Among many other things, the Coronavirus pandemic helped me reflect about leading in times of crisis. I know how hard it is for leaders, business owners, and public servants to lead. That’s why in this article, I’ll share with you what you need to know to lead when a crisis hits.

People look to the world’s political leaders to provide them with assurance and information about the pandemic. They need support and guidance to make them feel safe and hopeful about the future.

In business, people are looking at you to pull them out of the rut and into a better situation. But that doesn’t happen overnight. We know that shit happens in life. Yet, there’s a different way of looking at it. You can use this as an opportunity to make a shift happen.

In this article, I’ll share with you the steps on how to start leading in times of crisis. It’s not always everyday that you get this opportunity to make leapfrog growth as a leader. So it’s time to take advantage of what’s happening to stretch yourself.

Let’s face it. There’s gonna be a lot of bankrupt companies out there. And without proper leadership, everything would be in chaos, confusion, and conflict. Clarity is what you should provide as a leader.

Watch this video to understand what I’m sharing with you. Then read on the article to have a better grasp on what I shared in this video.

Here are the five steps you must take to be effective in leading in times of crisis. These are some powerful insights I’ve learned over my 30+ years of leadership experience. Aside from that, I learned this from some of the greatest leaders we’ve known.

Step #1: Have A Vision

The number one thing that you must have as the leader in your organization is a vision. A vision of a way forward regardless of coronavirus. A vision on how you’re going to succeed in spite of the fact that this pandemic has affected your business.

You got to have a vision first and foremost of what the future’s gonna look like for you and your organization. This will help you become effective in leading in times of crisis. 

This is one of the most important things you must do as a leader, especially in times of a crisis. During a crisis, everybody looks to a leader for the next step or for reassurance. People want someone who’s confident and knows what they’re doing.

Aside from that, the Bible says that “without vision, people perish.” Without a vision in what your company can become (even after the crisis), your business will continue to suffer. So ask yourself what will your company look like in 5, 10, 20 years from now?

Step #2: Communicate Your Vision

The number one skill of all leaders in the world is the ability to communicate their vision well. Communities around the world thrive because of leaders who are great communicators. They make people understand what their vision looks like.

To communicate your vision clearly, you must learn how to paint a picture in people’s minds. Explain everything from top to bottom and vice versa. Make them see themselves in that vision. Show them know what each and everyone in your organization has to do to achieve it. 

There are a few situations where leaders are supposed to make quick and hard decisions and they need to tell it to people. A crisis is one of them. Leaders need to be able to make decisions on the fly. And in some cases, they might need to make the hard decisions. The ones they know are not going to win them brownie points.

But the important thing is to speak to your people with understanding and empathy. This will lead to better responses from your people.

Step #3: Demonstrate How People Can Contribute In Achieving The Vision

Did you demonstrate an example that you are willing to do whatever it takes for your team? If yes, then your people will be inspired and motivated to do the same.

Demonstrating your vision means enrolling them into it. You don’t shove your vision into their throats and threaten them to follow. Instead, if you want to be effective on leading in times of crisis, you must enroll them in the journey.

Be a role model to them. Work harder than you would’ve otherwise. When people see you walk the talk, it compels them to follow you. As a result, they are more willing to volunteer their blood, sweat, and tears. All to help you accomplish your vision.

Step #4: Train Your People And Build Accountability

Once you demonstrate how much you care to your people, you must also provide them with education. Train them step by step, little by little on what they must do so that vision becomes real. So people around you know what to do, when to do things, and how to do it.

After providing great training, you must build accountability. Your people aren’t perfect. That’s why they need you – the leader – to point them to the right direction. To get them back on track especially when they lag behind or mess up.

Step #5: You Have To Implement

Take these items and test your ideas. In an immediate crisis, a healthy working environment can quickly decline into something chaotic. Because when emotions run high, it comes with stress and fear. As a result, people make low-intelligence decisions.

It doesn’t mean they’re no good. It just means that their judgment becomes clouded with high emotions. It’s a must for you to take control and stop the panic from spreading. In fact, this is the first thing you have to do when news of a crisis breaks.

