Happy Labor Day Business Owners, Leaders & Employees

My dad taught me that it’s important to fire yourself at the end of the year, wait 10 seconds, soak up that horrible feeling, and then rehire yourself. Why in the world would my dad tell me to do this each year?   Give yourself a scare and new outlook. It’s better to pretend to fire yourself before it happens for real. Now strategize! What would you do differently if you were fired and rehired for the same job? You can’t grow to greater success if you don’t look at your failures and change them.   Yes, my dad could have been a Jedi Knight because he motivated himself and others through mind games. Most of those mind games made him and others extremely successful. I thought he was crazy when I was younger. Now I try to do everything he taught me.   It’s better to pretend to fire yourself before it happens for real.   When people get comfortable, they can become lazy, which can lead to poor results. Poor results can eventually lead to one being fired. Don’t wait for that awkward and regrettable moment. I’ve never met anyone that enjoys losing. Go ahead and make that awkward firing moment happen on your terms. Write yourself a termination letter and put reasons behind it. Punch yourself in the gut(words not literally) and make it hurt so you can learn.   What would you do differently if you were fired and rehired for the same job?   It’s so important to motivate yourself to think about new strategies to prevent becoming comfortable. You want to drive in better results every year, but you don’t change anything. How is that working for you? Nothing changes if nothing changes! If you had a record-breaking year…good for you…now get over it. No one cares what you did yesterday, last year, or five years ago. Business is about what you produce month-over-month and year-over-year. People don’t get fired because they are growing. People get fired when they get lazy or stop taking initiative to learn. How can you continue to push yourself to prove to everyone you are not playing it safe? What must you do to grow your success?   ACTION ITEM: Take 15 minutes and make a strategic list. Make sure you put these strategies into practice by putting each one on your calendar.   You can’t grow to greater success if you don’t look at your failures and change them.   No Time Management Your day is chaos. You feel no control in your day. You feel like nothing ever gets done that you want. Poor Communication You hold people to expectations that you did not share with them. People don’t live in your head. Use your words! No routine Schedule your work duties, and don’t get distracted. Give yourself time to think. Make sure to take PTO and recharge your batteries. Boring Meetings No one is excited to be there. No conflict. Watching the minutes for it to end. Talk Too Much – Poor Listening Don’t dominate the conversation. Make sure you shut your mouth and open your ears to hear what others have to say. Show respect to others by listening. Too Many Excuses For Missing Deadlines Nothing is worse than a boss demanding deadlines but the boss lives by double standards. Get your work finished on time. Set the bar with your actions. No Humility Say the words “I’m sorry!” and “It’s my fault!” No one wants to follow a leader who is arrogant and full of pride. Lack of Passion Zap your heart and get excited about your work. No one wants to follow someone who is lukewarm or passive. No Accountability You need someone who will speak TRUTH into you. Make sure to ask others how you are doing and listen to their advice. Broken Trust With Failed Promises Let your YES be YES and your NO be NO. Follow through on your commitments, and show up in mind, body and spirit when you arrive. Need more?  Book us to speak at your next event, and we’ll light it up! Check out our YouTube and LinkedIn pages for more encouraging content.   If you’re looking to take your growth as a leader to the next level, we’ve got you covered. Join the Impact of Leadership Community today!

The past few months, I have launched a new series called “Leadership Exposed” on our podcast. This idea was born as Steve Scherer and I were thinking about new ways to connect with our listeners. We asked ourselves.... What are leaders needing to grow? How can I help them? What do I wish I knew when I started out as a leader? Then it hit me, leaders need to hear the truth on where I have failed so they can be better than me.   At IOL, we believe more is learned from failures than successes.   This is a twenty-minute series because you are too busy to hear me speak for an hour.   We have launched 3 episodes (today is the release of #3) where I share real stories to learn about my mistakes as a leader so you can learn.   Most people don’t want to share where they messed up because there is a fear that others will realize we aren’t perfect. We believe at The Impact of Leadership that we want to focus on the real issues not the fluffy stuff.   Here is a recap of lessons learned in the first three episodes:   Episode 1: Into to this series & hiring the wrong people.  *Click on the link to hear the episode.  Don’t ignore your gut when something feels off in the interview. Ask key questions and get clarity when you feel confusion with the answers given. Check their references (warning: no managers listed is a RED FLAG) to understand how to coach them well. Confirm they fit your company’s core values – create your own if you don’t have. Walk away if they are the wrong fit – it’s better to walk away if there is doubt.   Episode 2:  Are you a BSer?! *Click on the link to hear the episode.  Take time to ask follow up questions and compare the answers you are getting to confirm accuracy. Keep asking questions! It’s okay for a leader to be honest and say “I don’t know” to employees’ questions vs. making up something. Don’t overpromise and under deliver. Ask employees, not managers, how they are doing to hear their direct heart. Keep your commitments and define boundaries as a leader. Take action!   Episode 3: The difference between being a good boss vs. a great boss. *Click on the link to hear the episode.  A great boss… Bring accountability to your team. Give clear and specific directions with deadlines to your team. Be intentional, decisive and proactive. You cannot be a people pleaser. Ask “WHY” questions and listen well. Is passionate not emotional that is all over the place. Has integrity, vision, humility, creativity, emotional intelligence, etc. – lead in front.   No one is perfect so let’s be real on where we fail and how we have grown from our mistakes.   Nothing changes, if nothing changes.   You are not alone, we want to engage with you.   Reach out to me directly Patrick.booth@impactofleadership.com if I can be of any help.   *JOIN CCB TECHNOLOGY FOR A LIVE IT SECURITY EVENT ON MARCH 19TH* https://ccbtechnology.com/security-summit/ Register HERE Use discount code: Save50 – This will give you a $50 discount at registration.