Jim Rohn | John Salkowski ~ Leadership in the Line of Duty™

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John Salkowski Associates with America’s #1 Success Coach, Jack Canfield

June 3, 2013 AchieveSuccessAcademy.com John R Salkowski, John Salkowski, John Salkowski International No comments

Your life only gets better when you start associating with successful, like-minded people that will challenge you, teach you and push you harder and higher ~ John Salkowski

I first met Mr. Canfield at a conference in Los Angeles hosted by my mentor and business coach, James Malinchak, Founder of http://BigMoneySpeaker.com. Some of you may have heard of James since he was featured on the Hit ABC TV Show, “Secret Millionaire”. Being around James, being mentored by James and being around his other successful coaching clients as well as his celebrity friends and guest has revolutionized my life. We’ve all heard that you are who you associate with, right, well I’m telling you James has introduced me to some amazingly successful and giving people that have helped me catapult my speaking, coaching and mastermind business.

Meeting the success guru Jack Canfield, co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul and author of the best-selling book The Success Principles was amazing. Being able to have a conversation with Mr. Canfield to pick his brain of over 40yrs of success experience was phenomenal. Mr. Canfield jump-started his career with his mentor, W. Clement Stone, who taught him the fundamental success principles that he still operates from today.

As you can see, all successful leaders have coaches and/or mentors. If you want what they want, if you want to do what they do then you must follow, model and mentor after successful people.

It’s because of being around successful leaders and entrepreneurs like Jack Canfield and James Malinchak that have helped me create my own coaching/mentor programs as well as my own mastermind groups where I teach other successful leaders and entrepreneurs how to become better decision makers in all areas of life and business. We all must realize that every area of our life begins and ends with a decision. When there is a decision made, action is taken. When we take action, we move forward. It’s a fact that decisive people are successful people. We all know that making decisions in our daily life and business can be a daunting process. This is where I come in, to assist them in being able to make the tough decisions when their personal success and the success of their organizations depend on it.

All of this would not have been possible if I didn’t surround myself with other successful leaders and entrepreneurs.

“You must constantly ask yourself these questions: Who am I around? What are they doing to me? What have they got me reading? What have they got me saying? Where do they have me going? What do they have me thinking? And most important, what do they have me becoming? Then ask yourself the big question: Is that okay?” ~ Jim Rohn

About the Author

John Salkowski is a retired Police Officer after an impressive 15 year career who is now a Highly Sought-After Leadership and Motivational Speaker and Trainer. John has wowed audiences ranging from 20-20,000 sharing his unique Leadership strategies in his signature presentation:

Leadership in the Line of Duty™
Leadership and Entrepreneurial Lessons for Making Split-Second Decisions from a Cop Who Has Been in Life and Death Situations

John regularly speaks for a variety of leaders (ranging from entry level to experienced executives) for corporations, business groups, associations, colleges, universities, youth groups and sports organizations. Pulling from his 15 years of real world, in-the-trenches (and even life and death) Law Enforcement experiences, John now teaches leaders one of the most important key components of leadership (that is often overlooked):

“How to make Split-Second Leadership Decisions when the Direction and Success of your Organization depends on it!”

John has received numerous distinguished awards for Bravery, Merit and Unit Citations. He has also received media attention for serving as a leader within his community, including being featured in the Philadelphia Magazine as one of the area’s Top Business Leaders.

Any organization that wants to develop their people into becoming “Extraordinary Leaders” needs to hire John for a keynote and/or workshop training.

To request John speak at your next event, please email his office at info@JohnSalkowski.com

Design your own life or someone else will

November 12, 2012 AchieveSuccessAcademy.com Achieve Success Academy No comments

“If you don’t design your own life plan, chances are you’ll fall into someone else’s plan. And guess what they have planned for you? Not much.” ~ Jim Rohn

You have a better chance of your life turning out the way you want it to rather than leaving it in the hands of someone else.

I love the image of an architect designing a building by first laying out the blueprints. Or a writer, like I did, outlining a book by starting with the table of contents of what chapter titles you want to write about. The ability to create something from scratch is a powerful feeling.

The best way you can start your own life’s blueprint is by first writing down the things you want to accomplish. Let’s think about this for a minute? Everything that is built today started with a blueprint. Every pilot that is flying to a destination has a flight plan. A starting point and an ending point. A blueprint of a building and a flight plan for a pilot is one of the same. Laying it out on paper before you start is the best way to accomplish your life’s goals and design the life you’ve always dreamed of.

I’ve created 6 tools I think everyone needs to design the life they’ve always dreamed of.

1. Blueprint

The blueprint for your life should be like an architect’s building design, the author’s table of contents, or a pilot’s flight plan. You set out certain goals and map out a plan or a course of actions on how you will accomplish each one of them. A blueprint should be used in all aspects of your life from your personal life, relationships, friendships, children and whatever else you have in store for yourself.

2. Focus

After you’ve created your blueprint, and before you take action, you need to get into the right mindset. The power of your thoughts, your positive mindset, your committed focus on your goals and your plan will improve your chances of success in each area you take action in. You must believe in yourself and your ability to achieve your goals. You must become aware of your thoughts and maintain the ones that will support your getting what you want. You must eliminate distractions and negativity and focus on the end result. Start with the end in mind.

3. Action

With your blueprint in place and your mind set on success achievement, you’re ready to take the actions necessary to build your life as you desire it. Do the things necessary that will bring you closer to achieving your ideal life. You must keep following the action steps you have outlined in your blueprint.

4. Maintenance

Actions need to be monitored regularly to check on your progress. Keep monitoring your progress toward your goals so you can stay motivated. Celebrate the small successes on your way toward your bigger goals. Each success is one step closer to your ultimate life design.

5. Repairs

Make corrections, adjust for change, re-examine your actions and your goals. As you hit obstacles, find a way around them, through them or over them. Do not allow obstacles to stop you. Hitting obstacles should make you hungrier. Continually re-assess your goals to make sure it’s what you really want. Then establish some new actions steps that will get you back on the path even if it’s a different route. Never, ever give up!

6. Support

The architect designs the house; he or she doesn’t build it. He or she has a team of professionals that help accomplish this goal. As you design your life, your team should include coaches, mentors, teachers, trainers, associates and whoever else can help you achieve your goals and get you from where you are to where you want to be.

As you start working your plan, review it on a regular basis, adjust for changes, and always reward yourself for your progress. With these tools in your toolbox, you’re on your way to designing your own life. Good luck. You can do this! Stay on course, never give up and follow your plan!

About the Author

John R. Salkowski is a retired Police Officer after an impressive 15 year career who is now a Highly Sought-After Leadership and Motivational Speaker and Trainer. John can speak for crowds ranging from 20-20,000 sharing his unique leadership strategies in his signature presentation:

“Leadership in the Line of Duty”
Lessons for Making Split-Second Decisions from a Cop Who Has Been in Life and Death Situations

Pulling from his 15 years of real world, in-the-trenches (and even life and death) Law Enforcement situations, John now teaches leaders one of the most important key components of leadership (that is often overlooked):

“How to make split-second leadership decisions when the direction and success of your organization depends on it!”