Final Thoughts On Leading In Times Of Crisis

The real test of leadership does not occur when everything is smooth sailing. Rather, leadership is tested during a crisis. The way a leader behaves and acts during a challenging time will establish people’s trust in them. They are seen as either a good leader or a poor one.

Apply these 5 steps so you can make effective decisions and start leading in times of crisis.

What steps are you in right now in terms of leading your organization out of a rut? Let me know in the comments below!

Businesses can launch and grow on the Internet. Many entrepreneurs have become successful thanks to the Internet. It can be a daunting task launching your own business, especially in this digital world. This article will walk you through some of the best tips on how to grow a business online.

Competing for digital attention is hard since there are so many companies looking to be found in Google. Add to that the stress of owning a small or medium sized business. Without having an effective online growth strategy, you’ll be working hard for years without seeing results.

I’ve put together a list of ideas that may help you out with this. These are things I’ve shared with my private clients on how to grow a business online. If you have a small business with little money to invest on marketing, this article will make online marketing easier for you.

How To Take Your Business Online

Even without a lot of technical experience, you can take your small and medium sized business online. You can do this by taking a strategic approach to building a web presence. Here are some of the things you can start implementing immediately.

Plan your website

A bit of planning goes a long way toward ensuring that your site will do all the things you want it to do. Your business website is online real estate. It’s a basic must for people to know your business.

Just make sure that your website is conversion focused. The truth is, most websites are dead now. Meaning, they don’t generate leads for your business. In fact, they don’t even generate traffic on your website.

It’s easier for people to discover your business when you have a website planned out and optimized. This is why planning your website is critical. You want to take your visitors on a journey so you can build a stronger trust and relationship in your business.

Take Advantage of Free Marketing Tools

The Internet is full of free marketing tools from email marketing campaigns to designing perfect social media graphics. While it may take a bit of effort to find tools that work best for you, the end result is a far more streamlined system.

In fact, there are a number of social media marketing tools you can start using right now to boost your business. While some may have a monthly subscription fee, many will have free or trial versions you can test.

Create Valuable Content 

Think about your mission, your passion, and what makes you stand apart from the competition. Then start writing. This will most likely inspire your customers and make them engage with your business. Post content your audience will want to read. Keep it all centered around your industry and niche.

Remember, in the world of digital marketing, content is king. To grow a business online, you must publish relevant content in a regular manner. It’s the fuel that drives traffic to your website. This is why publishing is important if you want people to find your website and what you’re offering.

Keep Your Website In Shape

Updating and maintaining your website’s content and functionality is key to staying current. This will make sure that your website has top notch security. Aside from that, you can deliver more value to your audience.

Yes, it may take a lot of work at first. But marketing is the single best investment you can make in your business today. The returns of your effort will give you big advantages now and in the future.

Make It Easier For Users To Contact You

Make it easier to contact you. If you want your website to bring you more customers, then you need to add an easy way for visitors to contact you. Put your contact details across your website and social media platforms. And make sure they work.

In your website, you can put a Contact Us page where people can reach out to you. I’ve had several invitations to do podcasts, interviews, and guest posts through my website. And publishing may open similar doors for your business, too. That’s how you grow a business online.

How To Grow Your Online Business Presence

How can you stand apart from every other business that is attempting to reach customers online? Having an online presence is important. It helps consumers find your brand before they are aware you exist and it helps them learn about your reputation before making a purchase. 

Eventually, all of this information will play a role in your customer’s purchasing decision. Here are simple methods that will not only increase your online presence. It will also attract more customers so you can grow your business organically.

Choose Your Social Channels Wisely

You’ve heard time and time again that you need to be active on social media. Interacting with influencers and customers via social media is one of the most effective ways to grow your online presence. 

You don’t have to be on each and every social media channel. Instead of spreading yourself too thin, be picky and focus your efforts. In most cases, you should at least choose to use some of the biggest social media websites:

• Facebook
• Instagram
• LinkedIn
• Twitter
• Pinterest
• YouTube
• TikTok
• Quora
• Reddit

Build An Email List

One of the top ways to grow a business online while you build your online presence is to create an email list. An email list will enable you to engage with current and potential customers on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis.

