Elite 8 Wins and Losses

Are You Still Leading In Crisis Mode?

We saw it last week during the Sweet 16 and Elite 8. Under pressure some teams stayed true to the process and other teams fell apart under Crisis. There is a stark difference between crisis mode and staying competitive as leaders. Our teams would probably agree.

Just like our families appreciate us talking to them in a calm, clear, and respectful manner - our teams do as well. It helps everything work a little bit better because everyone feels honored.

Many leaders across the country are still communicating to their organizations in crisis mode and are struggling on how to make the strategic shift without losing momentum. Meaning we cast quick messages throughout the organization instead of cascading messages and gaining buy-in from the right leaders at the right time. We bypass leaders who need to champion the cause in the name of speed and run out of fuel to see it through because they don't know how to get there teams to buy-in.

Let me belabor my point by saying the same thing twice

When we blast messages without cascading them we generate unneeded anxiety. At this point we also cause our leaders to feel devalued. They feel like their opinions aren't considered and instead of championing projects and change they respond to frustrated individual contributors with age ole "they said". We know nothing motivates a team to work hard like a good old, "we don't have an option or opinion". Hence ... the great resignation.

During the past two years our people have navigated enough personal crisis and don't need us to add to it at work. Creativity, engagement, and inspiration occurs more in the calm than the crisis. Don't overlook the word, "engagement"!

Here are two insights to help:
1) Create a priority of list of what needs to be communicated and why.
2) Create a timeline of who needs to hear the each message first so they can have time to process how to champion the priorities. Be sure to build time to adjust plans accordingly based on feedback.

The key is that we learn to slow down so that we can go fast together. So we can make sure we only operate in crisis mode when there is a full crisis.

We know that you might want more than two tips on how to solve this problem and improve your strategic communication That's why we have created "Green" It's an immersive leadership golf experience that will take place June 15-17 in Dallas, TX. Check out the flyer here.

What's Next?
Let's meet up for a virtual coffee to talk about what's happening in your world and figure out the best next steps to address it: https://calendly.com/insightleadership/virtualcoffee 

 

The Flat Tire Fiasco

The week I turned 16, I remember convincing my dad to let me take his car, instead of my aerodynamic'88 Ford Aerostar van, to take my friend Ryan Malone home. So far my driving record was clean - after 3 days so what could go wrong? Well ... it turns out if you drive too fast over an improperly installed grate on the road you can lose the ability to steer, slide over the large curb and turn all 4 wheels sideways. Yeah ... that was an expensive drive home.

That story is in the back of my mind every time my son, Titus, drives somewhere. He's usually driving our Nissan Frontier 4 Cylinder pickup truck. It goes so fast you have to floor it to get up to the speed limit on the hill by our house. (This makes me feel safer.)

I'd had a long week (7 facilitated session in 5 days) and Meg had two-full days of grad school online. Picture sitting in zoom class from 10 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. and try not to be jealous. Needless to say we were not wanting to prep dinner.

Titus was about to do anything he could to avoid going to pick up dinner so I dropped the one golden ticket I had. The opportunity to take my car. His eyes lit up, jaws dropped and he said, "are you serious?" Then I started to rethink my offer, but doubled down so I could watch the game and sit. We ordered Slim Chickens for pick up and he set out on his first lone journey in the Audi.

On his way home my phone rang and he was in a church parking lot with our dinner and flat tire. My mind was racing. Did the tire get slashed - No we live in Fayetteville, AR. Did Titus ramp a curb on accident - no, he's better than that. Did he attempt some donuts in the church parking lot - no, he's not me. Then the conversation with Chad popped back in my mind.

A few weeks ago Chad at Firestone let me know that I only had another 6-10,000 miles on those tires. He was right. The warning signs on the tires were there, the expert shared his advice, and I pushed the tires to the limit. Since I saw Chad those tires rolled to Omaha, Kansas City, Tulsa and Little Rock.

Is there an area of your life at home or/and life at work that is wearing out? The signs are there, the experts have weighed in and now it's up to you to respond instead of relying on hope that you have one more day, one more week, one more quarter before you have to address it.

• Do you need to lean into your marriage by letting your spouse know you care more about a healthy marriage than the next business deal?

• Do you need to lean into your kids and let them they are more important than work by spending more time with them?

