5 Stress-Reducing Strategies For Business Leaders

No matter where we live, most people are bombarded with a tsunami of marketing. Marketers everywhere are screaming for our attention. Digital marketing researchers claim we see anywhere from four to ten thousand advertisements or brands every day.

It is not a secret that marketers do their best to create a call to action. A call to action tells you what to do or gives a specific task to take right now. Our lives can become very distracted when we are told what to do subconsciously through advertisements four thousand times or more per day, as well as the hustle and bustle demands of everyday life.

Our lives can get very stressful in no time at all, with advertisers trying to get a piece of our attention. Soon, we are chasing rabbits, squirrels, or those shiny new pennies that seem to appear out of nowhere, all day, every day. It’s easy to forget what is essential, but following these five simple tips can help reduce stress in our life.

Focus On One Thing At A Time

Research has proven that the brain is incapable of keeping laser-focused on two things at once. It is time that we accept the fact that the brain cannot multitask. Those who think they are efficient multi-taskers are just master switchers who can quickly switch from task to task. 

By focusing on one thing at a time, your memory will remember more in the future, you will get more tasks completed quicker, you will be able to work smarter, and you will make better decisions. The rewards for focusing on one thing at a time? Less stress and a quicker satisfaction of accomplishment.

Establish A Routine

Successful business leaders are adamant about having structured routines. Knowing in advance the tasks you need to accomplish is vital to your overall well-being. There is nothing more stressful than having a bucket list of things to do and not knowing where to start.

As well, a solid routine can help you in other areas such as: building good habits and breaking bad habits, motivation, momentum, efficiency, reducing procrastination, eliminating distractions, feeling of accomplishment, personal development, consistency, regularity, and most importantly, your success as a business leader.

Organize Your Life

Disorganization is one of the biggest stress triggers. It becomes frustrating and stressful very quickly when we cannot find something that we need right now. More times than not, the reason we need something right now is that we are behind schedule. The culprit for all of this? Disorganization

To stay motivated, we all need some control in our life. Being organized and knowing where things are can help with that sense of control. Organizing our work area and home are great places to start, but many fail to organize their life.

Setting routines, reducing our commitments by learning to say no, and learning to delegate are just a few areas that could reduce our stress level in life if well organized.

Write It Down

The brain is a mighty processor of information. Research has estimated that the whole brain processes 400 billion bits of information every second. The human brain has 10 billion neurons transmitting data to other cells. Your mind has 10 trillion synapses that this information travels over. And, our mind never sleeps. Your brain never stops processing, nor does it ever stop growing.  

With all this processing going on, it is impossible to hold too many thoughts in your head at once. Your brain works mysteriously. It’s a wonder how it remembers anything at all with as much as it is processing for survival.

Ever had one of those “spectacular” ideas that pop in your brain out of nowhere. One of those ideas that is so good you will never forget? And then not even ten minutes later, well, you forget. It happens, and now you know why.

The process of knowing something and trying to remember it can add levels of stress. You know that thought was right there, and you use so much energy, not just trying to remember what it was but also why or how you forgot it.

For this reason, enter the pencil and paper. Better yet, a journal. Ask Richard Branson one of the keys to his success, and he will proudly tell you, his journal. He carries it with him everywhere he goes. And he writes every thought, comment, or bright idea moment down. He has credited some of his best successes to looking back through his journal.

Writing things down is easy. Remembering to write it down is the hard part.

Learn To Say “NO”

“The difference between successful people and really successful people is that really successful people say no to almost everything.” – Warren Buffet

Is your schedule crammed full of appointments, family obligations, to-do lists, and honey-do chores? Then learn to say no like Warren Buffet and many other successful business leaders.

Their reasoning? They know that everyone has the same amount of time in the day. They also know that no one can add more time to their day just because they overcommitted. They fulfill their agenda first to accomplish their top priorities, and then they prioritize other requests.

Learning to say no can be challenging to say, but saying yes isn’t healthy. Saying yes can leave you overcommitted and put your body under too much stress. Leaving you run down and susceptible to illness.

Decide what matters most, and it will be easier to say no. Without having clarity with what is most important, you are more apt to say yes.

