9 Ways to Make People Feel Empowered With Intent-Based Leadership

Intent-based leadership creates an environment for people to contribute so they feel valued and encouraged to reach their potential. Intent-based leadership is about designing an environment where people give intent to each other and they feel valued and proud of their work. It helps give understanding into how they fit into the whole organization and its objectives. It helps them feel inspired, motivated, and take responsibility for their actions. Intent-based leadership is about giving control and the decision-making power to people who maintain the information. 

So, how can you make people feel empowered with intent-based leadership?

1. Your words make a big impact

Employing the phrase "I intend to" shifts ownership from leaders to followers. 

2. Talk about intent 

In order for people to feel empowered, spend time talking and listening about they want to accomplish. It can be tempting for leaders to set the vision without ensuring that members have already bought into the future of the organization.

3. Be tolerant of differing approaches 

Having shared intent is important but there are many ways to solve the issues in front of you. Don't be authoritative about methods. Tolerance is key. 

4. Help people devise their own solutions

When a member comes to you with an issue and lacking a solution, be tolerant in helping them find one. They should feel empowered by your leadership and trust in you to arrive at one on their own. However, be patient enough to lead the way in finding one. 

5. Make it a safe place to think

By doing so, they will feel safe and empowered to arrive at their own creative solutions and ideas.

6. Clarify language to minimize chaos

Giving freedom may create a few issues, however, it is best to talk about them. 

7. Define roles and processes.

A lack of clear, defined roles, authority, and processes creates chaos. The structure that follows the conversations, collaboration, and buy-in permits freedom. 

8. Coercion does not work

The short-term wins that can come through coercion is not worth it. The long-term gains can be won by making people feel empowered with intent-based leadership.

9. Employ a culture of transparency, open feedback, and sharing

Be clear, invite criticism, be open, and members will be apt to share. 

10. Ensure that people feel part of a collective we

When members use "they" and not "we" there is a lack of sense of empowerment. A common culture can change this. 

11. Never sacrifice short-term success for long-term wins

Investing is long-term success is difficult and there will be temporary setbacks but in the end it is worth it. 

Through these steps of employing intent-based leadership, you will have a team that feels more empowered, inspired, and motivated. That is a good thing for any business

11 Habits of Genuinely Brave People

Since this is my last installment in the series we'll finish with a long-term change: let's commit to being more courageous in our professional and our personal lives.

I know, I know. Hear the word "courage" and you probably think of physical bravery, but there are many other forms of bravery -- after all, bravery is not the absence of fear but a triumph over fear.

And that's why bravery is an element of success in business and entrepreneurship. Taking a chance when others will not, following your vision no matter where it takes you, standing up for what you believe in especially when your beliefs are unpopular, or simply doing the right thing even though easier options exist -- those are all forms of bravery.

Take a look at this list and see how many apply to you--and how many you want to work to make sure can apply to you in the future.

1. You're brave enough to believe the unbelievable.

Most people try to achieve the achievable. That's why most goals and targets are incremental rather than massive or even inconceivable. Incremental is safe. Believable is safe.

Why? Because you're less likely to fall short. You're less likely to fail. You're less likely to lose credibility and authority. A few people do expect more from themselves and from others.

But they don't stop there. They also show you how to get to more. And they bring you along for what turns out to be an unbelievable ride.

2. You're brave enough to be patient.

When things go poorly, giving up or making a change is often the easiest way out. It takes more courage to be patient, to believe in yourself, or to show people you believe in them. Showing patience in others also shows you care.

And when you show you truly care about the people around you, even when others clamor for a change, they may find ways to do things that will amaze everyone, including themselves.

3. You're brave enough to say, "no."

Maybe you wouldn't have the courage to say no to $3 billion, but do you have the courage to say no to requests for unusual favors, for unreasonable demands on your time, or to people who are only concerned with their own interests?

Saying yes is the easy move. Saying no, when you know you'll later resent or regret having said yes, is much harder -- but is often the best thing to do, both for you and for the other person.

Don't be afraid to say no.

4. You're brave enough to take an unpopular stand.

Many people try to stand out in a superficial way: clothes, or interests, or public displays of support for popular initiatives. They're conspicuous for reasons of sizzle, not steak. It takes real courage to take an unpopular stand. And it takes real courage to take risks not just for the sake of risk but for the sake of the reward you believe is possible, and by your example to inspire others to take a risk in order to achieve what they believe is possible.

5. You're brave enough to ask for help.

No one does anything worthwhile on his or her own. Even the most brilliant, visionary, fabulously talented people achieve their success through collective effort. Still, it takes courage to sincerely and humbly say, "Can you help me?"

Asking for help shows vulnerability. But it also shows respect and a willingness to listen. And those are qualities every great leader possesses. Maybe that's why there are so few truly great leaders.

6. You're brave enough to show real emotion.

Acting professionally is actually pretty easy. (We all know a few robots.) Acting professionally while also remaining openly human takes courage-the willingness to show sincere excitement, sincere appreciation, and sincere disappointment, not just in others, but also in yourself.

It takes real bravery to openly celebrate, openly empathize, and openly worry. It's hard to be professional and also remain a person.

7. You're brave enough to forgive.

When an employee makes a mistake -- especially a major mistake- it's easy to forever view that employee through the lens of that mistake. But one mistake, or one weakness, or one failing is also just one part of a person. It's easy to fire, to punish, to resent; it's much harder to step back, set aside a mistake, and think about the whole person.

It takes courage to move past and forget mistakes and to treat an employee, a colleague, or a friend as a whole person and not just a living reminder of an error, no matter how grievous that mistake may have been. To forgive may be divine, but to forget can be even more divine.

8. You're brave enough to stay the course.

It's easy to have ideas. It's a lot harder to stick with your ideas in the face of repeated failure. It's incredibly hard to stay the course when everyone else feels you should give up. Every day, hesitation, uncertainty, and failure causes people to quit.

It takes courage to face the fear of the unknown and the fear of failure. But how many ideas could turn out well if you trust your judgment, your instincts, and your willingness to overcome every obstacle?

9. You're brave enough to lead by permission.

Every boss has a title. In theory that title confers the right to direct, to make decisions, to organize and instruct and discipline. The truly brave leader forgets the title and leads by making people feel they work with, not for, that person.

It takes courage to not fall back on a title but to instead work to earn respect -- and through gaining that respect earn the permission to lead.

10. You're brave enough to to be willing to succeed through others.Great teams are made up of people who know their roles, set aside personal goals, willingly help each other, and value team success over everything else. Great business teams win because their most talented members are willing to sacrifice to make others successful and happy.

It takes courage to answer the question, "Can you make the choice that your happiness will come from the success of others?" with a resounding "Yes!" But the payoff is worth it.

11. You're brave enough to say you're sorry.

We all make mistakes (even if just for creating privacy concerns) and we all have things we need to apologize for: Words, actions, omissions, failing to step up, step in, show support. It takes courage to say, "I'm sorry."

It takes even more courage not to add, "But I was really mad, because..." or, "But I did think you were..." or any words that in any way places the smallest amount of blame back on the other person.

7 Reasons to Stay Strong Through Your Failures

Mozart, Vincent Van Gogh, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, Bill Gates--all failed, and failed many times.

But these geniuses are great leaders that all have one thing in common: They did not allow failure to keep them down.

What does it take to hold on to your genius through failures and disasters?

1. Find your passion. Passion will move you beyond yourself, beyond your shortcomings, your mistakes, and your failures. To succeed you have to believe in something with such passion that it becomes an unstoppable reality. At the core of every success is the belief born of passion.

2. Purposefully persevere. Success requires fearlessly facing storms, mistakes, and failures, and staying the course with perseverance. As Winston Churchill said, "If you are going through hell, keep going." Perseverance is stubbornness with a purpose, and many of the great accomplishments of our time were achieved by tired and discouraged people who kept on working. 

3. Tap into your potential. Potential becomes meaningful only when you do something with it, but sometimes our obsession with instant gratification blinds us to the long-term nature of that process. Continuous effort over time unlocks your potential, and strengthens you at the same time.

4. Transpire humility. Don't be too proud of what you've attained--at the end of the day, success is measured not so much by the position you reach as by the failures and obstacles you overcome. It's when the world has pushed you to your knees that you're in the perfect position to get up and succeed.

