Do you have what it takes to be a CEO?

I got an email today with this story in it and thought I should share it. I feel that it rings true and everyone needs to take a step back and think about the lesson this teaches us. The story is as follows:

A  successful business man was growing old and knew  it was time to choose a successor to take over the  business.

Instead of  choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to  do something different. He called all the young executives in  his company together.

He said, "It is time for me to  step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose  one of you." The young executives were Shocked, but the boss  continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today -  one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it,  and come back here one year from today with what  you have grown from the seed I have given you.
I will  then judge  the plants that you bring, and the one
I choose will  be the  next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day and  he, like the others, received a seed.He went home and  excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped  him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the  seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had  grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives  began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were  beginning to grow.

Jim kept  checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.

Three  weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still
nothing.

By now,  others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a  plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by --  still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his  seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had  nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however,  he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted  the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the  young executives of the company brought their plants to the  CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't  going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest  about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was  going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he  knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to  the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at
the  variety of  plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful --  in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor  and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for  him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and  greeted his youngexecutives.

Jim just tried to hide in  the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have  grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the  next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the  back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial  Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He  thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me  fired!"

When Jim  got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his  seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO  asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and  then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next  Chief Executive Officer!

His name  is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his  seed.

"How could he be the new CEO?" the others  said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave  everyone in this room  a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water  it, and  bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds;  they were dead - it was not possible for them to  grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and  plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not  grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim  was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a  pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be  the new
Chief Executive Officer!"

*  If you plant honesty, you will reap trust

* If you  plant goodness, you will reap friends

* If you plant  humility, you will reap greatness

* If you plant  perseverance, you will reap contentment

* If you plant  consideration, you will reap perspective

* If you plant  hard work, you will reap success

* If  you plant  forgiveness, you will reap reconciliation

So,  be careful what you plant now; it will determine what you will  reap later. Think  about this  for a minute.... If  I happened to show up on your door step crying, would you  care?

If I  called you and asked you to pick me up because something  happened, would you come?

If I had  one day left to live my life, would you be part of that last  day?
If  I needed a shoulder to cry on, would you give me yours?

This is a  test to see who your real
friends are or if you are just  someone to talk to you when  they are bored

Do you  know what the relationship is between your two eyes?

They blink  together, they  move together,
they cry  together, they  see things together, and  they sleep together,
but  they never see each other; ....that's  what friendship is.. Your  aspiration is your motivation, your motivation  is your belief, your  belief is your peace, your  peace is your target, your  target is heaven, and life is like hard core torture without  it!

It's  'World Best Friends Week'

Who is  your best friend?

The 7 Characteristics of an Effective Real Estate Entrepreneur

Before a doctor diagnoses a specific disease, his patient must undergo a series of laboratory exams and assessments. He has to know the history of his patient and how their lifestyle affected the patients present health problem. As results come in, that would be an indication of the time when a physician gives specific drugs and therapies for maintenance. This will eventually contribute to the level of optimum health for that individual. If all else fails, the process will be repeated again until a proper diagnoses is reached.
   
Similar to what the above mentioned situation has stated, a Real Estate entrepreneur’s responsibility would be pretty much the same. It’s just that, he or she should see their customers or clients as patients and what they must have to do to be successful in a present deal or transaction. They must follow certain steps before doing anything irrational that could contribute to the downfall of their business. He/she should have certain characteristics innate in their personality for if they lack one of these, there most probably doomed to fail.

Real Estate Entrepreneurship or rather Entrepreneurship is collectively defined as exhibiting one’s vision, taking action, and pursuing that vision as a goal to be achieved in life. In the non traditional definition, it’s getting your butt out of that couch and doing something rather than wasting your life’s destiny or purpose by being a couch potato. Stated below are some of the distinct attitudes a Real Estate entrepreneur should positively have:

• Optimism – is foreseeing things in a positive way notwithstanding any circumstances that may hinder progress. The assertiveness of an individual depends on their knowledge of how to handle a difficult situation

• Creativity – is thinking outside the box. Expanding one’s mind of what is beyond the ordinary through fine research and collection of data.

• Stability – either physical, mental, social or emotional, a leader must possess a stable life which means they can handle tough situations during tough times

• Charismatic – intelligence of communicating with different walks of life. Who says a charming man or woman is less than an intelligent one? A good Real Estate entrepreneur must have the certain magic glistening in their eyes and could convey enchanting words to get hold of that convincing power no one dare resist.

• Risk-taker – as someone beginning their own dream, you should be stern and must have the guts and the balls to take the big leap of plunging into your own doom or success. You should not be afraid of taking chances when opportunity strikes.

• Energetic – willing to do whatever it takes to reach the finish line. Your drive must always be at its highest level for being a Real Estate entrepreneur so that it makes you work overtime. This enthusiasm must prevail the next best thing.

• Time bound – like a written report in a newspaper, the Real Estate entrepreneur must be on the top of every innovation. By looking at our past, we could predict our future.

Small businesses, in time, would turn out big if the scope of management exceeds what is expected. So it is necessary for a beginner to be positive about their endeavors. You must be very observant of what your environment lacks and needs. You should have sturdy shoulders to put on extra weight of carrying a responsibility that could change your life.

One’s greatest failure is sticking with the mentality of being conventional. This would be one a Real Estate entrepreneur’s greatest downfall if not lost at the very beginning of your journey. Think big. Act. Make your Real Estate business dreams come true.