Are You Viral?

Posted in Business, Motivational

Are You Viral dan skognes leadership development trainer coach consultant motivation blogger speaker

Are you referable?  Are you someone that people talk about (in a good way) and tell their friends? They say that word of mouth advertising is the best advertising there is.  Why do you think that is?  It is because of the personal touch. A personal referral is better than gold.  You can’t put a price on it, because it comes from the heart.

When you watch an ad on TV for a steak house, or see an ad in the paper for the restaurant, it may get a passing glance, but what happens when you get a call from your best friend, and they say, “Dude, have you been to Bob’s Steak House?  Wow…what a place.  You HAVE to go there.  That is the best steak I have ever had and the service is awesome!”  What are the chances that you will go to Bob’s sometime in the near future.  Pretty good, don’t you think?

What do your customers and friends say about you to others?  Do they make people want to get to know you and have a relationship…either personal or professional?  How do you make yourself viral?

  • Under promise, and over deliver.  Always give people more than they expect from you.  If you promised delivery in a week, deliver it overnight.
  • Have a servant’s heart.  Seek to meet the needs of others and leave them better than when you first met them, expecting nothing in return.
  • Realize that relationships are what matter.  If you seek to build relationships first, the referrals naturally come to you.
  • Be a grateful person.  When someone refers you, show gratitude.  Get them a gift card to a local restaurant.  Deliver it in person and let them know how much you appreciate them referring you.

If you give to others what they need, and show gratitude for what you get, you will find the boomerang effect is bringing good back to you. The old saying, “What goes around, comes around” holds true.  That is a principle that holds true, regardless of what religion you believe.  May your boomerang bless others with peace, joy, and happiness, and may what you send out return to you 1000-fold.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

Self-Control

Posted in General, Motivational, Relationships

Self Control dan skognes leadership development trainer coach consultant motivation blogger speaker

Lack of self-control has been the downfall of countless people, and even nations.  Think about the politicians, the professional athletes, industry leaders….and even countries that have fallen from glory because of lack of self-control.

Nolan Ryan is a legend in baseball.  I have had the privilege to see him play on several occasions for more than one team, and for my favorite team, the Texas Rangers.  Talk about self-control.  When he fired a fast ball over the plate, he knew where the ball was going and he delivered it with precision like a laser. How do you think the opposing teams felt when they heard Nolan was going to be the starting pitcher against them?  I have to believe it put a twinge of fear in them at the very least.

You may remember the famous picture of Robin Ventura, who got frustrated one day with Nolan (thinking he was trying to hit him with a pitch) and he charged the mound.  BIG mistake.  Nolan simply put his head in a headlock and pummeled him.  How embarrassing was that?  On national TV you lose your cool and get your butt beat at the same time.  He never has been able to live down that one moment of lack of self-control. Wow.

Principle 1.  Self-control is like a cornerstone in a building.  It is foundational to our character.

Principle 2.  Self-control can give you the discipline you need to achieve greatness.

Principle 3.  Lack of self-control has dire consequences.  Either you control yourself, or someone else will.  Ask the thousands of people who are in jail today.

Principle 4.  Lack of self-control is a result of anger or addiction.  Both result in self-destruction if not addressed.  If you are out of control, get help.

Principle 5.  The man who controls himself is on the course of stepping into his destiny. The man who does not control himself has taken a detour and may very well miss the sign that the bridge is out! Pay attention to the warning signs.

Are you self-controlled, or are you controlled by emotions?  Are you controlled by addictions?  I hope that you wake up and smell the coffee, as they say.  Self-control is like a seat belt.  It does not do any good if you don’t use it.  Buckle up.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

Showing Up Is Half The Battle

Posted in Business, Motivational

 

Showing Up Is Half The Battle dan skognes leadership development trainer coach consultant motivation blogger speakerThere were some lyrics from a rock song many years ago that said, “Love is a battlefield.”  Well, so is life.  There is a war going on and we have to engage the enemy.  And, as Pogo once said, “The enemy is us.”

