Attitude Reflects Leadership

Endeavor Innovative Workspaces:

One of my favorite lines in a movie is from Remember the Titans. Gerry and Julian are arguing in a scene after  practice. They've been given direction by their coach to learn something about their teammates. Garry approaches Julian and says, "lets get this out of the way and get some particulars about each other". As the Captain of the team Gerry had a responsibility to his teammates to lead them and at this point he was far from leading anyone. The two argue for about a minute and Gerry makes some points about Julian having a bad attitude too which Julian ends the conversation by saying, "Attitude reflects leadership". I can't think of any three words that bring more meaning to leadership. As leaders our teams attitude is a reflection of our leadership.

 How are your leadership skills? Are you an effective leader? Are you setting the right example for the people you've been given the blessing to lead? As leaders we need to take time to evaluate both good and bad aspects of our team and implement ways in which to better lead our teams. Personally, when my team isn't running correctly I take a moment to evaluate my leadership skills and examine first how I am leading my team. When there is a kink in my team it usually traces back to an area where I can improve in my leadership. The following are the key areas of my own personal leadership skills I've had the pleasure of fine tuning over the years.

Setting a GOOD EXAMPLE through your words and actions is the best way to demonstrate good leadership. When a team is underperforming always look to the leadership you're providing first. Ask yourself: Am I practicing what I'm preaching? From dress code to reports, our actions need to reflect that of our requests and if our actions are different we need to adjust our current actions to meet our requests. I always ask myself if I'm willing and able to do what I'm asking to be accomplished. 

Setting CLEAR GOALS is a sure fire way to minimize mistakes in your communication to those you are leading. Your goals should be listed somewhere for your team to see. It's one thing to communicate these goals in meetings but when we list them somewhere for our teams to look at it becomes a visual stimulation and a constant reinforcement of our expectations for their performance. By setting clear goals for our team we are telling them exactly what it is we want to achieve.

 Having a VISION and an understanding of that vision for your company is a key component to your success. I can't tell you how many people I've met that have a goal in mind but lack the vision to get there. Your vision should be awe inspiring to your employees. You should be able to clearly articulate it with them and answer in detail any questions they are unsure of, explaining why each component of your vision is important to the overall success of your company.

CLEAR COMMUNICATION is one of the biggest problems business leaders today face. I can't tell you how many times I've watched the message get diluted on it's way down chain of command in corporations. Simply put, it's like watching a game of telephone unfold before your eyes (ears in this case). Losing details in your communication can cause serious problems for your company trying to implement your strategy.

As a leader of your company you should EXPECT THE BEST from your team. Sure, everyone makes mistakes along the way but as leaders we want the best so we should expect the best. Expecting the best doesn't mean we are coming down on people with a 100 pound hammer for making a mistake, it means showing them what we expect and providing them with the tools to be the best. This is a follow up to the next three steps of being an effective leader.

 A leader PROVIDES SUPPORT, ENCOURAGEMENT, AND RECOGNITION. I can't tell you how many organizations I've come into where my team is taken back that I tell them what a good job they're doing. So many leaders are quick to jump on someone's back for making a mistake but fail to praise them for a job well done. Providing support, encouragement, and recognition is something that requires effort. As a leader I've built some of the best teams by remembering to praise their hard work more often than coming down on them for making mistakes. While you can't let mistakes go unnoticed you certainly can't let the positives go unnoticed either. 

An effective leader is aware of their  teams INTERESTS AND NEEDS. By focusing on what your team is interested in you can provide your team with incentives that truly provide them with a  reason to over perform  in their tasks. In the same respect no team is successful unless they have the tools they need to drive success. When we provide the tools our team needs to be successful we are showing true signs of being an effective leader. 

A true leader has INTEGRITY. Your team will never respect you without this component of leadership. If you're lacking integrity people will see right through you and the end result is failure. Have the ability to lead your team with wisdom, truthfulness, and integrity. When you focus on being a leader that carries themselves like a true professional your team will aspire to be more like you, they will strive too emulate you because you will possess the true characteristics of a natural leader.

The attitude of your team is seen in the leadership you provide to them. If you are lacking in any area expect your team to fall short in that area as well. When we as leaders take the time to focus on being a genuine leader our teams blossom and our business models become highly successful. When we blame the lack of success on the ability of our team to preform we fail to address the true problem in our organization, effective leadership. For me this is a never ending quest to become a better, more effective leader. I do this by looking at the failures in my team and addressing those failures in my own leadership style.

