The Ultimate Leadership Podcast

My guest today is author and coach Denise Dudley, here to share with us her expertise on the art of active listening. It’s important that we all become aware of the fact that by fully listening to what someone has to say we honor that person. Active listening sounds like a tough job, but once we commit to it, we will almost instantly improve our relationships on a noticeable scale. On today’s podcast: Always watch for cues to make sure your listeners are still there Commit to actively listen Listen without formulating a response in your head Paraphrase more Links: SkillPath Denise Dudley Always watch for cues to make sure your listeners are still there Listening seems to us like a very passive activity. Research has shown that when you’re truly listening, many parts of your brain lighten up. There is a lot going on, but physically it feels like we’re just sitting there. Part of your job as a speaker is to always be listening and watching for feedback in your listener(s). Watch for cues to make sure your listeners are still with you and they haven’t become bored. Sometimes it’s important to sit still when we’re listening so that we can send the message of “I’m with you, I’m not thinking about anything else.” Commit to actively listen If you are going to really listen to someone, go to a quieter, neutral room. Make sure you also avoid distractions. We try to have our most important conversations in person, because we get to have these visual cues. The first step in any journey towards becoming better at whatever it is you’re interested in is to actually make a commitment. Listen without formulating a response in your head Sometimes people may have different views. It’s hard to suspend your immediate judgment, but it’s really important to do it if you really want to listen to what that person is saying. Suspending your immediate judgment has to do with listening without formulating a response just yet and staying open enough. It’s important to make a commitment not to interrupt. Wait because people need to feel that they are heard. Only interrupt someone if they’re being offensive or abusive. Paraphrase more Paraphrasing is really the best first thing that you can say once you’ve been listening to a segment of someone’s story. When you hit it right, you see the other person lighten up. If you hit it wrong, you get a red light. It’s also important to “listen” to nonverbal communication. Brains don’t really love to multitask. Many people actually resist multitasking. You are multitasking if you’re listening and considering what you’re going to say next. Wait until the person is finished and then formulate your response.

My guest today is video marketing strategist Sheryl Plouffe. Sheryl shares with us her expertise on how to create your own video show from scratch. Tune in and if you launch your show anytime soon, make sure to let us know! On today’s podcast: The benefits of creating your own show Live vs recorded Tools you might want to use How to promote your show Links: Sheryl’s Website The benefits of creating your own show One of the benefits of having your own show is that it keeps you on track. As entrepreneurs, we need to be creating content. Another benefit is that it keeps you accountable to your audience. When you tell the world you’re launching a show and that you’re going to commit to that, this keeps you accountable. A third benefit has to do with consistency. If you commit to a weekly show, it keeps you consistent. Live vs recorded If you are thinking about launching a video show on Facebook, do it. It will allow you to better connect with people. When you put yourself out there on video you’re allowing people into your life. If you choose a live show, it’s much more authentic. You can’t edit it. A recorded video can be an easier option. Tools you might want to use If you’re doing an interview-style show, you should consider using Zoom. Another good tool is Switcher Studio. It allows you to do a show with prerecorded video. You can switch in between elements, including yourself live. How to promote your show There are many ways to promote your show. You can start by promoting your show to your existing email list. You can also include your show in your signature at the bottom of your email. You can also promote it on your Facebook profile or on other social media. Don’t forget word-of-mouth. Tell people about it.