Closing

Stress is a significant health issue for many people. The symptoms of anxiety can contribute to high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and numerous other areas of your body. To significantly reduce stress in your life, make a plan, follow a routine, organize your life, write things down, and learn to say no.

3 Critical Things All Great Leaders Do To Earn Respect

Great organizational teams are a result of exceptional leaders. It may be true that good leaders are born with prevailing leadership characteristics, but extraordinary leaders are not born, they are the product of constant learning, discipline, and humility. Exceptional leadership is what separates excellent companies from average companies.

There are countless books, articles, and blogs on leadership. Experts in leadership have numerous principles required for leading a team to greatness. Which policies work best for your organization will depend on the culture of your company.

Here are three key things that all great leaders do, no matter the circumstances of their culture or team.

 Never Complain Or Criticize

Growing up, we all heard those infamous words, "If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all." We've listened to these words not just once or twice, but numerous times throughout our childhood. We've heard them so often that it should be as easy as walking and chewing gum at the same time.

Yet, for most, it is easier and faster to complain and criticize, rather than to find a solution. Finding a solution takes time and energy, which most of us don't have enough of in the first place.

Constant complaining and criticizing will earn you the "that person" title. We all know them. We've all been around them. We have all probably worked for one. You know, "that person" who no one wants to be around because they are consistently negative, complaining, and criticizing others. You know, "that person" who is continually talking about others in a demeaning or passive-aggressive way.

It's unfortunate that, in most cases, "that person" never changes. It's almost like it is in their DNA as if they are on this earth for the primary reason of showing us how miserable life really could be. As a leader, you do not want to be "that person!"

To some degree or another, we all complain or criticize from time to time. It is human nature. Although we should always try, we cannot control our emotions 100% of the time. When we have had a bad day, sometimes, we just need to vent. As a leader, we need to be aware of our audience. It should never be in front of our employees.

When is it not okay to complain or criticize? Always! Leaders are at a higher standard. Leaders need to be "that person." No, not the "that person" that no one wants to be around, but "that person" who everyone wants to be around. "That person" who does no wrong, "that person" who always has the solution and "that person" who is a confidant. You will not be a successful leader if you say anything negative about another employee. You will lose all trust with employees.

If you want to lose the trust and respect from those around you immediately, complaining and criticizing will do the trick. Not only will you become "that person" who no one wants to be around, but you will also bring your colleagues down, annoy and depress those around you, drain everyone's energy, and, most importantly, create counter-productivity. You should be building everyone up, not talking negatively, and bringing them down.

Never complain or unfairly criticize when you are in a leadership role. A golden rule of effective leadership is learning when and when not to open your mouth. There is a fine line of saying too much and not saying enough.

  If You Are Wrong, Admit It And Apologize

Let's get one thing clear here; if you can read this, you are a human with a drive to learn before you earn. All humans, not just some, make mistakes. Knowing this, admitting to an error should be easy to do, but the reality is that it's much easier said than done. 

Ego and arrogance are the biggest obstacles we must overcome as leaders to begin admitting our wrongdoings. Unfortunately, there are far more leaders who possess extreme pride rather than humility. Arrogant and egotistical leaders believe admitting their mistakes reflects a sign of weakness. It indicates just the opposite. Nothing displays a stronger character or reaps more amounts of respect than someone who can confront their mistakes, head-on, and apologize for them. But, it is hard to convince arrogant types of people because typically, their self-esteem is low. Even though they should show employees a different side, they don't know how or don't want to.

Now, I've been around quite a few of these types of people, and it is not pleasant. Their insecurities are so deep within that they have no other way to feel good about themselves, other than to push people around. It does not matter what advice you give, these types of people are going to throw their weight around, and the last thing they would ever do is admit when they were wrong.

The leadership principle of admitting mistakes and apologizing is not for the weak. The greatest leaders always admit their mistakes, apologize, and apologize swiftly. They are leaving no doubt within their team that they were wrong, learning from it and moving on to greener pastures.

When business owners and company managers fail to own up to their mistakes and push all of the blame onto their employees or colleagues, the team surrounding them always notices. They are aware of each attempt by their boss to cover the truth or refuse to apologize. There is nothing more devastating to a team than a dishonest leader. The immediate consequences of such behavior are for the best employees in the organization to seek opportunities elsewhere. The people a company can't afford to lose will be the first ones to go.

