Bryce Henson

Before jumping in today’s lesson..

I wanted to close the loop from last week on why I find my buddy Stefan to be 1 of the most interesting people I know..

He was born in LA.

This makes him American.

Although, he is European by culture. 

His parents moved to Paris for 10 years after being born, being that his dad is French.

He then spent the next 10 years in London as his mom’s English.

He speaks both languages natively.

He holds 4 passports and has lived in 3 countries for more than a decade a piece. 

Yes, I know what you might be thinking..

This dude sounds like Matt Damon in the “Bourne Identity” Hollywood Blockbusters.

Exactly. 

As a result, I found deep intrigue, connection and we made quick friends back in 2005. 

Since then, he’s inspired me..

To travel the world. 

To gain fluency in Brazilian Portuguese.

To attain citizenship from Portugal.

To gain more perspective than I would have otherwise.

And this perspective has helped me with my leadership ability. 

Ok, I digress.

But his follow-up question around developing leadership was how to develop character.

Well, there are many ways to do this.

1 of the best ways is, to tell the truth at all times.

Simple yet powerful.

Although, not easy to do. 

As a leader, your word has to be impeccable. 

It must be flawless.

This can be 1 of the hardest parts.

Why?

Your primitive brain wants its selfish desires at any cost.

It tempts you if left unchecked. 

You must combat that by working on growing yourself to a higher level.

A more evolved version of you.

This is why attending my 12-step program has been so powerful for me in helping me stay sober from alcohol and to become a better leader.

It helps me tell the truth and develop my character.

These are requirements for strong leadership. 

In fact, most times people are very surprised to find out the main focus of the 12-step program isn’t toward a focus on talking about alcohol.

Instead, the focus is on telling the truth to develop character.

In fact, the motto is it is “a program of rigorous honesty”.

But more on that next week.

For now, remember that your ability to tell the truth shapes your character, and your character shapes your leadership.

I was in Seattle over the weekend visiting my good buddy Stefan of 20 years.

I haven’t taken 1.5 days off in a long time and it felt great.

The time was extra special to spend with his 2 kids and wife who are like family to Tatiana & I. 

Stefan has had a big impact on my life.

He’s also 1 of the most interesting guys on the planet. 

Next week, I will tell you why..

For now, know that he’s very inquisitive.

On the 2nd night of the trip, he asked me a wide variety of questions about my role and about Fit Body.

He finished with a question specific to leadership.

“Bryce, since you have taken over the main leadership role as CEO, what have you learned about leadership or how has your viewpoint changed around it?”.

Brilliant question.

My response was immediate and surprised him.

“Dude, great question!

There’s so much to it and I learn something new every day.

Very humbling. 

First, I’ve learned that leadership is a learnable skill.

Like riding a bike, playing a sport or learning a language.

Anyone can develop it.

I’ve gotten so much better in a short time.

Although, I still have a long way to go.

But by far the biggest thing I’ve learned in the last 2 years about leadership is this..

The better leader you want to be, the stronger your CHARACTER has to become.

Like a giant skyscraper needs a giant foundation.

As a leader, your character is your foundation.

The stronger your character, the stronger your foundation & ability to lead. 

My biggest realization is that I need to work on my CHARACTER to become a better person & leader. “

He then replied..

“Interesting. How then do you develop your character?”.

My friend, this is also an important question with lots of strategies to unpack.

I will cover some of these in the coming weeks, so stay tuned!

Veterans Day was this past Saturday here in the States.

Love and respect to the beautiful souls who served. Many who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

In studying leadership and human personality styles.. 

I find it interesting that the most popular personality style for the military is different than you might think.

What is it?

No, not the intense Eagle, the energetic Parrot or the analytical Owl.

It’s the DOVE.

Why?

Doves have servants’ hearts. They are willing and ready to protect others and the common good.

Yes, sometimes the Dove style can default to passive when it comes to their own journey.

Yet, when it comes to fighting for something they believe in and to help others.. A Dove will rise to the occasion in spades.