Today’s episode is all about curiosity. It’s important to realize that our natural curiosity changes as we grow older. There are more and more things holding us back. It’s important to acknowledge these things and be proactive. My guest today, Dr. Diane Hamilton, has some fantastic advice to share with us. On today’s podcast: There are four things holding us back Recognize your fear and do something about it Make yourself a little uncomfortable The dangers of technology Our environment can also hold us back Links: Dr. Diane Hamilton’s Radio Show There are four things holding us back There really isn’t a good tool to measure curiosity yet. Diane discovered that there are four things that are holding people back: Fear Assumptions of the way things are or should be Technology The environment Curiosity can be either positive or negative. Some people get into analysis paralysis, they plan and plan, and don’t get things done. Recognize your fear and do something about it There are always fears holding you back from many kinds of decisions. Many people don’t dip their toe in the water because it’s not cool to do so. You think you might look goofy. Many people fear what other people will think. It’s a very hard thing for us to overcome. It’s very important to recognize that it’s the fear that’s holding you back and do something about it. Fear really comes down to the stories we tell ourselves. You have to ask yourself, “What is the value I’m missing because of holding back?” Make yourself a little uncomfortable Many people do things because they assume that they should be doing these things. They don’t open themselves up to options because that’s the way it has always been done. We limit ourselves to this little bubble we think it’s the world. You don’t even know what you don’t know until you get out there. It’s good to make yourself a little uncomfortable. The dangers of technology Technology can be intimidating. You have to learn a new trade and you can feel overwhelmed. Another type of people feel too comfortable with technology and allow it to do everything for them. Sometimes technology keeps you from asking the questions, because the answers are readily available. Eventually you might end up not knowing what you might be missing, because technology has already figured out all the steps along the way. Our environment can also hold us back The environment can also seriously hold us back. Some of our natural curiosities can be cut out at school or at home. Our family might not even know that they are holding us back. Now with social media, we also have a new environment of people expecting us to behave in a certain way.

One of the most important things we can do as leaders is to create a safe environment where our team members know that they can make mistakes. My guest today is executive coach Christine Springer, here to share with us her expertise on how to build resilience and self-compassion. On today’s podcast: Using setbacks to come back stronger Feeling safe when making mistakes The two biggest myths about resilience Having a fixed vs a growth mindset The first step to take in order to build resilience Links: Rising Culture Group Using setbacks to come back stronger Being resilient is having the ability to handle change and setbacks. You use those setbacks and failure to actually come back stronger. Why does adversity keep us from moving forward? What are we afraid of? The number one reason why people struggle to be resilient is that we judge ourselves. We take it personally. We sometimes mix up taking responsibility with beating ourselves up. Feeling safe when making mistakes When we are young, we figure out the best way to survive in our environment. Many of us grew up with teachers or parents judging us. One of the most important things we do as adults is learning how to shift the survival strategies we adopted as kids to strategies that can actually make us thrive. The way we can help kids and team members is to make them feel safe when they make mistakes. The two biggest myths about resilience The first biggest myth about resilience is that if you are resilient, you’re going to be immune to feeling disappointment about the setback or the failure. When we feel disappointed about that, you start beating yourself up about feeling disappointed. The second biggest myth about resilience is the belief that you either are resilient, or you are not. Also, that if you are not resilient, that you cannot develop it. That’s not true. You need to have the desire to build resilience and to keep practicing. Having a fixed vs a growth mindset It’s important to allow yourself to feel whatever you’re feeling whether it’s disappointment or frustration. You have to actually feel it. Your body will store any emotion that you don’t allow yourself to feel fully and let go of. You need to be able to develop a personal relationship with each of your team members. Develop a plan together of what success looks like. People with a fixed mindset tend to be less resilient because they take failure very personally. People with a growth mindset are almost kind of curious about failure. They are energized by the idea of solving a puzzle. The first step to take in order to build resilience The first step to take in order to build resilience is to recognize the three habits that make us not resilient: perfectionism, personalizing feedback, and persevering on mistakes. When we’re mindful of these tendencies, we can catch ourselves before they sabotage us later on in the game. Shift from the three Ps to the three Cs: compassion, curiosity, and confidence.

One of the most important topics that we often don’t consider is investing in our everyday learning. My guest today, leadership consultant Liz Czepiel, is the perfect person to guide us when it comes to this vital component of every organization. On today’s podcast: Creating a culture of learning is vital to our organizational success Avoiding the easy approach and going for the bigger picture Being very specific and strategic Knowing your expectations Links: Liz Czepiel Creating a culture of learning is vital to our organizational success People are an organization’s most valuable asset. How can we get the most out of them? We have to figure out what drives and motivates them. When we step into leadership roles, part of our responsibility is to develop our teams. A big component of that is helping our teams learn about themselves and the business. Learning within an organization correlates with innovation. We need to challenge our employees to think bigger and broader, to be better than the competition. Avoiding the easy approach and going for the bigger picture When organizations take the easy approach, they invest in the wrong solutions. They should be factoring in what will support organizational goals. When it comes to learning, we want it to be extremely practical to our employees. When organizations think about their learning approach holistically, it’s a complete game changer. Being very specific and strategic It’s important to expand learning opportunities behind the classroom. Most people learn by doing. Some of the most powerful learning experiences involve practical applications of learning principles. You also need to be very specific about the people that you are bringing on board. Make sure to bring people who want to innovate. An organization shouldn’t look to invest in the biggest e-learning system to just check the box for their employees. You need to be really specific and strategic. More isn’t always better. Knowing your expectations Learning and development shouldn’t stop once you’re a director. One of the most beneficial that organizations can do is to continuously invest in their leadership. You need to be super clear on what your expectations are when it comes to learning. Think about how you are going to incorporate them into things like your performance reviews.