5. Connect with people. Even if they work independently, no genius ever becomes successful on their own. At some point, someone brought them help, inspiration, or strength. Whether it's for a moment, a day, or a lifetime, the people who come into your life can teach you, help you, and influence you. We need people who can help us get up when we fall and show us the way out when we fail. And when they come along, we need to accept their assistance.6. Purge old bad patterns. We all have patterns in our lives--some positive, some destructive. Most start slowly and develop so gradually that they can be hard to perceive. It's important to grow in awareness so you can recognize unhelpful patterns and replace them with new ones that feed your success. As Aristotle said, we are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.

7. Power yourself with positivity. We all make mistakes; we all have struggles; we have all had failures and regrets. But we find power when we choose not to be defined by those things. Make sure who you are and what you do come from the power of positivity. Our mind is a powerful thing, and when we fill it with positive thoughts our lives start to change for the positive.

We can't escape failure or run away from our mistakes, but we always have a choice. It is the right mindset that will give us the passion, the perseverance, the people, the potential, the humility, the connection, the new patterns, and the position for us to succeed.  If you expect the best, you will be the best. It really is that simple.

Want to Become Rich? Cultivate These 7 Habits

1. They make conscious choices.

This is the most important point. The future wealthy don't just believe in themselves, or that they have the right to make their own choices. In addition, they believe they have the power to control what those choices even are.

My best effort at summarizing this in practical terms comes from the words I wrote for Breakthrough Entrepreneurship, a book I co-authored with Jon Burgstone: 

Every time you want to make any important decision, there are two possible courses of action.

You can look at the array of choices that present themselves, pick the best available option, and try to make it fit.

Or you can do what the true entrepreneur does: Figure out the best conceivable option and then make it available.

Future wealthy people choose the latter course, every time. They recast situations over and over if necessary, until they control the array of available choices.

2. They do the math.

We count money. We use numbers. Most people who accumulate large amounts of money pay close attention to the calculations.

It's so obvious. Yet, if you've ever left a credit card bill or bank statement unopened because you were afraid of what's inside, you're making the wrong choices here.

It's not just personal finances, either. Small differences in mathematical computations can make a gigantic difference at scale. If you don't crunch the numbers maniacally, however, you'll never know. 

At the same time, future wealthy people cut their expenses. Your money is always working for someone. If you're consuming, it's working for someone else. 

3. They find stuff that's fun.

Everybody and his annoying uncle will tell you that there's no shortcut for hard work. That's true, sort of--but it doesn't mean that work has to be drudgery.

The future wealthy understand that unless they find enjoyment in what they do, they're probably not going to want to do very much of it--and they're not going to be as good at it as other people are.

Besides, your most important resource in this world isn't money, it's time. So find ways to spend your days doing things you actually like doing--then you're more likely to work hard at them, and accumulate greater wealth in the process.

4. They solve problems.

Do you know why so many successful businesses claim to put the customer first?

It's not just marketing; it's self-interest. When you put your customers first, you find out what they truly want and need. That puts you on the road to being able to find it and sell it to them.

The same idea applies to human relationships. The future wealthy understand that there's nothing wrong with seeking advantages at the same time that you help other people.

Of course, you don't want to be off-putting, but making a habit of helping others solve problems means you'll both gain important insights and accumulate a wealth of people who are eager to help you in return.

5. They find examples to follow.

The future wealthy understand that there is almost never any reason to reinvent the wheel. No matter the goal, chances are somebody else has already done it--or at least accomplished pieces of it.

Why not study that person's example and follow it?

And if you can't find mentorship with a living human being, look to history. Even if your eyes are set on something unprecedented, you are guaranteed to be able to find at least some analogous examples of similar successes in history.

6. They have guts.

Fortune favors the bold. The future wealthy are willing to take action and to defy convention. They certainly don't follow the path that their parents told them about, and they don't allow themselves to be trapped by their own success.

If you've ever heard the phrase "golden handcuffs," you'll know what I mean.

Note, however, that this doesn't mean they're reckless. There is a crazy notion that entrepreneurs and the wealthy are big risk-takers. They're not, at least not the good ones. Instead, they're risk-calculators. They understand that literally every choice entails balancing risk--and that sometimes doing nothing is the riskiest option of all.

7. They diversify.

Everybody fails sometimes. The future wealthy understand this, which is why they never put all their eggs into a single basket. They try to have several things going at once--whether it's with their investment portfolios or their careers.

A caveat here: I don't mean that they lack focus. In fact, the future wealthy usually have incredible focus. However, they hedge their bets ever so slightly, whether that means cultivating their networks and looking for additional opportunities, even when things seem to be going great--or even launching a full-blown side business or second (or third) source of income.

09 Ways to Make Business Travel a Joy

Some people love business travel. Others find it annoying and uncomfortable to be away from home. I personally enjoy it in reasonable doses. I like to see new places and meet new people, especially when I can see how they work and live.

The tourist thing can get old though. I can understand why for some business travel can get dull and tired. Hotel rooms can seem stuffy and generic. The food can be hit or miss, and airplanes can feel uncomfortable.

I have already traveled a lot this year to Austin, Boston, Montreal, Mexico, Dubai, Istanbul, Germany and Iceland. Without forethought, all that travel would be incredibly disruptive to daily routines for both my staff and me. Road weariness can make it difficult to concentrate on the tasks away from home while still worrying about the work that needs to get done in the office.

There are ways to eliminate most of the stresses associated with business travel. Here are several best practices of successful road warriors.

1. Prepare everything in advance.

Just hopping a plane and hoping for the best can be costly both in time and money. Good pre-planning allows your mind to relax, knowing you have your details worked out. I make sure I have all the information in my smartphone and carry a paper copy as well. I leave some room for flexibility, but I always know flights, lodging, and transportation ahead of time. I also schedule most of my appointments in advance, carefully checking travel times so I don't overbook.

2. Keep regular contact.

When you are local, a simple text or email can solve problems in no time. But when you are out of the country or in a remote area, problems can escalate in a few hours of lost contact. Be zealous about checking in before the long flight or long meetings. Be proactive about discussing potential problems so your team at home base can take care of things with confidence.

3. Create routine.

The unpredictability of travel can be exciting for some, but disconcerting for others. There are many things you can control even when you are staying in a different place every day. Recently I traveled to 5 cities across the world with no more than 1 night in each city. Still I was able to maintain daily rhythms of thinking, working, exercising, and relaxing. Everything may be a variable around you, but you control you.

4. Work where you can.

Usually you are traveling because you need to see people or attend a meeting. It's easy to get caught up in those special events and lose track of your regular work. I keep tools that make it easy to work wherever I am. I have a small laptop that works for writing on planes or trains. My phone is set up so I can easily manage communication and get connected to the Internet. I forego excessive partying so I can get work done to clear my head.

5. Covet sleep.

Nothing will create travel fatigue worse than lack of sleep. Some people can sleep on planes like me, while others struggle. Regardless, you need to calculate your sleep into your travel. I prioritize my sleep over work, partying, and socializing to make sure I can be at my best on the road. Otherwise, mistakes could be made and opportunities could be lost.

6. Be self-sufficient.

As a traveling worker, I am at my best when I can take care of myself. I try and manage a little language or at the very least set up guidance from a colleague. I carry cash and credit cards that will work wherever I go and make sure I get Internet access immediately. Most importantly, I carry small amounts of over-the-counter medicines that will solve any minor problem including: ibuprofen, Zyrtec, Lomotil, nose spray, eye drops, and throat lozenges. Add in sewing kit, Band-Aids and an eyeglass screwdriver and I rarely come across a small issue I can't fix immediately.

7. Hoard your space.

Traveling can be cramped. Planes, trains and cities can be crowded and pushy. I always grab space when I see the chance. In airline terminals, I will walk to an empty gate within earshot. On airplanes, I choose window seats in rows where the aisle is already chosen. I cheek my bags, which rarely causes a problem these days but gives me better legroom. I have headphones and music to block out any annoying noise like children on planes. Most important, I close my eyes and meditate to block out the world no matter how much it imposes on me.

8. Always have a Plan B.

The number one rule of travel is that you are almost never in control. Transportation will be late. Hotels will be overbooked. People will change appointments. Once you are on a trip, you are fully committed, so you may as well make the best of it. Always be prepared to improvise and make the best of an inconvenient situation. Often a change in plans has led to my most interesting local food and cultural experiences.

9. Keep your sense of humor.

Travel should be fun. You get to meet interesting people, learn about culture and see interesting things. Sure everything is different abroad. It may even take you a half hour to figure out something simple like a toilet in China. Short of life or death situations though, it's rare that any travel tragedy will have long-term impact. If things seem to be going poorly, simply find the irony or silliness in the situation and enjoy the journey.

