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Simplifying the Complexities of Your Leadership Journey
Episodes
Monday May 24, 2021
Monday May 24, 2021
Episode 24: Leaders are Multipliers
1. Leaders Listen to Others
Leadership is not about being the smartest person in the room. It doesn’t matter how smart you are, if you don’t have people around you to get the job done.
“Leaders who don't listen will eventually be surrounded by people who have nothing to say.” - Andy Stanley
If you want to be a great leader, you have to help people take your lead.
The first thing that I look for in others is something that they can bring to the team that I don’t have.
Here’s the real question. Can you keep your mouth shut long enough to let other people give you their ideas? Because I can tell you, there are a lot more ideas than you think in your company.
It’s not just enough to listen to somebody, you have to be able to hear them as well. There is a difference.
Listen to hear. Don’t listen to respond.
You have to remember that the only reason that you are the leader is because people have chosen to follow you. Otherwise, you are just a glorified manager. And if you want people to follow you, they need to believe that you understand them. They don’t care how smart you are, or how smart you think you are.
Your job as a leader is to do more than listen, it’s to hear what your people are saying, not filter it through what you want to hear. Get your ego out of the way and start listening to people more.
2. Leaders Lift Others Up
"The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership." ~Harvey S. Firestone
Nothing will be more important than developing your people.
QUESTION 1: Do you feel called to leadership?
QUESTION 2: When is the last time that you recognize somebody for the great work that they are doing?
“Catch people doing something right” - Blanchard and Johnson, The One Minute Manager
3. Leaders Lean into Others
Your people already know your weaknesses.
So, if you are not honest about what you are good at and what you are bad at, trust me, I will know very fast by listening to what your people say about you.
Andy Stanly says that the higher up in the company you are, the further removed from reality you are.
The best thing that comes out of the self-assessment exercise is that I hope leaders at that point realize that they need to lean on others.
Remember, leaders who strive to bring out the best in others also need to lean on those people and let them excel at what they do.
Every obstacle will be seen at new angles when you let others apply their thoughts and resources to those problems. You can only think one way.
MO’s Final Thoughts:
If you want to be a multiplier of everything around you, you have to take the focus off of yourself. Always remember that when you push her focus outward, it leaves little room for you to be selfish. We want the best people. That’s where a leader's pride should be, in his or her people. Because we never want to forget what the great coach John Wooden said, “the star of the team is the team.”
Amazon Book Links:
The One Minute Manager, Blanchard and Johnson - https://amzn.to/3oASlsL
The Five Levels of Leadership, John Maxwell - https://amzn.to/2YMuoTs
Mother Teresa: An Authorized Biography, Kathryn Spink - https://amzn.to/3u0jpmB
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Monday May 17, 2021
Monday May 17, 2021
Episode 23: Results Begin with the Leader
Some people like the term, the new normal, but the reality is that we need to learn how to do things different now. It's not going to be the same.
There has never been more demand for the products and services that you and your company give, it is just a matter of whether or not you are willing to do what it takes to move your team to the next level in this new world.
1. Leaders Implement Change.
“One of the emerging leadership trends in 2021 is that rapid change (now that it is possible) will become the norm,” says Maureen Metcalf a recent Forbes article.
The key difference between the ‘best and the rest’ is how companies manage the time, talent, and energy of their workforces.
Time: What each employee has to dedicate to productive work daily.
Talent: What each worker brings to their job.
Energy: How much each employee is prepared to invest in their work and contribute to the success of the company.
QUESTION: What changes do you need to implement?
2. Leaders Encourage Balance.
Leaders need to be good at both results and relationships.
Results ensure that the team continues to move forward.
Relationships are important, because without relationships, you are dead in the water as a leader. The most effective leaders are going to be able to move into deeper relationships with each of the people on their team.
QUESTION: How do you ensure you and your people can stay balanced and productive when the sprint turns into a marathon?
3. Leaders Model Expectations.
You are the one that has the responsibility to shape expectations.
“You get what you tolerate.” — Henry Cloud
You as the leader need to define what the future of work at your company will look like.
- Adding Value
- True leadership means that you can help your people become better at what they do.
