Posted on Thursday, July 7, 2016

Pride vs. Perseverance = Red Shoe Leadership

Have you been around someone, in their minds whatever they do “is NEVER good enough?”

The great outdoors is my favorite place to be! Those of you, who have followed me for a whole, know this and love the pictures of our American back-country I share.

Recently my husband and I hiked a trail that brought forth beautiful wild flowers, mid-summer snow fields, and several clear alpine lakes.

As a “leader” in hiking and the dos and don’ts I fell into a rookie move, and literally “fell”! I had a CHOICE here to let pride or perseverance lead the rest of my experience. We can learn from failure (falling) or let it hold us back.

In embracing life I want to ask you; “do you let experiences choose your attitude”? I know by falling, scraping, bruising my knee and ego; I could have chosen pride and not enjoyed and appreciated the beauty around me. Or, choose perseverance and keep on keeping on enjoying the view, experience, and letting those around me enjoy their experience.

I choose perseverance and use the first aid kit to soften my ego into the next level of leadership.

Challenge: What rookie move will you shift into perseverance?

Look UP & Out,

Tracy Worley

#RedShoeCourage, #RedShoeLLC, www.tracyworley.com

Posted on Tuesday, May 5, 2015

How Do You Skip Rocks?

Tracy Worley

Tracy Worley is America’s leading grace coach, international key-note speaker, trainer, syndicated radio host, author, and potential seeker, strategist and CEO of three values leadership based organizations. She works with business executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders world-wide to develop potential, tailor employee engagement modules, and turn up the volume on individuals and organizations potential personally and professionally.

Tracy knows firsthand about what it takes to find your potential, Individuals and organizations have individual cultures, stories, and rhythm – Tracy’s innovative style knows how to make it work. With a background in business management, business communication, project management, and life’s drama, Tracy found herself running a multi-million dollar organization at the age of 25.

Tracy knows from life experience the ups and downs of colossal failure and the elation of success beyond imagination.

But it’s exactly all these experiences that built character, knowledge, wisdom, and intuitive insight into individual and organizational potential. Tracy is highly intuitive, perceptive, and a world thinker in connecting what you cannot see. These gifts give her the ability to strategize with clarity where you are, where you want to be, and how to get there. Tracy’s expertise: training highly successful people to lead with authenticity to the desired success her client’s desire and deserve.

Coaching is one of my favorite things to do in my business because I have a front row seat to others launching to the next level. It is almost like watching the space shuttles take off: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1! John Maxwell states , it is hard to improve when you have no one but yourself to follow.

How Do You Learn to Skip Rocks? Modeling behavior is how we learn, the picture I share is of my husband, his brother, and nephew. This is a true example of modeling, practicing, and applying learned thought and movement toward success.

Hiring a mentor is finding someone who has gone the road before you. Practice what you teach! Currently I have several mentors where we would be considered peers but they are ahead of me in certain areas of business and life. Recently, one of my mentors helped me achieve a 441% increase in ROI of what I invested vs. new business. Below are personal numbers not to impress you but to impress upon you mentorship is worth every minute and application of study!

The past six months I have mentored one client to 700% ROI as she launched her own agency. And most recently mentored a client to her first 5 figure contract which is a 400% ROI of mentorship investment. ~ Tracy Worley (ROI based on coaching fees against new business.)

Studies following return on investment (ROI) from coaching:

Harvard Business Review did a study on ROI (return on investment) in hiring coaches and the return is not surprising to me but maybe to you. The study showed a 529% ROI for Executive Coaching.

Companies that offer training alone experience 22.4% increase in productivity, but when combined with coaching that figure rises to 88%.
A conservative estimate of the monetary payoff from coaching, according to Fortune magazine, managers describe an average return of more than six times the cost of coaching.
Companies who combine coaching with training increase employee productivity over 80%.
A Manchester, Inc. study in 2001 demonstrated a 7-fold return on investment from coaching.

Mentoring is not one sided growth you cannot receive without giving in return. When mentoring others your growth and awareness improves because you have applied your knowledge and then learning from your mentees new perspective.

