Leader Growth

The Importance of My Annual Review Template and Guide

Before you know it, a new year will be here. So it’s time for your annual review. Have you ever considered using an annual review template to keep you on track during your review?

It seems like the years get shorter and shorter with each passing year. And if you’re like me you’ve already identified several goals for the new year.

I’ve learned that, if I am going to live out the things that are most important to me, I must plan regular, purposeful time away to reflect on the past and look forward into the future.

Last week, I spent two days alone in East Texas conducting my annual review. While I was away, I spent time relaxing, reflecting, thinking, praying. And I made significant progress in a couple of areas in which my growth had stalled.

I am regularly asked what I do during this time away so in this post I’m going to give you my guide & template for how I prepare for my annual review.

Are You Living and Working With Passion?

To play a wrong note is insignificant. To play without passion is inexcusable. – Beethoven

This is a guest post by Chris Patton, President of the Patton Auto Family, which represents seven new car franchises and employs more than 100 people. You can connect with Chris on his Blog or on Twitter.

From the moment I read this quote I’ve not stopped thinking about it. It has come up over and over again in my mind.

As a thought about its application to my life and work, I realized that it is really a litmus test to determine whether or not we are living and leading with passion. Here’s how…

Moms are Leaders Too!

This is a guest post by Danielle Dyball – keynote speaker, author, and coach devoted to encouraging overwhelmed moms seeking an exceptional life. Danielle is a mom of 5, works full-time from home, homeschools her children, and cares for her disabled husband. You can find her at DanielleDyball.com.

Let’s face it – every mom in the world has an enormous job!

And while they are among the most amazing of leaders, how often do we view moms as leaders?

Sure, there are times when mom leads a group. What would it look like if moms were regularly acknowledged and praised as leaders? And what would it look like if moms viewed themselves as leaders.

Moms are leaders, it’s time to start acting like it. Here are 3 tips to be a great leader mom…

Work Less – 3 Ways Smart Leaders Do to Get Better Results

The Work Less – 3 Ways Smart Leaders Do to Get Better Results is a guest post by Victor Prince. Victor is co-author of a new book, Lead Inside the Box: How Smart Leaders Guide their Teams to Exceptional Results. He is a consultant and speaker who teaches strategy and leadership skills to clients around the world. You can find him online at victorprince.com.

At the core of leadership is change that leads to better results. Some leaders try to get more out of their teams and organizations by simply working harder and longer. Smart leaders, however, have figured out that they can get better results by reducing efforts in a few key areas.

In their new book, Lead Inside the Box, Victor Prince and Mike Figliuolo offer 3 Ways that Smart Leaders Work Less to Get Better Results…

Job Description – 5 Reasons Your Team Needs It

The Job Description – 5 Reasons Your Team Needs It is a guest post by Dr. Ryan Hartwig. Ryan is co-author of Teams That Thrive and associate professor of communication at Azusa Pacific University. Find him online at ryanhartwig.com and on Twitter.

What if every team in your organization had a job description? What if every team had clarity about the team’s purpose, and how that purpose was different from other teams and individuals in the organization?

In today’s world, it’s common for most positions in organizations to have a written job description. The job description provides focus, clarifies expectations, delineates qualifications for job candidates, and outlines the criteria for performance evaluation.

But what about teams?