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8+1 Four Letter Words That Are GREAT In Business

11/30/2022

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What is the most popular four-letter word? Let's talk about it.

The phrase four-letter word refers to a set of English-language words written with four letters which are considered profane, including common popular or slang terms for excretory functions, sexual activity and genitalia, blasphemies, terms relating to Hell or damnation when used outside of religious contexts, or slurs. The "four-letter" claim refers to the fact that many (but not all) English "swear words" are incidentally four-character monosyllables. The term was used in this sense as early as 1886 in the United States and Great Britain. (Wikipedia)

Out of the 5,000 or so English words that begin with the letter “F”, there is only one word we refer to as “the F word”. The F word is thought to come from the German word fricken which means “to strike” or “to hit”. It may also come from the Swedish dialectal word focka (“to strike” or “to copulate”) and/or the Dutch word fokken (“to breed”). Some say it is an acronym for “For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge” or the Irish “Fornication Under Consent of the King”. All of these origins are still unproven, and most are considered false.

The Oxford English Dictionary suggests that “the first definite evidence for the word comes from a 1528 manuscript found in Oxford”. Going as far back as the 13th century, however, historians have also come across surprising surnames related to the term, including John le Fucker (1278), Fuckebegger (1287) and Simon Fukkebotere (1290), which suggests that the word was used far before the 16th century. Also, records from Bristol dated 1373, refer to a town near Bristol called “Fockynggroue,” which may have been named for a remote place where couples eloped. Very romantic place. TripAdvisor rates it highly for honeymoons.

Why have I spent so much time covering such a foul, vulgar word? First of all, I tried not to actually write out the word in the three paragraphs above. I believe if you go back you will see references to the F Word but not actually the word itself. If I did or if you see it in the middle of any of the words above and it causes you distress, I apologize. I just went back to re-read what I posted above hoping it wouldn't be there but I do admit I see it in the middle of some of the words.
Today I am taking back that phrase, four letter word. There are many 4 letter words we should welcome into our vocabulary and into our workplace. The marketplace needs more four letter word people. Not those who drop the F word  as often as they exhale, but people who welcome strong character building 4 letter words into their public & private life, into their workspace and into their homespace.

Here is a list of some of my favorite four letter words:

1. WORK: Colossians 3:23,24 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

This one should be obvious. Have you ever hired someone for your business who simply does not put in the work? Have you ever been the person who was hired to do a job and you failed at it because you simply didn't put in the work? Did you always do the work when you were a student? Did you do both your schoolwork and your homework? Have you ever seen a project fall apart because the people involved simply did not put forth an adequate level of work? 

Work is an important ingredient for success. If you have team members who are not willing, ready and able to put in the work, either move them to a department where they are more capable of giving you a proper level of work, or get rid of them. There is nothing wrong with downsizing a team or a company if there is dead weight in it. I have no issues getting rid of dead weight individuals.

Work is an important ingredient for harmony. If you have 100 people on a team and less than half are hard workers, you may never reach your highest potential. If half are hard workers, they may develop contempt for the ones that are not putting in as much work but enjoying the benefits. If most of your team members are hard workers, then you can succeed. Finally, if you as the head of your team are the hardest, most dedicated worker, putting the best foot forward, you will undoubtedly find that your team members will either fall in line and work as hard as you, or get off the line and make space for others that will.

2. HARD: Proverbs 13:4 The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

This is a four letter word that many people run from as if it is a plague. The word hard can either be seen as a good thing or a bad thing. If one of my friends gives me a soft love tap, I'll laugh it off and return the favor. If one of my friends gives me a hard punch in the face, depending on my mood that day, I may return the favor. If I'm coming up on a necessary stop while driving, my wife's mood will change depending on how soft or hard I hit the brakes. That's just two examples of how the word hard can be negative.

Today let's focus on the positive side of this hard hitting word. I'll start with a funny one. A hard head when it comes to kids and to people you are in charge of is not something you pray for. But let me tell you about a guy (ME) who fell off his roof on June 11, 2022. I dropped 10 feet straight onto cement and landed head first. I bounced off the floor and as my neighbor describes it, I was so perpendicular to the floor that I bounced upward, off the pavement, like a pogo stick bounces off the ground. I went to the emergency room and we all expected the worst. After numerous tests, including a CT-Scan, MRI and other detailed examinations, the doctors were all amazed that I didn't suffer anything more than a gash on my head that required 4 staples. I didn't even have a concussion. So while hard headed people are a pain, my wife (who witnessed the fall) is grateful that her husband is hard-headed.

In business, hard can be both good and bad. Some people are so allergic to working hard that they will never reach their full potential. Others are so addicted to working hard that they will never figure out how to work smart (intelligently). There has to be a real balance to your approach towards hard work. You must use wisdom, experience and discernment when deciding to work hard because the situation calls for it, and when to work smart because it is what is called for. I will admit that in most situations, it is the person who is willing to work the hardest and put in the greatest effort who will come out on top. I have no patience for lazy people.

3. BEST: 2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Whatever you do, always do your best. This should be self explanatory, but the truth is that in business, people are content with being good enough, doing less than what they are capable of, never giving one inch over what they are asked to do. Yet God's Word tells us that if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well, and if asks you to go one mile, go with him two miles (Matthew 5: 40, 41). So why are people not willingly going the extra mile for others?

Today's society is very self-centered. People are taught to look out for themselves first. Working with true Kingdom people (Christians) means that you work with a person who will always go above and beyond for you. If you are believer and you have people working for you, make sure they know they can expect the same from you. There is no more rewarding action in any group setting where the leader is willing to go the extra mile for his team, even for the leader.

4. WILL: Philippians 2:13 For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

There are plenty of people who say they want to do the right thing, but when it comes down to it, they lack the will to do so. In business, let others describe you as an individual that doesn't only have the idea, but who also has the will to carry that idea out.
You know, for years I worked for others, consulting as an employee for their businesses, working behind the scenes, desiring to go off on my own but lacking the will to do so. The day I stepped out in faith and started my own business was a liberating day, and it would have never taken place if I had lacked the will to go after my dreams.

Les Brown once said, “the graveyard is the richest place on earth, because it is here that you will find all the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled, the books that were never written, the songs that were never sung, the inventions that were never shared, the cures that were never discovered, all because someone was too afraid.” It is clear that the people who died before fulfilling God's assignment for their lives clearly lacked the will to do so.

5. SOLD: Proverbs 23:23 Buy the truth, and do not sell it, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.

There is a scene in Boiler Room where Jim Young (Ben Affleck) talks about the art of making sales calls where he explains; "And there is no such thing as a no sale call. A sale is made on every call you make. Either you sell the client some stock or he sells you a reason he can't. Either way a sale is made, the only question is who is gonna close? You or him? Now be relentless, that's it, I'm done." That's the same type of hard selling that we see in the movie Glengarry Glen Ross where Blake (Alec Baldwin) says, "A-B-C. A... Always, B... Be, C... Closing. Always be closing. ALWAYS BE CLOSING!" This is not the type of selling I am speaking on on here.

When I speak about sold, I'm not talking about you selling people on you or on your position, but rather you selling yourself on the position that you stand on. If you believe in something, it is not your job to convince others (recruit) to your position. Strong leaders make their beliefs a part of their lifestyle, their business culture and their identity. They make their position so attractive that they let others convince themselves (attract) to adopt that position. Great leaders do not recruit, they attract partners, followers, associates, supporters, and other leaders.
A-B-C, A... Always, B... Be, C... Convinced. If you truly believe that your position is the right one, be so convinced of it that you are willing to stand your ground on it and attract like-minded people. Don't ever compromise or sell your truth. Invest it and buy into it, don't sell it. Others will buy into it as well.

6. GIVE: Deuteronomy 15:10 You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him, because for this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in all that you undertake.

One of the greatest feelings I have ever experienced is the feeling I get when I give generously. To be able to give, one has to have something to give. Therefore, if your heart is pure and you don't operate from greed, it is righteous for you to want to earn more. See, the more you have, the more you will be able to give.

Philanthropy is the desire to promote the welfare of others, expressed especially by the generous donation of money to good causes. A wealthy person has a lot more to give than a poor person does. Yet even a poor person can give cheerfully. So whether you are in a position to give a million dollars, or in a position where all you can give is a hug, give it all cheerfully.