“Are you committed, consistent, creative, purposeful, reflective, and grateful for those who went before you and poured wisdom into you? Being a mentor or mentee creates a synergy of sustainable success for organizational success.” (T.Worley)

“Raising up leaders is the truly self-less goal of every mentor leader, the culmination of focusing on others. To elevate your followers means to help them reach their God-given potential, even if it means preparing them to replace you. It may also mean that you prepare them to leave your organization for better opportunities elsewhere -perhaps even with your competitor.” (T.Dungy)

Take an honest inventory of where you were 5 years ago, today, and where you want to be 5 years from now. I can personally guarantee if you keep the inventory you have today, you will find yourself doing the same thing you have always done and more than likely always for someone else.

Mentoring

1.) Get Committed 4). Be Purposeful
2.) Be Consistent 5). Be Reflective
3.) Be Creative 6). Be Grateful

Be teachable, be prepared, ask questions, demonstrate learning, be accountable

VISION – MISSON – VALUES = GUIDING LIGHT

How to Start: Do you know people who do what you’d like to do?

1.) Get Committed – If you have to, pay people for their time and advise.
2.) Be Consistent – Meet regularly with someone who can help you.
3.) Be Creative – Learn from people even if you can’t meet them.
4.) Be Purposeful – Prepare for every interaction: don’t wing it!
5.) Be Reflective – Reflect on each encounter and discover what you are learning.
6.) Be Grateful – ALWAYS show appreciation for what you are learning from others. (Mentors)

Check List To Finding A Mentor/Coach:

Selective: find someone who has same or like values, if there are red flags during your initial conversation the intuitive flag is there for a reason. Remember, who you spend time with directly reflects your attitude, action, and ability (what goes in comes out).
Availability: you must have access and availability to be actively mentored, ask questions, learn from their answers, and apply what your learned. Note: always apply what you learned to find your win/fail secret sauce!
Wisdom: a mentor/coach possess experience, knowledge, wins and fails in the area you are looking to be coached in. Wisdom comes from the experience and make sure they have the ability to mentor you to success. Remember, just because someone wins does not mean they have the ability to teach. .
Support: a great mentor provides friendship and support. Your mentor should care about your success over all else, unselfishly working to help you reach your potential.
Difference: a great mentor makes a difference in people’s lives, daily. “A ‘coach’ remains something, or someone, who carries a valued person from where they are to where they want to be.” ~ Kevin Hall

Ego: Competitive mindset pushing others down instead of lifting them up, you will be known by your actions more than your words “talk is cheap”

Great things happen whenever we stop seeing ourselves as God’s gift to others, and begin seeing others as God’s gift to us.” ~ James Vuocolo

We all need people to help sharpen our gifts, talents, strengths, and navigate through problem areas.

ACTION: Make two lists. Then start searching for people with expertise in these areas who have wisdom, available, will support you and committed to making a difference in you life. Do not be discouraged as you seek mentors, keep looking and you will find the ones worth following.

List strengths or skills you want to improve to reach your potential.
List specific problem areas where you feel the need for ongoing guidance.

Look UP & OUT,

Tracy Worley

Want to learn more? Click Below:

John C. Maxwell (2012). 15 Invaluable Laws of Modeling, Chap13.
Tracy A. Worley (2015) GRACEbreak Radio
mowbraybydesign.com/2011/02/12/coaching-roi
Gerald Olivero, Denise Bane & Richard Kopelman, Public Personnel Management
Bureau of Justice statistics, June 2001.

Posted on Thursday, April 23, 2015

You Don’t Always Get What You Want, You Always Get What You Choose

Tracy Worley

Tracy knows from life experience the ups and downs of colossal failure and the elation of success beyond imagination.

Success is a succession of trade offs, you have to give up to go up. The most successful people apply this concept by reviewing their activity often – what they can delegate, what no longer serves a purpose, and the hardest part of this rule is who to give up people to go up. I am not stating to dump your colleagues, family, and friends but to evaluate trading to sustain a higher level of success as you move up. Moving up is all about your potential and what potential means to the quality and quantity of your life.

Think about when you were a toddler riding a tricycle it is easy because there is safety of balance. The next step is a two-wheeler with safety wheels and at some point you decide it is time to trade-up and choose to feel the independence and speed of two wheels. The excitement, fear, and doubt were intoxicating – you knew you would fall but the choice to get what you want over-powers fear and doubt to your success of two wheels.

