Greatness is all around us. From Oprah to Bill Gates to Einstein to Stephen Hawkins to Gandhi to Mother Teresa, we read, see and hear it every day and sometimes we even have the opportunity to feel greatness for others and ourselves. Yet, if greatness is all around us, then how can we catch the W.A.V.E.s of Greatness with increased frequency?

To achieve greatness begins by waiting. While we are waiting for the wave to take us to the beach of accomplishment, we hone our skills, practice our craft and continue to ask questions allowing us to know when to reach out for that moment to take action.

Taking action is next step. Our actions are based upon our goals and our plans that permit us to ride the wave successfully toward the beach. These goals contribute to the unique greatness within each of us. Sometimes, due to unforeseen events, we are forced to leave the wave and wait for the next right wave. However, since we have our goals fortified with positive attitudes and good choices, we learn how to patiently wait for that next opportunity.

As we take action and actually ride the waves, our values keep us in balance and focus toward the fruition of the wave. Without our values, we usually leave the wave before it comes to rest on the beach of accomplishment. Enron, Arthur Anderson, local prosecuted elected officials are just a few examples of individuals who failed to understand the importance of living their values. Not sure about this sentence.

Finally, riding the waves of greatness, require us endure both the highs and the lows. This ride is not a necessarily a smooth one. There are moments of euphoria when you feel that you are on the top of the world and very quickly the wave drops and you are doing everything just to hold on.

As the waves of greatness continually seek the beach of accomplishment, individuals and organizations need to understand that achieving greatness is a multi-dimensional process. Through this understanding, then, we, too, can experience those incredible, exhilarating and fulfilling rides of our life.

Leanne Hoagland-Smith

Good Day. Thanks for visiting. I hope that you have enjoyed my articles. In 1999, I founded ADVANCED SYSTEMS because I saw that performance could and should be doubled in warp time. Individuals, small and large businesses could not afford expensive solutions that may or may not deliver improved results in 12 months.

From my corporate, small business and education experiences, I recognized the individuals must have opportunities for connecting their passion to their purpose to secure the desired performance results, but many lacked the necessary skills, strategies and tools.

With over 20 years in sales management and 10 years in education, I understand how to unite productivity with profitability by developing a proactive working culture. My previous experiences resulted in cost savings through one of the first implementations of a computer software in a wholesaler distributor to the creation of a vendor performance assessment.

Since facilitating over 500 sessions, developing and editing over 25 training programs and writing numerous articles focusing on performance improvement, I bring a results focused approach to my clients. Also, I am proud to be one of the first five nationally certified facilitators of America?s Rising Stars (a Student Leadership developmental curriculum).

My passion is to help others connect their passion to their purpose to double performance. As The small business coach in Chicago, my clients have easily doubled their performance. Since our greatest resource is our young people, I am now working with large urban schools to generate the same results.

Education Background

• Graduated with honors from Purdue University with a B.A. in Education
• Earned M.S. from Purdue University in Instructional Design and Curriculum
• Published in the national trade journal, The Supply House Times, and numerous national newsletters
• Developed seminars and training on diversity, communication, leadership, sales, effective trade show behavior, networking, knowledge management, goal setting and improved educational outcomes
• Co-authored M.A.G.I.C.A.L. Potential: 7 Capicities for Living an Amazing Life Beyond Purpose to Achievement, to be available in 2006
• Working a another book focusing on performance in public education
• Speaker in a national bureau - Resource Associates Corporation