To grow as a leader, be humble, quickly admit to mistakes, and apologize immediately. Saying you were wrong and apologizing is not a liability. Assuming you were wrong and apologizing builds your credibility and the trust that employees will place in you. Extraordinary people want to follow exceptional, credible leaders.

  Empower Your Team

What separates average leaders from exceptional leaders is the ability to empower those around them. Many leaders confidently say they practice this leadership principle within their organization. Let's look at Merriam-Webster's official definition of the word empower.

Empower:

-     to give official authority or legal power to

-     to enable

-     to promote the self-actualization or influence of or influence of

To give official authority? Legal power? Enable? Promote? Whoa!

It would be in everyone's best interest if every individual in a leadership role were required to read, dissect, and truly understand the definition of empowering. Most leaders claim to empower their people, but most leaders do the opposite and exert their power over people. I am not saying that you should give legal authority to your employees, but you have to enable them and appreciate them openly for what they do.

I often hear individuals in a leadership role asked the question, "What do you contribute to your organization's success to?" The response used too often is usually, "Our people. Our people make this organization great. We EMPOWER our people." This response goes all over me and crawls way beneath my skin because we all know from experience that there are very few organizations that truly empower their people. Proclaiming empowerment, rather than practicing empowerment, is rampant in today's work culture.

There is a company that I happen to know that the word empower is used in its mission, vision, and culture statements. Self-proclamations were so prominent that their entire staff and all of their clients could see. Yet I witnessed the head manager ask the leaders of the company if they could post a sign telling semi-truck drivers that they could not drive behind the building for safety reasons.

Are they empowered? Really? Your lead manager needs to ask if they can post a sign warning truck drivers not to go past this point. Indeed this company has not authorized its employees.

Unfortunately, many organizations think they are empowering their team, but they do not understand the true meaning of empowerment. Truly understanding what it means to empower others and fully implementing this leadership principle is what separates the exceptional organizations from the average.

 To be an exceptional leader, you must fully, not partially, empower your people.

 Closing

Great leaders regularly invest in continued personal development that educates on how to be an exceptional leader. Exceptional leaders know that a leader is just that, a leader, not a boss.

Learn Before You Earn And 3 Reasons Why

It is nearly impossible to build an automobile engine if you do not know how to make an automobile engine. It is almost impossible to perform open-heart surgery if you do not know how to perform open-heart surgery. It is nearly impossible to be a multi-millionaire if you do not know how to be a multi-millionaire.

It is nearly impossible to be successful at anything unless you first learn what it is you want to be successful in doing. You must learn before you earn. Learning always comes before Earning, and the only scenario this does not apply is in the dictionary alphabetically. You must also understand three reasons why learning before earning is the key to your success.

 Others Will Define You If You Don’t

The Merriam-Webster definition of define is: to determine or identify the essential qualities or meaning of. What defines you? Better yet, who defines you?

It is human nature that we categorize, label, or define those around us by classifying people as rich, poor, smart, challenged, weak, strong, successful, struggling, big, little, blue-collar, white-collar and so on. We are all guilty of it from time to time because we are human. We define others, and the flip side to that is, others define us. Refusing to believe that your peers have defined you would be doing yourself a great disservice, trust me, you have been defined.

Unfortunately, many of us begin to believe our capabilities are limited to what others have defined or decided about us. If those around us do not think we are creative, then our internal creative process becomes limited because we do not believe we have it within ourselves. We believe what others have led us to think because we have no other affirmation, nothing telling us any differently.

Growing up, I experienced this type of definement first hand. Early on in my childhood, several teachers shared concerns with my parents because they noticed a timid, quiet behavior from me. They suggested to my parents that maybe some therapy would be good. The therapist I went to asked me to draw my family. I am the literal type, so I drew my family, which consisted of a father, mother, and two brothers. In front of my parents, the therapist asked if I had finished drawing, and I confidently said yes. He wondered why I was not in the picture, and I told him because you asked me to draw my family. I drew all of them. He did not say your family and you. 

The therapist defined my behavior as a lack of self-esteem. And from that point forward, guess what, I had a lack of self-confidence. It was not until I decided that only I could define myself, that things started to change for me. I researched and learned the things I wanted to be, and that made me more confident. I had to teach myself the things that I wanted to know in order to be successful. And you have to do the same. 

