Leadership and Business Growth

Today’s lesson is one of acquiring emotional intelligence. 

This is mission-critical to be a strong leader.

Maybe even one of the top skill sets needed for the job.

Yes, much easier said than done which is why leadership is hard and requires self-mastery.

Why do I share this today?

I had a thought back to an embarrassing situation in my youth. I was 20 years old when my girlfriend broke up with me.

I overreacted, overdrank, and made a scene.

I thought the “world was over”.

It was ugly.

The truth?

I look back and laugh as I am 21 years removed from the situation.

There are many lessons I learned from this experience.

One of them is in perspective.

What I learned is that most things in life are not as good or bad as they seem at the moment.

When things are going well.

Guess what?

This too shall pass.

When you’re down on your luck.

Guess what?

This too shall pass.

Today’s leadership lesson?

Keep in control of your emotions, not the other way around.

What I’ve learned in life and leadership is that most times it’s not as good or bad as you think.

So take a deep breath and keep leading!

A leadership truth I’ve learned and was reminded of in 2024 that can be counterintuitive is this:

Your following can and will get behind an idea that isn’t theirs. 

However, there’s 1 important caveat.

Their ideas and feedback need to be heard before they will get on board. 

The opposite is true.

If you don’t create the space to ensure your team’s ideas are shared and they feel heard. 

Human nature shuts down, your influence declines and you will feel noticeable resistance. 

The lesson?

Create space for your team’s ideas to be shared and ask for feedback to ensure they feel heard.

Then decide with conviction, and your team will go with you even if it wasn’t their ideal choice.

Just ensure they feel heard!

Onward.

I received this below leadership message from my friend Craig Ballantyne last week.

I thought it was spot on so I wanted to share it with you.

This way, you can level up your leadership for 2025.

Phases of leadership:

• You must first lead yourself (good habits)
• You must lead with vision (helping your team see their future)
• You must lead with listening (communication skills i.e. active listening)
• And you must keep it all going with accountability and difficult discussions

Last year Bedros and I were chatting about leadership and life.

He shared with me 3 qualities of leadership that effective leaders possess.

Why? 

These qualities attract people. 

And leadership is more of a game of attraction than promotion. 

To aid you, I would encourage you to take note and then develop the qualities for your own leadership and life.

1.  Have a clear mission
2.  Be comfortable in your skin
3.  Enjoy the ride

When driving your car, most of the time you need to be looking at what’s ahead.

This is important to ensure you arrive at the desired destination.

However, at times, you need to use your rearview mirror.

It’s there for a reason.

This provides a moment of reflection to check blind spots as you navigate forward.

This is the same with leadership.

Most times you need to look at what’s in front of you.

In fact, this is where the majority of your leadership time should be spent.

However, there are times when it’s needed to step back, reflect, and assess your blind spots.

We all have them.

By doing both, it will increase the probability you arrive at your destination safely and effectively. 

So my leadership message today as 2024 winds down is to look ahead to 2025.

Create your plan and cast your vision.

However, don’t forget to take some time this week to reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly of 2024.

This will give you a better perspective & vision to navigate the new year safely and effectively.

After all, leaders reflect.

Effective leadership requires presence.

How to develop more presence you might ask?

Drum roll.

Wait for it.

Are you ready?

Be present.

My leadership message today?

During today’s celebration and throughout the holidays.

Be present with your loved ones.

Put away the phone.

Turn off the TV.

Dig into enriching conversations with your loved ones about the important things in life.

Listen.

Make eye contact.

Be present.

After all, good leadership possesses presence.

Merry Christmas!

Let me explain.

Leadership is a game of attraction, not promotion.

It’s an inside game.

Meaning, you need to do the ongoing internal work to become a better and more enlightened human being.

This is a lifelong pursuit.

Why?

If someone doesn’t want to be you, they will never follow you.

This is at the foundation of long-term leadership.

The lesson today?

The best leadership hack is to build the person you want to follow and then demonstrate that person to the world.

One truth I’ve learned about leadership over the years.

Deep down, we all yearn for a strong leader.

Someone to:

• Guide us
• Mentor us
• Speak vision to us
• Be our cheerleader
• Hold us accountable
• Create a roadmap
• Demonstrate success
• Show us the way

This is a factory installed in all of us humans.

The lesson today?

The first step in leadership is to be a follower.

To find someone to lead who can provide you with the above roadmap and more.

The next step is to then begin to lead ourselves.

Then once we are able to lead ourselves, those called have a duty, obligation, and responsibility to become the leader to others that we all yearn for.

Now go forth and lead; even if it’s just you!

Leadership is Elusive.

It’s a lifelong pursuit.

Just when you think you have it, you realize you don’t.

Just when you think it’s impossible, you realize it’s attainable. 

The truth is this:

Sometimes you are ahead.

Sometimes you’re behind.

The race is long.

However, no matter where you are in the moment on your leadership journey. 

Continuing to acquire leadership skills is a worthwhile pursuit.

At the very least, to be a leader of self which humanity needs right now and always will.

So keep your head up, and keep going.

People are counting on you.

Onward!

In German, the translation of the word “Leadership” has a negative connotation. 

This is different than here in the US where the word is typically looked on fondly.

I learned that last week when I interviewed my friends Dr. Dirk and Dr. Petra Frese on my CEO Show Podcast, who grew up on other sides of the Berlin Wall in West & East Germany in the 1960s.

Why does it have a negative connotation?

A man named Adolf Hitler.

Yes, he was a world-class leader.

It’s strange to hear him described that way, but it’s the truth.

Albeit, he was pure evil which is the 2nd truth. 

As such, he used this powerful tool of “leadership” to negatively influence the hearts & minds of the Germans in the 30’s and 40’s to murder millions of innocent people.

So my leadership lesson today is one of perspective.

Leadership is a tool, like money or energy.

With a positive direction, they can build beautiful things.

With a negative direction, they cause destruction. 

It’s the energy we put behind the tool that gives it meaning.

Today I share with you the reminder that Leadership is a powerful tool of influence.

I teach it because of the power.

However, my intent, like yours, is to use for the good.

Do so accordingly.

Onward.