Greetings!
Welcome to the September 2003 edition of the Clarity Success
Coaching Newsletter!
We hope that your summer was as
relaxing and fun as you needed it to be. Please join us in welcoming
the fall and the 'back to school' spirit. Along those lines, this
month's feature article is about the STAR within you. We hope that
reading it energizes and inspires you to uncover your inner
STAR.
As always, we welcome your questions, comments and
stories. Don't forget to send us an email and share your thoughts
with us.
If you should ever wish to unsubscribe, please use the "Safe
Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of the page.
The STAR Within You |
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A star, you know, that twinkling thing that we admire
from a far. In human terms we see stars as those who shine
brilliantly in their field of endeavour. They are people who
perform a skill or exhibit a characteristic that we can look
at and appreciate that it is being done at a high level. In a
society that often accepts mediocrity as a norm, people often
feel a need to knock stars down perhaps because it feels
uncomfortable to have people making them look bad. I know that
for the most part the people who read these articles are those
who strive to perform at the best level they can and have
risen to or been chosen for a leadership position in their
profession. The purpose of this article is to help you to see
the star qualities that you already possess. I hope that it
will help you to recognize some of the star qualities in the
people you lead or work with.
Whether you are
interested in raising the bar for yourself in terms of star
quality or raising the bar for those who work with you and for
you, I would like to present some ideas using the acronym
S.T.A.R.
Seeing what is needed. * See themselves * See their
gifts * See what they don't know or don't have * See
their purpose * See their vision
Tenacious with
standards * High expectations * High personal
standards * They get what they need to deliver *
Practice, work and play at meeting these standards *
Example they set for others
Accountable for their
attitude * Don't play the victim * Know that attitude
affects energy * Enjoy life * Gratitude * Know that
attitude is contageous
Relentless on reaching
results * Expect to succeed * Resilient * Learn from
what doesn't work * Employ resources to get there * Able
to celebrate success
In the space that we have for this article I am not able to
go into great depth with each of the points but I will pick
one attribute form each group to focus on.
Seeing what
is needed.- Vision. One the most powerful attributes of a star
is to see a vision that so few if any have the ability to see.
When he gave his most famous speech Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
said that he had a dream. His dream was that his children
would not be judged by the colour of their skin but rather by
the content of their character. He had a dream. This is just a
small part of his speech but his words inspired a nation and
started in earnest the changes that so many had fought for,
for so long. Stars have clear a vision of what is possible and
know that the road to that vision is seldom
easy.
Tenacious with standards.- High Expectations.
What I have observed in stars, especially the ones I have
grown to know personally, is that they have very high
standards when it comes to their own conduct and behaviour.
They tend to be people of integrity who do what they say they
are going to do. They don't try to be what they are not. They
employ vast quantities of discipline. I think of someone like
Wayne Gretzky. In addition to being proficient at what he does
and setting the bar higher than it had ever been set before,
he always did it with class, integrity and humility. We as
club managers and leaders of people have the opportunity to
lead with high personal standards and inspire out people to
lead with them as well.
Accountable for Attitude -
Gratitude. When Vancouver won the recent Olympic bid and
people were asking John Furlong for his comments what he
offered were simply comments of gratitude and humility. He was
grateful for all the people who worked so hard to share a
dream and create a legacy. And at every point when the glory
was being shone on him he redirected it to the people he
believed made it happen.
Relentless in reaching
results. - Resilient. One of the things that impresses me most
about the stars that I have observed is their ability to get
up after being knocked down. It often seems like those who
achieve the most have had some of the greatest obstacles to
overcome. And it seems that when most people would be
devastated or paralyzed by a set back the stars see it as a
lesson that will prepare them for the bigger challenge. This
past summer watching cyclist Lance Armstrong win his fifth
Tour de France by overcoming obstacles on the road that for us
might seem overwhelming, we could see that these were small
obstacles compared the larger ones he has had to face to reach
his goals.
I hope that you will see some element of a
star that could help you on your path to stardom and something
that might help you to inspire those that work with you to let
their brilliance shine.
What's possible for your life? What's possible for you
professionally? What difference can you make? What are
your standards in terms of integrity, being constructive,
being an example, telling the truth, the way you present
yourself, the kind of language you use, and the way you honour
others? List 10 things that you are grateful for. Think
of a time when going through adversity led to much bigger
results. Have you allowed failure to be a teacher for you
in the past?
I wish you the best in developing the STAR
within you.
»
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Inspirational Quote |
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Even people who have never experienced much
happiness, who have been plagued since birth by confusion,
injustice, and pain, know exactly what set of conditions will
allow them to fulfill their potential while creating the
greatest positive impact on the world.
Martha
Beck "Finding Your Own North
Star"
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Recommended Reading |
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This month we would like to recommend that you think of
someone you consider to be a STAR. Someone who embodies the
characteristics we have discussed above. Then find out if
there has been an autobiography or biography written about
that person.
One of the suggestions I often make to my clients who are
reaching for more, is to name or find someone they admire and
then find out what it was that helped that person succeed.
Find out more about the people you consider to be STARs by
reading about them and see if you can apply some of their
attitudes or philosophies as you strive for success.
For other book reviews please visit the Clarity Success
Coaching web site and our 'library'.
Clarity
Success Coaching Library »
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Final Thoughts |
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We hope that you have enjoyed this edition of the
Clarity Success Coaching Newsletter! Please feel free to pass
it along to anyone you feel would benefit from it.
We welcome your ideas and inspirations! Please share with
us your stories and wisdom and, with your permission, we will
share them with our readers!
Clarity Success Coaching does not give out or sell our
subscribers' names or email addresses. Privacy is always our
policy.
The Clarity Success Coaching newsletter and all contents
are the property of Clarity Success Coaching and cannot be
reprinted without the permission of Clarity Success Coaching.
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Give yourself a gift! |
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Every Thursday morning Kevin is available for
complimentary coaching sessions. Gift yourself with the
opportunity to experience coaching first hand and see if this
powerful partnership is just what you need to kick start a
project, get you on track or simply affirm what you knew to be
true all along - you are terrific!
The benefits achieved in the coaching relationship are best
understood when we experience them first-hand, which is why
Kevin offers complimentary coaching sessions to anyone wishing
to understand more about what he does and what you can achieve
by working with a coach.
Complimentary coaching sessions are, of course, totally
obligation free. Remember, knowledge is power, and by
equipping youself with more information about what coaching is
and how it works, you can make informed decisions about what
the next best step is for you in your personal and/or
professional life.
To book a complimentary coaching session, please call
Kevin's assistant Alexandra at 604-874-4757 or email her at
[email protected].
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