How to Become Strong Leader- by Titus Maduwa

A leader is not born.

A leader is created and the whole process starts inside the most dangerous place you'll ever encounter - your own mind.

How can you become a strong leader who inspires others, drives people toward excellence, holds people accountable, and instills a sense of trust? Learning what makes a great leader is your first step.

Here are some things you can do to become the leader you've always wanted to be:

1. Control yourself. Every great leader in history has had to become a master of self-discipline and willpower in order to stay focused on the big picture. If you don't have a goal or the drive to achieve it, you can't lead others to attain theirs.

* Follow through in everything you do. As challenging as it may be, you need to be disciplined enough to be where you need to be, when you need to be there, whether you want to or not. By being strong in your resolve and resisting temptation to give up, you are setting an example for others to live up to.

* Choose your emotional response to a situation carefully. Sometimes you'll need to practice the art of silencing your inner thoughts when they're not appropriate in order to set a positive example.

2. Project your goals. If the people you're leading don't completely understand the deeper meaning in their work, they won't share your vision or work ethic. Every step of the way, communicate with your team to make sure they're on the same wavelength and know what you expect of them.

* Get your team involved in the planning process and the implementation of your ideas. This gives everyone a greater sense of ownership toward the end result.

3. Praise highly and criticize constructively. The way you praise and criticize others can make all the difference in being able to lead effectively.

* Make sure you publicly praise the people who do excellent work for you. You'll give the person a sense of accomplishment and the drive to do even better.

* When someone does something wrong, offer constructive criticism and do it privately. Suggest solutions on how they can improve and take the time to answer any questions. They'll accept your input more willingly if they know it's done to help and not to harm.

4. Know your people. You can't truly lead a group of people unless you truly understand their hopes, dreams, struggles, pains, and goals. All the good intentions in the world mean nothing unless you have a true sense of the people you're working with.

* Talk to your team and get to know them. Getting to know each other on a personal level will strengthen the bond between you. They'll want to do better for you because you're more than just a "boss."

* Be their leader, first, and their friend second. You're their leader and that means that you have to make difficult decisions from time to time. These decisions cannot be affected by personal relationships.

5. Make the hard call. There are times when you have to bite the bullet and make some unpleasant decisions. Firing, demoting, and holding people accountable for their actions can be very hard at times. As a leader, it's your responsibility to handle these matters.

Regardless of where your leadership role takes you, believe that you can be a strong leader. Remember that in order to lead others, you must be disciplined yourself. After all, your actions will speak louder than anything you can say.

In order to gain the respect of others, strive to lead by example in every area of your life.

When you follow these simple guidelines, you'll be well on your way to becoming a true leader!

Author- Titus Maduwa

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Improve Your Personal Life by Looking at the Entire Picture

Have you watched The Movie "LIMITLESS"? It's about a writer who takes an experimental drug that allows him to use 100 percent of his brain, with his heightened brain activity, all of his senses become tuned in to everything in his surrounding environment, he can recall everything he has seen and heard, he can learn exponentially faster, and he is able to outsmart and out-talk people. That's what that movie goes well my question is "Can one person really Improve his/her Personal Life by Looking at the Entire Picture?" Hmmmmmp!!! Sounds like a "Birds Eye View" for me- but what is bird's-eye view? Wikipedia defines it as an elevated view of an object from above, with a perspective as though the observer were a bird, often used in the making of blueprints, floor plans and maps. Well that means to improve your personal life you have to consider yourself as a whole pie. You have to review your liability, behaviors, actions, emotional responses, and overall standard of living. Once you review the details, you will find it easier to move ahead and make the necessary changes. To get started begin with a checklist.

How are your behaviors?
What are your behaviors? Do you engage in activities that lead toward negative consequences? Do you drink heavily? Do you drug? Do you smoke? Do you associate with the wrong people?
Once you write down your behaviors that pull down consider the details. If you engage in activities that lead toward negative consequences, likely you are not looking at the whole pie. Rather you may act before you speak or do something. What you need to do is to consider consequences before you speak or act. If you drink heavily, perhaps you have an alcohol problem. There is nothing wrong with admitting you have a problem. You will need to seek help. There is nothing wrong with seeking help. If you have a drug problem, you will need to apply the same rules mentioned when handling alcoholism. If you smoke, you want to consider ways to stop. You will need willpower and the goal to quite. If you associate with the wrong people, you will need to evaluate your situation. What do these people bring to your table? Do they give or take from you?

How do you handle problems?
Every day there is some kind of a problem that has to be thought out and decided what to do about the issue. What are some things that you can go to help? You should always think out the problem before you make a decision on the issue. You will make healthier decisions by looking at the entire picture. If the problem is too big for you to handle alone, ask for help. Talk with friends, family, or experts.