Now I'm talking about giving cheerfully and willingly, not being forced or forcing anyone to give. This is why Socialism, Marxism, Communism, and even Democracy are flawed. All of them force people to give things they don't want to give up, some going after the rich and forcing them to give, and others going after the poor and taking even from their lack. Good giving has to be willful, not forceful.

It is awesome to be able to give. When I didn't have money to give, I volunteered time. I made it a point not to say no to a friend who asked me for help. I was willing to help you move and make you dinner while you unpacked. Today I can pay someone to help you move if you cannot afford the help and if I can't spare the time. But when able, I still prefer to volunteer my time. See, I can always make the money back. When I give you my time, I am giving you something I can never get back. This is why I see the FREE half hour consultation I give away the most valuable gift I can give. I am giving you half an hour of my time while asking for nothing in return.

7. TRUE: Proverbs 12:22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight.

Please, if there is one thing you remember from this blog post, remember to always be real and say the truth. Many leaders have fallen because they were dishonest. Some of them were fairly good people. Not one of them was 100% good but many got close to it. Unfortunately they lied. They did not tell the truth.

My wife and I spent a long time in real estate and we heard many little sayings about lying. We're talking about phrases like, "buyers are liars and sellers are storytellers." Or the one about attorneys, "good liars make the best lawyers." Hey, not even us Realtors got away from this. I was once told that, "the truth is whatever the agent will invent", or "a rich Realtor is a rich predator." All of these are generalizations and lies in themselves. Not all buyers and sellers lie, not all lawyers lie and not all Realtors lie.

One thing no one can say about me, my wife or anyone we've hired at GC Rosario Group is that any of us are liars. We've vetted our people with great care. Our reputation as a company that thrives on integrity matters to us. That means that anything we say, post or share is true to the best of our knowledge.

Protect your brand, your reputation and your word. Make sure that your word is stronger than any accusation that may ever arise against you. Make sure your word is unshakeable.
Be sure you can say the same thing about your company.

8. LOVE: John 15:12  This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Proverbs 17:17 A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

I hope you're not gonna be like Tina Turner and ask what's love got to do with it? If you ask me, it is what holds it all together. As a leader, you have to have a healthy level of love for what you do. You have to have a healthy level of love for your team. As a leader, you have to have a healthy level of love for your clients or targeted audience. As a leader, you have to have a healthy level of love for yourself.

Have you ever heard of millionaires and even billionaires who commit suicide. Their bank account told a story of success and social status. Their lifestyle probably told people they were happy. Their fans showed they were adored by many. Their businesses were evidence of hard work by someone who put their best foot forward, who had the desire to succeed and the will to carry it out, many of them being sold on their industry, many of them were honest and many of them gave freely to others. So, what was missing? L.O.V.E.

L - Listen:
If I asked the five closest people to you, would they say you are a good listener? If you want to reach out to my wife and ask her about my commitment to being a good listener, you can reach her here: Claudia P. Rosario. 

O - Overlook:
Are you someone who holds grudges? Would people describe you as someone who forgives others and focuses on the good instead of the bad?

V - Value:
Do you aim at bringing value to the table? Whenever you are negotiating, the person who proves his value wins. Whenever leading, the leader who brings value to his team will attract loyal followers. Are you only looking to have people bring you value, or to bring value to others?

E - Encourage:
A great leader encourages and edifies the members of his team. Be encouraging and they will deliver more.

The + 1 ... LIVE

No matter what you do in life, make sure you have a life. While the success of your team, your business or your organization is important, it is not more important than your life. Therefore, if you are launching any project or jumping into an existing one, whether you are in the start-up phase or the scale-up phase, do not neglect the need to live and continue living a fulfilling life. Give yourself and your team the permission to seek good quality of life.

Conclusion: Leadership is demanding. Leaders will be judged by a much harsher measure. When you are a leader, make sure you study the greats and learn from them. I know I still have a lot of studying to do, but I have surely chosen a worthy model in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Who is yours?
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George L. Rosario is a Brooklyn NY born & raised businessman & entrepreneur turned consultant. He started GC Rosario Group with his lovely wife Claudia. With over 30 years of service to the marketplace in NYC, George has relocated and been graciously adopted by the business community of South Florida. He now travels the country helping businesses and organizations thrive in today’s noisy environment. The post-Covid era forced many to close their doors, but also opened new doors of opportunity, growth and prosperity for innovative thinkers. George & Claudia Rosario help companies, businesses, organizations and teams develop the necessary skillset and plan of action to not just survive, but thrive in this new world. GC Rosario Group helps both secular and Christian based institutions meet their goals. #GeorgeTheSpeaker #GCRosarioGroup
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Being Known Is No Longer Good Enough. You Must Be Preferred!

11/29/2022

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There Are Plenty of "Famous" People You Would Not Call For Help!
by George L. Rosario, Speaker, CEO & Co-Founder at GC Rosario Group
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We've Had 10 Thousand Followers, And 10 Million Followers. Quantity Over Quality Always Wins!!!
What do Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti, Osama Bin Laden, Adolf Hitler, Pablo Escobar, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles Manson, Joseph Kony, Fidel Castro, Vladimir Putin, Hillary Clinton, Sammy Gravano, Jussie Smollett, Miley Cyrus, R. Kelly, Marilyn Manson, Kim Kardashian and Hunter Biden have in common? They are all famous and you would probably not want to leave your children with them unmonitored for a year. Fame is not enough to make you trustworthy enough to be called preferred.

In today's noisy online space, only those who are adapting and delivering are winning. There are plenty of people out there with millions of followers and $10 in the bank. Then there are those that are operating under the radar and are capitalizing on word of mouth, referral business. They have figured out how to become preferred in the eyes of their targeted audience, and they have secured their place in the game. That right there is true power!

Here are two truths that will help you go from merely being known to being preferred:

  • Truth #1: 10 real, authentic, loyal fans are worth more than 10,000,000 fake ones.
I can't believe there are still people out there buying followers for their social media pages. I have never paid for followers on any social media platform. So I currently have less than 1,000 followers on TikTok, just under the 5,000 limit on Facebook, under 8,000 followers on Instagram, a little over 10,000 on Twitter, just under 30,000 contacts on LinkedIn, etc. But I get a lot more engagement than people with 10X as many followers and contacts get. Why? Because my contacts are authentic, not bought.

In growing any audience, many will tell you that it is important to "build up the numbers." There’s this mistaken idea that if you get as many people as possible to follow your brand, all your growth, production, prosperity, advancement, productivity and success issues will be solved. I say, build up your engagement. Build up your real connections. Build up loyal supporters.

Am I saying that it isn't important to drive traffic to your online platforms? Of course not. I love that my two websites (GCRosarioGroup.com and GeorgeRosario.com) are outperforming sites that have spent a lot of money trying to draw people to them. I am proud that my consulting team at GC Rosario Group has helped companies like AXE Trailers, BrandStar, Darryl Davis' Power Program, Coldwell Banker, and others increase traffic to their websites. Having a massive quantity of followers will never hurt your brand, but making them quality followers will always lead to greater success.

I've always told people you should not focus on recruiting or chasing followers, because you then become the follower. It is far more important to attract followers. Traffic is a commodity in today's noisy world, that is worthless and means nothing if it doesn't lead to decisive, productive, authentic, communicative action. So instead of focusing on quantity, my team focuses on getting you quality and therefore measuring the ROI per follower. Don't just have the audience. Learn how to monetize the audience by authentically engaging your audience.

Startups often fall into the numbers game, but they are not exclusively guilty of this. There are celebrities that fall apart if they lose a few thousand followers on their social media, but who never actually interact with these followers. There are politicians who think that the number of followers on their social media accounts will translate into voters. Did you know that both President Donald J. Trump and President Joe Biden had just as many haters following them on social media as they had fans? As a matter of fact, the Kardashians have more haters following them on social media than they have fans!