- Inspiring Others
- It is more than just what you do at work, but nurturing and helping employees grow in all areas of life.
QUESTION: What are the expectations for ongoing speed?
MO’S Final Thoughts:
It’s not one or the other… it is both results and relationships. Help your people get what they need to get done for the team and the company while at the same time helping them to become better and more skillful. When you do these in tandem, you will set your team, and yourself, up to win.
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Monday May 10, 2021
Monday May 10, 2021
Episode 22: No Great Leader Is An Island
“Ultimately, leadership is not about glorious crowning acts. It’s about keeping your team focused on a goal and motivated to do their best to achieve it, especially when the stakes are high and the consequences really matter. It is about laying the groundwork for others’ success, and then standing back and letting them shine.” Chris Hadfield, astronaut and former Commander of the International Space Station
1. Great Leaders Promote the Dream
“All successful people - men and women - are big dreamers.” - Brian Tracy
QUESTION: Do you understand your own goals and dreams? Have you written them down?
It is important to keep the short-term goals and long-term goals in perspective.
You can be a good leader without being a dreamer. However, if you want to be a great leader, you have to be a dreamer.
Become a storyteller:
What is your compelling purpose that you need others to know and understand?
2. Great Leaders Promote the Team
Leaders are only as good as the people on their team.
If you want to be a good leader, and eventually a great leader, you have to shift your focus to not just the team, but “effective teamwork.”
Focusing on this kind of teamwork fosters two things:
- Higher productivity
- Loyalty among people on your team
Teams that work well together will always produce better work and results.
QUESTION: Do you communicate collaboration among your team?
Communication is a key component, and a top priority, of a leader who was building a strong team.
You must foster and promote a “sixth sense” among your team members.
Teams that work well together develop a strong sense of accountability.
QUESTION: Do the people on your team understand what they are supposed to be contributing to the rest of the team?
MO’s Final Thoughts:
You have to focus on both the dream and the team.
Question: Which one are you needing to work on more?
Action: Write it down. Journal. Make the change today.
Amazon Book Links:
Extreme Ownership, Jocko Willink https://amzn.to/3cTm2RY
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Monday May 03, 2021
Monday May 03, 2021
Episode 21: Leaders Are Decisive
Three steps to help the decision-making process:
1) Leaders Utilize Resources
- Who you follow.
- Who is following you.
These are the most valuable resources around us.
Who are the three most successful people that you know in life, PERSONALLY?
“You just have to be good with numbers, and with people.” The Pursuit of Happiness
You have to be good at your craft.
You have to be good with people.
There is no great leader who is not great with people.
There is no way that you can be an effective decision maker if you don’t have the right people around you. If your people dislike you so much that they do not give you the information that you need, then there is no way that you will be able to make decisions to better the company in any way.
QUESTION: Do you involve your followers in the decision-making process?
When you utilize the resources that are right in front of you to get as much information as you can, you inevitably improve your ability to make decisions.
2) Leaders Utilize Schedules
“Time cannot be managed. It cannot be controlled in any way. Everyone gets the same number of hours and minutes every day. Nobody—no matter how shrewd—can save minutes from one day to spend on another.…” 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell
You cannot manage time, you can only manage yourself.
- Decide your priorities
- Communicate them clearly and in advance.
- Put everything on the calendar.
QUESTION: Are you prioritizing each part of your job role and responsibilities properly?
When we start to figure out what is and is not important in business, life, and everything for that matter, it will start to affect your decision-making process.
Prioritizing your schedule will help you to allow time to focus on what is important.
QUESTION: On a scale of 1 to 10, how good are you at evaluating within the decision process?”
3) Leaders Utilize Uncertainty
The problem with life is that there is a lot of uncertainty.
Leaders thrive on uncertainty, because it creates opportunity to make a positive impact on the people that they lead.
Amber, talk to me about uncertainty andHow it has changed for you in the decision-making process over the past few years.
“What would a great leader do?”, Andy Stanley
Leaders do not have the luxury of living with “analysis paralysis.”
MO’s Final Thoughts:
Remember, all of us have different habits during the decision-making process. Some people go with their gut, while others do not. Figure out how you approach decisions today and how you need to make adjustments to that approach, so that you can start making better decisions.
