Becky Robinson's Blog, page 40

A Time for Reflection

As we head into the holiday season, many of us, myself included, will look back at 2017 and reflect on what we’ve accomplished, which resolutions we stuck with, and how we’ve grown in the past year. For me, 2017 was full of family changes — a new niece, a new stepmom, and a newly retired mom. Comparatively, my own life seems pretty quiet!

Of course, that’s not entirely true. I’ve been stretched in new ways this year, both professionally and personally. I’ve learned to balance new responsibilities and to embrace new technologies. I’ve learned more about communication and how to establish boundaries when needed.

This growth is one of the aspects that I appreciate about working with Weaving Influence and our clients. I learn something new from each client and book we launch. Weaving Influence represents a variety of leadership experts who are the top in their fields. Their books offer a wealth of information to help you professionally. Each webinar offers the chance to connect with the authors and to learn directly from them. If you haven’t checked out a Weaving Influence webinar, I highly encourage it!

This year, Weaving Influence also launched the Weaving Influence Lab, an online tool to help you gain in-depth book marketing knowledge. The Book Marketing Action Guide provides guided videos, downloadable PDFs, and checklists for each phase of the book launch process to help you succeed.

As you look ahead to 2018, what goals do you have? Do you want to grow in your career? Do you want to publish and market a book? Or maybe you want to learn more about networking through social media. Whatever your goals are, Weaving Influence and our team can help.

How have you grown in 2017? And how can we help in 2018?

 

Your Global Training Adventure Awaits

In today’s world, you don’t have to pack luggage to experience different cultures and people. If you design or deliver online learning for participants within a multinational organization, you are also working in a global classroom. Whenever we work in global classrooms, the opportunity for misunderstandings and cultural mistakes increases, which can interfere with learning transfer.

There are two great ways to gain knowledge to avoid mistakes: Experience the challenges yourself and discover the lessons, or learn from the experiences of others. Destination Facilitation brings together a team of talent development professionals to share their knowledge and wisdom to guide others toward productive training results.

Destination Facilitation

The world may seem to be getting smaller and more familiar, but that doesn’t mean the same instructional techniques or training styles work everywhere. Organizations worldwide need talent development professionals who can design and deliver learning content that meets the needs of diverse work-forces.

Destination Facilitation is rich in tips for creating incredible training experiences around the globe. This book brings together a team of 16 expert trainers to share their knowledge and wisdom on productive training results, whether you’re in Abuja or Zurich. These explorers present the best techniques for needs assessments, design processes, facilitation, and classroom management in whatever country or region you’re visiting.

Contributors include Matthew Axvig, David Brown, Alfredo Castro, Dan DeRoche, Bahaa Hussein, Fady Kreidy, Chan Lee, Claudia Salazar, Deniz Senelt Kalelioglu, David Smith, Donna Steffey, Marby Tabungar, Hamza Taqi, Kedar Vashi, Denise Walker, and David Xue.

Get to know your audience and master body language dos and don’ts. Plan for the logistics and technology constraints of training abroad. And avoid the cultural mistakes that interfere with learning transfer.

When the opportunity to design and deliver training in another country arises, don’t miss out. With Destination Facilitation, you’ll be prepared to say yes!

Meet the Author

Donna Steffey, MBA, CPLP, President of Vital Signs Consulting, is an international trainer, author, facilitator of the ATD Master Trainer™ Program and adjunct faculty at Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. Donna has designed and delivered programs with global audiences in 25 countries. She uses her platform experience to educate, inspire, and coach helping organizations achieve their desired business results

Global organizations such as Underwriters Laboratory, Boeing, Phillip Morris, and Novartis have found that after Donna’s workshops people were more self-directed, open to new ideas, and mindful of their responsibilities. Donna uses a blend of information, self-discovery, fun, and story to create a vital learning experience.

Donna is certified to deliver Cultural Intelligence assessment and workshops and the EQi, an Emotional Intelligence Assessment as well as various personality assessments. Donna designs and facilitates programs that help participants achieve their high performance results.

Praise for the Book

“Donna Steffey and her team of international experts from 15 countries provide you with tips, plans, advice—and even warnings—for excellent design and delivery in every part of the world. Destination Facilitation is your complete guide to becoming a cultural role model around the globe.“

—Elaine Biech, Author of The Art and Science of Training

“Educators, trainers, facilitators, and the like will benefit from the myriad lessons for years to come. As an international speaker and trainer myself, I feel even more equipped to engage, teach, and inspire people all over the world.”

