Disney Brand Loyalty Keynote Speaker
Five daily blogs about life's 5 big choices on five different sites.
How many of us when we were young would settle for what we have now?
Career success and career happiness are often mutually exclusive.
It’s just so easy to play it safe.
So we do.
And we settle.
For safety.
Safety doesn’t deliver success or happiness.
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You know how they say, “Do not quit because you could be so close and if you quit, you’ll never know”?
Ever wonder if it’s really true?
Began the speech in a suit. Finished it in jeans, t-shirt and running shoes.
It took 16 years to overcome this fear.
It was a stupid fear.
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Starve your doubts.
Feed your dreams.
Simple.
Simple doesn’t mean easy, but it does mean simple.
At work.
At home.
Here, there, everywhere.
All day.
Everyday.
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After my leadership keynote, a client told me he made a commitment to learn all the staff member’s names, because he realized not knowing was really poor leadership. Here’s my response:
Advice? Let’s rename it to suggestion, since you haven’t officially asked.
Five years ago i stopped all texting, emails and phone calls while driving. Our Son was ten. i didn’t reveal what i was doing for 90 days.
After three-plus months i asked him, while we were stopped at a red light, “Have you noticed anything different about me?”
He responded with, “Did you get your hair cut?”
We quickly got to the end goal.
He had noticed.
A lot.
By the time he gets his permit, he may not recall me texting and driving. My clear expectation that he never texts while driving will carry so much more weight, because there will be no double standard. People hate double standards. Betting you do. Your staff is no different.
My advice suggestion:
i wouldn’t announce what you are doing. At all. Just do it.
And while you’re doing it, sneak in a bit of casual conversation – getting to know them, but don’t make it seem like an interview or an interrogation. They’ll get suspicious and start talking about you behind your back.
They’re going to talk about you behind your back anyway, but if you do it right (intentionally), the buzz/rumors will be extraordinarily positive.
Go slow, be sincere, and find a million ways to stay motivated.
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First, some back story…
Everything looks good on paper, right?
But it’s actually doing the things, with the pressures and challenges of the real world. Theory is often impossible much harder than it looks.
If i was reaching out to a stranger for the first time, i’d look intentionally (but not forced) to find common ground, personally and professionally.
The way in is trust, and trust is built on honest relationships. Honest relationships are based on getting to know each other. Really knowing each other. Gobs of potential topics: kid’s names, hobbies, worries, goals, dreams, pet peeves and the list goes on.
And this should never feel manipulative.
The text book stuff about relationships didn’t become crystal clear until i retired. When you are the CEO of your own gig, everything is your fault. And everything is also your opportunity.
Other people are the key to building something wonderful.
But if you’re going to ask for something, give first.
Otherwise it feels kinda creepy. Desperate even.
Fast forward. An executive reaches out to me electronically asking for serious advice. But he did not give first. For example he could have made an introductory comment from something on my LinkedIn profile.
If people don’t find creative ways to talk about the whole person, all we see is a business mindset.
Everyone is a real person, including the CTO who asked without so much as a “good morning, nice to meet you”.
i was nice to him, and offered to answer any of his questions, anytime.
He offered nothing in return.
Two things: it comes with the territory, and don’t be that guy to others.
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