Leadership and Business Growth

This week we will finish out the mini leadership series on character.

In the past few, we learned that a strong character is needed for strong leadership.

That telling the truth is the quickest way to improve it.

But what happens when your character is questioned or even attacked?

Here’s the tough truth. 

As a leader, it will.

There’s no way around it.

Even though you are a good person, a strong leader with strong character, there will be times it’s called into question.

Why?

Leadership is not easy.

It requires you..

To go against the grain.

To stand up for what’s right and not what’s easy or popular.

To stay the course in the face of criticism and adversity.

To defend people in private.

When this happens, human nature can be combative.

Human nature can resist.

As a result, you & your character will be attacked.

Why do I share this?

Not to scare you.

Rather to empower you.

This way you can expect it and overcome it.

The best way?

Take a deep breath, shrug it off, and keep developing your character so you can lead your team forward. 

Bryce & Barrett

Elite Mastermind

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!

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. 

Maxwell describes the Law of the Picture: 

“When leaders show the way with the right actions, their followers model them and succeed.” 

Yes, that’s right.

A leader’s job is to create a picture which serves as a model for their team. 

Although there’s a dichotomy in this.

As at the same time..

The leader cannot lose sight of the practicality of the moment and what it takes on a daily basis to get there.

This is also still why I both own and am a client of Fit Body.

As your global CEO as my primary focus..

My job is to focus, create and cast the vision for our team to model.

All while being able to see the business at the ground level.

I need to be fit.

I need to attend weekly sessions.

I need to engage with coaches.

I need to use the Nutrition coaching app. 

I need to see our marketing in action.

With this clarity, it allows me to create a better model and picture for you and all. 

So to bring this home to specific your leadership as today’s lesson…

When you create a strong model for your team by your actions, they then have the space to grow and execute against your vision!

In his chapter on the Law of the Inner Circle, Maxwell expresses no one leader can excel at all the 21 laws.

Nor does 1 person have enough bandwidth to execute the entire vision of an organization. 

Especially if that vision makes a true impact.

 This is why every leader needs a team.

And as a core part of the team. Successful leaders need a strong inner circle of people who collectively make that leader better than they would be on their own.

As Maxwell puts it, “those closest to you determine your level of success.” 

The tough part is many people are not intentional about this circle.

They drift along latching on or hanging on to other that provide comfort and reassurance overgrowth.

This is a recipe for mediocrity.

If you are reading this, I know you have no desire to me mediocre.

So, my message for you today is to first become aware of the law of the inner circle. 

Realize you need to attract strong people in your life and as a part of our team.

The best way to do this is invest in your personal growth.

As you grow, you will organically attract the people you need to align with in your circle.  

When you do, you win, your team wins, and your clients win.

Onward.

In his chapter on the Law of the Inner Circle, Maxwell expresses no one leader can excel at all the 21 laws.

Nor does 1 person have enough bandwidth to execute the entire vision of an organization. 

Especially if that vision makes a true impact.

This is why every leader needs a team.

And as a core part of the team. Successful leaders need a strong inner circle of people who collectively make that leader better than they would be on their own.

As Maxwell puts it, “those closest to you determine your level of success.” 

The tough part is many people are not intentional about this circle.

They drift along latching on or hanging on to other that provide comfort and reassurance overgrowth.

This is a recipe for mediocrity. 

If you are reading this, I know you have no desire to me mediocre.

So, my message for you today is to first become aware of the law of the inner circle. 

Realize you need to attract strong people in your life and as a part of our team.

The best way to do this is invest in your personal growth.

As you grow, you will organically attract the people you need to align with in your circle. 

When you do, you win, your team wins, and your clients win.

Onward.