Attributes of Approachable Leaders, Part 1

You don’t need a nametag to be approachable.

The real reason people are attracted TO, inspired BY, and want to align WITH you, is because of something bigger. Something better. Something deeper.

The heart BEHIND the nametag.

That’s being an Approachable Leader. Now, although leadership isn’t my area of expertise; what I’ve discovered from working with leaders (and being a leader myself) is the following philosophy:

“If they can’t come UP to you, they’ll never get BEHIND you.”

In this post series, we’re going to be exploring attributes that enable people to come to YOU.

ATTRIBUTE #1: Have conversations that change people.

Dixie Gallaspie, owner of Pure Synchrony, is a coaching/consulting colleague of mine that I refuse to have lunch with unless I bring my notebook. She’s just THAT thought provoking. And, every time we get together, her questions, feedback, comments and ideas always create movement in my mind. Sweet.

Here are three ways you can start LIVING this attribute today:

1. Ask one killer question. Identify ONE powerful, penetrating question that nobody else asks but you. Then ask it to everyone you meet. My personal favorite is, “If everybody did exactly what you said, what would the world look like?”

2. Offer intentional contraries. When someone poses an idea, reverse it and throw it back at them, just to see their response. For example, “Well, Steve, also ask yourself, ‘What do you want your life NOT to look like?’”

3. Keep a record. Any time one of your employees, members (or someone in your circle of influence) tells you that your recent conversation with them was life changing, make a note. Keep each of these incidents in a journal. Extract the specific reasons WHY each conversation created movement in that person’s mind. Find out where the rock created the ripple, and then go throw some more rocks.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How are people changed after having a conversation with you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “17 Ways to become a Thought Leader,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

All Posts In This Series
ATTRIBUTE #1: Have conversations that change people.
ATTRIBUTE #2: Meet people where they are.
ATTRIBUTE #3: Vortex people in.
ATTRIBUTE #4: Share the spotlight.
ATTRIBUTE #5: Respond to what IS.

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.
Always about sticking yourself out there.

Watch The Nametag Guy in action here!

15 Things You’re Not Doing Enough Of

1. Are you charging enough for your ideas? Enough that people will perceive substantial value. Enough that people will be tempted. Enough that people will listen. Enough that people will actually do what you say. Enough that you don’t have to work as much as you used to. Enough that you set a precedent of professionalism, value and awesomeness.

REMEMBER: Experts charge more. Command a premium.

2. Are you confident enough to be humble? That means admitting your ignorance. That means not always having the right answers. That means playing the “Let’s See How Long I Can Go Before I Tell Anyone What I Do” game. That means letting go of the need to self-promote at every opportunity, knowing that your brilliance and authenticity and value will naturally shine through everything you do, say and ARE.

REMEMBER: Practice positive ignorance. Be a sleeper.

3. Are you exposed to enough good ideas? Here’s an easy way to tell: If you never have writer’s block, never have thinker’s block, never run out of stuff to talk about and never fail to have ideas to brainstorm about, then you’re good to go. If that’s not the case, no worries. Here’s what you do: (1) read one book on creativity every week, (2) think of the top ten most creative people you know and throw a party for them, (3) learn to write morning pages, and (4) come to my writing marathon on Friday.

REMEMBER: Inspiration is overrated. MAKE ideas come to you every day.

4.Are you gaining confidence early enough? The sooner you diffuse defensiveness, the sooner you make people feel comfortable. The sooner you make people feel comfortable, the sooner you give people permission. The sooner you give people permission, the sooner they trust you. And the sooner they trust you, the higher their confidence IN you will soar.

REMEMBER: Overcome initial discomfort. People at ease buy easily.

5. Are you gambling on yourself enough? You have to trust your inner resources. You have to believe that when you stick yourself out there, a net will eventually appear. And if it doesn’t, you have to believe that when you DO fall on your ass, you’ll be able to dust yourself off proudly and expeditiously, transforming your mistakes into lessons and lessons into wealth.

REMEMBER: Gambling on yourself has pretty good odds when you work your ass off.

