Motivational Leadership: Qualities of a Motivational Leader

Do you exhibit motivational leadership? Motivational leaders know how to influence others using these characteristics:

Motivational leaders have a vision. This vision is a clear picture of what the future will look like. By sharing their vision and how it fits into the big picture, leaders can inspire others to join them in working toward it. Sharing a clear vision is an important part of influencing others to follow a leader to achieving the defined goal.

Motivational leaders are self-motivated. These leaders understand the importance of continuous personal and professional improvement. They always actively seek out new ideas through various sources, such as books, seminars and conferences, professional publications, or networking and sharing ideas with others.

Motivational leaders are committed. Leaders are not only committed to the project at hand, but also to the people working on the project with them. When everyone sees the leader working as hard as they are to achieve a successful result, they are more committed to the job. Leaders show commitment to people by being the first to publicly praise, giving credit where it is due, and keeping promises.

Motivational leaders are able to communicate. Leaders are able to effectively communicate their vision and expectations to the rest of the team. They can use words to inspire and influence. They are also expert listeners. They have the knack of picking up the nuances of spoken language and body language. They listen carefully to what is said to catch what could be hidden meanings. For example, an employee’s tone of voice or body knowledge may reveal signs of frustration or stress that their words aren’t expressing.

Motivational leaders help people believe in themselves. They give people confidence to achieve goals. They focus on other people’s strengths and not Motivational Speaker DeDe Murcer Moffettweaknesses. They offer encouragement at just the right time when it is needed the most.

Are you a motivational leader? If not, do you need help Snapping Out Of It so you can improve your leadership skills?

Contact us for more information about bringing the Snap Out of It! Woman to your next event, meeting or conference.

It’s Not Hard to Be Extraordinary

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“People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things “- Edmund Hillary

Many leadership speakers preach that normal is bad. Ordinary should be avoided at all cost and the success you achieved yesterday is already forgotten. Now I don’t know about you but that whole line of “motivation” wears me out and totally demotivates me.

Who wants to get up everyday only to feel like a loser because they just can’t give anymore.And you wonder why employees are tuned out, numbed out and totally disengaged.

It’s just not that hard to be extraordinary. Yes, there is hope for you ordinary slackers to be exceptional on a daily basis and stay motivated about it.

 

Here are 3 simple ways you can be extraordinary in a SNAP!

 

1. Treat People Like They Are Somebody

I travel a lot and very few people treat me like I’m important. They are too busy texting or talking on their phones. Walking into a store, if I’m lucky I get a robotic “Can I help you?” I get it, I’m not important to you. But once and a while I do meet that extraordinary person who looks me in the eye, smiles and engages me in an authentic conversation. That extra effort turned my ordinary day into an extraordinary one!

2. Do Something You’re Not Required to Do

Many speakers would never consider helping their clients produce marketing videos or setting up the room the night before an event. But in this highly competitive field of speaking it’s that extra effort that makes you stand out from the crowd and takes you from ordinary to extraordinary. Just a little extra effort required.

3. Find Solutions

“It’s not my job.” “I don’t know.” “I have no idea.” Strike these responses from your vocabulary. Go find the answer!

Recently, I was attempting to pay the premium on my life insurance via the phone. The rep on the line couldn’t find my account. I was trying to give them my money for Pete’s sake and all he would say is sorry I can’t find your account. He didn’t know why, he didn’t care why and he offered no solution. Frustrated, I hung up the phone and called again. This time I connected with a rep who, with a little extra effort, did find a solution and retained my business.

It’s not that hard to be extraordinary. All it takes is consistently doing something extra that you ordinarily wouldn’t do. This approach will keep you motivated and excited to continually take those steps that move you from ordinary to extraordinary!

S.N.A.P. See new possibilities in your business and life!

DeDe Murcer Moffett Leadership Training

DeDe Murcer Moffett Entertaining Leadership Speaker, Author, Trainer

Successful New Year Resolutions Require Two Things

 

 

A new year is upon us and soon you will be making at least one, if not many New Year resolutions.  But making a resolution without keeping two things in mind can quickly derail your efforts and plunge you into thinking “I’m a loser”.  You’re not a loser!

