David Silvestre

Leaders vs. Followers

After many learning experiences, what I believe to be a true leader is a person that can adapt himself/herself to many different situations, and never stops learning. He/She is always interacting with people, and getting everyone to work together under a common ground in order to produce fantastic results. People will follow him/her without even recognizing they have taken on the role of a follower… this is what makes the leader different from the others.

I found this on a inspirational site:

When leaders make a mistake, they say, “I was wrong.”
When followers make mistakes, they say, “It wasn’t my fault.”
A leader works harder than a follower and has more time;
a follower is always “too busy” to do what is necessary.
A leader goes through a problem;
a follower goes around it and never gets past it.
A leader makes and keeps commitments;
a follower makes and forgets promises.
A leader says, “I’m good, but not as good as I ought to be;”
a follower says, “I’m not as bad as a lot of other people.”
Leaders listen;
followers just wait until it’s their turn to talk.
Leaders respect those who are superior to them and tries to learn something from them;
followers resent those who are superior to them and try to find chinks in their armor.
Leaders feel responsible for more than their job;
followers say, “I only work here.”
A leader says, “There ought to be a better way to do this;”
followers say, “That’s the way it’s always been done here.”

From those sentences I can say a leader needs three major characteristics:

1. Have a clear vision.
2. Be willing and able to take people with you on a journey.
3. Using your strengths to make things work.

What stops a lot of leaders, or potential leaders from applying those 3 tenets is fear,simple as that. It is the fear that they’re going in the wrong direction, fear that people won’t follow or fear that they’ll fail. I think perhaps the biggest fear of any leader is that they’re not strong enough, that they don’t have enough of the traditional leadership traits in a sufficient quantity to be effective.

It’s that fear of being weak – or to put it another way, the fear of being too much of a follower – that drives them to behave in ways they think they ought to behave rather than using their natural leadership traits. That’s what can destroy a perfectly good leader.
Now, whether you have a leadership role at the beginning, a leadership role as a parent, a leadership role in a social group or whether you’re leading a whole country, you’re also allowed to be a follower.

Don’t think for one second that you have to lead constantly and can’t look to others or follow others. You need to lead consistently, yes, but not constantly.
Do you think that a president ( Nation Leader) doesn’t look up to anyone or feel inspired by anyone?
Being a great leader requires openness and willingness to go off-road and explore the unknown when necessary. That means that there has to be a balance between leading and following – leading forges your path, following helps you learn.
“Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.” John F. Kennedy

Just look at Twitter – everyone and anyone following all kinds of people. Even the big guys are following people, and I’d say the people who really get it are perfectly happy to follow people who might be perceived to have a lower status, simply because they know they can learn something from them.
Actually in order to bring you this article I had to follow someones’ lead as well ( Steve Errey’s the Confident guy) so this information could dictate my beliefs and help those who read it.

Rich vs. Poor

As I was researching and educating myself about what people believe to be an extremely sensitive topic, I discovered that there are numerous articles posted all over the Internet talking about just that - Rich vs Poor. In that case, I felt it was only necessary to share my opinion and thought on this topic for many out there agreed with my perspective.

A writer from Forbes Magazine Sramana Mitra shared with her readers words of wisdom from William J. H. Boetcker (1873–1962 was an American religious leader and influential public speaker) within her article:
“You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.
You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.
You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.
You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.
You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.
You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves”

My blog will be based on those exact words, along with the many years of experienced I gained from the business world. I have met a lot of people and my success comes from learning a lesson from their mistakes. Each and everyone of those people has a story to tell, and with these stories, if you pay close attention, you will learn to avoid certain mistakes that may slow down your trip to success as it has done to them.
The Rich vs Poor debate is to a certain extend unfair due to life conditions such as where you were born, or your education influencing your future income.

Although you may be part of a dysfunctional environment, always remember that the moment you find your voice and the moment you make your own choices that’s when everything will change and begin to take its proper route.
You are now responsible for your position in your life and in the world, being Rich or Poor is up to you. Heavy statement? You Don't Agree?
There are many layers to this onion but the root is always the same; as you may read in many books, there are thousands of successful stories speaking of poor people who became rich and live in abundance.

After days of studying I reached this conclusion; they all have one thing in common, their Mind Set . If you can change your mind you can change your world. Just like a radio station has a proper frequency to deliver information, if you change it, different information comes in to your brain. Yes, it is as simple as that.
Its human nature to complicate things, because our ego feeds off that drama and finds it interesting when something exciting is happening; the key is to find other things exciting and learn how to enjoyed those.

For example, at work you can choose to:

• - pretend to be busy, while chatting with friends on facebook or texting them with your cell
• - gossiping about the rules of the office at lunch time
• - deliberately spending extra time in a project to have less work

Or you can choose to:

• - Ignore your facebook friends during working hours and make your boss your friend
• - Respect the office rules, showcasing humility to does who can give you a raise or bonus in your next cheque
• - Finish a project as fast as possible, to get one step closer to a better working position within the company

As you can see its quite simple to understand the concept; your choices equals your results. But again, it all comes from a mind set, so I learned that Poor people and Rich people do not really exist, its all a result. What really exists is Poor Minded people and Rich Minded people.
My parents use to tell me “hang around with the rich and you will become like them, hang around with the poor and you will become worst then them.” If you pay close attention to this statement you will understand that is a process that takes time and strong decision making to choose wisely where you want to end up.
I must add to my parent’s statement and pass it on to my kids, that on Top of all that, the worst type of people to avoid are those who have poor minds and pretend to have a rich ones.
These are the individuals that create unstable environments and help to crash the economy of a country, because they look at the rich ones and assume they never experienced difficulties or pressures that mold their mind set and got them where they are today.

It is really simple to change your mind set but you must be really willing to go through the struggles and learning processes, because its so much easier to just act like you know it all. Change this lifestyle and the universe will lead you there - to the rich.

Never forget to answer - What do you want to be Right? or Rich?

This was my blog of the week, I really hope this article can help you identify yourself and those you want to associate with.
Until Next Friday be good and make wise choices everyone!

Old Generation VS Young Generation

If questioned, would you be able to distinguish the difference between the old and young generation.
Where do you belong? Do you know where your mother, brother, friend belongs to?

That’s a debate many are facing now a days. Ever heard someone say “you are too young to do this” or “your too old to do that”. Now, if age is considered a factor used to separate old and young generation, in that case, I am between both generation; which give me the privilege to witness and examine both sides.
In today’s society, we are in need of both generations to contribute in some way. The younger generation brings questions, challenges and sparks change for the future. Whereas the old generation sets limits and breaks, provides wisdom and experience.

In relation to my knowledge, what I believe really justifies and individual to fit either or category is the way they communicate and contribute to the world. In fact, communication and contributions are the fastest ways to differentiate the two generations. If you look around you will notice that age had very little impact on it.

Although, written letters and meetings are now substituted with texting and emailing, things are not always what they seem. We have the older individuals using today’s technology and we have the younger individuals not willing to try the newer systems.

After a very deep research in relation of this topic, I have realised that no matter when we were born we can chose which generation we belong to according to the willingness of adapting to a fast paste lifestyle, which in turn is demonstrated by your level of ambition.

Many you know might say; “Everything is a lot more complicated now a days”, from that comment, you know that person is not in the New Generation group mostly because things are now easier then ever, but those who have trouble adapting will find any excuses to say things against it.

On the other hand due to this easy way of processing and accessing the power of communication many of us tend to not commit with anyone but with them self's, leading us to a selfish “ New Generation”. I have noticed that when we find balance in that power of communication we will be, as it always has been, the only way to a useful and productive generation. Balance is key on everything we do in order to succeed in all areas of living which will lead us to maintain the realism of life to remind that the world is still out there to be enjoyed and appreciated by all like the old generation once did and still does.

So after all I learned that no one can label anyone based on their age but instead we should look into what he or she can do with their time and abilities.
Just think of Mark Zuckerberg now a 27 year old worth $ 17.5 billion US. Was he too young to change the world?

We are never too young or too old to do anything we really love or have passion for, no matter what that may be, as long as we are willing to handle the responsibilities that may come our way as a result. So if you want to determine where you belong, into the old or new generation just answer the question:
Are you really willing to pay the price of passion and commitment?

Needs vs. Wants

I was first introduced into the business world 15 years ago and I have not distanced my self from it ever since. With all of these years of experience, the same issue continues to arise. The needs vs the wants!

The Needs in our lives are the essentials, the basics of life that we simply cannot live without. Where on the other hand, the Wants are composed of items, activities and or services that increase one’s quality of life. *Key thought followers - these items can be almost unreachable if your INCOME is limited.
Let me introduce to you some examples:

What you need?

• Basic food and water
• Basic shelter
• Health care
• Basic clothing
• Basic transportation
• MONEY to do debt payments

What you want?

• Eating out
• Extra Larger houses
• Video games
• Vacation
• Luxury cars
• Brand name clothing
• Partying
• MONEY to maintain habits and luxuries

Take a good look at both column, each one includes a very important necessity - MONEY! Both lists are impossible without money! In fact, money is the only element needed in order to make any of your wants or needs happen. Here we go, this is where the debate starts.
The list of wants will always be larger then the list of needs, and that’s not a bad thing, actually I truly believe life is created for us to maintain a rich life and enjoy more then the basic needs.
The only issue is that now a days, with the new era of social media impacting our lives like "Titanic into that iceberg", we are clearly sinking into our own selves.