Every big email list started from scratch. So you can start your own right now. Email is very effective since it’s an intimate tool and people love reading great emails. Yes, there are a lot of email newsletters that spam people.

This is where you’ll stand out. If you send value-driven emails, you will build trust with your audience. And people buy with businesses they trust and identify with.

Be Active Online

In order to show up online, you have to be active online. This includes regularly posting to your owned properties, including your website and social media accounts.

Customers love it when they feel important. So it would really be a great help for you to be active online so that you can reply to their inquiries right away. This will definitely engage more prospects and customers that will support your business. 

Final Word On How To Grow A Business Online

You just have to be patient. You also need to work really hard and not let obstacles prevent you from doing better. Whether it’s creating content that engages the audience or messaging fans on Facebook, it takes work to become a success.

One of the most prominent ways to boost your business for free is to put in the effort. With focused effort, you can build a powerful online business or grow your business’ presence online.

Have patience, and build something that helps your target audience. Focus and you will do this. Soon, you will see the positive results you have always hoped for.

What specific strategy are you going to implement today to grow your business online? Share it with me on the comment below!

For starting businesses, it might be difficult to raise money and expand. It is expensive to scatter all your resources on different platforms. A workaround is to concentrate your efforts on implementing small projects. Organic growth is the best way to grow. This article will show you how to grow a business organically.

Growth for bigger companies means merging and acquisition. But capital is one resource that small and medium scale businesses don’t have a lot of. That’s why what works for big companies doesn’t work on small ones.

Organic growth is the best way to grow the business without raising a considerable capital.

So if you’re a business owner looking on how to expand your business to the next phase, tune in. Today you’ll learn how to grow a business organically.

What Is Organic Growth

There are two modes to expand a business. Inorganic growth and organic growth. Inorganic growth is associated with strategies that need upfront investments. Mergers, acquisitions, running paid ad campaigns, and so on.

On the other hand, organic growth expands business by increasing output. Meaning, customer base expansion, marketing campaigns that need more effort, and so on. Doing it all with little to no upfront investment.

Why Is Organic Growth Important

Scaling a business sometimes requires huge capital to succeed. Although possible, small and medium sized businesses don’t have much to invest. They don’t have a big stash of capital on hand.

Often, businesses die because they’re not making enough cash flow or they can’t grow it. In the end, they lack the financial stability to let the business stay afloat.

The alternative is optimizing company resources to produce output and reach ROI faster. This is where organic growth comes in.

Especially for a startup business, they have to prove that their ideas can make money. So they have to utilize all the resources to get as much returns as they can produce from organic growth.

Once you have a proof of concept, the next logical thing to do is to grow it. And if you don’t have enough funds, organic growth is the way to go. It provides a sustainable option to continue with the business.

How To Grow A Business Organically

As I shared earlier, organic growth has three components: increased output, serving a wider customer base, and rolling out new products.

But how can you improve your output when you don’t have enough resources? Quick answer: boost your productivity.

Pareto Principle states that roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. In your business, 20% of your clients contribute to 80% of your profit. Evaluate the input that produces 80% of your output. Then continue improving them so it yields more results.

Since you’re bootstrapping, knowing the critical few that brings results is a must. Why? Because it’s the one giving you exponential success. Focusing on those will make sure you’re using your time wisely.

Increased Output

Before a business can serve more people, it must make sure that its process is improved to increase output. But if you are alone in your business journey, how can you serve more people? Increasing output can be achieved through outsourcing, hiring talent, and automation.

If you juggle several responsibilities in your company, you’re not being as effective as you should be. It’s time to start outsourcing help. 

The best use of your time is doing what you are good at and what your company needs. As a business owner, that means marketing, selling, and focusing on your vision.

Relieving yourself from the different responsibilities of your business will also give you time to produce new products for your audience.

