Crazy Big Dreams Podcast

Welcome to episode 48! Hi savvy leader! How are you?!

Are you leading your team the way you lead yourself? The short answer is always yes. You are. You lead others the way you lead yourself. 

Today we’re going to check in to see if this is something you’re intentional about and if you’ve made the connection between how you lead yourself and how you lead others. 

You can find the full transcript of this episode at crazybigdreams.biz/48. 

Ok, so I’m going to ask you to think of your most recent personal example (I’ll give you the specifics next) and then I’m going to give you the strategies to lead yourself through so you can lead your team in the same way. With me? Stay with me. Because how you lead yourself is how you lead others. 

I want you to think of the most recent example for yourself when you didn’t want to show up and do the work. Maybe you were feeling burnt out. 

Maybe there was something exciting or something really trying happening in your family, or for you, personally, and you just didn’t want to do the work. You didn’t want to show up for yourself or your team. It’s ok. You can admit it. It’s not a rare thing. It’s common.

Think of this most recent example for yourself. Got it? Ok good. I’ll give you one that happens almost daily for me right now. I have a new baby. And he is delightful. He’s so happy, and so much fun and I want to spend every waking minute with him. I miss him when I’m away from him and he just adds so much joy to our family. 

Well, there’s still work to do. And don’t get me wrong. My work is incredibly rewarding. In fact, I don’t see it as work. It gives me great joy. It’s an honor to work with the women that I get to work with. But when it comes right down to it, sometimes I just want to play with that cute baby. 

What’s a leader to do?! 

Strategy Number One: Acknowledge Your Reality. Don’t fight it or ignore it or brush over it. I truly own it, every day, I say “Mama really wants to squeeze you, but for now I’m going to spend some time working in my office.’ 

And he’s in good hands. We have wonderful caretakers that allow me to get my "me time", which is getting to work on my business. I don’t struggle or try to ignore it or rush to get my work done. I can be fully present when working and fully present when I’m with him because I have time dedicated to both. 

So I’m asking you. Are you fighting it? Are you ‘shoulding’ yourself? Telling yourself you should be more motivated? You should WANT to do the work. Are you resisting it because you would rather be doing something else? Or anything else if you’re experiencing burnout. Right?

Own your reality, friend. Acknowledge it. Name it. Say it out loud. Make it real. Because it is. The longer you fight it and resist, the more tension builds, and the longer you stay stuck. 

Strategy Number Two: Ask yourself “What do you need?” If it’s a need you can meet yourself, great. Give yourself the time and space and permission to address it. 

If not, who can help you meet this need? Your mentor? Your partner or spouse? Your team? 

In my situation, I needed both outside help and my own strategy to do what needed to be done. First, I needed reliable care for my little one to know he was in good hands so I could be at peace and fully present with my work. 

I also needed to end each period of time working with getting my priority lists made. I did this so I knew exactly what I was going to focus on each time I got back to my desk. It made the transitions easier for me. 

For the complete transcript and more on How You Lead go to crazybigdreams.biz/48. 

Hey leaders! Welcome to episode 47! 

Are you riding the roller coaster of emotions with the calendar week to week and month to month when it comes to your numbers? 

Today we’re talking about the rollercoaster of emotions that comes with the highs and lows of Direct Sales Compensation. It doesn’t matter what level you’re at in this business there are still highs and lows. 

The high paychecks and the low paychecks come with the territory. It’s the nature of the business. Things are likely on a much grander scale for you now than they were when you started out. Yet still, there are fluctuations.

One point of distinction or disclaimer…

Some of you lucky ducks are paid weekly, some twice a month, and almost all of you have some compensation that happens on a monthly basis. I’m referring to the roller coaster of your pay cycle in general, regardless of how long or short, it is. For simplicity, I’m going to refer to things in a monthly cycle. You’ll get the idea. 

Everyone has experienced those months that just don’t ever take off. The beginning of the month is crickets. And, no biggie, there is a lot of month left. And the second week is frightening. It spills over into the third week of the month and there’s a full-on panic. How can we salvage the month? 

Scrambling is happening and then there’s sometimes a point where we feel the wind just get sucked out of the sales completely. It’s the feeling of being stranded and alone. And we downshift into this mode of “let’s just get this over with so we can start fresh again next month”. 

Even if you’re pushing and working and hanging onto the sliver of a chance that something will happen before close day, or on close day, there’s still this part of us that is just looking for a do-over. 

Do you then catch yourself with a big sigh of relief on the first of the month? Especially if the previous month bombed? Do you let out that big sigh of relief on the first and look forward to a new beginning full of hope and possibility? All of this can be quite magnified if the previous month was a big letdown of low production. Right?

