Obama. Front page news. June 18, 2009. “Obama Seeks Way to Acknowledge Protesters Without Alienating Ayatollah.” Brilliant leadership move! Why?

What powerful leaders do is create a larger context for interpreting situations and events for the sake of new possibilities to emerge. Context helps us manage a myriad of information by allowing us to determine what information is relevant in a given situation. Much of the news coming from Iran has been targeted on the message that America is meddling in the affairs of Iran. The underlying message to the Iranian people by their leaders has been “don’t blame this upheaval on us or the current Iranian government, blame the unrest on interference by the Americans.” So what did President Barack Obama do in a potent response? He created a much larger context by which to interpret the actions (or inaction’s) of the Obama administration.

The first sentence of the Washington Post article on the front page right at the top of the paper’s crease (for those of you who still like the feel of newsprint in your hands) reads,

“The political unrest in Iran presents the Obama administration with a dilemma: keep quiet to pursue a nuclear deal with Ayotallah Ali Khomeni, the country’s supreme leader, or heed calls to respond more supportively to the protesters there- and risk alienating the Shiite cleric.”

A rich and larger context was created here that allows us to infer many things at once—first, and most obvious, Obama draws our attention to what is relevant in an American response. He tells us he wants to respond to the events in Iran but he is thoughtful in his actions and wishes to make the right response. President Obama is doing here what so many of our leaders in organizations forget to do, he is revealing his thinking—a key leadership move by which a leader engages his audience to think with him.

Secondly, he is broadcasting a message that says to everyone, “look we care about what is going on with the people of Iran AND we also care about a bigger concern, the safety of the planet when it comes to the threat of nuclear weapons.” He is sending a direct message to the supreme leader of Iran letting him know, “we don’t intend to meddle in your internal affairs because something larger is at stake—world security.” Thus, Obama is shifting the context to something much larger and even more important to all of us. Our shared vision of a world at peace and free from the threat of nuclear weapons comes to the forefront while the concern for the Iranian people is also acknowledged.

Whether it be the environment, the economy, poverty, education, health care, or within your family, your work or your community, leadership is about making intentional moves to act for the sake of creating a better future for all. By signaling his intentions, Obama bought some time and deferred responsibility for what is going on in Iran back to the Iranian leaders. What we can learn from this one leadership move of President Obama is how to recognize and shift a context (Principle Number Five of Leadership Alchemy, see Leadership Excellence article April 2009.)

You don’t have to be the designated leader or the positional leader or even think of yourself as a leader to lead. Our breakdown in leadership is that there are too many people telling too many stories about what is wrong and what is not working instead of pointing to the possibilities for what might work. Leadership moves can be small insightful conversational contributions that help others see something they did not see before or they can be big innovations that change the way we all work and live. They are not patterned, habitual and “wing it” kinds of actions but intentional moves that create an opening for a multitude of other interpretations to show up and lead to positive intentional action.

So the next time you are faced with a decision that impacts others, take a good look at the context you are creating and shift up!

Kanu Kogood

Kanu Kogod, PhD, MCC
President and Founder
Bridges in Organizations, Inc.
Ph 301-299-0744

www.leadershipalchemy.com kanu@leadershipalchemy.com –

We welcome Kanu Kogod, a frequent contributor to Leadership Excellence as our guest blogger today.

Andrea Chilcote is featured on the cover of our June issue of Leadership Excellence and has graciously shared her interview with Marshall Goldsmith with us.  You can view that interview on our home page.  On the left side of the page is a blue button that says  Interview with Marshall Goldsmith .  Visit Andrea on her website http://www.morningstarventures.com

And here is a copy of our June issue of Leadership Excellence - I would invite you to become a member of Leadership Excellence and register to receive Leadership Excellence every month

Even before the first issue of Leadership Excellence was published 25 years ago in May 1984, I was working with Stephen R. Covey on articles and white papers that would later appear in chapters of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and Principle-Centered Leadership books.  Indeed, the impetus behind publishing the monthly magazine was to facilitate development of these books and promote the practice of principled leadership-leading people based on a set of “true north” principles and “natural laws.” We defined principles as basic tenets-fairness, justice, honesty, integrity, and trust-and self-evident, self-validating natural laws that are always there, always reliable, like the “true north” on a compass.

