'Passionate People' is a monthly newsletter from the
desk of Paula Smith, Speaker, Author, Trainer and Coach.
It is said that Managers have Subordinates and Leaders
have followers.
 A
Leader will inspire, motivate and give credit to others.
A Leader will think about the future not just the
here and now.
A Leader will dare to take risks.
A Leader will stand up and speak out.
A Leader will want to build a leadership team.
A Leader needs followers.
So what about these followers?
Just because you have the most followers does it mean
you are an outstanding Leader or is it the quality of
the followers that determine the quality of the Leader?
Are your followers the people you want as part of your
team? Are they going to contribute to your Vision? Are
they going to stick around if the going gets tough? Will
they recognise and trust your leadership skills? Only a
quality Leader attracts quality followers.
Take a look around at your followers. Did you choose
them or are they just along for the ride?
If this is so in business what about Social Media.
With all ever increasing use of Social Media in
Business, and collecting friends and followers on our
social media sites, perhaps we should be thinking not
always about quantity but of quality. If you are using
social media for business or you are building a data
base consider not only building a number based data base
but a data base or group of followers made up of the
type of people you want to do business with.
Whether you are supervising, employing staff, leading
a workplace team or building a client base.
Think Quality. Attract Quality. Be Quality.
And aim to be a Quality Leader.
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If you have been a follower of mine, you would know
that I packed my bags and took off for a couple of
months to explore our wonderful North West.
 Having never done the Caravan thing, the first week
was a bit of fun, it felt like playing house with all
new pots and pans to play with. Then the vastness and
red dirt set in..and no home comforts in sight. Hey, I
can rough it with the best of them but only for short
periods of time as I have discovered (Darren is calling
me the Pilbara Princess because I have sought out a
salon every couple of weeks to have my nails done and
bumping into the Ningaloo Resort cocktail bar on a walk
on the beach was heaven that I didn’t want to leave,
then of course there was the Pearl Shop in Broome....)
I won’t bore you with all the fabulous and not so
fabulous spots but the highlights have been (For anyone
who likes power, hot water and somewhere to plug in the
hair straightener).
- Just doing it in the first place and not
waiting for that perfect timing.
- Fern Pool at Karijini National Park.
- Sunset walks and BBQ’s on Cable Beach.
- Swimming in the Hot Springs In Katherine.
- Helicopter ride over the 13 gorges in Nitmiluk
National Park and a back to nature swim (and bombies
off the rocks) in a remote rock pool far far away
from any living soul only accessible by helicopter.
- Bush Tucker campfire night in Katherine.
- Torch light exploration in a bat cave at Tunnel
Creek.
- Bought the best Rum in the world at Kununurra
Hoochery.
- Celebrated Chloe’s 4th Birthday with fish
feeding, playgrounds and a caravan park party.
We have met some great people along the way and apart
from the Grey Nomads there have been many families as
well who just took a break from life to create some
treasured memories for their kids.
Just arrived in Darwin where we will spend a couple
of weeks before heading home.
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Presentation skills are a must have skill in today’s
competitive business world.
Tip Number 5:
Your credibility statement.
 When you take the stage most people assume you are
the authority on the topic you are presenting. Most
people are there to support you and most people are
respectful and will listen to the message you have for
them. However there are people in the audience who will
want to question you or challenge you before you have
even opened your mouth. Even the most polite audience
member may be wandering why you are up there and not
them or what you have to offer them. In fact it would be
a shame to be interrupted continuously throughout your
presentation justifying yourself and your expertise.
So don’t let it happen. Ensure you establish
credibility before you start.
There are many ways of establishing credibility. You
can pre-send “About the Presenter” information sheets,
You can write your introduction for the MC to introduce
you to the audience or you can tell your own story early
enough in the presentation and then weave more snippets
of your experience and expertise into the presentation.
However you choose to do it, it MUST be done to
remove any doubt about why you are taking the stage.
The biggest tip about establishing credibility is to
ensure it is for the right audience. It may not matter
to a property group that you are a mother of 7 but it
may be a crucial piece of information for a Work-Life
Balance or a Time Management group.
Know your audience, establish credibility and then
get the attention and respect you deserve. You can then
engage your audience totally for your knockout
presentation or training session.
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As I mentioned earlier we have met a lot of great
people along the way (and some very weird ones) but one
message from all the Grey Nomads is “You’re a long time
dead”. Almost every retired couple has said they wish
they had started to enjoy life earlier. All they had
done is work, work, work, and are finally enjoying life
like never before. The stress of life was no more,
some do not even wear a watch anymore and many are
reading for the first time. Now I am certainly not one
to criticise hard work but what if you could change hard
work to smart work? What if you could enjoy all of your
life now and not think of Life as; Work hard for 50
years then enjoy your retirement! What could you
change in your life right now to remove a piece of
stress that is not getting you anywhere?
What could you change in your life now to give you
more time doing the things you enjoy? What could you
change in your life right now that makes you work
smarter so you can enjoy the only short life you are
going to get? And now I challenge you for one full day
to take off your watch and enjoy a “No Time Day” Eat
when you are hungry, sleep when you are tired and enjoy
living without the pressure of time. Enjoy the feeling.
Warning though...you may just want more. I am having
one of those days today, Yes I am writing a newsletter
and you could say that it is work, but there is no
deadline. I am sitting with my laptop overlooking the
pool. Not quite sure what the time is. Chloe is playing
in front of me, Darren is socialising with the
neighbours and we may go and take a stroll later by the
waterfront for a bite to eat when we get hungry. Now
this is not to rub it in....Just to demonstrate that
lifestyle does not have to mean no work...It just means
that this is a bit nicer than my office and I am
achieving the same results.
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I would love to come and speak or train at your organisation.
I deliver workshops on:
- Exceptional Presentation Skills
- Stand Out Training
- Speak and Profit
- Personal Branding for Business Success
- Leadership
- Workplace Dynamics
- Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
- Work-Life Integration
A range of keynotes for your next conference.
Guest speaker at your community organisation.
Or I personally coach a small number of clients
wishing to reach for the next level in their business or
career.
Visit the website for more information:
www.paulasmith.com.au
or accredited training
www.studiowesttraining.com.au
Or call me to discuss your needs personally 1300
852 859
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