In episode seven of the HBO series, band of brothers, first Sgt. Lipton says about his commanding officer, First Lieutenant Dyke, “Dyke was not a bad leader because he made bad decisions. He was a bad leader because he made no decisions.”
Figure out your process. Make good decisions. And manage those decisions.
Amazon Book Links:
How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie - https://amzn.to/2MD12o1
21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell - https://amzn.to/2O4tr6Q
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey - https://amzn.to/2RjOUtV
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Monday Apr 26, 2021
Monday Apr 26, 2021
Episode 20: Your Winning Support System
Leadership is all about teamwork. There is no great leader in the world who does not have a great team. The whole idea of leadership is that it puts you in a position to add value to other people.
1. Leaders are Particular About Their Support System
It’s not as easy as just saying, ok… i have five really good friends so it looks like i have my support system. This process is probably one of the most tedious parts of the leadership journey.
You are the five people that you hang out with. One of my financial mentors once asked me, “MO, if you hang out with bank robbers, what do you think you’re going to end up doing?” If leadership is influence, we are allowing ourselves to be led by people every day.
QUESTION 1: Who are the people that you are allowing to have leadership and influence in your life?
If you want to be rich, then you have to hang out with people who are rich. If you want to be a good baseball player, you have to hang out with other people who love baseball. If you want to be a great ballerina, then you have to hang out with others who share your enthusiasm.You are the five people you hang around with, period.
QUESTION 2: Look at the five people that you spend the most time with. Are those people either good leaders, or people who at the very least aspire to be a leader?
So the bottom line is, you are the one who chooses the people you hang out with. If you don’t think that you are getting the results that you want to, then you have to change the people that you hang out with.
2. Leaders Continually Build Their Support System
Just because you have a support system right now that you think is pretty good, doesn’t mean that it is going to be the same people in that support system in the next five years, or year, or maybe even sooner.
You have to continually build that support system to reflect what you want to do in life. So, what do you care about?
I spent years developing my support system. And, without even knowing it I have categorized the people in my support system into three groups. And I would recommend that each of our listeners did the same thing..
- Mentors/Coaches: The first, and most important part of your support system is to find
coaches and mentors in your life. You need people who have done it longer than you, and have some fruit on the tree.
You can’t just want to be a leader. You have to find people who are leaders in whatever field you are trying to be effective in. If you don’t have people speaking into your life, then you’re not doing your people any good.
- Peers: If you are in a leadership position you have to look for people who are also
influencers. These are the people who should be like-minded when it comes to issues.
- Proteges: Now, when you are in the beginning of your leadership journey, you should really
not be focused on this category of people too much. Just know that as your leadership influence grows, people are going to want to seek out your advice a little bit more.
3. Leaders Add Value to Others Through Their Support System
The most important thing to remember is that the entire reason that you are a leader is to add value to other people. So, as you are choosing your inner circle, the support system, you have to ask yourself two questions:
- Are the people that I am adding to my circle adding value to me?
- Am I adding value to the people who are in my support system?
Leaders are always looking first to give value to others. If you continually give to others, then you will inevitably get the things that you need from those relationships.
“Help enough people get what they want, and you will get everything that you want.” Zig Ziglar
BOOK RECOMMENDATION: Ziglar On Selling, Zig Ziglar
MO’s Final Thoughts:
The people that you surround yourself with are going to decide the success that you have as a leader. If you want to be happy, and perform well, and have your people do the same thing, then you need to focus on your support system. Don’t wait to start adding people to your inner circle today, even if they may not be there for the long haul. You have to start small, and you will eventually end up with relationships that last for several years, or in my case several decades.
Amazon Book Links:
Ziglar On Selling, Zig Ziglar - https://amzn.to/3nmhWFh
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Monday Apr 19, 2021
Monday Apr 19, 2021
Episode 19: Attitude… The Determining Factor
Attitude is “a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something”.
Attitude Is Everything: Change Your Attitude ... Change Your Life!, Jeff Keller
Nothing is as important as developing an attitude fo the self. .
1. Your Attitude Determines the Pace.
- Your attitude is contagious. When you are the leader of a team or a company, or anything for that matter, your people are automatically going to take on the characteristics of your attitude.