6. Are you journaling enough? Writing is the basis of all wealth; and if you don’t write it down, it never happened. So, here are my suggestions: Morning Pages, WOM Log, Gratitude Journal, Highly Valuable Activity Record, Victory Log, Mistake List, Learning Log, Boundary Book, Dream Diary, Luck Log.

REMEMBER: Writing is power. Writing is medicine. Writing is money.

7. Are you laughing at yourself loud and often enough? Take your health seriously. Take your work seriously. Take your passion and purpose seriously. Take your relationships seriously. But don’t take yourself seriously. You’re really not that big of a deal. Instead, learn to poke fun at yourself. It disarms people. It grounds you. It keeps you human and relevant and relatable.

REMEMBER: Humorless people suck.

8. Are you saying “no” enough? Every time you say no to something that’s wrong for you; you make room FOR and give yourself permission TO say yes to something that’s right for you. On the other hand, if you don’t set boundaries for yourself, people will set them for you. And then they will violate them. And it will be your fault.

REMEMBER: Boundaries are saviors. No’s lead to yeses.

9. Are you saying “yes” enough? Hey, you never know. Everybody is somebody’s somebody. Everything matters. Every word is a seed the scatters. Every choice matters. Every tide turns. Everyone has influence. Everyone teaches you. Everything is related. Everything is significant.

REMEMBER: The answer is yes. The answer is yes.

10. Are you serving enough? In the movie Glengary/Glenross, Alec Baldwin’s character coined the term ABC: Always Be Closing. It became the classic sales mantra for generations to come. And I find this interesting, because you rarely hear about the mantra, “ABS: Always Be Serving.” See, when you serve first, you don’t have to close. Try teaching THAT to your sales force.

REMEMBER: Aspire to serve. Brand your service. Commence joyful serving.

11. Are you specializing enough? If you were scheduled to receive a double lung transplant, would you want a doctor who happened to do a little thoracic surgery on the weekends; or the best lung surgeon in the country? Likewise, your customers want specialization. You need to be known FOR some-thing, AS some-one and TO some-group. Pick a lane. Specialize or die.

REMEMBER: When you specialize, you monetize.

12. Are you spending enough time learning to listen to your own voice? That means practicing every day. That means becoming fluent in the language of your gut. That means meditating and doing yoga and breathing exercises. That means journaling your thoughts. That means doing whatever you have to do to turn up the volume on that inner whisper where Truth resides.

REMEMBER: Reestablish inner calmness. Just breathe. Then listen.

13. Are you stretching enough? No. You’re not. You’re not making yourself uncomfortable enough. You’re not sticking yourself out there. You’re not willing to make an idiot of yourself. You’re not willing to practice for 10,000 hours. You’re not willing to pay the price and suffer The Dip and work your ass off. You’re not willing to put in the hours when nobody is noticing so you can eventually become the best five years down the road.

REMEMBER: Stretching never stops. Comfort zones are overrated.

14. Is your platform strong enough? That means lots of subscribers. That means blogging every single day. That means sending out a newsletter or ezine at least twice a month. That means (physically) being in front of key players on a regular basis. That means being interviewed IN, and as an expert BY the media on a regular basis.

REMEMBER: Get their email. Build a following. Cultivate your fans.

15. Is your purpose clear and specific enough? The best advice I ever got in my life was from a random 83 year-old man I met in the summer of 2003 in downtown Philadelphia. He told me, “Validate your existence on a daily basis.” Holy. Crap. Did you get that? “Validate your existence on a daily basis.” That’s purpose.

REMEMBER: Assemble your purpose. Make it your map. Then go.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you doing enough?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “13 Ways to Out DEVELOP the Competition,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

No time to write?
Can’t finish that book?
Dog ate your last article?

Come to the St. Louis Writing Marathon this Friday!

No excuses. Just writing. All day.

I promise it will be the best $20 you’ll spend on your writing career all year.

Learn more at www.writingmarathon.com!

NametagTV: Octopus, not Earthworm

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Watch the original video on NametagTV!