Do you want to fast-track your success and achieve great results? My guest this week, international speaker Camilita Nuttall, is here to tell you what works from her own personal experience. Tune in to find out the 12 steps to grow your business exponentially. On today’s podcast: Focus+Work*Belief-Fear=Results Don’t be afraid to lose Be steadfast in your efforts Focus on income-generating work and have a clear customer plan Always seek knowledge Always reinvent yourself and find the people at the top Links: How to Fast-Track Your Success in 12 Simple Steps Focus+Work*Belief-Fear=Results In How to Fast-Track Your Success in 12 Simple Steps, Camilita writes that Focus+Work*Belief-Fear=Results. Focus means forgetting everything else. Focus has to do with commitment, and commitment means the death of all other options. First you need to focus, then you need to do the work. When everything is going wrong, that’s the time you have to believe. We all want to quit sometimes, but when we push through the fear of our own selves, that’s when we get the results. Don’t be afraid to lose It’s important to set goals of precision. Focus on every little detail. Also, don’t be afraid to quit. You will feel like quitting every single day. Don’t be afraid to lose, because you will lose and that’s normal. Be willing to do extraordinary things. Have a bulletproof mindset. That’s where you win or lose, in your own mind. Have a positive mental attitude. Be steadfast in your efforts Create something from nothing. If you want to grow your business, find something that everyone else is looking for, create it, and then find multiple ways to make money from it. Be a giver, not a taker. Be steadfast in your efforts. Keep going because life happens. You are bigger and better than that. Focus on income-generating work and have a clear customer plan Only focus on income-generating work. The reason why most businesses struggle or fail in the first five years is that their focus is not on income-generating work. The size and quality of your network determine your net worth. Learn the difference between having a clear customer plan vs a business plan. Very few people today have a customer plan. Ask yourself: What is your customer looking for? What do they want? Is your business customer-led or business plan-led? Always seek knowledge Utilize the most important tip for massive growth and success: ASK (Always Seek Knowledge). We have not because we ask not. If you need something in business, there is someone who has the key to your next success. The more you ask, the quicker you will grow. What do you have to lose? Always reinvent yourself and find the people at the top Find new ways to market your brand, product, or service online or offline. When was the last time you had a launch or a relaunch? Keep people in the loop. Always reinvent yourself. Go from the top down, not the bottom up. Always go to the decision-makers, not to the gatekeepers. Find the people at the top and ask them.

There is a fine line between authenticity and hypocrisy. It’s important to be aware of what you are communicating in order to make sure you achieve the best results. My guest this week is Ed DeCosta, a powerful executive coach and an engaging keynote speaker here to offer some important pieces of information on how to make sure you always deliver authentic messages. On today’s podcast: The quest for authenticity Always defend your point of view If you permit hypocrisy, you promote it Steer clear of acquiescing Links: Ed DeCosta The quest for authenticity One of the foundations of successful leadership is being authentic. Authenticity is about being real, honest, truthful. The opposite of that is being false, dishonest. A hypocrite is someone who says one thing and does another. One of the goals of our communications is to evoke emotion. Sometimes your politeness can be misinterpreted. The same goes for silence. Always defend your point of view Situational awareness is extremely important. You should ask yourself: What’s going on? Where am I? Who am I? What is my role? What am I supposed to do? If somebody confronts you and says, “I believe this about an issue you talk about”, this is a situation where it’s socially acceptable to share your view. If you don’t share your opinion, and you pretend that you agree, that’s a sign of hypocrisy. You have an opportunity to defend your point of view, but you choose not to. If you permit hypocrisy, you promote it If someone behaves out of alignment of what they say their values are, they are perpetuating hypocrisy. If you permit someone’s hypocrisy, you promote it as well. Self-leadership is vital. You have to be honest with yourself. You have to realize that you’re either being honest, or you’re not. Steer clear of acquiescing Have values you actually believe in. Do whatever exercises you need to do to sink those values deeply into your fabric, your soul. Too many people acquiesce. They don’t say what they were thinking because they believe it wouldn’t have been appropriate. Then they’re full of regret and remorse.