Snap Out of It!  Successful New Year resolutions require two things.  Once you are aware of the these two things you can tackle anything! That is, anything you put your heart and mind into.

 

 

Remember to leave your comments! What resolutions will you reach in a Snap this coming year?

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

from all of us at

DeDe Murcer Moffett & Snap Out of It!

I Don’t Care! Life Saver or Life Sentence?

We use the phrase “I don’t care” way more than we realize or care to admit.  Do you fully understand the message you are sending to yourself? As a leadership speaker I do care how successful you become.  That’s why I produced this Snap Moment video with you in mind!

Could this phrase be keeping you in your box and limited by your own words? Or are you already aware of the power “I don’t care” has to propel you forward faster toward success?  Watch this “Snap” video then tell us your success story about turning “I don’t care” into a life saver instead of a life sentence! 

Oh Snap!  Remember to leave me your comments!  See you soon! DeDe

Work-Life Balance Increases The Bottom Line

 

As an entertaining leadership speaker and trainer, I’m passionate about bringing awareness to the importance of work-life balance for long term success. Leading edge companies aren’t afraid to remove the corporate thumb off employees heads and initiate a whole life culture.  They understand work-life balance increases overall well-being and that increases their bottom line!  In this article I will address what work-life balance is and why companies must implement it now.   So as M.C. Hammer sings lets “break it down”.www.dedemurcermoffett.com

Businessdirectory.com defines work-life balance as a comfortable state of equilibrium achieved between an employee’s primary priorities of their employment positions and their private lifestyle.

The short version – Employers helping workers
cope better with the competing demands of work and family.

Is it really that important? Yes! Actually the word is “Very according to Fortune magazine’s annual rankings of the World’s Most Admired Companies. Forty-nine percent of respondents from organizations ranked in the top three in their industries reported that addressing work-life balance issues is a “top priority” if your going to balance the human capital challenge in the upcoming years.

Want a few numbers to see if work-life balance actually affects your bottom line? Organizations that are perceived to not support work-life balance will lose 1 in 4 or 27% of their key talent and peak performers within the next two years. Balance those numbers against your competitors!

Entertaining Keynote Speaker DeDe Murcer Moffett Leaders must get outside the box of work, work, work and help employees feel more positive about accomplishing challenging assignments while designing a work environment and culture to help decrease stress and allow more time for personal responsibilities.

What’s the payoff for employers? Happy and engaged employees that are free to be creative, more innovative and ignite a vibe of “I love my life and job” throughout the entire workforce. They also are more likely to develop collaborative cohesive teams.

[gn_note color=”#FFCC00″]3 effective strategies to help employees obtain work-life balance and ignite sustainable success.[/gn_note]
  1. Develop open communication styles that allow employees to accomplish tasks as quickly and efficiently as possible. Confusion creates stress and procrastination.
  1. Define projects with a clear and compelling purpose, so employees feel good about the time they are away from family working on a project.
  1. Empower your employees to make the decisions necessary to accomplish their projects and goals without the stress of endless time wasting meetings and emails.

Work-life balance isn’t easy to obtain and it takes conscious authentic leaders to make it happen but the bottom line is, work-life balance is smart business that boosts your employee’s moral and YOUR bottom line!

Success Factors Multiply When You Subtract This and Add That

images (1)Today more people than ever are feeling less than fully alive. Many are just phoning it in, walking around like zombies unaware they have entered the danger zone. They are depressed. Studies show that too many options of toothpaste, tomato sauce and even what movie to see, is causing mental overload and confusion; short-circuiting our excitement for life. 

Our fast pace work and personal life leads us to adopt poor eating and sleeping habits while the Internet holds us captive from real human interaction.

But you can Snap Out of It! and multiply your success.  It just takes making a commitment to live consciously and learning how to calculate the best life options for peak performance.