Does Your Work Produce Stress or Passion?

Endeavor Innovative Workspaces:

We're all asked that question as a child, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I remember my answer, I want to be a baseball player. I can't say that my childhood dream came true but I can say that what I do provides me with a sense of pride and fulfillment from day to day.

What defines this reasoning some would ask. Well it's simple for me, I wake up before my alarm clock goes off every day thinking about the tasks I need to complete at Endeavor. I'm a business development guy and that means constantly reaching out to the unknown and developing something from nothing. I love the challenge, but more over I love the opportunity to meet new people and show them the value in what my company can do for theirs. Our services are invaluable and what we bring to the table is pure excellence. 

Not only did I find what I love doing but I found a work culture to drive that feeling. We're employee owned and everyone's opinion counts here. My team works hard every day because their success doesn't just drive company success, it drives individual success. Thinking outside the box is encouraged and ideas are praised on a daily basis. People talk about finding something they love to do, well I've found what I love to do and it's supported by a company that drives it's employees to be creative and energetic every day at work.

So if you've ever spoken to me about business and you wonder why I'm so passionate about my company, our services, our products, and what we can offer. It's simple, we live, breathe, and preach excellence on a daily basis. Everyone on our team is here to stay because we're passionate about what we do. An Endeavor employee is someone who loves to be at work because they love what they do.

Business is Built on Relationships

Endeavor Innovative Workspaces:

I'm often asked by colleagues what my strategy is on developing new business. I could spend hours talking about marketing tools, finding the right sales people, training on product and services, and picking the right networking events but it really boils down to one very important fact. Business is built on relationships.

 What does this mean though? Relationships are a two way street, and if you want a successful one then it requires work. I look at my business relationships as personal relationships and I care about the person just as much as I value their business. In fact so much so, I make it a point to get to know them just as much as I know their business.

 The first step is to relate to your client. Relating to your client doesn't always mean how your product or service is relevant to theirs. It's important to discuss these areas but it’s also imperative that you know your client on a personal level as well. Find some common ground and discuss the topic. Sometimes we get so caught up in trying to negotiate  business we forget to get to know the person we're trying to do business with. Remember, they have a lot of people with a good business plan, a great product/service but they don't always have someone they like that offers these solutions.

 The second step is to respond. After listening to your client respond to them genuinely. Let them know you understand their concerns and you want to offer solutions for their problems. I can't tell you how many sales employees I've watched who fail to respond in a way that shows they've been listening to the client’s needs. When we respond in a way that shows we have their best interest in mind it bridges the gap in our relationship.

 The third step is to reveal our solutions for them in accordance with their needs. Explain exactly how your product or service provides applicable solutions, how it fits into their needs and why it works better then alternate solutions. To know this you'll need to understand your competition and their products/services. Revealing why you're solution is the best requires you to understand their needs better than they do.

 The fourth step is to be reliable for your client. Make yourself available to answer questions, smooth over problems, and add value to what they are trying to do. When we become reliable for our clients we enable them to lean on us with trust. They begin to question our solutions less because they understand that we don't want to jeopardize our relationship, that we see value in working with them.

 The final step is to recover after setbacks. Every relationship has it's setbacks. We're never going to be able to deliver fully on expectations because sometimes there are unforeseen circumstances. Make sure the client knows just how important their need it to you. Suggest solutions, work for resolve, and find ways to smooth over the problem. Taking responsibility isn't always what someone wants, most of the time they simply want you to not point a finger and jump in aggressively to find a solution to the problem. When we work to recover from a problem we bring trust back into our business relationships because the client see's that we can accept ownership of problems and handle them quickly and responsibly.

Face Every Challenge With Optimisim

Endeavor Innovative Workspaces:

Life is ridden with adversity and challenges but what the unsuccessful fail to realize is that what's behind them is opportunity. Thomas Edison once said, "Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work". This is a quote we can all learn from. As we face adversity and challenges we need to remind ourselves that they are simply an opportunity for us to grow and our attitude should be one of optimism.

Why Optimism? Well, Thinking optimistically can be the difference between easily reaching success and falling short. When we look to our challenges with optimism we are providing ourselves with a chance to grow in those areas. It's that optimism that enables us to hurdle our biggest obstacles and project us into success. Learning to control your actions can be a major key to the optimism you have when facing challenges, obstacles, and adversity.