Leadership has a built in mandate. You have to show up.  Nobody will follow a leader who refuses to lead. Leadership means more than giving motivation.  It is communicating clearly the direction that everyone is taking.  It is casting vision, then stepping up, communicating strategy, then physically and personally leading.  It is giving courage to all of the wounded to help them engage the enemy.

There is a big difference in leading from the front and leading from the back.  When you lead from the front, your team or your family sees you and they get inspired from your personal commitment.  They are looking for you to look the enemy in the eye (whatever it is: finances, broken relationships, competitors, or just your own negative thinking) and say “CHARGE.”  Now if your finances are in bad shape…you might need to change the battle cry to “ATTACK.”  LOL.

When does a team, family or an army for that matter need leadership the most?  When the battle seems to be overwhelming them, they need leadership!  They need a leader to help them focus, forget their wounds, pick up their bayonets if that is all they have left, re-group and attack the enemy.

If a leader is leading the charge, he or she is much more likely to have the team, family, or troops get out of the fox holes they are hiding in and engage the enemy.  If you are leading a team, family, or an army, where are your troops?  Are they hiding in the fox holes?  Have they turned tail and run?  Have they surrendered to the enemy?  Don’t let them!  They need you more than you know. Show up!

One of the greatest gifts you will ever give someone else is the gift of courage. People all around you are falling to the enemy.  Give them courage!  Don’t just tell them how. Show them how to win the battle.  You can’t do that if you are hiding in a fox hole yourself, or even worse, YOU have surrendered to the enemy.

Go back and listen to some Winston Churchill recordings if you want to get recharged as a leader.  When the bombs were falling all around him and the people of England he engaged the enemy head on.  Here are just a few of his famous quotes:

  • “If you will not fight for right when you can easily win without bloodshed, if you will not fight when your victory is sure and not too costly, you may come to the moment when you will have to fight with all the odds against you and only a precarious chance of survival. There may even be a worse case. You may have to fight when there is no hope of victory, because it is better to perish than to live as slaves.”
  • “Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality that guarantees all the others.”
  • “You ask, ‘What is our policy?’ I will say; ‘It is to wage war by sea, land and air, with all our might and with all the strength that God can give us: to wage war against a monstrous tyranny, never surpassed in the dark lamentable catalogue of human crime. That is our policy.’ You ask, ‘What is our aim?’ I can answer with one word: ‘Victory.’ Victory at all costs. Victory in spite of all terror. Victory however long and hard the road may be, for without victory there is no survival. ”
  • “We shall not flag or fail. We shall go on to the end. We shall fight in France. We shall fight on the seas and the oceans. We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air. We shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches. We shall fight on the landing grounds. We shall fight in the fields and in the streets. We shall fight in the hills. We shall never surrender!”
  • “Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this island or lose the war. If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free and life of the world may move forward into broad, sunlit uplands. But if we fall, then the whole world, including the United States, including all that we have known and cared for, will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted, by the lights of perverted science. Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that, if the British Empire and its Commonwealth lasts for a thousand years, men will still say, this was their finest hour!”

That, my friends, is leadership in action. Are you ready? Get out of the fox holes, grab your weapons, and CHARGE!

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

Winning

Posted in Business, Motivational

 Crossing the Finish Line

Winning isn’t everything, it is the only thing.” This is an often quoted line from UCLA coach Henry Russell “Red” Sanders.  It sounds good, doesn’t it?  I understand what he was getting at, but there is one problem…it isn’t true.

If you have to sacrifice your integrity, your morals, or your core values, that cheapens your victory.  If you have to step on others to reach your goal, is that victory?  If you have to dope up to win the race, is that winning? There are numerous people that we can look at that have achieved greatness and have fallen from the Hall of Fame to the Hall of Shame.

I am not trying to kick someone who is down, but I believe if you asked Lance Armstrong today, “Is winning the only thing?”… what do you think he would say today?  Families, friends, teammates, and fans believed in him and cheered him on for years.  In a moment they had their bubble burst.  The man they thought they knew was not the man standing in front of them. His Live Strong foundation will never be the same.