- It takes time. BOOK: The Magic of Thinking Big, David Schwartz. Over time, the attitude that you have on a daily basis is going to set into the team. You are the one that sets the tone for your followers, and employees.
- Your attitude impacts the organization. If you want your people to take responsibility, you have to set the tone for that as well.
Leaders are to be the thermostat, not the thermometer.
2. Your Attitude Determines the Passion.
You and your attitude determine the passion that your people are going to have.
- You MUST love what you do. If you are not passionate about what you are doing, get out. As the leader, you are doing nobody any good if you don’t have a passion for what you do.
- You create enthusiasm. Being enthusiastic about what you do is important because it allows people to realize that their enthusiasm matters.
BOOK: How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie
3. Your Attitude Determines the Possibilities.
You need to be able to get people to go from one point to another, and succeed, even when, and especially when they don’t think they can get there.
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t...you are right.” Henry Ford
There’s nothing worse than a leader that does not believe that the team can overcome a challenge.
If you approach something as possible, the ability of your team to dream and think bigger increases exponentially.
BOOK: The Five Levels of Leadership, John Maxwell
You want to get to the highest level of leadership that you can get. But you can’t do that without focusing on your attitude.
REFLECTION QUESTION: How has your attitude been lately? Look around at the people that you lead and see what their attitudes are. In large part, that has a lot to do with the way that you run the show.
MO’s Final Thoughts:
Attitude is everything. If you don’t know where to start, start with your own attitude. Don’t worry about the people you are leading. Look in the mirror and say, “How has my attitude been with my people lately?” Have a great attitude. Go to work tomorrow and say, “I can’t wait to influence people. I can’t wait to change a life.” When you start having that attitude it really is going to change the way you lead others
Amazon Book Links:
Attitude is Everything, Jeff Keller - https://amzn.to/3cMWEgS
Magic of Thinking Big, David Schwartz - https://amzn.to/3aF5Dhj
How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnagie - https://amzn.to/2MD12o1
The Five Levels of Leadership, John Maxwell - https://amzn.to/2YMuoTs
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Monday Apr 12, 2021
Monday Apr 12, 2021
Episode 18: Leaders Have an “All-in” Outlook
1. All-in Leaders Make the Decision to Commit.
“Don’t wait for your ship to come in. Swim out to meet it.” John Mason
You have to make it happen. You have to help people do the things that are difficult.
Leaders are the ones who get people on the bus. That is what Jim Collins says in his book, Good to Great. But more important than that is once they have people on the bus they help them foster commitment by getting them in the right seat, so that they can succeed.
QUESTION 1: Do you foster a culture that helps people commit to the process that you have in mind?
Leaders are always the first one to make the decision.
Michael Jordan once said, “The heart is what separates the good from the great.”
QUESTION 2: Have you given your decision to long-term success enough thought? If I would ask you today to lay out the big goals in your life, would you be able to do it?
2. All-in Leaders Are Action-oriented.
There is no way you are going to achieve your goals if you don’t get moving.
Your team is only going to do what you demonstrate to them.
“To be successful, you must be willing to do the things today others won't do in order to have the things tomorrow others won't have.” Les Brown
This was a lifelong mantra of the great receiver, Jerry Rice. He got up every morning and renewed his decision to success by taking action.
Most people out there just need to stop talking, and start doing. You can talk to me about how committed you are to success all day, but I am not gonna believe anything you say until I see you take action.
“Your actions speak so loudly, I can not hear what you are saying.” Ralph Waldo Emerson
3. All-in Leaders Offer Success to Their Followers.
I can tell you right now that you will have no shortage of obstacles to success along the journey. There is going to be a time in your life, if you have not already reached that point, where you want to give up. It is in this very moment that your commitment to success is going to be challenged... this is going to be the moment, or moments, when you have to decide if you want to be “all-in.”
“Commitment is the enemy of resistance, for it is the serious promise to press on, to get up, no matter how many times you are knocked down.” David McNally
Once you start to achieve things, others are going to be drawn to you.
You have to stay tough and move forward.
You have to be committed completely all-in, to your goals and dreams.
You have to inspire others to come alongside you and you can achieve much bigger things.