Covey and I agree on the point that real leadership development begins with the humble recognition that principles ultimately govern. We avoided using the words ethics and values because those words imply situational behaviors, subjective beliefs, social mores, cultural norms, or relative truths-preferring instead to talk about universal principles and natural laws that are more absolute, impersonal, factual, objective, and self-evident.

You may think that when most people talk about values they mean these universal principles, but they are referring to what they value. As evidenced in the news daily, the lifestyle and practices of most leaders are governed by situational and value-based maps, not a principle-centered compass.

The willingness to subordinate values to universal principles and to align roles, goals, plans, and activities with them often takes a crisis: recession, downsizing, loss of job, divorce, strained relationships, lost accounts, or a health crisis. Otherwise, we tend to be busy doing good, easy, or routine things, never stopping to ask if we are doing what matters most. The good then becomes the enemy of the best.

When you have entrenched personal interests and organizational politics, when you set up your self-generated or socially-validated value systems and then develop missions and goals based on what you value, you tend to become a law unto yourself. You try to impress, not bless. Your paradigms and processes never produce desired results because they are based on illusions, slogans, programs-of-the-month, and personality-based success strategies. To align your life and leadership with “true north” principles, you need to keep in touch with something deeper than your thoughts and more reliable than your values. Conscience connects you with the wisdom of the ages and of the heart. This internal guidance system enables you to sense when you act in ways that are contrary to “true north” principles.

Some leaders say that expediencies require lies, cover-ups, deceit, or game-playing.  And some “trusted advisers” -such as PR agents, accountants, and legal counselors-say, “This will be political suicide,” or “This will be bad for our image or bottom line.” Hence, many leaders take a departmental or compartmental approach rather than an integrated, organic, principled approach to ethics. They favor local politics and charismatic personalities over universal principles. When you operate by internal compass, you find that moral options open up to you.

The Role of Leadership

Great leaders ensure that each person is committed to a shared vision, direction, purpose, principles, and priorities. Everyone is then oriented to “true north,” on the same page, which releases talent and energy. In low-trust cultures, leaders either rely on control or have loose cannons everywhere, all pointing in different directions and saying, “This is north.” They lack a common vision and set of principles. Lighthouse principles never change. They are classic, enduring, universal, timeless. This turbulent economy has dissolved old lines of positional authority and elevated moral authority based on character and competence.

To be highly effective today, leaders need to be clearly focused on purpose, centered on principles, and execute on priorities. Sadly, even when the mission statement is hanging on the wall, people wander in contention and confusion as they rarely agree on what constitutes “true north.” Focusing on principles unleashes talent and energy and creates a culture where each person has an internal compass, shares a common focus, and executes around priorities.

Principle-centered leaders integrate principles into structures and systems.  People who don’t honor these principles don’t stay-they either shape up or ship out. New hires are told: “If you join us, you’ll need to live by these principles-or your work here will be temporary.” People soon realize that the principle-centered mission isn’t just about words and slogans. This is the constitution by which every person is evaluated. When you apply the principles consistently, they become behavioral habits. Making and keeping promises is one way to make deposits in your personal integrity account-and in the emotional bank accounts of others.

Only principle-centered leaders who work from the inside out can create a principle-centered culture. Great leaders are loyal to principles. They put principles at the center of their relationships with others, their agreements and contacts, their management processes, and their mission statements.  Since organizations are organic, great leaders nurture people like plants, creating the right conditions for growth.  We need humility to acknowledge that principles govern, and the wisdom to align with those principles in the face of powerful forces and habits.

All leaders need to ask: “What is this company really about? And what are the principles we’re going to live and work by?” The key to long-term success is learning to align with “true north” principles, working at leadership from the inside out, and being proactive to become an island of excellence-and to leaven the team. Principle-centered leaders align their value system, lifestyle, direction, and habits with timeless principles.

as published in May 2009 Leadership Excellence

send for a complimentary copy  - click here Leadership Excellence

Authentic leadership has been a buzzword for several years and has recently come back into fashion with the near collapse of the American economic system plagued by scandal and companies scrambling to reposition, retain talent or find new talent!

Where are the leaders? Is the outcry from the observation deck. The leaders were there – they just weren’t “authentic” if you will. Many leaders were authentically bad perhaps.

