The Thankful Leader

We're embarking on list season - best that, most this, least that, hated, loved, etc. Today is Thanksgiving in the US so let's add in items to be thankful for while we're at it.

• Thanks for helping me succeed and grow
• Thanks for the freedom to share our ideas
• Thanks for the chance to speak my mind
• Thanks for the ability to decide our own path
• Thanks for helping me learn and grow
• Thanks for the chance to collaborate and share
• Thanks for making me better each day

Thanks dude, thanks a lot, much appreciated, thanks for that - it takes literally two seconds to look someone in the eye and sincerely thank them.

Let's do it today. Let's do it often.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

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The Power of Grit

What does success, excellence, and 7th graders have in common? Consultant, teacher, researcher, and psychologist Angela Lee Duckwork decided to figure it out.

Watch this.


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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

TED | Angela Lee Duckwork

1000 and Counting

Today marks an interesting milestone. This is the 1,000th post since the inception of this site in April 2008. In 291 weeks, there has been a post every couple of days totally more than half a million words to visitors from more than 160 countries.

Thank-you for dropping by!

In just over five and a half years, there have been challenges and setbacks but those happen as part of life. But writing and publishing on a regular basis has garnered interest from three publishers and more importantly created friendships and business relationships around the world that would not have happened in countless lifetimes if I hadn't taken the chance and stuck with it.

Take a chance

There are usually three reasons we don't do something; we don't know how to do it, we need more information about it, or we don't want to do it. If you haven’t, try it, and if you try it, don’t be afraid to let us know about it.

If you have social profiles, promote it there. If you have friends who may want to hear about it, tell them. And what is “it” for you? Well, that’s up to you. So write when no one is reading, publish when no one cares, and if you do it consistently and tell us about it, we will find you.

The world does not need more cat videos, the world needs you and your ideas, so hit publish now!
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

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Not Today

Today we won’t focus on what we can’t change. Today we won’t compare ourselves to others. Today we won’t do what they say we should do. Today we won’t second guess ourselves. Today we won’t make assumptions. Today we won’t worry about yesterday.

Today we won’t sabotage our goals. Today we won’t lament about our weaknesses.

Today we won’t listen to opinions. Today we won’t expect them to read our mind. Today we won’t get distracted by actions that will derail us. Today we won’t change the past.

Today we won’t be hard on ourselves. Today we'll focus on today. Today we won’t fret the details. Today we won’t listen to our inner critic. Today we won't concern ourselves with petty arguments. Today we will get to that item we keep meaning to complete. Today is all we got.

Today we won't settle.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

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The Disconnected Leader

I saw Warren Buffet along with his son and grandson on CNN last week. One of the richest humans on earth has sent exactly one email, drives a six year old car, and lives in the same Omaha, Nebraska home he and his family has lived in since 1957. Something to think about the next time we feel compelled to want the newest latest shiniest gadget.

Imagine we woke up tomorrow and there was no Internet, the smartphone had not been invented and there is no email. We have all those things but one idea we could try is to type less, turn off our toys more, and speak directly with humans rather than devices or channels. Mr. Buffett is worth more than $63 Billion. He may be on to something.

If we disconnect once in a while we may be amazed how connected we can become with each other.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

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The Six Degrees of You

The world is shrinking. This is not new learning or a new concept. In my work, I can talk to people in 2-3 countries in 8-10 locations in any given day through email, phone, meetings, and webinars. It's the new reality.

Virtual teaming is one of the fastest growing aspects of business today and it will only continue to grow. Enterprise leaders are overseeing vast teams of people across large geographical areas and sometimes many are working from their home office.

Gary Kovacs is CEO of AVG Technologies. When he was CEO of Mozilla, he discussed the pros and cons of living in a connected world.


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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

Gary Kovacs | TED

Always Remember

Today is Remembrance Day in some parts of the world, Veterans Day in others, and the reason for any days like today is our fault, our conflicts, our disagreements, our doing. War is unthinkable yet daily and countless millions of lives have been torn apart by it since we began to walk this great earth. We started it, we can stop it.

One of the most powerful human emotions is hope so let's hold on to that a bit tighter today as we remember all who gave the ultimate sacrifice for conflicts that were avoidable and senseless. Today is about them and perhaps there will be some day when the need for such conflict is eradicated.

We can always hope.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

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More or Less

Start more. Eat less. Enjoy more. Work less. Focus more. Talk less. Laugh more. Envy less. Move more. Complain less. Fulfil more. Worry less. Sing more. Compare less. Live more. Network less. Contribute more. Use less. Help more. Stop less. Connect more. Hope less. Play more. Skim less. Communicate more. Say less. Learn more. Waste less. Smile more. Own less. Listen more. Fret less. Thank more. Reflect less. Collaborate more. Annoy less. Dream more. Nag less. Write more. Doubt less. Read more. Whine less. Accomplish more. Drink less. Love more. Meet less. Do more.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

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Where Do You Start?

Have you ever been in a situation where you have to tackle a new task or refine an idea or meet a deadline but been unsure where to begin? That’s obviously rhetorical because we all have but the trick is how we successfully get out of that first key step to move forward.

It’s often been said leadership is about results but those results have to begin with an idea that must be advanced and refined before we can deliver it. But how much think time do we allow in our day to even get any of done? Our biggest hurdle is often us and in our inability to get started.

Here are some ideas to get us moving forward.

The difference between perseverance and obstinacy is that one comes from a strong will, and the other from a strong won't.
Henry Ward Beecher

There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth;
not going all the way, and not starting.
Buddha

Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after another.
Walter Elliott

Now is the operative word. Everything you put in your way is just a method of putting off the hour when you could actually be doing your dream.
Barbara Sher

Distant fields always look greener, but opportunity lies right where you are.
Robert Collier

The beginning is the most important part of the work.
Plato

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today
and make a new ending.
Maria Robinson

The idea that wins is the one with the most fearless heretic behind it.
Seth Godin

The beginning is always today.
Mary Wollstonecraft

Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.
John Wooden

Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success.
Dr. Joyce Brothers

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.
Chinese Proverb

The starting point of all achievement is desire.
Napoleon Hill

I haven't failed. I've found 10,000 ways that don't work.
Thomas Edison

Even though the future seems far away, it is actually beginning right now.
Mattie Stepanek

Never consider the possibility of failure; as long as you persist, you will be successful.
Brian Tracy

How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment
before starting to improve the world.
Anne Frank

Fear not that thy life shall come to an end, but rather that it shall never
have a beginning.
John Henry Newman

Let’s get started!
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

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Helpful Hints and Other Wisdom

In the last couple of years, I've gotten into the habit of finding quotes or sharing quick ideas every morning on Twitter. Use ‘em, toss ‘em, share ‘em, your call.

Here are some highlights from November 2013

Stay hungry. Stay foolish. Steve Jobs

Collaboration only thrives when all involved care about all involved.
Help someone without them knowing. Your experience and time are not free.

Understand what you need and then ask what they need.

Our best work is ahead of us. Connect don’t collect.
Why would you hire you?

Example is leadership. Albert Schweitzer

Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow will never arrive. Let's focus on today.
You’re only as good as your team. Be kind to yourself. Never stop learning.

I believe you have to be willing to be misunderstood if you're going to innovate.
Jeff Bezos

Complaining solves nothing. Few argue with their own data.

Success is not a random act. Malcolm Gladwell
Power is the ability to get things done. Rosabeth Kanter
The secret of success is getting started. Mark Twain

Stop comparing yourself to others.
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Kneale Mann | Leadership Strategist, consultant, writer, speaker, executive coach facilitating performance growth with leaders, management, and teams.

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