A sculptor needs a chisel to sculpt. A carpenter needs a hammer. A painter needs paint. A golfer needs a club. Without these tools they would not be able to complete their tasks. So how important are the ‘tools’ for the ‘trade’?

They say only weak players blame their equipment. This statement is both true and false. Tools cannot make up for the lack of talent, but it would be foolish to say that they don’t make any difference. Superior equipment will give superior results. Let’s say you were trying to make patterns on a sheet of paper. You could either use a knife to cut the sheet or a pair of scissors. Do I need to point out which would give you a better result?

It is not enough to have the correct tool. You need to know how to use it. A carpenter would not use sandpaper to hammer nails. Always use the right tool for the right job. Every business man and business woman needs a host of tools to conduct his/her business.

The quality of a business man is not judged solely on how good his tools are but also on how well he can put those tools to use.  The best equipment in the world won’t do you any good, if you don’t know how to use it.  With the rate at which technology is progressing, it is important for everyone to learn how to use the amazing new inventions that science is constantly throwing at us.

If you are in business, you need to take the time to find out what tools are available to you.  You need to know how and when to use each and every tool in your tool box. The tools do not make the man, but they certainly make his life easier.

The Assembly of First Nations is all set to pick its new chief. First elected in 1997, popular leader, Phil Fontaine, announced in early June that he would not seek re-election. So, now it’s time for them to look for a new chief. This got me thinking of leaders. At every stage in our lives we encounter people whom we turn to for guidance, support and inspiration. There are times when we find ourselves in a position where others turn to us. So, what is it that makes a good leader?

As kids, we all played, ‘follow the leader’. At that time, it was the most innovative players, whom we all liked. The ones who would make us do something crazy and keep us on our toes. As we grow up, we expect our leaders to be understanding. We want them to be people we can trust. We want them to make the right decision, no matter the consequences. With all the pressure we put on them, I can’t help but wonder, what happens when the leader loses his way? Whom does he follow?

A leader, who doesn’t have any one to follow, is a leader who will eventually fail. Those of us who run our own businesses are leaders of our own groups. When we are faced with situations where we are unable to make a decision, it is important that we have the right people to turn to for advice. A good leader is one who can distinguish between what his followers need and what they think they need. A good leader makes the hard decisions and faces the consequences. He is insightful, innovative and fearless. What marks him as a great leader is realizing that sometimes he needs help. So, lead your followers and know when it’s time for you to ‘Follow the Leader.’

After Napoleon’s defeat at the battle of Waterloo we learnt that it’s never a good idea to be late for battle and that it’s always a good idea to have a strategy. When it come to business we know it’s not enough to take the journey we must have a destination in mind. But there are many forks in the road. How do you know which fork to take? Every decision will affect the time and the state of your arrival. So apart from setting your destination and packing your bags you need one more thing before you begin. You need a map, one that charts the best course for you to take, keeping in mind the resources that are available. In business this map is known as business strategy.

Strategy is the direction and scope of an organization over the long-term. It involves setting long term goals for your business and making decisions on how to attain these goals. Imagine for a moment that you’ve started a hobby class. When you open some of your friends show interest and are keen on becoming students. It is only natural for some friends to ask you for a discount or special rate. Now the question is do you give them a discount or not? If you do then yours is a class that gives special treatment to those who know you personally. If you don’t then you are a class that treats everyone the same irrespective of their relationship with you. Each course of action has its pros and cons. A sound Business Strategy will guide you in making these decisions. Here is some information on the different levels of business strategy.

Corporate Strategy – is concerned with overall purpose and scope of the business.

Business Unit Strategy – is concerned more with how a business competes successfully in a particular market.

Operational Strategy – is concerned with how each part of the business is organized to deliver the corporate and business-unit level strategic direction.

Two brothers were put in charge of separate villages located close to one another. Both brothers were highly ambitious and hardworking, unfortunately the elder lacked foresight and patience. Both brothers wanted to see their village flourish. The elder brother, in his quest to acquire energy, had the villagers cut down half the forest. Soon they had enough wood and energy to partake in numerous business activities. Money flowed in and the people prospered.

The younger brother ordered his people to recycle waste, to make compost and bio gas. They were told to work hard in the fields and plant more crops. The people were content.  They did not have in abundance but they had enough.

Over time more and more people came to the elder brother’s village to be a part of his success. Unfortunately the village had run out of trees to cut. The air was polluted and the land barren. The money dried up and the people became depressed and angry. The younger brother’s village, on the other hand, continued its sure and steady progress. The people went from being content, to being happy and never had any cause to complain. One day the elder brother asked his younger sibling the secret of his success. He replied “I never earn only for profit. I earn for the planet and its people as well.”

Today success cannot be measured solely in monetary terms. Conscious Business principles teach us, the importance of having a clean environment and a populous of satisfied, happy people. These people will work harder and live longer to partake in business activities, thus ensuring that everyone gets  what they want, If not in abundance in sufficiency at least. The success of a business today is measured by its business values and impact on the environment along with profit.

Focusing the mind can be a difficult task, especially in our busy lives. We all have some responsibilities – be it to family and/or careers. Some even have responsibilities to community and church. In all that busy-ness, most people have forgotten about the responsibility to themselves. They take a back seat to everyone and everything else that’s going on. Is it any wonder so many people in society feel burned out, devoid of peace and purpose?

I used to be that way, and I was tired of it. I knew I had to change. I decided to try an experiment; after all, I had nothing to lose. Everyday, I started to focus my mind on what I desired most in life (contentment). It wasn’t easy. The path of least resistance is to focus on what’s going wrong in our lives. It’s only natural because we’re raised in a society that, if we hear any comments on ourselves or others, it’s usually negative. We rarely receive compliments.

Because of all that, I was resistant to take a few minutes several times a day on quieting my mind. I saw it as self-indulgent; people needed me and deadlines were looming. But once I took the time to focus my mind and take some “me time,” I not only found more contentment in my life, but more energy and less stress. I started seeing more positives occurring in my life, and that reinforced the contentment I felt. Of course, that contentment attracted more positives in my life. It’s a lovely cycle!

Sometimes I revert back to my old habits of not taking time for myself. It’s so easy to do, isn’t it? When you’re super busy, the last thing that springs to you mind is to spend a few minutes in focused quiet time. My old self says something along the lines of “Yeah, right. I don’t have time for that right now. Besides, it’s just a few minutes. How much good can it do?” Then I remember a patch of a few days when I didn’t take time to focus. I had less time and a whole lot more stress.

Sometimes you have to change your behavior to change your attitude. Focusing your mind on what you want in life, in your quiet times, works wonders. Try it for a week. Set aside a few minutes, at least four times a day, to quiet yourself and focus on one goal. By focusing the mind, you’ll find yourself more relaxed and able to face whatever challenges come your way.