Cultivate GREATNESS | Leadership Training & Life Hacks

By Mark David Peters

You have probably heard about self discipline before, but do you actually have it? This article examines the importance and development of self discipline in life.

The Temptation To Live An Undisciplined Life
In today’s society we live in a world where temptations are everywhere. We have TV, video games and sports to ensure we never get bored.

So is it any wonder that people struggle to focus on their school work, their jobs or their relationships? After all, why should you do something which is boring or hard, when you can do something that’s easy and fun instead?

Well the reality is you don’t have to do boring stuff and work hard, no one is forcing you to do that. Although if you choose not to do these things it is very likely that your school grades, job or relationships will suffer as a result.

Why? Because the things that are worth having in life, the things that have real long term value and meaning, are often the things that require time, effort and hard work.
Read the rest of this entry »

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Here we are with the 17th edition of the semi-frequent Personal Development Carnival at Cultivate Greatness! A great amount of wisdom to share within this edition of our Blog Carnival… many, many golden nuggets of wisdom to share… [ over 150 submissions! ]

If this is your first article listed in this personal development blog carnival, please provide a linkback to CultivateGreatness.com somewhere on your site, to provide a nice circle of link love!

Here we are near the beginning of October. The year is half over. Make sure to stay on task with your goals and move forward toward your dreams. You deserve them! Thanks for making the October 15th, 2007 edition of the Cultivate Greatness, Success and Personal Growth BlogCarnival a success!

SpiKe presents How To Gain Perspective posted at Organize IT.

Warren Wong presents How To Come Up With Good Business Ideas posted at Personal Development for INTJs, saying, “Are you thinking about starting a business? Here’s 4 steps to come up with great business ideas.”

Roger Haeske presents How A Fool Idea Doubled My Productivity posted at Raw Food Diet, Bodyweight Fitness and Peak Performance Living, saying, “The main focus of this post is on time management, procrastination and the critical importance of the ideas you expose yourself to. Ideas are the building block of all success and failure.

I believe your readers will find themselves much happier and more fulfilled when they use this technique on a daily basis. This has certainly been what I’ve experienced from using it.”

Nancy Hayssen presents 3 Ways to Succeed Making Money Online posted at The Next Internet Millionaire.

Mike Harmon presents Article Syndication- The Sky is The Limit So Explore and Aim for the Sky posted at Basic Accounting, saying, “Article syndication is a very simple process wherein one gets to share their article among various online sites which helps to impart knowledge through the web.”

Charles H. Green presents Lie Detection and a Truthful Society posted at Trust Matters, saying, “What would it mean to live in a world without lies and what does that tell us about how we live our own lives now?”

Hueina Su presents The Little Engine That Should posted at Intensive Care for the Nurturer’s Soul, saying, “Many moms I’ve worked with remind me of the beloved children’s book “The Little Engine That Could”, only they are singing a slightly different tune. It goes like this, “I think I should, I think I should…..” So, what can you do to create a life of your choice without the shoulds and guilt?”

Read the rest of this entry »

Rise with the sun to pray. Pray alone. Pray often. The Great Spirit will listen, if you only speak.

2. Be tolerant of those who are lost on their path. Ignorance, conceit, anger, jealousy and greed stem from a lost soul. Pray that they will find guidance.

3. Search for yourself, by yourself. Do not allow others to make your path for you. It is your road, and yours alone. Others may walk it with you, but no one can walk it for you.

4. Treat the guests in your home with much consideration. Serve them the best food, give them the best bed and treat them with respect and honor.

5. Do not take what is not yours whether from a person, a community, the wilderness or from a culture. It was not earned nor given. It is not yours.

6. Respect all things that are placed upon this earth - whether it be people or plant.

7. Honor other people’s thoughts, wishes and words. Never interrupt another or mock or rudely mimic them. Allow each person the right to personal expression.

8. Never speak of others in a bad way. The negative energy that you put out into the universe will multiply when it returns to you.

9. All persons make mistakes. And all mistakes can be forgiven.

10. Bad thoughts cause illness of the mind, body and spirit. Practice optimism.

11. Nature is not FOR us, it is a PART of us. They are part of your worldly family.

12. Children are the seeds of our future. Plant love in their hearts and water them with wisdom and life’s lessons. When they are grown, give them space to grow.

13. Avoid hurting the hearts of others. The poison of your pain will return to you.

14. Be truthful at all times. Honesty is the test of ones will within this universe.

15. Keep yourself balanced. Your Mental self, Spiritual self, Emotional self, and Physical self - all need to be strong, pure and healthy. Work out the body to strengthen the mind. Grow rich in spirit to cure emotional ails.