Customer Base Expansion

The more problems you solve, the more money you make. Now that you have built your capacity to produce more output, you can now serve more customers better.

This is where marketing comes into play. In this digital age, it is now easier to introduce your product in front of people. If you are a brick and mortar business, set up your Facebook page to reach more eyeballs. 

There are many methods of reaching more customers, like ads. But you can also reach more customers organically. These can be done through SEO, social media, e-mail, and content marketing.

As with everything, organic reach is at a slower pace. But the key to reaching these new customers who don’t know you yet is creating relevant content.

Growing a business online is not a straightforward path. But if you hire talent that can help you accommodate your expanding customer base, you can increase your profits.

New Product Development

There is no perfect product. This is why you need to know your customers well. Once you know their problems and needs, you can develop new products to help them. That’s what businesses are all about.

Now that you have more time on your hands, you can better use that time to think of new products. Or thinking of new solutions to your customer’s problems. This way, you can rest assured that you’re serving your market better.

Final Thoughts On How To Grow A Business Organically

Building a business from the ground up is hard work. But scaling your business to the next phase requires you to be smarter. By growing a business organically, you are ahead of the curve. You optimize the steps so that you can maximize profit using fewer resources.

Have more ideas on how to grow a business organically? Share them below!

There’s always 3 ways to live life. Force, flux, and flow. How are you living your life right now? Are you creating more success effortlessly in flow, or are you forcing everything to happen? Are you in flux? This article will walk you through on how to get clarity in life.

If you want better results for your life, you have to change your behavior. And if you want to change your behavior, you have to change your beliefs. 

That’s why it’s important for you to identify those limiting beliefs or stories that’s holding you back. Ask yourself, “Do you own the story or does the story own you? What do you have to believe to get the results you’ve created in your life right now?”

When something happens in life, when people go through brick walls, they stop pursuing their dreams. They stop working for what they want. And then they told the story about what happened and they started owning that story. Why? Because it lets them justify the reasons why they can’t move forward in life.

That’s what happens when people aren’t clear about what they want in life. Here are the 5 steps on how to get clarity in life.

Step 1: Clarify Where You Are Right Now

The first step on how to get clarity in your life is to clarify where you are right now. In each aspect of your life, where are you? With your health, wealth, your relationship, your mindset, your spirituality? Ask yourself, “On a scale of 1-10, where would you say you’re at each aspect of your life?”

Without knowing where you are right now, you can’t move forward. You may be deluding yourself of believing that you’re doing well in life. But once you have a check up from the neck up, you’ll realize that you’re not.

This is one of the reasons why you must clarify where you are. It’s one of the most important steps in getting clarity in life.

Step 2: Clarify What You Want

Once you’ve clarified where you’re at, the next thing you must do is to clarify what you want. What do you desire the most? List down the things in life that you want to be, do or have. Ask yourself these questions:

• What would it look like to have those things?
• How would it feel once you have them?
• What would you hear and experience in your life when you get these things?

You have to break it down at every aspect of your life. Take action and immerse yourself in activities as well to explore new things you might not know. You have to figure out what you really want to be able to prepare the steps you need to achieve it.

Without knowing where you’re going, it’s impossible to get there.

Step 3: Clarify Why You Want It

When setting goals, most people forget to clarify why they want what they want. In fact, most goal setting systems you’ll see out there don’t even include this. That’s the reason why they fail big time!

List all the reasons why you want your goals. Who would you become in this process of achieving it? Whose life would it change? How will your life change and how will getting your goals change the lives of people you love?

Once you identify that “WHY,” it will give you the momentum and the motivation to get up. You’ll change from motivation to inspiration and start getting excited for your everyday life. You have to understand everything that’s happening to your life right now to know what really is your motive or purpose.

Step 4: Clarify The How

Now that you know where you’re starting from and where you’re going, it’s easier to create the roadmap. Especially now that you understand WHY you want what you want. These steps are important so you can know how to get clarity in life.

