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The role of leadership can be assumed, assigned or affirmed. Learning to execute as a person in a position of leadership is key to success. Whether you are at the executive level, middle management or just starting your career, our PIAPOL concepts will help you navigate your course. 🎥 Let us speak of leadership things.
Discussing Leader 🚢 often sinks into shallow waters of platitudes. When we place leadership on a pedestal we invite myth and dysfunction. Becoming a more effective leader starts with: * Recognizing you are a person - no more and no less than any other person * Committing to continual improvement - leading by example is key to sustained impact * Understanding your identify, strengths and limitations - key to building a team and empowering others Leadership creates clarity around vision, builds consistency in execution and develops a culture of accountability. By understanding that leadership is not an exclusive club, rather there are only People In A Position of Leadership (P-I-A-P-O-L), we can better approach these roles and responsibilities. Enjoy this video and find more on these topics: * PIAPOL - elevating affirmed leadership * Identity - knowing who you are enables you to empower others * Unqualified Success - using your fears as fuel for your personal and professional growth 🥋 @thedyojo - Build a culture that thrives on clarity, consistency & accountability. 💼 The Do Your Job Dojo (DYOJO)
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Rachel Stewart has good news for all those who feel like they alone are unqualified to achieve their dreams, we all are. Rachel Stewart author of Unqualified Success Positivity makes us feel good, but does it have any power? Author and practitioner Rachel Stewart shares her insights into harnessing the power of the right mindset while pursuing success. Her book, Unqualified Success, is packed with examples from high achievers as well as a uniquely personal story which unfolds throughout the narrative. Rachel provides practical tools for personal development that will empower readers to embrace the journey of bridging the gap from where you are today to where you want to be. Embracing RealityRachel makes herself approachable as an author. Introducing herself and kicking off the tone of the book with the first line, “I am unqualified to write this book.” By admitting this, she seeks to embrace this truth with those who feel as though they are unqualified and are willing to admit it as the start of their journey. The key is that, “The only qualification to get better: being willing to such when you start (p.180).” Starting at ZeroAt the time of writing this book, Rachel was serving as the Executive Vice President of Titan Restoration in Arizona. She started her career in the world of property damage restoration as a stay at home mother returning to the work force. Titan hired Rachel as an unqualified bookkeeper and office manager. As the company grew, so did Rachel and they found themselves reaching a five year goal in less than half that time. Check Your Ego at the DoorAt a critical point of choosing whether to merge with another company or continue on their own, Titan offers Rachel the opportunity to serve as their general manager. As the professional stakes grew the personal feelings of being unqualified did not diminish. It is in many of these uncomfortable moments of inadequacy that Rachel learns to lean into the reality of being unqualified rather than protecting your ego. “This book isn’t about ego. In fact, it’s about the exact opposite. I have been highly unqualified for every position that I have ever held. But I have come to learn that we all are. We are all unqualified today for the life we could have tomorrow (p.9).” From the TrenchesUnqualified Success weaves the stories of names we respect as achievers as well as new characters such as Magno Santos. Magno immigrates from Brazil and the reader is invited to journey with him throughout the book as he pursues the American Dream. Recognizing that we are all unqualified frees us to embrace the process of becoming by changing our perspective. Magno continually propels himself forward in the face of obstacles with the mantra, “If you can know it, I can know it (p.29).” Change of PerspectiveParadigm shift is easier said than done but by doing so we are able to see that our actions do not create out feelings, our thoughts do. Rachel posits that no one is qualified when it comes down to it. The big secret is, “That having the mindset that you are qualified is the biggest determining factor in whether or not you are qualified (p.25).” Cleaning out your thought closet and taking ownership of your thoughts is key to unlocking your potential. Change of Expectation Book Review for Unqualified Success If our self-view is the starting point, the next phase is aligning our expectation. “Too many times we are waiting to arrive before we start (p.48).” Understanding that mastery is a process and practice is the key to pursuit of perfection, we should not discourage ourselves with a defined view of the end. Our battle for becoming is primarily an internal one. The imagery of the two wolves fighting inside each of us presented in Chapter 5 is apt. Which one will win? “The one you feed (p.68).” Change of EnvironmentOrdinary people achieve extraordinary things. Greatness is not the exclusive property of the elite. “The willingness to stay in discomfort for extended periods of time is the essence of grit. It also happens to be an essential key to achieving everything you want (p.83).” As Rachel notes, discomfort is a factor both in failure and in success. Discomfort is the currency and working through it is the journey. When we are tested we must resist our numbing agents and lean into the process of testing our limits. The Big RevealRachel blends a beautiful mix of personal experience, representative stories and practical tools to assist the reader in building a resource base for feeding their growth mindset. She seeks to inspire others to embrace the journey. The book reveals that Magno’s relentless pursuit of bettering himself intersects with Rachel’s family in a very real way when is quality of care lead to an early diagnosis for her father. “Nobody starts out extraordinary. No one begins fully qualified and ready. The minute we understand this principle and it really sinks in, our whole work opens up (p.243).” Are You Ready to be an Unqualified Success?If you dare to read this book, you will find that your excuses melt and your obstacles become opportunities. You should feel unqualified but that should in no way stop you from pursing success. “When we are willing to trade in our need to win or succeed for a need to simply learn and grown instead, we open another world of possibility for achievement (p.186).” You are not alone, you have resources and a tribe of fellow unqualified successes rooting for you.
