The Barrett Leadership Blog

Upcoming Health And Well-Being Networking Expo

2009-06-28T19:44:00.003-04:00

Hello All:

I will be speaking at the Health and Well-Being Expo. Come and see what living a more productive life is all about!

Saturday July 11^th 2009

Location: Holiday Inn

Time: 12 o’clock to 4:00pm

Address: 369 Old Country Rd. Carle Place, NY 11514

Phone number: 516-997-5000

Upcoming BlogTalkRadio Interview With Walden University

2009-06-28T19:29:00.004-04:00

Hello readers:

I would like to encourage you to tune in to http://www.blogtalkradio.com/WaldenUniversity/2009/07/02/Walden-University-Alumna-Mario-Barrett-III-PhD on your computer this coming Thursday, 7/2/09 at 2:00PM, as I will be discussing the principles of leadership (hosted by Walden University). I will be talking calls, so feel free to join in the conversation.

Call-in Number: (347) 838-8488

Another Bestseller's List!!!!!!

2009-06-20T07:46:00.004-04:00

Great news, readers!!!!

I am pleased to announce that Leading from the Inside-Out... is currently #22 on Tower.com's Rhode Island Personal Bestsellers list (6/19/09).

The list is updated daily. Hopefully, your support as well as others will help the book maintain or even surpass its current position. This will help spread the conversation of improved performance and goal attainment through personal leadership development. Also remember that the companion workbook to Leading from the Inside-out...(Eleven Leadership Practices That Will Change Your Life) is now available where books are sold.

Again, thanks for your continued support.

Click on this posting's title or copy and past the following link to view the list:

http://www.tower.com/surf/top_100/top100_1.cfm?&div_id=1&cat101=52&cat102=3976

Thank You, Walden

2009-06-16T05:37:00.003-04:00

I just wanted to thank Walden University for acknowledging the accomplishments of Leading from the Inside-Out...

Copy and paste this link and to view:

http://waldenalumni.typepad.com/waldenu_alumni/2009/06/walden-alumni-author-mario-o-barrett-iii-phd.html

#2 On Buy.com's Personal Happiness Bestseller's List!!!!!

2009-05-28T15:45:00.023-04:00

Great news, readers!!!!

I am pleased to announce that Leading from the Inside-Out... is currently #2 on Buy.com's Personal Happiness bestsellers list (5/27/09).

The list is updated daily. Hopefully, your support as well as others will help the book maintain or even surpass its current position. This will help spread the conversation of improved performance and goal attainment through personal leadership development. Also remember that the companion workbook to Leading from the Inside-out...(Eleven Leadership Practices That Will Change Your Life) is now available where books are sold.

Again, thanks for your continued support.

Click on this posting's title or copy and past the following link to view the list:

http://www.buy.com/retail/usersearchresults.asp?store=3&querytype=book&qu=personal+happiness&loc=106&display=

What Is Leadership?

2009-05-25T06:30:00.010-04:00

In most instances, being a leader means going out on a limb when everyone else is playing it safe. It means visualizing something very different from the status quo and then working to bring that visualization to life. Many of us mistakenly believe that leadership equates to authority, which it does in some instances, but authority is not the goal of leadership. So what is the goal of leadership, you may ask? Well, the goal of leadership is to bring about change with the help of others, by having them buy into the necessity for, or the possibility of a new and more beneficial way of being. Leadership is about not only gathering cheerleaders (people who believe in your vision), but getting them to work with you to make that vision a realization.

Do you have a vision?

Do you see a change that needs to take place that can benefit society?

Are you wiling to take a stand for that change and speak to others in a passionate way about it, making them want to join your cause?

Are you willing to be responsible for this change occurring in the world?

If you can answer yes to all of these questions, you have great potential to become a leader, however you are not one yet, because you yet to action where your resolve can be tested.

Taking action is essential to leadership. Many of us have brilliant ideas for new and exciting ways to do things, but often times these ideas stay locked away in our minds. Leaders can't do that. Leaders have to shout their vision to the mountain top. Leaders have to be heard, whether it be through the use of persistence, determination, will, or a combination of the three, especially when few want to hear what they have to say. In many instances, leaders have to overcome struggles, resistance, and hostility towards their ideas, as news ideas tend to upset the status quo. Are you strong enough to fight against the resistance to make your vision a reality? As a leader, your resolve will be tested until your ideas are accepted by the targeted community. Are you ready and willing? If not, don't fret, many people choose not to be leaders because the don't want the fight. Are you one of them?