5 Questions That Will Change Your Life

We all face tough questions in our lives--questions that are often asked by other people. These questions prompt us far too often to come up with answers that others will respond to favorably. But we rarely take the time to ask ourselves questions and recognize how we truly feel.

Questions can be a powerful way to get in touch with your inner guide and gain some valuable insight into your life and career.

Here are 5 questions that could change your life--but only if you answer truthfully:

1. What is the reason behind the moments when you don't feel confident?

The reality is that we all struggle with confidence. It's the human condition. But what makes each of us unique is our individual triggers for this lack of confidence. We often know that we may not feel confident, but we don't pay attention to the why. Every time you feel a dip in confidence, figure out the root of those feelings. More often that not, you will see that it's from an irrational fear rather than a real, concrete reason to be down on yourself.

2. How often do you make career decisions based on what others think?

Do you care what others think? You may say no, but the day-to-day reality is that you do. We all do--again, it's part of our nature. However, making decisions based on what others think will lead you astray from the work or life that is right for you. For your next big or small decision, analyze your motivation: Are your intentions pure, or do they simply stem from a desire to look good to others?

3. What is a primary fear that is holding you back?

We constantly hold ourselves back out of fear. But we fail to stop and identify that fear. Figure this out. I am willing to bet it's a fear of failure, a fear of not being good enough, or a fear of the worst-case scenario. These things are always possible, but so are the alternatives: success, being capable, and the best-case scenario. Living a life having faced your fears is far more exciting than hiding behind them. Figure out yours and get busy facing them.

4. What kinds of problems do you want to be solving?

Far too often, we are solving the problems that are given to us. What about the ones you want to solve? Are your career and life oriented to that purpose? If not, think about how to redesign how you spend your time by starting with the problems that drive you.

5. What kind of impact do you want to have on others?

The impact that is meaningful to you gets to the heart of what gives you purpose and what provides fulfillment. We tend to think about our careers from a monetary perspective rather than an impact perspective. Ask yourself what kind of impact you wish to have on others, and the next time you feel deeply fulfilled, take note and analyze what is causing those feelings.

Asking these questions and answering them thoughtfully could change your life and the perspective you take on your career and living your life. The good news is that the answers are there--you just need to scratch beneath the surface.

05 Reasons You Shouldn't Do Your Own Company Branding

Now that your company is established and has some sales activity, you'll need to think about your brand. However, you should resist the temptation of making branding a DIY activity. Here's why:

1. You probably don't understand the concept.

Unless you've actually branded a company or product in the past, you probably think that brand consists of your name, logo, tag line, and the look and feel of your products.

In fact, your brand is the emotion that customers and potential customers feel when they experience your product or service. Those brand elements can only reflect that emotion.

If you miss that basic concept, you'll waste time, money, and mental energy on those brand elements rather than on the emotions you're attempting to elicit.

By contrast, a talented outside branding company will zero in immediately on the emotions and arrange the elements to fit them.

2. You can't see yourself from the outside.

Presumably you've worked hard to create a product that you believe to be exciting and interesting and, along the way, you've gained some self-awareness of your strengths and weaknesses.

However, the "vision" that made all that possible is a huge impediment to understanding what others might value in you and your products, and that makes effective branding next to impossible.

As the great Scottish poet Robert Burns famously wrote: "O, wad some Power the giftie gie us, to see oursels as ithers see us! It wad frae monie a blunder free us."

An outside branding company, by definition, has an outsider's viewpoint, and is thus less likely to get caught up in your inside-looking-out vision.

3. Talented brand managers simply aren't available.

Branding, like selling, can't really be taught in colleges or universities. It's an art, not a science, and it's the kind of art where every situation is unique.

Of course, MBA programs often feature branding case studies, but what worked for Coke, Sony, Apple, and Tesla isn't going to work for your startup.

Even previous experience branding for another company in the same industry isn't always that useful. In branding, what worked yesterday isn't likely to work today, much less tomorrow.

Individuals who have broad experience in branding at different levels are much more likely to be working for companies that specialize in branding than looking to work in your business.

4. You can focus on sales rather than marketing.

Like everyone else, you have a limited amount of energy to put into your business. Necessarily, much of that energy must focus on creating a great product or service.

When you're not actively working on that core, your time is probably best spent working with customers and potential customers, rather than branding.

With startups and early-stage companies, customers want to work directly with C-level executives. Therefore, your non-development time is best spent developing opportunities.

While this is happening, an outside branding company can help understand why your current customers are buying and identify the emotions that your branding campaign will seek to intensify.

5. You'll strengthen your exit strategy.

Unless you're planning to grow your company indefinitely, you've probably got an exit strategy: either an IPO or being acquired by another company.

Because brand is crucial to how your company is perceived, nothing says "likely to fail" than an amateurish or awkward brand.

Companies with a highly professional brand concept and brand elements that match are far more likely to seem attractive to investors, investment banks and acquiring companies.

A truly talented outside branding consultant can create the impression that your company and products are greater than the sum of their parts, thereby ensuring the best possible price.

9 Affirmations the Most Successful People Repeat Each and Every Day

A friend of mine is big on daily affirmations and positive self-talk. He spends a few minutes every morning looking in a mirror and repeating, "I'm great. I'm awesome. I'm a superstar."

He says his daily affirmations work for him but his approach has always left me a little flat. Why? There's no action involved in his affirmations. He's great... but what is he going to do with that greatness?

Achievement is based on specific actions, not on general thoughts. The same is true with how we treat people: to others we are what we do, not what we think.

And most importantly, genuine "success" means different things to different people. For some it's money, for others it's power and influence, for others it's the strength of relationships... your definition of "success" is all that matters.

That's why I like this list of affirmations a lot better. It comes from Mareo McCracken, a Global Growth Consultant and Revenue Leader at Axis Medical Technologies. (You might consider following him on LinkedIn; he often takes an unusual approach to overcoming the challenges most of us face.)

Here's Mareo:

The key driver of self-awareness is what we tell ourselves about our past, present, and future. Our self-talk becomes our personal stories. We believe what we tell ourselves. Self-talk combined with matching action is the number one way to change your life.

While I am no guru, I know that these are the stories you must tell yourself:

1. "I treat others the way they want to be treated."

By treating others the way they want to be treated, my own personal fulfillment grows. I give respect and provide service. I show love, care, compassion, and consideration. I help others feel appreciated. I let others know they are important, that they matter, and that they are valuable. By valuing others, my confidence increases.

2. "I am ever grateful."

Gratitude allows happiness to come into my life. I choose to show appreciation for what I have, who I know, what I can learn, and who I can help. I define and talk about the things I am grateful for on a daily basis. I know that the number one way for me to be happy is to choose to be grateful. The more thanks I show, the more my confidence increases.

2. "I am accountable."

I am reliable. I am responsible. I never blame others, I never accept excuses. I take ownership of my successes as well as my mistakes. I know that my own performance is a direct result of what I think and the actions I take. By taking full-responsibility daily, my confidence increases.

3. "I believe in myself."

When I fail, I learn. My failures are temporary because my perseverance is permanent. I push forward at all times because I know I can succeed. As I continually believe in myself, my confidence increases.

4. "I am positive."

I look for the good in all people and situations. My mind is focused on the possibilities. When I think positive thoughts, positive things happen. The more I act in a positive manner, the more my confidence increases.

5. "I have high standards."

I do not let mediocrity enter my life. I am honest. I do not apologize for striving for excellence. My quality of life is a reflection of my high standards. I rise and lift others with me. By living up to my personal high standards, my confidence increases.

6. "I follow my heart."

Time is precious and everyone has something that they are passionate about. I do what makes me and those around me happy. The cost of not following my heart is too great, I am going to live life with no regrets. As I follow my heart, my confidence increases.

7. "I trust my gut."

I value my intuition since it is based on my subconscious-mind and conscious-mind working in harmony. I know what is true, and I know what I want to be true. I trust my gut feelings, my inner voice. As I trust myself, my confidence increases.

8. "I am resilient."

I have overcome many challenges and will overcome many more. The times that are the toughest, are the times I learn the most. I never back down. I work hard and I push through. As I act in a resilient manner, my confidence increases.

9. "I help people."

I matter because I make a difference. While I may get tired I am not weary. I share myself and love to serve. By making a difference, my confidence increases.

If we tell ourselves our personal truth enough, it manifests into reality. Our reality and our actions will always match the story we believe.

