Personal Development | LEADER OF LEADERS

Where does an 18 to 24-year-old go to get experience on how to effectively manage their money?

By Steven on Thu, Aug 31, 2023

There are thousands of financial books that teach principles about money. This one is different, as it tells the story about four different people, and how their lives turn out because of the decisions they have made about their money. Money and how to use it wisely will be a core part of anyone’s existence, yet sadly the system we live in results in us only learning about it, when we start earning money and making mistakes with the use of it. This book addresses this gap by giving the reader the opportunity to experience first-hand the mental anguish faced when a person has financial challenges. It also shares success stories and the great decisions that were made that contributed to that success. Through the stories a person will learn the reality of what so many people face today due to the financial choices that they have made.

The stories allow those just starting out in the world of work the opportunity to improve their own financial literacy, by going through real-life scenarios in a safe environment, thus avoiding the process of having to make their own mistakes. They will learn that finances have an impact on their own emotional well-being and like the ‘Butterfly Effect’ how any decision, no matter how small, can change the life they have in the future.

Steven Jacobs has over thirty years of experience in the financial sector, having worked for some of the largest global banks, including HSBC, Standard Chartered Bank and Barclays. In his personal capacity, he has delivered lectures on improving personal financial health, many of which have been captured in ‘The Butterfly Effect of Money.’ He is the published author of ‘The New Manager: How to Become a Leader in 52 simple steps,’ which was voted as one of the top six business books in 2016 by Ian Mann (MD at Gateways Business Consultants) in South Africa.

Praise for the book:

“A most enjoyable book that teaches financial lessons through the lenses of common day challenges and people – it makes sense and is relevant to everybody – no matter what your financial circumstance!”
Jean-Jacques Oelofse, President, Emerging Markets, Wood-Mizer

“Most people are fearful of the daunting subject of personal financial management. These stories unbundle the complexity which if followed will create long-term financial and emotional freedom.”
Stuart Loxton, Chief Executive, Superyacht Training Academy

“The Butterfly Effect is a must-read book for young adults and everyone struggling with personal financial management. I literally couldn’t put it down until I completed it.”
Kantu Achira, Head, Bancassurance and Wealth Management propositions, Standard Chartered Bank, Ghana & Côte d’Ivoire

Debt debtfree Developing people Money People Development Personal development Self-development Youth Development

Why are so many 18 to 24 year olds getting into debt

By Steven on Sun, Aug 13, 2023

Hard work Personal development

Follow through

By Steven on Sat, Jan 14, 2017

It’s now the 14th January and the question I ask today is a simple one. Have I followed through on my commitments to myself this year?

The truth is that it is easy to commit but very difficult to follow through on the commitment. The reason is that habits that are deeply entrenched have to be broken. We have to discipline our bodies to do what we have committed them to do.

This is no easy task, but hey, great challenge equals great reward. Small challenge equals small reward.

May we not give up so easily on our commitments this year.

God bless

Steven

Hard work Motivation Personal development

Do

By Steven on Thu, Jan 12, 2017

This two letter word is a gift for all of us in 2017. DO.

It is far easier to don’t than to do. It takes far less courage to don’t, far less energy and far less willpower. Be a doer in 2017.

There is a scripture in the bible that I love, it says “whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might” Ecclesiastes 9 verse 10. How true is that statement? Do it with all your might! Be strong this year. Be a better you by doing what you do with all your might. Don’t despise the day of small beginnings or you will quickly fall into the trap and stagnation of the don’ts.

Meditation is good however don’t spend all your time coveting what you want, rather do. Aim to be the best doer you have ever been. Outperform yourself. Spend your energy constructively being a doer.

May you have an excellent 2017 doing what you do. My commitment to you this year is that I will DO a post daily on this site to inspire and challenge all that wish to read it. Look forward to engaging with you tomorrow.

God bless

Leadership Manager Personal development

Need Help?

By Steven on Sun, Oct 2, 2016

Leadership Personal development Servant

What is your value system?

By Steven on Tue, Sep 27, 2016

serving This statement on serving sounds good and makes perfect sense or does it? So many quotes such as these pass our desk on a daily basis and in most cases we nod our head in agreement….but do we really believe it? Do we really practice it?

We presume that we are doing all the things we learnt, but are we? In truth leadership can become like driving a car. The longer we have been driving the more bad habits creep into our driving ability. We drive while texting or talking on our phone, we change lanes without indicating, we drive with one hand on the steering wheel, we sometimes forget to check our blind spots and can have many other bad habits. In fact our driving skills are only truly exposed when we have a learner driver wanting to learn how to drive from us. We may be able to teach the basics, but they will have to do things very differently if they want to pass the test. In fact we may even adjust some of the things we are doing whilst teaching them, purely because we suddenly become consciously aware of a bad habit we had developed.