In my research and personal experience getting back on stage as a keynote speaker and entertainer, I recommend doing some adding and subtracting that will add up to big success factors!add-sub-764567

1. Subtract – Sugar. Especially processed foods like cookies, cupcakes and ice cream. Stabilizing blood sugar levels cuts cravings and improves your mood. According to the American Heart Association the average American consumes over 22 teaspoons of sugar a day. Most women should consume no more than 6 teaspoons a day.

2. Add – 20 minutes of daily exercise. Walk around the block or hop on the treadmill Walking to Improve Running460just get your legs moving. When you exercise, your body releases chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins interact with the receptors in your brain that reduce your perception of pain. Endorphins also trigger a positive feeling in the body accompanied by a positive and energizing outlook on life.

3. Subtract – Over indulging with alcohol to relax. Alcohol is a depressant. Everyone metabolizes alcohol differently. Know your limits. According to one major study conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, nearly one-third of people with major depression also have an alcohol problem.

4. Add – Uplifting and positive books like “Wisdom Wedgies & Life’s Little Zingers” by
 that amazing author/speaker DeDe Murcer Moffett. Positive psychology can teach us how to savor positive events, express gratitude for everyday experiences, develop optimism, and cultivate resilience in the face of difficulties.

5. Subtract – Time on social media. Studies show that the illusions of a perfect and ultra successful life being created through social media cause feelings of unworthiness and anxiety for the young and old alike. Get out in the real world with real human interaction to Snap You Out of the illusion that you can’t and aren’t enough all ready!

hugging_1521667i6. Add – 8 Hugs to your day. Did you know that hugging another human being for a minimum of 20 seconds releases the hormone oxytocin into your blood stream. Oxytocin is released in the body when we feel safe and connected and tells the brain, “Everything is all right.”

Scientists suggest that you need to experience at least eight hugs a day in order to feel happier and more content with life.

If you are feeling less than fully alive take control.  Subtract some things and add others but don’t just sit by and do nothing when life just isn’t adding up!

As I always say “It’s never too late to Snap Out of It! and do something amazing! 

 

Eliminate Stressful Thoughts

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What is it that causes you to feel lousy, stressed and anxious? What keeps you from being able to speak up, stand up and move forward?  It’s not your food, although that can be a contributor, it’s not your kids, your spouse your job or even the in-laws.  Well maybe it’s in part to the in-laws, but let’s talk about what you CAN control.

The truth is all stress is generated by you.  It’s how you think thoughts.  Since you think all the time this can sound pretty depressing.  But I’ve found with daily practice you can reduce or even eliminate all stressful thoughts.

One of my favorite researchers and teachers on how our beliefs and thoughts create a successful or not so successful life is Morty Lefkoe.  Morty and his wife Shelly have been teaching people how to eliminate beliefs and change limiting thinking with their Lefkoe Method long before it was all the rage.  I have worked with Shelly and the Lefkoe Method for years and it has helped me do what I thought I couldn’t and to move forward faster in business and life.  (As if those two are separate.)

Here’s a a short master class from the master of the mind himself, Morty Lefkoe on how you can begin to eliminate stressful thoughts so they never stress you out again.

Learn to make a clear distinction between reality and how that reality “occurs” in your mind.

Why does making this distinction allow people to dissolve negative emotions so quickly? Because as long as your mind believes that the meaning you give reality IS reality, you will feel negative emotions that logically flow from that view of reality.  If you believe something is dangerous, you’ll feel fear.  If you believe someone did something on purpose to offend you, you’ll be angry.

When your mind gets that the way reality occurs to you is not part of reality but something separate from it, you’ll find that your event and the emotions caused by the event disappear.  Instead you are left with calmness and peace of mind.

Dealing with the reality of the physical world instead of the meaning in your mind leads to freedom from past meanings and future expectations.  The sense of being a victim of things outside you literally disappears. Your constant judgment of others disappears.  As a result, you experience being grounded in the here and now and empowered to deal with “reality.”

Now that is something I believe in!