John has received numerous distinguished awards for Bravery, Merit and Unit Citations. He has also received several employee recognition awards for serving as a leader within his community, including being featured in the Philadelphia Magazine as one of the area’s Top Business Leaders.

Any organization that wants to develop their people into becoming “Extraordinary Leaders” needs to hire John for a keynote and/or workshop training.

To request John to speak at your next event, please email his office at John@JohnSalkowski.com

To Achieve More, You Must Become More

September 10, 2012 AchieveSuccessAcademy.com Achieve Success Academy No comments

“If you want to have more, you must become more” ~ Jim Rohn

Do ever feel like you are running as fast as you can yet you never feel like you’re getting anywhere? Have you ever thought about how you look at yourself and your life? Something very powerful rests at the core of all this: the lens through which we view our lives is known as our paradigms.

Old paradigm: Do so you can have so you can be. New paradigm: Be so you can do so you can have.

The old paradigm indicates that the belief we have determines who we will be. Have you ever met or even known someone that doesn’t have very much, yet they are the happiest and most fulfilled person? Have you ever met or even known someone who has an enormous amount of money and material goods, yet their life is hollow and unfulfilling. We all do.

How can someone have everything they’ve ever wanted and yet be so empty and unhappy? And how can one have so little and yet be so happy and content? Happiness and fulfillment are not created by material wealth or possessions alone but rather by whom we are being and what we are doing.

I’m not suggesting that we all take a vow to be poor. There’s nothing wrong with having things. The problems arise when we sacrifice who we are for the sake of having more. When we do that, we will never ever have enough.

The new paradigm embraces the belief that when our life choices are informed by who we are being (our values and vision), what we do (our mission) is a natural extension of this, and what we have (our possessions) is enough. When you operate under this new paradigm—be so you can do so you can have—you make a shift in your entire belief system. You are no longer willing to negotiate who you are being so you can have more.

“Everyone has a purpose in life, a unique gift or special talent to give to others. And when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals.” ~ Deepak Chopra

In November 2011-June 2012, when I began to write my first book, I ended up writing 4 books, all while operating 3 companies. I couldn’t get beyond writing the outlines. I continually tried and tried to carve out time to write my books, and yet nothing ever came of it. I was so determined to do this that it kept me up at night. I would have a note pad and pen sitting on my night stand and when I would awake with a thought, I’d write it down. I finally discovered that the reason I was having difficulty in writing my books was because of the way I was being (overwhelmed, unbalanced, poor time-manager) which was not congruent with the core message of my book. Once my life focus shifted from doing more things to being in peace, harmony and balance and aligning with my life purpose, my thoughts to keyboard started to flow so very smoothly. I blocked out every day from 5am-9am, 7 days a week until the book was complete.

Looking back, the past 4 years were huge personal development years for me and I was inspiring up a lot of my own beliefs. I was in the midst of making a huge paradigm shift. By November 2011, I felt compelled to write my book and I could not stop! I sat down at the keyboard and effortlessly downloaded the words from my brain onto my computer and I am proud to say that the one book turned into 4 books. If I can do this, so can you!

The power of making this shift applies to everyone, whether you are writing a book or building a business. Who are you being right now? If you are not currently living the life of your dreams what do you need to do right now to start?

Here’s a powerful question to ask yourself right NOW: Where do you see yourself in 5-10 years with your health, business/profession, marriage/relationship, family, finances, emotional/spiritual life etc.) If you continue to do what you are doing and being who you’re being right now?

Here are the Top Strategies to Achieve More, You Must Be More:

1) Planning Your Future- If you don’t know where you are going then any road will get you there. Your planning must be specific and measurable. You must take time to examine the details of every aspect of your life, personal and professional, to achieve unified success and happiness.

2) Decide the Who, Not the What- Decide who you want to be, not what you want to be doing. If you know who you want to be, you can detail what to do and the resources you will need.

3) Consider the Tools around You, Old and New- Every resource is important.

4) Be Honest with yourself- You’ll need to challenge yourself constantly to get to the truth of who we are and who we wish to be. Be honest with yourself.

5) Ignore the Naysayers- Constructive criticism is okay. But outside perspective that is baseless (think dissatisfied family or friends) is destructive for achievers. Put these people in a box where they can’t distract you from your ambitions. Find people who get it, and put them in your corner. Engage them in your chosen future, and help them achieve theirs.

6) Don’t Settle for Mediocrity- You should push yourself to the limits of your potential. Too many people settle for what is easy rather than engage their energy and creativity to create something different, significant and meaningful. Resolve to pursue the Awesome Experience.

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of AchieveSuccessAcademy.com™, Retired Cop, Survivor of PTSD stemming from a shoot and kill robbery incident, Expert on Leadership, Success, Overcoming Adversity, Fear & PTSD, Entrepreneur, Speaker, Author of 3 books; Leadership in The Line of Duty™: 50 Leadership Lessons for Making Split-Second Decisions from a Cop Who Has Been in Life and Death Situations, Leadership in The Line of Duty™: Success Thoughts and Quotes for Leaders and Nothing But Net: Top Secrets to increase your bottom line, Health, Wealth & Success.

Fear, Adversity Holding You Back? Stop, Look, Listen & Overcome Fear of Failure

August 26, 2012 AchieveSuccessAcademy.com Achieve Success Academy No comments

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. ~ Nelson Mandela

Did you ever hear the phrase, Stop, Look & Listen when you become afraid of something? Have you ever heard a noise that made you stop dead in your tracks, than made you look around to see where it was coming from, than listen to see if you could hear whatever it was that you heard again? This same phrase applies to the fear that’s holding you back from achieving your dreams, accomplishments, goals, desires & under takings.

Fear stops success dead in its tracks. It stops you from taking action. It stops your ideas and thoughts from growing larger.
The fear of failure is perhaps the strongest force holding people back from truly reaching their potential. The world we live in is full of uncertainty, a weak economy, and countless misfortunes happening all around us. It really is easy to see why most people are inclined to play it safe. But playing it safe can be deadly.

Playing it safe and failing to risk the uncertainties has enormous repercussions on success. If you never face your fear, or face whatever it is that is holding you back, your chances of succeeding are zero to none. See, what most people fail to understand is that failure is a huge part of succeeding. Failure is good. Failure makes you hungry. Failure should make you angry. Failure should keep you up at night thinking of and creating news ways to overcome it. Most people give up after their first failure. Most people underestimate their merit and ability to recover from failure, leading them to pass up on valuable opportunities. This, my fellow achievers, is the death of success. The ability to fail big and fail over and over again has been the pinnacle mark of the spectacularly successful throughout history.

These following tips will help you put risk and reward in perspective so you can overcome the fear of failure.

1) Take Action Now- The best way to reduce fear, build your confidence is by taking action. As soon as you do, you’ll gain the experience and knowledge to continue onward. Everything is hard the first time. Everyone that is a master of their field was once a rookie. No one ever started as an expert. They worked their way to mastering excellence. Start off with baby steps and you will eventually build up your confidence until the fear of failure is manageable.

