, how to lead people, putting the organization ahead of yourself, having a can-do attitude, a focus on getting the job done regardless of what the job is. I really point to those as part of the reason why I think I have been successful in my career thus far."

Bob Ravener, who served as a senior executive with Starbucks Coffee Company and the Home Depot on his way up the corporate ladder, also acknowledged the crucial role his service as a Navy officer played in his career. "I learned valuable skills such as self-discipline, teamwork, leadership, service, relationships, commitment, calm in the face of adversity and delivering results. These skills have proven integral to success in business as well.

Corporate America is looking for leaders, and if they cannot find them in the ranks of their own employees, the military is producing more and more leaders through their ranks for corporate America. Some companies and organizations are beginning to shift gears in how they operate due to these individuals leaving the military and joining the ranks of corporate American leaders.


For a 30 minute complimentary session to see how we can help you, please contact us at 602-405-2540, or email nburgis@successful-solutions.com.

Do Not Let Fear Block Your Path to Your Success

You are probably aware that if you are not where you want to be in your life in terms of success, you are blocked. There is something in between you and the results you want and desire in your life. Your hidden fears may be hindering what you do, and as a result, your fear(s) may be blocking your success. Self-sabotage is when you work against yourself and your goals. It does not have any rationale behind it.



Confronting a fear can be tough, but the reward is enormous. Confronting just a small part of a fear is an accomplishment. Fears that block your success can have you pay a heavy price if you do nothing to change it- Lower Self-Esteem, Self-Confidence, Career, and even your personal life, just to name a few.



In a word- it could be summed up as "YOU"...you are the block that is getting in the way of creating the life you want and desire.



1. Negative Beliefs: For some people, they possess a lack of belief in their own abilities. Get rid of your limiting beliefs that keep you from being open to new positive opportunities. Use positive affirmations each time a negative thought comes into your mind.



2. Fear of Failure or Fear of Success: Fear of success is the work of your inner critic. When you think about it, the face of failure often is that of 2 fears: Disappointing others and disppointing yourself. When you fear success, it is often due to underlying anxieties about change. Fear of failure is completely understandable as no one likes to fail. We also do not want to disappoint other people as well as ourselves. Many people think they are suffering fear of failure when what they really have is a fear of success.



3. Resistance: Fears are created by your belief which becomes a roadblock. This costs you plenty with regard to your self-esteem, self-confidence and ultimately greater self-satisfaction. For many, resistance is that invisible thing that has you avoid what you love doing the most. But the good news is that you can learn to beat it and realize your potential.



4. Avoidance: People who refuse a job promotion, hesitate to accept more responsibility, quit just short of their goals, refuse to accept a compliment, resist change, or fail to meet performance goals may all have something in common. They may fear success and be engaging in success avoidance or success sabotage.



Fear may cause you to avoid doing the very things that create success. Being successful means leaving a predictable way of life and entering into the realm of the unknown with unanticipated changes.



5. Staying Focused to Your Destination: To succeed at overcoming obstacles, you need to have the determination not to quit, despite the obstacles. Ask yourself these questions:

• What would happen if this problem was not there anymore?


• What would you be focusing on after you resolve this challenge?

Your hidden fears are sabotaging your professional and personal life. Challenge yourself in these areas and feel comfortable in stretching yourself more to succeed. In reality, people do not fear success, they block it.

Do the Thing You are Afraid to Do: One of the most effective tools to overcome fear is to do the very thing you are afraid to do. This means you must act against your thoughts and feelings. While fear is motivating you to avoid, learn to use the energy of your anxiety to force yourself forward. Many speakers overcome their fear of speaking, so you can do the same with what you do.

The way to overcome your fear is to answer the "What if?" question. When you find yourself feeling the fear, ask yourself "What if" questions. This turns a fearful situation into a solution-focused situation. Look for alternatives and creative ways to handle the potential problem(s). When you have the answers to your "What ifs"you can control your fear.

Conquer your fear of success with a plan to manage your success.

For a 30 minute complimentary session to see how we can help you, contact us at: 602-405-2540 or email nburgis@successful-solutions.com

Integral Components of Introverted Success

Valerie wondered about her success and thought about, "What was working and what was working well." You see Valerie is an introvert and most people who know her think she is like them -an extrovert. Valerie operates more as a social introvert or an extroverted-introvert.



For many, success is an integral part of their introverted success. First and foremost, introverts must understand the connection between being an introvert and moving out of their comfort zone in order to move forward in their professional and personal lives. Basically, putting the following 3 components in place can help generate impressive results.



Winning Mental Edge

Having a mental edge on anything you do takes a lot of work especially when you focus and concentrate. You can begin with believing in yourself. Think about what Napoleon Hill wrote, "If you can conceive something in your mind and believe it to be true, then you can achieve it."



By writing down your specific strengths and weaknesses, you will be able to look for and understand how your beliefs and other mindsets need to shift more positively in order for you to reduce your anxiety or nervous thoughts and feelings to gradually get out of your comfort zone.