07 Times a 'Thank You' Is the Best Response

I don’t say “Thank You” as often as I should and I doubt I’m the only one.

In fact, I’m starting to believe that “Thank You” is the most under-appreciated and under-used phrase on the planet. It is appropriate in nearly any situation and it is a better response than most of the things we say. Let’s cover 7 common situations when we say all sorts of things, but should say “Thank You” instead.

1. When you’re receiving a compliment.

We often ruin compliments by devaluing the statement or acting overly humble. Internally, you might think this prevents you from appearing arrogant or smug.

The problem is that by deflecting the praise of a genuine compliment, you don’t acknowledge the person who was nice enough to say something. Simply saying “Thank You” fully acknowledges the person who made the compliment and allows you to enjoy the moment as well.

Example: “Your dress looks great.”

• Instead of: “Oh, this old thing? I’ve had it for years.”
• Try saying: “Thank you. I’m glad you like it.”

Example: “Wow! 20 points tonight. You played really well in the game.”

• Instead of: “Yeah, but I missed that wide-open shot in the 3rd quarter.”
• Try saying: “Thank you. It was a good night.”

Example: “You killed your presentation today!”

• Instead of: “Did I? I felt so nervous up there. I’m glad it looked alright.”
• Try saying: “Thank you. I’m happy it went well.”

There is something empowering about fully accepting a compliment. When you deflect praise, you can’t really own it. When you just say “Thank You,” you let the weight of the compliment sink in and become yours. Saying “Thank You” gives your mind permission to be built up by the compliments you receive.

Getting compliments should be fun and enjoyable, but we often ruin the experience. There’s no need to sabotage compliments that come your way. Accept them with grace and enjoy the moment. 

2. When you’re running late.

Being late is the worst. It’s stressful for the person who is running late and it’s disrespectful to the person who is waiting.

It might seem strange to thank someone for dealing with your hassle, but that’s exactly the correct response. Most people stumble in the door and say, “Sorry I’m late.”

The problem is this response still makes the situation about you. Sorry, I’m late. Saying “Thank You” turns the tables and acknowledges the sacrifice the other person made by waiting. Thank you for waiting. 

Example: You walk in the door 14 minutes late.

• Instead of: “So sorry I’m late. Traffic was insane out there.”
• Try saying: “Thank you for your patience.”

When we make a mistake, someone else often makes a sacrifice. Our default response is to apologize for our failure, but the better approach is to praise their patience and loyalty. Thank them for what they did despite your error.

3. When you’re comforting someone.

When someone comes to you with bad news, it can be awkward. You want to be a good friend, but most people don’t know what to say. I know I’ve felt that way before.

Often times, we think it’s a good idea to add a silver lining to the problem. “Well, at least you have…”

What we fail to realize is that it doesn’t matter if you don’t know what to say. All you really need is to be present and thank them for trusting you.

Example: Your co-worker’s mother passed away recently.

• Instead of: “At least you have a lot of fond memories to hold onto.”
• Try saying: “Thank you for sharing that with me. I know this is a hard time for you.”

Example: Your brother lost his job.

• Instead of: “At least you have your health.”
• Try saying: “Thank you for sharing this with me. I’m here to support you.”

Example: Your friend’s pet just died.

• Instead of: “At least they had a long and happy life.”
• Try saying: “Thank you for sharing that with me. I’m here for you.”

In times of suffering, we don’t need to hear words to ease the pain as much as we need someone to share our pain. When you don’t know what to say, just say “Thank You” and be there.

4. When you’re receiving helpful feedback.

Feedback can be very helpful, but we rarely see it that way. Whether it is an unflattering performance review from your boss or an email from an unhappy customer, the standard reaction is to get defensive. That’s a shame because the correct response is to simply say, “Thank You” and use the information to improve.

Example: “This work isn’t good enough. I thought you would do better.”

• Instead of: “You don’t understand. Here’s what really happened.”
• Try saying: “Thank you for expecting more of me.”

Example: “I bought your product last week and it already broke. I am not happy with this experience.”

• Instead of: “How did you use it? We made it very clear in our terms and conditions that the product is not designed to work in certain conditions.“
• Try saying: “Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Please know we are committed to becoming better. Can you share more details about the issue?”

Nobody likes to fail, but failure is just a data point. Respond to helpful feedback with thanks and use it to become better. 

5. When you’re receiving unfair criticism.

Sometimes criticism isn’t helpful at all. It’s just vindictive and mean. I’ve written about how to deal with haters previously, but one of the best approaches is to just say thank you and move on.

When you thank someone for criticizing you, it immediately neutralizes the power of their statements. If it’s not a big deal to you, then it can’t grow into a larger argument.

Example: “This might be good advice for beginners, but anyone who knows what they are doing will find this useless.”

• Instead of: “Well, clearly, I wrote this for beginners. This might be a surprise, but not everything was written with you in mind.”
• Try saying: “Thank you for sharing your opinion. I’ll try to improve next time.”

Example: “Your statement is the dumbest thing I’ve read all week.”

• Instead of: “You’re an idiot. Let me tell you why…”
• Try saying: “Thank you for the feedback. I still have a lot to learn.”

Releasing the need to win every argument is a sign of maturity. Someone on the internet said something wrong? So what. Win the argument by the way you live your life.

6. When someone gives you unsolicited advice.

This shows up a lot in the gym. Everybody has an opinion about what your technique should look like. I think most people are just trying to be helpful, but hearing someone’s opinion about you when you didn’t ask for it can be annoying.

One time, someone pointed out some flaws in my squat technique in a video I posted online. I responded by sarcastically asking if he had a video of himself doing it correctly. Somewhere deep in my mind, I assumed that if I reminded him that his technique wasn’t perfect, then I would feel better about the fact that mine wasn’t perfect either. That’s an unnecessary and defensive response.

The better approach? Just say “Thank You.”

Example: “You know, you should really keep your hips back when you do that exercise.”

• Instead of: “Oh really? Do you have a video of yourself doing it so I can see it done correctly?”
• Try saying: “Thank you for the help.”

Pointing out others faults doesn’t remove your own. Thank people for raising your self-awareness, even if it was unsolicited.

7. When you’re not sure if you should thank someone.

When in doubt, just say thank you. There is no downside. Are you honestly worried about showing too much gratitude to the people in your life?

“Should I send a Thank You card in this situation?” Yes, you should.

“Should I tip him?” If you don’t, at least say thank you.

Say thank you, more often.

12 Steps to Achieving a Meaningful Change in Your Business

This 12-step checklist can help you manage change to ensure a smooth transition and good outcomes:

1. Paint the picture. Identify change clearly by painting a vibrant, clear, and specific picture. People have a much easier time dealing with change when they know what is changing, what is staying the same, what they can expect during the process, and what things will look like afterward. Communicate a clear and consistent message from all members of your team so people know what to expect.

2. Know not just what but why and how. Build a business case to explain the need for the change. Describe the purpose of the change as well as the likely consequences. Stating both will help with the change initiative.  

3. Keep people in mind. Without your people, change will not happen--or at least, it won't happen well. Use your business case to make sure everyone on your team understands the need for change. Seek buy-in from everyone involved in, or affected by, the change.

4. Communicate with transparency. It's important to keep people in the loop throughout the change process, not just at the beginning. Help them understand events and issues at every step. Change is never easy, but if you communicate with candor and transparency, you can minimize any disruption.

5. Emphasize the benefits. Don't be dishonest or one-sided in your communication, but make sure that any benefits of the change are front and center to keep the context positive for any later information.

6. Set outcomes and goals. A set of common outcomes and clear goals sets the sometimes-chaotic process of change within a coherent strategy. Even if people disagree on the priority of the forces driving change, establishing outcomes and goals sets out a coherent strategy where each person is aligned on where they need to be and what they need to be doing.

7. Groom change agents. You can lead people into change more effectively if you don't try to do it all yourself. Identify and work with a group of change agents to help develop the change program and ensure its success. This team should include a mix of people from across the business and does not need to be run by anyone in management. Change implemented from the top down is less successful than that developed from within a company.

8. Use training wheels. Provide additional personal and professional development opportunities for the people who are going through the process of change. Offer training to those who are being moved or assigned new responsibilities. Make sure the members of your team feel equipped to implement the change, either with in-house training or a trusted consultant.

9. Check in regularly. Especially when change is imminent, it is important to always know the pulse of what is happening throughout your team. It's also important to demonstrate you care and are listening, especially when you are asking people to perform outside their comfort zones. Checking in accomplishes both.

