Category Archives: Leadership

3 Ways to Overcome Fear of Failure in Leadership

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success by

3 Ways to Overcome Fear of Failure in Leadership

           Some Leaders fall short of achieving desired results because they allow the fear of failure to stagnate progress. Fear is crippling because it initiates a cycle that leads to inactivity and insufficiency of the skills needed to obtain what you desire. This then leads to more fear and the cycle repeating itself.

Fear Cycle

The way to break the cycle and gain strength is to jump out of this vicious fear cycle early on. Eleanor Roosevelt says “You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you stop to look fear in the face.”

Here are 3 things you can do to “gain strength, courage and confidence” and move forward with pursuing your goals:

1.) Name Your Fear – When you admit your fear, you deflate its power! When you name your fear, you remove the confusion over what is causing your fear in the first place.

2.) Figure out WHY you have developed this fear. Did something go wrong? Did someone say something to you that was discouraging? Do you think you’re not talented or gifted enough to accomplish your goals? Getting to your “WHY” will lead you to “HOW” you can break out of the cycle.

3.) Replace the images of fear with images of Power! Fear can have such a powerful grip on your mind that it will cause you to be absolutely consumed with it. Realize that you have the power to control your thoughts. Memorize a mantra or inspirational quote and every time the feelings of fear creep into your mind, repeat this over and over until it becomes the controlling thought. Napoleon Hill, in his best seller “Think and Grow Rich”, states it best when he says, “Each of us is what we are because of the dominating thoughts we permit to occupy our minds” That’s POWERFUL and very much true! When you leverage the power of shutting down negative thoughts with positive affirmation, you create a door of opportunity to break out of that dreaded Cycle of Fear!

Dominating Thoughts

What Fear do you have today that is inhibiting you from the Leadership success you desire?

– Dr. April

Dr. Carmen April's Speaker Series

Dr. Carmen April’s Speaker Series

        

        This post is part of a series on Leadership presented by Dr. Carmen April. She is a young entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is currently a 2014 New Leaders Council Fellow – Nashville Chapter.  Dr. April is available for speaking engagements Entrepreneurship for college students and young professionals.

Leaders Cultivate Climate

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success by

Leaders Cultivate Climate

            Sir Richard Branson has built a successful empire with his Virgin Brand and I love reading his advice on business and success. This Leadership quote of his stood out to me recently because it is a philosophy I use in my business:

VirginLogo“Train people well enough so they can leave, treat them well enough so they don’t want to” – Richard Branson

              I work hard to train my team to do everything I don’t do, ie – everything in my office that does not directly involve diagnosing and treating patients. I personally train them through a series of over 100 training videos I created as well as with hands-on instruction. I know that at any time my employees can leave and get a job with any other doctor’s office and excel due to the hands-on learning and training they’ve received from me. This training not only makes my office run efficiently, but it makes me feel empowered to know that I am directly involved with the professional development of others.

              What’s awesome is that I’ve had pretty much the same team since I started my business almost 3.5 years ago! My team knows that I value their hard work and dedication to making my practice successful. I practice positive reinforcement on a daily basis and always end the day by saying “Thank You”. Those two little words are super encouraging to those working with you and for you. We all have a desire to feel useful and appreciated in our work and careers. When your team members feel valued, they will stick around. The mark of a great leader is cultivating a climate in which team members are excited about staying with you as part of your team!

What does your current business/job climate say about your Leadership Skills?

Train people well

— Dr. April

Dr. Carmen April's Speaker Series

Dr. Carmen April’s Speaker Series

             This post is part of a series on Leadership presented by Dr. Carmen April. She is a young entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is currently a 2014 New Leaders Council Fellow – Nashville Chapter.  Dr. April is available for speaking engagements on Entrepreneurship for college students and young professionals.

Power Under Control in Leadership

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success by

Power Under Control in Leadership

               Defining your Leadership style early in your career or community involvement can sometimes be tricky. You have to balance being a leader whom people respect by being likeable, with the confidence in your capability to lead your team toward the intended goal. It’s a delicate balance that those who are new to leadership positions have to establish early on. There is the fear by some that if they are too “meek”, their teams won’t take them seriously or trust their leadership decisions. You should remember, however, that “meekness is not weakness. It’s power under control.”