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you being pushy or persistent?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For a list called, “101 Ways to Create a Powerful Web Presence,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
[email protected]

Satisfaction not enough?
Customers not telling their friends about you?
Want to learn how to deliver unforgettable service?

Buy Scott’s new book and learn how to get your frontline IN line!

Pick up your copy (or a case!) right here.

8 Things That Are Overrated

1. Answers are overrated. Questions are better. Questions are smarter. Questions create more movement in your brain. The problem with answers is that once you (think) you’ve found one, you immediately stop questioning. And once you’ve stopped questioning, you’ve stopped learning. Are you more concerned with answers or questions?

2. Comfort zones are overrated. You have ZERO business in your comfort zone. How dare you! How DARE you. If you want to learn, grow, expand and evolve, you need to stick yourself out there. Out yourself in positions and situations that make you sweat, shake and scared. Every day. How did you scare yourself yesterday?

3. Feedback is overrated. Especially when it comes from losers. Trash the evaluations. Learn to trust your inner judge. Decide for yourself how well you did and let rest go. All it will do is bring you down, annoy you and depress you. Whose words are you allowing to make you second-guess yourself?

4. Inspiration is overrated. If you only create when you’re inspired, your body of work will NOT be smokin’ hot. Inspiration comes unannounced. You need to make ideas come to you, whether you’re in the mood or not. You need to get into a daily routine that enlists your Muse and invites creativity no matte what. How are you supplementing inspiration with perspiration?

5. Paraphrasing is overrated. Instead of all those tried, obvious and insincere active listening techniques that do nothing besides make people THINK you’re a good listener, try actually repeating the exact words they said. It’s respectful and smart. Are you really listening or just trying to look like a good listener?

6. Plans are overrated. Just go. Don’t be stopped by not knowing how. You’ll figure out the How later. For now, just get started. Just go. More Planning = Less Executing. Stop talking your ideas into the ground and go do something. What paralyzes your ability to execute?

7. Talent is overrated. It only gets you about 1/16 of the way there. The rest is supplemental. The rest is hard work. Talent isn’t worth JACK unless it’s supported by commitment, creativity and consistency; discipline, determination and desire. What do you have going for you besides your innate skills?

8. Well-roundedness is overrated. Find a niche and OWN it. Pick a lane. The narrower the better. Find the ONE thing you do better than anyone in the world, then just do that all the time. Either (1) Ignore or (2) Get someone else to do everything else. What consumes your time but doesn’t make you ANY money?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What do you think is overrated?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “31 Uncommon Practices that Lead to Wealth and Wisdom,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

Never the same speech twice.
Always about sticking yourself out there.

Book The Nametag Guy here!

The ongoing battle between “different” and “unique”

I no longer have patience for people who use these two words interchangeably.

Different is NOT the same thing as unique.

I’ve researched, surveyed my audience members, written extensively and thought long and hard about it.

And here’s what I’ve come up with:

DIFFERENT comes from the Latin differe, which means, “to stand out.”
UNIQUE comes from the Latin, unicus, which means, “the only one.”

DIFFERENT stands out among people.
UNIQUE draws in from people.

DIFFERENT can be positively or negatively connotative.
UNIQUE is always positively connotative.

DIFFERENT is memorable.
UNIQUE is unforgettable.

DIFFERENT contains superficial value.
UNIQUE contains profound value.

DIFFERENT is something you choose to DO deliberately.
UNIQUE is something you simply ARE intrinsically.

DIFFERENT is Other-oriented and comparison based, i.e., “different FROM” someone or something else.
UNIQUE is You-oriented and non-comparison based, i.e., “HE is unique” or “They are unique.”

DIFFERENT is explicit, short-lived and attention seeking.
UNIQUE is implicit, enduring and attention attracting.

DIFFERENT uses “props” and tangible things to put yourself on display.
UNIQUE uses your personal truth illuminates you from within.

Ahhhh. That feels better.

REMEMBER: Don’t run out and try to do something “different.”

Stay put, find out what already makes you unique, and just BE that.

People will notice.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Are you unique or just different?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “46 Marketing Mistakes Your Company Is (Probably) Making,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

Who’s telling their friends about YOU?