Truth be told, my quiet and timid behavior had nothing to do with self-esteem in the beginning. To this day, I absorb everything around me quietly. I study people and read people. This behavior, and asset, has served me well in all of my many ventures.  

It is vital that you learn and genuinely know how you want to be defined. If you do not, others will do it for you. And I can assure you they will limit your full potential. You have to define yourself. No one believes more in you than you do! Once you know and understand this, it can be one of your most excellent tools.

 Emotions Do Not Make Good Decisions

This past year I had a significant, life-changing career decision to make. I struggled daily, leaning from one choice to the other. It drove me insane for months because, within twenty-four hours of making a decision, my emotions would change so drastically. Hours of research on the internet could not even help me make a firm decision on this one.

A book by Andy Stanley, “Ask It,” put it all in perspective. His book claims there is one question that will revolutionize how you make decisions. His claim is accurate. As I finished reading the last page of his book, immediately, my life-changing career decision was made. 

The question you ask? Don’t read the next sentence if you don’t want a spoiler. The question he proposes is, “In light of your past experiences, current circumstances, and future hopes and dreams, what is the wise thing for you to do in order to avoid regret in this area of life?”

It quickly dawned on me why I had been on both sides of the fence for so long. Before reading this book, my decision-making process was based purely on my current emotions. The emotions I was presented and processing with each day. This life-changing question solely based on facts and not feelings. I am not saying you should make unwise decisions based on the opposite of regret, but don’t hesitate to do something out of fear of failure. Moving forward, when you solely base your learning and decisions on facts and not emotions, you will be successful.

What does this have anything to do with first learning to earn, you ask? So many people have no clarity in what they need to do to reach their full potential. They wake up every day and let the day’s emotions decide their actions and tasks. They don’t know what they don’t know. Successful people know what they are going to do before their eyes open every morning. They do this by learning facts that provide clarity in their decision-making process, leaving the emotions out of it. Emotions can build a business as quickly as they can tear it down. Knowing when feelings should be followed is the key to success. Be emotional about what you are passionate about. The actual business decisions shouldn’t have emotion involved.

 You Will Earn Only As Much As You Want To Learn

Ever heard someone say I wish I could sing? Or, I wish I could draw? Or, I wish I could get a better paying job? Or, I wish… Yeah, me too. Well, let me tell you something. They are full of that dark stuff that comes out the back end of most mammals.

If someone truly wants to sing, they will invest their money and time by finding a vocalist to teach them to sing. Or if they want to be an artist for a career, they will spend their time and resources at their local college. If they genuinely wanted to get a better paying job, they would invest their time and resources in changing their career path.

Yes, you must indeed learn before you earn. But, you will only earn what you are willing to invest in yourself and nothing more. If you are questioning whether you really want to be a millionaire, you will know the answer quickly by how much time and resources you invest in learning to be a millionaire.

If you want to be a millionaire, learn how to be a millionaire before you earn it, or you will fail. Lottery winners prove this point time and time again. They win a vast multi-million-dollar fortune and lose it all within a short period because they never took the time to learn how to be wealthy.

Closing

Define yourself based on facts and not emotions. Only learn what you are willing to invest, and your return will be rewarded in abundance. Life is short; don’t wait to learn! Start today. Do today what others won’t. So tomorrow, you can do what others can’t!

And if you have a skill set others could learn from, write a book so they can learn before they earn. Learn why by clicking here to watch my video.

3 Simple Steps To Crush It In The New Year

No matter where or when you were born, we all entered this world in the same way, naked and uneducated. Each of us had a unique childhood, and through childhood, most of us were under the guidance of another human being. Growing up, those around us influence our thoughts and beliefs.

Most of us did not get a choice of who we wanted to become due to rearing by a caretaker, influencer, demographics, geographics, or activities that went on around us. Many blame current problems on past situations. 

Well, that was the past, and this is the present. Now, you are responsible for you. No one is keeping you from achieving your wildest dreams, but you. Now is when you strip yourself from your past. You are not what you were born into; you are not under guidance anymore. You make choices every day that are impacting your future. Most of us enjoy our independence, but we still need direction and some accountability. It is ironic how we all came into this world the same, yet when we leave this world, our achievements, self-worth, and sense of accomplishment will differ vastly. Are you going to leave this world crushing it, or not?