16. Make conscious decisions as to who you will be and how you will react. Be responsible for your own actions.

17. Respect the privacy and personal space of others. Do not touch the personal property of others - especially sacred and religious objects. This is forbidden.

18. Be true to yourself first. You cannot nurture and help others if you cannot nurture and help yourself first.

19. Respect others religious beliefs. Do not force your belief on others.

20. Share your good fortune with others. Participate in charity.

This originally appeared in the “Inter-Tribal Times,” October, 1994

by Denis Waitley

The world needs role models, instead of critics. Others know when you have their best interests at heart.

You are truly successful when you can extend a strong hand to someone who is reaching out or just trying to hang on.

Come through for others, and they will come through for you.

People who seek attention, need all the help they can get.

You know you’re a success when people tell you, “I like me best when I’m with you.”

If we succeed without sacrifice, it’s because someone sacrificed for us.

Real power comes by empowering others!

Promises should not be given lightly unless you want them lightly received.

If I help you win, then I win too!

by Barry Conchie

Who wants to follow someone who’s going nowhere? Or someone who’s unreliable or untrustworthy? Organizations wrestle with these questions and many others as they confront the elusive challenge of defining effective leadership.

The Seven Demands

Most people are certain that leadership is about direction, about giving people a sense of purpose that inspires and motivates them to commit and achieve. Leadership is also about a relationship between people — leaders and followers — that is built on firm ground; enduring values build trust. Few would disagree with these views.

Not everyone, however, offers the same answer to this question: What’s the best way to develop talented leaders to achieve sustained high performance? Indeed, Gallup Organization researchers have long been intrigued with this question. Having studied leadership talent for more than 40 years, Gallup set out to discover the demands that leaders must meet to be successful. We also wanted to uncover the developmental framework that would enhance leadership performance.

Our research confirmed the importance of two rather obvious demands — visioning and maximizing values. What was surprising was the presence of five other important demands that are essential to the development of all great leaders.

The research
First, a few words about how we arrived at these demands. Our study drew from a wide cross section of leaders who had a proven track record of success; we had evidence that they all delivered the goods. They were measurably the best when compared to others in similar roles. Their performance could be tracked to significant improvements to the bottom line. They enjoyed the endorsement of their bosses, peers, and direct reports. And they sustained high performance, often through adverse times.

For our initial leadership-development research, we identified and studied 100 leaders. They were drawn from general management, human resources, marketing, sales, manufacturing, research and development, and finance. They represented distinct levels of hierarchy, from managers to directors to vice presidents and senior executives. They had all faced significant demands that built and developed their leadership talent. Indeed, it was in researching this group that we uncovered the seven key demands that every leader must meet to achieve high performance.

We then expanded our study to include Read the rest of this entry »

Cultivate Greatness is proud to announce that it will be taking part in Blog Action Day 2007. We have been misusing the environment for far too long, and we need to treat Mother Nature with Respect. Visit Blogactionday.org for more information. I encourage all bloggers to participate in this event on October 15th, 2007.

By Katie Mattson

The words, “I want” are two of the first words we learn growing up. We all went through the toddler phase of reaching out to anything that was shiny and saying “I want…” As adults, we still struggle with this verbal and emotional condition. Often, we aren’t clear about what we want or don’t know how to get it. This is where the “I Want” Manifesto comes into play.

The “I Want” Manifesto – I want what I want, when I want it. But…how do I get it?

Figure out what you want. This seems obvious, I know. In order to get what you want, you first have to know what those wants are. Ironically, most of us are walking around in a fog, attached to the short-term material things that we can easily obtain – those shiny objects we learned about in our childhood that distract us from our big dreams. Stuffed aside for later are our emotional needs and wants. Form a really clear vision detailing the type of lifestyle you desire. There are certain key areas in our lives that, when in harmony, allow us to obtain just about anything we want. Those areas are: relational, financial, personal and professional. What do you want for yourself in each of these areas?

Even deeper than the type of lifestyle you desire is your inner fire, your deep purpose. Inside each of us is a uniquely tailored voice that no one else has. A voice that, when found, is so powerful we have the ability to change thousands of lives. What do you want to share with the world?

Journal, ask and live.

Tired of this advice yet? All those wants are occupying your thoughts. Save yourself the energy of remembering them and write them down instead. Go ahead and put a column out there for the “I Don’t Wants,” too. You’ll relieve yourself of the pressure to keep track of it all. Keep a special journal that you can update frequently and read often.

Next, start asking for it! Whether it’s a small personal goal or a huge dream, start asking for help. You can ask God or the Universe, whichever you are more comfortable with. The important thing is to put your order in. Find your voice, summon the courage and ask. There is no limit to how much you ask for either. Just make sure it’s what you really want, because you have a really good chance of getting it!
Read the rest of this entry »