How many of you still thinks that employees are expenses
instead of assets? We have heard of this. So, one… thousands?

Why?

Well, perhaps these people would say “just look at the books,
where do employees fall on?” Uhmm… trying to use logic huh,
however blind? This is like, which came first, chicken or egg?
There are those who would say egg, for they would argue that
before becoming a chicken, it would still be an egg.

Alright then. We’d just run circles if we fall for that. It’s just like
believing that employees are expenses instead of assets.

You want logic, here’s logic.

Did God create Cain or Abel before He did Adam and Eve?
Did God fashion an egg before showing us the chicken?
You might say “but that’s not business”. Right.

Leaders, readers… everything is simply common sense.
Don’t complicate things to make it sound prestigious. It would
only show how shallow you are if that’s the case. Everything
can be learned. And if only you look deeper, you would realize
how valuable your employees are. And it’s not because others
say so, but because you really understand how business works.

“A personnel man with his arm around an employee is like
a treasurer with his hand in the till.” – Robert Townsend

Without employees, you would not have the people to help you
produce… from visualizing to creating to innovating to marketing
to selling to collecting and all.

Oh, what if you are a “one-man army”? Guess what? We are
talking about the value of the employee not about yours. For if
you insist on that argument then sadly, you are narcissistic and
do not deserve to have employees.

“It is difficult to love mankind unless one has a reasonable
private income and when one has a reasonable income,
one has better things to do than loving mankind.”
~ Hugh Kingsmill

Without empathy, you can never be that Leader. Yes, you could
pay your people to do this and that; but have you ever wondered
of what your performance appraisal would be if they be the ones
to do it on you instead? Good?? Technically possible, however,
satisfaction, respect and loyalty is yours if you not only know
your job but understand and value your people.

Do you? Then walk the talk.

Remember…

“People are people… not personnel.” – Tom Peters

101 Leadership

Treat people as if they were what they ought to be and you will help
them become what they are capable of becoming.

— Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

Beautiful, inspirational Video

“As you believe, so you behave. As you behave, so you become. As you become, so becomes your world.” Neeta Bali

When the best leaders make a mistake, they say “I did it”. When their team wins they voice “THEY did it.” R.Sharma

I heard this story on NPR today about Tal Ben-Shahar who teaches a class in positive psychology at Harvard. Twice a week, 900 students attend his class he calls “how to get happy.” You can listen to the story at the link below. Here is his “Six tips for happiness”:

1. Give yourself permission to be human.When we accept emotions — such as fear, sadness, or anxiety — as natural, we are more likely to overcome them. Rejecting our emotions, positive or negative, leads to frustration and unhappiness. 

2. Happiness lies at the intersection between pleasure and meaning.Whether at work or at home, the goal is to engage in activities that are both personally significant and enjoyable. When this is not feasible, make sure you have happiness boosters, moments throughout the week that provide you with both pleasure and meaning. 

3.Keep in mind that happiness is mostly dependent on our state of mind, not on our status or the state of our bank account.Barring extreme circumstances, our level of well being is determined by what we choose to focus on (the full or the empty part of the glass) and by our interpretation of external events. For example, do we view failure as catastrophic, or do we see it as a learning opportunity? 

4. Simplify!We are, generally, too busy, trying to squeeze in more and more activities into less and less time. Quantity influences quality, and we compromise on our happiness by trying to do too much. 

5. Remember the mind-body connection.What we do — or don’t do — with our bodies influences our mind. Regular exercise, adequate sleep, and healthy eating habits lead to both physical and mental health. 

6. Express gratitude, whenever possible.We too often take our lives for granted. Learn to appreciate and savor the wonderful things in life, from people to food, from nature to a smile.

I encourage you listen to the audio of the NPR broadcast here. (Tovia Smith)

Our modern lifestyle is too often prey to shadow thoughts for no other reason that it’s too noisy. In slowing down, we’re more likely to cultivate quiet. What can you do to slow down?