Maximum Change Inc

Growing as a Global Leader

Philip A Foster - Maximum Change, Inc. — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:21:59 +0000

Curiosity and the insatiable desire to learn will lead a global leader to not only embrace their experiences, but also make sense of them (Black, el.al, 1999, p 61). Through learning we are able to better make sense of the so-called ever-changing kaleidoscopic images viewed through our paradigms as cultural bias and acquisition. (Black, et.al, 1999, p 61). Black uses the image of an old and young woman to argue his point of perceptual deception.

Black, et.al (1999) uses these illustrations to explain how we might miss key facts, important relationships, and critical connections to help improve our approaches to becoming a global leader (p 47).

Until I traveled outside of the United States, I had only a small understanding of the complexities of the world beyond my borders. While we are all humans on one planet, there is such complexity that we must learn to observe, deliberate and ponder to better master our approach to people (Black, et.al, 1999, p 58). My thoughts circle back to the level of inquisitiveness we hold to seek deeper understanding of others and the environment in which they operate. The human condition appears to be sublimated to our ability to desire and achieve relationships with others. I would argue that it is through this relationship that we build understanding, mutual respect and trust.

Black, J. S. (1999). Global Explorers: The Next Generation of Leaders. Abingdon, England: Routledge.

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Philip A Foster, MA is Founder/CEO of Maximum Change Inc. Elevating leaders and their organizations to the next level since 2005. Master Certified Coach, Philip A Foster, MA and his associates facilitate effective positive change by helping organizations, leaders and individuals in high demand — design and implement strategies that maximize focus and deliver results. Specializing in Organization and Strategic Leadership.

I am a Global Leader…Mi fiel amigo y socio en los negocios [My loyal friend and business associate]

Philip A Foster - Maximum Change, Inc. — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 05:11:47 +0000

Geography, language, customs, values, traditions, laws, ethics, and national psychology are all considerations to whether someone is a global leader. Based on the reading, I would feel comfortable considering myself a global leader in context of the Caribbean and Latin America. With regard to other countries I would consider myself a global explorer as defined in Black, Morrison, and Gregersen (1999) Global Explorer as someone who is open to new experiences and understands that they don’t know what they don’t know (p. 54).

Having grown up in a predominantly Hispanic community in southern Florida, I have an understanding of many customs, values, traditions and language of the Latin community. I consider Black, et.al, (1999) encouragement to create an emotional connection with the people through sincere interests and skillful listening (p 121). This is done through an understanding of their psychology as it relates to views on time and relationships (Rosen, 2000, p 45). For example, Time is more fluid in the Latin culture with punctuality more forgiving than their American counterparts. They are also keen on loyalty in their relationships of friends and family.

My experience with Latin culture begins and ends with food. Many important meetings I’ve attended have revolved around Cuban Coffee and other Latin Cuisine. Once trust is secured, my Latin colleagues have been the most loyal friends and business partners I have ever had. In my experience It has always been about building trust that creates a lasting loyalty.

References:

Black, J.S., Morrison, A.J. and Gregersen, H.B. (1999). Global Explorers. The Next Generation of Leaders. New York, NY: Routledge.

Rosen, Robert (2000). Global Literacies. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

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Literacies of Global Leadership – The art of understanding and connecting

Philip A Foster - Maximum Change, Inc. — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:33:51 +0000

Having traveled a bit outside of the United States, there is some sense that cultural differences are challenge enough without having to lead an organization within them. Organizations must deal with worldviews that make assumptions of how things area rather than how they should be (Sire, 1997, p 16). Beyond worldviews; complexities in geographical terrain, language, laws, and customs should all be considered.

Understanding terrain aids in developing and looking for opportunities for the organization to develop relationships and pursue knowledge which can translate into an impact within the marketplace (Black, Morrison, and Gregersen, 1999, p 51). Considering the terrain of a country aids in managing high levels of uncertainty and balances tensions in the global marketplace (Black, et.al, 1999, p 87 and 95). Such tensions as customer demands, employee practices, government policies, production technologies, and competitor responses differ greatly between countries (Black, et.al, 1999, p 95-96).

Language, Customs, Values, Traditions and Laws are all part of what James Sires called cultural relativism. Cultural relativism relies on the ideal that culture will preserve itself when threatened (Sire, 1999, p 87). Cultural language barriers, for example, can severely restrict the ability to listen and effectively understand (Black et.al, 1999, p 119). Black et.al (1999) argues that any absence of cultural sensitivity will result in mistakes and may hinder emotional connection with those within the culture in which you operate (p. 120).

Understanding people within a given culture requires familiarity with local conditions (Black et.al, 1999, p 121). This understanding highlights the context from which people develop and express viewpoints and thereby improve the quality of decisions made (Black et.al, 1999, p 121-124).

Global leadership is a complex matter appearing vastly rooted in an ability of leaders to understand and connect with the culture and its people at a deeper level.

References:

Sire, James W. (1997). The Universe Next Door. Third Edition. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press

Black, J.S., Morrison, A.J. and Gregersen, H.B. (1999). Global Explorers. The Next Generation of Leaders. New York, NY: Routledge.