2) Consider the risk of missed opportunities- The biggest risk that most people fail to consider is the benefit they lose by avoiding high risk/high reward opportunities. There is a saying, “You always miss the shot you never take”. Without taking risk, you can’t exploit any opportunities. You can live a happy, normal life, but you are unlikely to create something new, and you are most certainly unlikely to make your mark in this world.

3) Understand the benefits of failure- As Ralph Waldo Emerson said so eloquently, “What you constantly see, you stop seeing! You forget the wonders of your spouse, the reliability of your car, the warmth of your home, because you experience them too often. This is just a reminder, to stop, and marvel and the things you wouldn’t want to live without life”. Each failure is an experiment and an opportunity for growth.

4) Conquer something new daily- It has been said that if you are not doing something on a daily basis to overcome your fears you have not learned the secret of life.

I will leave you with this quote from the famous Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist, poet, and philosopher from the mid-19th century: Life is a battlefield; to succeed you must “divide and conquer.” Conquer your fears daily; stretch yourself daily. Do something you don’t want to do, something you’re afraid of doing because you might get rejected or you might fail. Do that thing today, and then conquer another fear tomorrow. If you can create the habit of conquering your fear, you can move from the land of impossibilities to the land of possibilities.

The 5 Most Powerful Habits for Taking Action Now

August 23, 2012 AchieveSuccessAcademy.com Achieve Success Academy No comments

Action is the real measure of intelligence ~Napoleon Hill

Have you ever wondered why some people achieve success faster? Have you ever wondered why some people achieve financial abundance quicker and sometimes easier than others?

People that climb the latter of success and that are sitting on top of their profession share one distinct quality – they take action. This distinct quality supersedes intelligence, talent, and connections in determining the size of their bank account and the speed of your achievement.

Despite how simple this may sound there is an enormous shortage of people who excel at getting results. The reason why people fail at getting results is because they fail to take action. The action habit is the habit of implementing certain disciplines and ideas and putting them into action now. This is the most essential habit for achieving great success and financial abundance.

It was character that got us out of bed, commitment that moved us into action and discipline that enabled us to follow through ~Zig Ziglar

Here are 5 ways you can grow the action habit now:

1) Be a Doer and a Go Getter the same time: Practice walking the walk instead of talking the talk. Take action on things now rather than thinking about them. I had this very problem. I wanted to write a book and become an author so badly. So, one day I sat down, drafted an outline of the book I wanted to write. The outline sat and sat for months. Months and months had passed and no book. Why? Because I failed to take action. The longer an idea sits in your head without being acted on, the weaker it becomes. After a few days or weeks the details gets hazy. After a week it’s forgotten about completely. So, I decided to become a doer and walk the walk. So this is what I did: I blocked out every morning from 5am-9am to work on my book. I did this 5-7 days a week for over a year. My first book, “Nothing But Net” was published several weeks ago and I am proud to say it hit 5 best seller lists on Amazon. Now, I am not only an author, I am a best-selling author. Over the course of that year, I wrote 3 more books. Two of which are in the editing stage and will be published in late November of this year.

2) Taking action cures your fear: I have a saying, “Do the thing you fear and the death of fear is certain.” During my childhood, teenage and college years I was deathly afraid of public speaking. It has been said that public speaking is a greater fear than dying. I knew that if I wanted to become successful I would have to overcome my largest fear. So, what I did was put myself in situations where I had to speak in public. I am very proud to say, I love speaking in public especially when you are making a huge impact on others’ lives and success.

3) Its never the perfect time: There is no such thing as perfect timing. There are always conditions, obstacles and hurdles you will be encountered with. Go through, jump over or go around and create your own conditions because the time will never be right.

4) Success is in doing, not thinking: It has been said that the average human has over 100 ideas that could make them a millionaire. The reason there aren’t more inventors and/or millionaires is because people fail to act on their thoughts or ideas. Everyone always says, “Someone already has that idea” or “I’m sure that was already thought of” or “there must be something wrong with it if no one has bought that already”. Does this all sound too familiar?

5) Be Disciplined: There are days we just can’t get motivated. We all have these days. However, what separates the winners from the losers is the will to win attitude which takes discipline. Discipline is doing what must be done, when it needs to be done whether we feel like doing it or not. This, my fellow achievers, is what separates the successful from the unsuccessful.

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of AchieveSuccessAcademy.com, Entrepreneur, Retired Cop, Survivor of PTSD stemming from a shoot and kill robbery incident, Expert on Leadership, Success, Overcoming Adversity & PTSD, Author of 3 books; Leadership in the Line of Duty: 50 Leadership Lessons for making split-second decisions from a Cop who’s been in Life & Death situations, Leadership in the Line of Duty: Success Thoughts and Quotes for Leaders and Nothing But Net: Top Secrets to increase your bottom line, Health, Wealth & Success.

The 14 Most Impactful Tips to Achieve a Millionaires Belief System

July 17, 2012 AchieveSuccessAcademy.com Achieve Success Academy No comments

It’s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen~Muhammad Ali

A Millionaires Belief System

What is your belief system on achieving what you want in life? Did you know that values and beliefs go hand in hand? Your belief system is the building blocks of all your decisions making, your behavior and actions. Your beliefs will essentially determine the actions you take or refrain from taking when faced with adversity. Your beliefs will shape and mold you as you travel through life’s experiences. Your belief system can and will strengthen you if you allow it too.

It has always been my belief that a man should do his best, regardless of how much he receives for his services, or the number of people he may be serving or the class of people served~Napoleon Hill

Here are what I believe to be The Top 14 Belief Systems you must possess in order to be successful.

1) Believes anything is possible.

2) Believes that anything and everything is negotiable.

3) Believes in leading the pack.

4) Believes in trust.

5) Believes in integrity.

6) Believes in action over hoping.

7) Believes in respect

8) Believes in doing no harm.

9) Believes that business is fun and creative.

10) Believes in mentoring people.

11) Believes in being polite and honest.

12) Believes in leverage.

13) Believes in bending the rules and regulations.

14) Believes in creating your own destiny.

There you have it, the top 14 belief systems. Do you possess these? What would your life be like if you did?

Remember to work on your inner world before you project these beliefs out into the external world.

The Most Powerful 18 Success Secrets You Must Master To Achieve Great Things!

July 10, 2012 AchieveSuccessAcademy.com Achieve Success Academy One comment

If you do exactly what other successful people do, you too will get the same results-John R. Salkowski

Have you ever wondered why some people are more successful than others? Have you ever driven by a mansion and said; “Wow” I wonder what that person does for a living? I have and I’m sure you have too. The study and mastery of self-made people is among one of my top interest. Meeting new people and learning about them fascinates me. However, what really gets my juices flowing is meeting someone that has started from nothing and has built an empire. This is what “self-made” means to me.

Now don’t get me wrong. The word “self-made” has a variety of meanings but for this article we are talking about self-made millionaires, multi-millionaires and even billionaires. Many of you reading this will say, “Money is not everything” and you’re right, but keep reading.

What’s amazing to me is that there are so many variables that must come together to reach that status of “self-made.” Below, I am going to explain what I believe to be the top 18 secrets that must come together to reach the status of “self-made.” But first, let’s not forget what it takes to get to this level. The mastery of these 18 secrets must mesh together with your mission, vision, values and goals.