The following are some people, who have the same DNA make-up as you, but who chose to take on the fight to make their vision a reality.

The battle tested social activist who speaks out for equal rights.

The newly elected politician who is fighting corruption in his/her district.

The upstart entrepreneur who is challenging the industry leader with a better designed product.

The poor single mother trying to keep her son out of street gangs.

The young woman who is working hard in law school so she can one day be the first female President of the United States.

All of these individuals have positive visions for the future, and all them are in action even though they may face difficult obstacles during their journey to realize their vision.
This is what leadership is though. This is what you need to know if you choose to be a leader.

Leading Like A Conductor: Part 4-Value The Rests

2009-05-23T08:51:00.001-04:00

Leading Like A Conductor: Part 3-Rehearse For Success

2009-05-21T08:49:00.000-04:00

Leading Like A Conductor: Part 2-Hire The Best Players

2009-05-19T08:46:00.000-04:00

Leading Like A Conductor: Part 1-Know The Score

2009-05-17T08:19:00.008-04:00

I am always in search of more knowledge regarding the various forms of leadership. Whether it be Servant Leadership or Transformational Leadership, I am always trying to deepen and expand my understanding of what it takes to create extraordinary results utilizing the cooperation and efforts of others.

I recently came across Hugh Ballou, a prominent musical conductor turned transformational leadership guru. Mr. Ballou has used his roughly four decades of leading musical ensembles to guide his development of several principles that comprise his transformational leadership theory. Over the next several posts, you will get a chance to listen and learn from Mr. Ballou.

I invite you to first, decide if you agree with Mr. Ballou's assertions, and then determine if and how you can incorporate them into your life so that you too can enjoy extraordinary results, just as a great conductor does when directing his/her symphony.

Let me know what you think.

Listen In On My Latest Radio Interview

2009-04-24T14:49:00.003-04:00

I invite you to take a moment and listen to my latest radio interview.

Copy and paste the following link to your search engine to listen in:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/boxingforsuccess/2009/04/18/Leading-from-the-Inside-out-with-DrMario-Barrett

The Companion Workbook to Leading From The Inside Out Is Here!!!!!!!!!

2009-04-13T20:03:00.004-04:00

Hello all:

Eleven Leadership Practices That Will Change Your Life: The BLM Companion Workbook is now available for sale where all books are sold. Below you will find links to several online bookstores that are selling it:

Amazon.com: www.amazon.com/Eleven-Leadership-Practices-That-Change/dp/1598588966/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239667305&sr=1-2

Tower.com: www.tower.com/eleven-leadership-practices-that-will-change-your-life-mario-o-barrett-paperback/wapi/113392837

BarnesandNoble.com: www.search.barnesandnoble.com/Eleven-Leadership-Practices-That-Will-Change-Your-Life/Mario-O-Barrett/e/9781598588965/?itm=2

Thank you all for your continued support.

Plan Tomorrow, The Night Before

2009-04-11T06:02:00.004-04:00

In my book Leading from the Inside-Out..., I ask readers to develop a tactical plan for achieving their life's vision. Now, this tactical plan is long-term and tends to be very detailed in nature and sometimes tedious, nevertheless it is key to you achieving your life's vision. Jack Canfield, a New York Times bestselling author and leading success coach seems to agree with this notion of planning. In fact, in the video below, he outlines several benefits to planning your tomorrow, the night before.

Please take the time to listen to what Mr. Canfield has to say on the topic. I hope you can gain some insight and take away value from what Mr. Canfield has to say. As always, my goal is for you to begin pursuing your life's vision today.

Prevent Another Financial Crisis: Start Managing Your Credit Before You Hit The Workforce

2009-04-04T05:48:00.004-04:00

Many Americans start assuming debt way too early, as many graduating college students are saddled with over $20,000 in student loan debt alone. Add on consumer/credit card debt, and the average college student can be $25,000-35,000 in debt before he/she gets his/her first full-time job. This kind of debtor mindset is what helped to create the uneasy alliance that many Americans have with credit. Now, I would usually agree that the debt for one's education is a worthwhile endeavor in many instances. However, even this notion should be explored and not simply accepted as fact.