David Peck in his book Beyond Effective Practices in Self-aware Leadership; he talks about authenticity. “ The actions of the most compelling leaders have a distinct authenticity of heart and mind that others can appreciate. It’s based on how consistently their decisions, communication, and responses to adversity reflect their most heartfelt principles. In their relationships and tasks, authentic leaders are apt to be unguardedly themselves, and not what they think others want or expect them to be. They keep a wary eye in the mirror for any temptation to massage the message, or to ignore their inner compass just to keep the wheels of progress turning. How authentic do you allow yourself to be with others? What holds you back from being transparent to others? What actions are you willing to take to be true to yourself in the presence of others? “

While these are great questions asked by Peck, you cannot be authentic to integrity and good character if you are self absorbed and lying to yourself about who you are or who you want to be. A leader who desires to be know for authenticity needs to be aware he/ she cannot have their “own” agenda, nor can they continue to blame others (or past events) for missed opportunities, mistakes, or even failures. With authenticity comes the responsibility to be 100% accountable for where you are in the every moment of the day…whether it is in conversation with other members of your team, writing a memo, planning a media campaign, or building an alliance. That is the ownership of leadership.

At Leadership Excellence, our publishing parent, Executive Excellence Publishing launched a book by David Gill last summer titled “ It’s About Excellence” Gill addresses these very issues of authenticity while building ethically healthy organizations. Order from Amazon today

Nancy Low

Remember that game show ” You are the Weakest Link “?  The host would ask silly questions and the weakest players were eliminated.  That would be an easy way to solve problems in your organization.  When things go bad - mistakes are made, just declare ‘You are the Weakest Link” and then  like Donald Trump; “you’re fired“.

But life isn’t a game show.

Kanu Kogood is President of Bridges in Organizations and co developer of Leadership Alchemy with NASA’s Office of Human Capital Management. Dr. Kogood writes about the Seven Principles of Leadership Development on page 17 of our April issue of Leadership Excellence.

Notice Principle 1: Breakdown to Breakthrough. The place of chaos and uncertainty is the place of most potential because it is in those times that new patterns can be best developed. That is a WOW statement.

It reminds me of the ‘sink or swim” motivation. When times get tough you can either dig deep, pull your socks up and get to work or you sink. You fail. Good times bring complaisance and a false sense of power and authority. The brain goes to mush and you lose a bit of your creative energy that drives you to find solutions and new ideas.

Dr. Kogood says; “People are uncomfortable when things are uncertain, unclear or chaotic. Yet, these times afford opportunity for new ideas, solutions, and possibilities to emerge.”

Most people are resilient and bounce back after hard times. My son, who was a very successful basketball player, said the greatest lessons he learned were from the failures on the court not from their victories. The games they lost showed where they needed to improve and new ideas, strategies and skills were developed.

Good leaders don’t have to do anything extraordinary – except be honest, share the pain and be willing to carry their share of the load. There is never a good time for finger pointing – but it is always a good time for building and growing success.

If you think you are the teams weakest link and can’t take the uncertainty … maybe its time to do some character building exercises and strengthen your commitment or move on to something else.

Here is our April edition of Leadership Excellence

The first of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People is “ Be proactive.” I thought about this as I was emailing our sales team an article about qualifying opportunities and I couldn’t help but be reminded of how “inactive “ some employees tend to be during the course of the day.

Wasting time is a challenge in any workforce. What are the reasons for that?

• Bored
• Don’t have the skills to do the task
• Bored
• Lazy
• Irresponsible
• Hate your job
• Have no motivation to excel
• Bored
• You don’t care
• You want someone else to do it for you

And of course, I could go on for a very long time adding to that list. It is an ongoing frustration for owners, managers, leaders to look past the idea that they are ‘babysitting” employees because of lack of pro-activity to instead be managers of inspiration… find new ways to teach skills, create new products, contribute to the positive energy that should be driving a company.

If you are managing a sales team and from your office you can see the buttons on the phone are NOT lit up because no one is making calls – what do you think?

Do you react or are you ready to be proactive?

When Ken Shelton and Stephen Covey were working on the book 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Ken thought “Begin with the End in Mind” should be the first habit. If you don’t know what your destination is, how can you set your course going forward. Covey came back with, to take that step you have to Be Proactive. Without pro-activity, a person cannot take responsibility for even plotting the course to determine what the end in mind is.

But pro-activity by a team still takes individual responsibility to answer the call of the team cheerleader to “go team”. You are responsible for your life (and your job performance) “decide what you should do and get on with it. “  Start your pro-activity with the outcome in mind.