Meanwhile, Great American Media which owns Great American Family, Great American Living, and a slew of other Christian, faith-based, family friendly, non-compromising programing platforms that are quickly climbing the success ladder of today's entertainment media scene. See, in a space where most programming has gone far-left liberal, adopting the woke, cancel culture mentality, the folks at GAC Media, LLC*, led by private equity investor Tom Hicks, and William J. "Bill" Abbott (former President and CEO of Crown Media Family Networks, the parent of Hallmark Channel and Hallmark Movies & Mysteries), have taken a brave stand against the norm. These folks took a leap of faith (literally), not focused on acquiring fake followers. They went against the current flow in the entertainment business to offer the American public a more wholesome alternative the whole family can enjoy.

GAC Media LLC, dba Great American Media Owns of Great American Family & Great American Living

*GAC Media, LLC, doing business as Great American Media, is a Fort Worth, Texas-based media company, and owner of the U.S. cable networks Great American Family and Great American Living. You can learn a lot more about this wholesome American love project at Great American Community.

Stop worrying about the number of followers and focus more on the number of authentic followers who are actually interacting with you. If you have 1,000,000 followers on Instagram but only 1% interacts with you (like, share and comment), you probably bought most of your followers. If someone likes your stuff, like theirs, share theirs, connect with them, comment on their posts, and if possible, support their business, organization, etc., if it aligns with your own values, mission and vision.

1,000,000 Followers Who Do Not Engage With You Are Nothing More Than Online Noise.

Whether you are offering a physical product or a service, at the end of the day you are selling trust in your brand. So find the most productive way to offer your product or service, and make sure your customers and clients are satisfied. Let them be your walking billboard and let them build your traffic for you.

The above advice is true for business, political campaigns, churches, schools, etc. Any business or service endeavor that depends on your ability to convince people to choose you over the competition will rely on authentic engagement over fake numbers.

  • Truth #2: Let them buy your brand's culture before they buy your product or service.
Do you really believe there is no cell phone greater than the iPhone available today? Do you really believe a celebrity endorsed perfume will make you smell better, or a celebrity endorsed lipstick will make you prettier, or a pair of Jordan sneakers will make you a better basketball player, or a Rolex watch will make time tick at a different speed? Do you really need a Rolls Royce or Lamborghini in your driveway to get to and from the grocery store? These products are successful because they stand firm on what they stand for.

Candace Cameron Bure, Executive, Producer & Actress at GAC Family & Sibling Channel GAC Living

Before you launch your brand, make sure you know what your brand stands for. For example, Candace Cameron Bure, the refreshing Christian face of the GAC Media, LLC, doing business as Great American Media has made it perfectly clear that her brand stands for traditional Christian values. While some are expressing opposition to what they call "non-inclusive programming", the vast majority of Americans are supportive of the networks move away from the wokeness norm in today's woke media world, and are in favor of it's non-compromising dedication to Christian, Bible-based principles.

Kirk Thomas Cameron (Born October 12, 1970) American Actor and Evangelist

Her brother, Kirk Cameron is also on a faith-based journey. Kirk Cameron is known by millions as “Mike Seaver” from the 1980’s hit sit-com, GROWING PAINS. Since then, he’s invested his time and energy into faith and family-focused films, television shows, and live events. These projects include FIREPROOF -the marriage-centered film that became the #1 inspirational movie of the year. (taken from his website).

CONCLUSION:
Know what your brand stands for. Stand firm on your beliefs, your mission statement and your values. Push past the opposition. Be brave enough to go against the norm, if it is not flowing in the direction of what God has assigned for you in your life. Stay true and authentic to who you are, and who you have been called to become. The right followers will find a path or build a bridge to you and your brand will find sustained success. Don't just seek fame. Strive to be preferred.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
George L. Rosario Profile Pic
George L. Rosario aka #GeorgeTheSpeaker
George L. Rosario is a Brooklyn NY born & raised businessman & entrepreneur turned consultant. He started GC Rosario Group with his lovely wife Claudia. With over 30 years of service to the marketplace in NYC, George has relocated and been graciously adopted by the business community of South Florida. He now travels the country helping businesses and organizations thrive in today’s noisy environment. The post-Covid era forced many to close their doors, but also opened new doors of opportunity, growth and prosperity for innovative thinkers. George & Claudia Rosario help companies, businesses, organizations and teams develop the necessary skillset and plan of action to not just survive, but thrive in this new world. GC Rosario Group helps both secular and Christian based institutions meet their goals. #GeorgeTheSpeaker #GCRosarioGroup
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7 Steps to Gain Lifelong Friends in Business

11/2/2022

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by George L. Rosario aka #GeorgeTheSpeaker, CEO & Co-Founder at GC Rosario Group

1. Be Authentically You
Have you ever had a business contact or business partner in the past who was revealed to be a fraud? Fake friends break your heart. Fake friends break your bank account. Perhaps that partnership was all one-sided. Perhaps it seemed authentic because on the surface, they gave as much as they received. What thoughts come to mind when you think of those people?

How would you feel if you found out someone is saying this about you? What if you've come across as a fraud to a friend or a business partner?

There is no place in your business for anyone who lacks authenticity, especially if as a leader, that person is you. There is no real honor or sustainable success if you fake it 'til you make it. Honor comes to those who are themselves, and are only someone different when they grow and evolve into someone different and better. It is OK to be imperfect. It is OK to have flaws. Honesty will allow your partners to rely on your strengths and help you work through your flaws.

When you are honest with yourself and others, you will feel comfortable though any circumstance that you and your partners face together.


2. Be Authentically Authentic
Stop with the excuses.Mean what you say and say what you mean, and present it all in love and with growth in mind. Learn to say yes when you can and no when you need to. Keeping promises is a better reputation builder than breaking them. When possible, deliver a greater service than you promise to deliver.

In my life, I've grown closer to friends and colleagues who are real with me than with those that yes me to death (or bankruptcy). For example, honesty is what made Ernst Achildiyev one of my most trusted business contacts, Patrick Powell one of my favorite people to work with, and Michael Goldberg one of my go-to guys in the real estate world, Darryl Davis a trusted speaking mentor, and Roel Patterson my most prized intercoastal and international business connection. As a matter of fact, it is the "Making it Real" approach that showed me I had to make a pretty, young, feisty colombian my Kingdom Queen, my wife. Mrs. Claudia P. Rosario definitely keeps it real, and is never afraid of sharing some tough love with me and with others.


3. Be Authentically Interested
Are you familiar with the scene in glengarry Glen Ross when sales guru and trainer Blake (Alec Baldwin) yells at Sheldon "Shelley the Machine" Levene those famous words; "Put that coffee down." You know how many times I've been in a room where a speaker or trainer is giving and wanted to yell, "put that cellphone down" to those who have their noses stuck in their phones.

If you are truly honest (point #2), you know that you are guilty of being in a room and not being present in that room. I'm talking about those moments when you are hearing the sound of a person's voice without listening to the person's message. 

A great business partner is one that carves out time to engage in active listening when you are together. It proves how good a friend/partner you are. Put the phone down. Make eye contact. Take notes if necessary. Be fully engaged and fully interested. A good business partner or service provider will be genuinely interested in what you have to say. Reciprocate that respect.

4. Be Authentically Generous
Give more than you receive. Go the extra mile. Whoever sows generously will also reap generously (2 Corinthians 9:6-8).

Time is the one thing in life you cannot get back, and even if you live past 100, you have very little of it here. Be generous with your time and if your partner is appreciative of it, keep that business partner. If your business partner does not appreciate you sacrificing your time, let them go, they aren't worth it.

Be prepared to receive the same consideration. Make every moment count. Respect your colleagues' time. Treat the time you spend with a business partner, a colleague or a client as precious, because it is! When you make time for someone who matters to your business, it means you in being generous with your most important commodity; time. It tells others that if you are willing to give them this, you are willing to be generous with your effort, your resources and your success.


5. Be Authentically Loyal
If you asked the people you work with to describe you in one word, would they ever use the word loyal? Would you describe your business partners as loyal to you? Would you consider them someone that can be lifelong friends? Would they consider you a lifelong friend?

How do you build loyalty? You respect each other even when you make mistakes, and leaders, partners, equals and followers will make mistakes. You walk together through mistakes. You stick together through highs and lows. mourn and celebrate through every season of your business' existence.