We are all stuck with each other on this planet, so we might as well learn from each other and be willing to share our expertise. A firm believer in the power of mentorship is my guest and good friend, Simone Vincenzi. Join us as we explore the unlimited possibilities of what a good coach has to offer. On today’s podcast: Focusing on a good work-life balance The difference between “rubber” and “glass” activities The best ideas come to you in the most unexpected moments Differences between American and European leadership development styles Simone’s principles Simone’s podcast and classes Links: Explode Your Expert Biz Show The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results Book Focusing on a good work-life balance Simone is motivated by serving his clients. He is helping experts become authorities in their fields, and this is what makes him happy. He doesn’t want to work all the time. His solution to a good work-life balance is focusing on work when he is working, and focusing on relaxing when he is on holidays. Simone also makes sure he carves out pockets of time for his wife. The difference between “rubber” and “glass” activities After reading “The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results”, Simone understood the importance of scheduling and prioritizing. The book talks about different ways of scheduling your time and finding out what’s really important to you. It classifies activities as being “rubber” or “glass”. Rubber activities can be postponed, they are not made of glass. Glass activities can break, and relationships and family belong to this category. The best ideas come to you in the most unexpected moments Entrepreneurs often feel that they never have enough success. Simone has also fought with this feeling for a long time, and he needs to constantly remind himself that he has enough success. When you’re very passionate about what you do, opportunities open up everywhere. You feel like you don’t want to miss out on anything. Sometimes you just have to stop for a moment and feel good about your work. We come up with the best ideas when we don’t actively think about solutions. Differences between American and European leadership development styles Simone noticed massive differences in leadership development between the US and Europe. In the US, people tend to be go-getters. In Europe, they are more relaxed, sometimes too relaxed. He moved from Italy to London, because he finds London much more similar in terms of mentality to the US. In Italy, people love complaining, without really seeking a solution to their problems. In the US, there is an active approach when it comes to leadership development. In Europe, the approach is more reactive. However, the trend seems to be changing nowadays. Simone’s principles Simone believes in a few fundamental principles: If you don’t grow, you die. We are in this together. Unfortunately nowadays we are getting more and more isolated. With technology, we have the false feeling that we are more connected, while in reality we are more and more disconnected. Together we can achieve greater things. Simone’s podcast and classes On his podcast, Explode Your Expert Biz Show, he interviews leaders and experts and asks them for tips and strategies on how to grow a business, particularly one based on personal brand. The show is full of practical, implementable steps. If you want to learn more, you can also take one of Simone’s courses.