Once you begin, your self-confidence will improve and you will be able to handle stress better as well. You will find that you will be able to accomplish more and you will have more control of your introversion. You may even find that you are more social and feel more comfortable in more situations than you have in the past.



Taking Consistent and Persistent Action

In order to take yourself to the next level of your success, you need to understand how you got where you are now and where you want to go. Taking consistent and persistent action every day is a strategy of step-by-step actions to get you to your desired goal. By taking these actions, even in small amounts, you can move yourself forward to the next level of success and comfort.



Asserting Yourself More than Before

In getting ahead in today's world, introverts need an edge to boost them from where they are. When it comes to working with other people, there may be times when conflicts or "personality clashes" occur. Do not let these situations put you back into your shell. As much as you can, get support from co-workers, and learn how to handle various types of personalities. Your assertion skills will help you in the long run.



As you integrate all of your strengths and weaknesses, as well as your skills, talents, knowledge, abilities, interests, and passions, you will learn how to leverage and take advantage of situations. You will gradually see the results of thinking and feeling less introverted. The results will bring changes that let you exceed beyond your expectations from where you are now to wherever you want to go next in your success.



Remember, this is not going to be an overnight change, so you may not see the difference at first. You will gradually feel it and think differently as your belief system and attitude shift more positively. Your confidence level will improve as you begin to take small steps out of your comfort zone and you begin to feel good about those experiences.



Most importantly, you will begin to move forward in your life both professionally and personally.



For a 30 minute complimentary session to see how we can help you move forward, contact us at 602-405-2540 or email nburgis@successful-solutions.com.

Ten Steps to Business Success

Everyone who starts a small business has high hopes for success. There are a number of things you can do to create a successful business. The key to success is in adopting a positive attitude and investing your time and effort to take consistent and persistent daily actions. Here are some great ways to get started.

You excel at what you do, and have already identified your audience/target market.

1. Success on Your Terms
What do you call success? Define it for yourself since everyone has their own thoughts of what that is for them.

2. Believe in the Power of I Can
Believing in yourself with your mindset and a positive attitude all play a big role in whether you succeed or fail. Successful people often say that it was their drive to keep going, despite the desire to quit, that drove them to successful heights in their business/career.

3. Create a Business Plan Outline
A successful business must have many ingredients to succeed. Have a blueprint of what you want to do and how you are going to reach your goal with the business resources at your fingertips. A good business plan should include a description of what you are selling (products/services), your background and qualifications for operating the business, who your prospective clients/customers are and where they can be found, what is needed to build the business, how you plan to promote, and how much money is needed for start-up costs.

4. Fully Leverage your Unique Characteristics
What are your key strengths? Assess your strengths and weaknesses. You may find that some of your weaknesses are your strengths. Take advantage of both depending on the situations you are in.

5. Have a Sense of Urgency- Getting Things Done
For many, they use time management and schedule when to complete the specific needs for a specific period of time. This along with a few other listed items can work together to get what you need done and successfully.

6. Taking the Appropriate Actions
Take the specific actions you need to accomplish your goals. Successful business owners are people in action. They make things happen. Adopting a mindset of taking action is key to maintaining and sustaining the momentum you need to be a business success.

You should always keep a list of simple things you can do either to market your business, improve your skill set or to make your business operation run smoothly. Taking any action, even small steps every day, will keep you moving forward towards accomplishing your business goals.

7. Goal Setting
Set S.M.A.R.T. goals: Sustainable, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic/Relevant, and Timely.

8. Ask and Follow Up
If you want success, just ask for it. Asking for business from others should be part of your automatic routine. Follow up with others who bought from you and as a service you can either ask them to complete a short survey or just ask them about the product or service they purchased from you as well as ask them what else you can do for them.

9. Define Your Next Steps
How are you going to reach the next level of your business success?

10. Review and Refine
Every 3 months review what your business has done, how well things are working, and how you can be more effective and efficient in getting things done. Also, remember to review your marketing program: what is working and what is working well? Adjust or modify what you think and feel needs to be improved. Revise your business plan to reflect these changes.

For a 30 minute complimentary session to see how we can help you move forward, contact us at 602-405-2540 or email nburgis@successful-solutions.com.

Failure Is Not An Option

"Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up." - Thomas Alva Edison

Some people say that "Not only is failure an option, it is often the best one." If you are not looking to complete a task, sure this works, but you are not going to get the results you want- unless you want to sabotage your efforts.

You can read all the self help books that will put you in the right mind set. That will give you the skills you need to reprogram your brain to think differently.

"Failure is Not an Option" is a quotation from the movie by mission control flight commander, Gene Kranz during the Apollo 13 crisis in 1970. We have all used the phrase at sometime. When failure is not an option, means that you are committed to doing whatever it takes to succeed. Failure is often the path to new, exciting opportunities that would not have appeared otherwise.

Too many people live their lives in doubt with worry. They are afraid. People use, "what if", in a negative sense when they are afraid of failing. What if it goes wrong? What if it does not work out? Worry and fear do not produce success, only failure. Refuse to be afraid. You can be successful when failure is not an option!