10. Make it happen. Make sure the change is implemented effectively and on schedule. Don't drop the ball. Many organizations spend a lot of time and energy planning change, then get distracted by other priorities and let it run off the rails. If this happens too often, people stop getting behind change because they think they will be wasting their effort.

11. Keep up the momentum. Remind people of how far you all have come and what has been accomplished. Keep the momentum going by celebrating wins and recognizing effort and milestones.

12. Lead by example. Be ready to take the lead--to act as an example, to stand beside your people and help them along the way.

The bottom line is that we can't expect quick hits or 100 percent buy-in, especially at the beginning of the process. To get people to embrace change, you need to be serious about how you make it happen. Let the things that come easily be the impetus for real change. Otherwise, it may be just as easy to revert to the same old ways--and that is the last thing you want to happen.

05 Sneaky (But Brilliant) Ways to Beat Your Competition With Ads

Over the past nine weeks, we've explored just how vital a role technology can play in helping your business experience strong growth. These technologies have included remarketing, business productivity apps, and webinars.

For our final installment of this series, let's talk about your competitors. Specifically, how to beat (up on) them using technology.

Obviously, there are countless ways to use technology in a way that will set up your business for ridiculous success. But have you ever thought about using technology to hurt your competition?

Don't get the wrong idea here. I'm not suggesting that you should use any types of illegal techniques or technologies, such as those used by hardcore hackers. You should never do this.

What I'm talking about is using completely legal and widely available technology that will exploit your competition's biggest weakness and give you an unfair advantage. 

What are these incredible technologies? Read on to discover five sneaky ways to use paid advertising to beat your competition.

1. Download Your Competitor's Twitter Followers

A few companies allow you to download a list of every Twitter follower for any account. One such place is BirdSong Analytics, which is based out of the UK.

Let's use Inc. as our example. If I were an Inc. competitor, I could go to BirdSong and pay about $310 for a report that reveals everyone who follows Inc. and some key metrics about them.

Now, $310 is on the high end for a single report, because Inc.'s Twitter account has a massive following (1.63 million as of this writing). It's highly likely you'll spend more in the $35 neighborhood for smaller competitors.

Once you have your report, you can use those Twitter handles to create a list which you'll then upload to Twitter Ads. You can then create various types of ads to get your business in front of Twitter users who are following your competitors and are likely in the market to buy or switch to a similar product or service. Genius, right?

2. Facebook Users Whose Interests Include Your Competitors

Facebook doesn't offer keyword targeting for your ads and you can't specifically target people who have liked your competitor's page. However, Facebook offers something called interest-based targeting.

On Facebook, interests range from extremely broad (e.g., business or entrepreneurship) to very specific. In this case, your competitor's name is the specific interest you want to target, because Facebook allows you to choose to target people based on, among other things, pages they like.

Type in your competitor's website. Or, if that doesn't work, you can type in your competitor's brand name (for example, "Inc.") or a few keyword combinations (e.g., maybe you're better off targeting "Inc. Magazine") to figure out best option for reaching your target audience via Facebook ads.

3. Disrupt Your Competitor's Videos With YouTube Ads 

Does the name Milana Vayntrub mean anything to you? Or perhaps maybe Lily Adams? Maybe you just know her as the saleswoman from all those AT&T commercials. 

A couple of weeks ago, I was on YouTube searching for an AT&T ad. Before I could watch the ad I wanted to, I had to sit through another ad - but the genius part was that this ad wasn't for AT&T, it was from their competitor, Sprint! 

Sprint quickly explained why they were a better provider than AT&T and highlighted their current offer to switch, even before I could see the ad for the brand I came to see.

You've likely had something similar to you. This is another example of the power of video ads.

YouTube lets you run ads before viewers can see what they really came to see. You might as well make sure it's yours and try to steal customers from your competition!

4. Use Your Competitor's Emails Against Them

Many smart businesses are now targeting consumers based on keywords they use in searches, topics, or interests. So target your ads so they show up whenever people search for YouTube videos of your competitors. 

If you're running Gmail Ads, then one brilliantly sneaky tactic you should start using now is targeting people who have recently shown interest in the things your competition sells.

With Gmail Ads (those ads that appear at the top of the Promotions tab of users' personal accounts) you can do keyword targeting on your competitors' brand terms. As you read this, people who are in the market for your competitor's products are getting emails from your competitors - and those emails mention your competitors' brand terms.

For example, Inc. offers sends out several newsletters. Every time an Inc. newsletter arrives in someone's Gmail inbox, we could target their brand name as part of our Gmail ad campaign so we're sure our brand ends up in their inbox as well, telling them all about our great competing product and why they should check us out.

So if you want to try to steal some sales, target the trademarks of your competitors! As an added bonus, because these people are already in the market for a competing solution, it's more likely that more people are likely to click on your ads, which reduces your costs.

5. Use the Google Display Network to Reach Your Competitor's Audience

Google has some great display ad technology. But if you want to beat up on your competition, you need to use Google's custom affinity audience feature.

Affinity audiences let you target a predefined audience, one which should be more receptive to seeing your ads.

To make this work brilliantly, and avoid wasting your ad budget, you'll want to target the home page of your competitor. Google's ads will then figure out the brand trademarks and the behavior of the people who visit and are interested in that domain name (or search for content on related topics).

Again we'll use Inc. as our example. Inc. is a publication that's geared toward entrepreneurs, covering topics like leadership, growth, and technology. So if I'm running a similar publication geared toward entrepreneurs, its visitors would form the basis of our "ideal customer" who we want to reach with our ads.

This will start the process of getting people familiar with your brand and the products or service you provide. And hopefully, with the right message, you'll start stealing business away from your competitors and start experiencing breakout growth.

20 Things the Most Respected Bosses Do Every Day

1. They share their vision.

The most important thing a leader can do is provide his or her team with a goal that is worth their time. Granted, the boss doesn't always get to set the agenda, but a great one will advocate for something worthy, and ensure that he communicates it effectively and often.

2. They develop expertise.

What's more annoying than working for a boss who doesn't actually understand the job, and whose authority vests entirely in the job title? The boss doesn't have to be the number-one expert in every fact of the job--that might be impossible--but he or she had to be competent at all levels.

3. They respect people's time.

Great bosses have little tolerance for boring meetings, mandatory fun, and making others wait unnecessarily. They also avoid long-windedness when shorter remarks will do.

4. They set priorities.

When you try to focus on everything, you're not focusing on anything. A smart boss understands that, and realizes that lack of focus can easily metastasize when your lack of priorities means the team isn't moving in the right direction together.

5. They share information.

Some bosses parcel out information like misers, often because they're afraid that if their team had all the facts, they might not be able to lead. There are legitimate reasons to control the timing of information sharing, but overall the more transparent a boss can be, the more respect the team will ultimately have for him or her.

6. They make decisions.

Decisiveness. Super important. Enough said.

7. They offer praise.

People wonder how they're doing. Great bosses let them know, and they're especially vocal and public about it when they're doing well. 

8. They demonstrate empathy.

Great bosses are able to see things through other people's eyes, especially their employees'. Of course this doesn't mean that they are pushovers, but it does mean that they're concerned about their team on multiple levels.

9. They offer thanks.

Building a culture of gratitude starts at the top. If the boss doesn't take time to offer thanks to those around him or her, why would we expect that anyone else would?

10. They pull everyone together.

You might have heard the phrase "gung ho." Reportedly, it derives from a World War II saying that combined two Chinese words meaning "work" and "together." A great boss recognizes the talents of members of his or her team, and strives to lead in a way that lets everyone maximize their effectiveness together.

11. They ask smart questions.

They double-check assumptions in a non-annoying but thorough way that sends the message that they're on top of things. They aren't willing to accept that things should be done a certain way just because that's how they've been done in he past.

12. They have respect for people's lives.

They also recognize that people are just that--people. Work has to be a priority, but that doesn't mean it's the only thing in their lives. They recognize that their employees have spouses, children, friends they need to care for, not to mention outside interests and ambitions. 

13. They hire thoughtfully.

There's a saying: personnel is policy. In fact, this should arguably be the first item on the list. A leader's most important role is sometimes about assembling a team of great people--and, just as important, avoiding letting toxic people join.

14. They accept blame.

Ethical people accept blame for their failings. Maybe they don't dwell on it, but they accept it. Great bosses go a step further, accepting the collective blame when the team comes up short, and then guiding everyone to move forward.