—Jim “Mr. Energy” Smith Jr., CSP, President and CEO, Jim Smith Jr. International

“Donna Steffey has developed a marvelous book with a clever presentation format and an impressive group of contributors. This is a must-read for anyone who facilitates programs across borders.”

—Jack J. Phillips, Chairman, ROI Institute, Author of 75 Books

“Destination Facilitation is an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to grow as an international trainer. The book’s authors provide essential cultural tips and recommendations, along with anecdotes that come from their rich expertise. It has a permanent place in my travel bag!”

—Claudio Olmedo, Trainer and Specialist in High-Impact Learning, Co-Founder, Acción Globa

Learn More

Buy your copy of the book, or share a review of it, on Amazon.
Visit the TD website to learn more and download a free chapter.

Growth Demands a Surrender of Security

“Growth demands a temporary surrender of security.” — Gail Sheehy, New York Times bestselling author

There have been so many times that I can admit to being afraid of growth. Fear of the unknown — yeah, that’s a real thing, and I suffer from it (who else is with me?). As a self-proclaimed introvert, growth has never been easy. There were many times where I, like many others, was faced with crippling self-doubt. I can’t even count the number of times I muttered “I can’t do this” to myself.

The Importance of Growth

But on the flip side of that, I also understand the importance and value of growth. If I’m not growing, what am I doing? With growth comes so much opportunity. So much inspiration. So much expanded knowledge. So much adventure. We should all strive to grow, learn, change, improve, and be curious. In a time when ignorance is NOT bliss, growth means making informed decisions, pushing boundaries, and exploring new things. And listen, it does get easier. The truth is, the more you confront fear, the more power you obtain.

What Growth Means at Weaving Influence

At Weaving Influence, one of our core values is growth. I’m thankful to work for a company that values and teaches growth, pushes me outside of my comfort zone, and challenges me in new and exciting ways, daily. How lucky am I that I get to learn from other people’s growth for a living?

So, because it is a core value, here are the ways I’ve grown in my short time at Weaving Influence:

Communication: Being able to communicate with others is key. I’ve had to learn to be more articulate, both with clients and with my team members. Because so many of my team members work remotely, it can be easy to misunderstand each other. I’ve grown to appreciate the ways in which we communicate and have learned to understand others’ ways of communication, which may be unlike my own.

Learning New Skills: I commend the team at Weaving Influence for always challenging us to expand our knowledge and skillsets. We are constantly learning from each other’s areas of expertise, and the company invests in us to promote learning new skills so that we are better able to serve clients. We write down goals and then take the steps necessary to achieve them. We also share our wins with the entire team. It’s inspiring to check in with my team members weekly and learn about what they’ve accomplished each week.

Personality: I mentioned before that I’m an introvert. This usually means being in the spotlight is a no-no. However, during my time at Weaving Influence, I’ve had to think on the fly, be on camera, even participate in webinars! I’ve had to quickly learn things I didn’t know how to do to and jump in and give it a go. And it turns out, the things I thought were scary aren’t so scary after all.

So, even though it’s uncomfortable, I choose growth over fear, always. The benefits outweigh the cons, bar none.

As the year is quickly winding down, I am always inspired to think of the ways in which I would like to grow for the year ahead. What’s on your list? Let me know in the comments!

Achieve Excellence with Total Value Optimization

Your supply chain is the backbone of your company. Its performance determines the health of your daily operations and the long-term success of your enterprise. Like a backbone, your supply chain is a complex mechanism. A lot can go right with it, and a lot can go wrong. When it’s at its best, it can support the activities of a thriving, healthy business. When something’s wrong, the pain can be acute—even bad enough to keep the company on the floor, unable to get up.

Whether your supply chain is causing pain right now or if things seem to be okay, perhaps even reasonably good, in today’s extremely fast-changing environment the reality is that just about every company in every industry can benefit or create real competitive advantage from having their supply chain optimized.

Total Value Optimization

Today’s corporate leaders are under increasing pressure to deliver differentiated, lasting performance, fast. Industry 4.0 is driving new business models, with competitors becoming more numerous, more formidable, and more global. This puts profitability at risk as whole supply chains shift in industries.