Loyalty also requires trust. Have you ever told someone something you believed you were sharing in confidence, believing they would take it with them to the grave, only to have that person share it with others as soon as they leave your sight? A loyal business contact sticks closer than a brother and protects your reputation as if it were his life. If you are considered someone who others can confide in, they will trust you with their deepest secrets and will be loyal to you regardless of what comes their way. 

6. Be Authentically Uplifting
Edification is key to your success. Don't always chase recognition and praise. Instead, give others credit where credit is due, and be the lever that lifts them up above yourself. Good business partners understand this. They can sit and listen and will expect you to do the same. A good business partner will expect you to be transparent with him and will be transparent with you. More importantly, a good business partner will find ways to encourage you. You must encourage and edify your partners as well.

Being uplifting to others is difficult when you are facing hard times, tough obstacles and your own stressful, depressing struggles. This is why experts recommend that those in leadership positions surround themselves with supportive people they can turn to when they are facing difficulties. That way, as a leader, you can have confidants that can walk with you through these moments, together.

Great partners should celebrate great moments with each other, recognize each other's accomplishments, highlight the wins, and also uplift each other when the tide turns.


7. Be Authentically Resolving
One of the greatest talents a great leader has is the ability to solve problems. I would go as far as to say that it is the greatest talent of a great leader. You can probably think of a President that caused more problems than the ones they solved, and another President who has fixed the problems that previous administrations caused. The same is true in business.

You can probably point to a leader in your past or present business life that is a great problem solver, and another so-called leader who is great at creating problems. Conflict resolution is a tall wall for new leaders to climb on their way to being great leaders. Be a problem solver and you will surely be seen as a great business leader, and a great potential partner for other in business, and help you develop life-long relationships that both sides will see as time worthy friendships. 


Conclusion:

Genuine business friends have each other's backs. This is especially true when either person on the side of the friendship is walking on the wrong path.  As a Christian, I pray the Lord's Prayer, which finishes with "lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." I believe God puts trustworthy (as trustworthy as a person could be) in your life to help deliver you from evil.

I lost a great life-long business friend years ago. How can this person be a life-long business friend and not be in my life now? Simple. He was my friend for as long as he lived, so we were life-long business partners for the entire duration of his life. I have many great business friends but none has replaced him. Not because they aren't great, but because they are great in their ways, not is his ways. Value your life-long friends because this life here is not forever. I pray God will bring you great life-long business friends. I pray that you have the privilege of being someone else's valued life-long business friend.
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My Top 20 Tips To Improve Your Presentation Skills

11/1/2022

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by George L. Rosario for GC Rosario Group

Glossophobia or the fear of public speaking is the one social phobia that is the most common fear amongst people of all ages. It is considered an anxiety disorder and includes excessive self-consciousness when presented with any social situation where the sufferer is expected to speak in front of others. The fear of public speaking is more common than the fear of death. Public speaking can be remarkably nerve-racking.

Being a great presenter is difficult for those who were not born with a natural desire to be in front of people. Presentation skills are usually tough for those not born with natural eloquence. And even for those who are comfortable in intimate settings, when presented with an opportunity to present in front of strangers, coworkers or larger groups, they experience a phenomenon we call stage freight.

The most valuable lesson I’ve learned from being a public speaker is that it is key to develop a personal, unique speaking style that matches your personality. You should never try to imitate another great speaker word for word, energy for energy, style for style. You will never come across as trustworthy unless you come across as yourself.

Here are my top 20 tips to improve your presentation skills:

1. Practice Makes You Better
A clean mirror is your best friend.

One of the best ways to become a better presenter is to rehearse your presentation several times, preferably in front of a mirror. You never want to just wing it. Even if your time is limited, make the time to practice your presentation. Write out your speech and read it at least 50 times before the day of presentation. Studies show that if you write it out with blue ink on white paper, your brain will remember it clearer.

Practice the presentation in different scenarios. Strategists suggest that if you rehearse your presentation in different scenarios, in different positions, and in different environments, you’ll remember better. For example, you may want to practice it early in the morning, then late at night. You may want to practice it in a suit, then in jeans and a t-shirt, then in pajamas, then in your underwear, etc. You may want to practice it standing up, sitting down and even laying down. You may want to practice it in a cold setting, and then in a hot setting. I often record myself reading the presentation, and then listen to it while I jog or work out.

Finally, don’t limit yourself by practicing it by yourself and no one else. Rehearse it by yourself, and then do a couple of practice runs for a friend, family member or colleague, who does not hold back. Practicing in front of a “yes man” or “yes girl” will not help you. Choose the toughest and most brutally honest friend or family member you know. My two youngest daughters have heard many of my speeches, from as early as 3 years of age. Want honesty? Ask a kid!

Welcome your adult friend to record your presentation on YOUR phone. I emphasize your phone because you should always protect your intellectual property. Record it on your phone as you present in front of a friend or friends, and then watch yourself. Your phone will see what your audience will be seeing when your presentation is live.

2. Turn Nervous Into Excited
Simon Sinek has a great video on YouTube where he explains that your body responds to nervousness and excitement the same way. But you can learn to interpret it differently. Simon explains that you can train your mid to perform under pressure by shifting your narrative.

Positive excitement will lead to enthusiasm, and studies show that an enthusiastic speaker will often win over an eloquent speaker. So turn your nervousness into excitement and be as enthusiastic and energetic on stage as possible.
Train your body and mind to do this naturally. If you are going to reply on energy drinks, caffeine, legal or illegal substances to drive your excitement, your mind will never be as clear as it should be. But if you train your mind to see public speaking as something to be excited about rather than nervous about, you will definitely be a better speaker.

Philippians 4:6 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

3. Fighters Study Other Fighters
If public speaking scares you, you can get over that fear by watching and studying other speakers. Keep in mind that in the intro to this blog, I suggested that you need to develop your own authentic style rather than trying to imitate or impersonate other speakers. That doesn’t mean you can’t learn valuable lessons to apply to the development of your own style by studying other great speakers.

I’ve been a fighter for many years, and one thing I learned when developing my fighting style was that I could learn about weaknesses in my own style by studying the weaknesses that led to other fighters’ losses. I have also picked up some great pointers by studying top champions who had great styles. I carried this over into my speaking career.

Whenever I am going to speak at a conference or event, I make it a point to sit in on some of the earlier talks of the day. I sit in the back because I am watching the speaker, and watching how the audience receives his or her energy. I read the crowd before the crowd gets to read me. It helps me prepare mentally and often helps me put the finishing touches on my speech to make sure the audience gets it.

I take it as a huge compliment when a speaker I respect sits in on my presentation. I know that the speaker respects me enough to want to hear what I have to say, and that this well respected speaker is probably sitting in to do exactly what I do when I sit in on his presentation. I especially love it when another speaker play off of something I said in my own presentation. What an honor that is!

4. Never Be the Last Person In
I make it a rule to arrive at a venue at least half an hour before I am scheduled to present. I like to settle in, say my hellos and feel out the room before I go up on stage. Being early gives you a chance to feel the mood of the crowd and ride that mood in your presentation.

I am a very social person, a true extrovert. I love it when I make a friend or two before I go up to present on stage, and you should too. Meeting someone on the day of the speech, and then acknowledging them in your speech shows you genuinely care about connecting with your audience.

I also like to make a quick restroom visit right before I go up. That’s not easy to do if you are running late. No one wants to see a speaker speed through a presentation because he has to use the restroom.

5. Make The Stage Yours
Go on stage early, before the meeting starts, and acquaint yourself with the speaking area. If the mic is too low, raise it or at least educate yourself on how to raise it so if you have to adjust it, you won’t have any trouble doing so. In my case, the microphone is usually too high since I stand at a whole 5’4” tall.

While on stage, look around at where the cameras are, if the event is being recorded. Look at the camera a few times during your presentation. It will give the audience who watches it later a sense of being present in the moment, and helps them connect with you.

If you are the type that moves around the stage, become aware of anything that could potentially be a tripping hazard. Trust me, I tripped during one of my speeches and although I recovered pretty quickly, that speech became known as George’s Great Fall. Thankfully it was not being recorded by anyone but my son on his cell phone.