I believe that prior to choosing a college, parents and students should design a long-term roadmap that not only addresses the academic and professional pros and cons of attending a particular institution, but also the potential long term financial ramifications of the debt they will be taking on as it relates to the soon to be student's future financial well-being. Weigh all aspects evenly and then determine which institution best fits into that long-term roadmap. For many college graduates, a large student loan amount will be a burden that will negatively affect their financial standing well into adulthood, forcing some to rely on credit cards as the primary means of meeting monthly expenses. The problem with this way of life is that this practice has become far too commonplace in America, and is a major reason why we are in this financial crisis. Somewhere along the line, America's mindset went from cash is king to credit is king. The notion of saving had vanished until only recently, as the new mantra became "charge it."

So, I challenge you today to change your attitude, thinking, and behaviors toward credit. But we can also start with our young people before they get into the workforce, which is why we should target our efforts at America's college students (our next generation of consumers).

Please take the time to listen to Ms. Boyce talk about successfully managing credit card debt in college, it may save you and yours heartache and stress down the road.

Bestseller's List!!!!!!!!!

2009-03-18T05:42:00.003-04:00

Great news, readers!!!!

I am glad to announce that my book Leading from the Inside-Out remains on Buy.com's personal happiness bestsellers lists. The book currently holds the position of #4 on the list (3/18/09). The list is updated daily, but hopefully the support of yours as well as others will help the book maintain or even surpass its current position, which will work to spread the conversation of leadership development. Again, thanks for your support.

Follow the link:
http://www.buy.com/retail/usersearchresults.asp?store=3&querytype=book&qu=personal+happiness&loc=106&display=

Also, stay tuned for Leading from the Inside-Out's companion workbook, Eleven Leadership Practices That Will Change Your Life, due out next month.

It's an exciting time in the world, because the world is ripe for positive changes.

Start with your life.

Social Intelligence As It Relates To Personal Leadership Development

2009-03-15T08:53:00.005-04:00

I have immersed myself in the study of leadership, and I encourage you to do the same. With this in mind, I invite you to listen to world renown psychologist, Daniel Goleman, to hear his take on social intelligence's relationship to personal leadership development.

Bring play to your LIFE

2009-03-14T00:31:00.005-04:00

When did we stop playing? Most of us grew up as young adults, taking on responsibilities from our earliest memories. Well, in a world packed with duties, obligations, and increasing expectations it is time to get real about play.

As human, and as adults, we cannot keep extending our lifespan without considering how we engage life. Bringing play to our lives is a seductive and exciting way to presence our passion for life.

What is Play?
How many of us are having a hard time with a conversation about play as adults. This will require transforming our notion of play. The notion of adult play pits two important currents of life, as represented by Greek mythology: The Dionysian or mischievous, ecstatic, and the Apollonian, or rational and sensible.

Most Americans cannot fathom combining these two currents. Instead, we’ve chosen our Apollonian side. As Nietzche foretold, Western civilization’s repression of its Dionysian side comes at great cost. We’ve forgotten how to play: to experiment, to ask why not, to push our edges, and to try on new things for no practical reason, other than to experience them.

By our mid-thirties it seems we inherit a narrative, path, and destination. We get married, begin families, and/or plow into our careers. Responsibility is confused with seriousness, which seems essential to bring us wealth, and success. Play, on the other hand, simply gets in the way. Uninterrupted, we find ourselves hard pressed to experience fun as we approach retirement. Stop! Break this pattern Now!

Practice Play?
Finding ways to bring play to our lives involves giving up certain beliefs.

1. Give up how things are supposed to be. Any time you sense that things should be a certain way. Stop, pause, and consider that this is an assumption, interpretation and belief from your past – from a time that simply no longer exists. Your intention, not your past, is the best predictor of what occurs in this moment. Be here, now, today!

2. Give up having to know. Having to know all possible outcomes before acting, circumvents the possibility of experiencing the unpredictable, where fun and play live. Paradoxically, the very excitement, and energy that causes fun, springs from our capacity to engage the unknown. Replace the need to know with bewilderment and curiosity. Experiment, disrupt old patterns, see what’s possible. Learn about yourself!

