Mike Loftus - Community minded

                                                              Mike at Eden Park with daughter Ella.

Hometown

Auckland - spent nine years away and returned four years ago.

My roles

I am currently Head of Marketing for AIG Life insurance company, which is a great role with a fantastic team. I am the Chairman of the Auckland Football Federation, a Board member for the New Zealand College of Chiropractic, a mentor for the I Have a Dream Trust and am involved with the National Party at electorate and regional levels.

Hobbies

Home renovations - I am a closet builder. I love most ball sports, especially soccer, cricket, league and rugby.

My favourite time of day:

The drive home. I review my day, think through my goals for the next, and look forward to seeing my beautiful wife Mands and daughter Ella, who is two.

I really enjoy:

Spending time with my family. My daughter helps to keep me grounded and put life's challenges back into perspective, and my wife helps to focus me and keep me pushing towards my goals. Another joy is spending time with my ‘Dreamer' Talilotu.

Recent accomplishments:

* Re-branding to AIG Life, and launching an insurance adviser loyalty programme last month

* Working on the election campaign with National Party MP Sam Lotu-Iiga

How did your involvement in marketing begin?

As an absolute fluke. I was working for Air New Zealand and a role came up in the Marketing Services Department at head office, which a workmate dared me to apply for. I got it and within a couple of years was Head of Customer Relations.

How do you balance all the roles in your life?

For starters, I have an amazingly patient and supportive wife. Time management is also crucial. I keep a daily ‘to do' list, and re-prioritise where needed.

What have you learned from fatherhood?

That family time needs to be the first priority, even if you have to occasionally let others down. Ella is an absolute joy and brings lots of laughter and fun into our lives.

You have spent a lot of time in the community and around politics - what drives you to be involved in this area?

My mother is forever assisting neighbours, friends and strangers, and my community spirit and sense of service definitely come from her influence.

What keeps me up at night?

Going to sleep at night has never been a problem! However, I wake early, and of late my waking thoughts have been about how we can position the National Party in Mt Albert to win the seat at the next election, and how AIG Life can respond to the recession.

My big hairy audacious goal this year is to:

To see our insurance company grow its market share, and my personal goal is to position myself to run for Parliament in the Mt Albert seat at the next election.

I knew I was onto something when:

I was introduced to Richard Petrie, who is a successful coach in mental focus and goal setting. I discovered that the vision that gave me most personal satisfaction was being involved in politics at a national level. I have been working toward that goal ever since.

My secret for getting things done is to:

Write it down, tell people what I want to achieve, and invite others to assist me in getting there. This has worked for almost every major goal I have set and achieved.

My darkest hour was when:

I have had a number of ‘dark hours' (being involved in running Qantas' response to 9/11, managing through my father's cancer), but the incident that kicked me in the guts more than any other was when I was at SPARC in Wellington and realised that the organisation and I were not a good fit. Until then I had thought my career was bulletproof, but that experience made me realise that no matter how ‘sexy' an opportunity may look, you need to ensure you are happy in your work.

What do you do to cope with stress?

Talk through issues, go for a walk and think. Exercise and DIY around the house also help. For me, the key is to get the job done and not procrastinate.

How many hours do you work each week?

For business I generally put in around 50 hours a week, with another 20-odd hours other activities.

What is your big piece of advice for someone wanting to create positive life changes?

Alongside setting your big goal, set smaller daily goals, write these down, and monitor your daily progress.

What is the hardest life lesson you've learned?

That you can't always get your way, be the centre of attention or be the person everyone needs to turn to.

Do you have any daily rituals that keep you focused?

Oddly enough, my morning shower is a key ritual. I think through my day ahead, plan for meetings, and come up with some of my best ideas. I also take six minutes a day to visualise my longer-term goals and the path for getting me there - a Petrie technique.

Do you have any school/study qualifications?

I completed an MBA at Waikato University in 1998, and have attended a number of industry courses since.

What are the three most important personal qualities you've had to develop to become a leader?

Communication, involving others and showing patience. As a driver personality, I tend to want to run off and just get the job done my way, so ensuring that others are involved and engaged is a real focus.

What are the three most important skills that you would advise up-and-coming youngsters to develop?

1. Listen more than you talk - be on receive rather than broadcast

2. Care for the people around you, including showing genuine interest in their lives and what they want to achieve

3. Show the people that matter most to you just how much you love them

Have you ever been scared to .........? What did you do about it?

I have often been scared to do many things: making speeches, running for Parliament, putting my name forward for new jobs, and confronting people when I see they are in the wrong. The best way to overcome fear is to get on with the job at hand, with an eye on the desired outcome.

What comes first...success or confidence?

A good mate and former New Zealand cricketer once told me that success and confidence only come from having achieved; and that the key to achieving is having courage.

The parting shot:

"You can have everything in life that you want if you just give enough other people what they want." - Zig Ziglar

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Dwayne Alexander, our goal guru, is founder of

LiveMyGoals

, the social network for goalgetters.