By placing customer value at the heart of their businesses, through a demand-driven digital supply chain, Total Value Optimization (TVO) goes beyond traditional approaches to ensure your company not only survives, but thrives! This new book by Steven Bowen describes the pressure today’s corporate leaders are under to deliver differentiated, lasting performance—fast.

It’s an axiom in business that you can only improve what you can measure. That’s why this book presents the TVO Pyramid—a graphic representation of the Total Value Optimization journey. The TVO Pyramid rests on a sturdy, three-sided foundation of data analytics. Supporting the center—like a central pillar—is leader and organizational improvement. The three sides of the pyramid, converging at the peak, are the three functional areas of procurement, logistics, and operations. Each of the TVO Pyramid’s three sides has five levels, and the higher you climb, the more the pressure and compression makes your supply chain that much stronger.

Meet the Author

Steven J. Bowen is the Chairman and CEO of Maine Pointe, a firm specializing in driving EBITDA and cash improvements across the areas of procurement, operations, and logistics to enable growth. Bowen has more than thirty years of P&L experience, leading turnarounds, high-growth businesses, and Fortune 1000 companies. With strong credentials in advising CEOs and private equity partners, and an exceptional track record in lean and demand-pull global environments, his firm is a leader in sustainable global supply chain transformation. Based on his work in the industry, Bowen turned his experience with supply chains into a handbook for corporate leaders.

Praise for the Book

“ Steve Bowen’s book offers a solid framework for executives in search of an engaging, thoughtful, and comprehensive approach toward achieving supply chain excellence.”

—John D. Baumann, President and CEO, Colony Brands, Inc.

“The best approach we have seen to achieve integrated supply chain excellence in logistics, operations and procurement.”

—J. Paul Dittmann, Ph.D.,  Global Supply Chain Institute, University of Tennessee

“Easy fast read to be informed of the real supply chain issues, challenges and how others have achieved cash increases, cost reductions, and true growth from their supply chains.”

—William E Forster Jr, 5-star Amazon review

“Total Value Optimization (TVO), a must have for any Equity Firm, Executive, Manager, Employee and Consultant that wants to have a clear and refreshing approach to increasing EBITDA in a surprisingly accelerated fashion. Amazing results!”

—Alfred Baumbusch, 5-star Amazon review

Learn More

Buy your copy of the book, or share a review of it, on Amazon.
Visit the website to learn more about TVO and take a free assessment.

Why I May or May Not Be a Failure

One big failure. 

That’s how I’d label myself today if I adhered to the definition of growth I had ten years ago. 

Back then I was a television news journalist, and defined growth strictly by numbers—TV market size, rankings, audience reach, newscast time slot, salary . . .

Today, I work in market zero, with no viewers, no newscast, and no salary. But I think I’ve grown tremendously professionally and personally—even if my face isn’t seen and my voice heard by thousands of people everyday.  

What I’ve come to realize is that “growth” has a myriad of definitions. It’s not black and white, or cut and dry. It’s something we all want in some way, shape, or form; but how we define it is likely different and ever-changing.  

When I was running in the TV news rat race, I sacrificed a lot to “grow”—so much so that many other parts of my life shrunk. My friends made a cut-out of me to stand-in at gatherings. My family shifted holidays so I could make an appearance—if only for a night. I even almost missed standing up in my sister’s wedding because it was during a sweeps (ratings) month—news director’s orders. No joke.  

At some point it became clear to me that my career growth was holding the rest of my life in arrested development—and despite dream job opportunities, I was stuck. 

Something had to change. So I left TV news for a career that would allow me to grow in other aspects of my life, too.  

Admittedly, my former definition of growth still haunts me from time to time. It’s hard not to get caught up in numbers. But, then I remind myself that growth is much more than just numbers. It’s about experiences and relationships. Look up the definition and this is clear—“to increase in size or substance.” I wouldn’t have much substance to my person or life if I kept chasing growth by numbers.

Now, when looking at where I’ve grown and where I still need to grow, I use these 3 truths as guides. 

Growth doesn’t exist in a vacuum.

We don’t play one role in our lives. We aren’t only professionals. Or only parents. Or friends. Or what have you. We are all, or some, or more of these things. And, while we grow in one area, we may not grow as much in others.   

For example, this year we had our second child, and I’m blessed beyond measure to work at a place, Weaving Influence, that allows me to scale back my workload so I can grow in my role as a mom while still growing (at a slower rate) professionally. I’m only one person and I’ve learned that it’s probably impossible to grow at a fast pace in all aspects of my life—thus it’s important to shift priorities as necessary.

