studentlinc

The Leader's Daily View - FREE Downloadable Organizational Tool

Based on the success of the studentl.inc ebook, Touching All Four, I have created a 1 page, downloadable worksheet for leaders to use in implementing this practical model of personal and productive leadership.

Touching All Four provides perspective. The worksheet, aptly called The Leader's Daily View, is a hands-on tool that a leader will use to capture what's most important throughout the day.

Think of this worksheet as an organizational planner, strategic outliner, and note-taker combined. It is an intentional tool that guides the leader as he or she seeks to touch all four bases each day. It becomes the compass that the leader must start and finish with each day.

The Leader's Daily View has a fluid look, yet is divided into four quadrants. Each quadrant covers a specific area of the Touching All Four model:

·  REFLECTION
Based on the relationship between the Compass that a leader has and the commitment to develop one's character, a leader needs to spend time in reflection each day. This quadrant (lower right) allows the leader to think through the various roles, values, and priorities that guide the leader's life. Numbered boxes help to cross reference these items on other parts of the worksheet.

· INTERACTION
The Compass will assist a leader in the types of interactions that are necessary throughout the day. This quadrant (upper right) is designed for the leader to write down key people whom he or she needs to have contact with.

· ACTION
A leader not only needs to get things done, he or she needs to get the right things done. This quadrant (upper left) zeros in on action items and begins to take a look at the schedule portion of the worksheet which runs along the left side of the page.

· DIRECTION
A leader must think strategically and with the Big Picture in mind during the day. This quadrant (lower left) is designed to give the leader space to write down important areas for growth and the continued development of one's strengths (competencies).

Finally, the middle portion of The Leader's Daily View is designed to write notes, thoughts, or ideas throughout the day. It has graph background for those who like to diagram or draw information, as well as write it. The bottom of the page contains a section for the leader to write down any takeaways, or things that need to be remembered or filed for the future. There is also a small diagram of The Touching All Four model, showing each of the bases a leader must touch.

The Leader's Daily View is provided as a downloadable PDF file.

I would recommend that you read Touching All Four - Living Leadership One Day At A Time prior to using The Leader's Daily View. This will familiarize you with this leadership model and assist you in being more intentional with the various quadrants.

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/UPDATE/ I originally made The Leader's Daily View available as a download through Payloadz for 99 cents ($0.99). It's often difficult to weigh what you should give away for free and what you should charge for. But I'm committed to resourcing student leaders and I know that they don't have a lot of extra $$ resources. So I'm now offering The Leader's Daily View for FREE. If you would like to donate for this work, I've added a donate button. But if you're a student leader, please accept this form as a complementary tool that I hope you find useful.

FREE Download »» The Leader's Daily View

 Touching All Four is available through Paypal ($3.00 US)

Smiling Your Way To Better Health

"A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks."
     ~Charles Gordy

I love that quote. It helps me to remember that smiling is one of the easiest ways to change the atmosphere of a room. Some people are like thermometers because they merely respond and reflect the attitude of whomever they come into contact with. But real leaders are more like thermostats - setting the atmosphere by choosing to be positive and energizing others, despite what everyone else is doing.

Smiling at people often causes them to smile back.

But did you realize that smiling has some positive effects on your own health? I came across these health facts in some files and I don't know who I should give credit or attribute these to(if you know, put them in the comments for me, please!).

» We use 42 muscles to smile. When those muscles constrict, they reduce the amount of blood flowing to the brain and temporarily cool it down. Scientists believe that the cooler the brain, the happier we feel.

» A study of 322 college students who viewed slides of smilers and nonsmilers found smilers are perceived to be optimistic, reliable, and to have leadership ability. The students felt the smilers were calmer, smarter, more sincere, kinder, and more sympathetic than frowners.

» Researchers at Loma Linda University School of Medicine found that smiling and laughing turn off the stress hormones caused by anger and tension. This in turn increases the activity of cells that make infection-fighting antibodies, thereby boosting the immune system.

» Smiling keeps your problems in perspective. Rod Martin, a psychology professor at the University of Western Ontario, found that people with well-developed funny bones are better able to handle stressful events than those with not-so-funny bones.

» Smiling triggers the release of endorphins just as exercise does. Studies at Texas Technical Institute suggest we can actually tolerate pain more easily when we smile.

Do You Have A Procrastination Style?

If you battle procrastination, stocking up on time management resources may not be your best solution. You can read and implement all the wisdom of the ages when it comes to making the best use of your time. But you haven't yet tackled the thing that keeps you from, say, getting things done.

I wish there was a pill that one could take when procrastination begins. A productivity pill that would remove all the impulses to put things off.

Unfortunately, there's not a pill. But you may be able to identify your tendencies and change your ways before you become too bogged down in your own delays (that rhymes!). 

Here are five procrastination styles that tend to sidetrack most people. Each one includes a tactic to strategically fight the procrastination.

» Last Minute Lungers
These folks like to leave it all for the last minute. They thrive on the rush that they feel when they have to pull all-nighters or cram during their self-inflicted crunch time. They typically don't become interested in something until it reaches a point of do-or-die.

Tactic - Plan backwards, creating a timeline so that things don't sneak up or overwhelm. 

» Do-It-All Dancers
These are the types of people that constantly make extra work for themselves. They have difficulty focusing and rarely delegate tasks to others. Their lists keep getting longer and they find themselves trying to move from item to item without letting anything get dropped.

Tactic - Set priorities, be willing to let go of some things, and talk to others about their desire to hold on to everything.

» Visions In A Vacuum
Lots of people have good ideas, make plans, and envision a life of well-balanced bliss. But the dreamer in us can often be vague, unrealistic, overly-romantic, and have difficulty turning these ideas into real life goals and plans.

Tactic - Hope is found in the details. Be specific about "to-do's" and think in terms of goals.

» Not Quite, Not Yet, Never Done
This is the phrase uttered by the perfectionist.  This person has set the bar way beyond what is acceptable and spends too much time focusing on parts of the task that really won't matter.  The motivation here is fueled by a fear that there will be a mistake.  The unfortunate reality is that nothing is ever finished.

Tactic - Set time limits.

» What If Worriers
These people are the type that aren't really comfortable with large assignments.  They spend a large amount of time thinking about all of the things that can go wrong and end up not doing anything.  They are easily overwhelmed by anything that can take longer than 20 minutes.

Tactic - Break projects down into manageable part.  Evaluate one's own abilities and change one's perspective from seeing problems as opportunities rather than crisis.

Making Decisions That Sculpt Your Character

In the midst of changing fads and opinions, character is the one thing that never goes out of style. Author Warren Wiersbe says, "Life is built on character, but character is built on decisions."

Consider the decisions you make today in light of their impact on the following character traits. Think about...

Integrity -- as you make decisions about your authenticity.
Respect -- as you make decisions about what you place value in.
Relationships -- as you make decisions on how you live with people.
Personal Growth -- as you make decisions regarding your own potential.
Excellence -- as you make decisions about your best effort.
Attitude -- as you make decisions in choosing your perspective.
Leadership -- as you make decisions about your influence.