And what about the opposite? What about those months that are so unbelievably amazing? Your team rocked it. 

Never before had the stars aligned in such a way to experience your biggest month yet, until the next biggest month tops that one. The high is contagious. And I know, you think, even just for a brief, unrealistic moment, ugh, if only every month could be like this! 

And then the first of the month comes and you let out this big sigh like I wish I didn’t have to start over. That big goose egg, the biggest zero of all zeroes staring you in the face. And yet, there is still all of the hope and possibility of the new beginning you’re embarking on. 

Riding the highs of the big, almost unbelievable paychecks while navigating creatively through the painful, low, scary, frightening periods is quite a roller coaster of emotions. Can you relate?!

Isn’t it funny how much weight the first of the month can feel, either way? You’re not alone! It’s totally common. It does not have to be your normal. 

What a refreshing feeling when we learn to not look at the calendar. Yes, we have to glance at it and we do have to check numbers on the back end. We have to stay on top of where the milestones are, the cut-offs, incentives, and benchmarks not only for ourselves but for some of our team members as well. That’s just smart business. 

But we don’t have to get sucked into riding the roller coaster of emotions that comes with the ups and downs of productivity. 

You can find the full transcript of this episode and my two strategies to get off the roller coaster of emotions with your numbers at crazybigdreams.biz/47. 

Hey leaders! We’re here for episode 46! 

I love talking finances, especially with you in the Direct Sales community. Financial freedom is one of the best perks of a successful Direct Sales business yet I sense the topic is still taboo for so many. So let’s get into it.

This episode is logged in my podcast category “Big Leaps To Future Financial Freedom”. I have several episodes in this category around Wise Wealth. You can find them all at crazybigdreams.biz/podcast.  I hope you’ll take a listen to each if you haven’t already. 

You can find the full transcript of this episode at crazybigdreams.biz/46. 

What does it mean to you to feel fulfilled financially? To have a high level of satisfaction with your finances. Let me qualify what I mean by finances first and then I’ll ask you to choose a number between one and ten. Ten being high and one being a low level of fulfillment with your finances. 

When you rate your current level of satisfaction and fulfillment with your finances I’m not asking if you’re content with the amount of money you have. Most could always want more wealth. And if you’re curious about the difference between wealth and money take a listen to episode 4 at crazybigdreams.biz/4. 

What I mean when I ask you how you feel about your current finances I’m referring to your relationship to your finances, not how much money you have. 

Does that surprise you? 

So what do I mean when I refer to your relationship with your finances? How you feel about this is largely influenced by the adults that raised you and had an impact on your upbringing. Parents yes, but others as well. 

It’s how you view your current finances and how you feel about money and wealth. 

For some, there’s insecurity regardless of the zeros in the bank account. For others they don’t want for anything and wealth has maybe become a love-hate topic because of how it’s changed important relationships in their life. 

Let me share a personal story to give you an example of what I mean when I refer to your relationship with finances. 

For over a decade when I worked in corporate America, climbing the ladder, I worked one hundred percent on commission. Literally, the more money I made, the bigger my paychecks were, and the more successful I was at my job. 

There was a direct correlation between how much I was making and how successful I saw myself, professionally. That’s what the compensation plan was rewarding. 

I had no idea I was defining my professional success based on the size of my paychecks until I left that job and that company. 

Suddenly I felt like a complete failure because my paycheck was a whopping big fat zero. I felt I had no professional worth. It was an identity crisis of no small proportion. Remember, I was in that compensation plan for over a decade. So it was ingrained in me. 

Riding the highs of the big, almost unbelievable paychecks and what I would do with that. The independence it gave me. To navigating creatively through the painful, low, scary, frightening paychecks looking forward to the first of the next month and that fresh start. Can you relate?!

Isn’t it funny how weighty the first of the month can feel, either way? Because what a refreshing feeling when we learn to not look at the calendar. 

For key questions on how to rate your current level of fulfillment and satisfaction with your finances go to crazybigdreams.biz/46 for the full transcript of this episode. 

Hey savvy leaders! It’s episode 45! Do you know the skill that makes great leaders great? It may surprise you. This is based on my first-hand experience working with great leaders for over a decade. 

You can find the full transcript of today’s episode, episode 45, at crazybigdreams.biz/45. 

I’ve seen great leaders not only question their skills in this area but also fully embrace developing them; especially in the last few years. 

This skill is the ability to be decisive. To make a decision, with a level of certainty and not look back. 

It’s the one differentiator I’ve experienced that helps great leaders gain confidence and get through challenging times as well as keep cruising through the fun times. 

