7 Ways to Know You’re an Inspiring Leader

I’ve done a lot of blogging about the differences between bosses and leaders. I’ll let you peruse some of those posts at your leisure, but if I had to sum ‘em up I’d say this: Leaders don’t just manage people, and they don’t just tell people what to do. They inspire people. They make people want to follow them, and they empower them to succeed.
Of course you’re probably asking yourself: Am I a great leader? Do I have the hallmarks of a true inspiration figure?
You’ll have to do a little self-inventory to know for sure, but to help you gauge your own leadership capacity, let me offer you this… seven signs that you are indeed an inspiration figure in your workplace.

The Seven Signs of Inspiring Leadership

1. You have a sense of purpose beyond your own success. Wanting to achieve great things on your own terms hardly makes you a leader. No, leaders are folks who measure their own success by the success of others; they see it as their mission and purpose to help their team members thrive. If your purpose is to empower, you may be an inspiring leader!
2. You’re approachable. Do your team members feel comfortable approaching you with questions, concerns, or feedback—or do they tremble at the very thought of entering your office? If you’re intimidating rather than approachable, that’s a problem.
3. You’re open-minded. Great leaders are open to whatever works, even if it’s not their own idea. Do you actively court solutions and suggestions from your team members—and implement the ones you think will work? Inspiring leaders do.
4. You’re candid—and constructive. Inspiring leaders give the gift of feedback. If your team members actually accept your constructive feedback and make changes to their performance, that shows that they respect you, and know you’re trying to help them improve.
5. You treat your employees with equality. Favoritism and inspiration do not work together. If your employees feel like you prefer some of them over others, that ultimately reflects badly on your leadership style.
6. You’re grateful. Inspiring leaders are thankful for the efforts of their team—and they’re not afraid to say so.
7. You focus on your team. If you’re happy to give credit to team members, rather than hog it all for yourself, then you’ve definitely got some of the traits of inspiring leadership!

Take stock of yourself—and use these points to determine how inspiring you really are.
Dr. Rick Goodman CSP is a thought leader in the world of leadership and is known as one of the most sought after team building experts in the United States and internationally.
He is famous for helping organizations, corporations, and individuals with systems and strategies that produce increased profits and productivity without having the challenges of micromanaging the process. Some of Dr. Rick’s clients include AT&T, Boeing, Cavium Networks, Heineken, IBM, and Hewlett Packard.
For more information on Rick’s speaking programs, audio programs, and learning programs, contact (888) 267-6098 or Rick@rickgoodman.com, or visit www.rickgoodman.com.

The Alex Project: Laws of Success "Self Control"

     The eighth lesson in Napolean Hill’s reading course discusses self-control, and its great importance to achieving success. According to Hill, a lack of self-control resembles the unharnessed lightning of an electrical storm – it may strike anywhere; it may destroy life and property. Enthusiasm arouses action, and self-control directs that action in a constructive and positive way. It may interest one to know that the overwhelming percentage of prison inmates remain in jail because they lacked the necessary self-control to channel their energies in a constructive manner. Conversely, the one common quality of successful people is self-control.

 No one can manage to control others unless they can first control themselves. This therefore makes a lack of self-control one of the average salesperson's most damaging weaknesses. Hill states that the primary ways to maintain self-control is by not forming opinions without knowing the necessary facts, and by not spending beyond one’s means. Self-control also enables a person to prevent striking back at those who offend you, as well as other destructive habits which result in a waste of energy through non-productive efforts.

The main point that Hill wants the reader to get out of this lesson is that you have the “power to control your own thoughts and direct them to do your bidding.” Self-control is simply a matter of thought control, and we certainly have complete control over our own thoughts. Don’t allow outside forces to influence you excessively, but rather think for yourself and with rock-solid precision.

