Leaders create leaders

"Leaders don't create followers. They create more leaders." Tom Peters.

Last century, leaders controlled the people they led, using fear and manipulation, with the goal being to create as many loyal followers as possible. This century, leaders are creating new leaders, with the goal of empowering people.

It is our job to contribute to the leadership of the people around us, because by doing so, our impact on the world is amplified 1000 times. Every leader I create will create leaders who will create leaders, etc. As a result, the effect I can have on the world is unlimited.

Whose leadership are you developing right now? How many leaders can you create before you die?

Euphoria, as created by 25 ordinary people

I felt love and appreciation tonight from a group of people that was intense and euphoric! To the August 2010 LifeStream Advanced class... You guys really do raise me up. And I am clear that I raise you up. Tonight was nirvana in a living room. 25 people connecting deeply on the basis of love, respect and connection. This is how life is meant to be!

Long Slow Deep Breaths

Most of us agree that being calm, relaxed & centered is a very good thing: Lower stress, getting along better w/ others, feeling better about ourselves, finding a creative solution. But how do we get that sense of calm in the middle of a hectic day? Breathe... Just breathe... 5 long, slow deep breaths takes less than a minute and leaves us in a much better place.Try it right now. You will be amazed how well it works.

Love-based Teamwork

Love-based teamwork: Today my staff was in major disagreement about a very important strategic decision. People stayed calm, showed respect, avoided getting personal, listened hard, worked to see things through others’ eyes, spoke their truth, came from learning, did not attack or manipulate, and created a followup plan with the goal of consensus or “disagree and commit” regarding whatever decision gets made. Are you willing to do this the next time you are in a conflict situation?

Honey or Vinegar?

Grandma always said that "you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar". Yet we humans so often put out vinegar instead of honey, especially to those we love: Yelling, ignoring, fleeing, lying, withholding, etc. We know we hate vinegar, yet we serve it to our friends, family and colleagues. Who can you start giving honey to instead of vinegar? Who can you give love to right now, even if they are giving you grief?

Back seat drivers

Back seat drivers annoy me to death and cause me great stress. Today I reacted badly to a back seat driver. And yelled at the person to stop. That person shut down for an hour or two. I felt bad. And then it hit me... I am in charge of whether or not I react to back seat driving, and whether or not I allow it to annoy me. So I have decided that I am no longer going to be annoyed by it, and I am no longer going to react to it. Because jumping down the other person's throat doesn't serve me or them.

Looking for love in all the wrong places

We humans go crazy when we feel unloved, especially if we lack self-love, which most of us do. Lacking self-love, we look to others for the love that we need to validate ourselves.

In other words, Who We Are is dependent on getting love from others, so if the perceived love from others decreases, that means the loss of our identity, which turns us into fearful monsters who lash out or retreat in destructive ways.

Until we learn how to produce our own self-love, we are dependent on others for our sense of identity. That is why it is so important for us to love ourselves, and to give love to others.

Who is acting badly right now because you are not feeding them the love they crave? Whose love are you addicted to in order to maintain your sense of self?