Bold Leadership podcast

Today we have the privilege of discussing leadership with one of the founders of High Five Media, Earle Haggard.  High Five Media is the hip place to go in OKC if you need help with Digital Marketing.  This is no surprise if you know Earle.  He is an amazing father, husband and all around good guy. 

Today Earle is going to discuss leadership at High Five Media, challenges, fears and successes.  

We hope you enjoy his insight into entrepreneurial leadership as much as we did.

As Earle says in the interview, "If you believe you can or you can't, you're right!"...Henry Ford

Be Bold

Dave

Over the past few weeks we have learned of events that have disappointed and discouraged many of us. Thanks to one young woman's brave #metoo hashtag we are working together to solve problems and promote a sense of equal values.

As you grow as a leader sometimes your values get challenged and in some instances you will be tempted to make incredibly poor choices. Realize that there is real value in your values. It is the core of who you are. Remain humble and approachable, don't ever mistake your position in the world as a right to take advantage of others. This behavior impacts both the team and your overall mission.

Reaching your ultimate goals means that you resist immediate gratification in turn for greater success and satisfaction down the road.

As you step into the New Year focus on your goals ahead. We wish you great success in 2018. Have value in your values

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Dave

Happy Early New Year to everyone. It is time to celebrate all of your wonderful accomplishments for 2017. Take a look back and enjoy what you have done.

In this episode Phil and I discuss the importance of looking at where you have been and enjoy your success as you head into the new year.

Happy 2018
All the Best
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Dave

We live in a world where many leaders do not walk the talk. In this episode Phil and Dave discuss the importance of doing what you say and the impact to the team when you don't. We know that people respond better to leaders who know they are not perfect.

Life and challenges change everyday and no one has all of the answers. Leaders must demonstrate performance. When you admit to your team that you don't have all of the answers your team will find solutions. This applies specifically to every phase of your business. How many times have you had a contractor who said they could do something that epically fail.

We all make mistakes and we must be willing to admit our mistakes and embrace our team. Be a better leader and start walking the talk.

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Dave

Ethics drive everything we do in work and life.  What is your work ethic, business ethic and family ethic? Do you value a dollar more than doing what's right?

It seems that this is more true today than ever.  Are we creating a society of workers that are not being held accountable to a strong work ethic?  If so, this is a huge challenge for tomorrows business owners.  Phil discusses lesson learned on the farm bailing hay and mending fences.  Time proves that if you give people a hard challenge they will find an easier way to do it.  Why aren't we challenging our team and cheering them on to success or failure.

Are you putting yourself out there? Do you know who you are and your values?  Are you willing to stand up for your values?  If you have the truth and what's right on your side you will always be ok.  Be a better leader, hold to your values, encourage your team to do there job day in and day out.  

Remember that haters are going to hate.  We need to stop giving attention to the noise and start holding people accountable. This episode is eye opening and provides a path we all need to start following today.

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Dave

December can be an especially nerve-wracking month at work, not only because the year is ending but because the winter holiday season can create extra stress and unpleasantness -- even between co-workers.
Some people celebrate holidays at this time of year, some people don't and everybody has their own feelings and expectations about the end-of-year period. Some people are excited about it, and others aren't.
During December people can easily stumble over appropriate seasonal greetings, sentiments and terminology. There is constant risk of awkwardness around socializing, gift-giving and even cubicle decoration.
Here are ten new "rules" to follow during the holiday season, to preserve harmony (and sanity) on your team!

1. Please don't shove your kids' fundraising candy sales down your co-workers' throats. Your colleagues may adore you and your children but they may already know where every penny of their holiday budget is going. If you want to promote your kid's fundraising cookie sale, put up a poster in the break room. Don't sell people at their desks. No one should have to fend off sales pitches at work.
2. Please don't try to drag anyone to your holiday service, pageant or concert. Everybody is overbooked in December. Do not put anyone in the awkward social position of having to make up a conflict to save them from your holiday service, pageant or concert. If you make people aware of your outside-of-work performances and gatherings and they want to go, they will let you know.
3. Don't force your employees to go to the company holiday party if they don't want to. If you have a party during work hours, give your employees the opportunity to go home early or get some shopping done instead of sticking around for merriment if they're not into it. If the party is after work hours, ditto.
4. Don't get drunk at your company's holiday party. This one is obvious but people still do it.
5. Don't make your employees participate in Secret Santa activities if that's not their cup of tea. Nobody should be forced into any "fun" workplace activity, because the minute they are forced to participate it's not fun anymore. I love a cookie exchange as much as the next person but I want to be invited to join in -- not compelled to.