The Alex Project: Laws of Success "Enthusiasm"

In the seventh lesson in Law of Success, Napolean Hill discusses the great importance of “enthusiasm”, and how integrating enthusiasm into your life will ultimately lead to success. Hill defines enthusiasm as a state of mind that inspires and arouses one to put action into the task at hand." By constantly engaging in life with enthusiasm, the characteristic can be developed and used as a vital force in the work environment. In order to develop this potential enthusiasm, Hill argues that you must do the kind of work that you like, and make sure your actions are leading toward the achievement of your definite chief aim. Enthusiasm is a contagious characteristic, which magnifies its power. That is, it makes a large enough impression on others in order to make them become enthusiastic as well. Enthusiasm can mean using the same word choice but stated in a different manner, as people become more or less motivated based on how something is said to them. Hill emphasizes this fact, as it is not so much what you say as it is the tone and manner in which you say it that makes a lasting impression.

            In order to truly master the quality of enthusiasm, Hill stresses the idea of working for something that you believe in. This will naturally bring out the enthusiastic quality in yourself, as you will be legitimately interested in what you are doing. In his example, Hill discusses how he turned down the most money that was ever offered to him simply because he did not believe in what he was doing. The job was to write articles on a topic that he opposed, and therefore knew he would not be giving his best enthusiastic effort when taking the time to write the articles. When working in an environment or on a project that you genuinely enjoy and believe in, the enthusiasm will begin to come on its own.

The Laws of Success - The Alex Project

Dr. Rick Goodman discusses the book The Laws of Success by Napoleon Hill and its profound effect on his success in business.  In the Alex Project Rick Goodman's son Alex Goodman will review and summarize Napoleon Hill's Laws for all to benefit from.

Are You Focused on the 10 Percenter?s?

Are you focused on the 10 Percenter's in your life?

You know these people they are the type that would win the winning lottery ticket and still complain about paying taxes. They generally see the cup as half empty and always focus on the trivial instead of the big picture!

You know some of these people maybe even intimately. Some of them are your ex spouses or significant others, some of them are your in-laws or your brothers or sisters and some of them are your colleagues, your boss and your children.

So why do we focus on the few instead of the masses?

When I was actively practicing chiropractic I may have had 100 patients come to my office in a day and 99 of them were thrilled with the service that we provided and one would complain and leave and tell us that they would never come back again! At that time in my life I would focus and obsess about that one client who prevented me from hearing and receiving the love that my other patients were giving me.

How many of you out there have experienced the same scenario in your lives?

Today I was doing my workout in Marco Island Florida. Since there is no boardwalk to skate on things can get a little dicey on the open road even with the speed limit set at 35 mph. I decided to skate against incoming traffic in order to see the cars coming at me and for them in turn to see me. This was a perfect test for my 10 percent rule.

With two oncoming lanes which cars would kindly move over to the open lane and which ones would come directly at me. Also what would my reaction be either way? The good news is that I am happy to be alive and well to report my results and here is how it went on my eight-mile trek!

With just about 200 cars total passing and coming at me only 2 did not move our 10 Percenter's! One happened early on so I decided to salute the drivers and give them a thumbs up in advance of our approaching each other and The Results Were AMAZING!

The driver either smiled, gave me the thumbs up back or saluted! Only two people threw their arms up in disgust and we have to figure that they are in the family of 10 Percenter’s.

The Good News is that it is currently 9:30 am on Saturday July 2, 2011 I got my workout in and made almost 200 people smile!

Have a Safe Holiday!

Dr Rick

Dr. Rick Goodman speaks from real -Life experiences and achieves great results! Dr Rick’s newest book Living a Championship Life "A Game Plan for Success" has been widely acclaimed since its release.