Communication is both a science and a fine art. Here to help you better understand its mechanics is Matt Abrahams, a passionate and innovative coach. On today’s podcast: There is no right way to communicate Public speaking as a potential threat to our future How to prepare for a talk How to tame anxiety The trap of procrastination Have a goal-driven, structured approach Links: Speaking Up without Freaking Out Book There is no right way to communicate Communication has to be at the foundation of our leadership toolbox if we aim really high. Matt teaches leaders how to be comfortable with themselves when it comes to their communication. Many people don’t feel comfortable doing presentations or speaking up in meetings, but that can be changed. Many people also feel that when they are communicating they are performing, that they have to do it right. In fact, there is no right way to communicate. There are certainly better or worse ways, but if you put the pressure on yourself to do it right, you’re actually undermining your ability to do it at all. We perceive speaking as a threat We tend to see speaking in front of others in high-stake situations as threatening. It’s a threat to our potential future. For instance, entrepreneurs are afraid that they will not receive funding or support. A lot of our anxiety around speaking is the threat that we feel from the potential negative future outcome. Many people, because of their perceived inability to communicate effectively, feel that they are not as worthy or as valuable as other people, even when they have fantastic ideas. How to prepare for a talk What can you about it? You can start by saying: I have interesting and valuable information to share. It’s not about what I want to share, it’s about what others need to get. The audience-centric approach focuses on the needs of the people you’re communicating with and it can really help you get out of your negative space. Preparation is key to feeling confident. When it comes to preparing a high-stake communication, you have to figure out what your goal is. A goal has three fundamental parts: Information – what do I want my audience to know? Emotions – how do I want them to feel? Action – what do I want them to do when I’m done? Take the time between now and when you’re presenting and divide it in half. The first half is preparation time, the second half is practice time. How to tame anxiety You then have to learn how to manage the anxiety you feel. You have to take a two-pronged approach: Managing the symptoms of anxiety Managing the sources of anxiety Many of us when we present, we blush or we perspire because we’re nervous. It’s an automatic result of our blood pressure going up. We can reduce the sweating and blushing by simply holding something cold in the palms of our hands. There are lots of sources of anxiety. One is feeling evaluated. If we could do something to distract our audience’s attention, then we can feel better. For example, if we start a meeting by taking a poll or showing a video, we can take the attention away from ourselves and we can put it on whatever that activity is. In doing so, we also get to engage our audience. The trap of procrastination Many of us procrastinate because we don’t like feeling anxious. It’s easier to just put things off. In reality, it just makes them worse. The insidious part about procrastination is that it builds in an excuse. If you have a major presentation coming up and you delay preparing it, and then you give it and it doesn’t go well, you can always say to yourself “If only I put more time in.”

This week I am joined by bestselling author and speaker Christine Perakis. Christine talks about her experience with Hurricane Irma and how it shaped her leadership and business skills. On today’s podcast: Leadership lessons to be learned We should never be complacent Mistakes are made for learning Learn to have tolerance for uncertainty The four roles of leadership Links: Christine Perakis   Leadership lessons to be learned In everything we do, there are leadership lessons to be learned. More often than not it’s the failures and the mistakes that really help polish us. On September 6th, 2017, Christine was alone in her home in the British Virgin Islands, which got hit by the biggest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic base. It was the second largest weather event in the history of recorded weather and it destroyed everything around and left them without infrastructure, running water, electricity, you name it. Christine had done all the preparations from her training before the hurricane, and she discovered she felt a sense of complacency. She had weathered other hurricane seasons before and her home, in particular, was very well protected. She thought that she was so well protected, that she spent the day before helping others. We should never be complacent Her mentality in approaching preparation was the mentality of a boat captain going offshore who has to be fully functioning and self-sustaining. She soon learned the things she didn’t do well. She didn’t have a satellite tracker nearby that would have allowed her to communicate by text and email, and she didn’t have her VHS radio close, which used to be her main source of communication with the community when the telecoms were down. Despite her initial sense of security, she soon found out that complacency can kill. That’s also true in business and leadership. We should never allow ourselves to become complacent. Mistakes are made for learning When all hell broke loose, she was alone in her home. She didn’t know anyone else on the island who was alone during this hurricane. Two weeks later when they were hit again, she made sure that she was with her community. You learn from these experiences. In conflict and in disaster, it’s important to be with your team, and not just by yourself. Christine had to be mindful during the whole time while she was stuck in her house because she didn’t have anyone to talk to and there was no distraction. She spent a lot of hours writing down what she was learning every moment in order to make sure that she would never go through this experience the same way again. Learn to have tolerance for uncertainty Christine discovered seven key leadership skills through her experience. The most important of them is tolerance for uncertainty and adversity. That’s being able to view challenges as opportunities. This is a critical cornerstone to coping with any situation: learning how to live in a rhythm that you can’t control, which is pretty much every day when you’re an entrepreneur. Christine chose to commit and devote everything she had to the community’s greater good. This sense of purpose helped her move in a direction. She had a vision for what needed to be done and then started doing it. The four roles of leadership She really learned how to best use her resources. It’s a skill set that most of us don’t ever have to think about, unless we’re starting a business or if our survival needs aren’t met. She realized that there are four roles of leadership: The passive role: that’s people who expect a designated leader to take over and give them what they need. They usually sit back and hope for the best, and are unwilling to assume a leadership role of their own.