Tune in to The Marketing Channel on NametagTV.com!

Watch video lessons on spreading the word!

Idea not that good? Write it down ANYWAY.

PICTURE THIS: You’re on a road trip. It’s been several hours now. Almost there. Just a few more miles to go.

And that’s when it hits you. A killer idea. The thought of the day. Gold Jerry Gold!

OK, as soon as I get to my hotel, I’ll grab some stationary and get the idea down on paper, you think.

Twenty minutes later, you check in. You walk into the room. You throw down your bags, plop onto the bed and grab the notepad next to the phone…

OK, what was that idea I had in the car … um … let’s see … something about, um…?

Crap.

It’s gone. You can’t remember. You sit there for ten minutes, scouring your brain for the idea from earlier, but to no avail.

Ah screw it, you finally say. If I couldn’t even remember when I got home, it couldn’t have been that good of an idea.

STOP.

That, right there, is the fatal flaw of creativity.
That, right there, is where most people go wrong…

HERE’S THE REALITY: If you make an appraisal of your idea before it’s even written down, you’re assuming and operating on the assumption that “how good or bad an idea is” (especially in the early stages of that idea’s development) actually matters.

It doesn’t.

Good or bad means NOTHING.

Assigning value to your ideas before they’ve been brainstormed, explored and expanded is a creative block.

This causes you to fall victim to premature cognitive commitment, which prevents your idea from blossoming into its truest and strongest potential.

The idea isn’t “good.”
The idea isn’t “bad.”

The idea simply IS. That’s it. No adjectives allowed. So, stop judging. Stop evaluating. Stop appraising.

Write everything down, as soon as it enters into your brain. Don’t worry how amazing, how ridiculous or how insane the idea sounds, just get it down.

Because if you don’t write it down, it never happened.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
How many of your ideas have you talked yourself out of?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “10 Best Books on Creativity You’ve Never Heard Of,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

No time to write?
Can’t finish that book?
Dog ate your last article?

Come to the St. Louis Writing Marathon next Friday!

No excuses. Just writing. All day.

I promise it will be the best $20 you’ll spend on your writing career all year.

Learn more at www.writingmarathon.com!

Who wants to sit in your radius?

As a professional speaker, I love watching other speakers do their thing.

Especially the really, really good ones.

EXAMPLE: A few months ago I delivered the keynote address at a recruiting conference. After four standing ovations and three encores (I kid, I kid) I had some time to kill before my flight back to St. Louis. Now, this doesn’t happen to me that often, so I was pretty stoked. I ended up attending a breakout session hosted by my friend Jeff.

Why?

Well, Jeff IS one of the really, really good ones. So, I went to his session not because I wanted to learn or to take notes or get my next million-dollar idea. But rather because Jeff – this cool, successful, wealthy, happy, balanced, healthy, vastly experienced, brilliant man – is someone you just want to be in the radius of. (Can you tell I have a bit of a man-crush on him?)

Certain people, special people, don’t really have to say or do that much….

They just have to BE. And with that simple state of being, that existence, they influence you. They change you. They inspire you and teach you.

What about you? Who wants to sit in YOUR radius?

Here’s a list of 23 practices, behaviors and actions you can start implementing TODAY to increase the number of people who want to sit in your radius.

While you’re reading this list, I’d also like you to be thinking about (1) whose radius YOU want to sit in, (2) why you want to sit there, and (3) how you can emulate those traits in your own daily life.

1. Affirm people earlier. Lay a foundation of affirmation. In conversations. In sales calls. In meetings. In relationships. Ensure that people feel important, valued and validated. How are you laying a foundation of affirmation?

2. Allow people’s feelings Never under any circumstances say, “You don’t really feel that way.” People are entitled to feel however they want. You job is to dance in the moment. To respond to their present experience. When was the last time someone cried in front of you?

3. Awaken people’s curiosity. You do this by being curious yourself. By asking killer questions. By finding absolutely everything absurdly interesting. And when you’re passionate about questioning and discovering and exploring, it’s contagious. How many times a day do you say, “Huh … Now THAT’s interesting…”?

