You have the power over the challenges and tasks you face.  You just might not know it yet.  Not too long ago I learned a new term: self-efficacy.  The concept was not foreign to me, just the term itself.

Self-efficacy is your belief in your abilities.  Those with low self-efficacy believe they are not able to accomplish certain tasks.  When they face a new challenge, they lose the battle in their head before they even start.  In contrast, those with high self-efficacy believe they can conquer any  feat.  Nothing will stand in the way.

We all have faced a new situation and thought we were inadequate to deal with it.  The results were we did fail or we barely survived.  Michael Holmes asks in his book, I Shall Raise Thee Up, “Why is it that the salesperson who can ‘close the deal’ in his mind’s eye will always surpass their counterparts who ‘hope’ the prospect can see their products’ value?”

There truly is an advantage to having the confidence to complete something.  I was placed into a key role during a team martial arts competition in front of 15,000 people, standing 10 feet away from Chuck Norris.  I had 100% confidence in my ability and the ability of my team, and we performed without missing a beat.  We attained high self-efficacy through training and practice.

It would have been disastrous if we doubted our abilities.  We would have failed and looked foolish in front of a very large crowd.  Training builds self efficacy.  Practice allows you to envision success.  The more you go through the motions, the more likely you are able to see yourself being a success.

Michael Holmes actually talks about this concept in his chapter on vision, although he doesn’t use the term self-efficacy.  He talks about the lens in which we see the world  through.  If we are optimistic and confident, there is nothing that can stop us.  Picture being a success at the start of a new task, and you already have a leg up on the competition.  You can do it!

Of all the taxes and fees that business owners must pay (and there are many), the least understood is probably the tax on tangible personal property (TPP).  In fact, many small business owners don’t even know what constitutes TPP.  The confusion is intensified because the requirements vary from state to state.  For example, some states consider certain types of vehicles to be TPP, while others do not.  Some states will tax inventory, while others specifically exclude it.

All states do agree that tangible personal property is best described as everything that isn’t real property.  Real property is the ground and everything permanently affixed to it.  So, the building and the land are real property.  The “stuff” inside the building is generally TPP.  TPP for a typical business would include computers, furniture and fixtures, leasehold improvements, and supplies.

An important thing to remember when preparing your TPP return is that every asset that is physically located at the site carries some value for taxation purposes.  Depreciation for your county’s TPP return is not the same as depreciation for federal income tax purposes.  While an item can be fully depreciated on your federal return, it will never reach $0 value on your local return until it is disposed of and physically removed from the property.

The best rule of thumb for reporting your tangible personal property is to report everything with ample detail.  If you made a significant software purchase and you’re not sure if your state taxes software, report it but spell out clearly what it is.  Your county officials will exclude it if it isn’t, but you’re not risking the penalties associated with not reporting.  You can’t lose by giving too much detail on your TPP return.

About a year ago, I was asked to read a pre-release book and provide a review.  I was floored by the content and the opportunity.  This book about how to become great had lots of practical meaning and read very effortlessly.  It was even better for me to learn it was based on Christian principles.

Page after page, chapter after chapter all offered incredible insight to the reader.  Now, Michael G. Holmes is offering the book for free!  I Shall Raise Thee Up, will be free for at least a month starting April 15th at the following link: Raise Thee Up.

I was truly curious to find out why he would offer his book for free.  Being a student of marketing, I was impressed by the answer.  He wanted to follow in the footsteps of many great authors before.  Rick Warren marketing Purpose Driven Life in a similar way and Mel Gibson even offered a give away showing for his movie, Passion.

The greatest example he gave was Jesus.  Christ roamed the region sharing His message with all the masses.  He healed the sick, drove out spirits and performed miracles day after day.  The best part of His ministry was that He never charged a dime.  His strategy seemed to work out because billions of people have learned and know His name.  There are very few people on the planet who haven’t heard about Him.  His example inspired Michael.

Michael wants to help drive the traffic to his site, but more importantly, he wants to share his message with the masses.  I think his giving away of his book in audiobook format is a steal for you!  The info in this book truly will drive you to live a better life.  You will reach for greatness in every area of your life.

I am anxious for the 15th of April, so I can download the audio.  I look forward to going through the book once more.  It really was that good.  Don’t believe me?  You have nothing to lose, it’s free.

A few weeks back, I wrote about leadership secrets learned from those who have gone before us.  To my way of thinking, there has been no greater example of leadership than Jesus Christ.  I’ve learned more about how to lead from reading of Jesus’ earthly exploits than I have in any business book, and I’ve read my share of those, too.

I’m not referring to drawing some vague inspiration from Him in general terms.  I’m talking about concrete, applicable examples of a servant leadership style that Jesus demonstrated and were recorded for us by His followers.