              Leadership should not be an ‘in your face’, aggressive method of influencing others. Garnering trust from your team and leading by example is a perfect way to exercise leadership power under control. Sometimes, simply verbalizing your own version of this quote below is necessary to remind people of your capabilities.

               Has your “power under control” in Leadership ever been confused with you being less capable? If so, in what ways can you use your leadership skills to convey your strengths to your team?

– Dr. April

life coach, nashville life coach

Dr. Carmen April's Speaker Series

Dr. Carmen April’s Speaker Series

          This post is part of a series on Leadership presented by Dr. Carmen April. She is a young entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is currently a 2014 New Leaders Council Fellow – Nashville Chapter.  Dr. April is available for speaking engagements Entrepreneurship for college students and young professionals.

Be Brave in Leadership: 5 Tips for Initiating Crucial Conversations

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success by

Be Brave in Leadership: 5 Tips for Initiating Crucial

Conversations

              There are often times when leaders are tasked with having Crucial Conversations with members of their team. Crucial Conversations are those conversations that can be uncomfortable because they involve risky, emotional and critical topics. One definition of Crucial Conversations states it this way, “A crucial conversation is a discussion between two or more people where (1.) Stakes are high (2.) Opinions Vary, and (3.) Emotions run strong. The outcome greatly impacts the lives of those involved.”

                Crucial Conversations should not be avoided and should be addressed with planning and clear intention. Mastering the art of initiating a Crucial Conversation is a key Leadership Skill. Here are 5 tips to help initiate a Critical Conversation:

1.) Create a safe environment –  Crucial Conversations are best when not had in public. I learned a long time ago to “Praise in public and reprimand in private”. Most people, when feeling like they are being criticized, become defensive. This can intensify if done in front of others. Instead of focusing on the subject at hand, the person on the receiving end of the information may begin to focus more on defending themselves and their dignity than on being fully engaged in the conversation.

2.) Be prepared for a number of responses from the other person(s) in the conversation – When planning to have these types of conversations, we often play them out in our heads the way we expect the other person(s) to respond. Well, what happens when that other person gives an alternative response? How will you redirect the conversation? Remember that the person you are having the conversation with may be either (1.) fully receptive, (2.) genuinely confused and caught off guard about why they are being approached in regards to the situation, or (3.) may become defensive. Be prepared for your response to various scenarios.

3.)  Approach your Crucial Conversations using the Sandwich Method – Imagine you have a fabulous cheeseburger with all the fixings in front of you. The major components of the sandwich are the bun, top and bottom, and the beef patty. Crucial Conversations are best structured with offering some sort of positive reinforcement about what the team member has done well (top bun), followed by the sensitive issue that needs to be discussed (beef patty), then followed up again by positive reinforcement (bottom bun). Essentially, you are ‘sandwiching’ the hard part of the discussion in between some positivity.

4) Remember that mutual respect is important for the accurate transference of information – Most adults don’t like to feel “talked down to” by anyone, including their boss/team member, etc. As the Leader, you must remember that the “fight or flight instinct”  kicks in when people feel threatened. These Crucial Conversations can easily go left if a mutual respect is not had by both parties. I did not say both parties had to “like” each other, but mutual respect is important here.

5.) Stay in control of the conversation – Stay on task with the conversation at hand. Keep emotions in check. Deal in the facts and not conjecture and remember the initial goal of the conversation.

How will you handle your next Crucial Conversation at work/community organization, etc?

– Dr. April

Life coach, nashville life coach

Dr. Carmen April's Speaker Series

Dr. Carmen April’s Speaker Series

This post is part of a series on Leadership presented by Dr. Carmen April. She is a young entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is currently a 2014 New Leaders Council Fellow – Nashville Chapter.  Dr. April is available for speaking engagements on Entrepreneurship for college students and young professionals.

Leadership Power

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success by

Leadership Power

life coach, nashville life coach

               Leadership is an action. Leadership is something you give, not take. Leadership is designed to empower others, not take power away. Power can be abused by those in leadership positions and we’ve seen it abused by politicians, celebrities, managers, educators, coaches, parents, etc. Anyone in a position of influence over others has the choice to use their leadership position for good or abuse it for bad.