Boost Your Confidence As A Direct Sales Leader

It’s important to note, this is a skill. It can be developed. No matter where you feel your current level of confidence is in this area everyone has the opportunity to enhance their skills and to up their abilities. 

It’s also important to note, you didn’t get where you are without a solid foundation in decision-making. You’re already great at this. Yet the natural ebbs and flows of a direct sales business can challenge every leader in this area. You could say, it comes with the territory. 

Six Steps To Enhance Your Decision-Making Skills As A Direct Sales Leader

I attribute these 6 steps to how I’ve witnessed great leaders rely on themselves to hone their skills when being decisive. Like a muscle, it gets stronger with every decision. 

Step 1: Take Time

I’m not talking about the ability to make quick decisions, although trusting yourself does speed up your time spent deciding. I’m talking about the skill of decision-making. 

So, step one, take your time to connect with yourself. Turn down the noise. The unsolicited advice. The business of your day. Relax into the process of taking time to make a decision. 

Step 2: Consider All Options

When you truly consider all options you put everything on the table. Even the unlikely, far-out-there options. You don’t have to pick up all of them. You’ll only pick up the one that resonates. But to find it, consider all the options available to you. 

The one you end up choosing will resonate even more when you leave the rest. It is true, the more you know what you don’t want, the closer you get to what you do. 

How Do You Know When The Risks Are Too High As A Direct Sales Leader?

Step 3: Weigh The Consequences

A quick story that will sum this up better than anything else. I was selected as an entrepreneurial special delegate to attend an Inc. 500 Grow Co (Grow Your Company) conference. One of the perks was a front-row seat to the fireside chat facilitated with Sir Richard Branson.

The audience had the opportunity to submit questions ahead of time. My question was chosen and posed to Sir Richard Branson. This was my question “How do you know when you’re investing in your business if you’re risking too much?” 

and by investing I meant every sense of the word, not just financial, but investing time, blood, sweat, tears, lost sleep, and finances too. 

This was his answer. You know it’s too much when you’re not ok with the worst-case scenario. He makes it sound so simple! This has stuck with me. When you’re not ok with the worst-case scenario when it comes to the consequences of your decision, revisit. 

For all 6 steps and the full transcript of this episode go to crazybigdreams.biz/45.

Hey savvy leaders! We’re here for episode 44! The One Thing Most Direct Sales Leaders Are Reluctant To Do To Achieve Their Top Business Goal.

You can find the full transcript of today’s episode, episode 44, at crazybigdreams.biz/44.

This happens in two steps for leaders. The first step is to know what the one critical thing is and the second is to learn how to get it. 

The tricky piece to this is to focus on right now. Because the one critical thing you need to achieve your top goal can change *subtly* during different seasons of your life and business. 

The one thing most successful Direct Sales Leaders are reluctant to do to achieve their top business goal is to get support. Yup. Get support; the right support and help for this current season of life and business. 

Many leaders come to me saying they need more help. Either a lot more or a few critical areas of help. But they haven’t yet pursued it. They’ve been waiting for this particular trying season to end, to shift, or to change somehow. 

They put it off. And the next season of life starts with a different support need, and then the next season of business begins and a different support need pops up… this cycle keeps churning from one season to the next. 

It’s a pattern. Do you see it? Can you relate?! It is so easy to keep plugging along. It’s difficult to recognize the pattern because the support needed can change. Leaders believe it will pass. Things will shift. You are not alone in this. It’s also difficult because at times it’s simply easier to just do it ourselves, right? 

To identify where the help is needed, find someone who can pitch in, train that person and finally enjoy the support, well, it all sounds like a luxury. Who has the time or energy? Again, you’re so not alone here. 

The big difference is that this is the key to reaching your next Top Business Goal. It’s getting in the way and the cycle needs to be broken. 

I am here to give you permission! Get the support, my friend. It will free you, your mind, and your energy for the things only you can do. The result is achieving that next top goal in your business. Kinda important! No?

So what kind of support do you need? Is it child care? Is it backup child care? Is it a house cleaner? 

Is it a project person? A project person is someone who can come by as needed to help you with the one-time things that pop up and difficult to prioritize time to do them. Maybe they’re seasonal. Switching out summer to fall. Maybe wardrobe, maybe the kids, maybe home décor? 

What about prepping for the holiday season? Maybe this includes your home or maybe your business? Does your business ramp up and get busy during the holidays? Or do you have a big push come January? 

What you have your project person do can vary. Yes, you’ll need to schedule time to get him or her set up and clear on what you need. But it frees you up for so much more!