Finally, remove any distractions from the stage that may steal your attention or your audience’s attention. You are there to capture them, not to lose them to the strange and overpowering flower arrangement someone decided to place right in front of your stage. If your audience talks more about the flowers than about your speech, you failed.

6. Meet ‘em And Greet ‘em
As I mentioned in tip number 4, I am an extrovert and I like to arrive early to a venue so that I can meet new people and make a friend. If you are not an extrovert, but rather an introvert, setting aside some meet and greet time before and after your presentation will make you a better speaker.

Give yourself enough time to speak with people before your presentation. The audience will see you as more likable, more approachable and a lot more genuine and authentic than the guy who comes out from behind a curtain and then disappears the same way.

Don’t rush out after your presentation. Let people come to you and when possible, invite them to your next event. Let them know how much you appreciate them being a part of your event. Take pictures with them. Share your social media and website with them. Interact with your people.

7. Visualize the Win!
Have you ever worried that your speech or presentation may be a total wreck? Don’t feel bad, I used to be right there with you. Early in my career I used to practice the hope for the best but prepare for the worse strategy. I would try to imagine all the things that could go wrong and prepare for them in case they did. Talk about adding anxiety to the mix.
I soon discovered that most of the bad things I prepared for never happened. I wasted so much time preparing for the worse that I didn’t give myself permission to enjoy the best. Please focus on and enjoy the best.

When I started visualizing positive outcomes, I started having more of them, and consequently started having more fun. I noticed that the more positivity I filled my mind with, the more positive my experiences became. Plenty of studies prove that positive thinking and positive visualization is very effective in creating positive outcomes.

I take this one right back to the Holy Bible. In Philippians 4:8 we are instructed to fix our thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. We are told to think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

8. Your Audience Wants You To Win
Anxiety is usually misled, misguided and completely unfounded in the idea that your audience is waiting for you to mess up in order to make fun of you. That is absolutely not true. Maybe one or two haters are waiting for your missteps or mistakes. But most people are happy to see you win.

Whenever you are stepping up to a mic, convince yourself that your audience wants you to succeed. Otherwise they would just be wasting their time listening to someone that doesn’t bring them any value. Your audience is there because they want to hear what you have to say. They could be home watching a game or out with friends for a dinner and a drink, but instead they have invested time to listening to you speak.

Also, remember that the fear of public speaking is one of the most common if not the most common fear amongst the whole world’s population. So when you start to feel anxious, remember that your audience feels your pain, and most of them would never have the courage to stand where you are standing, delivering the message.

9. Breath In Air, Breath Out Fear
Whenever you begin to get anxious, your muscles tighten, your palms probably get sweaty, you go into survival mode, and you may even end up holding your breath as if you were underwater. This is why people say they felt like they were drowning when they were nervous.

Taking the time to take deep breaths between important points helps you refocus and keep calm. Harvard Medical School published a paper in its publication, Harvard Health Publishing titled Relaxation techniques: Breath control helps quell errant stress response published on July 6, 2020 that explains in details how breathing exercises can help you relax and combat anxiety.

10. Smiling Makes It All Better
Want to be happier? Smile more. Your brain releases tiny molecules called neuropeptides when you smile. These help you fight off stress. It also releases other neurotransmitters like dopamine, serotonin and endorphins. Endorphins act as a mild pain reliever so if public speaking is causing stress related physical discomfort, you feel better. Serotonin is an antidepressant, which will make you happier and help you enjoy delivering a public presentation.

Smiling will help you calm down and make you feel good when you’re in your presentation. It replaces anxiety with positive excitement and good feelings.

Since the goal of this blog is to help you become a better public speaker and presenter, consider the following. Smiling makes you come across as confident. You will seem enthusiastic about the topic and the enthusiasm will be contagious with the crowd.

What if you are doing an online webinar? What if you are doing a podcast, or are speaking during a phone conference? What if your audience can’t see you? Studies prove that smiling, even when on the phone, will help your audience connect with you. The energy comes through your voice.

Please, do not spend the whole time with a creepy clown-like smile on your face. That might come across as fake or as a sign of nervousness. Practice smiling during your presentation in front of a mirror.

Proverbs 17:22 “Being cheerful keeps you healthy. It is slow death to be gloomy all the time.”

11. Get The Blood Flowing Through Exercise
I am a gym rat. That doesn’t mean you have to be. I am 50 today, when I am writing this blog, and I can honestly say I am in better shape and in better health than when I was 21. I am not adding exercise as a tip here to push you to go to the gym and become a professional bodybuilder or fitness model.

Whenever I am scheduled to speak, I work out in the early AM. I get the blood flowing and leave the gym feeling great about myself. I don’t overdo it because I don’t want to be tired and groggy on stage. But I push myself just enough to increase the heartrate and get more blood pushing more oxygen to the bran.

Remember those happiness creating endorphins? Well, exercise boosts endorphins, which helps you cope with anxiety and fear. I’ve even recommended that my consulting clients do a few pushups or take a brisk walk prior to their presentation to get those awesome endorphins pumping through their system.

12. Go, Go, Go, Stop, Go, Stop, Go, Go
When you practice your presentation, include carefully placed pauses. These help people collect their thoughts, helps your audience catch up, and subconsciously tells them one thought is complete and a new, and important one is about to be delivered.

I’ve consulted for many law enforcement organizations. I’ve consulted for attorneys and judges. I’ve consulted for investigators from private investigators to government agencies. I’ve often discussed that nervous people with a guilty conscience speak quickly and rarely take a breath between sentences.

Nervous people tend to speed through a public presentation, speaking way too fast, running out of breath, and causing them to get more nervous, which makes them speak even faster because they just want to get the experience over with, which makes them even more nervous, and breathing because heavier, and then the sweat begins to roll down their neck, forehead and back, and panic sets in. If this sentence made you remember a moment when you felt this, then you definitely need point number 12.

Not to push the God card on you, but did you know when God’s name in the Hebrew Bible is pronounced, it sounds like you are taking a breath. It’s beautiful to think that are born with his name on our lips, and that it is the last thing we say as we take our last breath.

The Tetragrammaton (from Ancient Greek τετραγράμματον tetragrámmaton), or Tetragram, is the four-letter Hebrew theonym יהוה‎ (transliterated as YHWH). This is the name of God in the Hebrew Bible. The four letters, written and read from right to left (in Hebrew), are yodh, he, waw, and he. When read, the two first letters make the sound of inhaling, and the last two letters make the sound of exhaling air.

So hey, the next time you find yourself getting nervous when doing a presentation, take a deep breath. It will force you to slow down, collect your thoughts, make important stops (pauses) during the presentation that allow you find your place, and for believers, it connects us to God through his name.

A strategically placed pause can be used to emphasize important points, and will help your audience feel as though they are in a conversation rather than in a presentation. If you find yourself speeding through your presentation, pause, take a breath and thank God for the opportunity.

13. Keep Is Simple Silly… Don’t Overdo It
You need to include pertinent, useful, informative, insightful material, but no presentation should be so full of facts that it doesn’t include attention grabbers and thinking breaks in between. Add a story or two in between facts. Make it a story that is true and personal which will make it come across more authentic.

Only give the facts that support the aim of your presentation. Exclude useless, unnecessary facts. It is important to know what to keep in and what to leave out of the presentation. Practice the presentation in front of a good friend and invite this friend to help you edit out the stuff that is not absolutely necessary.

Enough said.

14. Make Your Audience a Part of It
Presentations don’t have to be one-sided.

Ask some yes or no questions right from the beginning of your presentation. I usually start my conversation with an introduction of what to expect to hear and gain from it. I then go right into my favorite transition question, "Are you ready?"

Throughout the presentation, ask questions that get your audience to raise their hands or stand up. I love the “Stand up if you…” questions. I never make them a serious or confession, “come to Jesus” moment. I make them moments for laughter, for activity and a way to get the crowd’s blood flowing.

Asking questions that you know the answer to will make you look like an expert, and help the audience feel like they are experts as well. Asking the audience what they think about something you are speaking of works great for a small crowd, but you might want to save these type of questions for a Q&A session at the end of your presentation when speaking to larger crowds (I’ve spoken in rooms with well over 5,000 people in attendance). Deep questions in large rooms may stifle your flow.