Your life is all about trade-offs and choice. I love this statement, the hardest part about stealing second base is taking your foot off of first base. I dare you take a stand and give up to go up to be the best you can be every day. No one embraces change or wakes up every morning and states “what can I change today.” I guarantee when you give up – opportunities you did not see before will appear! Eric Hoffer states, “People will cling to an unsatisfactory way of life rather than change in order to get something better for fear of getting something worse.”

Steps and Benefits to Choosing Trade-Offs:

Trade-Offs Are Opportunities
- What are the pros-cons | Will you go through this change, or grow through this change
Next Level To Your Potential
- What are you willing to give up to go up? What or who will you have to give up?
- Note: not willing to give up something is a key reason most people do not reach their potential
Trade-Offs Force You to make Personal Changes
- When you want something you have never had, you have to do something you have never done before.
- Change is always possible
  - Change is Personal: to change your life, you need to change
  - Change is Possible: You will be rewarded when you change
Loss of Trading Is usually Felt Before Opportunity
- This is the main reason people fear change, it might hurt a bit (Go back to your two-wheeler)
- Transition between change and the fruit of the change is a powerful time of renewed self

Each success only buys an admission ticket to a more difficult problem. ~ Henry Kissinger

Trade-Offs Can Be Made At Any Time
- Better health, habits, education, etc. . . – It is rarely “too late” to make a change
A Few Trade-Offs Come Only Once
- Go back to pro-cons, timing etc. . .
The Higher Your Success (Climb), The Tougher The Trade-Offs
- Many people stop growing because they have reached a height for which they are no longer willing to work to get higher
- The skills you have today are not the skills to get you to the next level
- Consider your potential – what will it feel like to trade-off to get to your next level of success?
Trade-Offs Never Leave Us The Same
- Fear of change is you will be different on the other side – yes, you will. Is where you are today where you want to remain tomorrow?
Trade-Offs Not Worth the Price
- Trade-offs that will damage, harm or even ruin an entire life
- Delayed gratification through the above analysis ensures damage is avoided
- Value question for all of us. . . is it worth the price?

The only job security we have is our individual commitment to personal development. ~ Kevin Turner

Trade-Offs Worth Making
- Financial security for potential tomorrow
- Giving up immediate gratification for personal growth
- Willing to give up the fast life for the good life
  - Delegate to others | Do what you do best and drop the rest
  - Control your calendar or someone else will
  - Do what you love because it will give you energy | Work and play with people you like so your energy is not depleted
- Give up some security for significance
  - You will not achieve your potential while remaining in a safe place (get off your tricycle)
  - Significance means taking chances on others too by helping them find their potential
- Be willing to give up addition for multiplication
  - Lead others who will lead
  - Seek collaboration partners for just about everything | Share, not hoard, resources and knowledge with others
  - Share credit for achievement | Be a conduit for blessings, not a reservoir of assets – the more we give the more we receive

I challenge you to reflect on the above and ask yourself: Am I on a tricycle of safety or am I continually giving up to go up feeling the freedom of a two wheeler!

Start with one area you have identified to trade-off and once you have done the first one the rest of the area’s will be easier to keep steady and balanced toward the success you desire and deserve!

Want to learn more? Click Below:

Look UP & OUT!

Tracy Worley

John C. Maxwell (2012). 15 Invaluable Laws of Trade-Offs, Chap11.
Tracy A. Worley (2015) GRACEbreak Radio

Posted on Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Are You Creating The Future You Want

Tracy Worley

Tracy knows from life experience the ups and downs of colossal failure and the elation of success beyond imagination.

Powerful statement, Are you creating the future you want?

Whether your are a Home Engineer, Entrepreneur, or work within someone else’s corporate structure I DARE YOU TO ASK YOURSELF, “Am I creating the future I want?”

The first step toward success is taken when you refuse to be a captive of the environment you first find yourself in.” ~ Mark Caine

Creating the future you want is not a narcissistic question so allow yourself to release any “selfish” notion with the question. Creating the future you want is growing your potential in the right environment. Your environment is made up of your daily agenda, people, places, and things.

Yourself: Few people will share your enthusiasm for growth and moving up and out. Here are a few statements to focus on for your self-growth and creating a positive environment(can also be applied to your home or work team): 1) Others are ahead of me (if you are the smartest person in the room, you are in the wrong room 2) You are continually challenged 3) Your surroundings are affirming 4) You are out of your comfort zone, DAILY 5) You wake up excited 6) Failure is embraced and not your enemy 7) Others around you are growing 8) Growth is modeled and expected .