Leadership is the same. We allow bad habits to creep in and unless we do an audit on ourselves we may not be consciously aware that we are actually being ineffective leaders. For this reason I highly recommend that leaders of people read leadership books and speak to other leaders. If possible they should go on leadership refresher courses. Yes, you may say that you learn nothing new. However that is just arrogance and shows how little you really know. Rather identify whether the lesson you have heard before is actually in operation in the way you lead. Ask yourself, “Am I doing this?”. Look for the gold nuggets that will make you a better leader. Get back to the basics. The only way we can become servant leaders is by learning that we need to serve those that follow us to the best of our ability and also understand that our skills can and will improve if we commit to a lifestyle of humility and learning.

Have a very blessed day.

Appreciate Personal development Value

Why do companies undervalue those that are not climbing the corporate ladder?

By Steven on Wed, Sep 14, 2016

cleaner

In every company their greatest asset is certainly their people, yet somehow I feel that the quest to get everyone climbing up the corporate ladder is totally undervaluing those that don’t.

What is wrong with our thinking? The team player that loves their job and faithfully does it year in year out adds immense stability and value to the organization.. don’t they? Just yesterday I had a top client telling me how much they appreciated a particular person who had managed their relationship for years. In fact they said that the costs they pay are irrelevant as long as they had this person. Yet now the individual has moved on and they are longing for the same experience.

By way of observation it is easy to see that there are more non leaders than leaders in organizations. In fact when there are more leaders than non-leaders a company needs to retrench as the leaders become obsolete. Why are organizations sowing so much discontentment into their teams? So many motivational speakers are reaping the unintended consequence. Yes they are trying to make people positive and motivated however when this is hinged on a promotion it does the complete opposite. What are we actually saying? Are we saying that to be successful we have to be progressing up the ladder? How will that make the faithful employee feel who absolutely loved their job and now feels second rate as they have had the same job for ten years?

It’s painfully obvious that every company big or small needs every job filled with the right people and when people leave it costs them. It is equally obvious that every person has different drivers (even Maslow taught that). So what should the message be….. Enjoy what you are doing, excel at it and let us empower you to do the best damn job you can do. If you have a desire to lead let us develop you, if you have a desire to become the expert in your present role let us empower you. Let us reward loyalty with gratitude and acceptance.

May all that read this consider carefully what messages they are sending.. We fight discrimination; we fight people that put others down. Yet how many of our messages show that we appreciate all and value all irrespective of position?

Today I walked into a clean office, did that happen by itself? The cleaner is needed as much as the CEO, both have a purpose in the organization.

May we value all and encourage all in their chosen path.

Appraisal Coaching Communication Leadership Personal development Wisdom

Performance appraisal gong wrong

By Steven on Tue, Aug 16, 2016

Leadership Personal development

A leadership book that gets into the trenches with the leader – Action orientated

By Steven on Mon, Aug 1, 2016

Nothing prepared me for all the prickly engagements I faced as a leader, such as the time a direct report challenged me in front of the team telling me they don’t like me and the first time I had to performance rate a team member and they disagreed with everything I said. There was also the time when a team member shouted back at me in a team meeting as they felt I was victimizing them.

The training and preparation I had in leadership was mainly focused on the operational components of the role such as a “to do list” and a “tick box” exercise that I met the compliance training on what the role entails. I also read a couple of books that gave me strategies to execute, however all these things never got up close and personal to help me understand what to do as a leader in the work place.

This led me to the conclusion that there was a need for more to be done to help a leader understand what was really going to happen when they lead people. This is the reason I wrote “The New Manager – How to become a leader in 52 simple steps”. The title plays on the words manager and leader as anyone that is responsible for people will need to do both in order to be truly effective (manage and lead). The fifty two also tries to connect the leader with the 52 weeks there are in the year thus showing that the book encompasses all of what a leader may go through during a calendar year.

The book is jam packed with “true stories” that have happened in the workplace to help the leader understand the likely scenarios they will face. There are also six core themes, these being: how to bond with your team, how to build credibility, how to develop individuals, how to develop the team, how to deal with storms, how to performance rate both the individual and the team as a whole. Every chapter is full of questions to help the leader unpack what their personal views are. The leader should quickly be able to say, yes, I have seen that happen in the work place. It had to be real in order for it to make a difference.

In the book I don’t offer new theories and six easy steps to be the best leader in the company. I do offer practical guidance on how to deal with the numerous challenges you as leader are likely to face.

I do hope that you purchase a copy and that it achieves its intended purpose and that is…… Leaders are primarily there to develop the people they lead. That is the core, the heartbeat of what true leadership is and the more leaders we have that develop the individuals they lead the better and the brighter all our futures will become.

All the best Steven

Personal development

Be the best you can be in the moment

By Steven on Wed, Jul 27, 2016

Any motivational quote telling you to reach higher is in essence telling you to be discontent with where you are. I am not sure why people are always telling people they are not good enough? Why not motivate people to be the best they can be in the present?

We live in the present so do what you are doing right now to the best of what you can do it. If you are on the couch right now make yourself the most comfortable you can. If you are working work as hard and as smart as you can earning a full days wage. If you are shopping then….. Do you get the message?… It’s not about chasing something you don’t have right now it’s about appreciating what you have, where you are and what you are and utilizing everything you have at your disposal to maximize your time, multiplying your effectiveness a hundredfold by being in the moment.