Do you pay bills on time?
Do you pay bills on time? Paying bills is a major problem that leads to many hassles. If you pay your bills on time however, you can reduce some of these hassles. Failing to pay bills only builds stress. You will need to set a budget that works within your means to pay your bills on time. Maybe you can get a better paying job, so you make more money.
There might be some times that you are late but you should try to keep up as best as you can this will help take off some stress.
Do you visit your doctor regularly?
Keeping your doctor visits and exercising will help relieve stress. Visiting your doctor regularly will help you keep an eye on your health. Healthy people live a productive life.
What actions do you take to improve your life?
As long as you think things out before you make a decision you will work to improve your personal life. You will also need to take steps to reduce stress, by avoiding harmful actions, such as smoking, drugs, or alcoholism. You can benefit by paying bills on time, visiting your doctor, exercise the mind and body daily and so on.
If you have problems quitting on your own, remember help is available. You have many options, including inpatient services, outpatient services, group support, one-on-one services and more. To learn more about these services go online. You will also find help at local government agencies in your area.
To improve your life you can also volunteer to help someone. You can wrap a gift this year for a homeless or handicapped child.

Quote to live by:
The totality of a record is usually beyond ones' ability to imagine when you start working on it, but the component parts are, usually, fairly clear one way or another. - Fred Frith

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Don't Die With Your Music Still In You - Serena Dyer & Wayne Dyer

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Today Is The Best Day To Come Your Way

Most times in life, we tend to focus more on yesterday's memories or on tomorrow's dreams, rather than being present in today's moments. We are too busy remembering yesterday and thinking about tomorrow that we more or less forget today. No doubt, there are several lessons to be learned and many pleasures to be gained respectively from past experiences and future expectations, but ultimately, the majority of time spent dwelling on things that happened in the past or on things yet to happen in the future is an injustice to the time that should be spent living consciously and purposefully in the present.

Indeed, there is absolutely nothing wrong with recalling good memories of yesterday or planning for a better tomorrow from time to time. But in doing so, don't get lost in the euphoria and forget that today is a new window of opportunity for you to renew and recharge your life with hope and enthusiasm. Besides, the road which leads to happiness and success untold can only be followed on this very day and not on days before or on days ahead. So instead of spending so much time recounting events of the previous day, or being anxious for the next day, embrace the present day with vigor and fervor for the hands of time to continually move in your favor.
Believe it or not, each new day including today carries along with it the promises of new possibilities and new opportunities for you to make new choices and new declarations. So even if you are not happy with what you did yesterday, today is here now for you to do something new and different. Likewise, rather than spend time worrying or wondering about what the future holds for you, use today to prepare yourself thoroughly for a more fulfilling life ahead. In any case, it's always best to live well enough for today, because even according to the late Dale Carnegie who is arguably one of the greatest minds of our time, "today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday." Isn't that 100% true?
Having said this, please permit me to make a quick confession here as I feel somewhat selfish. Interestingly, today is my birthday (June 6), and as of now, I have no recollection of yesterday and no vision of tomorrow because today has all of my attention. So it's possible that I was so overwhelmed with the gift of today and just had to share this particular piece with you. But however you look at it, 'today is indeed the best day to come my way, and yours too.' Lol!
Here is my birthday takeaway; "Never rewind yesterday or rush tomorrow to the point where you either neglect or reject today - Enjoy your day."
Thanks for reading!

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Stay True to Yourself

It is hard to stay true to yourself if you have not figured out who you are, what you want from life, and how to get everything that, according to you, would make you whole. While in this situation, people tend to live in the past, and dwell on bad memories, because they feel they can identify more with the person they used to be, than who they can be. Others tend to live their lives based on how they think others want them to live. Living life like this is not very satisfying.

You are not what people say you are, what you own, or what you were in the past. What defines you each and every day are the choices you make, and what you think about each day. Thinking positive thoughts on an everyday basis, and making choices that will make you happy, will go a long way in making you feel fulfilled. You will be able to shine bright instead of walking in other people's shadows. It is always better to fail in an attempt to do things you like, than stay unhappy doing what you think everyone else want you to do.
Decide today that you are going to choose yourself first, before anyone else. Be daring enough to choose without worrying about things going wrong, or people thinking less of you. Decide on what you want to be, and follow that decision with actions.
If you have been doing a job for years, and you do not really like it, but you have to keep at it to please a friend, or your parents, how about quitting, and following a career path you actually like.
They say, we only live once, so don't make the mistake of living someone else's life, because sooner or later you might come to regret it. Make the decision today, to follow your own dream, and live the life that really matters, your own. You have been given the gift of life, and all the tools you need to become the best you, you can be. Stay true to yourself!

 Happiness is the key to a fulfilling and satisfying life. Being cheerful is an awesome feeling, and very fulfilling, but to experience ultimate satisfaction, you need to make your cheerfulness contagious.
Life does not always serve us roses. Sometimes the best we get from life are bitter lemons. However, a cheerful person should go along with the saying, "When life offers you lemons, make lemonade."
This lemonade is best when shared with others. Just like the majestic sun, that brightens every object it shines upon, so can your happiness brighten any dark heart around you.

Cheerfulness is universal and non-partial. No matter how hard life has hit someone, a smile cannot fail to put life into a broken and emotionally dead heart. A lot of people around you believe that there is no time to be happy in this "problem-filled serious world".

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Do The Best You Can - Jim Rohn

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