Bryce Henson

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!

The ​Law of Buy-In​ says, “​People buy into the leader, then the vision. ​” 

Maxwell writes, “​many people who approach the area of vision in leadership have it all backward. 

They believe that if the cause is good enough, people will automatically buy into it and follow.

That’s a false belief, as you must remember.

“​People buy into the leader, then the vision. ​” 

In fact, every message that people receive is filtered through the messenger who delivers it. If you consider the messenger to be credible, then you believe the message has value.

This is why celebrity endorsements are so successful. 

If people trust the celebrity, they’ll buy what they are selling.

To put a bow on this point:

If people buy into both the leader and the vision, they’ll get behind the leader. When they buy into the leader but not the vision, you’ll need a new vision, but it’s not the end of the world.

This is the power of LEADERSHIP.

This is the power of the LAW OF BUY-IN.

Your message today:

Continue to invest in developing your leadership skills.

When you do, you will create more buy in and success for the company and in all aspects of your life.