Building Online Businesses
Thomas J. Leonard was a leader in the coaching profession who
passed away suddenly on February 11, 2003. I continue to be
centered, inspired and energized by his leadership every day.
Thank you, Thomas.
Here is a list of Top Ten things Thomas created that have
impacted me most:
1. The Top 10 Factors Which Contributed To My Success available
at http://www.andreajlee.com optentjl.html
This top ten list was one of the first I ever read within the
context of all the material available in the coaching world. I
remember getting a huge 'wow' from it, and earmarking it as
pretty special. And yet when I read it again now, I realize how
little I really understood it...much less lived it. So now, when
I re-read it, which I do from time to time to inform the
businesses I'm currently building, and help navigate the waters
I'm in, I make a point of reminding myself that this list will
probably bear reading for the next 10 years, it's that full of
wisdom. Right now, I'm spending lots of time with item number 3.
Next year? I guess we'll see. Which item rocks your world?
2. "Eliminate delay."
Graphical version here:
http://www.coachingnuggets.com/eliminatedelaygif.gif
Lots of people really don't like this item, comprised of a
simple two words. Yet when people ask me "how did you manage
CoachVille with such a small staff," "how do I increase my
company's productivity/profitability?" "what do you do
differently now, compared to before you worked with Thomas?" or
even "how have you achieved the happiness you have, Andrea?" -
eliminate delay - is the answer in all cases, and it was one of
Thomas' favorites. It seems like a simple message, but it took
me more than a year to integrate, and my hunch is very few
people really understand it. Key staff at CoachVille 'got' it
and thrived, and others just couldn't grasp it and left with a
case of burnout.
3. 12 Proven Strategies to Becoming Financially Independent
available at
http://www.aperfectlife.com/new/financiallyindependentpdf.pdf
This is one of those 'must-print,' 'must-frame' items. And
considering Thomas was an ex-financial planner, the 12
strategies are wonderfully, inspiringly BIG, not dreary at all
. (If you didn't click the link because you wanted to avoid a
lecture on money, give it a chance.) I particularly enjoy the
tone of this one...simple, wise, inspiring...just like the heart
of the man himself.
4. Cyber Skill #29: Using Instant Messenger available at
http://www.certifiedcyber.com/vanilla/29instantmessenger.html
Instant messenger has literally changed my life. As someone who
builds online businesses, it still amazes me how many companies
have yet to take advantage of the savings in time, money,
energy, productivity and profitability that IM can bring. (Is
one of them your company? Why?) In this lifetime, because of the
impact that using Instant Messenger has had on my life, I will
not commute to work another day; I will have less than 10% the
amount of flu, cold, other sicknesses, than the general
population; I will get much more done in the same amount of
time...whether I'm working or catching up with my friends on the
other side of the globe. It may surprise you to know that in 2
years of managing CoachVille for Thomas, I only ever met him 3
times...the rest of the time...we Instant Messaged.
5. Thomas' graphical signature file, which says "Ego is good."
Graphical version is here: http://www.thomasleonard.com
jllogoegoisgood.gif
It's true. Ego is good. It shocked me, shook my paradigm
(self-effacing Taiwanese woman) and gave me back to myself in
three little words. Enough said.
6. The 15 Leadership Proficiencies available at
http://www.andreajlee.com/leadershipprofpdf.pdf
The creation and application of the 15 Leadership proficiencies
were the source of several heated discussions between Thomas and
myself in fall 2002. (Ask Susan Austin, she'll tell you. )
And so you'd be right if you guessed this item is the source of
some pain to me because of that. Then again, leadership is about
that, isn't it? Passion, integrity, honor...the leadership at
CoachVille was chock full of that. And it was a privilege for me
to be around to try the proficiencies on within CoachVille as
Thomas was creating them. I fully expect these proficiencies to,
given time, take an important place in the collective work on
leadership...they are just that significant.
Note: As of fall 2002, leadership proficiency #15 on the above
document was amended to read - Prioritizes and allocates for the
benefit of 98%.
7. Why we Do what we do, and don't do what we could do available
at http://www.aperfectlife.com/new/whywedowhatwedopdf.pdf
Soo love this one. Although sometimes I wonder why Thomas
bothered going past #1...it seems to hit the nail on the head
for me, almost every time.
8. Personal Page from ThomasLeonard.com available at
http://www.thomasleonard.com/personalpage.html
Excerpted:
People who have really helped, and influenced me profoundly:
Andrea Lee | GM, CoachVille/GSC Andrea cares about
CoachVille/GSC as much as I do, which is a lot, and means a lot.
Shockingly, it took this tiny note on Thomas' site for me to
realize that just by caring, I am enough. For who I am, this is
big stuff.
9. Business Concepts #8: The Three Rivet Rule available at
http://www.andreajlee.com/008.html
Sometimes I think Thomas came up with this rule because he liked
birds, and disliked using the phrase "kill two birds with one
stone." But actually there's more to the rule than just that and
it's a universal one that pops up nearly daily for me, now that
I'm aware enough to notice.
10. The Today's Coach issue on the topic of "How to Strengthen
your Reputation as a Coach from Wimpy to Edgy. Available at
http://www.todayscoach.com/2002/0722/default.html.
Thomas really was a prolific writer. And as editor of the
Today's Coach ezine for two years, I received immeasurable
benefits while reading his material in preparation for the
weekly issue. This piece on wimpy to edgy had a profound impact
for me on many levels...(1) the material itself and the
inspiration to develop an 'edge' in my coaching/consulting (2)
the clarity around why the combined creative force of Susan
Austin and Thomas was so very potent - Susan was an environment
that cultivated the edge, where all the good stuff comes
from...and (3) how writing just perfectly about life, and in
this case, his dog Fringe, could so profoundly impact so many
people. This issue brought the most 'AHA' responses from readers
of Today's Coach in two years. And I'm still learning from what
he wrote and how he wrote it.