Here are three simple steps to help you crush it in the New Year so that you can live to your fullest potential.

Get Serious

Life is a serious business. We only get one shot.

When working with individuals in their golden years, I often hear the common phrase, I wish. I wish I would have done this; I wish I would have done that. This reflection is a reflection of regret. Regrets that they did not fulfill their passions.

Each day that passes, all of us are getting another day closer to our golden years. We will not physically be able to do the things that we can do today. Like most, we will have a lot of time on our hands to reflect. 

When we get to that stage in life, we will be reflecting in one of two ways. One, what a beautiful life I've lived. Everything I wanted to do, I did. I cannot imagine changing anything.

Or, two, a regret. I wish I would have started this or done that. I wish I would have gone here or seen this. I wish I would have been kinder to my spouse so that he/she would not have left me, because it sure is lonely living these last years on earth alone.

We have a short amount of time on this earth. The moment we are born, we begin to die. Get serious about today because tomorrow will be here before you know it.

Make A Plan, With A Strong Why

A critical part of this process is also figuring out a reason to carry out the plan and figuring out why you are going to stick to the idea. Bypassing this step is the number one reason why most people fail to accomplish their goals. New Year's resolutions are a prime example of failed accomplishments.

Only 8% of people are ever successful at achieving their New Year's resolutions. That is less than 1 out of every 10 people. The reason? There is not a strong enough "why" to fulfill these goals.

The number one New Year's resolution year in and year out is to lose weight. Now, if less than one out of every ten people ever achieve their resolution, how high do you think this percentage would rise if we added a strong enough why? What if your doctor had a crystal ball and told you today that if you do not lose 30 pounds that you will die of a cardiac arrest in 90 days? And that you would never see the children or spouse that you love so dearly ever again. Think the percentage of achievement and the drive would increase?

The "why" is like the main ingredient to a recipe. If you do not have the main component of a recipe, your odds of achieving a fantastic edible meal are very slim. You can have all the ingredients of a recipe to make mouthwatering ribs. But if you do not have the ribs, then you are not going to have ribs for dinner.

Before making a goal or plan, you must figure out a strong "why." This plan of action is critical for you to discover, or you will never have the determination to carry out the hard work to achieve your goals.

Take Action

The late Jim Rhone, a personal development speaker, describes success like this, "Success is nothing more than a few simple disciplines (actions), practiced every day."

That sounds simple, right? Easy to say, easy to understand, right? Most successful people say the only thing that separates them from others is that they took action. Everyone knows what to do, but most don't do it. You have to take action in your life today that will impact your tomorrow. Think about where you would be in a year if you took steps every day and build on them each week or month. Start small or start big, just start.

Actions take time. The more you repeat an action, the more natural it becomes. It is an ongoing process. Actions require repeated efforts until they become habits. And with the right habits, success follows.

The ability to drive a car is a perfect example. Most people were nervous about learning to drive for the first time. Yet, in no time at all, it becomes habitual. So routine that most everyone I know has driven past an exit or a turn they usually take and not realize it until later. We get set on autopilot and are so focused on other things that we just drive, and before we know it, end up on an old route or at an old job site.  

Changing or taking action takes time to become habitual. 

Closing

Life is a serious business! Each week passes faster than the last. 

Make a plan with a strong enough reason "why" you need to achieve this goal.

Take action! Make my mantra your mantra, "Do today what others won't. So tomorrow you can do what others can't."

You can do this!

Your Business Reputation Is On The Line! And It's Not With Your Client's!

Welcome to the Morrison Minute where we focus on personal development and business strategy. Today we're going to focus on the small business.

 If you were to ask most business owners to prioritize employees, vendors, and clients, most business owners would say clients first. And, although clients bring in sales and they are important to the growth of the company, they're not your number one asset.

 In my opinion, the employees are. Because if you don't have great employees, you don't have customers. They're not going to stick around.

 But what's more important than that, is venders. Vendors can destroy your reputation. Customers are transactional. You provide a service; they pay the bill. You provide bad service; they provide a bad review. You refund the money and they move on.