4. Bring people joy. If you concentrate on doing this at least three times a day, your life won’t just BE swell; it will swell with happiness and purpose. And so will the lives of the people you touch. Try playing the “Let’s See How Many People I Can Make Smile Today” game. How many people did you look in the eye and say thank you to yesterday?

5. Capture people’s imagination. Don’t give advice; tell stories. Don’t puke your boring company history; travel back in time with customers. Don’t give lectures; paint pictures. Einstein was right: Imagination is more important than knowledge. Are you boring people? Bueller? Bueller? Bueller?

6. Change people’s metaphors. When you change their metaphors, you change their language. When you change their language, you change their thinking. When you change their thinking, you rock their world. Whose thinking are you reframing?

7. Cheer people on. The more cheerleaders people have, the easier it is for them to win. For example: Ever seen The Packers play a home game at Lambeau Field in December? Insane. Even if the opposing team wins, you KNOW their players were scared shitless the whole time. Are you that supportive of YOUR people?

8. Exhaust people’s limits. Try pushing them a little harder. And a little harder. And a little harder. Don’t kill ‘em, but challenge people to create new edges for themselves. As my yoga instructor says, “Stretch their bodies and minds and souls to a point where they’re not in pain; but where pain is definitely possible.” Whom are YOU stretching?

9. Get people involved. Which is pretty easy to do, once you know what they’re passionate about. All you have to do is embed their passion into the pavement that leads the way. Then they’ll arrive quicker, healthier, happier and with more ownership because THEY created the path. Whose passion are you excavating?

10. Give people permission. To share. To open up. To be themselves. To ask questions. To fail. To be wrong. To be ignorant (not stupid, but ignorant.) To make mistakes. To kick ass. To succeed. To win. What are you giving people permission to do?

11. Hear people out. Another fun one is the “Let’s See How Long I Can Go Without Speaking” game. It’s fun, challenging, healthy and usually results in the other person making creative breakthroughs. How quickly do you interrupt people?

12. Ignore people’s titles. President? CFO? Receptionist? Janitor? Who the hell cares. The only label people should ever be called by is their name. Because they’re a human being. That’s it. Titles alienate people. Titles are overrated. Next time someone asks you something like, “So then, are you a Buddhist?” reply with, “Nope, I’m a human!” What unnecessary title is preventing people from getting to know the REAL you?

13. Keep people moving. No movement, no money. No movement, no progress. Period. You’ve got to get crackin.’ Even if it’s not much. Infinitesimal as the movement may seem, something is better than nothing. Saddle up, partner! What happened the last you’re your team stopped moving?

14. Lead people’s thinking. Be the spark; then shut up and get out of the way. Ask a few key questions; then trust people to tap their inner resources. More than likely, they’ll drum up their own solutions that are more accurate, more richly supported, more precise and more THEIRS than whatever you could have come up with. Are you an idea midwife?

15. Make people better. No, wait. I’m wrong. What I meant to say was, “The only person you can make better is yourself.” However, in so doing, perhaps your growth and increasing awesomeness will inspire others. Perhaps your minor improvements will remind them that they can do the same. Whose personal development are you inspiring?

16. Number people’s feelings. Ask them, “On a scale from 1-10, how would you rate your (X).” Sure, it sounds a bit clinical. But it’s the best way to gauge their status, get a clear reading, then figure out where to go from there. How are you objectifying people intangibles?

17. Release people’s genius. Constantly create situations that make it easy for proplr to shine. Steer the conversation into the direction of their passion and expertise, step back and watch them glow. Like playing a game of Cranium. You just smile and clap and ask them to do it again. Hooray! Bravo! Encore! Uno Mas! Are you enabling people to do what they do best?

18. Remember people’s answers. Paraphrasing is overrated. Telling people, “So, what I’m hearing you say is…” has a tendency to sound a bit contrived, almost as if you were trying REALLY hard to look like a good listener. Which, of course, means you weren’t actually listening.

