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How to get twice the work done…in half the time.

By Bob Holdsworth · Comments (1)

Thursday, July 8th, 2010

Time is money

I don’t know about you, but my ‘IN’ box never seems to get close to empty. Voice mail, email, snail mail, periodicals, industry journals, client projects, travel schedules, kids on vacation, family time, the operational demands of running three different companies and of course writing, writing and more writing.

People routinely ask me how I manage to get it all done. I work only about 45 hours a week, I’m typically able to take about 6-8 weeks of vacation every year, I’m able attend the majority of my kid’s school events and still manage to build the profitability of each business on pace, each year.

I’m not the smartest guy in the world, I don’t have 26 hours in a day, but I do have very well developed delegation skills and I’m developing a greater ability to sort, prioritize and say no to distracting offers. I also make it a point to surround myself with people who can think through problems, follow through on projects, accept responsibility for their efforts and then I LEAVE THEM ALONE. The word micro-management is not in my vocabulary.

Training, mentoring, coaching, developing and responsibility are and I’m willing to take the time with a person to do the first four so that in very short order they can take on the fifth.

The keys to delegation are as follows: Read More→

Leadership is not simply a plaque on the door.

By Bob Holdsworth · Comments (3)

Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

"Everybody wants the title..."

For many, getting a new title, a corner office, or more brass on their collar is viewed as a destination. Often the transition, the right of passage and the plaque on the door becomes an open invitation or an excuse to stop learning.

The truth about a promotion, if you’re a leader rather than a manager…is that the move up is simply a new beginning which creates an entirely new level of responsibility and opportunity. A serious student of business and leadership NEVER stops learning, asking questions, and honing their craft.

Leadership is a craft, an art, and a noble occupation. For some it’s a lifelong aspiration. For others simply a path to their version of success.

My wife has a great saying, “Everybody wants a paycheck, but not everybody’s willing to work!” In the realm of leadership, the correlation is “Everybody wants the title, but not everybody’s willing to take on the responsibility.”

I’ve been fortunate, my career in leadership began more than 30 years ago. I’ve had great mentors, role models and coaches along the way. They all taught me their version of two extremely valuable lessons. First, never stop learning and second, never ever forget where you came from. Read More→

When it’s not fun anymore…STOP!

By Bob Holdsworth · Comments (0)

Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010

Have you ever spent any time watching kids play? You should, even if you have to borrow them from the neighbors for a few hours. Kids tend to make a game out of just about anything, playing with toys, the boxes that they come in or anything found lying around, not to mention the great imagination it takes to fly like a superhero draped in nothing but a towel. Smiles, laughter, being engaged with others and truly enjoying themselves, we can all learn something very important from their example that will help us live longer, happier and healthier lives.

The most important difference between the age groups is that unlike all of us so much smarter adults, they actually stop or change an activity when it is no longer fun. B`cuz why? B`cuz it has lost its appeal, its ability to be intellectually stimulating or because something with the potential to be even more interesting has attracted their attention. Read More→

Leadership…Would you work for you?

By Bob Holdsworth · Comments (7)

Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

"Gunnery Sergeant Thomas Highway"

It is amazing to me that many of the business owners and business leaders that I meet view the achievement of getting their name on the door or moving into the corner office as a destination.

I’ve been in ‘management‘ positions since I was 18 years old, quite often ‘managing‘ people who were older than me. I’ve been in several different positions. In one I was responsible for several hundred employees, in another led a group of mixed union and non-union employees and in another coordinated paid and volunteer employees who worked side by side.

I have those two words in the previous paragraph in quotes specifically to call your attention to them. I actually don’t use them, others do, truth be told words management, manager, boss all really bother me. Read More→

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Categories : Business - General, Personal Development, leadership, management

Tags : bob holdsworth, business, career, leadership, management, Personal Development, personal responsibility, success

RESET your life, it’s never too late.

By Bob Holdsworth · Comments (0)

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Lately with all of the media hype about the ‘lousy’ economy…yes I said hype, I frankly don’t believe the majority of the stuff that’s put forth as news, but that’s for another article.

I am sympathetic to the facts that there are certainly geographic areas and industries that are hurting and thousands of people that don’t have employment but the economy as a whole seems to be working. Planes are full, restaurants are bustling, movie theaters are packed, store parking lots are jammed and people are spending money… just differently.

These realizations were actually the catalyst for this article. In this ‘New Economy’ as Dan Kennedy calls it, people have an unprecedented opportunity, in fact an obligation, both personally and professionally to take advantage of and claim their ticket to ONE FREE ‘do over’ if they are unhappy with their current circumstances.

For more than a decade now, we have taught a course called RESET Your Organization Read More→

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Categories : Business - General, Personal Development

Tags : bob holdsworth, business, career, lifestyle, Personal Development, Ultimate Outcomes