Write Down Your Thoughts and Track Your Progress: Set your goals in writing, this serves as a constant reminder of why you're doing what you're doing. It greatly benefits your brain to visually see what you're working towards. It's certainly ok to have fears, doubts, and disbelief but write them down with a plan to get past them. When you write things down you provide yourself with the clarity you need to reach your goals.

What we measure is what improves. Knowing that you are tracking your progress will help you remain vigilant and focused on your opportunity. Sometimes measuring success is easier than others. While tracking things like debt or spending habits may be easy, it may be more difficult to track things like how we respond to others in a difficult situation. In either case the data you track will help you stay optimistic about your opportunities. 

Take Immediate Action: Meeting your opportunities with head-on action will help stimulate the results you're looking for. Reaching those goals can be quite intimidating; however, when you take immediate action you leave no time for the pessimist in you to reveal its self. You're positive thoughts will plough the way for your success.

A wise man once said, "worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do but it doesn't get you anywhere. Stop wasting your time and energy worrying about the challenges your facing or will face in the future. The realization that worrying serves no purpose will better enable you to let go of the negativity and focus seizing your opportunities. 

While realism will constantly remind you that failure is possible you shouldn't focus on it. When you worry about failure you are simply inviting failure into your opportunity. Stay positive, think big, and focus on the positives behind the opportunity at hand. Worrying will only hurt you in the present moment and prevent you from taking the positive steps that will make your opportunity a positive in your life.

Expect the Best: Take control of your situation by knowing what your desired outcome will be. Simply put, take the "what ifs" and throw them away, the minds desire to reach its desired outcome is more powerful then you know. When we expect the best we produce the best! When you start to catch yourself thinking negatively look back at your list of positive outcomes.

Your attitude in the situation is everything, and everything in the situation is about your attitude. When we stay positive in situations we can bring down the biggest giants we face, remember David brought down Goliath with a single small stone and his belief that he could do so. The key to overcoming challenges can be as simple as sending your brain the right message to keep your thoughts focused and optimistic.

Maintain Your Commitment: We only meet with failure when we stop trying. Success is found when we make the conscious decision to constantly move forward. Setting goals that matter to us will help us maintain optimism when focusing on getting the most out of our opportunities. Always be patient with the process of your opportunities and always align what you're doing with your vision and dreams. Remember you'll get there!

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

                                    ~President Calvin Coolidge

Harness Your Imagination and Seek the Silver Lining: It's no shocker that opportunities will present challenges for you. Remember, everything happens for a reason, get creative with your approach and resolve. Always do your best to learn from each situation and examine your opportunity for the best path forward. 

There is nothing more amazing inside us than our creative nature. Have confidence in yourself, be courageous enough to use your imagination and you'll discover there isn't a single obstacle you can't overcome. Don’t let pressure own you, own pressure.

You already know that life will give you different challenges everyday, but you have to realize that you can overcome them. Realizing that challenges are normal makes them all the easier to deal with. Keep an optimistic attitude about your challenges and they will become manageable. 

In Conclusion: Your optimism will directly affect the outcome of your opportunities. How you chose to look at your situation is the resolve you will receive. Remember to write your goals down, take immediate action, expect the best, maintain your commitment and always use your imagination & seek the silver lining. Your mind is a powerful tool and when opportunities present themselves you can choose to set a plan to achieve your goals or let your pessimistic side tell you why you won't get it done. Stay optimistic my friends!

Higher Learning Institutions: A Direct Impact on the Rise of the Entrepreneur

Endeavor Innovative Workspaces:

Today's job market has exceeded 27,000,000 entrepreneurs representing more than 15% of the work force. This number is on the rise and expected to grow over the coming years. There is a shift in the traditional market space and we are witnessing an unprecedented growth of individuals going into business for themselves. So the question remains, what is triggering this higher optimism of Entrepreneurship in the United States?

Studying trends in higher level learning institutions across the United States there is a noticeable increase in institutes focused on entrepreneurship. These institutions are a fertile place for students to flourish in learning, networking, mentorship, and creative thinking. The Commerce Department’s Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE), has been working directly with higher level learning institutions around the country to collecting information that credits five specific areas for the rise of entrepreneurs.