SUGGESTION: Next time you’re listening to a customer or employee or family member, trying repeating their EXACT words back to them. Take notes too. I promise you: This practice will show prove that you were truly listening. How are demonstrating the size of your ears?

19. Study people’s minds. Their thought patterns. Their questions. Their reasonings. Their rationalizations. Their brain workings. Ask yourself: “I wonder what caused him to do that?” and “Hmm … what pattern of thinking is she operating from?” This will help you understand them better AND motivate your own melon. Whose brain are you dissecting?

20. Tell people why. Never assume anyone knows your reasoning for doing anything. So, don’t DEFEND yourself; explain yourself. Make your motivations and intentions crystal clear. When you tell people why, they’re more likely to (1) believe you, (2) understand you, and (3) respond TO you. Are you constantly making people aware of your Why?

21. Train people’s eyes. Ever tried to show someone how to stare at a Magic Eye poster? You probably said something like, “Just relax your eyes, soften your gaze and don’t look at anything particular.” The same process goes for life. When you’re with someone, explain your thinking process out loud as you observe. Let them hear how you process your visuals. Explain your inner monologue. Let them hear how you ask yourself questions. Whose eyes are YOU training?

22. Understand people better. It starts with maintaining an attitude of curiosity. That means exploration, not accusation; fascination, not frustration. Becoming insanely interested in why people do and say what they do and say. Then, it continues with patient listening. That means questioning. That means pausing. That means listening (and hearing) people’s language patterns and conversational tendencies. Finally, it means clarifying. Asking people if what you’ve interpreted is what they meant to communicate. Why are you listening?

23. Unlock people’s brilliance. First, you’ve got to trust that people inherently possess brilliance, buried deep beneath the surface. Second, you’ve got to be willing to divorce your ego, ask more questions, grow bigger ears and shut up quicker. Third, you’ve got to let THEM figure it out – that is, let THEM say it, know it, do it, BE it – by their own merit.

Finally, you’ve got to constantly reinforce people’s brilliance by reminding them what a Smokin’ Hot Piece of Brain Candy they really are. These four keys, when practiced regularly, will unlock the door to people’s brilliance. How can you make this person look and feel smarter?

REMEMBER: You can choose to influence people through (1) what you believe, (2) what you say, (3) what you do, or, best of all, (4) who you are.

The choice is yours.

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
Who wants to sit in your radius?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “14 Strategies to become the BEST Listener You Know,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

Nobody talking about your business?

Bummer. Perhaps I could help on a more personal, one-on-one basis.

Rent Scott’s Brain today!


You can’t spell “ATTRACTION” without the word…

Anagrams are cool.

For example:

Eleven plus two = Twelve plus one. Same letters.
A decimal point = I’m a dot in place. Same letters.
Morrison = Mr. Mojo Risin. Same letters.
George Bush = He bugs Gore. Same letters.

Now, beyond clever wordplay, anagrams also suggest something deeper.

THINK ABOUT IT: If the switching the letters of one word creates a NEW word that eerily connects to the original word … that has to mean something.

This scientific property of creativity is called “unconscious integration,” and it proves that there is more inherent geometry in our language and ideas than we realize. So, next time you’re doing a word exploration to gain an understanding of an abstract concept, I add anagramming to your Wordsmithing process. Here’s a powerful experiment you can conduct…

1. Go to www.wordsmith.org and click on the anagram creator.

2. Type in your favorite word, the subject of your new book or an idea your company is playing with.

3. When the list compiles, extract the words that catch your eye. Start a blank document and make your OWN list.

4. Finally, let your creativity run wild with associations, connections and integrations that challenge your current thoughts. This test never fails to reveal new, unexpected sides to a concept you once thought was so simple.

For example:

You can’t spell “leadership” without “healer.” Cool.
You can’t spell “networking” without “known.” Whoa.
You can’t spell “marketing” without “nag.” Interesting.

I recently ran this experiment with the word attraction. Here’s what I came up with:

1. You can’t spell A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N without the word … Action.

TRANSLATION: That means more doing and less talking. How many times did you blog last week?

