How does today impact tomorrow’s success?

From John Maxwell on Leadership:

“Everyone wants to have a good day, but not many people know what a good day looks like – much less how to create one. And even fewer people understand how the way you live today impacts your tomorrow.   If we want to do something with our lives, then we must focus on today. That’s where tomorrow’s success lies. But how do you win today? How do you make today a great day instead of one that falls to pieces? Here’s the missing piece:

It all comes down to what you do today. Now I don’t mean your “to-do” list. Nor am I asking you to adopt a particular kind of calendar or computer program to manage your time. I’m focusing on something bigger. I want you to embrace what may be a whole new approach to life:”

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Maybe your English isn’t as good as you think?

From the Globe and Mail:

“Siddarth Apaya has spoken English all of his life and, he says, “I thought my English skills were very good.”  But Mr. Apaya got a rude awakening when he moved to Canada from India in 2004 and began to apply for jobs. “I discovered I was wrong. I would make a simple statement and people would say: ‘What’s that? Can you repeat it?’ “

That’s a truth not only for foreign-born professionals but for many Canadian-born English speakers, says Bonnie Gross, a speech pathologist and president of Toronto-based training firm SpeechScience International Inc.  Language issues can be a huge stumbling block in developing or advancing a career, Ms. Gross says.

“No matter how bright and knowledgeable you are, if you are aiming for management or leadership, you need the ability to get your message across and have it understood immediately, or you are going to miss out on opportunities.” 

Why does it matter that people have different ways of expressing themselves? “In everyday life it doesn’t but, in the business world, where you have to convey information precisely, if what you say is confusing or sounds too laid back, people will get the impression that you lack expertise and enthusiasm,” Ms. Gross says.

It can lock people out of careers or at least severely limit their potential.

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Seeing the Big Picture

From John Maxwell on Leadership:

“If you desire to seize new opportunities and open new horizons, then you need to add big-picture thinking to your abilities. People do not become successful without that ability. To become a good thinker better able to see the big picture, keep in mind the following:”

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