My guest this week is Career Coach Angela Copeland. Join us for an episode filled with useful information about how you can land your dream job and advance in your professional career. On today’s podcast: Try continuous interviewing Networking trumps everything Keep your resume updated How to prepare for an interview Should you follow up after the interview? What’s the biggest misconception about the job search process? Links: Copeland Coaching Podcast Try continuous interviewing We don’t usually spend so much time thinking about the next level of our career. Should we be doing this regularly instead? Yes, we shouldn’t wait to be in a painful situation and then desire change. Angela believes in “continuous interviewing” aka always networking, always keeping your eyes open, always thinking about the next step. We have to be our own CEOs and constantly be looking for new opportunities if we want to successfully advance in our career. Networking trumps everything What’s the first thing to do when you want to switch jobs? You should study what people in your industry whom you admire are doing. A common problem a lot of job seekers face is that companies normally say “Apply on our website, and if you are a good fit, we’ll call you.” It sounds so easy, and you just assume that someone will call you and it’s going to be great. But the thing is that when a hiring agent is looking for someone to hire, they don’t think “I’m going to get some Internet resumes from strangers and look through them”. Instead, they think “Do I know anybody for this job or do I know someone who knows someone?” Networking trumps everything. Knowing the right person will almost always get you further. Keep your resume updated Our resume is our snapshot of who we are as professionals. You should get someone to proofread it, but don’t hire a resume writer, because you need to work on it yourself. It helps you think of the message you are putting out there. You should carry copies of your resume, either on your phone as a PDF, or as a piece of paper. Your resume should be one or two pages long, ideally. Be careful to include things that reflect your real experience and your achievements. Interviewing is a little bit like going to a dinner party, and there are certain things you should leave out. For instance, things related to money, or your religious or political views. You can also leave out your references and your GPA. You shouldn’t dust off your resume when you need it, you should look at it on a regular basis because you never know when the opportunity could knock. How to prepare for an interview First off, get some good rest and then go and have a fun time. A lot of interview decisions are based on “Do we like this person? Do we want to spend time with them?” Another idea to take time to really write your elevator pitch. You can go through and practice other tricky questions, like “What’s your greatest weakness?” You also have to do your homework in terms of researching the company. Should you follow up after the interview? Yes. You should send a thank you email and a thank you card. Why do both? Because very often the company will decide that day or the next day who they want to give the job offer to. If you only send the handwritten card, they may have already made the decision, and you’re too late. You do want to send the card though because if you do you’ll probably be the only person who does it. And that really helps to make you stand out. You can throw in your business card along with your handwritten note. What’s the biggest misconception about the job search process? When you’re looking for a job, and you find a job description,

When we think about consensus, persuasion, and delivering the very best message, it all starts with communication. My guest this week, Keynote speaker and award-winning journalist Eleanor Beaton shares a wealth of practical knowledge and inspiration on how to be the best leader you can be. On today’s podcast: Communicate incisively and on point Learn how to position your ideas The challenge of leadership Constantly reinvent yourself if you want to succeed Want more of Eleanor? Links: Eleanor’s Website Fierce Feminine Leadership: the Success Podcast for Ambitious Women Communicate incisively and on point We know that communication is important. It should be at the foundation of our leadership toolbox. So how do we take the jump from being a good communicator to being a good persuader? It all comes down to a critical skill that we will see again and again and again in the world’s most successful leaders. To Eleanor, a successful leader is someone who can drive the business outcomes in a way that is also driving happiness, performance, fulfillment both for themselves and for their team. There are two components you should keep in mind: Stop explaining your ideas, and rather position them. Don’t talk vaguely about your ideas. You want your communication to be incisive and on point. Really dial up how you perform in meetings. Meetings are the critical unit of performance inside any organization. Every important thing gets decided or undone in a meeting. Learn how to position your ideas When it comes to positioning your ideas, there are some things you should pay attention to: A controlling idea. Rather than just talking generally, take a position and share a controlling idea: your opinion on where things need to be. Give people the details: the who, what, where, when. Offer them some stories or some examples that drive the controlling idea home. Own the promise. When this group of people follows you, what will be possible? Where does the confidence come from? Practice, practice, practice. The challenge of leadership As a leader, it’s important to be humble, authentic and transparent, but it is also important to have excitement. If you can’t get excited enough to say “This is where we’re going, this is what’s possible for us.”, if you can’t courageously own that, who can? That is the challenge of leadership. The reality is that the majority of our waking hours are spent at work. We give so much of our time, energy, attention, blood, sweat and tears to our organizations. As leaders, let’s make that count for something. You have to have the courage to move from being a student to being a teacher. You have to recognize that your insight and your experience have value. Constantly reinvent yourself if you want to succeed The leaders who always seem to get the most traction, the ones who are able to tap into the most endless stream of opportunities are those who have taken control of their personal brand, who are contributing their thoughts and ideas in journals, conferences, on podcasts, who are really speaking their truth. You develop the courage to do it through the commitment to take action and to share what you know. You should be able to reinvent yourself in order to stay relevant. It doesn’t matter how old you are. You can do that in a couple of ways: By making sure that you continue to build your network. By making sure that you are continuously taking on stretch assignments. Find new ways to cultivate your creativity. Want more of Eleanor? Check out her show, called “Fierce Feminine Leadership: the Success Podcast for A...