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January 1, 2012 – HAPPY NEW YEAR | Maximum Change to succeed in 2012

Philip A Foster - Maximum Change, Inc. — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 14:38:59 +0000

For whatever reason, many believe they can go it alone. You might believe that you can read enough books, go to more seminars, and get another degree to succeed. While there is nothing wrong with self-growth in those and other ways, it is not a sure way to success alone.

To reach an even higher potential more quickly you will need an outside, unbiased person to help you to succeed. Serious athletes, executives and high profile individuals understand the value of working with a coach or consultant. These professionals would never go it alone and why should you? You deserve to achieve all you’ve desired in life and a coach/consultant should be part of the process.

Coaching/Consulting can be of tremendous value to anyone. Most people would rate their lives at about a six or seven and settle for that. If you’re ready to do what it takes to achieve more in 2012 and start living at a nine, ten or even eleven, then contact me today.

Maximum Change offers a customizable solution tailored to your specific needs. We offer one-on-one coaching and mentoring to individuals and organizational leaders as well as consulting services in a number of areas. Our professional team has over 100 years of collective experience.

Contact us today for a FREE consultation. http://www.maximumchange.com or call us at (615) 216-5667 Monday through Friday.

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December 31, 2011 – DAY 31 | What is your plan?

Philip A Foster - Maximum Change, Inc. — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:36:08 +0000

December 31, 2011 – DAY 31 | What is your plan? I recently tweeted that Resolutions are useless without a plan. Your 31-day adventure to a New You in the New Year is just the same. Perhaps you’ve come up with some themes or areas to focus on in 2012?

Ideas are wonderful things to have but they too are useless unless you write them down! For some of you, this 31-day adventure was challenging but you stuck with it. For others you casually read the blogs and did little with the information. I am here to tell you that you can’t stand in the middle of the gym and gain muscle mass any more than you can reach your goals by doing nothing! Reaching your goals requires a well thought through plan of attack. You need more than just a laundry list of goals; you need a life plan. Writing your goals down will increase exponentially the chances that you will move toward that goal and increases the potentiality of you achieving it.

For some of you the plan is not enough. You will need encouragement and advice along the way. I encourage anyone who will listen to me that they need a good mentor, coach and sometimes even a consultant. Change requires decision, motion, momentum, and a plan.

Today’s challenge: Write down your goals and start developing a life plan. For Maximum Change in your life you might even want to contact me for a FREE consultation: http://www.maximumchange.com

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December 30, 2011 – DAY 30 | Momentum

Philip A Foster - Maximum Change, Inc. — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 18:52:15 +0000

December 30, 2011 – DAY 30 | Momentum: I have spent 30 days writing a blog challenging you to discover a New You in the New Year. I have given you many things to think about. But thoughts are useless without actions to back them up.

Momentum is a wonderful tool if you can figure out how to use it properly. All too often I see people who start out well but slowly lose their momentum. Many even give up too soon. Perhaps I am an eternal optimist, but I think that many will give up long before they actually started trying. Many times fear, fatigue, or even lost focus will kill the momentum. I should know because I’ve killed the momentum before. Somehow we get in our minds that momentum is about going faster and faster. The reality is that all you need is steady movement in the right direction.

Recently I completed a 6 mile hike in Central Southern Tennessee. The trail was absolutely stunning and with each turn was another waterfall. The sights along the trail were breathtaking. It was, by far, the most beautiful hike I’ve been on in a long time. My hikes typically start off with a nice pace. The longer on the trail, the more likely I am to start feeling the fatigue of the trip. Hiking in the mountains of Tennessee is no walk in the part either. There are segments of trails in which you must traverse obstacles such as rocks and boulders. These obstacles will absolutely slow you down and add to your fatigue.

What occurred to me is that with momentum it is not about speed or trajectory, but consistent movement in the desired direction. I had a few choices I could have made on the trail. Sit down and give up; keep going full speed ahead; or take my time and enjoy the stunning scenery at every turn. Your journey into 2012 and beyond is really about making a choice to move steadily, finding the stunning scenery. Momentum is not about the race to the finish line but about enjoying the journey to the next opportunity.

Don’t give up – keep moving.

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December 29, 2011 – DAY 29 | Passion

Philip A Foster - Maximum Change, Inc. — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 05:00:48 +0000

December 29, 2011 – DAY 29 | Passion: As a coach I often hear clients say I don’t have direction or I’ve lost my passion. My response is typically to help them consider that they don’t have passion because they have lost sight of the calling or purpose for their life. You see, somewhere along the way they have put aside the idea of excellence and settled for mediocre. I have found that many go through life rarely experiencing, much less understanding what their purpose is, much less how passion plays a part in moving us toward our purpose.

Passion is an intense driving, focused feeling, conviction, strong liking, desire for, or devotion to, some activity, object, or concept. You experience passion in that moment when you are so moved that you can do nothing but act on the very thing that is calling you. It is all you know to do from the very depth of your being. It is that burning need to go, to do, or to achieve something greater than is otherwise thought possible.