3. Mix and match things. Combine rituals and routines to disrupt old patterns. Add a little wine, hot tea or hot cider, and perhaps a little music or scented candle to balancing your checkbook. Figure out what you enjoy, what inspires you, what stimulates you, and use it to reinvent current routines.

4. Lighten up! Notice your level of significance. Significance occurs in making everything so damn meaningful that we lose ourselves in our thoughts about an event; rather than simply dwelling in the experience of each event. We are too significant when we can no longer laugh at ourselves. In that moment, lighten up.

Listen, regardless of what’s occurring around us, we can always choose how to interpret circumstances, and how to act. As we approach springtime, choose to bring fun, ease and play to more aspects of your life. Your spouse, partner, friends and family will be forever grateful!

We Must Become Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable If We Want Change

2009-03-07T07:02:00.001-05:00

The Open Mind

2009-03-03T07:07:00.006-05:00

This thread is not specific to any leadership issue or topic, rather it is an open space for you to pose questions, comments, or concerns that are related to personal leadership and/or organizational development. This is your time to speak out, be heard, and get free advice from experts in the fields of management, personal leadership, and organizational development. You can also communicate with other readers who share the same interest in self and/or organizational development. Now, there is no set time for The Open Mind, as it can occur any day of the week. Therefore, if you want to participate in a lively personal leadership and organizational development discussion, I encourage you to keep abreast of The Barrett Leadership Blog's postings on a daily basis.

Be bold, adventurous, and participate by asking and discussing personal leadership and organizational development issues that concern you.

A Reminder: Upcoming Speaking Event

2009-03-01T07:02:00.001-05:00

Are you living an unhappy, unfulfilled, or unproductive life?

Don’t know where to turn for help?

If only someone would supply you with the answers to help you turn your life around.

Well…, if you are finally fed up with your life and willing to do the work to change it, we have the answers that you need to turn your life around!

Join Dr. Mario O. Barrett III, Ph.D. author of bestseller Leading from the Inside-Out and creator of The Barrett Leadership Model, as he discusses the leadership practices that will lead you to living the life you desire.

Come early and get a quality seat, as this is an event you do not want to miss.

Date: Thursday, March 12 th 6:30 PM-8:00 PM

Location: Simply To Empower @ 189-28 Linden Blvd., Bwt 190th and Farmers Blvd. St., Albans, Queens

Admission: $10.00 per person

Practicing Delayed Gratification: Can You Truly Afford Your Lifestyle?

2009-02-24T05:32:00.069-05:00

In my book, Leading from the Inside-Out, I discuss the leadership practice of delayed gratification. Delayed gratification allows for an individual to appropriately reward him/herself for achieving a goal within his/her tactical plan (the roadmap which comprises one's life's vision).

The idea of delayed gratification is that the reward should not prevent an individual from achieving future goals within his/her life's vision. Now, as we have witnessed in our current financial crisis, many people have not practiced delayed gratification. In fact, many of us practiced the exact opposite, instant gratification, by buying whatever our hearts desired, funded by cheap credit from an overzealous and sometimes unscrupulous banking industry.

Many of us were all too happy to use this cheap credit to purchase high priced items from jewelry, to clothes, to cars, to homes that are now coming back to bite us in the you know what. The consequences for American's lack of financial discipline over the past decade has led the world into a global financial crisis, which will likely get worse before it gets better. But, there is a silver lining in all of this. What could it be you ask? Well, this crisis gives us all the opportunity to take some timeout and examine our spending habits and how these habits helped get us where we are today. I believe that now is as good a time as any to begin developing our financial leadership.

Now, let's be real, we can blame the banks for giving out cheap credit.

We can blame the federal government for encouraging the banks to give out more home loans to subprime borrowers.

We can blame one anther for buying things we knew were a bit out of our range.

However even if all of this were true, we must still look inward to begin to explore and understand our contribution to the current financial crisis America finds itself in.

Ask yourself:

How have I contributed to my own financial crisis?

What questionable financial decisions have I made? And what can I learn from these decisions?

Be clear, if we don't explore this issue from an inside-out vantage point, we are domed to fall back into this destructive pattern as soon as the economy rights itself.

The biggest and most penetrating question that you have to ask yourself is: Can I truly afford my lifestyle?