Whether you are a success or failure in life has little to do with your circumstances; it has much more to do with your choices.” ~ Nido Qubein

People: This truly is the law of sacrifice as to go up we must give up and often this means relationships and or an environment holding us back. Jim Rhone states, “We become like the five people we spend the most time with.” Ask yourself, are there people in your top five holding you back? These people determine as much as 95% of your success or failure in life. This is one of the hardest because you need to sacrifice time spent with people you know and love. However, you do not have to “dump” them just spend less time and create a reference group who will challenge you to be more tomorrow than you are today! My personal best is when I spend time with my mastermind group, they model all of the 8 areas referenced in the YOURSELF category and I am my best when others around me are growing!

You cannot take this journey alone, not if you want to reach your potential. The most significant factor in any person’s environment is the people. If you change nothing else in your life for the better than that, you will have increased your changes of success tenfold. So think long and hard about who you’re spending the most time with, for where ever they are headed, so are you. ~ John Maxwell

Focus: “Today is when everything that’s going to happen from now on beings.” ~ Harvey Firestone Jr. A great lesson is what is the happiest moment of your life? The answer, right now! Focus is moving forward today despite yesterday, this morning, or whatever is in your mind, body, or spirit holding you back. Don’t wait for change to happen, focus on the change and take one step forward. Just as a little one learning to walk, you will be wobbly, fall, and perhaps get scraped up. However, when when taking charge, laugh, and learn from the wobbly-fall you quickly find a way to RUN!

The bitter ingredient in your future is the unwillingness to try: If you do not try to create the future you want, you must endure the future you receive. ~ Tracy Worley

Self leadership is the start to creating the success you desire and creating a dynamic team of leaders who will succeed beyond your “business-plan” expectations. I am sure this peaked your interest . . . “succeed beyond business-plan?” Yes, and if you want to find out more please feel free to contact me because what keeps your team alive is you!

Want to learn more? Click on Law of Environment.

Look UP & OUT!

Tracy Worley

John C. Maxwell (2012). 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, Chap6.
Tracy A. Worley (2015) GRACEbreak Radio

Posted on Monday, April 13, 2015

Consistency Leads To a Life of Signifigance

Tracy Worley

Tracy knows from life experience the ups and downs of colossal failure and the elation of success beyond imagination.

Motivation gets you going-Discipline keeps you growing ~ John C. Maxwell

Motivation is an internal mechanism of forward action. Many people ask if I am a “motivational” speaker. My answer is I inspire and empower individuals and organizations with tools to move forward to the next level; motivation belongs to you.

Today as I was hiking with my husband and administrative staff (two border collies), the law of consistency was on my mind. Our time together is consistent and we have created a life of significance of seeing wonders of the world other people will never see in their life time. My question to you, what are you taking consistent time out for to create a life of significance?

Through motivation is the action of consistency and consistency gets you to where you want to grow and go! I love E.M. Gray’s statement, “The successful person has the habit of doing the things that failures don’t like to do. The successful person doesn’t like doing them either, but his dislike is subordinates to the strength of his purpose.”

Consistency creates the balance of expanding your possibilities while compounding experience to your gifts, talents, strengths, and a life of significance.

You’ve got to get up every morning with determination if you’re going to go to bed with satisfaction. ~ George Lorimer

Satisfaction creates significance in your life and as my friend and mentor John Maxwell tells me often is once you taste significance there is no going back.

To create consistent motivation start by setting goals that are worthwhile and achievable. I loved playing basketball up until eighth grade, I just could not keep up with the taller players and it became evident basket ball was not my gift. So I concentrated on track and soccer which I was able to set consistent goals and were achievable because these activities fit within my physical and natural talent.

Mastering the basics creates the small disciplines to great achievements gained over time. Essentially this is creating habits and attitudes in personal and professional life. I was on a call a few weeks ago and the discussion was HABITS. It is hard to break habits and it is easier to start new ones which in time forces the bad-habits or lack of consistency out of your life. Brian Tracy also talks about habits, “From the time you get up in the morning to the time you go to sleep at night, your habits largely control thee words you say, the things you do, and thee ways you react and respond.”

Consistency is not easy so do what will work for you and instead of setting goals, focus on growth in areas of your gifts, talents, and strengths.