As the old adage goes, “One you know the ‘WHY,’ the ‘HOW’ will appear.” That’s where you start building a plan. List the steps you must take and ask opinions from your mentors on what you need to do.

One of the best ways to achieve your goals faster is to get a mentor or model someone who’s done what you want to do. It would still take you time to achieve your goals, but it will let you compress decades into days.

Step 5: Clarify Your Own Progress

What are the skills and experiences you want to develop? What will you do to improve yourself?

You can’t sit back and think that your results are that great if they’re really not. And you won’t know if what you’re doing is working if you’re not measuring.

Peter Drucker once said, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.” I agree. That’s why you need to take time-outs to check your progress. If possible, get outside feedback from people who have gone to where you want to go.

You have to clarify your progress every week – what’s working, not working, and what you can do differently. What you should stop, start, and maintain. And the only way to make it efficient, is to get a mentor that will hold you accountable. Someone who’s going to tell you if you’re doing something wrong or good.

Final Thoughts On How To Get Clarity In Life

These are the 5 steps on how to get clarity in life. Without clarity, you’ll have chaos, confusion, and conflict in your life. That’s going to stop you from moving forward. Without clarity, people don’t act because they are afraid of making mistakes. And if you don’t act, you won’t move forward. 

All creation comes from confidence. Confidence comes from competence. And competence comes from choices in doing the work. And all of that comes from clarity. Once you have clarity, you will create the life you truly desire and deserve.

What areas of your life do you need clarity from? Share your thoughts on the comment below!

Are you tired of seeing people not doing their job as efficiently as they can? Do you notice your team slacking off and procrastinating while you’re doing all the work yourself? I get it.

I’ve been building and developing teams for 30 years now and I understand how it feels like. I know how frustrating it is to see people not delivering results or not finishing their jobs at the right time. Because they are dropping the ball, most players in my team are lagging behind – they can’t perform their best.

Micromanaging Meaning

According to Webster, micromanaging means that you want to oversee and take control of every part of a process, no matter how small. For example, if you or your team are doing a project, you want to know everything that they are doing and you want every decision to be run by you.

This is different from keeping your people accountable. Micromanagers want all decisions to be made by them. They let people implement but the final decision comes from them. 

Effective leaders, on the other hand, keep people accountable by knowing what they’re doing and offering support instead. They have trust in their people and they get out of the way. Steve Jobs once said:

“There is no point in hiring smart people and then telling them what to do.”

If you want to learn how to stop micromanaging, you must first develop your trust with your people. Most people will do good work if you trust them and keep them accountable.

Signs You’re Micromanaging

Here are 8 signs that you’re being a micromanager:

1. They avoid delegation.
2. You’re constantly making reports.
3. You’re not allowed to make decisions.
4. They complain constantly.
5. Micromanagers won’t pass on their skills or knowledge.
6. They don’t see the forest for the trees.
7. Feedback falls on deaf ears.
8. Projects drag on forever.

If you want to learn more about it, read this article we’ve found on different signs that you’re a micromanager.

Micromanaging Is Majoring In Minor Things

You see, most of the time when managers see this, they immediately micromanage their team. However, micromanagement is demoralizing and is counter-productive. In the long run, people won’t have the motivation to perform their best and the manager becomes burned out.

Ultimately, when you’re micromanaging, that means you’re majoring in minor things. If you major in the minor, it’s obvious to me that you’re not worth $50 million. You’re not worth $20 million. Not even $10 million.

If you’re majoring in the minor and you’re micromanaging your team, it’s a symptom of a deeper problem. At the core of the problem is you’re missing three elements within your organization.

3 Critical Elements On How To Stop Micromanaging

You Need To Have Effective Systems

First and foremost, you’re missing effective systems. If you have systems within your business that allows people to know what to do, when to do it, and how to do it, then you can leave them alone and let them do their job.

If they’re the right people, they will produce.

Most of the time, people don’t do their jobs because they don’t know what’s expected of them. They don’t know what to do, or how to do it in the most efficient way possible. Or if they do, they are not empowered with the tools they need to deliver results.