• Promoting student innovation and entrepreneurship

• Encouraging faculty innovation and entrepreneurship

• Actively supporting university technology transfer

• Facilitating university-industry collaboration

• Engaging in regional and local economic development efforts

Promoting student innovation and entrepreneurship: Higher-level learning institutions are investing very heavy into the development of student's entrepreneurial skills. These investments are in both formal programs and extra-curricular activities. Formal programs include degrees and certificates in entrepreneurship while extra-curricular actives included programs such as business plan contests, entrepreneurship clubs, and startup internships. Many universities are even building accelerators, co-working spaces, and venture fund events to enable students to move forward with their ideas.

Encouraging faculty innovation and entrepreneurship: At many higher level-learning institutions the driving force behind our country's high growth start-ups is fueled by the research of professors and doctoral students. Many of these faculty members and doctoral students fail to realize the impact they are having so universities are putting policies in place to encourage more faculty entrepreneurship. The higher-level learning institutions are integrating entrepreneurship into the faculty selection process and increasing faculty connections to outside partners. These connections include outside business engagements, better resources for startup creation, and externships. 

Actively supporting university technology transfer: The recent explosion of Entrepreneurship on campuses across the United States has transformed the role of University Technology Transfer Offices (TTO) and Technology Licensing Offices (TLO). Instead of these offices focusing on their traditional roles of commercializing products they are now being used to connect students, faculty, alumni, entrepreneurs, and investors. These offices have taken on a new primary role of supporting entrepreneurship on campus by providing better opportunities, facilities, and radically changing their culture to better suit the needs of entrepreneurs.

Facilitating university-industry collaboration: Industries across the board benefit tremendously from these institutions research and innovative advances. Because of this these institutions are always looking for ways to better connect their students' education to suit the industry needs. Universities have put a higher demand on supporting start-up companies. Northwestern University partnered with an incubator in Chicago called 1871. Students at campus benefit from internships and collaboration with some very bright minds and 1871 is able to capture students leaving the university looking for a place to grow their startup at.

Engaging in regional and local economic development efforts: Universities and colleges have identified innovation and entrepreneurship as factors that help grow local communities. Many Universities, especially ones with land grants are requesting federal grant money to help stimulate these advancements in their communities because of their strong sense of responsibility to better their community. Universities and colleges are seeking out partnerships with non-profit organizations like Economic Development Councils and leveraging their entrepreneurship programs to help stimulate their local community though the programs innovation.

It is evident looking at institutions of higher learning that an emphasis is being placed on advancing programs focused on entrepreneurship. Colleges and universities are seeking out business partners, non-profit partners, and federal funding for students focused on becoming entrepreneurs. With the rise of college students wanting to work for themselves and create the next big idea we should only expect to see an increase in the number of startups, small businesses, and entrepreneurs coming out of our higher learning institutions in the United States. 

Coworking Space: The New Era of Office Space

Endeavor Innovative Workspaces:

We are living in the era of the "entrepreneur," and we now have large groups of  independent workers managing their careers and environments in which they choose to work in. In today's work environment, a flexible work location is more important than a personalized office. Because of this more workers and small business' are bringing their teams to coworking spaces. Here, teams thrive in a variety of diversity that create a more robust work culture for the entrepreneurs and start-ups of the 21st century. 

With 35 percent of the US labor force classified as independent workers and expecting to rise over the next few years, shared workspace will continue to become the new era of office space for small and large companies alike. Co-working spaces are beginning to make their spaces even more appealing to business' by offering amenities that are typically only found in large scale corporate offices. Amenities at coworking spaces range from Hardware, Labs, Printing Stations, 3D printers, Game Rooms, War Rooms, Technology Enhanced Board Rooms, Full Service Kitchens, Living Quarters, Cafes, In-house Networking events and the list goes on. These amenities are making it increasingly easy for small businesses to offset risk and provide companies the opportunity to make long term commercial real estate leases a thing of the past.

So what do coworking spaces provide for their members?