This week I am joined by humorist, speaker, and author Robert Wilson. Robert shares some really funny stories, and some wonderful advice on how to become a better storyteller and bring more innovation to your life, and to the lives of others. On today’s podcast: Telling stories that make a point Creativity is not a gift, it’s a lifestyle Want to become a risk-taker? Start with baby risks Keep a journal of your achievements Links: Robert Wilson’s Copywriting Website Robert Wilson’s Keynote Speaker Website Telling stories that make a point Robert tries to tell stories that make a point. He usually writes about achievement, motivation, leadership, creativity, and innovation. Most often than not, what he writes about is what he was dealing with that month. It may not be specific, but he might write on that topic area. He learns a lot from self-reflection and just putting it on paper helps him learn from it. Other people can learn from it as well. Creativity is not a gift, it’s a lifestyle Robert has learned over the years that creativity is not a gift. From when we are small, we are constantly told to conform, and by the time we reach adulthood, many of us have repressed their natural creative abilities. Many of us believe that creativity is a gift, when instead it is a skill that anyone can regenerate at any point in time. You can learn how to re-stimulate your creativity. In Robert’s opinion, creativity is not just a skill, it’s also a lifestyle. When you are an innovator, you expose yourself to new things all the time: experiences, ideas. By doing so, you open new areas in your brain that otherwise wouldn’t be open. When that happens, you can make more connections. Want to become a risk-taker? Start with baby risks Sometimes people are afraid to bring their creativity forward. Creative thinkers are risk-takers. How do you become a risk-taker? You can start by taking baby steps. Innovators have been taking risks all their lives, so they are comfortable with doing that. You can start small in a number of different ways. For example, if you read the newspaper every day, and you never read a certain section, read it. If you drink coffee every day, switch to tea for a week. Switch hands when you brush your teeth. Write with your non-dominant hand. Taking risks means there is something that you can lose. You can start with baby risks, in order to get comfortable with that. Keep a journal of your achievements It’s a good idea to keep a journal of our achievements. A lot of the times we forget a lot of these little things that we’ve accomplished, and it’s good to read them through and pat ourselves on the back from time to time. These little achievements build up and they allow us to start building the confidence to do more and more. We can also observe other people who are accomplishing what we want to accomplish. If we see these people, we can say “If these people are doing it, surely I can do it too”. Encouragement from others also helps enormously.