I see this problem with the private clients I work with. Most of the time, they don’t have effective systems that are duplicatable and scalable. However, once I work with them and implement my Ultimate Business Revolution or UBR Program in their business, their productivity and business results start improving.

Your business and your team will improve if you start creating systems in your business. That’s the first thing you’re missing in your business.

You Need Great Training

Second key that you’re missing is great training. Training is not something you did. It’s not something you did once and never do again. Training is something you do now and in the future. It’s something you need to think about and do every day, every day, every day if you want your people to get better.

You should also have a training system set up to try and test them every time you train your people. So you can be confident to say that your people are “tried and tested.” It’s an old saying, but it holds true – you need to try and test people. That’s what determines if you’re going to work with champions.

So, let me ask you: What kinds of training do you provide for your team? And are you actually testing them after you train them? If not, start planning and implementing today. It’s what’s going to take your business to the next level.

You Need To Keep People Accountable

Finally, if you ever feel like you’re running an adult daycare center, you’re most likely missing accountability. You’ve got to have a culture and a system where your team is held accountable to produce results and deliver deliverables. In my program Business MMA, we teach leaders and people how to manage, measure, and adjust their results.

The principle behind this is like how a prizefighter would act inside the octagon. They’re always managing their movements, measuring their opponent, and adjusting their technique. That’s how it should be in business.

Are you managing, measuring, and adjusting the productivity and results of your people? And can your people stand up in the marketplace? Because if not, you’re going to be micromanaging all the time.

Final Thoughts On How To Stop Micromanaging

It’s not that your people are lazy or incompetent. Micromanaging is the result of your lack of systems, lack of training, and lack of accountability. If you want to build a great team, you got to have those three different elements in your business so that you can focus on transforming your business, not just the transactional things.

You see, micromanaging and checking your people every 10 to 15 minutes, that’s transactional. That’s not doing the things that will transform your business.

And by the way, if you are micromanaging all the time, then you’re working IN your business all the time. That’s why your business is not growing. For it to grow, you need to be outside your business working ON your business, not inside.

Finally, I’ll leave you with this: So many people focus on time management. Time management to me is tactical, not strategic. In all the programs that I’ve produced, and all the systems I’ve created within different businesses, we learn about being strategic and tactical, transformational and transactional.

I spend 90% of my time focused on the transformational and strategic things I can do to grow my business. I set my team up to win with the systems, training, and accountability. And then, I leave them alone. And I love to do it!

Here’s one important business lesson I’ve learned: Productivity management is more important than time management. Because if you train your people properly and equip them with the right systems, and keep them accountable, they will be 10 times more productive. As a result, your business gets 10 times more results.

Does the thought of speaking in front of a group create fear, make you sweat, and get your heart pounding? You have a fear of public speaking! In this article, I’ll share some tips on how to overcome fear of public speaking.

Fear of speaking in front of people is a common form of anxiety. Experts and entrepreneurs with this fear go out of their way to avoid getting invited to speak. Or sometimes, they suffer through them with shaking hands and a quavering voice. 

But with preparation, practice, and persistence, you can overcome your fear of public speaking.

You may have been there before. You feel nervous, your palms sweat, your stomach ties itself into knots. You don’t want to do it. But you can overcome this fear with these simple public speaking tips!

Tip #1: Prepare Thoroughly

Nothing helps overcome the fear of public speaking more than knowing your material. The ability to connect with your audience comes from having the confidence so you won’t get lost during your delivery. 

Rehearse several times before the big talk to overcome your fear of speaking in front. Time your presentation and always have back up material in case time is left over. Doing this will definitely help you to overcome your fear of public speaking.

Steve Jobs is one of the best presenters of all time. In fact, he was dubbed as the World’s Best Corporate Storyteller. Whenever he unveils a new product, people get excited about it. And he gets Apple fans excited.

His secret? Massive preparation. He gets help from experts to prepare his materials. He practices hundreds of times until he doesn’t make a mistake. He was a perfectionist. And that’s why he was effective.