The new generation is constantly getting hit with the wrong message, with the attempt of comparison between each other’s "life profiles".
Young viewers "like" others’ life styles and begin to compare themselves to those around them hoping and striving to do the same; (have great cars, travel the world, live in a mansion, go clubbing every weekend and more), they often forget those type of individuals are only capable to receive all of these wants because early in life they understood what they truly needed was to work hard for it.

Social media was created to improve peoples lives, wise people use it for that reason, others waste their precious time pretending to understand and assume that one day they will be like that guy inside the Lamborghini, or that girl inside the jet going to the Bahamas.
Why? Because social media plays and creates in our subconscious mind a fantasy world, that is causing regular people to believe they are entitled to have what they want without working for what they need first. We want everything we view through social media in other people’s lives - affecting us to lose track of what we really want.

One should always want better and have the willingness to fight for what they truly want, but never forget what they need is the base of those wants.
Today's generation is constantly miss-led by today’s fast paste changes, brainwashing their thoughts to believe "don't worried you are just like that rich guy on facebook." Unfortunately for those big dreamers out there, they never realise that those wants will only follow these characteristics; passion, love, caring, strength, positive attitude and persistence.

Concentrate on the elements in life that cannot be bought with money, in the long run, those subjects will bring you true wealth!
You may be wondering how can I be so certain of this? One answer for you;
- every single successful business owner I have ever met have one thing in common; they suffered deeply in many areas of their lives before they set down in that luxury car or travel the world. In that pain they found the light to give them vision, and see further. They learn to give value to the time spent with a real friend, to give value to a glass of water, to enjoy the sun that shows in the middle of a snow storm, to give value to waking up and being able to walk out of their beds, to thank for every moment they live good or bad.

Business Cliché’s: “Money doesn't grow on trees”

This cliché is usually used when parents talk to their children, trying educate them about the value of money. The expression “Money doesn't grow on trees,” is one of my favorite money clichés. 

You see, the first time I tried to educate my kids about money, we were at the office. As I was talking to my kids, someone said sarcastically “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nowadays, kids think money grows on trees.” The funny part, is that was exactly what I was trying to explain to them. 

I’ve learned that money is just like the pouring rain - it falls hard everywhere and can be challenging to get around in. When there’s stormy weather, many of us enclose ourselves in a dry area where we are secure and comfortable. We’re not willing to go through the cold, heavy water because we’re worried about catching a cold. 

I am here to tell you that, yes, money does grow on trees. It is made of paper, isn’t it? So that means it does grows on trees, right? Maybe the problem is that you are choosing to look in the wrong trees. Perhaps, you are not willing to go through the cold water or are too worried about getting sick. Just as when it rains we’re scared to get out of our comfort zone, sometimes we’re afraid of putting in the many hours of hard work and determination it’ll take to find those unique trees where the money is growing.

Trees are like a smart investment, opening your own business, working wisely, willing to be paid by results not by hour - the list of these unique trees goes on and on. One thing is for sure and that is that no one grows economically if they are not willing to go through constant change, therefore getting out of their comfort zones. Just think for a second, the only thing that is for certain from the day we are born is constant change. 

Adapting to constant change is the key to success. It’s the key to become the one. The key to becoming the top in whatever you may do. It’s also the key to being recognized and respected, simply by putting in the effort.

Here’s what I started to explain to my kids about money: “Just like the process of getting a gold ring, everything starts in the middle of dirt, mud and hard rocks. It’s only after heavy hammering, going through the cold water and extremely high temperatures of fire, that the gold is separated from the rocks, dirt and other unsure substances. When you finally get the gold bar and you think you got it, the process starts all over again. This is the only way to get that gold ring on your finger.” 

As I finished the story, a fax came through with a form for me to complete a credit card transaction. My younger one picks up the fax and says: “Dad, see? Money also grows on these machines!” 

Hope you got motivated to look for the right trees! 

Business Cliché’s: “Money is the root of all evil”

Is money really the root of all evil? Let’s get to the root of this cliché with a passage from the Bible. 

Tim. 6:10 “For the love of money (and all it buys) placed before the love of God (in reality) is the root of all kinds of evil.”

What?? Did you get it?? Let’s re-read it and break it down. A clear distinction must be made between THE LOVE of money and money itself. Logically, you can clearly see that not having money or love for the money is the problem, not the money itself!

Too much or to little of anything in life will be bad for you. We are creatures of habits, and “reason” is what makes us different from all other living creatures that share this planet with us. Finding balance is the goal for every one of us, but if you can’t understand this then you are on the path to believe that money is the root of all evil. You’ll also likely end up where millions of people already are, in fear.

Yes, I said fear. Fear is what many governments use to control the masses inside their countries so that they can make them believe whatever they dictate and sell to them whatever ideals they want.