Maybe you need an errand gal or guy? Do your grocery or instacart pick up for you? Fill the gas tank, get the oil changed, get the car washed, and pick up the dry cleaning. I always say if it’s a job anyone can do, have anyone do it. 

There are tasks and jobs that only you can do. And there are people in your life that only you can do certain things with and for. Identify the other things you can get support for. And then go find it. Don’t let this hold you back any longer from achieving your top business goal. 

These areas where you can benefit from support, once you get it, it frees you up to take things to the next level. To true up the areas of your business that need trueing up.

For the full transcript go to crazybigdreams.biz/44.

Hey leaders! Welcome to episode 43! We’re here to talk about navigating doubt. All leaders have doubts. Don’t think that you’re the only one that questions your confidence or abilities. 

It’s incredibly common. So how does having doubt make you a better leader?  

You can find the full transcript of today’s episode, episode 43, at crazybigdreams.biz/43.

Doubt can surface for a lot of different reasons. The most common circumstance I hear about is during times of change. When there is change happening within your company and it impacts you and your team, it causes leaders to have moments when they doubt their ability to navigate it all. 

It’s difficult to see the other side. It’s also difficult to know who’s still going to be with you once it’s all said and done. 

Maybe there is a big change to the products your company is offering. Maybe there’s a difficult change to the compensation plan. Maybe the technology and training platform your company uses is getting a whole new upgrade and whoa all of a sudden no one can find the resources they need at their fingertips. 

It’s incredibly common for direct sales leaders to have some doubts during these times. When we can’t control the circumstances, even a little bit, worry creeps in. Doubt is a result. 

For many, it gets ignored. Some hide it. Most don’t want to be seen as uncertain. They would rather be seen as confident and having the answers. Of course! Who wouldn’t? 

To use doubt to make you an even better leader you’ll want to consider these four strategies: 

Strategy Number One: Focus on the Facts. There will be a lot of speculation, rumor mill, and false info flying about as people try to grasp the change that’s coming down. It just happens. Questions turn into truth and suddenly there’s misinformation. Innocently. Change can cause a frenzy. Focus on the facts and help your team do the same. 

Strategy Number Two: Get Curious. Doubt helps us to explore alternatives and look for different ways to move forward. What a gift! 

Curiosity makes you inquisitive. You want to know! It gives you this undeniable need to know and learn. These are essential to help navigate change. Embrace the doubts you’re having as a leader and look for a better way to navigate your team through the current circumstances and inevitable changes. 

Strategy Number Three: Know Your Relatability Skyrockets. During times of doubt as a leader, if you embrace it and don’t try to hide it, you show up real, relatable, and authentic. What better way to be an example to emerging leaders on your team that you’re human too? That they can do this if you can. 

Especially during difficult times of change as a leader, you want to be able to show them,” look, if I can lead us through this so could you”. We’re always in this together.

Strategy Number Four: Call on your mentor. This is always a good time to call on your mentor. Hopefully, you have a few to call upon. 

I recommend a mentor outside of your company. You’ll likely be getting guidance, support, and direction from within your company. When connecting with a mentor about your leadership doubts go outside. Not for the reason you might think. 

You’re in no way trying to hide this. The reason I recommend going outside your company to get mentorship on your leadership self-doubt is that this mentor will be unbiased. This mentor won’t be going through the change right alongside you. This mentor will have some distance to the issues at hand. 

For the full story and transcript go to crazybigdreams.biz/43.

Hi savvy leaders! Welcome to episode 42. Today we’re here to talk about energy drainers.
 
What are energy drainers? We’ll bring awareness to them and I’ll give you 3 steps to address your energy drainers so they’re no longer stealing your effectiveness as a leader.

You can find the full transcript of today’s episode, episode 42, at crazybigdreams.biz/42.

Energy drainers come in all shapes and sizes. Today I’m focusing on life’s little complaints. These are small things we tend to brush off. Like a gnat, we maybe swat them away in the moment, but mostly we ignore them, unaware that, over time, these gnats tax our attention and energy. 

If they felt more like mosquitoes, or even bees, we might do something about them. Mostly, we put up with them. Some examples are messy workspaces that keep us up from finding things, unfinished tasks, or the questions from team members when they have the answers at their fingertips yet they come to you instead. 

I’m sure other examples are coming to mind for you. These energy drainers can show up in all areas of life, not only in your role as a leader. 

From your morning cup of coffee to the check engine light coming on, to the noise the front door makes every time you come and go, well, this can all drain your energy.

Most of us tend to tolerate these things until they accumulate and really bug us. We finally do something about them. Sadly, many different little things may have grown to quite a massive size. 