Martin Luther King Jr is a most famous dove leader who was fierce and effective towards a cause he believed in. 

In fact, he fought so hard for the cause, he gave his life to it.

Respect.

This is also true of Howard Schultz, Founder & CEO of Starbucks. Big dove and an amazing leader. 

His passion is creating a world-class experience for his audience.

In reflection on these examples, my message today is this…

All styles are valuable and can lead.

No, not just the renowned Eagle which is a common stereotype of leadership. But many times it is miscategorized. 

Yes, Eagles can lead well too. 

But in stress, they become abrasive which can create friction and a fallout. 

I’ve been guilty of this.

So my call to action today is to realize whatever personality style you have, you can lead. You just need to develop the skill. 

And what’s even better?

When you develop the skill set to be a Chameleon which is the target. You can connect and lead all personality styles to success.

This, my friend, is leadership.

Love and respect to you and all our amazing Veteran leaders. 

November is here!

This means, we are going to take a month break from the 21 Laws by Maxwell for some variety before finishing out laws #15-21 in the New Year.

Specific to today.. 

I want to take a step back around leadership and focus on the 1 key ingredient to leadership success.

As I reflect on our Cancun Mastermind experience a couple weeks ago, I received a very nice compliment from my good friend Matt E.

He shot me a voice shot to give 2 big positives and 2 opportunities to make the next event even better.

I am grateful for him and the well intentioned feedback as it creates growth.

He then said..

“Bryce, you are 1 of the best born leaders I’ve seen. 

Wait…. I know, I know.. Leadership is not factory installed in anyone. But turns out, you have learned leadership to an incredible degree.”

Coming from a guy I respect like Matt, that means a ton.

He was probably being too kind.

However, yes..

I’m grateful for the leadership skills I acquired.

But the mountain is tall and more yet to attain. 

Now in reflecting on his statement specific to born vs. learned.

2 things can be true.

I’ve learned more leadership skills than were factory installed.

Not even close.

Although, there is 1 most important thing that every leader must have that is factory installed.

I believe it’s the most important thing to being a successful leader in my book.

What is it?

Simply put..

The feeling of RESPONSIBILITY.

You see, I believe every strong leader naturally feels the burden of responsibility for their following.

That’s the most important thing which is very hard to teach.

The rest can be and is learned.

For me, Im “lucky or burdened” enough to have felt responsible.

I feel RESPONSIBLE for YOU!

I feel responsible for our Franchise Partners & clients.

I feel and have felt responsible for Barrett and my sister Emma for as long as I have known them.

I feel responsible for my mother.

I feel responsible for my wife Tatiana.

I feel responsible for the outcome of our organization.

I feel responsible for the newly formed Legacy Tribe coaching program which is a Lead Magnet for Fit Body Ownership. 

Ultimately and when you break it down.. 

I feel RESPONSIBLE..

And while the feeling of responsibility is a heavy burden to carry.

I believe it’s the most important thing at the foundation of strong leadership.

Today’s message?

If you want to develop your leadership skills..

You must have a deep and burning desire to do so.

And in my experience..

This all boils down to feeling RESPONSIBLE for the people you serve.

In fact, feeling RESPONSIBLE for your following and the outcome is the most important thing to your leadership development.

Now go forth and conquer. 

As John Maxwell writes in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership..

“Victorious leaders have one thing in common: they share an unwillingness to accept defeat.” 

This is probably 1 of my favorite laws of leadership. 

In fact, it’s why I LOVE the saying “winners-win”.

As if you cannot drive a winning culture, you will not become an effective leader.

So how to execute the Law of Victory?

You first must intentionally develop a mindset that values winning.

Yes, winning is a mindset before it becomes a destination.

In order to develop this mindset..

The first step is to define what winning looks like.

The second is to cast the vision for yourself, team and department to win at any cost so long as it’s legal, ethical and moral. 

This drives an expectation that you must do everything in your power to achieve this desired result. 

And as a result, your organization wins and you develop to become the leader you are meant to become.

Now go forth and conquer.Just always remember: winners-win!