Leadership starts by giving. The more we share with others, the more we make a difference in our businesses, our careers, and our communities. Let me share the following leadership story of making a difference:

Joy had just finished a successful women’s leadership presentation for an organization. She stopped at the local mall. As she opened the door, she noticed a twenty dollar bill on the ground. She looked around and picked up the bill and called me to share her exciting find. She asked me what we should do with it since no one was apparently looking for the bill, and I suggested she bring the bill home and we could discuss it.

That night, we debated about what we should do with our good fortune. We agreed that we could not keep it since we gained it at the expense of someone else’s bad fortune.

Then the answer came to us. One of our favorite television programs mentioned that the free healthcare program they help sponsor was short of their financial goals for an free health clinic they were holding in New Orleans on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by $300,000. This was our solution! We went online to the organization’s website and donated twenty dollars to their cause.

Well, soon after we heard that the organization was able to meet their financial goals, due to thousands of small contributions, and hold the free health clinic for two days, helping thousands of patients with their health needs. Some patients were able to find out that they did have health challenges, some life threatening, while at the free health clinic.

I share this story to illustrate the power of the leader within us. We are all leaders, and we can make a difference in our lives by giving more. The following are three leadership secrets to being more successful by giving more:

1. Opportunities to Give are All Around Us
There are opportunities to give all around us. Open your “giving senses” to the opportunities that are available. Giving doesn’t always mean donating money. Volunteer and give your time and expertise, which could be just as important. If you are at work, leadership starts by sharing your knowledge with new employees. In your community, share your time, money, and/or expertise with community or sports groups. One of our favorites is the American Cancer Society.

2. Your Individual Actions Lead to Big Results
Often, I am asked, “What we can I do?” You would be surprised how the smallest action can lead to big results. Just by taking the step, you are taking action to make a difference. At work, if you take time to give encouragement or let your manager know that you support his initiative by sharing your ideas can make a world of difference in the workplace. In your community, taking a small action can ignite others to also make a difference.

3. Recruit Others to Give
Leadership is about recruiting others to make a difference. Recruit others to be passionate about giving. Sometimes it comes down to what’s in it for them to volunteer and give their time, money, and/or expertise. Along with making a difference, you might mention that giving allows others to see your skills and this can lead to new opportunities.

Take the time to show your leadership skills and give so that you can make a difference. You create new opportunities and enhance others, while feeling good about the whole process.

About the Author

Ed Sykes is a highly sought after expert, author, professional speaker, and success coach in the areas of leadership, motivation, customer service, and team building. Go to http://www.thesykesgrp.com , and receive your free special motivational report and “jump start” your success. You can e-mail him at mailto:esykes@thesykesgrp.com, or call him at (757) 427-7032.

Those seeking to hire such professional are well advised to hire a leadership speaker that is affiliated with a reputable booking agency. This will enhance the odds that the person you hire can effectively deliver on the expectations your company may have.

Some may question the benefits of hiring a speaker. Can such an approach really boost success potential? After all, are not the words that the speaker puts forth just that…only words? Well, the words may be mere words but the sentiment behind the words can prove quite motivating. This is even truer when an exceptionally powerful leadership speaker is addressing the workforce.

The effectiveness that a quality leader delivers can be downright stunning to those skeptical of their abilities. But, is there really a need for skepticism? The ability to move people’s emotions and actions via speech has long since been established to be effective. The concept of the motivational speaker is also hardly a new one. Motivational speakers have been quite popular for over two decades now. This is why professional keynote speakers are commonly called into business to help give employees a solid motivational talk designed to effectively and reliably boost performance.

This does not mean that a speaker can come in and talk about motivation in generic terms. Such an approach would hardly be one that would ever be considered effective. A speaker that presents passionate discourses on the benefits of improved performance can gain a positive, motivated reaction from the audience he/she is addressing.

There is another important trait found in a professional keynote speaker: the ability to be positive. Negative motivation rarely works. Those lacking a background in effective communications generally will wallow in negative motivation. The assumption is this approach can compel people’s attitudes to change. That is a process that rarely works. When effective positive motivation is employed, the potential to boost employee motivation, moral, and performance increases greatly. That is why professional leadership speakers are always in demand. They deliver effective results.

Among the most difficult issues management may face when boosting a company’s success is the ability to effectively motivate employees. No matter what hands-on approach management may try, increasing employee motivation for performance can be difficult. So, a new approach should be taken. It may even be best for management to step aside and bring in an effective leadership speaker and/or a motivational speaker to handle such tasks.

About the Author

R.J. writes about a variety of topics such as sports, fitness, health, technology, business and leadership.