People become frozen with fear and they either take no action, or take action while expecting the worse. That is an absolute formula for failure.

Do Not Quit

Do not give up- The most successful people fail well and fail gracefully. But they called failure a "learning experience." Both Thomas Edison and Henry Ford had hundreds of -learning experiences- until they got the specific results they wanted.

Ready for the good news? When you eliminate the option of failure, you open up the flow of creativity, you boost your level of willpower, and you energize your thinking so that only those things that lead to success can control your mind. Once you accomplish that, the only viable alternative is to make it, and make it big!

Understand that Success Is An Option Too and choose to focus on success. Success has much more of an appeal to keep in mind.

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm."

-Sir Winston Churchill

How to Grab Your Audience's Attention & Keep It!

Your audience is sitting in their seats, eager to hear your speech. If the first words you utter are entirely predictable and boring- "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak with you today", or you begin using filler words such as, "ah" or "um", you have just dug yourself a hole about 2 feet deep. In a flash, you have lost your credibility as a speaker, or even worse, as an expert in your field. Your audience begins to take a mental exit. If you continue with the tired old "Today I am going to talk to you about point one, point two and point three" your hole is now about 5 feet deep. Pretty hard to climb out of! At this point, you might just be talking to an empty room.



Everyone finds themselves in the position of having to give a presentation now and then. Yet, many are not trained in how to do so. Immediately after being told by their boss that you have to give a presentation, most people begin to create a power point presentation not taking into consideration who their audience is and what they want to see.

Be Audience Centered

Speakers who "WOW" their audiences have one thing in common: P-A-S-S-I-O-N. Stand while giving your speech without reading puts your audience, at times, sitting on the edge of their seats while they hang onto your every word. You need to capture your audience's attention in the first 30-60 seconds.

Ignite Your Audience with Your Introduction

Romancing your audience helps you capture their attention in a short period of time.


Engage Your Audience

Keep your audience focused and engaged. The more you connect with your audience and get them talking and involved the better comprehension and retention they have of you.

Open your speech or presentation by asking a question of your audience immediately. This gets them involved right from the beginning. Resonate questions for each audience you speak in front of.


Prepare questions ahead of time. Ask either rhetorical questions or one that seeks a response from the audience. If you want the audience to respond, make it easy for them to do so. Ask a question that can be answered with a "Yes" or "No", or call for a show of hands.


As a rule of thumb, always ask two questions.


Tell a Compelling Story


Tell a brief story with key statements under 2 minutes that increases your enthusiasm. Your story must be relevant to a call to action and it should have meaning to your audience. Connect and resonate with your audience by selecting a story based on the goal of making your story their story.


End with a compelling call to action: What do you want your audience to do next?


The next time your audience are sitting in their seats, eager to hear your speech or presentation, remember to capture their attention and get the results you want. Bring out your energy and of course your passion for the subject matter your are speaking about.


No audience member was ever disappointed by a speaker who was interesting. Do not fall into the trap of being boring. Grab your audience with a compelling opening and you will have the best chance of making a positive lasting impression. Instead of people yawning, squirming in their seats, or looking down when you give your speech or presentation, you want your audience to sing your praises every time you speak to a client or conduct a meeting. Well, get ready to set the room on fire after you speak with presence.


Good luck.


For a 30 minute complimentary session to see how we can help you move forward, contact us at 602-405-2540 or email to nburgis@successful-solutions.com.

Pyramid of Success: Building Blocks for Growth

In building your Pyramid of Success, your building blocks need to be strong for your beliefs and mindset. This is where your self-satisfaction takes control. But this is just the beginning.

"If you can believe, you probably can. If you believe you won't, you most assuredly won't. Belief is the ignition switch that gets off the launching pad." - DenisWaitley

In creating your path to success, there is no magic formula to your success only that it is yours. To help you begin your journey, think about the following tips:

Definition of Success: Imagine for a moment being inspired by being a success on your terms. Success on your terms is what you decide it is. This is your own path or formula for your own unique success.

Where are you Now? What are your strengths? What is working and what is working well?

Where do you want to go? What do you want to achieve? What is important to you? What are you passionate about?

Interpersonal Skills: 85% of success depends on your people skills (according to Stanford, Harvard and the Carnegie Institute of Technology).

Success is the result of setting goals taking the appropriate actions to achieve those goals.

Take Some Risk: Explore the risks, obstacles, or challenges and work around or through them to get where you want to go. If you fail, call it a learning experience as others have done such as Thomas Edison and Henry Ford.

Take Action: Create a plan of action to help move you forward. Take consistent and persistent action. Remember what Napoleon Hill said, "If you can conceive something in your mind, and believe it to be true, then you can achieve it."

Success in life comes from satisfaction in your achievements.

For a 30 minute complimentary session to see how we can help you move forward, contact us at 602-405-2540 or email nburgis@successful-solutions.com.