[VIDEO+ACTIVITY] Duncan Nugget #103: Focus On The Task At Hand

Picture this:

I’m standing 3 feet away from my 5-yr old son, Mekhi. I call him. He doesn’t answer. Hmm…

I say his name a little louder, “Mekhi!”

Still no response. Grrr…

“MEKHIIII!!!”

Believe it or not, he still doesn’t respond. I’m thinking, “Oh lord! My child is deaf.” But that’s not it. He can’t hear me because he’s watching his show. He’s focused.

If you’re a parent, you’ve experienced this. If you have parents, you’ve done this!

You’re probably thinking, “That is not focus. He was ignoring you.” Ha! I can see where you’re coming from, but wait. Isn’t that what focus is?

The ability to ignore anything that has nothing to do with the task at hand. 

HINT: When engrossed in something you are passionate about, you have that ability.

Million-Dollar Question:
What are you so passionate about that you ignore all distractions and focus on the task at hand?

[VIDEO+ACTIVITY] Duncan Nugget® #84: Genuine Open-Mindedness

Is it just me or have you ever noticed that once somebody thinks something negative about a person or a group of people s/he can find all the evidence in the world to prove it, but none to refute it?

And once somebody thinks you can’t do or be something, s/he can find all the evidence in the world to prove that it’s impossible, but none to prove that it is possible.

Why?

Because genuine open-mindedness is a rare thing.

It’s common, however, for people to completely ignore (sometimes unintentionally) anything that challenges their beliefs. Even if it’s factual, people have a hard time dealing with information that contradicts what they think. Most people only seek information that validates what they want to think and believe.

Genuine open-mindedness is a master ability. It’s one of the keys to collaboration and teamwork.

Million-Dollar Question:
How open-minded are you?

Leadership Lessons From Nelson Mandela and Stephen Covey

UPDATE: My heart is saddened by the passing of Nelson Mandela on December 5, 2013. He was 95. The life he lived will continue to be an inspiration to me and millions of people.

In the world of exceptional leaders it’s been a week of joy and sorrow.

On the sad side of things, Dr. Stephen Covey passed away on Monday, July 16, 2012. Covey was an educator, best-selling author, motivational speaker, and businessman. His book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is one of the most influential personal development and business books of all-time. Twenty-five million copies have been sold in 38 different languages!

Since I first read it, Habit 5 is one of the fundamental principles of my communication style: “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

On the happier side of things, Nelson Mandela, anti-apartheid activist, Nobel Peace Prize winner, and former President of South Africa, is celebrating his 94th birthday today (7/18/12). I always thought I had a lot of determination and grit until I read Mandela’s autobiography, Long Walk To Freedom. I remember thinking to myself, “Al Duncan, you need to step up your game.”

Of course, neither Mandela nor Covey are without flaws and that’s what makes them great. Both epitomize many of the characteristics of exceptional leaders. Here are two of the numerous leadership lessons that can be learned from studying their works.

7 Online Soft Skills Quizzes

Where do you stand on your soft skills? If you are not sure, here are 7 quick and easy quizzes about a few of your soft skills.

[POSTER] Duncan Nugget® #14: Your Performance Today

Million-Dollar Question:
If your life was
remembered based on
how well you performed today,
would that be okay with you?

LEARN. DO. IMPROVE.

TODAY.

_________________________
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS/ACTION STEPS

[VIDEO] Duncan Nugget® #12: Paralyzed By Choice

“I have so many things I could do that I don’t know what I should do!”

Students and professionals say things like that all the time. I understand why.

In a famous research study, more people stopped to taste jams at a table with 24 flavors, but more people actually made a purchase at a table with 6 flavors.

Having too many choices exhausts your brain, stifles creativity, and kills motivation because you end up feeling overwhelmed and develop a fear of making the wrong choice.

When it comes to dreams, goals, and aspirations, most people aren’t suffering from a lack of choices, they’re suffering from lack of ability to make a choice.

Successful people do their research, make a choice, and adjust based on the consequences. They refuse to be paralyzed by choice.

Million-Dollar Question:
How determined are you to avoid being paralyzed
by the fear of making the wrong choice?

_________________
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

[VIDEO+ACTIVITY] Duncan Nugget® #211: The Deciding Factor

Exxon Mobile Corporation conducted a study that shows that price isn’t always the main deciding factor for choosing a gas station. It’s other things like cleanliness, brightness, and safety.

That’s interesting because it shows that…

When someone makes a decision about you and what you have to offer, many times the deciding factor isn’t what you think it is.

I’ve seen plenty of people get tripped up over this. If you are a parent, educator, or mentor whether or not someone heeds your advice is seldom based on common sense. The deciding factors are things like trust, respect, and authenticity.

When you’re in an interview, seldom are your GPA and technical knowledge the deciding factors. It’s often a matter of soft skills like leadership, communication, teamwork, and decision making.

Million-Dollar Question:
When making a choice about you
and what you have to offer,
what will be the deciding factor?

_______________________
ACTIVITY AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS