This wise information comes from Barbara Atkins, author of “70 is the new 40″. (I for one am happy to know that I will have a chance to be 40 again.) Baby boomers are a significant part of the US population and coaches like us are finding fulfillment working with this generation:

This increasing median age is driven by the aging of the population born during the Baby Boom after World War II (1946 to 1964). About 30 percent of the population in 1994 were born during the Baby Boom. As this population ages, the median age will rise. People born during the Baby Boom will be between 36 and 54 years old at the turn of the century. In 2011, the first members of the Baby Boom (reached) age 65, and the Baby Boom will have decreased to 25 percent of the total population. Source; Census Bureau

Three Dog Night

Not all of them are rock and rollers having reunions. Many are finding new career paths and starting their own businesses. If this sounds like something for you, Barbara is having an event in AZ. It’s called appropriately enough: What’s Next For You? Discover what matters and do what you love! It will be on Wednesday, June 27 at 1:30 pm – for individuals that are already retired and at 6:30 pm – for individuals approaching retirement. It will be held at the City of Scottsdale Civic Center Library. 3839 N. Drinkwater Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ,  For info call 480.312.READ (7323). Before you attend Barbara’s event, visit the beautiful grounds and fountains of the Scottsdale City Hall. Visit the art galleries and other attractions. Walk slowly, enjoy the view.

Some of the largest companies in the world have found themselves in hot water because the nature of their business has changed and their predominant Leadership Style has restricted them from altering their direction.  How the people in leadership, consciously and unknowingly shape the organizational culture,  form and engage multi-generational teams, create agreements, and react now is radically different from how it used to be. Companies like, Paper Jam, Amazon.com, Google, Apple, Premier Payment Sytems, and Woot were giving hints about the changes that were coming. In the past, it was known that large companies had difficulty in changing strategies in mid stream, but at Internet speed changing course has become nearly impossible albeing vitally important for them. Leadership Styles are evolving to fit the changes.

Leadership development programs created as recently as five years ago need to be reaccessed and radically changed. The cost of entry into business has come down and there is plenty of talent available for hire, be it as consultants or staff.

Positively Powerful is creating a new set of Leadership Development Programs specifically for Entrepreneurs and Women.  Our objective is to prepare people for the new Leadership Styles that are paramount today.

“Everybody can’t do everything but everybody can do something if everybody does their thing everything will get done.”

I needed to remind myself of that this morning as I read about young lives ending through horrific acts and portrayal of women as objects of rape in advertising. (There’s more but you can fill in the blanks.) Before remembering that quote, I was thinking, what could I possibly do to end conditions like this? After all, I’m only one person.

Me with one of my caregivers, Vincent, our Pomeranian.

What I needed to do was remember my lane, which is transformation. My demonstration is lives working, organizations honoring and respecting all races and cultures, women owning their power, men celebrating peace in their lives, entrepreneurs blossoming, senior citizens smiling in homes where they are loved and honored. So while I may not be there with you physically in the movements and causes you ask me to support, know that I am with you in spirit every time I stay in my lane of service to others.

And if you too are feeling really bad about something someday like I was, do what one of my coaches recommended. “Get up, focus out and make your difference with somebody. Get off of yourself.” That’s still something I still live by. So, stay in your lane and let me know what it is that you create there. And if you can’t find a lane let me know that too. I’ll keep the light on for you.

On Transformation:

Are you willing to give up who you have become, to be who you are?

_____

The price of transformation is being wrong about deeply held beliefs that we’ve used to define who we are.

_____

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:2 (KJV)

Click here to view the embedded video.

Check out this quote from Larry Foyt, team director of AJ Foyt Racing.

“We had a really good day of testing yesterday. It was a lot of long nights of hard work to get ready for this test as all the teams are trying to figure out this new car as quickly as they can. Our guys did a really good job as the ABC Supply car ran well all day. I love the communication going on right now between the driver and the engineers. Mike was really smart, pushed the car to where it needed to be but didn’t go over that fine line. We made some good changes and learned a lot about the car.”

The most powerful tool a NASCAR driver has is his car — but his car wouldn’t surv­ive even one race without the care it gets from the crew. NASCAR pit crews are sometimes called the unsung heroes of the sport. That’s because they keep the car (and the driver) going, but they often get very little credit. However, those who are in the know recognize that NASCAR crew members are an integral part of every NASCAR victory and are superb athletes in their own right.

Related articles

• Kenseth wins Daytona 500 after rain and fire delays (tsn.ca)

Dear Coach Martin,

I am not a public speaker and must do a speech very soon. I’m anxious and nervous. I want to make a great impact. I’m also not sure about the best way to prepare. This is important. Please give me some tips to get me going.

Dear “Anxious, Nervous And Not A Public Speaker”,

CONGRATULATIONS! There is a group that wants to learn, be inspired or informed by you. There is also someone who believes that you are more than capable of pulling this off or you would not have been asked to deliver a speech. This quote should make you feel more empowered:

My job as a leader is to inspire my team to willingly reach further than they normally would to complete our goals. My team has to trust me in order to let me lead them. Learning how to speak in public has helped me become a better leader and has truly improved my communication skills. Mello Melanin

It has been said that fear of public speaking (stage fright) is the number one fear that people have. There is something about public speaking that makes some people uneasy and anxious and others wildly exhilarated. To begin with, many speakers get nervous before speaking. I’ve traveled all over the world as a trainer and public speaker and I still get nervous. “When you are not nervous, I worry,” one of my coaches once told me.