Each individual has a responsibility to be his own leader. Leadership does start with you. Lead yourself to success and excellence in everything you do. Be a sales leader.

To help you become the best you can be as a salesperson or as a sales manager, we have Sales & Service Excellence which is a powerful tool to use monthly to help train yourself or train your team.  The job of being a sales leader never ends and starts with you.  click below for a FREE copy of SSE today.

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Free Issue of Sales & Service Excellence

One of our contributing editors for Personal Excellence is Andy Andrews.  His blog posts are always uplifting and endearing.  Today’s post rang true with me as our family has recently  lost a beloved Boxer named Sophie and has found renewed enchantment with Rudy Finn Anoop,  our new baby Irish Setter. Enjoy this blog from Andy Andrews - you can visit his website at http://www.andyandrews.com

“It has been a quiet house for the past several months
since our beloved Dalmatian, Lucy, passed away.

Even with a six year old boy (Adam), a nine year old boy
(Austin), and three cats (Figaro, Daniel, and Angel)-
you just can’t raise the roof quite as high as you can with
a dog in the mix.  So just to be certain that the decibel
level was redlining, we got a puppy.

Then last night . . . Angel had kittens.

If you are keeping score, that is two boys, one dog,eight
cats, Saint Polly, and shell-shocked me.  I don’t really
get this.  Don’t people usually add one animal at a time
until they have reached a comfortable limit?  After Lucy
died, how did we go (in a span of several weeks) from
one cat to three cats to eight cats and a dog???  I am not
in control here . . .

Anyway . . . the dog.  I am very proud of our dog.  He is
exactly what I wanted.  I wanted a boy dog.  Got it.  Big
dog.  Check.  Hunting dog.  He is.  No shedding.  That,
too.  We got the perfect dog.

For a while, it looked like we might get what I really
wanted . . . a Portuguese Water Dog.  Austin wanted a
Chocolate Lab.  Adam wanted a White Chocolate Lab.
Polly was strangely quiet, though the boys all knew it
was Mama who swung the vote so we all lobbied
fiercely.

Turned out, the dog she settled on is a rare breed so we
actually had to drive three hundred miles to get him.
No, sir.  You can’t get a Normandy Retriever on just any
street corner.  He is big (for a puppy) and solid black
with the softest hair you ever felt on any dog.  And as
God is my witness, he has webbed feet.  Webbed feet!
A big, black, clumsy puppy with feet that have folds of
skin between the toes.  Like a duck.

You will remember Normandy Retrievers from the first
scenes of the movie “Saving Private Ryan” as the dogs
in a couple of the landing craft.  They were never an
American Kennel Club registered breed but had gained
some popularity in Europe during the first half of the
1900’s as a working/hunting dog.   Adopted by British
troops as bomb dogs during the early part of World War
II, it was the Normandy’s webbed feet and buoyant coat
that first brought the breed to the attention of the United
States Marine Corp.

Needing the unique combination of a rescue animal
strong enough to carry a pack and smart enough to learn
silent hand signals, the Normandy Retriever was chosen
over the German Shepard, which was in great use during
that time, and the breed we know today as the Labrador
Retriever.  And while many breeders claim Labrador
genetics in the Normandy dog and while it is true that
both originated in cold, windswept climes, the
web-footed resemblance has never been enough to make
an actual case-by-case historical comparison.

So why did the Lab rise to such prominence while the
Normandy’s popularity plummeted into almost total
obscurity?  That, my friend, is what Paul Harvey
would’ve called the rest of the story!

On that horrible day of June 6, 1944, as the Allied
Invasion was launched onto the shores of Europe, more
than one hundred black Normandy Retrievers were
scattered throughout the thousands of landing craft.
And as luck would have it, almost all the dogs were
killed in the assault.  The very few that did survive were
abandoned by fast moving troops given to the care of
local villagers.

In an odd footnote to that event, an effort was made to
recover the dogs from the villagers after the war.  After
all, these were highly trained animals and still the
property of Uncle Sam.  The effort was half hearted at
best.  By then, the dogs were entrenched with their own
“families” and were finally forgotten.  They were
dismissed by the war office as “bad luck dogs” and in
one communique, those words were actually written.
Bad Luck Dogs.  As if the dogs themselves had
something to do with the frightening welcome they
received on the beaches of . . . Normandy.

