LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity." Amelia Earhart

What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

There are 2 things in this quote from Earhart that really stand out to me:

First, is the idea that for anyone to take action, there's a point of decision that sets things in motion. For many of us, this is where we get stuck: we freeze in fear, we are worried about the outcome and we are concerned about what others will think if we fail. We're stuck.

Second, is the idea of tenacity. Tenacity can be defined as determination or persistence. Tenacity is the ability to work hard to accomplish something you've made the decision to pursue. For many of us, this is where we run out of steam: we get distracted, we are lazy, or we question our direction, and this brings us back to the point of action.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Leaders don't inflict pain, they share pain."

Max De Pree

What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

Max De Pree served as the CEO of Herman Miller, Inc. and while his work at this profitable company was significant, his value and engagement with his employees and team members set him apart as a visionary leader.

He modeled early on a commitment to putting people first.

When I saw the quote above and other statements from his book, Leadership Is An Art, I resonated with that thought and found myself questioning some of my past leadership decisions.

I have inflicted pain on people in the past, but what I want to do is to be able to share their pain, and not be the source. What a leadership shift!

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"I wouldn't ask anyone to do anything I wouldn't do myself." Indra Nooyi

What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This quote from Indra Nooyi, the formal CEO of PepsiCo rang true this morning. She had a successful time at Pepsi doing a restructure, and multiple sources site that she lived out this quote.

As Leaders, sometimes we think it's our job to simply TELL others what to do.

We need to SHOW others what and how to do it so they understand exactly what we're looking for.

I remember a job I was given cutting down a tree when I was a kid. I had no idea what I was doing or how to operate a chain saw. My uncle showed me how the chainsaw worked. He showed me how to operate it safely, and how to work on the tree. He answered my questions. He then watched me for a few minutes, then he left. I felt empowered and equipped to take down the tree, and I learned some great lessons along the way.

Do you spend more time TELLING others what to do, or SHOWING them what to do?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"To add growth, lead followers - to multiply, lead leaders." John C. Maxwell

What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I just spent a week in a room full of leaders from different parts of the world. We held our 2021 Leader Mundial Leadership Summit, and when I saw this quote from Maxwell, it really resonated with me.

I used to value growth. Sometimes that was measured through attendance or participation, sometimes it was just dynamic growth and maturity, and sometimes it was short-lived with no real lasting results.

When I shifted my leadership focus to identifying leaders that wanted to multiply, wanted to lead, wanted to grow and leverage everything, I was able to see and experience the power of multiplication.

This is difficult though, because often we need to validate our work by having large numbers that are attending our seminars or taking our courses or reading our books.

The reality is that when we invest in the RIGHT leaders, our influence grows and is multiplied. Impact is difficult to measure because it's so explosive and so expansive.

I believe we should do both, and different strategies call for a different focus.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Scale creates distance." Simon Sinek

What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This is another quote I've had a hard time chasing down, but heard 2 people refer to Simon Sinek as saying this, and its stirred up some thoughts in my mind and heart.

Many times, we glamorize growth as being a sign of success. Bigger is always better. A larger organization must mean that we're making a larger impact.

The truth of Sinek's quote is this: When you grow, it creates distance.

What started as a passion and purpose in your heart grows into something that takes you further and further away from that passion and purpose.

I remember experiencing this with the success of a growing organization. While I liked leading a larger team to larger impact and results, I began to forget what it was that I was most passionate about, and I longed to get back to using my skills, my strengths and my giftedness. This eventually let me to making a change and actually leaving that position even though I was the founder and the originator of the vision.

Are you experiencing "distance" that is caused by your success? Have you been able to shift your mindset around your role and what is needed to continue to scale?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"A genius does many things, but only one at a time." Matthew McConaughey, Greenlights

What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I listened to this book from Matthew McConaughey, and he said this short line. I stopped where I was walking, wrote it down, then continued on my walk. I went back to try to find it, and couldn't find it. I then searched for it online, and couldn't find it.

Maybe this line was just for me today. Maybe it's for you.

So many times, I do a lot of things at the same time, thinking that I'm really skilled and gifted. I can keep the plates all spinning with very little breakage, and I amaze myself with my multi-tasking ability.

The reality is that in my attempt to keep the plates spinning, I'm not doing anything really well. Instead, I'm doing everything with mediocrity.

When did our ability to be good at multi-tasking become a skill that we all aspire to?

Watch this "Plate Spinning Fail". Do you relate to this? I relate more to this image of plate-spinning.

How is your "plate-spinning" going? Are you losing sight of what's most important? Is there "breakage" happening?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Time You Enjoy Wasting Is Not Wasted Time." John Lennon... and Others

What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I saw this quote and I stopped to think about it, then I did some research and found that there are a number of people that are attributed to this quote including Bertrand Russell, T.S. Elliot and Kierkegaard. Lennon just repeated it, and I'll repeat it as well.

Look at the simple words of this quote:

"Time You Enjoy Wasting..."

It's easy to think about all the time I waste. I spend time doing things I don't need to do, and sometimes I feel guilty about this and sometimes I just move on.

This thought is more about being INTENTIONAL. When I waste some of my time, and I enjoy that, it's no longer wasted time.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm." Publilius Syrus

What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This quote is simply a statement of the obvious.

Often, when things are going well, we're not truly tested, and many times this means that we're not ready for the tests when they come.

Recently, my wife and I were on a sail boat in the Pacific Ocean. The captain of the boat got us out of the harbor, navigated with the wind into the right direction, then he handed the steering to me.

For about 5 minutes we just sailed, it was beautiful.

Then, the winds changed, and in an instant we were off course, heading away from the wind, and the captain jumped in and made the corrections.

While the wind was blowing in the right direction, I was the greatest sailor on the planet! Then things changed quickly.