Your anxiety and nervousness likely comes because as you said, “you want to make an impact”and “this is important” to you. My

How to deal with anxiety

question for you is why? What’s your purpose in speaking? Your leadership position? You care about the audience and want to contribute to them in some way? Communicate vital information? What must you absolutely accomplish in your presentation?

You don’t need to be a public speaker to make a difference with an audience. Think about the best presentation or speech you’ve even heard on television or live. What was it that moved you about the speaker? Was it the sense of humor they had? Their authenticity and their willingness to be “human” with their life story, examples and welcoming way? Was it the information they imparted? Were you motivated buy them? Did you do something after their speech that you would not have done otherwise? Use your observations as best practices for you. This is an indication of your personal style as a speaker.

Absolutely prepare, don’t try to wing it.  In preparing for your speech, do your research, online, with people who work with you, the library. Learn about your audience and your topic. Who’s attending and why do they care about what you have to say? Asking this question will assist you in determining the ways to involve your audience.

Write an outline, a draft. A great beginning and a great ending is key. Have accurate facts and know your sources in case you are asked for them. If you are using a quote, know who said it. It is perfectly acceptable to prepare a few speaking notes on index cards or piece of paper to take with you. Share your stories, life skills lessons, specific examples and anecdotes. If you are using some sort of slide or video presentation, know the material and know exactly what the audience should be seeing. Have your main thoughts on the slide in large type versus a lot of text that is illegible. With the main thoughts, you are better able to be authentic. Remember non-verbal communications, body language is noticed first then tone of voice and the words themselves. (Remember what you liked about your favorite public speaker? Does what I’ve just said ring true?) I won’t go into them here but research presentation/platform skills. There is a lot of information online.

Rehearse your speech. Say the words on your script/draft verbatim several times while looking at the script. This connects the visual and verbal sensory channels. You hear yourself speaking as you read. Lock it in.  Then put your draft aside. Say your speech aloud, in front of a mirror or even in front a group of your friends or family. Rehearse it in your mind. See yourself smiling and receiving a standing ovation.

If possible, visit the location for your speech so that you are familiar with the room layout.

When it is time for you to go on stage, just be the best you, you can be. Acknowledge yourself for having something important to say. Speaking is easier if you can forget about yourself and give to others in your words and attention. Focus out on the audience not in with how you feel. Ground yourself. Stand tall and proud. This may sound elementary but if you feel anxious take a few deep breaths. BREATHE. Then smile. It’s amazing how well this works. Relax and be authentic. (They won’t know about the butterflies.) Make sure you speak clearly – enunciate – and can be heard by everyone without shouting. Depending upon the size of the group, use a microphone if possible. Speak clearly and do not use unnecessary words. Use the right vocabulary for the occasion. Keep it simple, but not insulting. Look for the friendly faces in the audience. Then speak to them.

Remember your words are powerful, so be “I’m courageous!” instead of “I’m anxious”. Have some fun. It does get easier! If you want more info and would like to attend a How To Be A Positively Powerful Speaker Workshop, let me know.

Related articles

• Overcoming Your Fear Of Public Speaking (news.dice.com)
• Morty Lefkoe: Do You Have a Fear of Public Speaking? (huffingtonpost.com)

What if we determined that leaderships’ role is not to solve everything (the world) but rather to open a door to another’s possibility.  What if the fact that we don’t realize the difference we make with people is simply because we are reluctant to say, sincerely to one another, “Thank You, You’ve been a Powerful Presence in My Life at This Moment”. It is a simple thing to do, acknowledging the contribution of others in your own special way and words and actions. It’s free and it’s powerful. 

Most of our readers know how much we appreciate TED talks, and when possible we attend the local TEDx events in our town. Here is a recent video release from TED that we feel illustrates what we believe about leaders. One of the tenets of true leadership is being about something larger than self and being focused on something other than self. It is our authentic joy, love and willingness to be awake and aware that has the ability to change the world, one person at a time. This is just one example of how it’s done.

Seth Godin advices “Repeating easy tasks again and again gets you not very far. Attacking only steep cliffs where no progress is made isn’t particularly effective either. No, the best path is an endless series of difficult (but achievable) hills.”

Our ability to take action is meaningful tough work a lot of the time. And not just any kind of action. If as a business person you spend all of your time working on volunteer projects, yes, that’s movement and contribution. However, are these activities easy and will they lead to the business profile that you want? Unless that’s your job, it’s certain that volunteering no matter how good you may feel afterward won’t pay the mortgage. And that reality feels awful. It will take action that may be uncomfortable and out of the box for you. Take the high hills as Seth says. Regardless of what your personality style is, it doesn’t matter. “If it’s to be, it’s up to thee.”

Now I’m off to put on my mountain climbing boots. I have some ground to cover and big hills to climb. Said in another way, “if it’s to be it’s up to me.”

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• Some brilliant thoughts that aren’t mine (thatguykc.wordpress.com)

One of the opportunities to express ones leadership is to dressing to fit a new position. Whether it is moving from one senior level position to another or going to another organization,

Here’s an outfit that might have been appropriate back in the day.

How are you doing separating the personal from the professional? Let me know if I can support you in being heard and getting people to respond in the way that you would like. Coach J.