You can’t have growth without challenges.

Some seek challenges, others encounter them. But no matter how they arise, being pushed out of your comfort zone is how you gain new skills and learn about your capabilities.   

While I may not work as much as I did last year, I’m constantly challenged by new ideas and projects at Weaving Influence, helping me grow my public relations skill set. And as a work-from-home mom with two young kids, I’m constantly challenged to be as productive and efficient as possible. Without these challenges, I’d be stagnant.

You are always growing.

As mentioned, challenges in life are unavoidable—and with each one you grow—even if they don’t have the desired outcome.   

So you may not be getting the promotion you wanted. Still, you’re likely learning from the experience of disappointment. Or maybe you handled a difficult situation with your child the wrong way; hindsight is 20/20. Each difficult situation adds another tool to your toolbox.  

All these truths illustrate how growth is more about substance than size. It’s not just about getting bigger, but also better.

As 2017 comes to a close, many of us are starting to think about how and where we’d like to grow next year. As you start making those resolutions and reflect on those from this year’s past, I hope you keep these truths in mind and realize how far you’ve come and how far you have left to go.

The Power of the Influence Effect

Everything we’ve been told about women succeeding in the workplace―from leaning in to throwing out the idea of being “nice girls”―misses the true key that puts women ahead: influence. The thing is, we gain more from our efforts when we focus on achieving influence, as opposed to playing political games. Why? Because greater influence equals greater advancement.

The Influence Effect

Women hold over half of all professional jobs today, yet they represent just 4 percent of CEOs in the S&P 500. Even worse, that percentage has barely budged in a decade. In every industry, from private equity investing to network television, women are under-represented in leadership and paid less than men for the same work.

That’s where The Influence Effect comes in. Based on recent research by the authors of the New York Times bestseller Break Your Own Rules, this book begins with the premise that what works for men at work won’t work for women. Packed with new executive coaching techniques and the authors’ “Big Five” strategies designed specifically for female executives, this book guides women to break past political barriers and get right to what they really want—influence.

Authors Kathryn Heath, Jill Flynn, Mary Davis Holt, and Diana Faison make success far less complex, helping women overcome entrenched resistance to their ideas, create their own access points to power, and attract followers in a way that works for them. They present tools such as Influence Loops (to organically increase influence), Personal Scaffolding (to grow a groundswell of support), and Scenario Thinking (a savvy twist on strategic planning). These and other smart strategies finally allow women to succeed on their own terms.

Illustrated with dozens of engaging, real stories culled from the authors’ many years of coaching experience, The Influence Effect moves women past the politics problem and offers a new path to power. Actually, it’s more than a path—it’s a runway—it frees women to take off in their careers on their own terms. The Influence Effect will work for women, not because gender barriers will no longer exist, but because they will no longer hold women back.

Meet the Authors

Kathryn Heath, Ph.D., is a founding partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership. She serves as a developer of leadership programs, coach, and training designer. One of the hallmarks of Kathryn’s work is addressing organizations’ specific business targets through customized programs that move women forward faster.

Jill Flynn, M.Ed., is a founding partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership. She specializes in partnering with corporate clients to design and implement tailored strategies that result in higher retention and promotion rates for their women leaders. Jill is widely recognized for her coaching, training, and consulting expertise, and has a roster of happy clients.

Diana Faison, M. Ed., is a partner at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership with over twenty years of expertise in the fields of leadership training, executive coaching, and performance consulting. Her passion for empowering the next generation of female leaders has led her to coach and design programs targeted toward millennials.

Mary Davis Holt, MBA, is a senior consultant at Flynn Heath Holt Leadership. She is an executive coach and keynote speaker on business, women, and leadership. As an in-demand voice, Mary shares her hard-won insights and promotes FHHL’s new rules for success to a wide range of audiences.

Praise for the Book

“The Influence Effect includes dozens of engaging, real stories that come from the authors’ many years of coaching experiences, and will move women past the politics and enable women everywhere break through barriers to advancement to offer a new path to power on their own terms.”

—Leslie, 5-star Amazon review

“The path to greatness is not a Machiavellian route of power; it is a trail of astute influence. And influence comes best from a confident, authentic spirit; a focused zeal to make a difference; and the wisdom of a set of strategies. The Influence Effect delivers all three.”

—Chip R. Bell, 5-star Amazon review

“This is a powerful book that will keep you from limiting yourself with old ideas. The book is very readable, easy to take to heart, and you’ll be applying what you learn days after you start reading it. I’m 71 years old. I’ve been around quite a few power players. Yes, I’m a man. But believe me anyway and GET THIS BOOK.”

—R. McConaughy, 5-star Amazon review

“The Influence Effect is like having a personal career coach by your side. It equips you with practical ideas, sparks “lightbulb” moments through storytelling and relatable examples and leaves you inspired to make a difference.”

—sk, 5-star Amazon review

Learn More

Buy your copy of the book, or share a review of it, on Amazon.
Visit Flynn Heath Holt to learn more and download a free sample chapter.
Watch the recent webinar to learn even more from Kathryn Heath and Mary Davis Holt, of Flynn Heath Holt.

How to Market a Book Without Hiring a Publicist

You wrote a book, you are writing a book, or you have a book inside of you that is waiting to be written.

You are a passionate person who knows that your thoughts, ideas, and dreams can deeply impact others.

You are a writer.

The one problem: thousands of books are being published per day, and you need to find a way to stand out. You need a marketing plan.

There is so much information on the internet and in print about book marketing, and countless publicists, PR firms, and marketing firms that you can pay to market your book for you. If you choose a partner who understands and believes in your work, you very may well see the success you are looking for. Many of these individuals and firms have spent years developing and streamlining their processes, and are a great option for those who can afford to invest.

But not everyone has thousands of dollars to spend on marketing services, and thankfully, there are tried and true techniques that virtually anyone with grit, determination, and focus can implement.

The Basic Formula

Leverage your networks. We cannot overemphasize the importance of leveraging networks. Your networks are anyone that you have a relationship with: family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances, and online friends. You should be getting together an email list, creating buzz around your book on social media, and generally talking up your book with your networks as early as six months before your book launch (or even earlier!). Though you may feel uncomfortable bringing all of these people into your book marketing loop, they will ultimately be your best tool in getting the word out there. We encourage our clients to make specific asks of those people, such as “please share this post about my book” or, during launch week, “please buy my book today.” In most cases, people are very gracious and generous in supporting book launches.

Use your content wisely. Your book’s content is one of your most valuable assets—use it! You can take quotes from your book and make them into tweets, Facebook posts, or beautiful graphic images. No graphic design skills? There are many free, easy-to-use tools out there, such as Canva and Pablo. You can host a webinar or, if you’re on a budget, a Facebook live event where you discuss the content in your book. Your content can become articles that you share on your blog or LinkedIn, or as guest posts on other relevant blogs. By effectively re-purposing your book’s content, you can share the messages from your book with a wider audience.

Keep your content organized. We recommend creating a simple spreadsheet and adding the title, type of content, and a link for any blog posts, articles, or videos you have on the web. If your content exists elsewhere, on a hard drive or in a paper file, indicate that on your spreadsheet as well. Categorize your content and consider which categories are most relevant to your current book project. You can learn more about how to set up your content library in this 30-minute recorded webinar.

Be consistent. Block a minimum of 20 minutes a day off on your calendar and devote this time to marketing. If you have more time, great—but even in 20 minutes a day, you can make a big difference. Use this time wisely: spend time scheduling social media posts (we recommend Buffer for scheduling), responding to others on social media (that’s how relationships are built), reaching out to bloggers who may want to feature your book or have you write a guest post, and perhaps getting your book marketing website together. You will be amazed by the difference 20 minutes a day can make.

It doesn’t have to be overwhelming.

Book marketing may feel overwhelming, and we understand why—there are a lot of moving parts! But it doesn’t have to be. By leveraging your networks, using your content effectively, and being consistent in your marketing efforts, you can make major advances towards sharing your book, your passion, with the wider world.

Some free resources for DIY marketers:

Questions about book marketing? Ready to take the DIY route? Join our Book Marketing Facebook group for authors, marketers, and publishers. We’re here to help you succeed!

Looking to learn from the experts? Weaving Influence Lab, the online learning division of Weaving Influence, regularly hosts free 30-minute book marketing webinars with experts in the field. Sign up to learn about our webinars and view webinar recordings here.

Read to dive into your DIY launch? The Book Marketing Action Guide is an online course for authors who want to have a successful book launch without hiring a publicist. The BMAG includes all of our best practices, checklists, videos, and downloadable resources for every step of the way. Learn more at weavinginfluencelab.com.

