Category Archives: Teacher

Do You Need To Learn To Say No?

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, Teacher

The constant pressure to find innovative ways to accomplish our daily tasks at work and home is becoming even more challenging in today’s fast-paced, ever-changing environment. We all face the same dilemma: too much to do and not enough hours in the day to do them. Your time is the limiting factor, not the things you need to get done. Time management is life management. How you manage your time is how you manage your life. Time is not adaptable – but you are. To gain control of your life, you need to learn to say no.

Worth Remembering – “Whether you think you can or you can’t – you’re right.” – Henry Ford.

How much control do you think you have over your life? Please take a moment and consider that question carefully. Your answer will be a clue as to whether you’ll successfully control your time. Do you believe you control nothing in your life? Do you think you have control over some things in your life, but there are some things you have no control over, or you can control everything in your life? Where do you place yourself on that external (I can’t control anything in my life) to the internal (I can control everything in my life) continuum?

Worth Remembering – “If you are persistent, you will get it. If you are consistent, you will keep it.” – Covey.

Managing your time wisely requires self-discipline, self-mastery and self-control. What are the three most important things in your life? Is it family, friends, career or your spare time? We all have 168 hours a week – no more or no less. You are the master of your fate. You are in control of how you spend your allotted time. How much of your 168 hours a day, week or month are you spending on your three important things. If you aren’t spending some of your time on those three, then you need to learn to say no.

Worth Remembering – “Half of the troubles of this life can be traced back to saying “Yes” too quickly and not saying “No” soon enough.” – Josh Billings

To be truly happy and in control of your life is to use your power to say no. Please don’t feel guilty or afraid to disappoint someone who only remembers you when they want something from you. If you keep spending your day solving everyone else’s problems, you’re teaching them to come to you instead of forcing them to put out their own fires. One of your roles as a parent, manager or leader is to teach others how to think of their feet. You aren’t doing them any favours if you keep doing the thinking for them. Your freedom doesn’t come from your ability to say yes – it comes from your ability to say no. You need to learn to say no.

Copyright (c) 2023. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Do you need to learn to say no? Contact Brian; he can teach you how. – brian@briansmithpld.com

Unleashing The Power Of Your Potential

brian smith-pld, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Personality Types, Planning, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, small business owner, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized

Have you ever wondered why you do what you do and why you do it the way you do it? We become who we are at a very young age. We get accustomed to behaving a certain way, communicating and interacting with others a certain way, which eventually becomes us. An individual’s personality remains relatively stable throughout their lifetime. You are who you are – embrace it. Understanding your behaviour and how it impacts you and the people around you can be the catalyst to unleashing the power of your potential.

Worth Remembering: “Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to a better understanding of ourselves.’ – Carl Jung – Psychologist.

Have you ever scored an assessment tool to help identify your preferred behavioural style? They are designed to assess a person’s personality – how you communicate, interact with others, manage others and how you want to be managed. Some popular assessment tools are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Clifton Strengths and the True Color Personality Test. However, I prefer an assessment tool based on Dr. William Marstons DISC theory because it is easy to administer, and you don’t need a Ph.D. in behavioural sciences to interpret the results.

Worth Remembering: “Whatever the circumstances of your life, the understanding of your personality can make your perceptions clearer, your judgements sounder and your life closer to your heart’s desire.” – Isabel Briggs Myers

Behavioural assessments are not an exact science – just a great indicator of a person’s strengths. I’ve worked with several organizations that use them in their hiring processes to help identify their ideal candidate.

Based on Marston’s DISC theory:

D – Dominant Styles feel most content in authoritative positions and are best suited for entrepreneurs, lawyers and police or any work that displays power.

I – Interpersonal Styles prefer occupations that entail teamwork and collaboration and are best suited for public relations, sales, and marketing professionals or any position that involves working with people.

S – Steadiness Styles have a way of making others feel comfortable and at ease. They are best suited for a nurse, counsellor, therapist or any position that involves helping others.

C – Conscientious Styles are true perfectionists. Their analytical skills make them outstanding planners and problem solvers, and they are best suited as an engineer, systems administrator, actuaries or any position that requires maintaining standards and accuracy.

Stick with what you are good at and put your strengths to work for you. Scoring a behavioural assessment and determining where your strengths lie and what career path you may be best suited for is an excellent way of unleashing the power of your potential.

Want to discover your strengths? Click on the link and download a “Free” DISC E-Book. https://briansmitpld/free-download/

Copyright (c) 2023. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. To learn about Brian and what he can do for you and your organization, visit https://briansmithpld.com.

The Challenges of Transitioning Into A Leadership Role

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Personal Values, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, small business owner, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized

You’ve been promoted into a leadership role in your organization. Your management group believes you have the credentials to take on this new position. Making that transition from worker to manager or leader can be complex. It requires a different set of skills. It’s no longer about what you know – it’s about you being able to teach someone else. It’s no longer just about you – it’s about everyone on your team and what you must do to help them succeed. If your team succeeds, then you’ve done your job. But if the team fails, you fail because it is your job to give them the tools to complete the task and accomplish the goal.