The Top 18 Success Secrets You Must Master To Achieve Great Things:

1) Stepping outside Your Comfort Zone- You must continually step outside your comfort zone to face different and unique challenges that test your discipline, expertise and resolve.

2) Facing Problems Head-On- When a problem arises you must immediately and aggressively face it head-on to avoid it from getting larger. You must make sure that small problems don’t turn into big problems from the get-go.

3) Open To Change- You must be constantly aware that change will occur. Change is inevitable. Therefore, you must be open to changing your perspective and viewpoints in order to attain your goal and objectives in a more efficient and effective manner.

4) Making Every Second Count- You must be aware that every moment that goes by is an opportunity to do things better, to improve a process or to take the next step towards a bigger objective. Therefore, make every second count by mixing business with pleasure.

5) Be On the Hunt for New Opportunities- You must be on the look-out for new opportunities and ideas that will give you an edge over your competitor.

6) Ask Questions- You must constantly ask solution focused questions that clarify your thinking and help you overcome the challenges that confront you on a daily basis.

7) Challenge Yourself- Whether in business or life you must constantly challenge yourself. You must see everything as an opportunity to strengthen your resolve, expertise in order to grow your empire.

8) Enjoy Life to the Fullest- You must constantly seek out new exciting endeavors, adventures and experiences. In order for life to be lived to the fullest potential you must do this.

9) Have Fun- Turn things into a game. Lighten up and have fun.

10) Meet New People- You must be a passionate networker and people person. You have to find people interesting. It’s about them, not you. Find out what makes them tick. Build relationships that are reciprocal.

11) Try New Things- Step outside your comfort zone. Try something new and exciting.

12) Enjoy Your Work- You must mix work with things that bring you pleasure. By doing this, it will lift your spirits and strengthens your motivation to work for extended hours throughout the day and night.

13) Carry a Journal/Note Pad- Carry a notepad with you in order to capture ideas for new projects, gather feedback from customers and employees, and to write your goals, thoughts and experiences on paper. This will clarify your thoughts and provides you with guidance throughout the day.

14) Surround Yourself with Great People- Surround yourself with business coaches and mentors who act as sounding boards — helping to guide your decisions. Surround yourself with reliable colleagues and co-workers who have similar goals, values and interests. In addition to this, surround yourself with supportive family and friends who believe in your mission and vision.

15) Take Calculated Risk- Take calculated risks in your business and life. You must understand where the boundaries lie and be careful not to over-extend your personal and professional capabilities and capacity to move intelligently through the emotional roller coaster.

16) Take Time to Read and Learn- You must fully understand that lessons are often learned through mistakes and experience. However, lessons can also be experienced within the pages of a book. And it is these book-experiences that will save you an ample amount of time, energy and money.

17) Take Time to Re-Energize Your Body and Dream- You must do what you need to do in order to re-energize your body and mind. Like me, I spend time on the beach daydreaming about my passions. This invigorates my creative mind and strengthens the flow of new ideas.

18) Take Time to Think- Set time aside to plan new projects and create new ideas.

If you implement and master these 18 success secrets, you too can be a “self-made” person.

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of AchieveSuccessAcademy.com, Entrepreneur, Leadership/Overcoming PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) Expert, Author and Speaker on Leadership, Success and Overcoming Adversity. Retired Police Officer, Survivor of PTSD stemming from a shoot and kill robbery incident. Passionate about making a difference in the lives of others and leaving them better than I found them.

A Great Leader Never, Ever Quits and Here is Why?

April 23, 2012 AchieveSuccessAcademy.com Achieve Success Academy One comment

Before success comes in any man’s life, he’s sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That’s exactly what the majority of men do~Napoleon Hill

“Leaders Never Quit”

Leaders never quit. They persist through any challenge they are faced with. Great leaders have the ability to stick with a difficult task or situation and work through it. They cope with the frustration that is brought upon by challenges.

The importance of never quitting and persisting through difficult times is one of the most important qualities a great leader must possess. They take every measure to bring their challenges to fruition. We are all faced with the naysayers who tell us to give up or forget about it and move on. This can be very demotivating. We cannot allow ourselves to be faced with people like this. These are the people that do not belong in our lives. We are better than this. We must persist and never quit.

“If you live long enough, you’ll make mistakes. But if you learn from them, you’ll be a better person. It’s how you handle adversity, not how it affects you. The main thing is never quit, never quit, never quit.” — Bill Clinton

Achieving success through leadership cannot be done overnight. It takes long hours and tons of hard work. There will undoubtedly be hurdles and obstacles that we must overcome. We, as great leaders, must hold the vision of our destination in mind and inspire others by rolling up our sleeves and continue to work on making progress. Someone must lead so why not let it be us.

Never quitting and persisting through difficult times takes a positive attitude, strong belief system and the confidence to continue our fight. Great leaders realize that without these qualities one can never be a great leader.

What separates a Great leader from others is the will to never stop persisting onward and upward. Great leaders do what the others won’t. Continuing to push and fight through the difficult times will take will power. The stronger your resolve, the more you will persist and the greater chances of your success.

“Never, never, never, never give up.” “Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never – in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense” ~Winston Churchill

Below are some of the qualities that a Great leader should never quit or stop persisting at:

Integrity is the integration of outward actions and inner values. A person of integrity is the same on the outside and on the inside. Such an individual can be trusted because he or she never veers from inner values, even when it might be expeditious to do so. A great leader must have the trust of followers and therefore must display integrity.
Honest dealings, predictable reactions, well-controlled emotions, and an absence of tantrums and harsh outbursts are all signs of integrity. A leader who is centered in integrity will be more approachable by followers.

Dedication means spending whatever time or energy is necessary to accomplish the task at hand. A leader inspires dedication by example, doing whatever it takes to complete the next step toward the vision. By setting an excellent example, leaders can show followers that there are only opportunities to achieve something great.
Magnanimity means giving credit where it is due. A magnanimous leader ensures that credit for successes is spread as widely as possible. Conversely, a good leader takes personal responsibility for failures. This sort of reverse magnanimity helps other people feel good about them and draws the team closer together. To spread the fame and take the blame is a hallmark of effective leadership.

Leaders with humility recognize that they are no better or worse than anyone else. A humble leader is not self-effacing but rather tries to elevate everyone. Leaders with humility also understand that their status does not make them a god. Mahatma Gandhi is a role model for Indian leaders, and he pursued a “follower-centric” leadership role.

Openness means being able to listen to new ideas, even if they do not conform to the usual way of thinking. Great leaders are able to suspend judgment while listening to others’ ideas, as well as accept new ways of doing things that someone else thought of. Openness builds mutual respect and trust between leaders and followers, and it also keeps the team well supplied with new ideas that can further its vision.

A great leader never, ever quits, however he or she must remain integral, dedicated, magnanimous, humble and open.

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of AchieveSuccessAcademy.com, Entrepreneur, Author, and Speaker on Leadership, Success and Overcoming Adversity. Retired Police Officer, Survivor of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) stemming from a shoot and kill robbery incident.