Jesus Christ modeled servant leadership during His earthly ministry.  While His followers argued over who would be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, He fulfilled the lowliest responsibility of the group by washing their feet.  While the religious leaders of the day were following the letter of the law but neglecting the weightier matters of love and compassion, Christ was a friend to the lowly and the sinners.

I have tried to follow that model of leadership as often as is appropriate.  Often a project will suffer from “too many chiefs and not enough Indians” syndrome.  When I’ve encountered a situation with too many people wanting to lead, I’ve found that I can lead by example and achieve much more than I would if I tried to add my voice to the cacophony of bosses spouting opinions, complaints, and orders.  Sometimes leading means just doing what needs to be done.

It can be very tempting to say “I don’t have to do that, I’m the boss” or “I’m a big picture guy”.  But if we, as leaders, are unwilling to get down to the level where the work actually gets done, we can lose our grip quickly on the processes for which we are ultimately responsible.

So, take a page from the best selling book of all time.  Learn how Jesus of Nazareth lead and transformed a bunch of uneducated fishermen into some of the greatest leaders of their generation.  There are lessons in that 2000 year old book that are entirely applicable to business in the 21st century.

Do you remember as a child, all you had to do to find a fortune was spot the “X” on the treasure map?  In our lives it is still very easy to discover treasure.  At least, we can find the things we truly hold valuable in our own lives.  The question is, will you like what you find?

The Bible offers some great advice where to look for that “X.”  “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21.  There are so many thing that we hold at great values in our lives.  There are things that we live and breathe for every single day.  What are they?

Are your treasures your family? Friends? Faith? Or even your finances?  If you think about it right at this moment, what is your answer?  What is it that you hold most valuable?  I would say it is my faith, family and quest for self-improvement.  My wife and daughter are the most important things in this world to me.  Without question, I would say they are the treasures in my heart.  I pray that they would agree with my assessment and feel they are number one in my heart.

Looking into the scope of my life, I would love to say I place value on the items that truly matter.  On the surface, it is easy to say my priorities are in the proper places.  However, how can you truly know where you actually place the value in your world?  It is easier than you think.

Where do you spend most of your time?  When you have some spare time, what are you spending it on?  Rushing to check stock quotes?  Are you infatuated with your Facebook page or Twitter account?  Or do you spend that time with your family?  The answer to this will clue you in on the truth.

Take an honest look to where the “X” in your life is.  If you are happy where your heart lies, good for you.  If not, seek to place your priorities where you want them to be.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to assume a leadership role in a variety of settings, including family, church, private industry, and public service. Different situations may call for different types of leadership. If you understand the nuances of the particular circumstance, you can choose the leadership style that will work to your maximum advantage. The best place to learn the dos and don’ts of leadership is by looking at the great leaders of the past.

Great leaders have demonstrated specific qualities of leadership that we can emulate to lead successfully. Whatever you may think about their politics or religion or anything else, there is a lot that can be learned from men and women who lead successfully.
One of my favorite leadership examples came from US President Ronald Reagan. Reagan had a paperweight on his desk with the slogan “It’s amazing how much we can get done when we don’t care who gets the credit.” That simple phrase has had a big impact on the way I view leadership. I’ve found that credit finds its own way to the right source, with or without my help. Taking that pressure off myself has allowed me to see my goals more clearly and focus my efforts on attaining the goal without wasting my resources on attribution.

For example, a recent system upgrade at my office required inter-departmental collaboration from a number of directors, supervisors, and IT staff. Although I was not in a hierarchical position to be the leader of the assemblage, I saw that there were significant shortcomings in the project plan that needed to be addressed. Because of the makeup of that specific grouping, I knew that a ‘soft touch’ would be required. I was able to guide the group to the requirements documents and lead them to the logical conclusion that some changes were necessary before continuing to the implementation phase.

It wasn’t my project. I didn’t get any accolades because the project was a success. Even so, we accomplished great things because that was the focus.

Come back for part 2 of The Leadership Secrets of… in three weeks.

There has been some buzz in the change management world about a system for change created by psychologist Kurt Lewin.  He identified three phases for change back in the early 20th century.  We still use these today.

His model uses the unfreeze, change and refreeze methods.  These methods help make organizational change go more smoothly.  We all know that everyone hates change and that the only thing constant in a company is change.

The unfreeze phase is when the need for change is recognized.  Change agents begin to trumpet the need for the change and begin to gain buy-in from the group.  Everyone knows that resistance is going to happen.  People hate change and will resist it for many reasons.  We fear the unknown and worry about how the change will affect us.

It is up to the change agent to persuade the masses the change is required and educate them.  The better prepared the group is for the change, the more likely they are to accept it.  A technique I love to use is to get those whom others really look up to and fight for their support.

When the next phase of implementing the change unfolds, these champions will set the example for others to follow.  Instead of fighting for your own buy-in alone, you have help.  As a change agent you need to monitor and make sure the change is going as you planned.  If something seems to not be successful, you can correct it.  Not all change is going to work as planned or even work at all.  You need to realize this and pull the plug when it is a failure.