15. They have a sense of humor.

Life is hilarious. Great bosses don't have to be cutups, but they do have to have a sense of humor. They recognize that the crisis of today is the joke of tomorrow.

16. They communicate effectively.

No mumbling, no backpedaling. Great bosses find the words to explain what they mean--and they back up what they say.

17. They model ethical behavior.

It's often true that more progress is made when we seek forgiveness than when we seek permission. However, there are rules, social norms, and basic decency. Great bosses strive to uphold them.

18. They celebrate wins.

Nobody likes a boss who thinks the only reward for great work should be more of the same. Great bosses look for milestones to celebrate--whether that means a 15-second recognition or a full-blown party.

19. They strive for excellence.

Because really, who wants to work for someone who strives simply to be adequate?

20. They make more leaders.

Great leaders don't just make happy followers--they inspire more leaders with their examples. Just as important: They're thrilled, not threatened, when members of their teams go on to even bigger and better things in life.

5 Simple Ways to Keep Your Business Revenues Flowing Fast

McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook blows me away.

He is proving wrong the idea that big companies are always slow, lumbering giants that can't adapt to change.

Since he took over as CEO in January 2015, Easterbrook has moved fast. He shuttered hundreds of poorly-performing stores, brought back all-day breakfast, streamlined its menu, cut customer wait times, and raised employee pay -- which made workers and customers happy.

These moves have contributed to its first quarter of sales gains in two years -- in October McDonald's enjoyed a 5.7% boost in sales -- way more than the 2.7% analysts had expected. And its stock soared to an all-time high.

Underlying this success story is loyalty -- a basic business concept that any company can use to keep its revenues flowing fast. The idea of loyalty is that if you have happy employees, they will convey that happiness to customers.

And happy customers will keep buying from you over a long time and tell their friends and family to give you a try.

The result of all that happiness will be lower marketing expenses -- since you won't need to advertise as much to bring in new customers -- and higher profitability flowing from those loyal customers.

Here are five things you can do in your business to boost sales and profits using loyalty.

1. Create a loyalty culture

If you want to use loyalty, it has to be at the core of your company's culture. If your company is focused too heavily on competition and squeezing the most out of your people, your suppliers, and your customers, you will probably need a new CEO to create the culture you need.

A loyalty culture is based on specific values -- e.g., customer is boss and our people matter -- that you must articulate and use as the basis for hiring, training, promoting, and managing people out of your company.

Creating the right culture won't pay off immediately, but it is the foundation on which the other four things rest.

2. Hire people who enjoy serving

Speaking of hiring, you cannot have a business based on loyalty unless the people you hire genuinely enjoy serving others. In Value Leadership I pointed out how strict Southwest Airlines is about screening for employees who care about helping other people and treat those at all levels of the organization with respect.

Your interview process should test how people apply their values in unusual situations. One thing Southwest did was to put potential hires in a group setting, gave them projects, and asked groups to present their findings to each other.

Southwest would hire employees who cheered on the other groups rather than the ones who focused solely on doing a great job on their own group's presentation.

3. Listen to customers

Once you have the right culture and the right employees, you need to focus on listening to customers.

The reason that McDonald's achieved such rapid growth is that it responded to what customers wanted. For years, its customers asked McDonald's to offer all-day breakfast on social media like Twitter.

Until Easterbrook came along, McDonald's did not listen. But he did. And then the company prepared its stores with the inventory and staffing that they needed to turn the promise of all-day breakfast into a reality within around six months.

The result was more customers going to the stores and buying.

4. Measure net promoter scores

One of the most basic principles of organizations is that what gets measured gets done.

And a loyalty culture works best if you are measuring how likely it is that customers will recommend you to their friends and others in their networks -- dubbed a Net Promoter Score (10 is outstanding, 1 is terrible).

To measure NPS, you have to have an objective survey of your customers and you have to collect the data and analyze it for each store over time.

Stores with the highest NPS are likely to be growing fastest. And they may be able to supply best practices that you can share with other stores to boost the overall performance of your business.

5. Give workers great pay and bonuses linked to customer satisfaction

Finally, if you have happy workers, they will make your customers happy.

Paying people more is helping McDonald's to boost its employee satisfaction and its customers are also happier as a result. And in addition to higher base pay, you can focus your service-oriented people on making customers delighted with their experience by paying them bonuses for improving the NPS of customers they serve.

There's a good chance that McDonald's has a ways to go before it has completed its turnaround.

But its initial success offers many good illustrations of how applying these five loyalty principles can help any company boost its sales and profits.

7 Best Traits All Authentic Leaders Have in Common

You have most likely heard the word authentic used in conjunction with leadership. Is authentic leadership just a buzz phrase or something you should actually care about as you continue to develop yourself as a leader? It is definitely something you should care about and here's why: Authentic leadership is genuine leadership.

Business growth is more apt to come about with authentic leadership because it is transparent and promotes a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset, while authenticity instills a work culture of personal growth, accountability, and innovation.

Here are seven characteristics that all authentic leaders share:

#1: You know who you are and what you stand for

This is the most important authentic leadership trait because you cannot possess the other 6 characteristics if you do not first know who you are and what you are all about. You, in turn, are are not afraid to be yourself, show yourself, and let your values be known to others. 

#2: You transparently interact with others

People know where they stand with you because you are open and honest in your interactions. You don't say and do things just to please others or to maintain the status quo just to not rock the boat. 

#3: You follow your gut

Since you know who you are and what you stand for, you are in-tune with your gut. You listen to what your gut tells you and you do it. But, at the same time you check your gut by listening and absorbing the feedback and opinions of others before you make important decisions. 

#4: You adhere to a code of ethics 

Authenticity denotes that you are inherently ethical in your business and personal dealings. Some professions, such as law and medicine have their own code of ethics that you as that professional have to follow.  If your profession does not have an established code of ethics, you have adopted your own and exercise those in everything you do.   

#5: Your life's work is bigger than you 

While your life's purpose and work is driven by your own personal interest and passion, you are driven by something bigger than you, whether you want to make your employees' lives better, your goal is to create something to benefit your immediate community, or your product is truly designed to make the world a better place. 

#6: Humility 

You have the humility to admit when you are wrong or have made a mistake. You can truly ask for forgiveness when it's necessary and take steps to make it right again. 

You don't over use the word sorry, but instead reserve an apology for the most appropriate of circumstances. 

#7: You embody the 3 C's: Compassion, Curiosity, and Courage 

The 3 C's are: Compassion, Curiosity, and Courage. Since you possess the 6 other characteristics mentioned above, you embody the 3 C's. 

• Compassion: You are not only compassionate to others, but also you engage in self-compassion. This is an especially important practice when you are faced with your shortcomings as a leader. You are kind to yourself in these moments.
• Curiosity: You engage with yourself and those you lead from a place of curiosity. When you disagree with a colleague, you are curious about their point of view, instead of judgmental. You are curious as a means by which to understand, not judge. 
• Courage: Self-compassion and curiosity are what allows you to be a courageous leader. When you exhibit your courage and fail, self-compassion is what picks you up and allows you to be courageous again. 

Authentic leaders may not exhibit all of these characteristics at the same time because authentic leadership involves developing more tolerance for vulnerability, which is difficult.  As Dr. Brene Brown says, "Vulnerability is the birthplace of courage." Authentic leadership is courageous leadership because you have to make yourself vulnerable by showing others who you truly are, which also opens you up for criticism. 

Authentic leadership and transparent work culture are one in the same: you cannot have one without the other.  A leader does not suddenly become an authentic leader, just like a work culture doesn't one day become transparent. Authentic leadership is a constant journey and commitment to your own growth and the growth of something bigger than yourself. 

17 Things Supposedly Lucky People Do That Are Actually Just Very Smart

Some people are born into money, for example, and never have to work a difficult day in their lives. Others wind up with windfalls and wealth that they did nothing to earn. Still others seem always to be in the right place at the right time.

Yet, a lot of so-called luck is just envious people trying to explain away other people's success. So here are 17 times it looks like people are just lucky--when they're actually smart, good, and accomplished.

1. When they seem lucky to be in the right place at the right time.

Maybe. Or, perhaps they're mindful about their location. If something's going on, they go there. And if there's no point in being there, they're not.

2. When they seem lucky people thought of them.

We're all brands now. People who seem to be super-lucky make sure that others know about their successes. (By the way: Bill Murphy Jr.™) Have you checked out my company, followed me on Facebook, or signed up for my awesome daily email?