Before any of us cast stones at Mr. Armstrong or the countless others who have fallen, have you ever bent the rules to win?  Have you ever taken a shortcut to get to the finish line? We have all bent the rules. Truth has a funny way of catching up with everyone.

I am extremely competitive.  I love to win, and I hate to lose.  I think I got that from my Mom.  She used to like to play cards.  She would play on our sympathy with statements like, “I have not been well lately.”  Then she would beat us like a drum.  All the while she was smiling, and serving us cookies and milk.  But you know what?  She did not cheat to win.  She was good at cards and she knew it.  We knew it too.  So when we played, the gloves came off and we did everything we could to beat her.  We all loved it, and on the rare occasion when I actually beat her….it was exhilarating!

Principle 1.  Winning is not the only thing.  If you sacrifice your soul for the sake of winning, you have lost before you even begin.

Principle 2.  The truth always always always (did you get that?) always comes out in the end. Live and play by the rules.  There is no shortcut to success.

Principle 3.  When you win without sacrificing your morals and ethics to get there it is totally satisfying.

One last thought.  Next time you win at something, remember that you did not win on your own.  You may be thinking, “Oh yes I did, nobody helped do this.  I did it on my own!”  Well, maybe, but I can tell you that I have found out personally that I have had people praying for my success, and I did not know about it till afterwards.  So…just saying.  Give credit to those who have sowed into your life to make you a winner.  Acknowledge God, your coach, your mentor, your manager, your co-workers, your spouse, your friends…whoever has had an impact on helping you win.  I am cheering you on to the finish line.  See you at the podium.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

 

Character Matters

Posted in Business, General, Motivational, Relationships, Spiritual

Character-Matters dan skognes leadership development trainer coach consultant motivation blogger speaker

Would you consider yourself to be a person of character?  Most people would probably say yes to that question, but I think that the sad matter of fact is that many people suffer from a lack of character.  Our character is who we are when no one is watching or listening, when there is no chance of getting “caught.”  What we do behind closed doors reveals our character.

I would like to think that I have a high moral character, but I know I am flawed.  I have to constantly battle with the choice of taking the easy way out, cutting corners, telling the little white lies.  Am I the only one that battles this?  I think not.  This is an epidemic that affects everyone on the planet.

We all have choices to make daily.  Those choices define who we are….and what is the depth of our character.  You have probably thought this about someone you know, “They are so shallow.”  Or you might have thought, “That is a true man of character.”  What is the difference?  What they do, say, believe, and live reflects their heart, and who they really are.

At our core is either a person that reflects truth, humility, kindness, generosity, forgiveness, life, and love, or it reflects greed, pride, selfishness, anger, resentment, cruelty, hate, and death.  I don’t think anyone actually wants to be in the second category, so how does that happen?  How does someone get so deluded in their thinking?

We have all known people who believe that evil is good, black is white, darkness is light. I call this the “Great Deception.”  Think about it, if we can be convinced  that evil is good, good is evil, black is white, white is black, dark is light, and light is dark….then the truth becomes the lie, and lie becomes the truth.  Evil wins, we lose.

If we have bought into the Great Deception and live our lives in that cloud, we have missed the very point of our existence.  Character does matter.  Our word is our bond.  Truth is truth….always.  Lies are lies….always.  They can never be entwined.  We have been taught not to swear.  We should let our yes be yes, and our no be no.  Why should we do that?  I believe it is because if we have character, if we are people of light and truth, then our word is sufficient.

There is a famous line in the movie, A Few Good Men.  Jack Nicholson is on the stand, being cross examined by Tom Cruise.  Tom knows that Jack is guilty, but he has to really push him emotionally to get him to admit what happened in a criminal case that he was part of.  Finally, Jack explodes with “You can’t handle the truth!”  He then goes on a several minute tirade about how he and the military are fully justified in breaking the law to keep our freedom safe.  Wow.  Talk about a pivotal moment.  When Jack finished with his rant, he felt better.  He thought he had cleared the air and is ready to get back on his jet and return to work.  Unfortunately, he just hung himself.  When the truth was revealed, his flawed character stripped bare, he ended up in custody.  Ultimately, character always matters.  Truth eventually comes out.