Find out more about my friends Morty and Shelly Lefkoe and their life changing work here.

Leadership Speaker DeDe Murcer Moffett

 

 

 

DeDe Murcer Moffett is an entertaining leadership speaker 
  helping people and businesses move forward faster.

 

 

 

 

 

Best Stress Relievers

stress-relief-400x272Top 25 best stress relievers to make you feel better fast!

In my last article I alerted you to the critical differences between stress and burnout. As I mentioned, awareness is the key to start stressing less. The art of taking action is how you begin to undue the mental and physical limitations brought on by unattended and constant stress of life.

As a researcher of human behavior and a professional keynote speaker, I’m always interested in what others are doing successfully to live healthier and more productive lives. So I reached out to my Facebook friends and asked them to share their best practices for unwinding and refueling. Here are their top 25 stress-less strategies.

1. Take a brisk walk through a scenic area.
2. Head to a Yoga class.
3. Engage in deep breathing exercises.
4. Take Fido for a romp at the dog park.
5. Laugh out loud with friends.
6. Get lost in a book.
7. Play a round of golf.
8. Drive with the top down.
9. Get centered and meditate.
10. Practice compassion for self and others.
11. Spend time reading scripture and praying.
12. Dance like you can even if you can’t.
13. Watch an inspiring or funny TV show.
14. Sip a great cup of coffee.
15. Go for a run while listening to your favorite tunes.
16. Build a garden.
17. Clean the house.
18. Take a nap.
19. Get a massage.
20. Paint a picture.
21. De-clutter the garage.
22. Sing at the top of your lungs.
23. Call a friend.
24. Discover Heart Math.
25. Make a list of what you’re thankful for.

Also making the list, Xanax and throwing back a few Margaritas’ or Scotches. These were said in jest of course, as many of my friends are frustrated comedians!  But they help keep my stress levels down by making me laugh out loud everyday.  Yes I am a former alcoholic,  but I have nothing against drinking if it’s done responsibly, in moderation and serves to relax you instead of taking you out of your body and mind. Only you know your limits. Well… you and all those people at the bar last weekend.

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The truth is stress is serious business and you can’t lie to your body by ignoring, distracting or denying it. Believe me, when you least expect it unattended stress will rise up with a vengeance and kick your hi-neee butt!

Remember, as you engage in one of the 25 stress relievers suggested by my fabulous Facebook friends (join the conversation here) make a conscious effort to let go and actually relax. Don’t pick your troubles back up again. By staying relaxed and stress free you will solve the current issues you’re facing faster and more efficiently.

In my next post we will talk about how small changes in your thinking can make a big difference in reducing stressful thoughts.  Until then, get outside, laugh out loud, kiss a dog, and dance like you own the floor!

 

DeDe Murcer Moffett Changing the Way You Change!

DeDe Murcer Moffett
Changing the Way You Change!

Stress vs. Burnout

stress-word-blurrStress vs. Burnout

Stress and burnout are both very real and very different. Knowing the difference can save your life. If someone asked you the difference between burnout and stress would you know the difference? Relax, no need to stress.  Read on.

What is stress? Stress is a physical reaction to something you perceive to be a threat, or something that upsets your sense of security either physically, mentally, emotionally or spiritually.

When you perceive a threat, your nervous system responds by releasing a flood of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.  Your heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, and your senses become sharper. These physical changes increase your strength and stamina, speed your reaction time, and enhance your focus—preparing you to either fight or run like hell from the perceived or real danger.

Not all stress is bad.  A certain amount of stress keeps you focused, sharp and alert. I always feel a level of stress when I step on stage to speak or sing. Even though I’ve been in front of thousands of people I still feel some stress. That stress helps me stay focused, on my toes and performing at peak levels. But too much stress dulls my focus and short circuits my energy.  I become irritable, distracted and less effective in my decision-making.

Psychologist Connie Lillas uses a driving analogy to describe the three most common ways people respond when they’re overwhelmed by stress.

Where’s your foot?

