Leadership In The Zone!

"You do not merely want to be considered just the best of the best. You want to be considered the only one who does what you do." - Jerry Garcia

What is the leadership zone?

For purposes of this article, think of "The Zone" as an emotion you feel when you are at your very best.

For example, think back to a time when everything seemed to be going just right, just the way you had intended ? or perhaps even better than you had intended.

The Zone personifies "the thrill of victory". The zone is a place where great leaders live every day ? on purpose. These leaders ensure that they stay "in the zone", but at any point that they are not in the zone, it doesn't take them long to recognize and remedy the situation.

They do what's necessary to get back into the zone because they know that that is where all the action is.

Once you live in the zone for any length of time, you become quickly "addicted" to living there. In this particular case "addiction" can be considered a good thing.

Okay, let's get more specific now about how each of us can live in the leadership zone.

First, we must identify what high-leverage activities we need to be putting our time and energy towards, in order to achieve the results we seek. These high-leverage activities must take up the bulk of our time so that we can experience the ultimate rewards.

We must shun unnecessary email, paperwork and any other "low-result activities" that can easily be addressed by others ? leaving us free to maximize our time on the activities that truly matter the most.

The following activities are examples of "zone activities", where the rubber meets the proverbial road: I.e., making prospect calls, developing new referral sources, marketing your product effectively, ensuring quality delivery of customer service, planning for expansion of your business, etc.

The preceding examples of high-leverage activities are what makes the difference in ones success? they take a salesperson and/or an organization from simply being good, to truly being GREAT.

This is what we mean when we say you must "LIVE where the rubber meets the road". Ensure your total fulfillment in your work and in your life, by maximizing those high-leverage activities that makes the difference in your results.

In doing so, your passion for your work will grow and you will experience and enjoy more fully the fruits of your labor.

Your feelings of success, of pride, of accomplishment and of joy ? will be the signals you will quickly come to recognize as "Living In The Zone".

"Most misfortunes are the results of misused time." - Napoleon Hill

Richard Gorham is the founder and President of Leadership-Tools, Inc. His web site, http://www.leadership-tools.com is dedicated to providing free tools and resources for today's aspiring leaders. Offering high-quality tools in the areas of Business Planning, Leadership Development, Customer Service, Sales Management and Team Building.

---

Introduction to the The Enneagram as a Leadership Tool

The Enneagram is a fascinating tool of nine orientations that... Read More

The Happy Jar

I just delivered a free speech. I am a great... Read More

Blowing Your Own Leadership Horn

There are two streams of competitiveness running through every organization.... Read More

Get What You Want - Negotiating Skills for the Timid!

OK, I know this title sounds self-serving and hard nosed,... Read More

The Seven Secrets to New Age Leadership

Did you ever notice that In our American culture, we... Read More

3 Aspects of Developing Leadership Skills

Everyone knows that great leaders are made, not born. However... Read More

Leadership Training and Character

The vast majority of leadership training available to managers focuses... Read More

The Compassion Paradox

Effective leaders are comfortable with paradox. They can call on... Read More

Trust - The Most Vital Component in Leadership

"Trust is the emotional glue that binds followers and... Read More

Transformational Leadership

"What is leadership?" When this question is asked most of... Read More

10 Ways to Develop Your Latent Leader

latent (adj.) ? Not visible or apparent, but capable of... Read More

Character -- Why It Matters In Leaders

"Character is much easier kept than recovered." -Thomas Paine"The best... Read More

Professional Organizations: Join or Fold?

All of us join professional organizations for a reason--a friend... Read More

Leadership Training Seminar - What Makes A Great Leader?

At one point or another, we have all been either... Read More

Are You a Leader or a Manager?

President Ike Eisenhower once demonstrated the difference between leadership and... Read More

E=MC - Is It In Me?

How many times have you seen the E = MC2... Read More

Leadership A Perspective From Tao

Tao Te Ching said to be written by Lao Tzu... Read More

A Lasting Leadership Lesson: How One Leadership Talk By George Washington Saved The Revolution

A Lasting Leadership Lesson: How One Leadership Talk By George... Read More

Coaching a Leader

One of my favorite memories growing up as a child... Read More

Leadership: 9 Universal Laws

1. The Law of Authoritarian StyleAuthoritarian leaders lead by control... Read More

Choose Your Best Life: Where Are Your Choices Leading You?

According to the dictionary choice means "to select freely after... Read More

Abe Lincoln: An Extraordinary Leader

Perhaps noted as one of the greatest United States presidents... Read More

Dont be Afraid to Lead!

In most aspects of human activity, the pendulum of fashion... Read More

To be, or Not to be (Average)?

When is hate OK? When it's the feeling you have... Read More

5 Tips to Help You Win Big & Become a Village Hero

A few years ago, I returned to my impoverished village... Read More

It?s Not All About Cheese: The Missing Component in Employee Development (Part 1)

Spencer Johnson really hit a nerve when he wrote Who... Read More

Hidden Self Confidence

Peer independence is arguably the least understood aspect of self... Read More

BIG-3 Leadership!

"Do what you do so well that they will want... Read More

A Winning Choice for Leadership!

"The only way to enjoy anything in this life, is... Read More

8 Questions to Ask if You Want to be a Better Leader

Those that have successfully made the transition from manager to... Read More

What Every Manager Should Know About How to See the Talents of Effective Leaders

An organization of any size, from the family to the... Read More

Reinventing Failure: Designing Success

I am fascinated by problems. I like to think of... Read More

Charismatic Leadership

What motivates people to work and to achieve? What circumstances... Read More