Personal Finance Guru, Suzie Orman has something to say on the topic. Take a listen and gain control of your finances.

Walden University Recommends The Barrett Leadership Blog

2009-02-23T15:39:00.017-05:00

Walden University has honored The Barrett Leadership Blog as a Voice on the Walden University Alumni Blog. The exposure on the alumni page will introduce The Barrett Center's leadership principles, insights, and essays to a dynamic and global scholarly community. We at The Barrett Center are very proud of this honor. In encourage you to follow the link and see what other areas you can learn about at Walden University.

Link: http://waldenalumni.typepad.com/waldenu_alumni/

I invite you to listen to

Dr. Sharon Freeman Ph.D.,

a fellow Walden graduate

speak about social change.

Leadership, it's in all of us.

Recession Proof Your Organization: Innovate

2009-02-21T06:55:00.025-05:00

America is currently in a deep and protracted recession that is putting many of its citizens on edge.

How do we get out of it?

What should we do?

Who has a plan that will work?

Basically, what's next?

As we witness many of our largest banks teeter on the verge of collapse (both commercial and investment) and our big three car companies beg congress for billions of dollars in federal bailout funds, it is no surprise that many Americans are scared, worried, and confused about how their employers/companies can not only survive this crisis, but excel as the global economic landscape will be very different as the world emerges from this economic crisis.

Well, I have always been a huge advocate of innovation and its role in organizational success. Innovation is the creation of new products and services such as the Ipod, Microsoft Windows, the cell phone, Itunes, and high speed internet connections. Products and services such as these tend to catch the buying public's attention, increasing consumer demand because of their uniqueness, resulting in increased revenue, marketshare, visibility, and sustainability for the innovating companies.

So, what does this all mean for American companies? Simple, it means that our companies need to get back to the business of innovating and creating, which America was the world leader throughout the Industrial Revolution. Think of the Model T Ford. Think of the assembly line. During the Industrial Revolution, American companies and inventors applied for roughly 70% of the world's patents. This number is now a distant dream, as America has become more of a commodities producer to the rest of the world, than a producer of innovative products and services. Think about where your cutting edge telecommunications equipment, computing hardware, home electronics, and fuel efficient cars are produced. Is it America? Hmmm, or maybe Japan, Korea, Taiwan, or India.

America needs to get back to innovating to get us out of this recession as well as usher our industries into a new more productive era. Our companies need to get back to creating new and quality products and services, instead of resigning themselves to reaping as much short term profit as possible from the same tired ideas.

Now, I invite you to take a look at well respected business consultant, Tom Peter, as he discusses the importance of innovation to organizational success.

Bestseller's List!!!!!!!!!

2009-02-20T05:55:00.003-05:00

Great news, readers!!!!

I am glad to announce that my book Leading from the Inside-Out has gotten onto Buy.com's personal happiness bestsellers lists. The book currently holds the position of #9 on the list (2/19/09). The list is updated daily, but hopefully the support of yours as well as others will help the book maintain or even surpass its current position, which will work to spread the conversation of leadership development. Again, thanks for your support.

Follow the link:

http://www.buy.com/retail/usersearchresults.asp?store=3&querytype=book&qu=personal+happiness&loc=106&display=

Also, stay tuned for Leading from the Inside-Out's companion workbook, Eleven Leadership Practices That Will Change Your Life, due out next month.

It's an exciting time in the world, because the world is ripe for positive changes.

Start with your life.

The Current Financial Crisis Should Encourage Us All To Understand How Our Economy Works

2009-02-19T05:06:00.000-05:00

Don't subscribe to the thoughts of the individual pictured above!

How can America come out of this financial crisis if the majority of us don't understand how we got here in the first place? It is essential that we understand how our economy works so that we can not only properly address the current situation, but prevent similar debacles from reoccurring. Therefore, I invite you to sit back and learn about how your economy works. Then use the acquired knowledge to better prepare yourself to deal with the current financial situation and to better position yourself financially down the road. Also, if you learn something that causes you to raise up in arms, don't be afraid to exercise your financial leadership and share your thoughts with your political leaders. It's your right, as well as your responsibility.

Now, for those of you that are intimidated by numbers, accounting, math, or the thought of economics, don't be. Trust me, after you watch this video, you will have a much better understanding of how your economy works and what went wrong.