Passion is what motivates us to take the next step or move to the next level to start the next action. It brings an excitement from deep within and spurs us to act upon and follow our desires. It is the very thing that fires us up; move us forward and creates a focus of energy and effort. To put it simply, passion is the fuel that drive our purpose.

I had a client explain their passion to me like this: It is something I feel I have to do… I couldn’t ignore it if I wanted to. It’s a calling… I truly believe that. To ignore it feels like I’m betraying myself and God by robbing the world of what I have to offer through the gifts He has given me. These words are a powerful example of what passion means to someone who is experiencing its pull.

You may be thinking, ok I had passion for something at one point in my life but not anymore. What happened? The answer is in the tough reality that you either use it or lose it. Passion begins to fade from your focus over time because of the busyness and demands of life. Many have placed their passion on the back burner to simply get through each day. After a while, in this state, we forget our passion. We may then link our passion to a life dream or goal that appears too far out of reach.

I have known many a client who were passionate about something as a kid and actually pursued it through their adulthood. This can be observed with successful athletes and musicians. I have equally seen many lose traction and get buried in an avalanche of life issues.

Consider the things that excite you. What are they? What would you say that you have a passion for? Write it down!

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December 28, 2011 – DAY 28 | Change

Philip A Foster - Maximum Change, Inc. — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 19:42:19 +0000

December 28, 2011 – DAY 28 | Change: What I have discovered is that change takes place one of two ways: through a decision you have made to do something different or it is forced upon you by someone else or through a circumstance outside of your scope of influence.

Obviously it is better to make a decision to change rather than having it forced upon you. Change is not just a decision but also actions that back up that decision. A number of years ago when I decided to go back for a Master’s degree I had to do more than decide on going back to school. I had to decide where I wanted to go, what degree I wanted to earn and so on. Decisions are only the beginning of the change process. There are steps to moving change from thought to reality. Change requires a day-to-day commitment to the journey of change.

Each step along the path to change may be difficult but the journey eases the longer you are in it. That is not to say that you won’t get a bruise or some blisters along the way. Change is not meant to be easy. The change process is a systematic strengthening of self. This strengthening exercise best prepares you so that the change you seek sticks. It is defeating to do all the work only to give up because there was no staying power. As you journey along the road to change, make a decision to learn from the difficulties and struggles. Before you know it you will have met the challenge and the change will have occurred. Change does not take place in a vacuum. It takes place on the road of life. It is time for you to step out onto your pathway to the changes you need to live out a greater life in 2012.

Now that you have made the decision to change – it is time to map out where you are going and how you are going to get there. It is NEVER EVER too late to get started.

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December 27, 2011 – DAY 27 | Who are You & What are You Here For?

Philip A Foster - Maximum Change, Inc. — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 13:41:59 +0000

December 27, 2011 – DAY 27 | Who are You & What are You Here For? At the beginning of this journey I mentioned that it takes anywhere from 30 to 90-days to make changes. We are now 4 days from the New Year. If you’ve been on the journey from the beginning, you are well on your way to changing the way you think and do things.

Whether you’ve started or not, one of the most powerful questions you could ask yourself is who am I and what am I here for. I was asked that question during my first year of my doctoral program and I have to tell you that it has messed me up ever since. It’s time to get serious about our lives. I believe that we all have purpose that is fueled by passion. Start asking yourself what you would like to gain out of life. Start developing goals and plans to go for it. The only thing standing between you and who you can be is about six inches of gray matter between your ears.

Today’s Challenge: Who are you? What are you here for? What do you want out of life?

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December 26, 2011 – DAY 26 | Looking Forward More than Back

Philip A Foster - Maximum Change, Inc. — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 13:57:40 +0000

December 26, 2011 – DAY 26 | Looking Forward more than back: The closer we get to the New Year, the more we see television, radio and printed media focused on all the things that happened this year. For many, this looking back is more the way they live their lives.

I once heard the statement that many live their lives through the rear-view mirror. We focus all of our vision on this small mirror that offers an increasingly diminishing view of what once happened. It is as if we are eagerly holding on to the past in such a way that ignores the possibilities before us. We trade the wide view of the windshield for a tiny and decreasing view of what once was. We do so at the risk of running our lives into a ditch.

We have abused and misused our rear-view mirrors. They are meant as reference points to remind us of potential dangers. They were never meant to be the main source of information for traveling. We live in our rear-view mirrors as a way of controlling past pain and disappointment. Holding on to the past is our way of maintaining control of an ideal before things became difficult. When we move our focus to the windshield, we open ourselves up to a fantastic world of possibilities before us. It allows us to anticipate, plan, dream and do more things because we have a wider field of view. If you want to really make this coming a year a success, you have to change your range of view. You are either spending time looking back at what once was or forward to what could be. It is up to you!

Today’s Challenge: Write down those things that are in the rear-view mirror. Ask yourself how focusing on those things is forwarding you toward your goals. The past should only serve as a reminder to motivate us toward something better. The past should not become our addiction. We cannot change the past. We CAN have input on today and we make tomorrow possible.

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