Encouraging questions and other forms of audience participation can boost engagement and make your attendees connect with the presentation in a more personal manner. They will also make the presenter (that’s you) more relatable which makes the attendees connect with the speaker (still you) in a more personal manner.

A great connector in the middle of your presentation is to inform them that you will be conducting a voluntary poll or survey at the end of the presentation. It breaks up the presentation and gives them something to look forward to. Don’t tell them exactly what the poll or survey will ask, but instead let them know that there will be benefits for those who voluntarily participate (like perhaps a free e-book or discount to your merch store).

15. Entertain Them & They’ll Remember You
Information is not enough to make your presentation memorable. Even if you are giving the audience the secret to life (which is Jesus), many will miss the message if they are bored to the edge of a coma. Even if your presentation is packed with the greatest secrets to wealth, health and happiness (also Jesus), if you bomb on stage, you will bomb in their memory.

No one expects you to be a clown, a theatrical genius or a standup comedian. But, including a joke here or there, moving the audience to laughter with a clever story, moving them to tears with a memorable story, or telling a story that the audience can connect with will help your audience feel more comfortable, especially when your presentation has a lot of meat in it (lots of important information).

Be very careful not to fill your presentation with so much fluff that the audience misses the point. It’s important to maintain a good balance between the meat (info) and the dressing (stories, metaphors and analogies) because your audience did not simply come to be entertained, but to be fed as well.

My great friend, coach and fellow speaker Darryl Davis is a genius at this. He believes in stories, metaphors and analogies that he dedicates a section of his coaching to it. And if you’ve ever been blessed with the opportunity to see him speak live, you know he is amazing! Find his collection here.

Don’t stop yourself from injecting stories, metaphors and analogies into your presentation. If you are not sure if the balance is right, run the presentation by a couple of your friends and give them permission to be brutally honest.

16. Be An Expert, NOT A Know-It-All
Being a know-it-all is never the right way to go. My wife Claudia and I have been studying the teachings of David Pawson, an awesome Bible teacher. John David Pawson, born February 25th, 1930 and departed on May 21st, 2020, was an evangelical minister, writer and prominent Bible teacher based in the United Kingdom. He was by far considered one of the greatest Bible experts to have ever walked amongst men, and yet he was the first to admit that he was not perfect and that he did not know it all.

The vast majority of speakers and presenters are not comfortable admitting that they don’t actually know everything about the subject they speak on because they feel it undermines their authority and marketability. Yet don’t we all know that there is no way anyone can know everything there is to know about a subject?

So if you want to be authentic, be an expert when you speak, and speak with authority over the subject that you are speaking of, but do it while admitting that you are open to growth because you still don’t know everything about the subject. If you admit, right in your presentation, that you don’t know everything about the subject, you will improve your credibility and likability.

This is important during the Q&A part of your presentation. It is powerfully liberating to honestly respond to a question that stumps you by saying “I don’t know the answer to your question but I will be researching it to get you and I both an answer.” Remember also to thank the person for pointing out something you don’t know yet. They have done you a favor because they’ve given you something new to think about. It will also make you more credible and authoritative about the topic you’ve spoken on because since you admit not to know everything about the subject says that you actually know everything you said and that it must be true. In other words, George L. Rosario doesn’t make stuff up because he never pretends to be a know-it-all.

17. Mom Was Right… Stand/Sit Up Straight!
Your body posture matters. A power stance gives you the appearance of authority and strength. I included sitting because some of my favorite speakers, such as Stella Young, Chad Hymas, Muniba Mazari, Sean Stephenson, Tamara Mena, Timothy Alexander, Dean Furnes, Alycia Anderson, Stacey Copas are in wheelchairs. Then we have Nick Vujicic, Minda Dentler and Rohan Murphy who own wheelchairs but spend a bulk of their time out of them. Have you heard of Aimee Mullins? She redefined beauty by speaking about her 12 set of legs. Talk about a group of speakers with onstage presence and posture!

Being confident on stage starts with your posture and body language. When you practice your presentation in front of a mirror, practice your posture. Ask yourself, “am I standing (or sitting) like a person who is confident?” When practicing in front of friends, ask them to pay close attention to your body language and critic it when you are done.

Practicing confident body language is a great way of squashing your pre-presentation anxiousness. If your stance is confident, your mind and heart will follow. Want to boost your confidence before that big speech, presentation or interview? Practice power stances for a few minutes before going on stage or in front of the interviewer. Power stances create a long lasting, confidence building sense of assurance.

If you are standing, walk around, make hand gestures, shift body position, etc. If you are in a wheelchair, move around, change position, make eye contact with your audience. Look at the speakers I listed above. Most of them don’t have the ability to stand and walk around while speaking, and yet they make a conscious decision to move around the stage, taking up extra space and reminding their audience that they are the authority in the room.

Finally, before you go on stage, strike that Superman or Wonder Woman power pose and get ready to elevate your presentation to the next level.

18. H2O Is Your Friend
There was a great article shared by Harvard’s School of Public Health that explains the importance of hydration. This is even more important when you are a public speaker or presenter. Now, that article recommended drinking about 11 glasses of water per day. I am not suggesting you drink them all right before you go up to speak. That would either force you to run out and take a pee break in the middle of your presentation, or could cause an embarrassing situation if you decide to fight through the urge and finish your presentation. No need to make your bladder explode on stage.

Dehydration leads to dry mouth, which is a very common result of anxiety. So imagine this. You are already nervous about speaking and now you are on stage about to pass out because your anxiousness gave you dry mouth and your lack of water escalated the dryness. It’s clear that this is a formula for disaster. I once witnessed a speaker pass out on stage because the lights were hot, she was nervous, she went on stage at noon and she had only had a small cup of coffee at 6 am that morning.

Drink plenty of water before your talk, and remember to show up early enough so that if you need to take a pee break, you do it before you are actually up on stage. Also, when possible (and it should always be possible), take a cup of water or better yet, a bottle of water (you can close it to avoid spilling it) up with you on stage. That way, if you start to develop cotton mouth syndrome, you can reach over and hydrate.

19. Dress For The Occasion 
It is better to be slightly overdressed than underdressed. So, I always make it a point to wear a well pressed shirt and pants when speaking on stage. I don’t care if the entire crowd is in jeans and t-shirts. As the presenter, I want to show them respect by being presentable and slightly standing out. Of course, if I know the crowd is a jeans & t-shirt crowd, I won’t show up in a 3 piece suit with cufflink shirt and tie, $1,000 leather wing tips, and the gold Rolex. But throwing on a pair of dress jeans or flat front dress pants with a button down and keeping a jacket at arm’s length will not do me wrong.

Know your crowd and your venue my friends. There are audiences who will respect you more if you show up with that 3 piece suit with cufflink shirt and tie, $1,000 leather wing tips, and the gold Rolex outfit. Then there are the crowds that will immediately distrust you if you do so. Know who you are presenting to. And please, don’t do like the Kardashians who showed up to an event in full Halloween costume just because it was Halloween, when the get-together was not a costume party. Talk about embarrassing.

Dressing adequately for your presentation will boost your confidence, likability and your ability to connect with the audience. It will also help you calm some of the anxiety.  As the presenter, it is a sign of respect for your audience if you look good and responsible. Make sure the outfit is not a distraction. Ladies, no need to wear a skirt that is so short that your audience is getting a peep of your secret goods. Men, if you work out, in most cases this is not a time for you to Arnold Schwarzenegger or Lou Ferrigno the crowd. In most cases, men and women should stay away from clothes that are so tight they look like superhero outfits, or so loose that they look like pajamas. Dress like you want to be addressed.

20. Don’t Fight the Fear.
Mel Robbins shares a secret weapon in a YouTube video that has worked wonders for me. You may notice that this tip is very close to tip number two in this blog. Scroll up and read it again. You’ll see that they both talk about nervousness and excitement creating the same physiological feelings in you. Your power lies in how you interpret it.

First of all, accept that fear is real and you can beat it. I’m a Christian and turn to The Word of God (The Bible). There is a scripture that has helped me face fear with confidence, excitement and determination to overcome it. It is 2 Timothy 1:7. In this verse, God’s Word tells us that God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Notice that this verse does not say that fear is not real. It says that God doesn’t give you fear. Therefore, if you are a believer, fear should never be a part of your life because although it is real, it should never be a controlling factor within you.