Mo’s Final Thoughts:
Your leaders will only ever do what they see you do first. Give them a reason to commit to what you know to be true. And, the best way to do that is to make the decision today to commit to what is best for both your team, and the individuals on that team.
Amazon Book Links:
Don't Wait for Your Ship to Come In...Swim Out to Meet It!, John Mason https://amzn.to/2QiYzAo
Good to Great, Jim Collins https://amzn.to/36Jin5l
Go Long, Jerry Rice https://amzn.to/3mEONoI
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Monday Apr 05, 2021
Monday Apr 05, 2021
Episode 17: Leaders Lay Out The Blueprint
John Maxwell says, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”
1. Leaders define success for the team.
It is the sole responsibility of the leader of the team to define what success looks for everybody else.
You can’t really do anything until you define what success is.
“I don’t care how tall you are… I care how tall you play.” John Wooden
There is not really anything you can do until you know what the goal in mind is. This of course is true for life, both personal and business as well.
Glenn Llopis said in an article he wrote in Forbes Magazine, “Leaders in the workplace must recalibrate their definition of success so that it’s based on the opportunities and advancements they create for others and not just themselves.”
Successful leadership is something that happens naturally when a leader focuses on the true impact of his or her actions.
In the blueprint of success, if you don’t take the time to define it, you gonna do to two things:
- You’re going to make sure that your team fails.
- You’re really going to hurt people.
2. Leaders promote success for the team.
It is the leader's job to promote the success of the team.
If something is going wrong, it is nobody's fault but your own. If you start to put the blame on other people, you are not the leader.
John Wooden’s Sets of Three:
- Don’t lie. Don’t cheat. Don’t steal.
- Don't whine. Don't complain. Don't make excuses.
Hard work wins. When your team sees you putting in the effort, they're gonna do exactly what you are doing.
“A leader must be what he wants the team to be. Your example counts most.” John Wooden
QUESTION: What is the example that you are promoting to your team?
You get what you tolerate. That's it. End of story. The only reason anybody does anything on your team, bad or good, is because you allow it.
3. Leaders celebrate success with the team.
Your people, they want to succeed. They want to be successful. But they can’t do that until you put them in that position to win.
“Success is peace of mind that is a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best that you are capable of becoming.” Coach John Wooden
BOOK RECOMMENDATION: The One Minute Manager, William Marrow
MO’s Final Thoughts:
If you want to help your team succeed, you need to allow them to know when they are succeeding. If you give them the ability to see that, and communicate clearly, you will set your team up for lasting success, and you are going to make them, yourself and the company better during the process. And, when they see you years later, they will remind you of your time together.
Amazon Book Links:
Coach Wooden's Leadership Game Plan for Success: 12 Lessons for Extraordinary Performance and Personal Excellence, John Wooden https://amzn.to/3cPksQL
The One Minute Manager, William Marrow https://amzn.to/3fEwlL9
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Monday Mar 29, 2021
Monday Mar 29, 2021
Episode 16: Leaders Must Utilize the Scoreboard
BOOK RECOMMENDATION: The 17 Indispensable Laws of Teamwork, John Maxwell
Three Ways to Utilize the Scoreboard:
1. The Scoreboard helps Leaders Tell the Story
Nothing gives a snapshot of where you stand in the game quite like the scoreboard.
Warren Buffett is notorious for being able to look at the balance sheet or general ledger of the company and know exactly where it stands. That’s because those documents tell a story.
If you don’t help tell the story and get people to start thinking critically, they are going to end up checking out.
If you want your team to grow, you have to give them that constant snapshot. They need to be able to figuratively, look at that scoreboard at any time and see what the company is doing.
“We are not where we want to be; we are not where we ought to be; but thank goodness we are not where we used to be.” Coach Lou Holtz, Winning Every Day: The Game Plan for Success
2. The Scoreboard Helps Leaders Make Decisions
1988 World Series - Cheat Sheet: He had to take that snapshot, and make decisions. He put in the work, and now it was just time to execute.
All of this information matters. But it doesn’t matter unless you actually make decisions.
For the leader, the only constant is change.
Leaders should be taking every piece of information that they learn about the situation and apply it to the people who are on their team.