So, when you examine yourself, are you a person of character?  Can you handle the truth about yourself?  Do you truly understand and embrace truth and light? There is a difference between someone saying you are a real character vs. a person of character.  Choose to be the latter.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

The Principle of Sowing

Posted in Business, General, Motivational, Relationships, Spiritual

The Principle of Sowing dan skognes leadership development trainer coach consultant motivation blogger speaker

I recently learned the secret to sowing.  I call it the Principle of Sowing.  The Principle is simple.  Continual sowing eventually leads to continual reaping.  I think this is why so many people fail in life.  Whether it is in their job, their marriage, their friendships, their finances, it affects them all.  People sow for a short term and expect long term gains.  They give up before they see the fruit of their labor, often just when they were about to see their breakthrough.  The bad part for all us is that we can’t see the future.  We don’t know what seeds are going to grow and which ones will be eaten by the birds, fall on bad soil, or just don’t have the water or nutrients to grow.  That is where faith and hard work kick in to help us achieve what we have set our hearts and minds to.

Sowing is a process, not a destination.  It is continual in it’s concept, not something that you do and finish.  It is never totally complete, because even the seeds you sow have to be watered. And there is a harvest.  Harvesting is a four letter word that many people don’t want to think about….WORK.

Rule 1 for Sowing:  Make sure you are sowing the right seeds.  If you have not had the returns you expected in your relationships, in your business, or in your finance, make sure that you have the right seeds.  I know from my recent bout with losing a yard that you have to have the right grass for the area.  If you have too much shade, certain grasses just won’t grow.  Also, different parts of the country have grasses that work best in their area.   That applies to services and products as well.  Try ordering iced tea in New York.  I remember going to New York a few years ago and ordering some iced tea at a restaurant.  The waiter said they did not have iced tea.  I asked him if he had ice, and he said, “ Yes.”  I said,  “Do you have hot tea?”  He said, “ Yes.”  I said, “Please bring me some hot tea with a glass of ice.  That is iced tea.”  (Don’t even think about ordering sweet iced tea in New York) :o)

Rule 2 for Sowing:  Make sure you are sowing in the right field.  You can have the right seed (product, service, or efforts) and putting it in the wrong field, so it just does not produce the harvest you expect.  Make sure the field is tilled, ready for the seed, then properly watered and maintained.  Weeds and bugs have to be controlled, or they can wipe you out too.  The weeds and bugs in your life could be anything that keeps you from maintaining your field…things like hobbies, or just being lazy.

Rule 3 for Sowing: Sow continually.  How many times have you heard someone give up on a job, on a relationship, or even a hobby before they really gave it a chance?  We live with a microwave mentality.  We want to stick whatever it is in the microwave and voila, we have success.  Rarely does success happen that way.  It usually follows persistent dogmatic efforts through many trials and tribulations.  Don’t give up before the harvest.

Rule 4 for Sowing:  God gave you seeds of greatness to sow both into your own life and into the lives of others.  Sow greatness. God said we are fearfully and wonderfully made.  Believe that.  Receive that.  Sow that.

When you evaluate your life, your job, your relationships, and your finances, what are you sowing?  Are you in the right field?  Do you have the right seed?  Are you tending the field you have sown? Have you given up before you saw the harvest?  If I can encourage you to do just one thing different in your life right now, practice the principle of sowing continually.  Eventually, you will reap what you sow.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

How Do You Turn A Job Into A Career?

Posted in Business, Motivational

How Do You Turn A Job Into A Career dan skognes leadership development trainer coach consultant motivation blogger speaker

First of all, what is the difference?  A job you are renting.  A career you are buying.  A job you punch a clock.  A career you have stock in the company.