• Do you need to lean into your health by ordering a grilled chicken salad and walking the block?

• Do you need to lean into your team by investing in their development and your team formation?

• Do you need to lean into your organization by focusing on how to strategically communicate so everyone knows what everyone needs to know?

I'm thankful the tire simply ran flat and did not blow out. A blow out could have put my son in danger and that would have been on me for not responding quick enough to the warning signs and the expert's advice.

If you are running an area of your life on a "tire" that is about to blow. Set a time to talk this week and let's work on the repair before it gets worse.

Pregnant and Moving

Meg was pregnant and we were moving to a new state for a new role. I was excited to dive in and make an impact. There's nothing more fun than moving across the country to meet new friends in a new community while 4.5 months pregnant (sarcasm dripping).

Then it happened. The leader that we agreed to uproot our lives for, showed their true self. The imprint left on us will never be forgotten.

Here’s the truth. How you treat team members at work impacts their life at home. How you treat people at work impacts a team member's marriage. How you treat people at work impacts how a team member invests in their children. How you treat a team member at work impacts how they invest in the community- serving on boards, coaching kids teams and volunteering at church. Everyone makes their own choices, but as leaders - you have tremendous influence. Everyone has a choice in how they respond. Leaders can make help others or hurt others.

Take a moment and replace the words “team member” with the names of the people on your teams. Let it soak in.

How you treat ___________ at work impacts their life at home. How you treat _________ at work impacts ___________'s marriage. How you treat __________ at work impacts how __________ invests in their children. How you treat ____________ at work impacts how they invest in the community- serving on boards, coaching kids teams and volunteering at church.
Here’s what I’m saying. It’s not just all about you. Now, it's about your team.

How you lead/manage has a ripple effect into the community. Your words, your tone, your expectations, your feedback, your timelines, your encouragement, your intentionality – make a huge difference.
I know it’s heavy responsibility. You’ve got this though. Your leadership impacts a persons life. That’s why it’s important to think through what type of impact you want to make with your responsibility.
Take a moment to do this exercise:

• How do you want the people you manage to remember you?

• What do you need to do differently so everyone on your team might remember you that way? (I say “might” because you can't control how others respond.)

Remember – all you can do, is what you can do. You can’t control what others do or feel. Don’t let that reality take away from you being the leader you want to be. There will be times you have to get critical feedback, let team members work somewhere else, or be accused of ridiculous things with no merit.

My prayer for you and for everyone I work with is that you navigate leadership challenges in such a way that allows you to lay your head on your pillow at night without regret or shame. Be proud of who you are and how you lead. Be a leader worth following and and leave a legacy worth remembering. Leaders who leave a legacy worth remembering have four things in common.

1. Humility

   • C.S. Lewis said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself it’s thinking of yourself less.” Leaders who lead with humility don’t lord a title over others to push ideas through. They lead by influence to share a vision, idea, or opportunity that everyone can rally behind. Humble leaders celebrate others in lieu of themselves.

2. Empathy

   • Learning to look and see from someone else's perspective is life changing. I might not agree with their perspective, but when I see it, when I feel it, when I put myself in their shoes (even if those shoes are uncomfortable) I adjust my approach to make sure that team member knows I hear, value and appreciate them. I might not give the team member what they want, but I can still lead with empathy.

3. Selfless Ambition

   • Your team has goals and sometimes people make it difficult to pursue those goals. Your role as a leader is to get up the mountain. Your role is to accomplish whatever is in front with no excuses as at team. Leaders who leave a legacy worth remembering leave an outcome that moved the needle forward for the team and organization while benefiting the teams personal lives.

What's Next?
If you need a refresher on your SDI 2.0 or you are wanting to improve the culture and communication in your organization, or you just want to have a conversation set up a virtual coffee: https://calendly.com/insightleadership/virtualcoffee 

Valentine's Blunder

Some leaders learn lessons quickly and others take awhile. On the SDI 2.0, stubbornness is one of my top overdone strengths. My wife can attest to this. Maybe my team too!

During our Valentine's date, we were talking with our friends about failed opportunities. There was a time when we believed our wives when they said, "We don't want anything." But they wanted something! I can't tell you how many times I thought that meant I shouldn't actually get a gift! Yes ... you can judge me ... just know after 20 years I have gotten better at having a little intuition and Meg has gotten better at making sure she is not relying on my intuition!