You don’t have to be as obsessed as Steve Jobs. However, if you want to overcome the fear of public speaking, then you need to prepare thoroughly.

Ahead of time, carefully plan out the information you want to present, including any props, audio or visual aids. The more organized you are, the less nervous you’ll be. This article from INC will give you ideas on how to start preparing for your talk.

Tip #2: Engage the Audience

Engaging the audience is another way to lessen your fear of speaking in public. Don’t create a monologue presentation that puts the entire task of informing and entertaining the audience on you. 

Make your talk a two-way interaction with questions and participation. It will reduce boredom and allow you to speak with ease. It’s one of my secrets on how to overcome fear of public speaking.

I can also suggest having ice breakers or activities to catch your audience’s attention. Having the group involved also gives you time to reorganize your thoughts if things are going off track.

Tip #3: Practice, And Then Practice Some More

Practice your complete presentation several times. Do it for some people you’re comfortable with and ask for feedback. Practicing in front of people you know will prepare you to engage people you’re not familiar with. 

Consider making a video of your presentation so you can watch it and see opportunities for improvement. Practice makes perfect so it will definitely help you overcome your fear of public speaking.

Here’s a video on how to practice your speech or presentation:

Tip #4: Be Authentic And Vulnerable

It’s tempting to think that confidence means preventing anything from getting to us. But the truth is, our authenticity and vulnerability can be our greatest strength. It will allow us to overcome our fear of speaking in public. 

The way to connect with an audience is by being human. That means having flaws and making mistakes. It means allowing your audience to get to know you. You can’t connect with them if you’re too perfect and robotic. 

Remember, your audience isn’t there just for the information you have to share. They are there to learn something from you. To connect with you and make new connections with other people.

If you have the chance to make them see the real you, then show it. It’s the thing that will make the biggest difference in your speaking career.

Tip #5: Get Comfortable With The Venue

It is usually best to get to the venue of the event early to ease your nervousness. It will allow you to get comfortable with the venue and interact with your early audiences. 

Get to know the layout of the room. Know where the podium is (if there is one), where the multimedia team is, and how to operate tools you’ll use. You can gain confidence if you’re familiar with the things around.

Do a quick set-up and test of your presentations and check if all the PowerPoint or Keynote slides are good to go. Get to know the spots where you can interact most with your audience. 

Greet and talk to some of the participants who may arrive early. That way when you are presenting you can look around and see the “allies” that you had interacted with earlier. Not only does it improve your comfort level, it also helps you overcome your fear of public speaking.

Bonus Tip: Get In The Mood

Listen to music that gets you in a good mood and helps you to relax and overcome your fear before speaking publicly. It could be soft soothing music or loud music with mega-beats. Whatever works for you.

Breathing in deeply and then exhaling helps to overcome your fear and nervousness in speaking to the public. It allows you to focus on the breathing process and you stop focusing on your fear or anxiety.

Final Thoughts On How To Overcome Fear Of Public Speaking

If you can’t overcome your fear with practice alone, consider seeking professional help.

Nervousness or anxiety in certain situations is normal, and public speaking is no exception. But it will really empower you if you’ll learn to overcome it.

If you’re a serious business person, it’s normal to be invited to speak in public. Whether you’re giving a formal presentation or giving your thoughts in a meeting, public speaking is an essential skill to have. And learning how to overcome fear of public speaking will give you a lot of edge in business.

So many people get caught up living in the rat race. Sometimes, they are too focused on the transactional and not the transformational that they lose track of where they are. They lose track of achieving their goals and forget how to focus.

Studies show that 92% of people who set goals don’t achieve them. And the reason why most people don’t follow through is because they become overwhelmed with all the transactional things that are happening in life. They put all their energy focusing on tasks and activities  instead of the transformational – game changing priorities.

This is why I advise all my clients and my team to take a timeout. When you do, you get to stop and identify what works in your life. Instead of operating from high emotion and low intelligence, you get to come from a place and a space of creating what’s really important in your own life.

I do this every week and it gives me a checkup from the neck up. It allows me to understand if I am focused on what’s really important. And what guides me are the Five Laws of Focus that you’ll learn in this article.