If you allow fear to take a grip of you, it will surely increase your anxiety and make your presentation less enjoyable for you and for your audience. If you fear that the audience will notice that you are nervous, that fear will make your nervousness even more noticeable. I can honestly tell you that I am more nervous about delivering a speech when I have zero jitters than when I do. I love to turn nervousness into excitement and enthusiasm, and I feel like a superhero when I face my fears and chase them away.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

George L. Rosario, #GeorgeTheSpeaker
George L. Rosario is a Brooklyn NY born & raised businessman, entrepreneur, Speaker and consultant. He started GC Rosario Group with his lovely wife Claudia. With over 30 years of service to the marketplace in NYC, George has relocated and been graciously adopted by the business community of South Florida. He now travels the country helping businesses and organizations thrive in today’s noisy environment. The post-Covid era forced many to close their doors, but also opened new doors of opportunity, growth and prosperity for innovative thinkers. George & Claudia Rosario help companies, businesses, organizations and teams develop the necessary skillset and plan of action to not just survive, but thrive in this new world. GC Rosario Group helps both secular and Christian based institutions meet their goals. #GeorgeTheSpeaker #GCRosarioGroup

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Top 10 Essential Qualities of Leadership

10/26/2022

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PictureMount Rushmore National Memorial In The Black Hills region of South Dakota

Top 10 Essential Qualities of Leadership
“Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality." Warren Bennis
By George L. Rosario, CEO & Founder at GC Rosario Group

Needless to say, there are plenty of people who have adopted the title of "leader" who do not deserve that title. Many have abused the title because they have no idea what that actually means. Others simply took on roles in leadership to feed their own egos, wants and needs.

A leader is not necessarily a boss. As a matter of fact, all the greatest leaders I've met in my life detested being called a leader. They understood that a true leader serves the people he leads. He is not focused on his own self-interests but rather on the needs of the people he leads.

Leaders are responsible for shaping our nation, our policies, our communities, our families, our organizations and our marketplace. They are not called to shape these by force or with tyrannical practices, but rather with empathy, care, respect, and a serving heart. Leaders do not boss people around. Leaders lead through example.

I think it goes beyond saying that we need good leaders in our world today. We need good guides who can make large-scale macro and small scale micro decisions that will keep us moving forward in a positive, productive way.

Given the current temperature of society, you may have an easier time identifying a bad leader (because there are so many of them), than identifying a good leader (because there are so few).

What are the characteristics & qualities of a "good leader"?

After years of interviews and research, we've come up with these Top 10 Essential Leadership Qualities:


  • Integrity
  • Delegation
  • Communication
  • Self-Awareness
  • Gratitude
  • Learning Agility
  • Influence
  • Empathy
  • Courage
  • Respect


Integrity
There are two definitions for integrity we would like to discuss. The first is, "the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; moral uprightness." A good leader must be known as an honest person have well defined moral principles. Our leaders at GC Rosario Group for example, will never omit the fact that they operate from a platform that is based on Biblical moral principles.

The second definition is, "the state of being whole and undivided." An integrity-driven leader does not behave wishy washy. A strong leader who operates from integrity is undivided and not easily swayed by divisive people, divisive policies or divisive rhetoric. 

The importance of integrity in leadership should be obvious in the marketplace, in politics, in social groups and in our homes. Integrity is an essential leadership trait for the individual and the organization. Top-level executives, those who are charting the organization’s operational course should understand the importance of integrity. Make sure your organization reinforces the importance of honesty and integrity in its leadership if you expect it to have longevity in its field.

Delegation
While one of the core responsibilities of a leader, delegating responsibilities effectively can prove to be difficult for some. Many imposters in leadership positions think that they can delegate away all responsibility and therefore get away with doing nothing while holding the title of leader. Remember that the best leaders are those who are servant leaders, who serve the organizations, the teams and the individuals they lead. So the goal is not to free yourself up of all responsibility, but rather to free up time so you can find other ways to serve your congregation in order to help it grow.

Delegation is a great way to enable your people to grow. Great leaders know how to facilitate teamwork by delegating responsibilities to team members. It gives every member ownership of the team by making them owners of important tasks. A great delegate provide autonomy for the people, which increases person's ability to act, make decisions and self-legislate or self-govern through his own values and interests, for the greater good. In other words, team members will do the right thing because they know it is the right thing to do, and because they know they have the authority to do so.
The best leaders build trust with their employees and team members in order to delegate more effectively, which brings us back to integrity. No intelligent individual will allow a leader who lacks integrity to delegate responsibilities. They will delegate them for the wrong reasons. 

Communication
There are two directions to great communication:
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1. Speaking Effectively:
All effective leaders are effective communicators. Effective leadership and effective communication go hand in hand. The greatest leaders are skilled in communication. They are able to communicate in a variety of ways. They are great at sharing information with the people who need to know. Great leaders inspire others others to take decisive actions by communicating the importance to do so. The greatest leaders are great coaches who effectively communicate strategies, knowledge, wisdom and information to the people they lead.

2. Listening Effectively:
I don't know where I heard it first, but I've used it numerous times. I know my grandmother used to say it so perhaps this is where I heard it first. God is so perfect that he designed us with one mouth, two eyes and two ears. This is because we are supposed to watch and listen more than we speak.

Great leaders are great listeners. They take the time to listen to their people. Great communicators have mastered the art of watching and listening before they speak. It's called reading the room. We don't walk into the room and start spewing information without first assessing what the room looks and sounds like. For example, a great communicator can see when a team is struggling to stay positive, and can then go into a monologue that motivates and inspires the audience to have a change of attitude and find something to be positive about. A great communicator will see a room where the crowd is motivated, happy and positive, and he will not lower the room's energy by speaking negativity into it.
Great communicators must be able to listen to, and communicate with a wide range of people. They must learn to use what they hear to drive what they say. They must understand how to listen to and speak to people in different roles, locations and departments who possess different skills and talents. 

Your leaders' listening skills will directly affect the success and productivity of your organization. Pick leaders that are great listeners and you will have a great organization.

Self-Awareness
Not all leadership traits are focused on others. Self awareness in an inwardly focused leadership trait that is just as important to the organization's success as all the outwardly focused leadership traits are. Great leaders can look deep inside themselves. Self-awareness and humility are crucial to effective leadership.

The better a leader understands himself, and the better he is in touch with his strengths and weaknesses, the more effective leader he will be. Being self aware will help you connect with how others see you. It will help you work from your strengths and work on your weaknesses so that others will be able to connect with you. Do you know how other people view you or how you show up at work?

Gratitude
Little is much if God is in it. Faithfulness is the badge of heaven. Gratitude ties it all together. Giving thanks is something that is necessary in leadership. Being thankful will help your team increase in self-esteem, reduce depression, address anxiety, and will help everyone, from the newest member of the team to the organization's leader.
Gratitude will make you a better leader. In our consulting sessions without clients, and in our research for this blog post, we've heard something interesting from those we've spoken to; most people said they would work harder for and be more loyal to a leader who is appreciative. The best leaders express sincere gratitude in the workplace, in their organizations and in the marketplace.

So why is it that saying "thank you" has become such a rarity in the marketplace? Perhaps it is because we've lost the ability to communicate effectively with others. Perhaps it is because somehow, people think that a BOSS leader is better than a SERVANT leader, and that the BOSS leader doesn't have to say thank you when people do what they are supposed to do. Let's change that mentality. The greatest "bosses" I've ever worked for were people who knew how and when to say thank you. It was their genuine gratitude towards a younger, impressionable version of me that made me want to do more for them and be loyal to them.

Learning Agility
Leaders are readers. Leaders are listeners. Leaders are studiers. Leaders are learners. Leaders crave knowledge and wisdom. You cannot be a leader if you are not a follower first. It is in your season as a follower that you learn how to lead effectively.

What is learning agility? It is the ability to know what to do in different situations. It is a set of skills that enable great leaders to learn something new in one situation (knowledge), and then apply it to another situation (wisdom). Leaders possess knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is the possession and understanding of information and data. Wisdom is the ability to apply that knowledge correctly.