It is curious, isn’t it?  No one seems to know whether the
breed was given the name that stuck-the Normandy
Retriever-before or after the landing on the beaches of
Normandy.  What is not in dispute, however, is the fact
that the generations of dogs since that time can all be
traced back to that few litters of pups that began
appearing in that region of France after the Great War.

And now we have one.  We wanted this dog to be calm
and intelligent with a sense of wisdom about him.  And
since he is jet black, we have named him after one of my
favorite characters from history.  Our new puppy,
George Washington Carver, will be called Carver by
us . . . his new family!  ”

Thank you Andy for your contribution to personal excellence   !

Business organizations carry a terrible burden.

In effect, business is expected to make right what’s wrong in society, including the breakdown of marriages, families, schools, and governments. Business is expected to make the economy healthy, to be competitive, to ensure quality, to supply relevant training and education to all employees, and to have effective structures, systems, and processes. Business is expected to be a productive, ethical, disciplined, and profitable island in a sea of moral and social chaos.

No one knows how heavy the burden is better than business owners and executives. It’s heavy enough to break some very good men and women-especially those who are still operating in hierarchical and bureaucratic organizations because they face both internal and external opposition to getting quality work done, being competitive on a world-class level, and making profit.

Six Ways to Steal

What adds tremendous weight and worry to the already major burden on the back of business is internal waste and division. Well documented is the fact that a house divided cannot stand. One of the primary causes of business failure is internal sabotage in the form of employee theft. Since there are a million ways to steal from an employer, I will mention only six broad categories:

1. Time and talent. This includes everything from arriving late, leaving early, long lunches and liberal breaks to various forms of wasted time and effort on the job. Perhaps more serious than wasted time is wasted talent and prolonged strikes. Of course, employees are not the only ones to blame; many good people work in bad systems and in jobs that simply don’t require the full range of talent.

2. Customers and clients. When it’s “everybody for himself or herself,” then the common ethic is “whatever piece of the business I can handle on the side or take with me when I leave is legitimately mine.” You get all you can from the company while you work there; and in an atmosphere of low trust and layoffs, you may even hope to leave the organization with a few of its customers and clients, perhaps becoming a competitor.

3. Resources and supplies. The resources and supplies of the company become yours to be used as you wish. The idea that the company will “never miss it” may be true in an isolated case, but when multiplied by many thousands of employees, “minor theft” results in a major drain on company resources.

4. Reputation and image. It’s always hard to put a number on the value of the company’s reputation or public image, but major investments are made in public relations and advertising to create and maintain a certain image in the marketplace and to be known for something good. And yet any one person can significantly damage a corporation’s reputation by going public with dirty laundry, spreading gossip and rumors, committing some sort of fraud or crime, or by some incident in his or her private life, such as drunk driving, drug use or spouse abuse.

5. Money and profits. While petty theft is certainly a problem, it pales in comparison to the dramatic drain on company profits caused by law suits, many of them aggressively handled by hungry attorneys who are happy to believe one side of the story and push for their client’s alleged violated rights, playing every advantage card off the bottom of the deck. The enormous waste of time and money devoted to defending such law suits robs companies and their stakeholders of a fair return on investment.

6. Disciplined work. One big lie perpetrated today is the idea that you can separate your personal life from your professional life and that bad habits or addictions or lack of discipline or concentration in your personal life won’t affect your work. It simply doesn’t wash. When the personal side of your life is messy, it will show up in your work.

Six Ways to Ease the Burden

Each employee can ease the burden of business in many ways.

1. Repay employers for benefits. Rather than see benefits as entitlements, see them as investments that deserve returns. When, for example, you receive job-related training, look for ways to apply what you learn to benefit the company.

2. Seek ways to make the company more profitable. Every person can make constructive suggestions. And everyone can act to implement the cost-saving or profit-enhancing ideas of others.

3. When you find ways to add value, seek more resources to leverage your work. Show how the company is benefiting-and how much more bottom-line benefit is possible. Seek additional resources to leverage the win for the company.

4. Be market savvy. Whatever your job, learn all you can about your own internal and external markets. Market awareness and savvy will serve you well. Also, be financially literate.

5. Lead your own life responsibly. Be a model citizen. Take care of your own personal improvement. Come to work each day prepared to perform well.

6. Go beyond what is required. Seek innovation and improvement in company products and services. Network with others to make good things happen. Often the “high end” of your job description is the end most neglected-and that’s where the greatest potential for major contribution lies.

When everyone shares the burden, the heavy burden of business is bearable; in fact, at times it can even feel light.