3. When they seem lucky to know the right person.

Sure they do. Because they go out of their way to meet the right people--and more important, to find ways to help them.

4. When they seem lucky an opportunity fell into their lap.

I don't speak Mandarin. Heck, I can barely speak high school French. But I do know that thing about how the Mandarin word for crisis is supposedly the same as opportunity. So do some "lucky" people--and as a result, they're always on the lookout for problems to solve.

5. When they seem lucky to have beaten the odds.

Or maybe they're just optimistic--and they understand that perpetual optimism is a force multiplier.

6. When they seem lucky they knew something about someone.

Why? Because they make a habit of listening. They're empathetic, and they care what others have to say.

7. When they seem lucky they had specialized knowledge.

 Maybe that's because they've decided to be lifelong learners.

8. When they seem lucky they had beneficial experiences.

Maybe . They're not sanctimonious. Or maybe that just means they show up to the party. They're not

9. When they seem lucky to have been focused on the right things.

That just means they have focus.

10. When they seem lucky to have foreseen changes.

No, they diversify. Like a stock portfolio, they want to try many different things, and as a result they're more likely to be able to deal with many different outcomes.

11. When they seem lucky to have had friends in the right places.

No, they're polite, conscientious, and work hard to maintain relationships.

12. When they seem lucky that they took a chance and things worked out.

More to the point, they have faith, and they're willing to take leaps.

13. When they seem lucky that the numbers added up.

Maybe. Or maybe they're successful because they do the math ahead of time.

14. When they seem lucky they didn't believe so easily.

Perhaps, or perhaps they're also active listeners who've learned to be skeptical without being cynical.

15. When they seem lucky to have been able to convince others.

Or else, maybe they were more able to reason with others because they practice empathy and could put themselves in someone else's shoes.

16. When they seem lucky to be able to focus.

Perhaps that's because they've learned to ignore things that don't matter, or that they know they can't change.

17. When they seem lucky to have wound up where they are.

Maybe. Or maybe they set goals, reviewed them, focused on achieving them--and found success.

10 Easy Ways to Quickly Increase Your Credit Score

A good credit score is a little like a professional network: you only care about it when you really need it.

A good credit score can mean qualifying for lower interest rates, better terms... or sometimes be the difference between whether you qualify for any kind of financing at all.

Unfortunately, if you need to borrow money -- or get insurance, or lease a facility, or build inventory, or a variety of other reasons -- and you don't have a good credit score, it's impossible to correct the situation overnight.

That's why the time to start repairing your credit is now,not when you really need it.

Fortunately improving your credit score is easy.

Here's how:

1. Check out your credit reports.

The credit bureaus -- TransUnion, Equifax, and Experian -- are required to give you a free copy of your report once a year. All you have to do is ask. (Click the links to request a copy.)

Another way to see your credit reports is to use a service like Credit Karma. (I'm not specifically endorsing Credit Karma: I like it and think it's handy but I'm sure other free services are useful too. Unlike some services, Credit Karma is free and you don't have to provide credit card information.)

Once you've signed up you can see your TransUnion and Equifax credit scores and view the information contained on those reports. Generally speaking the entries on the different reports will be the same, but not always: for a variety of reasons credit reports are rarely identical.

2. Dispute derogatory marks.

In the old days you had to write letters to the credit bureaus if you wanted to dispute errors. Services like Credit Karma let you do it online.

Just make sure you get the most bang for your dispute bucks. Certain factors weigh more heavily on your credit score than others, so pay attention to them first.

We'll start with derogatory marks like collection accounts and judgments. It's not uncommon to have at least one collection account appear on your report. I had two from healthcare providers I used after having a heart attack; my insurance was extremely slow to pay, kept claiming they had paid, the providers said they had not... and eventually the accounts ended up with a collection agency. At that point I decided to pay them now and argue with the insurance company later, but both collections wound up on my credit report.

Fixing those problems was easy. I clicked the "dispute" button that appeared by the account, selected "The creditor agreed to remove my liability on this account," and within a week the dispute was resolved and the entry was removed from my credit report.

You can also dispute errors through each credit bureau (I did it through Credit Karma.) If that's your preference go here for TransUnion, here for Equifax, and here for Experian.

Keep in mind some disputes will take longer than others. But that's okay -- once you initiate a dispute, you're done. The credit bureaus are required to investigate the dispute and report the resolution.

Spend as much time as it takes trying to have derogatory marks removed because they also weigh heavily on your overall score. Then...

3. Dispute late payments.

Mistakes happen. Your mortgage lender may report that a payment was late that was in fact paid on time. A credit card provider may fail to enter a payment correctly.

You can dispute late payments -- whether in accounts that are current or accounts that have been closed -- the same way you dispute derogatory marks.

Your payment history is another factor that weighs heavily on your credit score, so work hard to clean up errors.

4. Decide how far you're willing to go.

So far we've only discussed trying to remove inaccurate information. You can, if you choose, also dispute accurate information.

For example, say an account went to collection, you never paid it, and the collection agency gave up. All that remains is the entry on your credit report. You can still choose to dispute the entry. Many people do. And sometimes those entries will get removed.

Why? When you enter a dispute the credit bureau asks the creditor to verify the information. Some will. Many, like collection agencies, will not. They'll simply ignore the request -- and if they do ignore the request, the agency is required to remove the entry from your credit report.

What that means is that smaller firms, like collection agencies or local lenders or small to mid-size service providers are less likely to respond to the credit bureaus. It's a hassle they don't need. Banks, credit card companies, auto finance companies, mortgage lenders... they're a lot more likely to respond.

So if you want -- and I'm not recommending this, I'm just saying it's a strategy you might decide to use -- you can dispute information that you think is accurate in hopes that the creditor will not respond. If the creditor doesn't the entry will get removed.

Should you take this approach? That's up to you.

5. Do a little haggling.

Maybe you tried and failed to remove a negative comment, or a late payment, or an account that was marked "charged off " (meaning the creditor agreed to let you pay less than you owed.) Should you give up? Nope. Try asking nicely.

Creditors can tell credit bureaus to remove entries from your credit report at any time. For example, I hadn't charged anything on a particular credit card for months and didn't notice that I had been charged my annual fee until the payment was late. (Like a doofus I was just tossing the bills unopened because I "knew" there were no charges.)

The late payment showed up on my credit report so I called the credit card company, explained what had happened, said I had been a customer for years, and asked if they would remove the entry. They said sure. And they also agreed to waive all annual fees in the future. (Proving yet again that you can't get if you don't ask.)

When all else fails, call and ask nicely. You'll be surprised by how often a polite request for help pays off.

6. Increase your credit limits.

Another factor that weighs heavily on your credit score is credit card utilization. Your ratio of available credit to credit used makes a big difference. Generally speaking carrying a balance of more than 50% of your available credit will negatively impact your score; maxing out your cards will definitely hurt your score.

One way to improve your ratio is to pay down your balances, but another way is to increase your credit limit. If you owe $2,500 on a card with a $5,000 limit and you get the limit increased to $7,500, your ratio instantly improves.

How do you get your limits increased? Once again, call and ask nicely. If you have a decent payment history most credit card companies will be more than happy to increase your limit -- after all, they want you to carry a high balance. That's how they make money.

7. Get a new credit card.

Another way to increase your credit card utilization ratio is to get a new card. As long as you don't carry a balance on that card, your available credit immediately increases by that card's limit.

Try to get a card that doesn't charge an annual fee, though. Your best bet is through a bank where you already have an account. Granted cards with no annual fee tend to charge higher interest rates, but if you never carry a balance the interest rate is irrelevant.

But be smart about it; the goal isn't to get access to more cash, the goal is to improve your credit score. If you think you'll be tempted to run up a balance on a new card, don't get it.

8. Pay down your balances.

I know. You need a higher credit score because you want to borrow money; if you had the money to pay down your balances then you might not need to borrow. Still: decreasing your percentage of available credit used can make a quick and significant impact on your credit score. So go on a bare bones budget to free up cash to pay down your balance. Or sell something.

Paying down balances may be tough to pull off as a short-term move to increase your credit score, but it should be part of your long-term financial plan. Not only will your credit score increase over time, you won't pay as much interest -- which, if you think about it, is just giving the credit cards money you prefer to stay in your pocket.

8. Get added to another person's card.

Say your spouse has a credit card with little or no balance and a great payment history; if he or she agrees to add you as an authorized user on that account, from a credit score point of view you automatically benefit from her card's available credit as well as her payment history.