2. You can’t spell A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N without … Actor.

TRANSLATION: You’re method acting and the character is YOU. What do people get when they get you?

3. You can’t spell A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N without … Attic.

TRANSLATION: Clear the cobwebs off your old marketing. Stop wasting your money on phone book ads. Nobody even uses those stupid things anymore. How often are you reinventing yourself?

4. You can’t spell A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N without … Cantor.

TRANSLATION: Stop yelling and interrupting. Start SINGING gorgeously like a cantor at Yom Kippour services. (Not literally, of course. But you get the point) People might listen. Is your marketing making music or noise?

5. You can’t spell A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N without … Car.

TRANSLATION: Successful businesspeople don’t advertise their businesses on the windows of their cars. How are you marring your own credibility?

6. You can’t spell A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N without … Icon.

TRANSLATION: Your logo needs to symbolize something bigger than you. Something powerful and emotional that connects to people’s worldview. Do you REALLY think naming your company after your own initials is remarkable?

7. You can’t spell A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N without … Orca.

TRANSLATION: Be a whale in your industry. Be the man. That Guy. The Go To Gal. The person everybody who does what you do, knows. Are you The Observer or The Observed?

8. You can’t spell A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N without … Ricotta.

TRANSLATION: Cheesy doesn’t always mean ineffective. Are you willing to embrace hokeyness?

9. You can’t spell A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N without … Tacit.

TRANSLATION: You shouldn’t have to explain it. People should “get” it right away, or at least within ten seconds. Anything after that and you’ve lost ‘em. How quickly can you explain what you do?

9. You can’t spell A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N without … Tonic.

TRANSLATION: Be the pill. End people’s pain. They will flock to you. What are you the answer to?

10. You can’t spell A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N without … Traction.

TRANSLATION: Shtick might get you in the room; but only SUBSTANCE will keep you at the party. Are you a Dum-Dum or a Tootsie?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What word spells “attraction” for you?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “7 Ways to Out Attract Your Competition,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

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19 Things Successful People Need to BECOME

When I started writing books in 2002, I decided that they wouldn’t be categorized as “How-To” books.

But rather: “How-To BECOME” books.

I think “becoming” is cool. Plain and simple. Especially the last three letters of the word: -ING

-ING represents a lifelong process.
-ING represents continuous improvement.
-ING represents growth and change and maturity.

It’s like my mentor, Bill Jenkins, used to tell us when we were kids: “You are in the process of becoming what you will someday become.”

What about you? What are you BECOMING?

I’ve been asking myself that question for several years now, and I’ve discovered that it doesn’t warrant just ONE answer. Each of us is becoming a lot of different things. So, today I’d like to share my (unfinished) list with you. I say unfinished because since becoming IS a process, I imagine my list will change over time. And so will yours…

NOTE: While you’re reading, think about your own life – your own process of becoming – and consider what items might be on YOUR list.

19 Things Successful People Need to Become

1. Become a Questionnaire. Be known for your questions. Be known for your attitude of curiosity. Be known as a thinker. Are your questions changing people?

2. Become an Apprentice. Think Skywalker. Think Yoda. Find some old dude who’s achieved great success in your field. Buy him lunch once a month, ask questions, shut up and take notes. Who’s your Jedi Master?

3. Become an Asker. The smartest, wealthiest and successful-est people in the world know how to ask. They ask for help. They ask for clarification. They ask for coaching. They ask for the sale. They ask for the sake of asking. They ask for themselves. They ask for others. What are you afraid to ask for?

4. Become an Explorer. When I was growing up, one of our favorite movies was called Explorers, staring Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix. Coolest movie ever. The film was about these nerdy teenagers who built a spaceship from junkyard parts and an Apple II, then traveled around the universe. Add it to your Netflix cue TODAY. Anyway, I don’t really have a point here. I just think exploring is cool and fun and, most importantly, important. What did you discover this week?

5. Become emotionally naked. Stick yourself – your truth – out there. Just try it. See how people respond. Odds are, they’ll appreciate your radical honesty and reciprocate. And if they don’t, fine. Screw ‘em. Don’t assume they have good taste. What part of your truth are you hiding?