Finally, the refreeze phase takes into account the change that works.  When you implement change, it can’t be fire and forget.  You have to stay on top of it until the culture accepts it.  For example, you go through all the trouble of training the next generation of workers with a new method and then they get to the workcenter and the old method takes over again.  Refreeze is the phase to stop that from happening.

I am so impressed with the innovators of this world.  People have taken the frown of a down economy and turned it upside down with some fantastic ideas.  Their ideas are saving bundles of money and helping small time or new writers hang with the big boys.  One such idea is a blog tour.

As an author, I have learned that starting out is tough.  When no one knows who you are, you don’t sell books.  On top of that, I can tell everyone how great of a writer I am, but why should they believe me?  In fact if I am so great, why aren’t other people telling you how great I am?  Self promoters are a dime a dozen these days and through avenues likes Twitter and Facebook, they are well…annoying.

As I was working a deal for my new site, I noticed this writer was going on a blog tour.  That sounded awesome, and I wanted more details.  I was floored with what she said.

A blog tour is the Internet version of a book tour.  Instead of paying thousands to run around the country and promote your book, bloggers do it for you.  People are spending more and more time on the Internet these days and usually frequent a few blogs for entertainment, news or even inspiration.  Blog tours take advantage of this.

The host or a writer for that site does a book review, interview and some even host videos about the book or its content.  These writers know the language of the daily traffic that comes through there and relate the book to them.  More importantly, these are the writers that readers know and trust.  They are giving their endorsement, not you giving yourself an endorsement.  Then naturally, there is information on where to buy the book.  Some bloggers just want the content and free book; others ask for a commission.

Writers have tour dates where the post will go to each site.  Writers can tour the world in their pajamas with the only cost being the books for the sites to review.

When you’re starting a new venture or even a new website you have to create a brand.  This is how your customers will know you and why they’ll come to you over your competition.  Most people look at branding as if it’s a game of bowling, but it’s really more like a round of darts.

What do I mean by a game of bowling?  We start our new business by trying to reach as many customers as we can and trying to please everyone.  It is like we are trying to knock down all of the pins.  The problem with this is that this takes an intense amount of focus.  In reality, you are trying to target ten different markets at one time, and none really know exactly what you are really about.

When I started my writing career, I launched a website www.inspiretomorrow.com to help my readers grow spiritually, mentally and physically.  I wrote on every single topic that I could and learned a lot.  However, it took me a couple of years to build enough content to drive any real traffic.  If I had been depending on making a profit, I would have went under in the first six months.

I decided this was not the path I originally set out on and wanted to revamp the site.  It was not an easy decision to give up on the 7,000-9,000 hits I received each month.  What did make the decision easier is that I did not have a dedicated following just a bunch of Google hits.

Instead, I got out the old dart board and pinpointed my target.  I aimed, and we will see if the dart hit the right number with my new design and branding.  I decided to focus on one audience, Christians.  The site was totally revamped to hit this one market and my one true passion.

So far, I’m optimistic.  With zero advertising, I already have hits from three continents and 13 dedicated viewers in just one week.  Once I officially launch, I am expecting to grow very quickly not because of me, rather the focus.

Before we even start, let me be clear about this one thing: the earthquake in Haiti and the resulting devastation was a terrible, terrible thing. We Americans, individually and collectively, should do what we can to help the people of Haiti recover from this disaster. I am not in the Rush Limbaugh, “Let ‘em take care of themselves” camp.

Having said that, this is a business blog, not a humanitarian aid blog or a general current events blog. So, it is appropriate that we take a look at the long term impact that this disaster may have on business, divorced from the tragedy itself.

In the short term, there are a few companies and industries that will benefit from the devastation of a small island nation within spitting distance of US airspace.  The same old, big players who rush to the rescue, to the benefit of both the victims and the company’s bottom line.  They know who they are.

A less obvious, longer term impact on the US economy will be the certain influx of many thousands of Haitians to the United States.  There will be a sudden and pronounced increase in the pool of unskilled and unemployed workers, which already is pushing maximum capacity.  Southern states, Florida in particular, are likely to be hit the hardest by the influx of Haitian immigrants.

While that’s good news for citrus farmers and housekeeping services, it’s not so great for those currently looking for a job or those workers in unskilled jobs fighting to cling to their current position.  There is a very real possibility of a flood of immigrants so extreme that it overwhelms the capacity of some municipalities to deliver services to those in need.

The writing is on the wall.  The influx is coming.  The question remains: how can you position yourself or your business to profit, or at least not suffer, from the coming events?  By proactively considering the impact that this disaster will have in your area, you can put yourself in the best possible place to reap the rewards of looking ahead and being prepared.