Leadership Categories - Page 3 of 7

7 Bad Habits That Stop You From Succeeding

July 16, 2013June 15, 2013 by Kumar Gauraw

In a local business development association, I spoke about the importance of education, the importance of positive association, and how the habit of reading can play a vital role in our success in any endeavor.

That brought me to the idea of… “What are some of the bad habits that can simply do the opposite?” What are some of the habits that people have which stops them from their true potential, even though they may be talented?

We are what we repeatedly do. Therefore, excellence is not an act. It is a habit. —Aristotle [tweet this]

We can cultivate some good habits and become better, or we can cultivate some bad ones and become bitter. I have come to the conclusion that we all have some habits, whether we have developed them consciously or subconsciously. We all act and think in certain ways based on our thinking habits.

Refuse To Accept Defeat Without Fighting The Good Fight

January 28, 2014June 10, 2013 by Kumar Gauraw

Those who know me should know that I am a Toastmasters fan. I enjoy being with my club every Thursday evening. I believe it is a great confidence building platform, especially for those who want to get rid of the fear of speaking in public.

During our last club meeting it was interesting when Toastmaster Kim Vesely put me on the spot. In the Table Topics section of the meeting, she invited me to the stage with a question something like this:

What is the one character trait of yours that you think others should also have?

A Touching Story Of A Couple On The Brink Of Divorce

January 28, 2014June 8, 2013 by Kumar Gauraw

Several months ago, I came across this beautiful story through my Facebook news feed and I had stored it in my collections for future reference. Going through my Evernote today, I decided to share this with you here. I am not sure about the origin of this story or the author. But the story is very powerful and touching. I am sure you will enjoy it as much as I did.

The Story

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, “I’ve got something to tell you.”

She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

I didn’t know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly. She didn’t seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, “Why?”

Awareness, Great Attitude And Authenticity Make You Awesome

January 28, 2014June 3, 2013 by Kumar Gauraw

In a recent motivational seminar I attended, one of the top coaches from one of the top private franchisee businesses said from the stage that “Life isn’t fair.” He also added that “life isn’t supposed to be fair and that is what makes it so worth living.”

He was absolutely inspirational and ignited the spirits with his authentic talk. Everybody was moved. But I can’t forget a statement he made challenging the audience which went something along these lines:

If life hasn’t hit you yet folks, get ready because it will.

Lessons In Leadership From Sam Walton

June 15, 2013May 15, 2013 by Kumar Gauraw

There is only one boss – the customer. And he can fire everybody in the company from the chairman on down, simply by spending his money somewhere else. ~Sam Walton

Reading success stories and learning from successful people has been one of my obsessions over the years. I’ve been particularly fascinated by the success story of one of most influential men of late 20^th century, Sam Walton.

From a humble beginning, facing business challenges, learning from everyone and from failures, Sam Walton created a company that became the world’s largest retailer – Wal-Mart. With just a simple idea to help others save money so they could live better, he created Wal-Mart, the #1 retailer in the world.

How To Get Rid Of The Habit Of Negative Thinking

June 15, 2013May 13, 2013 by Kumar Gauraw

Do you realize everyone has a continuous stream of internal monologue running in their heads all the time? While walking, reading, listening to a song, talking to a friend, eating food or doing almost anything – we are always talking to ourselves in our own mind.

Our internal monologue has a powerful impact on how we feel, how we behave, and how we live our lives. Unfortunately, most of us are largely unaware of it even happening, while much of what goes on within our mind is automatically negative. Too often, this internal monologue consists of extremely unhelpful thoughts that often hinder our effectiveness, productivity and attitude.

The world as we have created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking. ―Albert Einstein [tweet this]

Some of the dominant thoughts which occupy your mind and affect your mindset in a negative way must be controlled and be diluted intentionally.

Why We Live In Denial, And How To Stop Doing That

May 17, 2013April 29, 2013 by Kumar Gauraw

Living in denial is a very common occurrence and at one time or another we all fall into the trap. It seems very natural, and at times we feel pride in living in denial. Yet, it takes a toll on our lives.

Going through an old stack of pictures I was reminded of a significant incident that had a profound impact on my thinking. I learned a valuable lesson that day. Now, I want to share that lesson with you.

It's not denial. I'm just selective about the reality I accept. ~Bill Watterson [tweet this]

I thought, just as many people coming from a middle class family think, that being rich isn’t necessarily a very good thing. Growing up I watched Bollywood movies where rich people always seemed to accumulate wealth by stealing from the less powerful and the poor.

How I Fight Complacency To Keep Up With My Book Reading Habit

May 17, 2013April 18, 2013 by Kumar Gauraw

A complacent satisfaction with present knowledge is the chief bar to the pursuit of knowledge. ~B. H. Liddell Hart [tweet this]

Have you seen people who want a better career, better job, multimillion dollar enterprise of their own but hate reading?

I have had instances where people came to me for mentorship. They wanted to change and grow. But when it came to reading, they did not seem to enjoy the process.

I Had Same The Challenge When I Started

When I first held Magic of Thinking Big in my hands and began reading, I remember the feeling of discomfort. It wasn’t very pleasant until the third chapter of the book (when the book caught the best of my curiosity and I couldn’t put it down until finished).

5 Action Steps To Build A Higher Self-Esteem

May 17, 2013April 8, 2013 by Kumar Gauraw

“You will never achieve anything in your life more than your own self-esteem”, said my business coach several years ago. To help me get started on the right track, he handed me over the Magic of Thinking Big book. I had just started my first business and I was fortunate to have such a tremendous mentor in my life.

I did not doubt what he said for even a moment. But, as I read the book, the concept began to sink in. I began to realize the importance of working on my own self-esteem.

Going through the book, when I looked back on my achievements so far, I could easily see how my own self-esteem had enabled me to go for those things. At the same time, I could also see how I had missed a few opportunities simply because I never thought I was capable of achieving those.