A great leader has the ability to learn, adapt, unlearn, and relearn to keep up with constantly changing conditions. In the marketplace, it is the guy that knew to shift his company's distribution format from 8-track cartridges to cassettes, then to cds and eventually to digital form. It is the programming company's IT professional who leads the shift from floppy disks, to flash drives, to external drives and so on. A great leader is not stuck in the past, but draws from past experiences to learn what to do in current situations. A leader who is a “quick study” and able to excel in unfamiliar circumstances, this leader is learning agile.

Influence
Whether good or bad, leaders are influential. We have learned about very influential, seemingly powerful leaders who were often great communicators, but who lacked integrity. Look at leaders like Adolf Hitler (1889-1945), Joseph Stalin (1878-1953), Vlad the Impaler (1431-1477), Idi Amin (1952-2003), Ivan the Terrible (1530-1584), Nero (37-68), Genghis Khan (1162-1227), Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini (1902-1989), Mao Zedong (1893-1976), Saddam Hussein (1937-2006), Pol Pot (1925-1998), and the Kims (not Kim Kardashian), Kim Il Sung (1912-1994), Kim Jong-il (1941-2011) and Kim Jong-un (born 1983). All of these leaders were influential, yet they lacked integrity.

We don't have to look at politics and world leaders to find bad leaders. Think about a job you've had where the boss was not a good leader. They had some type of influence, even if it was unethical, dishonest and lacked integrity. They might have been one person with you and not the same with the people who were in a position to promote them. These people had influence and misused their leadership positions.

Bad leaders make the word "influence” feel like a bad word. There is no need for it to be so. There are plenty of great leaders who have the anointing of influence over their lives who are worth following. There are plenty of leaders who embody all the characteristics of great leadership and who deserve to be in a position of influence.

Influence is not a bad thing. You have influence. Are you a parent? Are you a big brother or sister? Are you a spouse? Are you a teacher? Are you a student? Are you a mentor? Are you a mentee? Are you a driver? Are you a pastor/leader at your church? Are you a volunteer at your church? Are you a friend? Are you a living, breathing human being who will come into contact with another person? You have influence. What you do with that influence will either make you a good leader or a bad leader.

Please keep in mind that influence is not the same as manipulation. Influencing people through logical, emotional, or cooperative appeals is an important trait of effective leaders. If you want to be a good leader. you have exercise your influence authentically and transparently. You must be emotionally and spiritually wise and trustworthy. Influence is power. Wield it responsibly.

Empathy
Put yourself in other people's shoes. Look at the situation through their eyes. Meet people where they are. Enter the situation at their level. Feel your people's pain. All of these are simply advising you to exercise empathy. Empathy is simply the ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Empathy is crucial in leadership. It will dictate your job performance, and the job performance of those you lead. Expecting someone to work the day after their spouse or child dies, or on the anniversary of the day they lost that loved one is not going to be at peak performance. A great leader is aware of these possible issues and prepares for them.
While writing this, I am still getting over the attack on my son's life. He was attacked after coming out of the movies with his girlfriend. The attack was a brutal one and warranted a trip to the trauma emergency room at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn New York. I was working closely with a client when the call came from my other sons that their brother was at the hospital being "worked on." At no moment did my client request that I put my compromised mental and emotional state to finish the task I had started to work on. On the contrary; he told me to go take care of the family and that he would hold my place until I got back. That is empathetic leadership. Thank you Patrick Powell at AXE Trailers & AXE Equipment Finance.

Empathy is a critical part of emotional intelligence and leadership effectiveness. When a leader shows his followers that he understands them and respects their needs and wants, if he lets them know he is an empathetic leader, he will create loyalty, dedication and a real desire for team members to remain members of the team as long as this person is the team's leader.

Courage
Great leaders are courageous. They don't let tough situations make them fold. They keep their eye fixed on the goal, and will work to overcome any obstacle with all the skills listed in this blog. They will not allow their own fears, worries or anxieties stop them from serving the members of their team.

A great leader will also transfer courage to the people he leads. He creates an environment and a company culture that welcomes team members to speak up, voice their opinions and be decision makers. They encourage new ideas, welcome feedback and give feedback to the organization's members without attacking them. 

Great leaders do not avoid problems or allow conflicts to get out of control. Their courage enables them to step up, speak up, face the moment and move things in the right direction. They are not afraid of conflict, nor do they avoid it. They face it head on, with courage before them, and prove the importance of being a strong leader in the face of adversity.

Finally, great leaders have the courage to step up and fight for their team. They don't run when their team is being challenged or attack. They don't coward when a team member is in need of a protector. They use their voice, their knowledge, their wisdom, their strength, their experience, their position of power and their influence to step up to the plate and bat for the team.

Respect
I finish this blog with the 10th essential quality of great leadership. I believe that treating others with respect is one of the most important actions a leader can take. Respect for your fellow leaders and for the people you lead will ease tension, address conflict, welcome civil discourse, add accountability, create trust, and improve the effectiveness of the leader, and the team. Respect does not simply mean that disrespect does not exist. Respect has to do with the intentional practice of incorporating all of the previously mentioned qualities into the treatment towards others.

Respect is NOT a two way street. It is more like the New York City MTA Subway System. It's an intricate system of well traveled conversations and interactions between all the people involved. No leader should disrespect any team member, and no team member should disrespect the leader. Team members should respect each other at all times. Everyone should respect clients and outsiders. Leaders must not allow clients or outsiders to disrespect any team member. Leaders must respect other leaders. Your team must respect other teams. Veterans must respect newcomers. Newcomers must respect veterans. The CEO must respect the intern and everyone in between. The intern must respect the CEO and everyone in between.

CONCLUSION: How it all comes together.
Any successful leader will possess these essential qualities and have the ability to apply them at the right moment. The talent of great leadership is knowing how to leverage these 10 leadership characteristics to benefit the organization and the people who are being led. When a great leader comes along, they exercise a level of authority that is less bossy, and more approachable. These characteristics are the building blocks for successful leadership in organizations, industries, teams, governments and yes, even your home and personal life. Remove any one of these characteristics, and authentic leadership becomes unattainable.

If you or anyone you know struggles with any of these essential qualities of great leaders, you are not alone. Many people have reached leadership positions without earning their stripes along the way. Others simply have not been trained properly. Still others find that their struggle has a lot more to do with their own internal fears. At GC Rosario Group, we have proven trainings we can provide to make your organization's leadership more effective.

Leadership is not a natural talent for most, but rather a skill that can be taught and developed by other great leaders. We believe in the mentorship of leaders by other leaders. We believe in the passing down of knowledge and wisdom, and of the sharing of experience between great leaders. Great leaders never stop learning, growing and adapting their skills. In other words, if you are a leader, or you thrive to be a leader, you can strengthen any of these 10 qualities of a great leader by opening up to mentorship, training and the pursuit of self-improvement.

By the way, leadership does not require physical strength or big stature. It doesn't even require good looks, sex appeal or great charisma. To be a great leader, you need to simply know how to apply these 10 qualities to accomplish teamwork and cooperation so that together, everyone achieves more.

“Whatever you are, be a good one.” President Abraham Lincoln

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Let's schedule a complimentary 30 minute consultation to discuss how we can help you become a better leader in your field or industry.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

George L. Rosario, #GeorgeTheSpeaker

George L. Rosario is a Brooklyn NY born & raised businessman & entrepreneur turned consultant. He started GC Rosario Group with his lovely wife Claudia. With over 30 years of service to the marketplace in NYC, George has relocated and been graciously adopted by the business community of South Florida. He now travels the country helping businesses and organizations thrive in today’s noisy environment. The post-Covid era forced many to close their doors, but also opened new doors of opportunity, growth and prosperity for innovative thinkers. George & Claudia Rosario help companies, businesses, organizations and teams develop the necessary skillset and plan of action to not just survive, but thrive in this new world. GC Rosario Group helps both secular and Christian based institutions meet their goals. #GeorgeTheSpeaker #MayorOfNewYork #GCRosarioGroup #glrosario #NYCsHometownRealtor

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    George L. Rosario is a Public Speaker, Consultant, Bible Teacher and Entrepreneur.

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