6. Don't give your boss a holiday gift. It's nice of you to think of doing that but it puts your boss in an awkward position. Get a sweet potted plant for the office, instead!
7. Respect the fact that not everybody gets into the holiday spirit, or wants to. Some people have a tough time around the holidays. It is fun to be merry and festive at work but it's even more important to be sensitive to everyone around you.
8. Remember to thank your co-workers, vendors and customers for their support over the past year. It's amazing how a tiny word of thanks can brighten someone's day.
9. Give everybody the benefit of the doubt in December. We are all carrying a heavy load. The end of the year can be chaotic and stressful even for happy-go-lucky people. Don't assume that someone used the wrong holiday greeting to offend you -- that's highly unlikely. Think the best of everyone. That's the only way to stay cool and calm yourself when things get hectic!
10. Finally, be good to yourself. It is easy to over-commit, overextend yourself and criticize yourself as the year comes to a close. Take a moment and remember all the good things you accomplished, learned, experienced and discovered in 2017. You are a superstar, whether you admit it or not -- celebrate your awesomeness for a minute, before you dive into 2018!

Liz Ryan is CEO/founder of Human Workplace and author of Reinvention Roadmap. Follow her on Twitter and read Forbes columns. Liz's book Reinvention Roadmap is here.

Can you will yourself to success? The answer is simple and it is yes. It is your choice. As a leader are you driving positive outcomes in your organization? Is your attitude impacting performance.

Visualization and positive thinking are two of the most important aspects driving success. Do you have a vision board and if not, why not? Visualizing success will help you find success.

Your vision board is your greatest asset, it gives you a reminder everyday of your goals and keeps you on track. It serves as a motivator to continue to find ways to success. It will help pull you out of the funk and find ways to yes.

Positive thinking helps you find meaningful solutions. If you force yourself to find what's good in life you will find what's good. On the same note if you force yourself to see what's bad in life you will find what's bad. Is you cup half empty or half full.

You focus this week is to help your team take a positive approach to challenging situations find the good in life and stop focusing on the negative

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Dave

Your attitude is by far the most important driver for your business. It impacts everything you do. Many times when an organization is failing just look to the leader and their attitude. It is typically the number one driver for success or challenges.

Today we are going to discuss the impact attitude has on leadership and the team. We will answer the following questions and ensure that you have the tools to keep you attitude in check

- What is the negative impact that a bad attitude has on business?
- In most businesses that are struggling what is the single biggest challenge they face?
- Do you recall any instances where you saw a business with a poor culture? How was the leader driving the culture?
- Why do you think that most leaders, coaches and trainers don’t focus on fixing the attitude first?

We know that its 90% attitude and 10% effort. The right attitude will carry you through the toughest of times.

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Dave

Today’s Topic: All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten, by Robert Fulghum

Most of what I really need

To know about how to live

And what to do and how to be

I learned in kindergarten.

Wisdom was not at the top

Of the graduate school mountain,

But there in the sandpile at Sunday school.

These are the things I learned:

Share everything.

Play fair.

Don't hit people.

Put things back where you found them.

Clean up your own mess.

Don't take things that aren't yours.

Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.

Wash your hands before you eat.

Flush.

Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.

Live a balanced life -

Learn some and think some

And draw and paint and sing and dance

And play and work everyday some.

Take a nap every afternoon.

When you go out into the world,

Watch out for traffic,

Hold hands and stick together.

Be aware of wonder.

Enough said, work on being a better person and treat others the way you would like to be treated.

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Dave

Mentorship is the foundation for leadership development and growth unfortunately many leaders focus to much on the bottom line and not enough on development. They promote their friends and cronies without much consideration for capability and little concern for development.

Many small businesses struggle because the owner is focused on running the day to day operations and does not act as an owner. They do not delegate because of their love for the business and with not development plan in place they continually struggle to get off of the treadmill. This behavior inhibits growth. It ultimately leads to failure and typically they end up losing their best employees to other organizations.

Those who have had great success can surely remember their most influential mentor. I had many as did Phil, but the bottom line is that we both found individuals with whom we could relate and respected tremendously. I am asked all of the time how do you find a great mentor? The answer is simple find someone who is extremely successful, whom you respect
and ask them for mentorship. Yes they may say no, but don't give up keep searching. You will find the right fit and your growth will be exponential.

If you have "made it" you owe it to the nation to pay it forward. Find some young man or woman and offer to be their mentor. Challenge them, let them fail and teach them how to learn. It will be the most rewarding experience of your life.

Here is our challenge to you... In the next 30 days find one person and take the time to mentor them.

Be Bold
Dave