If you develop the habits of success, you’ll make success a habit. ~ Michael Angier

Stay engaged with your daily calendar, use a timer if you need to stay focused within a certain period and turn off all other distractions. This one change of focus to your consistency in completing daily goals will set success as a habit!

Want to learn more? click on Law of Reflection: Tami and I recorded a FAQ and teaching. Want to receive one-on-one to create your Reflection Tools? Plug into our 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth 8 Week program.

Look UP & OUT!

Tracy Worley

15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Law of Consistency

John C. Maxwell (2012). 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, Chap5.
Tracy A. Worley (2015) GRACEbreak Radio

Posted on Thursday, April 9, 2015

Look In The Mirror, You Have value!

Tracy Worley

Tracy knows from life experience the ups and downs of colossal failure and the elation of success beyond imagination.

Value of self is leading and believing, and knowing you are worth the resources to develop your potential! ~ Tracy Worley

My mentor John C. Maxwell talks a bout the Law of The Mirror where you must see value in yourself to add value to yourself. “If you put a small value on yourself, rest assured the world will not raise the price.” ~ John C. Maxwell

Value, Value, Value. . . imagine walking down a busy street market where the vendors are shouting out the value of their precious meats, produce, and wears. As you hear the vendors shouting value in the back of your mind you know what the true value is for a pineapple so are you is going to give you true market value for it? Are you going to ‘haggle’ for a lower price than the true value of the vendors cost?

Now imagine walking down the same market street where the vendors are shouting out what your value is. Yes, this is tricky isn’t it? Ninety percent of my coaching clients are in transition from starting their own business or leveling up to a promotion. The most important exercise we work on is their MIRROR MARKET VALUE. Personal perception is the #1 stumbling block to successful people asking for what they are worth and moving into positions they deserve.

To find your MIRROR MARKET VALUE here are a few steps and questions to ask yourself along the way. Honestly, the main reason people fail is low self-esteem. Where are you as a leader and how and what can you do moving forward to lift your team to the next level? A start is to go through the following.

Look In The Mirror: Who are you, what are you doing today, and where do you want to go? Truly it is the exercise of “Mirror, Mirror, on the wall who has value amongst you all? ANSWER: YOU!
Self-Esteem: Zig Ziglar states it best, “It’s impossible to consistently behave in a manner inconsistent with how we see ourselves. We can do very few things in a positive way if we feel negative about ourselves.”
- Self-Talk: If you are positive, then you can help to create a positive self image.
- Comparison Trap: Stop comparing yourself to others! We are all uniquely and individually made! Go back to your strengths, gifts, and talents; I guarantee there is no other just like you!
- Limiting Beliefs & False Truth: Identify a limiting belief, determining how it limits your success, decide how you want to be, act, or feel, and then create a statement to move up and out of the limit. I call this “truth”, so often we accept a false truth in our life which in turn prohibits our growth. Perhaps in stead of limiting belief, ask yourself what is a truth I am accepting that is false.
- Add Value To Others: It is hard to feel, act, or think lowly of ourselves when we do something good for someone else. When I work with clients in transition of their next job and t hey have “free” time. It is easy to feel down as your day is no filled with meetings and productive outcomes. The first thing I have them do is volunteer! Yes, find an organization you believe in and volunteer. This keeps your happy endorphin’s activated until you are fully engaged in your next position.
- Discipline: Oh NELLY, this is not one of my favorite words but essential to success in any area of your life. Discipline is a morale builder; boost yours by taking small steps daily to take you in a positive direction..
- Vision Your Value: Having a positive vision of your life and taking action to fulfill your vision, you will recognize what matters to your value, gifts, talents, and SUCCESS.
- Responsibility: Responsibility gives us control toward the positive MIRROR MARKET VALUE we desire and deserve. You matter. Your live an have, and you can make a difference-no matter where you have been or where you are today!

Back To The Market: imagine holding a shield with all the above written on it, it is your MIRRORED SHIELD OF MARKET VALUE! When the vendors are shouting what your value is they now see a reflection of confidant belief you matter and worth the Market Value of YOU!

Want to learn more? click on Law of Mirror: GRACEbreak radio for more breakdown. Want to receive one-on-one to create your Mirror Market Value plug into our 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth 8 Week program.

Look UP & OUT!

Tracy Worley

15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Law of The Mirror

John C. Maxwell (2012). 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth, Chap3.
Tracy A. Worley (2015) GRACEbreak Radio