My guest this week is leadership coach and author Lolly Daskal. Lolly shares with us what are the seven archetypes that exist in all of us, why they are important, and how they connect to our best version of ourselves. On today’s podcast: For each of our strengths, there is a weakness The seven archetypes within all of us Awareness is the first form of learning Listen and coach people, don’t try to fix them How to be the best version of ourselves Links: The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness For each of our strengths, there is a weakness Lolly’s book, The Leadership Gap: What Gets Between You and Your Greatness, is not just a leadership book, it’s also a life book, because it’s based on psychology and human development. Human development makes us into leaders. She talks about leadership as the core fundamental of human behavior. Within all of us, there is a polarity of character. For everything that is great about us, there is a gap. For every strength, there is a weakness. In times of stress, even though we have the qualities of greatness and strength, we always go to the gap. The seven archetypes within all of us The book opens up with seven archetypes. These are archetypes that Lolly has seen within not only leaders, but in every person she has ever encountered. The first archetype is the rebel. The rebel wants to make an impact and a difference. The strength to be able to do that is confidence, and we all want to have confidence so that we can be the rebel. But 99% of us who are high-achieving individuals suffer from the impostor syndrome. The impostor has self-doubt. We have to know what to do when we bump into our gap. If you bump into the impostor, you have to understand where this comes from. The impostor syndrome comes from comparing ourselves with others. Awareness is the first form of learning When we do our job, we can’t just be impulsive, we have to be mindful, intentional. Lolly always has small conversations with herself almost like to keep her in check. That’s how we can grow and become the best versions of ourselves. How can we recognize a gap? Awareness is the first form of learning. Once we know that these seven archetypes do exist within us, we can change our mindset. Each one of us wants to have greatness in their lives. We all want to leave our mark. But we want to do it in a way that makes a difference. The way to do that is to constantly learn who we are on the inside. To lead outwardly, you first must learn to lead from within. Listen and coach people, don’t try to fix them Another archetype is the navigator. Most of the people listening to this podcast are very smart, practical, pragmatic, and successful. But when someone comes to them with a problem, they tell people what to do. Instead of being navigators, they become fixers. When we should up as a fixer, most of the people think of us as being arrogant. When someone comes to you with a problem, be the navigator: listen and coach them, don’t try to fix them. This is a game-changer. We are not one archetype or another, we are all of them. These archetypes are based on virtues, and they give you an inner core GPS. They give you the opportunity to find out in each situation which person you need to be in order to be great. If you don’t pick an archetype, you will end up leading from your gaps. How to be the best version of ourselves The book is like a blueprint on how to be the best version of ourselves. Because it’s based on virtues, it’s about confidence, loyalty, trust, integrity. If you become these archetypes and you are always conscious of leading from yo...

My guest this week is a best-selling author and coach Henry DeVries. Henry is here to teach you all you need to know if you’ve decided to put your thoughts down on paper and finally write your book. On today’s podcast: The who, what, when, where, why, and how to write the right book How to get started The eight great stories The benefits of independent publishing Links: Indie Books International The who, what, when, where, why, and how to write the right book Henry’s mission is to give people the who, what, when, where, why and how of writing the right book that will make a difference for them. Everyone has a book inside that needs to get out. Nobody really wants to leave this world without getting their book out there. However, a lot of these books won’t serve their authors, they will not help them with their company cause or career. So Henry chooses to be the myth-buster: authors are not promoted by books, instead authors promote the books. That’s the key. A book is a tool to help you get what you want. Henry thinks that a book is the number 1 marketing tool. Speaking as a result of a book is the number 1 marketing strategy. How to get started If you already have a title and an idea about the book, the first step is to create a blueprint for the book. There are some starting elements for the blueprint: A book needs a working title. Henry likes trifecta titles: They work as speech titles They work as book titles You can get the .com URL (the domain name) so that you can start to create a little fence around your intellectual property The book also needs a working subtitle about the promise, the outcome that people want. How do you figure out if the title is right? You start with a working title. Henry calls it “The North Star”. You should always go for clarity when choosing your title. And then try to be congruent with your audience: they need to know what your book is about by looking at its cover. The eight great stories After you have a working title and a URL, you have to understand the eight great stories. There are eight great stories that humans are hardwired to hear: The overcoming the monster story The underdog story The story about a comedy The story about a tragedy The story about a mystery The story about a quest The story about a rebirth The story about an escape The story you choose dictates its table of contents. There is a different table of contents for an overcoming the monster story (it’s a problem-solution table of contents) and a different one for a quest story (it’s about a call to this quest). You need three parts in a book. The biggest mistake new authors make is the fact that they want to launch into part two of their book, without having written part one. Part one is the why, part two is the how, and part three is the what’s next. You need to start with the why and tell the reader why this is important. In chapter two you ask the question: “If this is important, how do we fix it?” It’s the how, the guts of the book. Afterwards, there needs to be an aftermath.   The benefits of independent publishing You can record your thoughts, and take notes for each chapter. You can find a service to do the transcription for you. You can also hire an editor or a ghostwriter to help you. There are many technologies and techniques to get the thoughts out of your head and down on paper so that others can read them. Traditional publishing can be an ordeal. You have to make a proposal, it can take months for them to decide whether they will publish your book or not, then it might take a year to get the book out there. That’s the old way of doing things.