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Foot on the gas – An angry, agitated, or “fight” stress response. You’re heated, keyed up, overly emotional, and unable to sit still.

Foot on the brake – A withdrawn, depressed, or “flight” stress response. You shut down, pull away, space out, and show very little energy or emotion.

Foot on both – A tense or “freeze,” stress response. You become frozen under pressure and can’t do anything. You look paralyzed, but under the surface you’re extremely agitated.

Stress is a response to mental or physical overload. Awareness of self is your life preserver when stressed. Before you burnout, make small shifts in your thinking and lifestyle so you can Snap Out of It and find your balance again. 

Ignoring the signs of stress is dangerous and irresponsible.  Beware of buying into the “Superman or Superwoman Syndrome” no one can do it all.  Sooner or later you are going to hit a brick wall, run out of gas and possibly lose all motivation and hope. You will officially burnout!  Get real, real quick about how you are or aren’t feeling.

Stress vs. Burnout

• Over Engagement vs. Disengagement
• Overly Emotional vs. None Emotional
• Urgency & Hyperactivity vs. Helplessness & Hopelessness
• Loss of Energy vs. Loss of Motivation, Ideas & Hope
• Anxiety vs. Detachment and Depression
• Primary Damage Physical vs. Primary Damage Emotional
• Premature Death vs. Thinking Life’s Not Worth Living

Workplace burnout illustration

Burnout typically stems from your career. But anyone who feels overworked and undervalued is at risk for burnout. The hardworking executive who hasn’t had a vacation or a raise in several years to the frazzled stay-at-home mom struggling with the demanding task of taking care of the kids, laundry, housework, and aging parents are all at risk of burning out and checking out.

Burnout caused by prolonged stress, leads to serious mental and physical issues including debilitating depression and hopelessness that threatens jobs, finances, relationships and health. Before you burnout, Snap Out of It and check your stress level. Know the signs and symptoms of burnout and reach out for help if you start feeling hopeless and helpless. Life can change in a snap. Don’t give up. 

In my next post we will look at the best life practices to prevent fanning the flame of stress and burning out too soon!

DeDe Murcer Moffett - Give The Performance of Your Life

DeDe Murcer Moffett – Give The Performance of Your Life

Speak Like A Pro

Screen Shot 2012-07-27 at 11.43.26 PMWhat does it take to speak like a pro? I’ve certainly heard some not so true things being said by people who obviously don’t speak for a living. Those are the folks who sell illusions that don’t really exist. If you know my work then you know I’d like to slap, excuse me I mean Snap those people Out of It!  Ok I’m back. There’s a ton to write about regarding speaking for a living but for this post I’m going to share 3 tips for being a more confident and effective speaker. 

1. Be prepared. For the industries sake don’t wing it! Very few people step onto the stage and just say whatever comes to their mind successfully. The pros just look like they do. I work on each talk for days sometimes weeks before I present. Speaking takes many hours of research, practice and understanding the needs of the industry of which you are speaking. Practice your talk until it becomes second nature then you can really start to play and communicate with your audience. Preparation always comes first! Only then can you deliver a message that will shift not only the minds of your audience but more importantly, their hearts!

DeDe Murcer Moffett Keynote Speaker

2. Wear what makes you feel like a million bucks. When you are uncomfortable your audience is uncomfortable. Creeping wedgies don’t work well on stage! When you’re distracted by clothes that don’t fit properly you can’t be in the moment with your audience. What you feel on stage broadcasts loud and clear. Make sure you feel like a star and your audience will applaud you for it.

3. Emotionally and mentally remind yourself why you are doing what you’re doing. Are you there to pump up your ego, listen to yourself talk or deliver a life-changing message? Take a moment to connect with your heart. Remind yourself of your mission and life’s purpose before you step on to that stage. When what you say effectively changes someone’s life for the better, you can be confident there is no better feeling than that! 

Now Snap Out of It! and hit the stage!

DeDe Murcer Moffett The Snap Out of It! Woman

DeDe Murcer Moffett
The Snap Out of It! Woman