One other quote from Better seemed relevant. Dr. Gawande was concerned about the need for meaning, purpose and significance for those who work in America's health care system.

He explained that even an expert surgeon is "just one of 819,000 physicians, 2.4 million nurses, 388,000 medical assistants, 232,000 pharmacists, 294,000 lab technicians, 121,000 paramedics, 99,000 respiratory therapists, and 85,000 nutritionists. It can be hard to feel like one is not just a cog in a machine . . . none of us is irreplaceable . . . so, in this work one begins to wonder 'how do I really matter?'"

Effective leaders recognize that this is a fundamental question that every person is asking in one way or another. We all want to know that what we do matters, that we've made a difference, that we are not just wasting our time.

It is the leader's job to constantly find and communicate the importance of whatever work is being done. Leaders inspire by reminding people that they matter, that they are unique, and that the team, the organization and the community needs them and recognizes their value.

I recently read Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance, an excellent book on leadership, persuasion, human psychology and improving health care throughout the world, by Dr. Atul Gawande. I finished the book right before a leadership seminar to a group of health care professionals and included the following quotes in my presentation.

Dr. Gawande had just traveled to India and witnessed the tremendous problems and deficiencies in their hospitals. For example, patients have to leave the hospital to purchase the equipment and supplies that the doctors need to perform even lifesaving procedures. Although he was saddened by what he saw, he was also encouraged by the ingenuity of the doctors.

"Using just textbooks and advice from one another, the surgeons at this ordinary district hospital in India had developed an astounding range of expertise. What explains this? There was so much the surgeons had no control over . . . the overwhelming flow of patients, the poverty, the lack of supplies, but where they had control, their skills for example, these doctors sought betterment . . . They understood themselves to be part of a larger world of medical knowledge and accomplishment."

Effective leaders control what they can control. They take responsibility for their own thoughts and actions, for their own development. They act on the world, instead of being acted upon. In the words of Theodore Roosevelt, they "do what they can, with what they have, where they are."

It is tempting to blame external circumstances for our inability to improve, create change or lead. But there is always something we can do and that is where we should focus. Leaders don't seek excuses or accept them from others, even when they are obvious, even when they seem overwhelming. There is always something that can be done.

Last month I did two days of training on The Four Factors of Effective Leadership for a great group of emergency service personnel (firefighters, paramedics, hospital staff, etc.) in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

One of the four factors is improvement, which emphasizes the importance of continuous learning, growth and development. Following the seminar, I had an interesting conversation with Sonny Robbins. During the day, he developed this quote and shared it with me. I thought it was very insightful and wanted to pass it along.

"Striving for perfection is good, but achieving perfection is impossible. Knowing where to draw the line is the difference between success and insanity. Strive for perfection and do your best to achieve your goals and you will be successful."

I think he's encouraging an important balance between a paralyzing desire for perfection and a careless attitude toward the work we do. Great reminder.

Are you too busy? Do you feel overwhelmed? Are you constantly being pulled in too many different directions? Is it hard to find time for the things that really matter?

Time management is more than just checking items off a to-do list or squeezing a few more minutes out of each day by multi-tasking. In fact, these activities can often be counterproductive. In order to increase effectiveness and restore your peace of mind, it is essential to clarify purpose, develop plans, prioritize activities, and proactively execute those priorities each day.

This seminar will show you how to:
1. Develop a clear direction for your life
2. Set and achieve meaningful goals
3. Focus energy on high priority activities
4. Align daily tasks with long-term objectives
5. Handle interruptions and other disruptions to careful planning

You can watch a free preview here.

Get 25% off the CD or DVD at Createspace with coupon code UUHEHPLU

If you'd like, you can also pay full price for the CD or DVD at Amazon.com

For easy reference, links to all my resources are on the left side of my blog.

Let me ask you a question. What's your problem? I'm serious. What do you wish you could change about yourself? What is the complaint that you hear the most from those closest to you, your friends, co-workers, and family members? Are you too loud or too quiet, too hyperactive or too sedentary, too organized or too messy? You get the idea.

So, what should you do? Most people think that they should find and fix their weaknesses. Unfortunately, this just leads to frustration and failure. Your weaknesses are actually the best clue to your strengths. Furthermore, building your strengths, not fixing your weaknesses, is your best strategy for success.

This seminar is designed to encourage you to become more of who you are, not to turn you into someone else. It's about becoming more different and more unique, not more average and more mediocre. You will learn how to:

1. Discover your distinctive strengths and weaknesses
2. Frame your unique characteristics in a positive way
3. Find situations that highlight your positive qualities
4. Maximize your self-control
5. Implement permanent procrastination
6. Flaunt your weaknesses

You can watch a free preview of the new Freak Factor seminar here.

Get 25% off the CD or DVD at Createspace with coupon code UUHEHPLU

If you'd like, you can also pay full price for the CD or DVD at Amazon.com

For easy reference, links to all my resources are on the left side of my blog.

Are you burned out? Do you feel overwhelmed by personal and professional stress?

If you want to recharge yourself and reclaim control of your physical, emotional and mental well-being, this seminar can help. We will explore the causes and symptoms of burnout, as well as six proven stress management strategies. You will learn how to:

1. Take control of your responses to stress
2. Focus on what is really important
3. Use passion to overcome pain
4. Develop a new perspective on stress
5. Build relationships to prevent burnout
6. Balance activity and renewal

You can watch a free preview here.

Get 25% off the CD or DVD at Createspace with coupon code UUHEHPLU

If you'd like, you can also pay full price for the CD or DVD at Amazon.com

For easy reference, links to all my resources are on the left side of my blog.

The Fourth Factor of effective leadership is Improvement. Leaders must be learning and growing as individuals and developing those around them.

One great way to keep learning is to enroll in Automobile University. I first heard this term while listening, appropriately, to an audiobook by Zig Ziglar. It is simple to register for Auto U, just get an audiobook from your local library or bookstore or Itunes or Audible.com (my favorite source).

I recently listened to Microtrends, by Mark Penn. One of the trends he describes is extreme commuters, those that drive more than 375 miles to work and back each day. If you are one of these people, you should definitely register for classes today.

If you are looking for good business books available on audio, check out The Audio Advantage by Roy over at 800-CEO-Read. He lists popular business and leadership books that are available in audio format.