             History is full of people who where leaders in the sense that they influenced others to follow them, but who abused the leadership position they had. Adolf Hitler and Fidel Castro were both able to round up a slew of followers and influence them to follow their lead. However, I don’t know many who would agree that they were admirable leaders due of the pain and suffering they caused large populations of people.

             Abuse of power is an easy trap to fall into and leaders on any level should do self-evaluations regularly to ensure that their leadership style is working to empower and not devalue the efforts and work of their teams.

What are you doing to ensure that your leadership style is empowering, not harming, your team??

— Dr. April

Dr. Carmen April's Speaker Series

Dr. Carmen April’s Speaker Series

 

This post is part of a series on Leadership presented by Dr. Carmen April. She is a young entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is currently a 2014 New Leaders Council Fellow – Nashville Chapter.  Dr. April is available for speaking engagements on Entrepreneurship for college students and young professionals.

True Leaders Admit Mistakes

Posted in Failure, Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success by

True Leaders Admit Mistakes

life coach, nashville life coach

               Mistakes are inevitable and are proof that you are working and trying. Show me a person who has not made mistakes and failed and I will show you a person who has not tried anything new! Mistakes are useful for growth if we learn from them and heed the lessons they teach us. However, before you can decipher the message from the mess you must first admit the mistake.

               Admitting mistakes is tough because it makes you vulnerable. Admitting mistakes also strengthens your leadership skills because it actually makes you more trustworthy and relatable.

                A couple of years ago I actually showed up for a business meeting an entire day late because I made the mistake of putting it on my calendar incorrectly! Talk about EMBARRASSING!!! Instead of making up some kind of lame excuse as to why I missed the meeting and showed up late, I admitted my mistake to the person I was meeting with. That colleague actually agreed to meet with me the day I was “late”, we had a good laugh about it and even had the meeting over a nice business lunch! This taught me an important lesson – be honest about mistakes you make. The outcome from admitting them may actually be better than the initial intended result!

What is a recent mistake you could have handled differently?? How do you plan to rectify the situation?

— Dr. April

Dr. Carmen April's Speaker Series

Dr. Carmen April’s Speaker Series

               This post is part of a series on Leadership presented by Dr. Carmen April. She is a young entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is currently a 2014 New Leaders Council Fellow – Nashville Chapter.  Dr. April is available for speaking engagements Entrepreneurship for college students and young professionals.

You don’t have to hold a position to be a leader

Posted in Leadership by

You don’t have to hold a position to be a leader

life coach, nashville life coach

          You don’t have to hold a position to be a leader. Many times, the work you do when you don’t have a leadership title or position is as genuine as it gets! When you are going above and beyond the call of duty in your work and it’s not because you “have” to, your due diligence probably won’t go unnoticed for long.

          I sit on the Board of Directors for a couple of non-profit organizations in Nashville and was approached for each of these positions because others admired the work I was doing in my career and community. Without a specific leadership title such as “Board of Director’s Member”, I was doing the work that those currently on these boards sought out. I was showing my leadership abilities without the official title and so can you. Find a career-related or community organization you have a passion for and work with them/volunteer because you have a genuine interest. Volunteer to participate on committees and for special events. Not only will you learn more about activities that interest you, you will probably start to discover your own “leadership style”!

— Dr. April

Dr. Carmen April's Speaker Series

Dr. Carmen April’s Speaker Series

          This post is part of a series on Leadership presented by Dr. Carmen April. She is a young entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is currently a 2014 New Leaders Council Fellow – Nashville Chapter.  Dr. April is available for speaking engagements on Entrepreneurship for college students and young professionals.

True Leaders Empower Others

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success by

True Leaders Empower Others

life coach, nashville coach

          I recently read a story on Inc. about Pal’s Sudden Service, a hotdog and burger drive-thru chain based in Kingsport, TN. There are 26 restaurants led by CEO Thomas Crosby. Every day, Mr. Crosby and every other company executive spends 10% of their time training employees on developing a new skill or aptitude. Pal’s Sudden Service was recognized with the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, placing it in the ranks of Ritz-Carlton, Cadillac, and Federal Express.

          During every shift, a computer produces a list of 3-4 employees who need to be re-certified on a specific skill. Employees who have scored 100% on 4 skills tests can keep their certifications and are eligible to become coaches within the restaurants helping their colleagues stay on standard. Crosby says, “We are looking to get people to this mastery level.” They value empowering others to master the essential skills critical for daily operation.

          This is a great example of true leaders empowering others! No only are the store managers participating in critical employee training, but the CEO of all 26 restaurants is as well! Leaders become great, not because of their power, but because of their ability to empower others.

– Dr. April

Dr. Carmen April's Speaker Series

Dr. Carmen April’s Speaker Series

This post is part of a series on Leadership presented by Dr. Carmen April. She is a young entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is currently a 2014 New Leaders Council Fellow – Nashville Chapter.  Dr. April is available for speaking engagements on Entrepreneurship for college students and young professionals.

Why I Hate Meetings After The Meeting

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success by

Why I Hate Meetings After The Meeting!

life coach, nashville life coach

            I’m going to be very transparent here and talk about my disappointment in how I handled a particular situation not too long ago. I HATE “meetings AFTER the meeting.” We are all familiar with these. A group, usually of disgruntled members, veer off on their own to talk about everything they hated about the meeting AFTER it happened. Instead of speaking up when they should have, showing more professionalism, or asking the right questions, they wait to talk about it when nothing they discuss can truly make a difference. I hate these type of “meetings” because nothing ever gets accomplished and it becomes a complaint-fest complete with insults, accusations and gossip.

                Not too long ago, I found myself in one of these. I should have stuck to my guns and never have taken the bait in the first place. However, I did and I’m disappointed in myself and the lack of leadership it showed. I’m honestly ashamed to admit how much time I actually spent involved in this “meeting after the meeting”. Just know that it was over an hour. That’s an hour+ that could have been spent doing something more productive. Once this “meeting” was over, I thought, “Why did I just waste my time with that?” “Was anything productive accomplished?”

               At any given moment, I could have suggested we end the conversation all together or at the very least, I could have removed myself from it. I did not present an attitude of Leadership. An attitude and act of positive LEADERSHIP would have been to say, “Hey everyone, I don’t do “meetings after the meeting” because nothing really gets accomplished. How about you bring up your concerns the next time we meet and let’s work it out from there?”

                  I could have better influenced the attitude of the conversation by being brave enough to suggest alternatives and walk away. Lesson learned – Attitude reflects Leadership!

What does your Leadership attitude say about you??

— Dr. April

Dr. Carmen April's Speaker Series

Dr. Carmen April’s Speaker Series

This post is part of a series on Leadership presented by Dr. Carmen April. She is a young entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is currently a 2014 New Leaders Council Fellow – Nashville Chapter.  Dr. April is available for speaking engagements on Entrepreneurship for college students and young professionals.

What a Morning Walk in the Park Taught Me About Leadership in Action

Posted in Inspiration, Leadership, Motivation, Success by

What a Morning Walk in the Park Taught Me About

Leadership in Action

life coach, nashville life coach

           I recently ventured out to the park a little earlier than usual to jog. By the time I typically make it out to the park, there are already plenty of other walkers and joggers out there. This day, as the first jogger on site that morning, I got to decide which direction I wanted to start walking – clockwise or counter-clockwise around the trail.

               Most of the time I fall in line with the direction everyone else is going because I am essentially following the direction that was set by the first couple of walkers that day. This made me think about how LEADERSHIP requires us to show up ahead of the game and set the tone for our teams on a daily basis! Everyone who came to the park that day followed the direction I set earlier that morning. Leaders take action that sets the tone for how the team will function and the results they produce.

What direction will your LEADERSHIP  in action take you??

— Dr. April

Dr. Carmen April's Speaker Series

Dr. Carmen April’s Speaker Series

This post is part of a series on Leadership presented by Dr. Carmen April. She is a young entrepreneur and community leader recognized as a 2013 Nashville Business Journal Top 40 Under Forty Award Recipient and is currently a 2014 New Leaders Council Fellow – Nashville Chapter.  Dr. April is available for speaking engagements on Entrepreneurship for college students and young professionals.