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Money, financial success, prosperity, abundance, all terms describing an area of life that is almost an obsession in modern society.  It can also be of great concern to those pursuing self development, self actualization or various paths of self help.  This article is to briefly touch on a few key points concerning this area of self development and hopefully give some direction to those wishing to pursue this further.

First of all, one of the characteristics of money relevant to today’s article, is that money is a multiplier.  In other words, whatever your current overall condition of being is, if you suddenly have more money that condition will be amplified.  If you are generally happy and handling your life in a positive manner, more money will help you in that direction. If you are unhappy, neurotic or otherwise dysfunctional, more money will also help you in that direction.  This is why there are happy, well adjusted “poor” people and also the cliché of the miserable rich person.  Which person is really “rich’ or “poor”?  As the popular music group the Beatles sang “Can’t Buy Me Love”….  This shows us that the environment we create from what is inside us is a more powerful creator of our condition of reality than money!

Many of us are concerned about the lack of money.  What can we say about this popular topic?  Those who are working on dealing with this issue may want to check as to whether they have ever asked to specifically improve their financial condition.  Who or what to ask are beyond the scope of this article, but the point needs to be noted.

Another area regarding the lack of money can be described as “abundance blockers”.  It is not uncommon for a person to be double minded about money issues.  While they consciously profess a desire to improve their financial condition, a part of the person, usually subconsciously, works against that desire.  Financial success may be associated with such negatives as excessive work, less family time, more responsibility, shallowness, lack of spirituality, or hurting the people around you.  Attitudes expressed by family members about finances, that you may not even agree with, may be unconsciously influencing your behavior  with little awareness on your part.  Various techniques to identify and remove such blockages can be sought out by the individual wishing to advance in this area or others.  Some individuals can identify a life cycle that they  have repeated multiple times.  A typical cycle involves an individual advancing financially or other ways and then suddenly falling back to prior levels due to unconscious blockages or scripts they are acting out.

Another aspect of this subject to be aware of is the idea of “financial freedom”.  Better finances are supposed to give you more freedom in life.  Perhaps more freedom is not best for you at this time.  Perhaps a lesser degree of freedom would help you to develop considerably beyond where you would be if you had financial freedom now. 



Fortune magazine once published an article entitled "The Best Advice I Ever Got." It was a great article that offered wit and wisdom about achieving business success. I liked it so much, that it motivated me to produce my newest book, Leadership:Best Advice I Ever Got, which describes the best leadership advice 136 successful CEOs, coaches, consultants, professors, managers, executives, presidents, politicians, and religious leaders received that most helped them become effective and successful leaders.

Here are 7 secrets to leadership success:

1. Leadership is about making things happen

If you want to make something happen with your life, in school, in your profession or in your community, do it. Perceived obstacles crumble against persistent desire. John Baldoni, Author, Leadership Communication Consultant and Founder of Baldoni Consulting LLC, shared this advice that had come from his father, a physician. He taught him the value of persistence. At the same time, his mother taught him compassion for others. Therefore, persistence for your cause should not be gained at the expense of others. Another bit of leadership wisdom!

2. Listen and understand the issue, then lead

Time and time again we have all been told, "God gave us two ears and one mouth for a reason"...or as Stephen Covey said..."Seek to understand, rather than be understood." As a leader, listening first to the issue, then trying to coach, has been the most valuable advice that Cordia Harrington, President and CEO of Tennessee Bun Company has been given.

3. Answer the three questions everyone within your organization wants answers to

What the people of an organization want from their leader are answers to the following: Where are we going? How are we going to get there? What is my role? Kevin Nolan, President & Chief Executive Officer of Affinity Health Systems, Inc. believes the more clarity that can be added to each of the three questions, the better the result.

4. Master the goals that will allow you to work anywhere in today’s dynamic business world

Debbe Kennedy, President, CEO and Founder of Global Dialogue Center and Leadership Solutions Companies, and author of Action Dialogues and Breakthrough once shared this piece of advice that was instrumental in shaping her direction, future and achievements.

She was a young manager at IBM just promoted to her first staff assignment in a regional marketing office. For reasons she can’t explain, one of her colleagues named Bookie called her into his office while she was visiting his location. He then began to offer unsolicited advice, but advice that now stays fresh in her mind. He mentioned that jobs, missions, titles and organizations would come and go as business is dynamic-- meaning it is always changing. He advised her not to focus your goals toward any of these, but instead learn to master the skills that will allow you to work anywhere.

He was talking about four skills:

• The ability to develop an idea
• Effectively plan for its implementation
• Execute second-to-none
• Achieve superior results time after time

With this in mind, Kennedy advises readers to seek jobs and opportunities with this in mind. Forget what others do. Work to be known for delivering excellence. It speaks for itself and it opens doors.

5. Be curious

Curiosity is a prerequisite to continuous improvement and even excellence. The person who gave Mary Jean Thornton, Former Executive Vice President & CIO, The Travelers this advice urged her to study people, processes, and structures. He inspired her to be intellectually curious. He often reminded Thornton that making progress, in part, was based upon thinking. She has learned to apply this notion of intellectual curiosity by thinking about her organization’s future, understanding the present, and knowing and challenging herself to creatively move the people and the organization closer to its vision.

6. Listen to both sides of the argument

The most valuable advice Brian P. Lees, Massachusetts State Senator and Senate Minority Leader ever received came from his mentor, United States Senator Edward W. Brooke III. He told him to listen to all different kinds of people and ideas. Listening only to those who share your background and opinions can be imprudent. It is important to respect your neighbors’ rights to their own views. Listening to and talking with a variety of people, from professors to police officers, from senior citizens to schoolchildren, is essential not only to be a good leader in business, but to also be a valuable member within your community.

7. Prepare, prepare, prepare

If you fail to prepare, you are preparing to fail. If one has truly prepared and something goes wrong the strength of the rest of what you've prepared for usually makes this something easier to handle without crisis and panic. One of the best pieces of advice Dave Hixson, Men’s Varsity Basketball Coach at Amherst College has ever received and continues to use and pass on is this anonymous quote, "Preparation is the science of winning."

Along with this are two expressions from Rick Pitino's book Success is a Choice, which speaks to preparation. Hixson asks his teams every year: "Do you deserve to win?" and "Have you done the work?" This speaks to the importance of preparation toward achieving your final goal. If you haven't done the work (preparation) the answer to the second question is an easy "no!"

Great advice comes from many sources: parents, other relatives, consultants, bosses, co-workers, mentors, teachers, coaches, and friends. The important point to remember is to stay open, listen to everyone, but also develop your own leadership style.