How Leaders Get Things Done

April 11, 2012 AchieveSuccessAcademy.com Achieve Success Academy 2 comments

It doesn’t matter which side of the fence you get off on sometimes. What matters most is getting off the fence. You cannot make progress without making decisions. ~Jim Rohn

Of all attributes of leadership, the one thing that leaders do more often than anything else is make decisions. Harry Truman once said, “The buck stops here.” This ultimately applies to every leader. You’re in charge, and after all is said and done, you will be judged by the decisions you make.

Analysis Paralysis

Analysis paralysis is where you can’t take any action due to over thinking about the details or over planning and is one of the best “action” killers we can possibly find. Planning definitely helps when you are starting a new project but it should not be to the extent that it overwhelms us and causes us to fail to make a decision and take action.

Vision and Goals

If art is to nourish the root of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him ~ John F. Kennedy

The best way to improve your decision making ability is to keep focused on the vision and goals that you want to accomplish. We know that things happen and plans change. Stop worrying about making perfect decisions. Stay committed to your vision and goals is the most important aspect of decision making.

Did you know that when pilots fly across the ocean, they reach something called, “the point of no return?” This is the point over the ocean where the combination of the fuel they have on board, the weather conditions, the condition of the aircraft, and other factors that play a role are such that continuing toward a destination is easier than turning back.

This same principle should apply to you when making decisions. Seize the moment. Be decisive in all you do. This is what successful leaders do. They make decisions.

During my tenure as a Police Officer, I was called upon hundreds if not thousands of times to make quick and accurate decisions. It could have been responding to a burglary in progress. Do I respond surreptitiously, potentially causing a traffic accident or do I respond with lights and sirens on risking giving myself away to the perpetrators on scene. The decision I made at the time was to use lights and siren, intermittently so I make it through traffic safely. Upon arriving on scene, do I direct Officers responding to certain locations around the perimeter of the property or do I have them take up positions at nearby intersections with hope of intercepting the perpetrators leaving the scene. The decisions I made could have potentially put Officer Safety in jeopardy. My point is, that making decisive decisions is the most important thing we do as leaders.

Making a decision and having it turn out to be the wrong one, is still better than making no decision at all.

Here are some of the top tips I have used in helping me make quick and accurate decisions:

1) Experience Counts

Experience plays a vital role in decision making. As you grow, so does your experience and knowledge. I believe life experience is the best teacher. There will be a time when you will encounter something similar or know someone that has experienced the same thing.

2) Preparation, Planning and Mentorship

Being prepared and having a plan is also vital to decision making. Ben Franklin once said, “Failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Do your homework, read and study the topic, talk with people that have been in your shoes or have made similar decisions. Seek advice from someone you trust with all your heart. If you have no one in your life that you can go to, seek out a mentor to help and guide you in the right direction. Follow your passion, vision and goals.

3) Go with Your Gut (Inner-Voice)

Use your common sense, intuition and instinct to make quick and accurate decisions. Your gut is 100% right all the time. Take it from someone that has used his gut to make life and death decisions. Your inner-voice will let you know when that something feels right or wrong. When you get that feeling, move in that direction. Do not procrastinate. Be decisive, articulate and seize the moment.

Leader’s Leave People Better Than They Found Them

March 28, 2012 AchieveSuccessAcademy.com Achieve Success Academy 2 comments

“Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart one who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them.” ~Marvin J. Ashton

Be the One Who Inspires Others

It’s a great feeling making someone’s day. Have you ever just wanted to make someone feel good? I believe, for the most part, most people want to make other’s feel good. Making a positive impact in someone’s life inspires me beyond belief. I truly believe with all my heart and soul that I was put on this earth to make a difference in the lives of other’s.

You know the feeling you get in your gut when you love doing something so much that you would do it for free. That’s the feeling I get about leaving someone better than I found them.

So what is Inspiration?

Inspiration is about finding things that inspire us (amazing ideas, people, and nature), having that inspiration breathed into you and then taking action on it. Creating, doing, and inspiring others to ACTION.

If you’re looking for inspiration you can find it almost anywhere. The key to being inspired is to keep your eyes open. See everything around you as a possible source of inspiration. We are so busy thinking about other things that we miss out on inspiration.

You need inspiration on a regular basis as it isn’t just a one-time thing. When you practice the above method – allowing yourself to breathe in that inspiration by staying in the present and keeping your eyes open to everything – you get better at it. It becomes a skill you can use at any time, and you’ll use it often.

Here are some tips to keep you inspired:

Read daily – mix it up, from success stories, to blogs, to books and magazines of all kinds.

Go outdoors – being in nature is one of the biggest inspirations. Like seeing a rainbow after a storm, or the fiery colors of a sunset.

Get to know new people – they’ll always expose you to new ideas or interesting things, if you’re open to it.

Find time to meditate – creating time to sit and be silent can be more inspiring that you know.

Work with and spend time with inspiring people – find creative, positive, and energetic people that kick you into Action!

Break your routine – take a new route home. Go to a new coffee shop or restaurant. See things from a different perspective.

Exercise – or at least get out for a brisk walk. It helps get ideas moving around and the blood to circulate.

Inspiration isn’t a onetime thing. It’s just like bathing; you must do it every day!

Take Action!

Channel all that inspiration you get and turn it into something amazing. Take this new found inspiration to move you forward, use it, and do something to inspire others.

A Traffic Stop to Making a Difference

“The world is not interested in what we do for a living. What they are interested in is what we have to offer freely – hope strength, love and the power to make a difference!” ~Sasha Azevedo

Back in the early 2000′s, I was still patrolling the streets of Lower Merion Township. While on patrol, I was monitoring traffic at one of the busiest intersections on my beat. I was observing the flow of traffic checking vehicles for expired inspection stickers. In Pennsylvania, as in many other states, each year you have to get your vehicle inspected by a certified Inspection Station. To pass inspection, the mechanic would check your brakes; exterior lighting etc. to make sure everything was in safe working order. I noticed a black Chevrolet coupe with expired inspection stickers. The stickers expired the end of September and we were in the first week of October. Not a huge violation, but I wanted to stop the vehicle to make the driver aware.

I stopped the vehicle and approached the driver from the driver’s side door. As I approached the driver, I noticed through the driver’s side mirror that the young lady driver was crying. I reached the driver’s window and identified myself. I immediately told the young lady that she didn’t need to be upset that I was only making her aware that her inspection stickers had expired a few days.

The young lady had her driver’s license and registration card already waiting for me. I began to ask her if she was okay. The young lady told me that she was just laid off from work by her employer after almost 10yrs. She told me that she hadn’t missed a day of work in 10yrs and that she loved her job more than anything. She said that they didn’t give her a reason other than they decided to downsize. The fee ling of sadness along with a sick feeling in my stomach overcame me. I felt so bad for her.

Instead of discussing her minor violation, I began to ask her about her job and what she did for 10yrs. As she explained her job, you could see the joy on her face as she described it. You could just tell she loved her job. Not many people can say that.