All great leaders have some aspects of their personalities in common. Outstanding leaders share seven qualities:

1. Great leaders identify, cultivate, and inspire enthusiastic followers. Some people are successful but are not leaders. They work best on their own and enrich themselves. Great leaders enlist the cooperation, support, and loyalty of others. Few businesses can survive and thrive without people to carry out the leaders’ programs. Good leaders not only understand their employees, but motivate them to do their very best work.
2. Great leaders focus their efforts. Good leaders concentrate their efforts to reach goals. Those who do not focus their efforts will never achieve marked success in anything. No one is large enough to be split into many parts; and the sooner we stamp this truth upon our minds, the better our chances for success. Waste comes with trying to do too many things at once.
3. Great leaders face and overcome great difficulties. Adversity can destroy some people, but all good leaders have faced adversity and bounced back to greater glories. Change those stumbling blocks to stepping stones on the path to success. Strive vigorously to use everything that comes to you, whether pleasant or unpleasant, to your advantage. Do not allow an unpleasant letter, a disagreeable criticism, an uncharitable remark, or another trial to cloud your day. If you can make no other use of your misfortune, use it as a point of departure for a new and determined effort.
4. Great leaders expect more from themselves than they do from others. Great leaders set an example for their followers by demanding more of themselves. They work more hours, take on more challenges, initiate more programs, and give the full measure of their energies to their work.
5. Great leaders are not afraid to make tough decisions. Whether leading a nation or a corporation, every day the leader faces problems that require decisions. In some cases there is adequate time to think, assess, and evaluate all of the circumstances surrounding the problem, but quite often an immediate decision is needed. The good leader must make such decisions.
6. Great leaders have a vision and utmost faith in themselves to fulfill that vision. Great leaders have all had their visions. They knew what they wanted to accomplish, visualized its outcome, and devoted all their energies and emotions to accomplish that vision. Most important, they truly believed in their own capability to do this.  It makes a great difference whether you go into a thing to win, with clenched teeth and the vision of winning firmly in your mind. Determination to win is half the battle.
7. Great leaders are ambitious for themselves, their companies, and their people. One of the saddest things in life is to see men and women with a faded ambition, a lost life aim. No quality requires more guarding than ambition. It will not live and keep growing if it is not nourished; and the moment we begin to disregard it, we begin to go downhill. If your ambition is not alive, you should strengthen it in every possible way. Visualize the thing you want to be; keep it in your mind constantly; and work for it with all your might.

http://www.utahpulse.com/featured_article/seven-traits-great-leaders

I slipped on some ice this morning on my way to work.

As I lay in pain on the cold sidewalk, my car running, my head in a snow bank, I couldn’t help but worry about “all the things.” What if I broke my hip? I’m late to work now. What if I can’t get up? What will the gang do without me? (I am so NOT that indispensable). I can’t miss work. Oh, my gosh this really hurts.

I did get to work and took several over-the-counter medications to ease the discomfort and got right to my duties. But I couldn’t help but think about how easily and quickly - in a flash, even - your life can change. It makes for a great disability insurance commercial, but the truth is, as important as our jobs may be - and it’s good to be responsible and accountable for your work - YOU matter first.

Many employers/managers ignore the idea that the individual who devotes a significant portion of his/her day to work for them has value or that they’re important. They don’t realize that whatever happens to their employees every day outside the work place, really should matter.

Individuals whose personal lives are out of harmony do not perform well at work. They can’t. There are just too many distractions (and maybe their bum hurts from falling on the ice and they just can’t think straight). So leaders can build a culture that feels safe to an employee or team member. They can provide tools and resources that will provide substance and guidance to those who need to align themselves - salt on the ice so they won’t slip and fall.

The Personal Excellence Plan, created by Leadership Excellence, is that resource. It allows an individual to examine his/her life mission, visions, dreams, and goals and then create a foundation for success in his/her professional and personal life.

Ken Shelton remarks, “The Personal Excellence Plan evolved out of a growing awareness and frustration that reading or hearing powerful ideas alone rarely results in sustained progress.” That’s the slip on the ice.

I’m glad I didn’t hurt myself worse than a bruise. We can easily overcome the bruises when we fall or fail. But the better prepared we are the less likely we will fall and a little bit of “ice melt” is always good.

To order YOUR brand-new Personal Excellence Plan call 801-375-4060.

Nancy Low