Seth Saunders Value

Own It

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the statement “Own It”? Some may quickly think of key words such as accountability, responsibility, acknowledge, admit, have, obtain and other words. Others may think of a situation that reminds them about a time they were able to “Own It”; maybe it was a presentation and they owned it ( it being, they had a killer opening, the presentation flowed, questions were answered, the audience was engaged), maybe it was the lead in a play at a school and they performed to perfection because they owned it (it being, delivering lines, facial expressions, placement on stage, support for others), maybe it was being the leader of a key project at work and goals were achieved because the leader owned it (it being, the project, goals, milestones, actions, tasks, people). The truth is, success as a leader is all about this concept of “Owning It.”

own-itWhat is important to understand is that the key to success is understanding that what changes is the “it” part of this concept. See, no matter what the situation is, when it comes to the “own,” the concept is constant and never really changes. Why? Because of those key words mentioned before; accountability, responsibility, acknowledge, admit, have, obtain. As one becomes more aware of how to own they will build their confidence which is so crucial to be successful when the time comes to “own it”.

So how does one go about becoming good at living by this concept of “owning it”? It has been my personal experience that the following items are vital in achieving success with this concept of “owning it”:

Seek Clarity: When expectations, goals, directions are clear, we give ourselves a much greater chance of achieving success. Clarity also brings with it the ability to have confidence in what one is doing and it is this confidence that unlocks the power to “own it”.

Develop a Plan: Once there is clarity, it is now possible to develop a plan. The process of a developing a plan creates the feeling of ownership which is one of the best definitions of “owning it”. When there is a feeling of ownership, there is more commitment to achieve success. It is important that this plan is detailed and covers goals, expectations, actions, tasks, milestones as well as identifies those who you might need to work with.

Execute and Evaluate: No matter how good a plan is, nothing happens until action is taken. When it comes to “owning it” a leader must lead out by executing the plan. As actions are being taken, a leader must be able to effectively evaluate whether the plan is working or not. This evaluation can only take place if there was clarity up front so that an effective plan could be developed.

There are other areas that could be addressed but my goal is to provide more of an introduction into this important leadership concept to “own it”. As one learns how to live and lead by this concept there will be greater feelings of accomplishment, satisfaction and confidence. These are all feelings that we as humans crave on a regular bases so take control of the “it’s” in your life by saying to yourself, I will “own it”.

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Seth Saunders Inspirational

Big Changes Ahead

 At some point in our lives we find the need to change. This change can come in many different shapes and sizes. The reasons for change may include:  for personal reasons, for someone else, because of a significant life event, to motivate others, to be an example, forced to and many others.

The word change can create a variety of emotions. Those emotions are what really impact whether change will occur. If we are forced to change, it can be difficult to accept. We may feel frustrated, angry, powerless, scared, fearful and other negative feelings. These feelings are often the result of having to be reactive to change.

On the flip side, when we have the choice to change, we my feel emotions such as excitement, energy, empowered, peaceful, happy and other positive feelings. These feelings are what often drive us to reach our goals and make real, sustainable change.

Although the word gets used most often, it is important to understand other words that can mean change. The reason being is that want to be able to identify when we are making progress towards our goal that include change.

Synonyms for change

  • adjustment
  • advance
  • development
  • difference
  • diversity
  • Innovation
  • modification
  • reversal
  • revision
  • revolution
  • shift
  • switch
  • transformation
  • transition
  • variation

When we hear or read “Change Ahead” more often than not the focus is referring to a physical change. It means someone is about to embark on making important changes in their life that will have positive and lasting impacts. When we know that someone is striving to achieve these types of goals, we should find ways to be supportive. These types of changes can often be the toughest and the easiest to give-up on which is why support is needed. 

I hope you will be proactive in supporting others who are willing and working towards making positive changes in their life. You never know if your support and encouragement might be exactly what they needed to keep them going.

Seth Saunders Learning

Failure is like Mouthwash

Failure should be like mouthwash, use it to kill the germs but be sure to spit it out.Listerine-Mouthwash-01

Failure can be a wonderful and powerful learning tool. The problem is that from the time we are born we are taught how to be successful. We are taught that the key to life is winning and that the way to be successful is to win, win, win. However, there are many great leader, people and organizations who have failed and yet have found success from what they learned. Their experiences taught them what to do and what not to do. This said, you should not plan to fail but be prepared to learn should failure present itself.

Don’t get discouraged when failure enters your life. Sure, you will feel disappointed, frustrated, angry, sad, lonely, and at times hopeless. All of those are natural feelings as we are human. Allow those feelings to teach you. Take an assessment of what went wrong and what you can learn from that. Be willing to ask lots of questions and be honest with your responses. Once you have done this, be sure to take note of your responses so you are better prepared next time.

Although failure can be a great teaching tool, don’t make it a habit. In fact, because there is such an emotional attachment to failing, it can have numerous negative impacts on one’s life. So learn what you need learn but be sure not to duplicate your mistakes. Just like with our teeth, we need to be sure we are brushing our teeth not just using mouthwash to kill the germs. So it is with our decisions, we need to practice those things that will lead us to success  but when we fail, use it as learning tool but get back to doing what will lead you to success.