If you want to achieve greater results, you need to challenge your perspective. Coach Firas Zahabi and UFC Champion George St Pierre When was the last time you heard, “Common sense isn’t so common anymore”? It probably wasn’t long ago. Was it you that said it? It’s a favorite quip of those in management. Oddly enough, when you are in a position of leadership the most common temptation is to follow the status quo by maintaining practices and platitudes regardless of their effectiveness. Asking the right questions as a leaderWhile leadership may question what their employees are doing at times, the same is true in the reverse. Those further down the ladder may fall prey to following poor examples of work ethic and quality. Conversely, those in leadership are sheep of a higher standing, doing things as they have always been done. The question we should be asking at any level is, “It may be common, but is it successful?” Challenging your perspective as a leaderIn a recent interview with Joe Rogan, Firas Zahabi (see video link below) shares his insights on fighting the standard perspective of working out. Zahabi believes that by focusing on consistency rather than intensity, athletes and health conscious individuals can produce better long term. Firas asks the question, what if your work out could energize you rather than exhaust you? It seems like a wild idea but he reviews several examples of positive results including his own journey as an athlete and trainer. Firas Zahabi interview with Joe RoganFiras Zahabi's accomplishments as a leaderAs a mixed martial arts (MMA) grappling coach, Firas Zahabi is know for his work as the leader of the TriStar Gym in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Perhaps his most well known student is also one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, George Saint Pierre also know as GSP. According to MMA Fighting GSP’s accomplishments as a fighter place him firmly in the discussion as one of the greatest fighters of all time (GOAT), “St-Pierre is currently the consensus best welterweight in history, sporting a 25-2 record in the division and having avenged both of his career losses. He currently holds the record for most title bouts (15) and is tied for the record of most wins in UFC history (20). He is also one of only four men to win belts in two separate weight classes.” Refusing to follow along with the status quoZahabi found professionals who were achieving high results by approaching their profession more strategically then their competition. He talks about the importance of having fun while training and redefining what it means to go hard. Firas continues to enjoy what he does and has worked with some of the most successful practitioners in his field. If you invest the twenty minutes in listening to what this coach has to say you may find some inspiration for your personal workouts as well as some nuggets that will help you professionally as well. Having fun while grinding is key to successIf you are having fun while you train than you will want to train more. By creating an atmosphere that is structured but loose, a mundane and grueling part of training can become something that adds energy rather than drains it. Author and CEO coach Lex Sisney reminds us to understand from the basic laws of physics that we have a finite amount of energy both as individuals and organizations. It is to our advantage to find ways to maximize this energy rather than deplete it. Those in positions of leadership should seek means to develop an atmosphere that brings energy to the team. Working your grind rather than being ground outIn the MMA world it is seen as a badge of honor to train hard, Firas challenges the thought process and definition of training hard. Emphasizing that intensity is not the key but consistency. We know it is wise to work smarter not harder and yet we often chose to apply this principle in reverse. Zahabi advocates for maintaining 100% effort while thinking through the approach to the distribution of the work load consistently and strategically over time. If an athlete can get more out of their training using these methods in high intensity sports, perhaps organizations can learn from this approach to maximize their output in highly competitive industries. Playing it safe is not a recipe for successFiras Zahabi’s approach is definitely different than most in his sport and he discusses that. It would be much safer for him to take the same approach and yet had he done so we may not have witnessed the greatness of a fighter like George Saint Pierre. We think that the safest thing to do is not to take risks. In competitive markets from pro sports to the industry that you are in, playing it safe feels much safer than rocking the boat. You may not be a huge success but you also won’t be the nail that sticks out the furthest when the hammer comes down from higher up. When we fail to ask the why, we live without purpose. When we fail to take measured risks, we lead without conviction.   