Walk The Talk Chock full of resources to inspire, motivate, encourage, and challenge you!

Life doesn’t require that we be the best, only that we try our best. Strive for excellence, not perfection.
– H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Today’s quote comes to you from

180 Ways to Build Commitment and Positive Attitudes

212 Citizenship
Register to Vote!

FACTS

• Voter registration has a dramatic impact on voter turnout.
• In the 2004 presidential election:
  • 88.5% of registered voters voted – only 63.8% of total voting-eligible population.
  • 88% of registered men voted – only 62.1% of all men.
  • 89% of registered women voted – only 65.4% of all women.
  • 81.2% of registered 18- to 24-year-olds voted – only 46.7% of all 18- to 24-year-olds.
  • 92.1% of registered 65- to 74-year-olds voted – only 73.3% of all 65- to 74-year-olds.
• Only 24% of Generation DotNet – 15- to 25-year-olds – follow government and public affairs “very often,” compared with 60% of pre-baby boomer voters, 50% of baby boomers, and 37% of GenXers.
• The number one reason people don’t vote is because they feel their vote won’t matter.

  Other reasons include too much negative campaigning, the sense that the political parties are too similar, and overall disgust with policies, and a lack of good candidates.

71 million eligible voters didn’t vote in the
2004 presidential election.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

1. Register to vote by using the National Mail Voter Registration Form.
   Obtain this form online at rockthevote.com or eac.gov.
2. Register in person at your local DMV, state offices providing public assistance or programs for the disabled, official campaign headquarters, armed forces recruitment offices, public libraries, post offices, public high schools, and universities.
3. Pay attention to the registration deadlines in your state to ensure that you register in time to vote.
4. Make sure your friends, family, coworkers, or fellow students are registered.
5. Get informed on the issues and candidates.
6. Vote.

YOU MATTER

The numbers don’t lie…registered voters vote. Are you registered?

Copyright Simple Truths, LLC, all rights reserved and reprinted with permission.

Whenever you witness non-inclusive, discounting, or discriminatory words and actions, you have a choice. You can choose to remain silent, which allows these behaviors to thrive. Or you can speak up on behalf of respect.
– Leslie C. Aguilar

Today’s quote comes to you from Ouch! That Stereotype Hurts:

Communicating Respectfully in a Diverse World

To become a courageous leader, you must realize that accepting responsibility is not optional – it’s mandatory.
– David Cottrell

Today’s quote comes to you from Leadership Courage:

Leadership Strategies for Individual and Organizational Success

Today’s Topic: The Importance of Consistency

Here’s a truism to remember: rules and guidelines are meaningful only when they are followed…when they are enforced. So, when it comes to setting boundaries, stating your expectations of employees is only half the battle. The other half involves “delivering” on what you tell employees to expect from you. You must walk the talk. And the key to doing that is consistency – holding ALL the people accountable for following ALL the rules (boundaries), ALL the time.

It’s critically important that you address each policy, procedure, or behavioral guideline violation as soon as you become aware of it. The type of meeting you have with the employee – and the resulting consequences – may vary based on the history and severity of the problem. What must not vary, however, is your practice of confronting issues. Let some things (or people) slide, and you run many risks, including:

• Sending mixed and confusing messages to the people who depend upon you for guidance and direction.
• Creating a workplace where employees decide which rules are important and which ones can be “stretched” or ignored.
  
• Exposing yourself to charges of favoritism or discrimination.
  
• Losing the respect of the members of your team.
  
• Facing negative consequences from your boss for not doing your job.
  

The truth is, in order for employees to see and accept you as the leader, you must BE the leader. And that means not only talking about boundaries, but consistently enforcing them as well.

Today’s lesson comes from Peer Today, Boss Tomorrow: Navigating Your Changing Role

To become a courageous leader, you must realize that accepting responsibility is not optional – it’s mandatory.
– David Cottrell

Today’s quote comes to you from Leadership Courage:

Leadership Strategies for Individual and Organizational Success

We’re given a code to live our lives by. We don’t always follow it, but it’s still there.
– Gary Oldman

Today’s quote comes to you from Ethics4Everyone:

The Handbook for Integrity-Based Business Practices

Just by reading the dedication, I knew I was in for a treat. Dedicated to all who yearn to fly free and show their true colors – and to all who have the wisdom to learn from those who are different, A Peacock in the Land of Penguins is an engaging story of Perry the Peacock’s journey. This corporate fable encourages us to build a culture of creativity so that we can capture the talent, energy, and commitment of all employees.

Please pass this along to family, friends and coworkers.

To Your Success,

Eric Harvey
Founder and President, WalkTheTalk.com

A Peacock in the Land of Penguins: A Story about Courage in Creating a Land of Opportunity

By BJ Gallagher and Warren H. Schmidt

Feedback is the breakfast of champions.
– Ken Blanchard

Today’s quote comes to you from 144 Ways To Walk The Talk:

Strategies to Help You Become the Leader You’ve Always Wanted to Be

212 Optimism

We can learn from our leaders of the past. Thomas Edison’s great optimism gives us a quintessential example of welcoming disaster. On a December night in 1914, fire broke out in the film room of Thomas Edison’s laboratory. As his assets were going up in smoke, it would seem that this sixty-seven-year-old man’s spirit would certainly be crushed.

Instead he saw the fire and shouted to his son, “Where’s Mom? Go get her! Tell her to get her friends! They’ll never see a fire like this again!” Later, he said,

“You can always make capital out of disaster.
We’ve just cleared out a bunch of old rubbish.
We’ll build bigger and better on the ruins.”

Thomas Edison could not control the circumstances. Rather than being heartbroken to see his life’s work go up in flames, he chose to welcome the opportunity to start over. Edison, known for his overwhelming optimism, is an inspiration for us today.

Welcome The Rain: Choosing to See Beyond Life’s Storms