Attitude may not be everything, but is may very well be the main thing. 

Whether you work for someone, or your work for yourself, the best thing you can do is to find the job that you love to do.  Once you have found that, it is very easy to make the transition from job to career.

Principle 1. Find your passion in life, and invest in it with your whole heart.  Once you find it, it will be natural and rewarding for you to invest yourself.

Principle 2.  Don’t waste time doing things that are not your gifts.  You can learn things in life to a degree, but why not do the thing you were born to do?

Principle 3.  Don’t settle.  Keep pushing and exploring all available avenues to find your dream job.  Anything less than that robs you and the world of a blessing and causes much heartache, stress, and depression.

Principle 4.  When you find your passion, you run on all cylinders.  It is like a smooth running engine that runs effortlessly, efficiently, and perfectly.

Principle 5.  Others will notice your gift and affirm you.

Have you found that thing you were created to do?  If not, why not?  If not now, when?  What is holding you back?  What are you uniquely created to do?

Seek it, find it, and dive into it with your whole heart, mind, and soul.  It is like swimming with the current.  Here is to you finding your river to dive in to.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes

Whiners and Winners

Posted in Business, General, Motivational, Relationships

Whiners vs Winners dan skognes leadership development trainer coach consultant motivation blogger speaker

I remember a skit that was on TV many years ago. I think it was on Saturday Night Live, and they called it The Whiners.  It was about a family of Whiners.  They whined about EVERYTHING.  They whined about the weather, their jobs, their hobbies, their time, their neighbors, each other. Get the picture?  They whined all the time about everything.

It was funny to watch, but pretty sad to realize that there are real people who act like that.  You may know someone like this.  They literally can suck the life out of you before you know what hit you.  They are fun suckers.  They make you want to run the opposite direction as fast as you can.

What is the real difference between winners and whiners? I think it boils down to perception, attitude, and perseverance.

  • Whiners make excuses, winners make a way.
  • Whiners don’t take chances.  Why should they?  They will never win, right?  Winners forge forward and take calculated risks, and reap the rewards.
  • Whiners hang out with whiners.  Winners hang out with winners.  Neither one likes to be around the other one for obvious reasons.
  • Whiners see the future as scary and uncertain.  Winners see the future as exciting and filled with opportunities.
  • Whiners are pessimists.  Winners are optimists.
  • Whiners go in circles and never seem to learn from their mistakes.  Winners make mistakes, but they learn and grow.  They explore new frontiers. They blaze trails where no man has gone before.  Whiners never get on board. Winners are Trekkies.  LOL
  • Whiners are ungrateful and never seem satisfied. Winners are thankful and have an inner peace, regardless of what they have because they know who they are and are driven to excel.  If a winner lost round one, they are gonna win round two, count on it. If they lose round two, look out round three. Setbacks and obstacles are part of the game. They keep focused on the goal.  Whiners never had a goal, so how could they ever achieve it?
  • Whiners quit before they start.  Winners win before they start.  It starts in the mind.
  • Whiners focus on themselves, it is all about them.  Winners are “other” focused.  They take care of themselves, but they have their priorities in order and realize that the world does not revolve about them. Winners understand that in putting the needs of others first, life has a way of rewarding them.
  • Whiners say they can’t.  Winners say they can.
  • Whiners lose.  Winners win.

So why would anyone choose to be a whiner?  Good question.  It is ridiculous when you look at the possibilities and rewards of being a winner vs. a whiner.  If you or someone you know is caught up in the whiner mentality, STOP THE MADNESS.  Get your brain washed, for Pete’s sake! You know the old saying, Garbage In, Garbage Out?  That is wrong.  Garbage In, Garbage Stays.  Start taking OUT the Garbage!

Turn off the negative feeds in your life.  What are you feeding your mind daily?  Is it positive, or is it negative.  Are you hanging with positive people?  If not, as Jeff Foxworthy would say, “Here’s your sign.” It is time that you take out the Garbage.  It has a way of stinking up the home, you know.

Shalom!

Dan Skognes