Are You A Depositor?

Great leaders are masters of this. They know how to invest. Setting the stock market and business aside, true leaders know when and where to invest and how to deposit greatness to their successor.

The virtue is TRUST. I once told one of my mentors that it could have been so easy to be a high paying executive because all you need is to approve and sign documents or works. He said, "You think it's easy? Well, it's not because you need to shell out huge amount of trust to the person who submitted the work." Well said.

See? In just few moments of discussion, he was able to deposit an important principle to me. That's what depositors do. They invest their acquired knowledge and experience to their followers. Only confident leaders do this.

The next question choked me. He asked, "Have you met significant people lately? Who are they?" He believes that I need others to build me up. I need to connect with people so I could learn and I can tap connections within my networks. No wonder he's a seasoned "connector".

If you are a depositor, make sure you are casting good investments. And to the receiver, nurture the seed, make it grow. Begin with good relationships.

New Things

A bold question: What's new to you?

Well, new things make us excited. New shoes. New watch. New dress. New mobile phone. New car. New place to go. Even, new friends. New born baby is a source of joy for the parents.

Wonder what makes life boring? There's nothing new. No reason to get up from your lazy bed and catch the time to be in the office. Imagine if all you have for many years are the things you have now:

Same shoes. Same clothes. Same food to eat. Same phone. Same place.

You'll find yourself stuck in the same mindset and belief.

Turn on the TV. Imagine you are going to watch that TV show all day. Then, tomorrow it will be the same TV show, same episode, same sitcom, same...same..same... What do you think will happen to you?

Give yourself a little favor. Create. Discover new things. Play new video games. Explore.

Those who love books will agree with me. When I buy a book, I get excited as if it's the best book I've ever had. That's why, I keep on buying books. I'm excited on the new things I'll learn from it.

Raise Your Hand!!!

In my observation, successful people are those who volunteer themselves in a specific task and even it's out of their job descriptions, more often than not. That's what sales and marketing people are good at because they know that consistent exposures lead them to more sales. Connectors and networkers value volunteerism.

Why is it important? Top Executives look at those who could perform well. School teachers give credit to active students. Parents appreciate the helping child rather than the complainer. Each work done voluntarily has a value and I think it always work for our advantage. Just make sure it's out of passion, not for compensation. (Money will just follow those who have a good heart.)

Volunteers are endangered, like the wildlife. They are rare. You can only find few, if not a handful, in any existing organization. That's why I believe not everyone is a leader. Only few are willing to sacrifice their own comfort for the sake of a purpose. Some are settled already and change is not welcome anymore. The word "improvement" is not in their vocabulary.

If you are a leader, observe your people. The one who has the most number of volunteer works and doesn't complain got the "big picture". He values personal and organizational growth. Let him fly.