One of my favorite movie scenes in The Breakup with Vince Vaughn and Jennifer Aniston is when she yells, "I just want you to WANT to do the dishes!"

This is one more example of how waiting and hoping for intuition is the worst type of communication!

Here's the deal. The workplace is not much different. If you want your expectations to be met - don't rely on someone's intuition to provide you exactly what you want.

If you want to set up your team members for success - communicate with clarity.

Everyone wants to feel valued, heard and appreciated. When we don't communicate with clarity we fill in the gaps with assumptions of what we think we heard or what we think someone wants. And both parties end up with an element of frustration.

If you are someone like me, you might be able to leverage some helpful tools. I can't tell you how many times I have pulled up the SDI 2.0 compare feature on my wife and team to make sure I'm communicating in a clear and helpful way or to make sure I'm effectively hearing what they say. When I understand where they are coming from it helps me know how to respond.

There are three key elements to make sure you are connecting with your team members.
1) Communicate with clarity to your team members by saying what you mean and meaning what you say.
2) Cultivate community with your team members by valuing and appreciating how they show up.
3) Check-In with your team members on a regular basis so you know how to support, equip and develop them.

What's Next?
If you need a refresher on your SDI 2.0 or you are wanting to improve the culture and communication in your organization, or you just want to have a conversation set up a virtual coffee: https://calendly.com/insightleadership/virtualcoffee

Purpose and Resignations

Life on Mission | Life on Purpose
 
What is fueling the “great resignation”?
 
Yes – people want a healthier culture to work in.
Yes – people want more flexibility with their schedules
Yes – people want to make sure ​the money is there.
 
It is those things. However, I believe it’s also something much deeper. I believe that, for so long, our identities have been caught up in what we do and where we do it. Think back to every networking event and gala, “I’m [insert name], I’m the [insert fancy title], at [insert org name]."  We went to work, went home, ate dinner, went to work one email, rinse repeat.

Yes, there’s a little sarcasm dripping in there, but if we are honest with ourselves not too much.
 
We can justify anything. We can justify working long hours to get ahead and to be successful. Then we wonder why the fabric of our society has been pulling apart, as work family has replaced actual family.
 
Then COVID came and interrupted everything. Everyone realized that there’s another way to live and many are pursuing it.
 
I think what they are actually pursuing is identity. They are pursuing purpose. They are pursuing a clear and compelling vision.
 
There’s an interesting verse in the book of Proverbs from the Bible. It says, “Where there is no vision the people perish” The Hebrew word “perish” used means, there is no restraint, no direction, no parameters. Meaning people "perish" because they have no clear direction and no boundaries set to get there.
 
Vision provides destination; mission provides guardrails; values provide fuel; and strategy provides a roadmap.
 
I believe the great resignation is happening because people have been living their lives, following a roadmap with no compelling destination. Suddenly, retirement at 65 isn’t exciting enough. They want to live with purpose today.
 
So, what do we do with this realization?

• As Leaders/People/Humans: Find your purpose. Find your vision. Find what pumps you up, what brings fulfillment, and what you're passionate about. Then find ways to integrate that at work and home. Clarify your values and be proud of your journey and destination.

• As Organizational Leaders: Help your leaders and employees see how they can leverage their strengths, so they are energized at work. Help leaders see how their personal vision can align with the organizational vision. If your organizational vision lacks clarity and your employees lack purpose, give us a call.

 
Our hope at Insight Leadership Group is that you are a healthy, transformational leader who loves life at work and loves life at home. We want you to be extremely successful at work and dominate the market! We want you to be equally successful at home - leaving a legacy worth remembering.
 
We don’t want to ask questions and make statements without offering a viable solution. Download the Insight Action Guide right here. This unique tool is used with every executive coaching client to help them clarify their purpose. Inevitably when the leaders find their identify and rest – everything else seems to work out.
 
If you are a senior level leader looking for more. Check out our Courage and Conviction Leadership Series. We provide small group executive leadership experiences to help leaders rest and take the next step.
 
Free Download: Insight Action Guide
Management: 201° Performance Management Coaching
Management/Leadership Development: Courageous Leaders Cohort
Executive/Leadership Development: Arkansas Business Executive Leadership Academy
Executive/Senior Leader Development: Courage and Conviction Leadership Experiences

Everything is for sale?

We’ve all had one of those friends or neighbors. You know the ones who are willing to sell anything they own at a moments notice for the right price. We hear, “everything is always for sale” at least once every time we are with them.
 
On the surface I can roll with it. Things are just things, and we should not be too tied to them. On the other hand – if everything is for sale … is there anything not for sale? Meaning – will money and profit guide our decision making every time – or do we have some priorities that aren’t for sale? Like – dinner with our families, dates with our spouse, attending our kids games, breaking a promise to a team member? 
 
It was Christmas Eve, and I received a message the airline that we had the chance to change our flights for up to $750 per ticket! I got excited about this opportunity for a moment, but then realized changing Meg’s birthday trip for $1,400 might not be the best way to say Happy Birthday! We opted out of changing flights and stayed the course to Daphne Island.
 
We were sitting in the airport on the way home trying to fly out early after a debacle with customer service. We were on the flight … we were off the flight … we needed two people to not show up for the flight so we could get on the flight. Read that a few times. Then the message came through the PA system at our terminal, "We will offer $700 for anyone who is willing to change flights." 

A couple sitting across from us starting to talk through it. The husband said, maybe I can just meet you in NYC and hopefully get there in time to watch the ball drop. The wife had a look of surprise and disbelief. Was $700 worth changing their vacation and missing their NYC experience?
 
The question started to swirl – is everything for sale? If everything is for sale do we have any convictions about what is not for sale?
 
It’s amazing how our drive to pad our accounts, to rise through the ranks, to earn the bonus, to get a step ahead can cause to us to put what’s important on the back burner. It’s so easy to replace what is actually important with the urgency of what seems important.
 
As we watched the couple discuss the options, we saw the demeanor start to shift as they actually processed changing their plans for a flight credit. The wife said, “you can do it, you should do it …” Everyone sitting around them heard the statements the same way every husband over 35 years old hears, “I don’t care where we go to eat”. The couple boarded the plane together.
 
At Insight Leadership Group we are focused on helping leaders love life at work and love life at home. We’ve seen that leaders who don’t have clear priorities, leaders who don’t have clear boundaries, leaders who don’t have clear values – are leaders who struggle to love life at work and love life at home. Not because they are ineffective, not because they are bad people, not because they don’t care, but because they always have to stop and think: Is the price right for my convictions to shift?
 
Leaders who know what’s not for sale. Leaders who have clear boundaries, who have clear values, who know their mission … they don’t debate if it’s worth it. They already know the answer and lead forward with courage and conviction.
 
Here a few resources we have to help leaders love life at work and love life at home. Take the next step as a leader or help the leaders you serve continue to develop.

 
Free Download: Insight Action Guide
Management: 201° Performance Management
Management/Leadership Development: Courageous Leaders Cohort
Executive/Leadership Development: Arkansas Business Executive Leadership Academy
Executive/Senior Leader Development: Courage and Conviction Leadership Experiences

Flying Through the Fog

Meg and I were flying back from a get-a-way trip after Christmas and storms were brewing everywhere. As we were approached Charlotte, we could barely see the wing of the airplane. We were in a thick fog with zero visibility. And yet … our flight wasn’t delayed.
 
When I’m driving through the fog I have to slow way down because I can’t see where I’m going. There’s the fear that I’m about hit something right in front of me.

I’ve been hiking through the fog in the Smokey Mountains, and it is obvious why they have that name. When hiking along a ridge with steep drops to the right or left in the thick fog – it's imperative to make sure every step is the right step.
 
Yet – there we were – flying right along, right on time into Charlotte.
 
We’ve all been there. Going through the day as if we are in the middle of the fog. Due to external factors, we become hesitant to take a step because we can’t see where we are going.  The fog can be debilitating at times and cause us to miss opportunities that are right in front of us. We start to stress, get anxious, get frustrated because instead of continuing to cruise towards our destination we start over analyzing each step like it could be our last.
 
What’s difference between flying through the fog and driving through the fog?

• When flying, we have our destination coordinates, route planned, and air traffic controllers helping us navigate. The pilot is not on their own – so you trust the plan and carry on.

• When driving – we are limited to what we can see and are forced to adjust accordingly. We are forced to slow down or move forward recklessly.

Is it possible to fly through the fog at work rather than drive through the fog?
 
Hang with me a moment.

• How many times do we focus so much on ourselves that we forget to collaborate? You are in the middle of a change initiative, but you haven’t collaborated with the people who are impacted by the change.

• You are in the middle of adjusting roles and salaries for the organization, but you have not collaborated with the leaders of those teams to hear their perspectives.

• You are in the middle of a huge sales promotion, but you have not collaborated with operations to make sure the teams are ready to deliver.

• You are in the middle of … you get the picture.

 
How many times are we forced to slow down or move forward recklessly? Instead of realizing that impacted parties can act as the air traffic controller, collaborating to gain more vision, we treat them as a barrier keeping us from our destination.
 
The people you have opportunity to serve as a leader can help you fly through the fog without losing momentum. You just have to take the opportunity to strategically collaborate with them.

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

Strawberry Rhubarb Jam

My usual mantra to shopping is to “get in and get out.” However, this trip was a vacation. I looked up at the display and saw it. My first thought was, “sounds terrible.” My second thought was, “Meg’s favorite pie is Strawberry Rhubarb, so she would probably appreciate the jam.” Points scored! Meg was pumped for her new favorite jam. Our vacation was off to a great start.
 
A few days later, we were on the trip home, and the jam was in my laptop bag. The friendly security guard searched my bag and pulled out the jam. This wasn’t the first time he’d pulled jam from a laptop bag.
 
That’s when we had to make a choice. Check the bag or ditch the jam. The real question became, “is the new favorite jam worth $35?” (the cost for purchase and checked bag). Is the new favorite jam worth risking our luggage arriving at the location and worth waiting on our luggage when we arrive at our destination?
 
Meg assessed what’s essential in travel and life quickly. She ditched the jam I thoughtfully purchased for her. I was emotionally prepared to spend $35 but thankful we didn’t.
 
There are times in life when our favorite things aren’t the most important. We have to let go of our favorite things to focus on the most important. 
 
There are times when leading what you deemed most important becomes secondary to what is essential.
 
For example, it was important for every employee to be at the office three years ago. Today it’s crucial for every employee to be accomplishing their responsibilities at home or work.
 
What was important (employees to work on time) became less critical than employee safety.
 
What’s most important never changed—employee health, employee engagement, employee productivity, employee retention, etc.
 
How you lead now has changed and will continue to adjust to accomplish what’s most important. It’s not letting go of your values; it’s making sure you value what’s most important. It’s making sure that what’s not essential doesn’t hold you back.  
 
So, the question becomes: What’s your Strawberry Rhubarb Jam? What do you need to leave behind so you don’t waste resources and lose efficiencies in your business?
 
If the answer is easy, but the change is hard – give us a call.

Depression

I'm tired today ... 
I think I'll sleep just a little longer today ... 
Let's just stay home today ... 
Let's push that date back ... 

As I type and retype this note to you I question myself. It is okay to be this vulnerable? I'm a husband of almost 20 years, father of 4, split wood to use the smoker wearing flannel, and still chase a ball around the pitch in umbros. (meaning I feel tough) Life is good. But, for some reason I had found myself tired, sleeping more, lacking motivation, and a little down. I've coached and counseled plenty of leaders going struggling with some sort of depression, but I had a hard time owning it myself. This past two years we have navigated plenty of transitions like you have and I think it all caught up with me.  Simultaneously Insight has had an incredible year that shattered our previous record and 2022 is looking good. Last summer my wife called me out. She said you are in Stage 2 green. She caught me. I was analyzing everything and cutting myself out of community. Not intentionally - I was just trying to make everything work. However, my approach to make everything work was making everything difficult.

So, I had to find the eddy. I had to reset vision, my personal "why" and rest. Not the sleeping kind of rest, but finding green space to think, read, pray, exercise, and not be in the constant rush. I'm happy to dive into the weeds on this if the conversation will benefit you. Here's are a few tips that helped me reset and turn the corner.

Personal Life
1) Pray the Lords Prayer every morning
2) Meditate on Psalm 23
3) Exercising with my boys (reminder that they follow our example)
4) Clarify my personal mission
5) Consistent time to hang out with good friends (healthy community) 
6) Spend time outside smoking meat for family and friend dinners

Professional Life
1) Hire and rely on a great team (train, delegate and empower) 
2) Manage my calendar. Meaning - limit back to back zoom meetings and end the day at 4:30 if possible to leave time to prep for the next day.
3) Leave the laptop in the office 
4) Focus on helping leaders love life at work and love life at home in a very intentional way
5) Pursue goals and celebrate the wins
6) Build authentic relationships with clients

We are launching a new program to help leaders find the eddy. To help leaders rest while clarifying vision. It’s called Distilled. Check it out here.

Hitchhiking

Kyle and I were at the top of the mountain during spring break. We were feeling good about our ski level and wanted to take the fastest route to other side of the mountain. As we peered through the forest we thought we saw the ski run of our dreams. The only thing keeping us from our dreams was an orange boundary line. We figured the boundary was only there for people who weren't as good as us. At first, we were having fun ... then we were hiking/skiing/holding on the tops of trees to not sink ... It was too late to go back up. The ski run we thought we saw didn't exist. We finally found the courage and clearing to ski through the backcountry and the faint sound of cars started to fill the air. We ended up on the highway 5 miles from Winter Park hitchhiking to get back.

Have you ever crossed a boundary in order to get somewhere faster?

I found that every boundary I cross I found myself farther from my purpose not closer.

I think boundaries help us get down the mountain they don't keep us from enjoying it. Boundaries help us accomplish our purpose they don't keep us from it. When we cross the boundary line to get there faster we get farther from our purpose.

We've found that if we don't have boundaries we never accomplish our purpose. There is always something that can distract us. All of a sudden life is as confusing as asking a family of 6 where they want to eat.

Purpose has led us to launch our new executive development program. We are passionate about helping leaders love life at work and love life at home. We are on mission to help you cultivate engaging and healthy cultures that have positive ripple effects into the lives of families, organizations and the community. That purpose helped us realize we didn't want to be in the executive roundtable game. Sitting around the conference table wasn't transformational enough. How we can get real, get some rest and develop? Knowing our purpose helped us put boundaries up. We said no to something that was good and began working to pursue something that is meaningful and impactful.

If you are struggling to know how to answer that "purpose" question then I encourage you to join us at Distilled, March 2-4 in Louisville, KY. The first of four executive leadership experiences. During distilled you can craft your personal and organizational vision and find time to rest.

Vision and purpose provides us the clarity we need to know how to say, "yes", "maybe", or "no" on a daily basis. Vision helps us to establish proper boundaries. It helps us to know where to focus, what to do and how to avoid distractions that drain us, our families and our organizations. Why hitchhike when you ski?

Brisket and Leadership

We were loaded in the van ready for our first Life @ Home Experience. We are pumped. Meg (my wife), Peter and Tiffany were ready to rock n roll. Reece had smoked a world class brisket for dinner the first night, but couldn't make it down. He declared this brisket the best he had ever made. Bold statement without trying it yet! He had wrapped the brisket in foil, towels and then placed it on a cooler. We pulled into the IHOP on Weddington and he loaded the cooler into the van at Tiffany now had a footrest. The van smelled incredible. 90 minutes later we had a flat tire. We arrived to the venue an hour or so late greeted by hungry participants. The brisket had rested about 7 hours before we cut into it. Let's just say everyone was satisfied and wanted more. The brisket was incredible.

What made this brisket better than it's 59 predecessors? REST.

We theoretically know that rest is important, but for some reason do our best to ignore it?

I wonder what our leadership would be like if we took time to rest? As good as you are, could you reach your potential if you found rest?

This Christmas season build in times to rest. Time to be bored and do nothing. Don't fill the space binge watching. Let your mind rest. Then experience creativity, wild ideas, and vision. You know ... the things that helped you get to where you are.

It started with rest.

P.S. - maybe smoke a brisket or pork shoulder this Christmas instead of turkey.

Join us for Distilled: An immersive executive experience

Burnt Burger Balls and Developing Strengths

Determined to Learn

My dad was traveling for work and I was determined to eat good grilled food. I was around 16 yrs old and fired up the grill after preparing the burgers. My mom, aunt, cousins and sister were all home.

Alexa and Siri weren’t around to help me. The Encyclopedia Brittanica was in the box. I could have asked Jeeves, but hindsight is 2020.

After working the grill like a "master" the burgers became large burnt burger balls on the grill! No matter how hard I pushed, I couldn't flatten them. They looked done ... I mean they were burnt! Crip on the outside!

I brought them up on the platter and everyone graciously put a burnt burger ball on their bun. We all added cheese and plenty of condiment to cover the taste of whatever we were about to bite into.

Then came the first bite ... They were still raw in the middle!

I think we went for take out that night. My first time grilling was an utter failure!

The burnt burger balls didn't hit the spot. Sometimes our first attempt causes us to revert back to what we did before. It shouldn't though. Keep pushing, keep developing and accomplish your goals.

Don’t Quit Trying When It Doesn’t Work Out

Sometimes when we try something new for the first time it doesn’t work out as planned. It doesn't mean you shouldn't try it again.

Not to brag (maybe a little). My family and friends consider me somewhat of a grill master. It just took lots of practice to get it right.

Sometimes when we try something new for the first time it doesn’t work out as planned. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try again.

How are you developing yourself?

What skill set are you trying to develop?

Every time we prepare for a new role or take on a new role we have to develop. What got us there won’t keep us there. You are working with new leaders, new team members, new clients and you need to develop new strengths to be successful. You have them in you - you just need to practice.

My Story

We use the SDI 2.0 Inventory at Insight Leadership Group. This is a picture of the third view the tool gives me. My top strengths are persuasive, self-confident, quick to act, perseverance, and forceful. - Very results focused strengths. When I work with leaders driven with a desire to help people before the result, my natural leadership style can run them the wrong way. My heart for people isn’t always seen in how they perceive me. I had to learn to bring up new strengths to connect with leaders wired up differently than me. It’s not enough to simply trust, I need to communicate trust. It’s not enough to be option oriented, I needed to communicate that I was option oriented. I had to deploy new strengths to rally the team together. My first attempts were a bit awkward and clunky - now it comes naturally.

It’s like working the grill for the first time.

Just because it didn’t work out the first time, doesn’t mean it should be the last time.

If you don’t have have 10 years to figure it out give us call. We help you get there after a few weeks. Register for the Courageous Leaders Cohort to take the next step today.

Lead With Conviction and Courage ...

Conviction and Courage Have Consequences

We talk to our kids about courage often. We talk to them about doing the right thing even when it’s hard. We talk to them about standing up for others.

Our son Titus was in Kindergarten and rode the bus home from school. A boy a year or two older than Titus was constantly bullying the girl across the street on their bus rides homes. They told him to stop and over and over again the boy would get worse and worse. Finally my little man had enough of his friend getting bullied. Titus reared back and punched the kid in the back of the head. We received a call from the school later …

I’m not a fan of physical violence, I am a fan of kids not letting other kids get bullied. I am a fan of my son acting with courage and conviction to help someone in need. Consequences happen when you do the right thing, sometimes in your favor, sometimes not … but we still need to lead with conviction and courage.

We don’t always lead with conviction and courage do we? We know the consequences don’t always line up for our favor. We can put our reputations, our jobs, our career path in jeopardy when we do what’s right. At least thats the narrative we tell ourselves in those times.

During chaos, under pressure - we can lose our conviction and courage in an effort to make something work, but what I hope we realize is that when we lose our conviction and courage - we lose ourselves. We lose our identity, we lose our purpose and passion.

When we lack conviction and courage

The stories play out often. Under pressure the lines of right and wrong get more and more blurred. We justify the grey areas because we are “working hard” and “trying our best”. We justify the blurred lines because, “it’s just this one time” and “it’s the only way it will work”. That mindset overtime leads to something worse every time.

We’ve heard the stories:

The Wells Far Fiasco

Remember Wells Fargo in 2014? Think fake accounts, incentive payouts, a culture rich with ethics violations. Watch the video to refresh your memory. Read more here.

Where was conviction at Wells Fargo?

A Financial Investment Firm and Church Leader

A well known Investment Firm made a huge mistake and worked hard to cover it up. The managing director was a leader in his local church. A church member trusted him with his retirement account and it didn’t go well. An employee in the firm traded without consent and lost 50k of the church members investment. Self-preservation mode kicked in for the managing director. His license, his job, his credibility was on the line. Conviction and courage were nowhere to be found and the church member was left with a choice to sue and ruin the managing directors job or move on with a major loss. The church member felt convicted to move on, but always wished that managing director (church leader guy) would have done the right thing.

A Director and His Team

The project was off track and not going to plan. The pressure was mounting for the Director to get it back on track. Every check-in the team was getting blamed. One team leader, one employee at a time becoming the scapegoat for the Directors incompetency. The VP of the department was a frat brother with the Director. He knew the employees were losing opportunities due to the Directors poor leadership, but stayed quiet. The VP watched good people lose promotions and bonuses that impacted their families and future while his frat brother continued to drive the ship into the ditch.

We’ve all seen it, experienced it, and let’s be real - we’ve lacked it.

We can do better.

During chaos, during pressure - we can lose our conviction in an effort to make something right, but what I hope we realize is that when we lose our conviction, we lose ourselves. We lose our identity, we lose our purpose and passion.

We can do better. We need to do better. We have to do better.

Our spouses, our kids, our friends, our communities, our teams, our organizations depend on it.

In a society with more and more “conviction” on social media you would think we would see more conviction in our relationships. Just speaking our minds with a thumbs up or sharing a post … isn’t the definition of courage and conviction. It doesn’t build community or relationships. It leaves everything a bit short.

It’s like wearing Toms shoes and writing on your resume that you help an organization provide shoes to kids in third world countries. I’m not saying don’t post on social media and I’m not saying don’t buy Toms shoes, I’m just saying we do can do better. We can lead with conviction and courage.

Be Committed To Your Convictions

What do you believe? What do you stand for? What do you sacrifice for? What are your convictions? It’s one thing to say you value something and it’s another for your values to be seen by your actions. Need help finding what you value who you aspire to be? Work through the Insight Action Guide.

• Do you value having a healthy culture in your organization? What steps are you taking to intentionally create it.

• Do you value healthy team relationships? Would your team affirm that?

• Do you value your family? How much time do you spend focused on them?

• Do you value your spouse? Do they know?

I’m not trying to make you feel bad about anything, but if you do, I’m hoping you make a shift. The shift to align your values with your actions. The shift to lead with conviction and courage, not just work for the result.

We need to be committed to our convictions and that’s how we are going to lead with courage.

Lead with Conviction and Courage

We’ve all seen it. We remember vividly when we saw a leader lead with conviction and courage.

It was almost Christmas and the CEO was ready to make me the scapegoat. The project had been on plan according to our Fortune 100 client. They had reviewed all the content and our CEO had given approvals at all the checkpoints. Then when it was game time we learned our CEO read it for the first time and decided it was good enough. This was after two months of preparation and approvals. You can imagine my frustration and lack of empathy for our CEO as I showed him the emails with his approvals and kudos for doing a good job. The “proof” and happy client wasn’t making a big difference. My job was now on the line and I was ready to walk back out on my won. My boss stepped in on my behalf. He acted with conviction and courage when he could have let me become a scapegoat.

When have you seen it? (drop a line in the comments)

When have you done it? When you have led with conviction and courage?

Lets do this

When you lead well, you love the feeling of knowing you did what was right. You are energized and you came alive. We need for of that from you. The world needs that from you.

Can you imagine a world of leaders who lead with integrity and do the right thing? Can you imagine a world where ethics violations weren’t the norm? Can you imagine a world where team members are treated with respect and dignity through all circumstances?

Our hope is for you to be a leader worth following so you are a leader leaving a legacy worth remembering.

1) Remind yourself of your convictions

2) Be determined to lead from your convictions

3) Have the courage lead with conviction

We tell our kids that having courage doesn’t mean you aren’t scared. It means we don’t let fear keep us from doing what is right.

When you are under pressure and feeling out of control - that’s when conviction and courage should take a precedence over self-preservation. That’s when we should rise up, be leaders worth following, dig deep, and say, “I’m going to be proud of who I am” and lead forward.

If you want to work on being a courageous leader join our courageous leadership cohort kicking off February 4. Bring your team along with you.

2021 Planning Guide!

Leaders!

Here is your Insight Action Guide for 2021!

We are here to coach. If you get stuck, need help processing, need help gaining clarity - reach out and set up a coaching session ASAP. Don’t postpone gaining clarify and direction for the new year. Don’t let what you have no control over keep slamming into the rocks along the river - lead with intentionality and purpose. Be proactive instead of reactive and let’s have a great new year!