Lead Change: Your Destination for the Best in Leadership

Lead Change, owned and operated by Weaving Influence, has been a top source of leadership learning since its founding. It’s more than just a blog: it’s a global, virtual platform for encouraging and showcasing great ideas and helping leaders in their own professional growth by sharing and multiplying powerful leadership content.

Now, thanks to the hard work and talent of our web development team, we’re excited to announce an updated and streamlined Lead Change website! We’ve add some fresh color and design with our new logo, and changed the way we’re presenting content. Our new branding highlights Lead Change as a media destination for the best in leadership!

Beyond our new look, here are a few more features of the new site.

New Content Every Weekday

It is our goal to share thoughtful, relevant posts every weekday that will equip you to grow as a leader and a person. We also want to showcase great work from regular contributors (more on that below). With our new magazine-style homepage, it’s easier to browse the topics that interest you most — from leadership inspiration, to personal and professional development, team dynamics, best of books, and more! We also continue to feature the popular monthly Leadership Development Carnival, with great content from leadership blogs around the web. Start reading.

Contributor Section

Our Lead Change contributors — the ones you hear from five days a week on our blog — are CEOs, authors, consultants, small business owners, and employees who share a passion for leadership. We now feature our most frequent contributors with a brief bio and a link to their full list of articles. Other contributors, including those who are not regularly posting at the current time or who have only posted intermittently, have a bio, but not a full contributor page. And we always welcome new voices: if you’re currently leading change in your organization or work, we’d love to hear from you! Learn more about becoming a contributor.

Sponsorship Opportunities

As part of our new platform, we are pleased to offer exclusive 6-month sponsorship opportunities to exemplary organizations and/or individuals in the field of Leadership Development. Ranked by CMOE as the 8th most socially-shared leadership blog on the web, we have been inspiring individuals to innovate and grow in their personal and professional leadership since 2009. Our revised brand and website position us as a media destination for the best leadership content on the web, and we aim to grow to the ranks of Inc., Entrepreneur Magazine, and others. Interested in supporting our platform and gaining visibility for your own company or brand? Learn more about becoming a sponsor.

History of Lead Change

Mike Henry, Sr., founded the Lead Change Group in 2009, as a non-profit dedicated to instigating a leadership revolution. As of 2014, this virtual network has been a division of Weaving Influence, Inc., and CEO Becky Robinson. While the Lead Change blog has morphed many times over the years, we believe that adaptation proves leadership and development will always be moving forward, and we will continue to develop the website as a powerful resource for leaders and leaders-in-training worldwide. Learn more about the history of Lead Change.

Further Resources

We want to inspire you to boldly step up and serve wherever and whenever leadership is needed, and provide real and concrete advice on how to grow. From a free ebook about the Lead Change Revolution, to access to free webinars hosted by Weaving Influence, our Lead Change team is continually seeking new ways to deliver great resources and quality content to you, our readers and leaders!

Have an idea or a question? Reach out to our Lead Change community manager, Ellen Snyder. Or find us on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn to join the conversation!

 

Responsiveness Comes with Great Responsibility

With the nearly barrier-free ability to respond to any text, Facebook post, tag, Snap, or whatever form of communication and network you prefer, it’s almost as if we’re being conditioned to respond IMMEDIATELY to every form of communication.

While responsiveness is great, with that great ability comes a level of great responsibility. (Sorry, Spiderman, for the paraphrase.)

Since I first put my home phone number on my after-hours voice mail more than 15 years ago, I’ve long-realized that communications is not an 8-5 job. There’s an inherent expectation to be always-on. To be responsive.

But being responsive depends on your audience. It doesn’t always mean responding immediately.

Let me offer up what responsiveness means with four audiences that I – and maybe you – find yourself a part of. If you disagree with or can expand on my take, I welcome your perspective in the comments.

Media

Responsiveness means your contact information – mobile phone, email, social accounts – is readily available. After all, you need them more than they need you. With any communication you should acknowledge the need in a timely manner, and work to best to meet their queries. As the media world continues to become fragmented, being responsive makes a writer’s or influencer’s job easier, and possibly making a strong connection for you.

Clients

Clients depend on you. Responsiveness means, at times, no matter if they’re in the same time zone or half a world away, you make time to meet with them – even if it means a Skype call at 9:30 p.m. (after family activities are finished). Being responsive also means knowing their business, and making recommendations they don’t know they need to help grow their business.