Coffee is king when meeting new clients If you have a prospective client that you would like to get to know, coffee is a great neutral ground (pun). Most people like coffee and if your client doesn’t like coffee that should be reason enough to move along. So, how do you do it? How do you get millions of dollars in new business by simply buying someone an overpriced cup-of-Joe? With our proven multi-step process you will improve your close ratio by fractions of a percent - and there’s more. Step 1: To getting more coffee client appointmentsKeep it simple. Funny enough, early in my career I thought it was important to share my resume in a conversational email. Using my background in criminal justice, I deduced that most people were indifferent to my impressive list of marginal accomplishments. I further gathered that there was a direct relationship between the length of the email and the rejection rate of my requests. Keep your request simple. If people are interested they will look you up on LinkedIn or ask around. You don’t need to tell them your life story or make an impassioned pleas for why they should choose contestant number 3. Step 2: For achieving higher success rates in client prospecting with coffeeBe specific. Rather than an open ended invite to coffee at a place of their choosing at some future date, pick a place and a time. It may seem intrusive to invite Jane Doe to the Bestest Java on Wednesday at 930 AM but I believe it is actually quite polite. By providing a place and time you aren’t wasting their time searching the whole of their calendar and thinking through when would be best for them. You also increase the probability that they actually check their calendar. “Is it even possible for me, Jane Doe, to meet at the Bestest Java on Wednesday at 930 AM?” It simplifies the process. They can say yes. They can say no. Or they can say, "Actually Thursday at 830 AM would be better." Additional Tips: For guaranteed improvements to your client coffee outreachI promised there would be more. Here it is. Additional tips: 1. Most people like to try new things. If there is a new place use that as a reason to invite them. 2. Experiment with taste and location. If your prospect has a specific coffee taste, using a specific place may allow them to suggest a different location. I have some people who like Fast food chain coffee and others who stick with the known names. There have been plenty of times when when clients have said, “I’ve never been there.” 3. If they can’t find the time, offer to bring coffee to them and/or their team. When you get your coffee meet up on the books, do as much research as you can to enable you to make an initial impression. Don’t over do it but come prepared. It is polite, professional and effective to know some basics about your prospect. 4. Make it about them. If this is an initial invite you should plan to keep things primarily personal, get to know the person and work to earn their trust. Most people want to have a sense of whether they know, like and trust you before they will do business. 5. Ask questions and get them talking. This is both polite and Sales 101. It is ok to go the whole meeting and not talk about yourself. Typically if you are genuinely interested there will come an opportunity where your guest will ask you, “So, what is it that you do?” 6. Be prepared to respond. Practice makes perfect. Whether you are new to sales or meeting a client for the first time. Do some base level research as well as some role play in how you think the conversation might go. Be prepared to keep it light but never be caught off guard if the client is ready to dig into the business relationship. If you work through scenarios prior to the meeting you will be better prepared to seem confident rather than desperate when the time comes to discuss your products and/or services. Don't forget to thank us when you increase your close rate on client coffee meetings
When inviting another professional to coffee - keep it simple, don’t waste time, be specific and be genuine. I’ll guarantee that this is more effective than being complicated, wasting time, being generic and doing the typical sales routine. If you haven’t increased your close ratio by fractions of a percent, we will give you your money back. Let us know if you’ve had 10’s of more coffee appointments by using these ultra secret steps to maximum success.  Interested in business and leadership concepts presented in a comic strip style format? You may find some encouragement in our latest series The Modern Leader: Loyalty, a four page presentation of perspectives on how to compete in the modern workplace. When leaders embrace the challenges of an ever evolving modern working environment they can win internally (workplace) as well as externally (marketplace).  |
AuthorIn The DYOJO our goal is to help you discipline your mind and habits for growth. Use these concepts to help you build a strong organization by maximizing people, process, production and progress (The 4 P's). Contact us today to discuss how we can help you with leadership development, business coaching or freelance writing. Archives
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