Keep in mind if he or she makes a late payment, that entry will appear as negative on your credit report too.

So choose your credit card friends wisely.

9. Hang on to your "old" credit cards.

Your age of credit history has a moderate but meaningful impact on your score. Say you've had a certain credit card for ten years; closing that account will decrease your overall average credit history and can negatively impact your score, especially in the short term.

If you're hoping to increase your credit score but you also need to get rid of a credit card account, get rid of your "newest" card.

And finally, the one credit score gift guaranteed to keep on giving:

10. Pay all your bills on time.

Even one late payment can hurt your score. Do everything you can, from now on, to always pay your bills on time.

And if one month you aren't able to pay everything on time, be smart about which bills you pay late. Your mortgage lender or credit card provider will definitely report a late payment to the credit bureaus, but utilities and cell providers likely will not.

Check the "Accounts" section on your credit reports to see which accounts are listed, and if you have to pay late, choose an account that does not appear on your report.

And then work really hard to make sure you can always pay everything on time in the future. Your credit score will thank you, and so will your stress levels.

7 Top Traits the Most Successful Leaders Have Already Mastered

People often associate achievement and success with a number of things: The right timing, luck, circumstances, or natural talent. But the true origins of success are more elusive.  

High achievers and great leaders share certain traits--and the good news is they aren't luck-of-the-draw traits like being in the right place at the right time, but they are attributes that they have cultivated and built over years.

Here are some that fall at the top of the list:

1. A well-developed personal philosophy.

Successful leaders know what their philosophy is; they understand their thinking and their reasoning. A clear philosophy allows you to set your expectations and articulate your definition of success so you can set a clear path to your goals. It prepares you for an extraordinary destiny.

2. Undeniable persistence.

Edison failed two thousand times before he discovered electricity. John Chambers overcame dyslexia to build Cisco. People who are successful never quit, and people who succeed never give up. When failure is never an option, you don't give up. You find another contact, another way, another point of entry, and you keep trying until you accomplish what you have set out to do. Persistence means picking yourself up every day and going after what you want without allowing anything to get in your way.

3. Meaningful purpose.

Every successful person must be able to identify their purpose. You must know your why. When you do, you can connect with the purpose that will drive you toward your unique vision. Your purpose tells you why you're here and what legacy you want to leave. When you have a clear purpose, you know where to spend your energy.

4. The power of passion.

If you want to succeed, the most powerful weapon you can have is passion. It provides the ignition you require to succeed. When you can believe in something with a passionate heart, you will do whatever it takes to make into a reality. Without passion, you don't have energy; without energy, you don't have possibilities; and without possibilities, you're stagnant, with nowhere to go. But when you can ignite the fire of passion, it will give you the energy to propel yourself toward every possibility. Successful people understand that they are only great when they act from their passion.

5. Honored principles.

Successful people honor their principles. They know and live by what they stand for, their values, their convictions. Their principles are deeply rooted beliefs that help them make decisions and chart their course. Your moral compass starts with basic beliefs and values, and it will guide you to do what is right, not what is easy. Honor your principles and keep them on point to stay steady and ready for anything that comes your way.

6. Excellent performance.

Proficiencies are important, and performance is imperative. It's great to have a vision and purpose and passion, but you bring it to reality through performance. Bring the highest level of excellence and quality to everything you do, and keep raising your level of aspiration and expectation. Always show up tomorrow better than you were yesterday.

7. The art of persuasion.

Everyone, in every occupation, can benefit from skills in persuasion. They will help you influence others and persuade them not just to listen to you and trust you but also to partner with you, help you, and support you. Mastering communication and understanding human nature are essential if you want to effectively persuade and influence people.

Factors like timing, luck, and circumstances may play some role in success, but it's the deeper traits--the ones that lie within--that count the most.

11 Incredible Tips to Make Webinars Boost Your Company Growth

Need help growing your business fast? Have you considered webinars as part of your marketing strategy?

There are many other powerful technologies you should use to fuel massive growth over the coming months - we've discussed several over the past few weeks. Things like website updates, video ads, and business productivity apps.

Today we're talking about webinars, which are critical for doing B2B or solution sales at scale.

Webinars are hardly new. Many companies do them. But many companies do webinars incredibly poorly. I'm sure you've experienced a terrible webinar first hand - and probably not too long ago.

Don't let the same thing happen to your business! Here are 11 incredible tips to get 10x more output from your webinars.

1. Topic Generation

Doing a webinar about a boring topic, or a topic that your target audience simply isn't interested in, is a recipe for disaster. Why waste the time and effort promoting and presenting something that few people really want. 

Here's the key to success with webinars: you need to pick topics that have already proven themselves. For example, if you've produced an ebook that got tons of downloads or a certain email subject line for one of your newsletters got huge open rates, that's a huge flashing "DUH!" sign that people are interested in that topic.

Look to your data. Figure out what your top 5 percent performers across all your channels and content.

Pick one of those topics.

2. Reduce Frequency

Some companies do hundreds of webinars per year. Seriously? Yes, seriously.

You really don’t need to do multiple webinars per month (definitely not multiple webinars per week!). That's crazy.

You’re much better off doing one big spectacular webinar per month than doing four mediocre webinars. Focus on QUALITY, not quantity. 

At WordStream we were able to increase registrations to 5,000+ for one big monthly event versus seeing signups of around 500 for our smaller, less produced and promoted weekly webinars.

3. Go All In on Visual Slide Content 

Are you still using bullet points in your slides? Please. Just. Stop.

Today it's all about high impact visual slides. Visual content is so incredibly powerful. Awesome visuals will keep your viewers engaged. Be memorable and entertaining.

Take this deck as an example - 97 slides and not a bullet point to be found! Oh, and it just happened to be one of the top 20 SlideShares of 2015.

Not a visual person yourself? Hire a designer to help to make high-impact slide decks. Trust me, it's worth the investment.

4. Go Nuts on Event Promotion

You have to do email blasts. That's a no-brainer. But email isn't enough. 

You should also be targeting your target audience using:

• Remarketing
• Facebook Ads
• AdWords Customer Match
• Gmail Ads 

5. Turn on the Webcam

Most of the webinar software products let you turn on the webcam. Do it! Although people can't be in the room with you, this is the next best thing.

Your presentation will be even more impactful when they see you presenting. Also, people will trust you more when they see your face, versus just hearing an anonymous voice.

6. Do A Poll Question With An Offer

Polls are a good way to learn about and engage with your attendees. But we're talking about business growth here, so let's take it a step further.

Attach an offer to one of your questions. For example, something like: "Do you want us to follow up with you about a free demo?"

Then, after the webinar, this lets your sales team follow-up by saying, "Hi, I’m just following up on your request for a demo…"

7. Personalize Your Event Reminder Emails 

Your reminder email should come from the presenter.

For example: "Hi, this is Larry. So glad you signed up for this event. Looking forward to chatting with you tomorrow."

This small thing can increase attendance rates from 20 to 33 percent. That's huge!

8. Send Out the Recording immediately 

As every entrepreneur knows, opportunities don't last forever. If someone is slightly interested in your webinar today, chances are two days from now they'll be less interested - if they haven't forgotten about it entirely!

People lose interest quickly, so send out your webinar recording quickly. Keep your leads engaged. Don't let hot prospects go cold!

9. Follow Up With Non-Attendees 

People who don’t attend are still good leads. Actually they may be even better leads since it means they’re busy people and likely to need whatever it is you’re selling.

Webinar attendance versus non-attendance isn't a discriminating factor in lead quality. So don't make the critical mistake of assuming that people who didn't attend aren't interested in your product or service. 

10. Practice Your Presentation a Few Times

Not everyone is a naturally gifted speaker. In fact, while it may look giving outstanding presentations is second nature to some speakers, what you never see is all hours of research and practice that went into creating that presentation.

If you want to deliver an amazing webinar that people will remember, it's essential to take the time to practice your presentation.

Consider doing a practice run in front of a colleague, friend, or family member.

Another tip: record yourself giving the presentation and listen back to see what areas need work. You may discover bad speaking habits that you can easily fix.

11. Make Your Webinar Interactive 

Solo webinars are terrible. We live in a world of short attention spans. After 15-20 minutes, the mind starts to wander, no matter how skilled and knowledgeable he or she is.

To avoid losing your audience, use an active moderator who can ask questions dynamically. Make it more conversational - like a radio program with back and forth and callers interjecting. This will make sure your audience stays engaged and entertained.