6. Become idea prone. Don’t just read a bunch of books on creativity. Actually practice it. Do it. BE it. See how many ideas you can come up with per day for a week. There might be a lot of crap, but certainly a few diamonds will surface. Besides, the best way to have an awesome idea is to have a lot of not-so-awesome ideas. How many ideas did you come up with last week?

7. Become immensely successful. The cool part is, you accomplish this NOT by striving to become successful; but by intentional dedication to truth, service, purpose, passion, validation, and of course, being the BEST. What type of success are you trying to achieve?

8. Become incredibly selfish. Not all the time. But give yourself permission to spoil yourself. To do something just for you. To be completely self-serving, self-absorbed, self-centered and self-involved. As long as you do it with awareness and in moderation, it’s all good. Are you spoiling yourself enough?

9. Become less anonymous. Stop being a secret. Stop winking in the dark. Anonymity is bankruptcy. Get busy getting visible. Get noticed, get remembered and GET business. Who knows you?

10. Become less rigid. Flexibility is attractive. Become known as someone who goes with the flow. Someone who’s willing to say, “Whatever…” Where are you too stiff?

11. Become marginally extroverted. Even if you’re introverted. Even if you’re shy. Even if you hate parties. You’ve GOT to stick yourself out there, at least a little. And if you’re having trouble figuring out what to say, that’s easy. Just get on the topic of passion. It changes everything. How many people did you go out of your way to ignore last week?

12. Become more yielding. Don’t try, allow. Don’t fight, welcome. Stop resisting what IS, and just let it be. Whatever IT is. As it says in The Tao De Ching, “Any over determined action produces its exact opposite.” So, think of yourself as a rock in a stream, letting the water wash over you. You’ll be fine. What are you resisting?

13. Become radically loving. Jesus and Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. did this. And their actions sent a powerful message that resonated forever, notwithstanding the fact that they were all murdered. So, sure, radically loving people is unexpected and scary and abnormal. But MAN does it make people wake up and notice you. Who hates you that you love in return?

14. Become so effortless. That people can’t even tell you’re doing what you’re doing. That you make it look easy. Like you’ve been doing this all your life. All you need to do is practice, practice, practice. What can you do without thinking?

15. Become spontaneously cooperative. “Agree with thy adversary quickly,” as it says in the Gospel of Matthew. Great advice. Kind of reminds me of a book called Aikido for Life, in which the author writes, “Unified intention can accept and redirect the most awesome brute strength … Conflict must be viewed in terms of the importance you consciously assign to it … There is an inordinate premium placed on a quick response.” Sweet. How quickly are you cooperating?

16. Become the shaper. Of your moments. Of your days. Of your life. Of your BEING. And, of other people’s thoughts. Of other people’s lives. Of other people’s BEING. Whom are you molding?

17. Become totally empty. Of thoughts, expectations, evaluations, appraisals and judgments. Now, obviously, this is a pretty tough practice to master. It takes a lifetime. But, even in the smallest moments, if you can learn to empty yourself – to “take out the trash” as Zen masters suggest – you will be able to move swiftly and brilliantly from a peaceful center. What mental clutter is blocking your progress?

18. Become unconditionally constructive. That doesn’t mean being a know-it-all, having an answer for everything or morphing into a Bottomless Solution Dispenser. It means collaborations, critiques and suggestions; not groundless criticism. Whom are you building up?

19. Become your beliefs. Stop thinking things. Stop believing things. Stop talking about things. Wisdom comes from DOING. That means action and trying and experimenting and experiencing and, often times, failing. That’s how you become your beliefs. And nobody can argue with those results. What are you talking shit about but not doing shit about?

LET ME ASK YA THIS…
What are you becoming?

LET ME SUGGEST THIS…
For the list called, “65 Things I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me When I First Started My Company,” send an email to me, and I’ll send you the list for free!

* * * *
Scott Ginsberg
That Guy with the Nametag
Author, Speaker, Coach, Entrepreneur
[email protected]

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