I said, “May I ask you a question”. She said, “Of course Officer” in the politest and sweetest voice. I said, “Do you believe things happen for a reason”? She said, “I do”. I said, “You may not understand it at this very moment or even over the next few days but this was meant to be”. She said, “How do you mean Officer”? I said, “This chapter in your life was meant to be”. “The good Lord upstairs has something better in store for you”. “When one door closes, a much better door opens”. You could see her tears coming to an end. Her face began to brighten up and her smile began to shine. The young lady thanked me and told me that “I just made her day”. Before she went on her way, I told her, “To stay positive and to focus on the next door that’s about to open for her”. I felt deep down that something much better was in store for her. She thanked me again and began to drive off. I told her, “To drive safe and remember to stay focused and positive”. I stood there in the road for a few seconds, watching her drive away. I was very sad for her but I truly believe the short talk we had made a difference in her life.

So remember, true leaders leave that special someone or the person you just met, better than you found them.

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of AchieveSuccessAcademy.com, Retired Police Officer, Survivor of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) from a shoot and kill robbery incident, Author, Speaker on Leadership, Success and Overcoming Adversity.

Military Scrambles After Staff Sgt. Robert Bales’ Shooting

March 26, 2012 AchieveSuccessAcademy.com Achieve Success Academy One comment

U.S. Government Officials Scramble

Just nine days after Staff Sgt. Robert Bale’s shooting in Afghanistan, a Top-Level Pentagon Health Official orders a widespread, emergency review of the military’s use of a notorious anti-malaria drug called mefloquine.

Mefloquine, also known as Lariam, has severe psychiatric side effects. Side effects of the drug include psychotic behavior, paranoia and hallucinations. The drug has been implicated in numerous suicides and homicides, including deaths in the U.S. military. For years the military has used the weekly pill to help prevent malaria among deployed troops.

The U.S. Army nearly stopped the use of mefloquine entirely in 2009 because of the dangers, now only using it in limited circumstances, including sometimes in Afghanistan. In 2009 the Army said soldiers who have suffered a traumatic brain injury should not be given the drug.

Staff Sgt. Robert Bales, accused of murdering 17 of men, women and children suffered a traumatic brain injury in Iraq in 2010 during his third combat tour. According to statistics, repeated combat tours severely increases the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Staff Sgt. Bales’ wife, Karilyn Bales, broke her silence in an interview Sunday with NBC. “It is unbelievable to me. I have no idea what happened, but he would not — he loves children. He would not do that,” she said.

On March 20, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs Jonathan Woodson ordered a new & urgent review to make sure that troops were not getting the drug inappropriately. The task order from Woodson, orders an immediate “review of mefloquine prescribing practices” to be completed by the following Monday, six days after the order was issued.

“Some deployed service members may be prescribed mefloquine for malaria prophylaxis without appropriate documentation in their medical records and without proper screening for contraindications,” the order says. It notes that this review must include troops at “deployed locations.”

The sudden violence and apparent cognitive problems related to the crime Bales is accused of mirrors other gruesome cases.

A former Army psychiatrist who was the top advocate for mental health at the Office of the Army Surgeon General recently voiced concern about Bales’ possible mefloquine exposure. “One obvious question to consider is whether he was on mefloquine (Lariam), an anti-malarial medication.” This drug is still used in Afghanistan.

“This medication has been increasingly associated with neuropsychiatric side effects, including depression, psychosis, and suicidal ideation.”

In 2004 in the United Press International stated that use of the drug by six elite Army Special Forces soldiers who took mefloquine then committed suicide. (Suicide is relatively infrequent among Special Forces soldiers).

“You’re ready to take that plunge into hurting someone or hurting and killing yourself, and it comes on unbelievably quickly,” said one Special Forces soldier diagnosed with permanent brain damage from Lariam. “It’s just a sudden thought; it’s the right thing to do. You’ll get a mental picture, and it’s in full color.”

UPI report showed how mefloquine use was a factor in half of the suicides among troops in Iraq in 2003 -– and how suicides dropped by 50 percent after the Army stopped handing out the drug.

In a case that mirrors the Bales’ case, that year the Army dropped charges against Staff Sgt. Georg-Andreas Pogany. Pogany had been the first soldier since Vietnam charged with cowardice. Like Bales, Pogany faced a possible death sentence. The Army dropped the charges after doctors determined that Pogany suffered from Lariam toxicity, which affected his behavior in Iraq.

In 2002, three elite soldiers, who took mefloquine in Afghanistan, returned to murder their wives and then commit suicide. These soldiers were described by friends, family and neighbors after taking the drug as incoherent, strange and angry.

What Does This Mean For Staff Sgt. Robert Bales

Does this mean, Bales’ charges will be dropped like that of Pogany’s? Does Bales’ suffer from a Lariam toxicity? Something affected his behavior that very day. He was pushed to a limit of no return. Was it the Four tours he served or was it the Lariam?

I certainly hope the truth comes out and this soldier gets the help he needs. Giving him the death penalty will not solve the problem. This is not the first case of homicide or suicide among our soldiers. What you read above is evidence that this is a reoccurring problem and this problem needs to be fixed.

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of AchieveSuccessAcademy.com, Retired Police Officer, Survivor of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) stemming from a shoot and kill Robbery incident, Author, Speaker on Leadership, Success and Overcoming Adversity.

What Caused Staff Sgt. Robert Bales to Commit Murder?

March 23, 2012 AchieveSuccessAcademy.com Achieve Success Academy 3 comments

If you watch the news, have read articles I’m sure you’re familiar with Staff Sgt. Robert Bales. Staff Sgt. Bales is being charged with 17 counts of murder, assault and a slew of other charges from what’s being called a massacre of Afghan villagers by U.S. officials.

Staggering Statistics from Studies and the Veterans Affairs

Did you know that 1 in 5 returning Afghan and Iraq war veterans suffer from PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Major Depression according to VA (Veterans Affairs).

Nearly 20 percent of military service members who have returned from Iraq and Afghanistan — 300,000 in all — report symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder or major depression, yet only slightly more than half have sought treatment, according to a new RAND Corporation Study.

In addition too, researchers found about 19 percent of returning service members report that they experienced a possible traumatic brain injury while deployed, with 7 percent reporting both a probable brain injury and current PTSD or major depression.

Many service members said they do not seek treatment for psychological illnesses because they fear it will harm their careers. Being subject to ridicule. Being considered unfit for duty. But even among those who do seek help for PTSD or major depression, only about half receive treatment that researchers consider “minimally adequate” for their illnesses.

In the first analysis of its kind, researchers estimate that PTSD and depression among returning service members will cost the nation as much as $6.2 billion in the two years following deployment — an amount that includes both direct medical care and costs for lost productivity and suicide. Investing in more high-quality treatment could save close to $2 billion within two years by substantially reducing those indirect costs, according to RAND study.

Here’s another staggering statistic. Suicides among returning soldiers are up 26% according to the VA (Veterans Affairs). There are an estimated 30,000 suicides in this country alone and 20% of those suicides are committed by our veterans according to the VA.

We Have an Epidemic on our Hands

We all know that there is a major health crisis facing those men and women who have served our nation in Iraq and Afghanistan. Unless they receive appropriate and effective care for these mental health conditions, there will be long-term consequences for them and for our nation. Unfortunately, there are many barriers preventing them from getting the high-quality treatment they need.