 Venders know your deepest darkest secrets! They know if you pay on time. They know their experience of when they deliver products to your business to resell, how they were treated when they went to the dock. They know just about every mmm… from one end of your building to the other. Let me give you an example of another way that vendors can destroy your reputation.

 I had a prospective client that hired me for coaching services, and we were to meet once, once, a week for an hour. On the first visit, I drove 45 minutes from my office to meet there. I texted him and let him know that I was there. And right when we were supposed to begin, he texted me back saying, “I thought that was tomorrow.” Okay, my bad.

 The next week I called him, actually, I emailed him a week in advance, confirmed. I called about three days before, confirmed. I get to the meeting place… I text him where I was located at and he never replied. I texted again, no reply. Phone call, no reply. This went on several times. and some of you may be asking, “why did you keep going back?” Well, we had a non-contractual, but a verbal agreement, that I were to provide services for a certain dollar amount. I wanted to hold up my end of the bargain. I'd already committed those hour blocks to that person.

 And guess what? I now share that with other people in the industry of my experience with that person. Because I'm a vendor and if he treats me that way then he's just providing a facade to his clients or employees.

 If you’re a business owner that would like a business coach that can think outside of the box, things like this, not your typical everyday situation, let's have coffee. And if you'd like more personal development skills and more business development strategies, sign up for more Morrison Minute. I'd love to see you again!

Marketing Your Logo Could Be Costing You Future Business!

Welcome to the Morrison Minute where we focus on personal development & business mastery. Today, we're going to focus on the small business owner. You see, just the other day I was waiting at an intersection, the light was red, the windows were down, the tunes were going, and the light turned green.

 As I proceeded into the intersection, out of the corner of my left eye, I see a large service vehicle with a trailer behind it come barreling through the intersection. It's clear they ran a red light! Like most humans, I honked on my horn! Just as quick as I honk my horn, the driver of that vehicle rolls down his window and flips me, the bird!

 A friend of mine who has a lot more internet followers than I do had a similar experience. Except, he took his experience a step further. I didn't post my experience on the internet, he did. He took a picture of the vehicle that endangered his life, he said how they endangered his life, how they responded to their action, and asked people not to use that company.

 Back to the intersection I was at, there were probably a hundred or so cars waiting from all directions to get through the stop lights. And, I would venture to guess that probably half of them saw, what I saw. They saw a commercial vehicle endangering other people's lives, running a red light, and how they took ownership of their mistake by flipping others off.

 If you’re a small business owner and you’d like to visit about things like this, how we can make sure that your employees are representing your company in the most professional away. Or, maybe it's you the owner, that we need to talk about! If you're not willing to take ownership of your actions with your logo on your chest on your apparel or on your vehicles, then maybe it's time to not wear the logo.

 If you're looking for more personal development skills or business Mastery skills sign up for more Morrison Minute. I'd love to see you again!

Working "In" The Business Could Be Costing You Money!

Hi, I'm Michael Morrison! Welcome to the Morrison Minute where we focus on personal development and business coaching. Today, we're going to focus on the small business owner. Because you see, on the internet, there's this cliché - are you working “in” the business or are you working “on” the business. Let me explain.

I know of this successful printing company where there were several business owners and they had a business coach, fully staffed, sixty to seventy employees. They had positions within the company like press operator, bindery operator, IT Department, HR department, etcetera, etcetera. One day, in the business owners meeting, the coach asked each one, “what did you focus on this past week?” First business owner says, “business development.” The second business owner says, “operations.” The third one says, “well, I got stuck working in production, cutting paper.”

 You see, in the printing industry, printers print on big sheets of paper and then they get cut down to size to deliver to the customer. FYI.

 The business coach says, “what does that position, paper cutter typically pay.” The business owner says, “ooh, typically ten to fifteen dollars an hour.” The business coach jumps out of his seat and says, (knowing that this business owner, makes a business owner salary) and he says, “do you realize you are the most expensive paper cutter not just in your region but probably the world?”

 You see that's working “in” the business. Working “on” the business is growth, strategies, working on your mission, carrying out your purpose of the company, community development, connections, etcetera, etcetera.

 If you’re a small business owner stuck working “in” the business, and, you'd love to work “on” the business, let's have coffee and chat. And if you'd like more personal development skills and more business coaching skills, sign up for more Morrison Minute. I'd love to see you again!