Colleagues

Responsiveness means being supportive – being a valuable, reliable part of the team. It also means responding quickly to their needs when they get slammed, or need questions answered.

Family

Responsiveness to family means, as current client Larry Senn discusses, to be here now. It’s not only taking care of their basic needs, but it also means responding to and guiding their emotional and mental needs. While it doesn’t mean being on call for work 24-7, it does mean knowing that work is important. If you have the luxury, as we do at Weaving Influence, there are times when it must be done at home.

With virtually all of us within quick, easy reach of everyone else via our smartphones, the ability to respond can be amazingly powerful – as long as we know how to use that power.

 

If Life Is the Music – You Are the Song

You are a masterpiece, created for great works that have already been planned for you. You were made to do bold and mighty things that can bring about positive, enduring change in our world. But only you can sing the song that was written for you. When you try to be like others, you don’t listen to yourself. You can’t hear your own voice. You can’t find your own song. But if you are patient, remain fully present in the moment, and refuse to rush — the music will come to you.

Are you longing for more joy and fulfillment? Are you desperate to find deeper meaning and purpose? Are you determined to live the life of your dreams? Then tune in to that lyrical, elegant music. Unlock your gifts, start living from the heart, and find yourself on a journey to authentic leadership transformation. Your life is the music, and you are the song.

Made for Amazing

In Made for Amazing, Mark Nation tells the story of Joshua Lynk, a troubled young man with an extraordinary musical talent. Josh’s father deserts him at an early age, leaving his grandfather to serve as his primary mentor and source of wisdom. Choosing fame and fortune over his grandfather’s advice, Josh neglects the deeper, spiritual part of himself. In the excitement of playing to crowds and seeking to imitate others, Josh forgets his true music. A rise to success that ends in sorrow leaves Josh in a crisis of self-doubt and pity. Recalling his grandfather’s advice to “Head for Ap Jack,” Josh returns to his grandfather’s cabin on the mountain and transforms his life, leading him to a deeper sense of purpose, joy, and professional fulfillment.

Made for Amazing serves as your guide on the journey to create a legacy of success and a life of significance. Filled with convincing portrayals of a musician’s life and relationships, this inspiring self-help parable will empower you to seek your own deeper meaning in life and reach your fullest potential. Josh’s story and the thought-provoking Questions for Reflection and Discussion will help you to unlock your giftedness, embrace your passion, and discover your authentic leadership purpose.

Meet the Author

Mark Nation is a globally-recognized management expert, leadership consultant, executive coach, author, and speaker. He is personally driven to discover what makes individuals, teams, and organizations amazing—those elements which power the heart and soul of individuals and businesses worldwide.

Mark is Founder and President of Nation Leadership, the Made for Amazing Project™, and Harvard Help Circle. He has developed and managed companies in five industries: enterprise technology, financial services, music and entertainment, construction, and professional services. He has led start-ups and served in regional and global executive roles at SAP, JDA Software, Siebel Systems (Oracle), and UNUM. Mark’s work has been leveraged across a wide range of clients–from young leaders, corporate managers, and executives, to Fortune 500 organizations, start-ups, schools, churches, and non-profits.

When not traveling, Mark is based in Tennessee with his wife and two children.

Praise for the Book

“Made for Amazing is told with grace, compassion, pathos, and heart; the story will move you to tears, then lift you up with the encouragement needed to renew your search for deeper meaning and purpose. It’s a joy to read and, most importantly, filled with a message we really need to take seriously—now more than ever.”

—Jim Kouzes, Co-Author of The Leadership Challenge

“As a musician and business leader, I have always described the essence of leadership with the visual of a choral director aligning the voices of a talented choir. And now, in this beautiful story, our souls are once again reminded that each individual is uniquely designed by God, with an amazing song to sing. Imagine the possibilities if everyone simply understood that notion.”

—Cheryl Bachelder, Author of Dare to Serve

“Mark Nation masterfully weaves principles of hope and redemption throughout its pages. What a great encouragement to anyone who feels like they have blown it in life.”

—Troy Slezak, 5-star Amazon review

“This story will really get you thinking as you visit each chapter. It is very well written and makes you want to keep turning to the next page for hours.”

—Ryan, 5-star Amazon review

Learn More

Buy your copy of the book, or share a review of it, on Amazon.
Visit Mark’s website to learn more and download a free sample chapter.