Researchers concluded that a major national effort is needed to expand and improve the capacity of the mental health system to provide effective care to service members and veterans. The effort must include the military, veteran and civilian health care systems, and should focus on training more providers to use high-quality, evidence-based treatment methods and encouraging service members and veterans to seek needed care.

Since October 2001, about 1.6 million U.S. troops have deployed to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, with many exposed to prolonged periods of combat-related stress or traumatic events. Early evidence suggests that the psychological toll of the deployments may be disproportionately high compared with physical injuries.

The epidemic that is running wild among our returning troops is PTSD and Major Depression. More of our troops are suffering mental illnesses than physical injuries. This is not the first time you have heard one of our returning soldiers committing homicide, suicide, turning to drug & alcohol abuse, marital problems, unemployment, homelessness, committing crimes etc.

Is Staff Sgt. Robert Bales a Killer or a Victim of War?

Is Staff Sgt. Robert Bales a murderer? Is he really a cold blooded killer? Is he a true menace to society? Or is he a victim of circumstances? Did he wake up one morning and say, “I’m going on a murder spree? Who knows? Please understand something, I’m not condoning what Robert Bales did by no means, however you have to stop and think about something. There is definitely something going on with this soldier. You have just read the staggering statistics above. This is a man that has done numerous tours in Afghanistan & Iraq. To be exact, Staff Sgt. Bales served (1) tour in Afghanistan and (3) tours in Iraq. This is a man that has seen more violence, been in involved in more violence than anyone you can imagine. Yes, there are thousands of others that have been exposed to what Robert Bales has been exposed too as well. However, everyone is different, therefore what they experience and how they handle that experience is different as well.

This is a man that is a victim of our war. A victim in the sense that he suffers a major case of PTSD and/or a traumatic brain injury. He was experiencing stress beyond explanation. This is a man that was pushed to his breaking point. Yes, he turned to committing murder on innocent Afghans. People that didn’t deserve to die. But what if Bales would have taken his own life? Would he be considered a hero or another victim of circumstances? This is a man that should not have done (4) tours of war.

As a retired Police Officer and suffer of PTSD myself for shooting and killing a man in the course of a robbery & defending my own life, I can only imagine what Staff Sgt. Bales and the rest of the troops have experienced. I was second guessed, Monday morning quarterbacked, my past picked apart just as Bales’ past is being picked apart. This is unfair. Bales served his country in war not just once but four times. Enough is enough. There should be limits and guidelines on how many tours our troops serve. Where are our Commanders, our Leaders? There in the background not doing what the front-line is doing. Their not in the trenches like they are. Do they really care about them? One can only wonder what their mindset is. Understandably, the job needs to get done but it shouldn’t be at the expense of our fellow men and women. It not only affects them, it affects hundreds of thousands of others. Their families, friends, co-workers.

Staff Sgt. Robert Bales is not a killer. He is a victim of war.

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of AchieveSuccessAcademy.com, Retired Police Officer, Survivor of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), and Author, Speaker on Leadership, Success and Overcoming Adversity.

I can be reached via email at John@JohnSalkowski.com

The Top Skills You Must Possess for Leadership Success

March 21, 2012 AchieveSuccessAcademy.com Achieve Success Academy One comment

“It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations.” – Winston Churchill

Successful leaders understand that one of most critical keys to success is possessing a positive self-image and outlook on life in general.

Feeding you mind daily with positive materials such as success quotes, leadership development training and self-development books and audio-tapes/cd’s will enable you to stay determined and focused.

Quotes have an amazing way of hitting the right nerve at the right time. They are short and pithy, making it easier for us to make our decisions of our day with more clarity and purpose.

“Affirmation without self-discipline is the beginning of delusion” ~ Jim Rohn

1) Self-Discipline~ In order to succeed in any facet of life you must possess and master the skill of self-discipline. Discipline is doing what you must do whether you feel like it or not.

“One cannot manage too may affairs: like pumpkins in the water, one pops up while you try to hold down the other”~ Chinese Proverb

2) Time-Management~ There is no such thing as multi-tasking. You simply cannot do two things at once and do them effectively. Have you ever tried to chase two rabbits at the same time? It doesn’t work. Create a list. Work on the most important task first and work your way down in order. All else should be delegated.

“Indecision Breeds Mediocrity” ~ John R. Salkowski

3) Decision-Making~ Nothing else like indecision breeds mediocrity. In order to be a successful leader you must be decisive in your decision making. You heard the saying analyses paralyses, right? Don’t over analyze. The key to a successful decision is to make sure your thought is well reasoned and thought out properly.

“Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go” ~ William Feather

4) Accountability~ Accountability plays a very important role in your leadership success. If you want to be respected and admired, you must take full accountability of not only your successes but your failures as well. This is a form of confidence and self-belief which is a major ingredient to your success.

“He can who thinks he can, he can’t who thinks he can’t” ~ Orison Swett Marden

5) A Positive Attitude is Everything~ Being positive in all you do is essential for your success. A positive attitude is entirely self-determined and can be helped by accentuating the positive in everything you do. Don’t see the problem, see the solution.

“You need a system to succeed. Talent is never enough.” ~ William Shakespeare

6) Self-Presentation~ If you truly want to be successful you must learn how to present to others. Not the way YOU want to present but the way THEY want to be presented too. The radio station you must tune into when presenting to others is “WIFM”. WIFM means “What’s In It For Me” meaning what’s in it for your prospect. If you learn how to present to others, you’re success is virtually guaranteed.

Leadership success will be yours to take if you follow and master these top skills.

Top 10 Must Have Characteristics of a Great Leader

February 21, 2012 AchieveSuccessAcademy.com Achieve Success Academy One comment

A good objective of leadership is to help those who are doing poorly to do well and to help those who are doing well to do even better~Jim Rohn

Do you have what it takes to be a great leader? I bet you do. I believe everyone can attain the great qualities and characteristics needed to be an effective leader. The objective behind being a great leader is this: Helping people and/or organizations who are doing poorly to do well. Helping people and/or organization who are doing well but want to get better. The whole idea of great leadership is to get results. To bring them to a whole different level of success.

The task of leadership is not to put greatness into people, but to elicit it, for the greatness is there already~ John Buchan

Being a great leader means bringing out the best in people. Everyone wants to be the best they can be. It’s our job as leaders to do that. We need to find and focus on the strengths of people not their weaknesses.

In my previous career of Law Enforcement, I was surrounded by good and bad leaders. The good leaders focused on making people better while the bad leaders would focus on making people worse. It was astounding to me that the bad leaders would come to work everyday and do nothing but negative leadership. What do I mean by negative leadership? They would focus on the mistakes of people. Instead of making them learn from their mistakes they would punish them and never give good advice and/or training to make that person better. They would lie in wait like a lion hiding from a zebra getting ready to attack. This would happen day in and day out. Just waiting for their people to make mistakes. Being totalling reactive instead of proactive. They would focus on the negatives and not the positives in people. This type of leadership is a sinking ship. This will make any organizations morale go into a tail spin. And if you were ever part of an organization withe horrible morale, you know exactly what I mean. If you want a successful organization, no matter what industry, you need to have great leaders that focus on the strengths and not the weaknesses. To learn, grow and achieve results a great leader must focus on making their people successful by focusing on their strenghths.