What You Focus On Is What You Get

The first Law of Focus is “What you focus on is what you get.” If you’re focused on negative things, or what you don’t have, or problems, guess what? You’re going to get more of those.

A lot of people believe that they focus on the negative because nothing is going right. They have fires to put out, they have problems to solve, and people to deal with. The truth is, nothing is going right in their business and their life because they are focused on the negative things.

However, if you’re focused on gratitude, on serving people, on contributing and making a difference in your life every day, that’s what you’re going to get more of. You’re going to get more things to be grateful for. You’re going to start building a business that makes a difference. And you’re going to earn a lot more money.

If you want to create an opportunity for yourself then focus on what it is you are looking to do. Tell your brain what to look for and your brain will show it to you.

That’s the first Law of Focus: What you focus on is what you get.

What You Focus On Expands

The second Law of Focus is ”What you focus on expands.” There’s an old saying that says, “Where attention goes, energy flows.” If your focus is on the negative things that’s happening in your life, you’ll get more of the same.

That’s why I focus and commit on writing down what are the 10 things I’m most grateful for every morning. As a result, more of that shows up in my life. It empowers me to wake, create, and dictate my life, not just do transactional stuff. More important, it makes life much more fun and meaningful!

The single greatest power we have is to choose our own thoughts. If you want more good things to come into your life, then focus on those thoughts. Think about what you want instead of what you don’t want.

If you’re afraid to fail, focus on thinking about success. Fill your mind with thoughts of winning, success, and empowerment. Doing this one simple thing will help you be more successful in business and in life.

Focus Is More Important Than Intelligence

Third is “Focus is more important than intelligence.” There are lots of people more intelligent than I am – extremely intelligent people. However, a lot of them are broke, unhappy, and living miserable lives. It’s usually because they’re focused on all the wrong things. They’re focusing on what they don’t have instead of what they do have.

If you want to achieve great things in your business and in your life, you have to focus on what you want, not what you don’t want. You have to focus on using the resources that you have and be resourceful in getting the resources you need to have.

I teach this in my Ultimate Leadership Camp. It’s a program I created from my 30+ years of doing business and learning from some of the greatest leaders in the world. In it, I teach people the Ultimate Leadership System. One of those steps is identifying what resources you have and what resources you need.

At the end of the day, as long as you understand that focus is more important than intelligence, then you can accomplish anything you want.

Who You Focus Spending Time With Is Who You Become

Jim Rohn said, “We are the average of the five people we spend most of our time with.” Who you focus on attracting and spending time in your life is who you become.

This is why I invest tons of money to hire mentors and coaches who I can learn from. I spend a lot of time with them because I want to duplicate and replicate their results. Ultimately, I know that my business and my life will be better when I learn from the best.

If you want to grow your business, make sure you surround yourself with mentors and coaches who can take your business to the next level. Stop spending time with people who do drama. Stop spending time with negative people and start improving the quality of your network.

How to Focus Means Follow One Course Until Successful

Finally, FOCUS means “Follow One Course Until Successful.” You see, focus trumps multitasking. Lots of people say that multitasking is a great skill to acquire. I say that’s misleading. The people who are the most successful in the world focus on doing just one thing. That’s why they become an achiever.

Michael Jordan tried to focus on baseball. It didn’t work. He’s an amazing athlete yet he couldn’t hit a single home run. But once he came back to what he loved doing – basketball – he won 3 more championships.

So ultimately, what you focus on will turn decades into days. And when you focus, you can accomplish your goals faster than you ever have before in your life. It will help you achieve amazing results for your business.

Final Thoughts On How To Focus

Focus is more important than intelligence. Distraction makes us weak and slow to act. But the good news is if you can learn to minimize distractions and increase focus, you can outperform others. Even when they are way smarter and way more experienced than you. You can easily achieve your goals. 

In this distracted world, the most focused person usually wins. Always remember that the easiest opportunity to improve your impact and get ahead with others is to really focus on what you want and have the will to achieve it.