3. The Scoreboard Helps Leaders Win
“Just win, baby!” - Al Davis, former owner of the Oakland Raiders When you are put in charge of the team, they are looking to you to make the decisions, and help them win.
QUESTION 1: What is the WIN for your team?
You need to learn how to adjust.
“Adjust fire.” This means that in any given situation the game can change at any moment. And at that moment you have to be able to forget about what you were going to do, and adjust fire to fit the new target.
QUESTION 2: Are you doing this in your company? Are you doing this in your personal life?
The scoreboard: It is the ultimate beacon, helping us move towards the win.
BOOK RECOMMENDATION: They Call Me Coach, John Wooden
“Failing to prepare is preparing to fail.”
MO’s Final Thoughts:
Remember, the ultimate responsibility belongs to you as the leader. Your staff expects you to continually give them a clear understanding of where the team is, and where the team is going. Only then can you actually take them there.
Amazon Book Links:
17 Indispensable Laws of Teamwork, John Maxwell
Winning Every Day: The Game Plan for Success, Coach Lou Holtz
They Call Me Coach, John Wooden
Special thanks to:
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Monday Mar 22, 2021
Monday Mar 22, 2021
Episode 15: Effective Leaders Live for the Challenge
1. Effective Leaders Look for Problems
“Leadership is self-made. People who have deliberately decided to become problem solvers lead better.” Martin Luther King Jr.
Nobody is going to do it for you. Most people are trying to stay as far away from problems as possible. For others, those who are not leaders, problems just get in the way. But for the leader, every problem is an opportunity.
QUESTION 1: Do you view your problems as a challenge? As a way to get things done?
“It is better to solve one problem five different ways, than to solve five problems one way.” George Polya
You cannot be a “my way or the highway” leader. You will slip into management mode.
When you are looking for problems, you always need to keep your ego in check. Sometimes, as a leader, you are going to be the problem.
- Am I the kind of person who gets things done?
- How is my attitude around the people who look to me as a leader?
- Do I make excuses?
Just because there is a problem, doesn’t always mean you are going to have the solution right away.
Keep your thinking in the right direction. There are a lot of problems out there waiting for you and you need to address those problems.
Leaders need to take the initiative to ask the hard questions. Look for areas in your company that others refuse to explore.
Do what others don’t. Do what others won’t.
2. Effective Leaders Major on the Majors
It’s easy to get bogged down in the little stuff. Leaders are always evaluating and reevaluating. In fact, Andy Stanley says, “If it is worth doing, it is worth evaluating.”
QUESTION 2: Are you evaluating to find out what the major issues are? Can you distinguish them from the minor issues?
“Learn how to separate the majors and the minors. A lot of people don’t do well simply because they major in minor things.”Jim Rohn
Take a few moments to evaluate what the major things that you should be focusing on at your company.
If you wake up every morning and know what the major vision or goal is in front of you, you are going to be at a huge advantage. The best leaders in the world have a laserlike focus on the priorities that they need to fulfill to get the job done.
ACTION POINT: Major on the majors. You can’t do this unless you write it down.
3. Effective Leaders Employ Problem Solvers
The only people that I need on my team are those who solve problems.
“Do you need more clarity on that point?” By asking this question I give the problem solvers on my team the ability to ask questions and let me know whether or not I am making sense.
When you ask this question, you have to be very deliberate and sincere about that question.
How can I tell if somebody is a true problem solver?
Sometimes you are going to think that you have the right people on the team when you actually do not.
Look for the following people:
- You don’t want people who have the attitude of, “If it ain’t broke then don’t try to fix it.”
- The kind of people that you want are people who look at a situation and think, “everything is great, the system is working flawlessly. Now, how can we break it and make it better?”
Look for the problems, then find out what the biggest problems are and put your biggest problem solvers on the forefront. This is the formula for lasting success.
MO’s Final Thoughts:
It’s not good enough to just be in a leadership position. The way that we raise our leadership ability is that we tackle problems. When the going gets tough, that’s when the leader gets going. That’s when you are going to put yourself in the position to either bring the team up or push the team down. Look for the big problems and then get people to come alongside you.
Special thanks to:
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