Leadership: the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it~Dwight D. Eisenhower

Here are the TOP 10 Must Have Characteristics of a Great Leader:

1) Be a Role Model- You must lead by example. You should never ask someone to do something that you wouldn’t do yourself. You must be seen by your people, and the public as being an expert in your field and an expert in leadership.

2) Have a Mission-Leaders know what their mission is. They know why the organization exists. A great leader has a well thought out (often written) mission describing the purpose of the organization. That purpose need to be descriptive, clear and understandable. Every employee should be able to identify with the mission and strive to achieve it.

3) Have Vision-Where do you want your organization to go? A vision needs to be descriptive enough to encourage people to imagine it but concrete enough for followers to see it, understand it and be willing to climb onboard to fulfill it.

4) Be Goal Oriented-How is the organization going to achieve its mission and vision and how will you measure your progress? Like a vision, goals need to be operational that are specific and measurable. If your output and results can’t be readily measured, then it will be difficult to know if you have achieved your purpose.

5) Have Integrity- Do the right thing all the time. Not sometimes but all the time.

6) Be Passionate in all you do-You must love what you do. You must want success for the organization and the people more than you want the air you breathe.

7) Be Compassionate-Successful leaders are comfortable relating to other people; they easily create rapport and are more extroverted than they are introverted. These factors help leaders seem approachable, likeable, and comfortable in their position. Those qualities contribute to staff wanting to interact with their leader. They also help motivate employees to do a better job. When workers can relate to their boss, they believe that their boss is more concerned about them, with their performance, and with their output. Furthermore, they believe that they can go to their boss with problems they encounter on the job without fearing consequences for not knowing how to resolve issues.

8) Great Communicator-It does little good to have a strong mission, vision, and goals if the leader cannot easily and effectively convey his ideas inside and outside of the organization. He must regularly be in touch with key individuals, by all forms of communication. Of course, the best way to ensure other people receive and understand the message is with face-to-face interactions.

9) Be Inspiring-Employees need someone to look up to for direction, guidance, and motivation. A great leader needs to be that person. Nevertheless, there are times, when many employees need the boss to inspire them by word or action.

10) Be Ambitious-Nothing builds a picture of success more than achievement, and achievement is the number one factor that motivates just about everyone across all cultures. When employees see that their leader can lead and direct, has a clear vision and attainable goals, and actually gains results in a timely manner, then that person’s credibility increases throughout the organization. Great leaders must modestly demonstrate their skills to give their constituents valid reasons to appreciate and value their efforts.

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of Achieve Success Academy, Leadership Expert, Author, Speaker, Entrepreneur, Retired Police Officer and PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) Survivor.

I can be reached via email at John@JohnSalkowski.com

Achieving Success: The Top 10 Communication Skills You Must Master For Success

January 27, 2012 AchieveSuccessAcademy.com Achieve Success Academy One comment

Take advantage of every opportunity to practice your communication skills so that when important occasions arise, you will have the gift, the style, the sharpness, the clarity, and the emotions to affect other people~Jim Rohn

The Importance of Effective Communication

Communication is the most important part of our lives whether it be in business or personal. How you communicate with others will determine your success or failure. Think about this, we couldn’t accomplish very much without communicating with others.

Below, I will give you what I believe are the TOP 10 ways to Effective Communication. If you master these skills your success in all areas of your life will be virtually guaranteed. But first and most importantly, you must be adaptable to the 4 different personalities. I know we all cringe when we hear the word “Sales”. Think about this for a minute, we are all in sales in some form or fashion. Wouldn’t you agree? We are always trying to make someone do what we want them to do, right? Whether it’s asking your children to clean their rooms or asking the local coffee shop to make your coffee in a special way. They way we go about communicating what we want or don’t want will determine our success.

Personalities

We all have different personalities. Once I learned out to present to the 4 different personalities my success went through the roof and so will yours. Here they are:

1) Amiable=helpful, calm, discreet, team player, too sensitive,

2) Promoter=fun loving, charming, love people, scattered, always overbooked, speak before they think

3) Analytical=meticulous, accurate, dependable, dry humor, too critical, picky, over analyzes

4) Controller=high achiever, too bossy, natural leader, rude, blunt

When presenting to these different personalities, adapt to them. They will not adapt to you.

Top 10 Communication Skills You MUST Master

1) Be Friendly-People who communicate with a friendly tone and warm smile almost always have the edge. The reason is simple: we are subconsciously drawn to people who are friendly because they make us feel good and bring more enjoyment to our lives.

2) Think before you speak- A fanmous English Proverb is “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” I find that many people say whatever goes through their minds without putting any thought into what they are saying. As a result they say things that end up reflecting poorly on themselves.

3) Be Clear- Most of us don’t have the time nor do we want to spend our emotional energy to figure out what someone else is trying to say. People who are indirect in their verbal communication and who tend to hint at things without saying what’s really on their mind are seldom respected. When there is something you want to say, ask yourself, “What is the clearest way I can communicate this point?”

4) Be Authentic- People are turned off by those people who feel the need to put on a show to make their point. Instead, people are attracted to someone who speaks from the heart and is genuine, transparent, and real.

5) Practice Humility-Humility is having a modest view of one’s own importance. It is one of the most attractive personality traits one can possess and is one of the most significant predictors of someone who is respected. People who speak with humility and genuine respect for others are almost always held in high regard.

6) Don’t talk too much-The more one talks the less impressive they are. Very few people like to be around someone who talks too much and dominates the conversation. We have too ears for a reason.

7) Speak with confidence-You don’t have to sacrifice self-confidence to practice humility. Confidence is a self-assurance arising from an appreciation of one’s true abilities, whereas humility is having a modest opinion of one’s own importance. Speaking with confidence includes the words you choose, the tone of your voice, your eye contact, and body language.

8) Pay attention to your body language-When you are engaged in face-to-face verbal communication, your body language can play as significant of a role in the message you communicate as the words you speak. Your body language communicates respect and interest. It puts real meaning behind your words.

9) Be concise and too the point-Very few things are more irritating to me than when someone can’t get to the point of what he or she is trying to say. Plan ahead. Constantly ask yourself, “How can I say what needs to be said using the fewest number of words possible while still being courteous and respectful?”

10) Be present-Being an attentive listener is more important in verbal communication than any words that can come out of your mouth. You must show a sincere interest in what is being said, ask good questions, listen for the message within the message, and avoid interrupting.

These skills are learnable. If you practice and master these skills your success in all areas of your life is virtually guaranteed.

I’m John R. Salkowski, Founder of Achieve Success Academy, Retired Cop, Survivor of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) Leading Authority on Overcoming Adversity & Fear, Achieving Greater Success & Finding Your WHY Power. Entrepreneur, Speaker and Self-Made Man.

I can be reached via email at John@JohnSalkowski.com for questions or comments. To hire John for your next speaking engagement, please send email to this address.

John Salkowski ~ Leadership in the Line of Duty™

"Split-Second Leadership Decision Breakthroughs Revealed that All Top-Performers & Self-Made Millionaires Need To Know"™

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