• Separating Work from Home. Working from home isn't for the vast majority of professionals. It takes a truly disciplined person to stay on task working from home, there are simply to many distractions. TV, fridge time, and household chores will always present possible distractions. Separating work and home life are extremely important to the successful professionals and business owners of today.
• Enhancing your Effectiveness. Coworking space reduces sick days and improves productivity. Research shows that people who use coworking spaces are more effective because of the environment they are working in. Coworking spaces decrease sick days, improve work ethic, and increase productivity.
• Avoid loneliness and get Inspired from Like-Minded People: When you work alone you're creating an isolating environment that can affect your mood. Working with others provides you with a social aspect that human beings thrive in, it also provides the opportunity to feed off of someone's positive day when your day isn't going as smoothly. The members of the coworking space have are part of an independent lifestyle just like you, and those are exactly the kind of people you want to be surrounded by. 
• Create an amazing network- Coworking spaces are a great place to meet professionals from a variety of backgrounds professions. This network of professionals  will boost your network and connect you with the most relevant people for your business, ranging from clients, suppliers or even business partners. 
• Making you Take Your Business Seriously. Ever hear the expression "dress to impress" or "you're only as productive as your environment"? Working in your pajamas decreases your productivity, your basically telling yourself not to get into work mode. Using a coworking space will make you aware of your appearance and clothing, we all like to look nice for others. When you take the time to go to travel to work every day you're subconsciously reminding yourself to remember the value of the money your spending on your business and why your skills and talents are useful to your business.
• Improving your Social Life: Coworking spaces typically host some really amazing networking events on a regular basis. The good ones work to bring the business to you by hosting events, trainings, and shark tank style meetings that bring Angel Investors in to hear you business ideas. The "normal" 9-5 jobs provide people with the opportunity to meet others and make friendships and a coworking environment not only allows you to meet new people and make friendships but also enables you to enhance your business through networking events.
• Reducing Uncertainty: Most of us working remotely will try to find the perfect coffee shop to work from. Trying to find a place that isn't going to be to crowded, the internet is fast & working, and the noise level isn't unbearable can be challenging to say the least. Coworking spaces usually have isolated phone rooms, video conferencing rooms, and quiet areas to conduct phone calls. Most coworking spaces are also available for use 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The uncertainty of having a good location to conduct business takes valuable time and energy that could have been put toward working for your clients. Coworking provides you and you business with more stability and generally a more happy and productive persona. 
• Impressing your Network. Coworking spaces are a great option to conduct important meetings with your clients and associates since they offer board rooms, meeting rooms, and casual sitting areas to conduct business at. These area's are typically included with memberships and leave a much better impression on your clients than your home office or local coffee shop will leave. Conference rooms typically boast conference calling, video conferencing, and all the latest tech gadgets to make your presentations impressive and successful. 
• Reducing Costs & Adding Flexibility.  Renting a coworking space makes a lot more financial sense then jumping into a long lease with mountains of overhead for your business. Renting an office includes taking care of installing infrastructure and taking care of utility bills that drain cash and time. In a coworking environment your space provides all the services inside your membership price eliminating the heavy burdens of conducting business. Coworking spaces allow you to gain membership to all the amenities your business needs to succeed for a day, a week or a month. Bottom line is Coworking Spaces allow you to focus on what counts: Your work.
• Accessible expert help when needed. The best minds are found inside of Coworking spaces and when you need a service for your business. You typically won't have to walk more than 30 feet to find what you're looking for, and chances are you've already developed a relationship with that professional. After you spend some time to build your social network in the coworking space, you can approach your fellow coworkers for advice on a wide range of topics like social media and digital marketing, programming, design, IT services, legal help, but I think you're getting the picture here. 
• Helping you Work in Comfort. Kitchen areas typical offer free coffee, cooking options, and fridges to help cut down on dining costs. It's easy to save money in this kind of working environment because unlike an internet cafe or your favorite coffee shop where small purchases add up without you noticing, a coworking space lets you know what you will pay upfront. Typically Co-working space is less expensive than your 3 cups of coffee each day and the coffee is always free here.

Summarizing the benefits of the above:

• Expand your personal and professional network
• Facilitated introductions
• Find new clients and grow your income
• Find talent and people to work with
• Hire and be hired
• Be more productive
• No distractions from family members
• No temptations from the fridge and TV
• Be more motivated to work by surrounding yourself of hardworking professionals like you
• Be more creative
• Share with soundboards that will improve your projects
• Better work life balance
• Work in professional environment (get out of your home and your pajamas)
• Get a professional working routine with your own schedule
• Work by yourself, not alone
• Eliminate isolation
• Increase self confidence
• Be healthier
• Better Internet connection
• Flexibility
• Reduce your commute
• Complement your work from home
• Cost efficient
• No utility bills
• No dealing with service providers and repairs
• Being happy in your working environment