Worth Remembering – “Leadership is not a position or title; it is action and setting an example for everyone on your team to follow.”

I’ve spent over 40 years as a general manager of a major retailer, a college professor and an award-winning entrepreneur. I can tell you from my experiences that managing or leading others is a learned behaviour. We are not born to know how to manage and lead others effectively, but we can learn. Here’s what I think you should do.

  • Everyone has a preferred communication style. Learn to communicate in a way and manner that everyone will understand. Whatever you say will mean nothing if they don’t get the message.
  • Take the time to listen to what others have to say. You don’t have to agree with them, but you must respect that they have an opinion and a right to express it if it impacts them or someone on the team.
  • Be empathetic. See things from their point of view. There may be things going on at work or in their personal lives that you aren’t aware of.
  • Be flexible and open-minded. It doesn’t have to be your way to complete the task and accomplish the goal. You’ll get buy-in if you allow others to have input.
  • Be patient. It takes time for people to learn new skills. Be there to offer support. You must be their biggest cheerleader.
  • Relationships are important. Take the time to know everyone on your team for more than just their work. People like to work with people they like. People want to work for managers and leaders who make them feel essential to the team’s success.
  • Establish trust. Whatever you say you’re going to do – do it. They must be able to trust what you say. Truthfulness or honesty means having and standing by a strong set of values.

Worth Remembering – “Leadership is getting everyone on your team to work for you when they are not obligated to.”

One more thing. Knowing what you know is important. That’s why you’ve been promoted. But it’s more important to acknowledge that you don’t know everything. You don’t have all the answers – nor should you be expected to. Don’t be afraid to reach out when you need help. That’s what great managers and leaders do.

Copyright (c) 2023. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you searching for a corporate training provider or management consultant? To learn more about Brian and what he can do for you and your organization, visit https://briansmithpld.com or contact Brian directly at – brian@briansmithpld.com #leadershipdevelopment #managementtraining #coaching.

The Key To Building Strength-Based Teams

brian smith-pld, Coaching, Competitive Advantage, Entrepreneurship, Leadership Development, Management, Management Training, Mentorship, Personal Development, Personality Types, Professional development, Reformed Control Freak, Self-Help, small business owner, Soft-Skills Training, Teacher, Uncategorized

Managing and leading others is not about you – it’s about the people you’re leading. By understanding our different personalities, strengths and weaknesses, we can all become more effective when working with and interacting with others. Different is just different – and different is ok. How does each team member prefer to communicate and socialize with others? Are they introverted or extroverted? What do they do well and not so well? How do they like to be coached or managed? The key to building strength-based teams will depend on your ability to navigate through those differences.

Worth Remembering – “The task of an executive is not to change human beings. The task is to multiply performance capacity of the whole by putting to use whatever strength, health or aspiration in individuals.” P. F. Drucker

I use a behavioural assessment tool Dr. William Marston developed because it is easy to administer, and you don’t need a degree in behavioural sciences to interpret the results. Marston believed that there are four distinct styles of behaviour. Each has its natural unchangeable personality, and while each has the same factors comprising their personalities, they react differently to the environment around them. When assembling your team, the key is to recruit team members based on their strengths and then put them in positions that utilize them and avoid weaknesses.

Worth Remembering – “Whatever the circumstances of your life, the understanding of type can make your perceptions clearer, your judgements sounder, and your life closer to your heart’s desire.” I. M. Briggs

Caution: A strength overused or used in the wrong situation can become a weakness.

Utilize their strengths.

D – Dominant: They prefer to lead, take risks and are action orientated.

I – Interpersonal: They are great communicators and excel at motivating others.

S – Steadiness: They follow directions and stay within guidelines and procedures.

C – Conscientious: They are exceptional at planning, setting standards and ensuring accuracy

Avoid their weaknesses.

D – Dominant: They can be blunt, demanding and appear unapproachable.

I – Interpersonal: They can be disorganized and lack follow-through.

S – Steadiness: They can be indecisive and resist change for fear of failing.

C – Conscientious: They can be overly concerned with perfection and prefer to work alone.

Your most successful championship and gold medal-winning teams are those teams that filled their roster with role-players. If you use that same concept when building your team – your organization’s competitive advantage will be your strength-based team.

Visit my website and download your “FREE” DISC Assessment and discover your strengths and the strengths of those on your team. https://briansmithpld.com/free-download/

Copyright (c) 2023. Brian Smith – Power Link Dynamics. Not to be reproduced without permission. Are you searching for a training provider for you and your team? To learn more about Brian and what he can do for you and your organization, visit https://briansmithpld.com or email him at – brian@briansmithpld.com