Dr. Rick Goodman is a professional speaker and author who will give your audience specific tools and systems that get great results. Dr. Rick also works with organizations that want to Develop Great Leaders "Through Excellence in Communication and Team Building". For more information on Rick's speaking programs Consulting Programs and Training programs contact (888) 267-6098 or Rick@DrRickGoodman.com or on the web at www.DrRickGoodman.com

Ceasar Salad and Leadership

Taking Action to Achieve Your Goals

Super Bowl 2009 A Day of Excitement a Day of Regrets

If you're like me. You were probably sitting in front of your TV set for most of the day watching the Super Bowl pregame show on NBC. The one piece that I found most interesting was the one that was done on wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. It was interesting to me because I had read only about the ballplayer Larry Fitzgerald not the person.

From what everyone says and what became apparent in the game is that he is truly a gifted athlete. However, what really caught my attention was the story that revolves around his mother and the fact that he hadn't spoken to her for months leading up in until untimely death.

Larry Fitzgerald's mom had breast cancer. This is something I truly understand since I've been living with it in my house for the last three years. Breast cancer can be devastating to one's family, breaking relationships apart and killing dreams.

That's if we let it! In our house, we decided not to let it kill our dreams, but expand what we can bring to the table.

This philosophy has helped us to educate others about the treatments available to them and the latest technology in the fight against breast cancer.


What I really learned from the Larry Fitzgerald interview last night was the importance of family and relationships and how short life can really be. Here today and gone tomorrow is a saying that I heard a lot while growing up. Unfortunately, it is a reality in his life.

So take a look at your loved ones and give them a big hug, while you have a chance because life is truly short and that was the most valuable lesson I learned on Super Bowl Sunday.

Dr. Rick Goodman is a professional speaker and author who will give your audience specific tools and systems that get great results. Dr. Rick also works with organizations that want to Develop Great Leaders "Through Excellence in Communication and Team Building". For more information on Rick's speaking programs Consulting Programs and Training programs contact (888) 267-6097 or Rick@DrRickGoodman.com or on the web at www.DrRickGoodman.com

Kurt Warner Is Living a Championship Life

It's like déjà vu all over again for me. It was the 1999-2000 NFL season and I was one of the physicians for the St. Louis Rams. In fact, I wrote about my experiences in my recently published book, Living a Championship Life "A Game Plan for Success". The purpose of the book was to demonstrate the common traits that all championship athletes and teams have in common with the world's most successful people.

I I found that they all had a game plan for the ultimate victory and that anybody on the planet could achieve the same results.They just needed a strategic game plan and an ability to maintain their focus, just like the pros.

The first chapter of my book is titled "Attitude Is Everything"In it I described an athlete who impressed me by the way he carried himself everywhere he went and his positive attitude about life. His name was Kurt Warner. "An individual, who knew no bounds-with an attitude of gratitude for just being able to play the game-took over as the starting quarterback after an injury to Trent Green."

At the University of Northern Iowa, Warner watched two quarterbacks battle for the starting position until it was his senior year. He hung in there and didn't give up until he was finally given a chance to start his last season. In that season he was named the Gateway Conference offensive player of the year. He was released by the Green Bay Packers in 1994 just before the regular season began. Then onto his success in the Arena football league where he was named as one of the 20 best players of all time.

Then it was off to the tryout for the Chicago Bears until an injury to his throwing elbow caused by a venomous spider bite received during his honeymoon prevented from attending training camp.

Next stop St. Louis Rams, and we all know the story there. Super Bowl MVP, hero and class act. So what happened? A short stint with the Giants, and then off to NFL purgatory in Arizona or so we thought.

People forget the quality of the man named Kurt Warner. Someone who understands that attitude is everything and does what it takes to get things done. So this Sunday we're going to get to see a future Hall of Famer at the helm. I'm excited for him, but I'm more excited to have been able to witness the story of a man who understands that attitude is everything. If you want to be successful in life!

Dr. Rick Goodman is a professional speaker and author who will give your audience specific tools and systems that get great results. Dr. Rick also works with organizations that want to Develop Great Leaders "Through Excellence in Communication and Team Building". For more information on Rick's speaking programs Consulting Programs and Training programs contact (888) 267-6097 or Rick@DrRickGoodman.com or on the web at www.DrRickGoodman.com