Selfish or Self-less

If you think being selfish is a bad thing, think again. Probably like many of you, I grew up believing that if I were selfish, it meant I only cared about myself, without regards for anyone else. It meant I walked over others, to get where I needed to be. It was considered rude, to say the least. Thoughtless, even. It was not something I strove to be, but instead, something I strove not to be. Selfless, on the other hand, was something to strive for. Caring about others unmercifully, while putting my own needs aside, would clearly identify me as an ideal citizen. Or wouldn?t it?

In the business world, it?s easy to rationalize that taking self out of the picture would produce more effective leadership. Whether managing a small or large group, it would seem that by eliminating ones own needs; the load would be lightened in general. It would make sense that if we could devote more time to other peoples? needs, we would be more effective in general, but it often doesn?t work that way. The unfortunate truth is that you often become less efficient as a selfless person. As a selfless person, you overlook you own needs. How can you be an effective leader if you don?t know what you need? How will you hold fast to your values and beliefs about running an organization or managing a sales staff, if you are unsure of where you stand?

In being selfish, you will be giving yourself the time you need to learn who you are and what you need. But first, you will need to redefine the way you see this word. In other words, create a fresh new look for the same old word. Let?s look at the word: alone. When you hear this word, do you picture someone sitting in a large room feeling sad and lonely? Perhaps, but what if it doesn?t mean that at all? Picture a young mother reading on the beach by herself. Imagine that it is the first hour she has had to herself all day. To her, alone isn?t lonely or sad at all, but in fact, peaceful.

We can do the same thing by looking closely at the selfish person. Let?s redefine selfish in a way that creates positive, forward movement. We could describe the selfish person as one that is self-assured, clear about their goals, conscious of self and knows what they need to do to be successful. They begin each day with a clear-cut list of what has to be done and how it could be accomplished.

The person that is self-less, also has an understanding of what they need to accomplish also, but considers how his/her team will respond and adjusts the goals accordingly. Although that may sound like a thoughtful thing to do, the focus of self gets lost in this way of being, compromising what you know has to be done.

As an effective, selfish leader, you need the ability to be an active listener, without moving away from the ultimate goal. This is especially challenging, if you are conditioned to listening as a way to establish what needs to be readjusted. It often takes you away from what you already know is so, in order to appease someone else?s concerns. Keep in mind that peoples? concerns mainly stem from their own fear of failing. Although their concerns may be legitimate, these are the very same fears that stop them from having the success they are hoping to achieve. Your job, as their Coach, a fearless and selfish leader, is to help them see past what stops them.

Here are some steps to consider:

1- Listen actively, with the intent on making them feel heard.

2- Acknowledge concerns as real, because to them, they are real.

3- Give them a way to redefine their concerns, so their fears become the very same energy that no longer stops them, but moves them forward!

With some practice, you will see that staying focused on self not only makes you more confident as a leader, but that others will feel more confident about your ability also, as they see your strength that comes from within?not from the variables that surround your day. Soon you will see that everyone benefits from your selfish behavior!

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Economic Growth Continues - More Than 5.3 Million Jobs Created Since August 2003
On June 2, 2006, The Government Released New Jobs Figures – 75,000 Jobs Created In May. The economy has created about 1.9 million jobs over the past 12 months – and more than 5.3 million since August 2003. The unemployment rate fell to 4.6 percent – lower than the average of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.

The Economy Remains Strong, And The Outlook Is Favorable

Revised Report Shows Fastest Real GDP Growth In Two-And-A-Half Years. Real GDP grew at an annual rate of 5.3 percent for the first quarter of this year. This follows our economic growth of 3.5 percent in 2005 – the fastest rate of any major industrialized nation.

Productivity Increased At A Strong Annual Rate Of 3.7 Percent In The First Quarter.

Real Hourly Compensation Rose At A 3.2 Percent Annual Rate In The First Quarter.

Personal Income Increased At An Annual Rate Of 6.7 Percent In April. Since January 2001, real after-tax income has risen by 12.9 percent, or 7.3 percent per person.

Real Consumer Spending Increased At An Annual Rate Of 5.2 Percent In The First Quarter.

Employment Increased In 47 States Over The Past 12 Months Ending In April. Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 41 states in April.

Industrial Production Increased 4.7 Percent Over The Past 12 Months. Over the past 12 months, manufacturing production has increased by 5.5 percent.

President Bush Has An Aggressive Agenda To Keep The Economy Growing

This Week, President Bush Nominated Henry Paulson As Treasury Secretary. Paulson has an intimate knowledge of financial markets and an ability to explain economic issues in clear terms. For the past eight years, Paulson has served as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Goldman Sachs Group, one of the most respected firms on Wall Street.

The President Has Expanded Tax Relief And Is Working To Make His Tax Relief Permanent. Two weeks ago, President Bush signed into law a bill that extends the tax cuts on dividends and capital gains. This legislation also contains an Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) patch enabling millions of middle-income families to avoid paying higher taxes in 2006.

The President’s Tax Relief Has Helped Spur Growth By Keeping $880 Billion In The Pockets Of American Taxpayers. The Administration reduced taxes for every American who pays income taxes, doubled the child tax credit, reduced the marriage penalty, created investment incentives for small businesses, and put the death tax on the road to extinction.

Growing The Economy And Reducing The Deficit Depend On Controlling The Spending Appetite Of The Federal Government. Every year since the President took office, the Administration has slowed the growth of discretionary spending that is not related to the military or homeland security. The President's last two budgets cut discretionary spending that was unrelated to the military or homeland security, and we are on track to cut the deficit in half by 2009.

If The Emergency Supplemental Bill – Which The President Has Requested To Help Fund The War On Terror And Hurricane Recovery – Includes Non-Emergency Or Wasteful Spending Or Exceeds The President's Set Limit Of $92.2 Billion Plus Funding To Prepare Our Nation For A Pandemic Flu Emergency, He Will Veto It.

In The Long Run, The Biggest Challenge To Our Nation's Budgetary Health Is Entitlement Spending On Programs Such As Social Security And Medicare. We call on members of both parties to join us in a bipartisan commission to address this critical issue.

The President Will Continue Working With Congress To Restrain Spending In Other Ways, Including Passing A Line-Item Veto. A line-item veto would allow us to cut needless spending, reduce the budget deficit, and ensure that every taxpayer dollar is spent wisely – or not at all.