Free yourself by researching and educating yourself to understand that money is a tool which we humans can use to better the world. In one of my last business meetings, I was talking with a successful builder based in Ontario, and he told me something I’d like to share with you: “David, remember the most important thing in life is information, whatever your (personal) antenna is receiving will determine your future.”

So, I suggest that each and every one of you start educating yourself or you may end up living in fear and believing whatever anyone says. Think for yourself and be sure to make informed decisions.

Do you know what my mom says? “David, hang around with the good ones and you will become like them. Hang around with the bad ones you will be worse them them!”

Hope this “information” helps clear your mind about the “root of all evil.”

Business Clichés: "Gold Digger"

The phrase “gold digger”, means someone who shows affection to or marries a person who is wealthy to try and get some of their money. Really? Is there such intelligent people out there?

Here’s introducing the "hole digger," someone who shows affection to or marries a person who is "poor" to try and get some of their debts!

Which one would you prefer to live as or be known for? To me both showcase clearly low self-esteem. One should be able to provide for themselves and/or for his/her family, if they have one.

But a "gold digger" is a person who is trying to find a away out of their problems by trying to exploit someone who is rich. This, at times, can be beneficial since many rich people out there are looking for company and don’t seem to mind sharing their wealth with the world - or at the very least with someone who can offer them good times and great memories.

Yes, it’s true I know and meet a lot of rich people who are looking to live the rest of their lives simply giving; and, if there are others looking for simple receiving, then I would say, why not? Whatever works for them.

Now, take a closer look at the "hole digger." We usually hear them say, “Well, I married that person for ‘love,’ not for money.” The problem here is that if you look at the divorce rates and read the surveys, you will find the number one reason for divorce is because of money issues. In the case of the "gold digger," even if for whatever reason a divorce is the solution for their uncomfortable situation, lucky him or her, because at least they won't be in a hole!

So is being a “gold digger” such a bad thing after all?
 

Business Clichés: "Money Can't Buy you Happiness!" 

All my life I’ve always been told that, “money can’t buy you happiness.” So, does this mean that if you have a lot of money, you may not be happy? Or that if you don’t have money, you can be happy?

Wrong. I believe happiness is very "relative.” What happiness may be for me, may not be for you. But with a million dollars in your pocket, there are things that no matter how happy or not you really are, you still need that same million dollars in order to get it!

If there is one thing I've learned through meeting and dealing with Top Business owners, it’s that money only makes you more of who you already are. So if you were already a mean, depressed, unhappy, sad person, then money will only make you more of a mean, depressed, unhappy and sad person. But if you’re already a positive and happy person, then money will make just more of that!

The real happiness comes from inside of each one of us. One must first change the way of thinking in order to change the way we act and talk. That "change" will improve their personality and way of life.

It’s not the money’s fault that some people are happy while others are unhappy. In the end, it is our responsibility, as individuals, to improve ourselves everyday to become better as human beings. 

Videos

Daniel Tosh, Comedian: http://youtu.be/vDau36BDFRw?t=8m48s

Randy Gage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt_mfKauomk

Business "Clichés": "Born with a silver spoon in his mouth"

"Born with a silver spoon in his mouth."  What a cliché. Could you imagine being born with all the opportunities that having money allows? Is there really such a thing?

I pose this question to you because in the span of my career to date, I have met many people who's wallets are so full they can be classified as rich. And yet, none of them was born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Actually, they would be up in arms if it was anything less then gold!

However, I'm not talking about the tangible gold you can feel and touch, sell or pass down from one generation to the next. No, not that stuff. I'm referring to the gold that's deep inside them, quite like the saying "He/She has a heart of gold." 

This type of gold is in places that sometimes takes a lifetime just to find it, and afterwards only few can really understand it and know how to use it to their advantage. Business can be difficult if you make it that way. When you possess the right tools, it's nothing a little hard work and dedication can't help for you to achieve your goals. 

So it doesn't matter how many silver or gold spoons you have in your possession, whether it's in your mouth or in your bank account. Often enough, that's not what helps the situation. Most times it's as simple as having someone who genuinely wants to help you succeed show you the ropes, or introduce you to their circle of business friends or someone who can offer real beneficial advice. 

That gold, silver, bronze or what ever you want to call it, is our inner sense of natural survival, that no matter the conditions you were born in, will only shine in case of need! We all have a "Silver Spoon," just not in our mouths, but rather in the bag of need! It's just some of us can find it and others don't even bother because they think they are entitled to it. 

Those types of people ask "Why Should I, when it can just be given to me?" Afterwords, they realize how much they have to polish their silver spoon in order for it to shine and keep providing for them.

The business world is a jungle, you need to know how to use what's right in front of you in order to survive and strive above all the rest - especially those already at the top of their game. Yet, it's not being at the top that's important, it's maintaining your success that is the key. 

Every real rich person I've met, has told me: "The harder I work, the luckier I get." But, that's another cliché I'll talk to you about in my next business clichés blog.