The accumulation of so many little things can be a significant energy drainer overshadowing your leadership effectiveness, but difficult to recognize. 

Simply bringing a higher level of awareness to life’s little annoyances is sometimes all we need to be inspired to address them. 

Step 1: Make a list. Simply write down all the little annoyances that keep draining your energy. 

Start with your role as a Direct Sales leader. Include your workspace at home, your phone (is there not enough storage space) your laptop, and your desk (is it cluttered). What are the energy drainers here? Write them down. 

Next write down the little annoyances that relate to taking care of your clients, your team, your upline, and downline. It’s likely something you’re always having to address. 

Think about the FAQs, the frequently asked questions you get. Is there a product out of stock? When is it coming back in? Is there a client program that continues to always get the same questions? Can you, or have someone else, create a cheat sheet of answers, if your company hasn’t already provided this for you?

Step 1 is to make a list of little annoyances that drain your energy. 

Step 2 is to identify a solution. Keep in mind you’ll be focusing on what you can influence. 

Step 3 is to make your best guess on how long it may take you to solve the issue. A few minutes? 15 minutes? If longer than an hour, this may not be a little annoyance, it could be something bigger. We cover this level of energy drainer in episode 43. 

The whole point of identifying your energy drainers is to bring more awareness to them. With more awareness, we get what we need to address some of these. Once addressed, they no longer put a daily drain on your energy. Your level of contentment as a person and your effectiveness as a leader is no longer inhibited. 

So what’s draining your energy these days? Click over to Instagram @yourcrazybigdreams and share. I bet you’re definitely not the only one with this energy drainer. 

The best is yet to come. Always. 

Hi leaders! Here we are for episode 41! So, how do you help your direct sales team with rejection? 

We all navigate rejection. Some of us don’t even blink at it. We don’t skip a beat and we move on. Others can take it quite personally. 

Episode 40 was about the top 5 habits to instill more belief in your direct sales team. Habit number one was to help your team not take things personally. So, how do you go about that?! Stay right here and I’ll share my top three strategies. 

For Episode 40 and all 5 Habits to Instill More Belief in Your Direct Sales team go to crazybigdreams.biz/40. 

Today’s episode is to help you tackle the first of those 5 habits. How you can help leaders not take things personally and rebound from rejection? 

You can find the full transcript of today’s episode, episode 41, at crazybigdreams.biz/41. 

I’m going to share my three strategies in the same exact order you’ll want to cover them with your team member. 

How Direct Sales Leaders Help Their Team Rebound From Rejection

The first strategy is to help her get her perspective back. When we take things personally we’re stuck in our head. Things are more about us and less about serving others. Totally normal. This happens. Let’s release judgment and get perspective back. 

This is precisely where you come in. You have a unique vantage point. You’ve been there! But you didn’t stay there. Remind her that this is a normal part of the business. It’s not about her, it comes with the package. 

Remind her of opposite situations that she has influenced. Remind her of people she has had a favorable connection with. A connection that went smoothly with a desirable outcome. 

How Direct Sales Leaders Help Teams Get A New Narrative After Rejection

The second strategy is to help her get a new narrative. This step is crucial and different from helping to get her perspective back. 

Getting a new narrative is a step that helps her change the story. It helps her re-write how the next encounter can be. It helps her see that things can be different. It allows her to move forward and not stay stuck in rejection.

Through a few questions and answers simply create the most friendly and inviting experience that she could encounter next. Do this as if you’re writing a scene from a play. Where does she want to be? Who does she want to connect with? What does she want the outcome to be? Help draw the answers out. 

The result is a scenario that she envisioned that you helped bring to life. 

When ‘Getting Back Out There’ After Rejection Is Not Ideal For Direct Sales Teams

The third and final strategy is to get back out there. It has to be her third step. Not her first step. So many high achievers want their team to skip directly to this step. This is a big missed opportunity. 

She has to get a new perspective first and then be able to see herself succeeding. Or she stays stuck in rejection. The pattern of taking rejection personally is highly likely to repeat itself.

If you skip directly to “Get back out there” sure some will. But for some, you risk another scenario of rejection. You risk doubt overshadowing her excitement. You risk her not following through. 

So, make sure you don’t skip getting her perspective back and getting a new narrative. Then help her get back out there by asking her detailed questions. When is she going to connect? Day & Time? Who is she going to connect with? Get a name. What is her purpose for connecting? 

For much more and the full transcript of this episode go to crazybigdreams.biz/41.

Hi leaders! Welcome to episode 40! Today I’m sharing the top 5 habits to help your team with.  
One of the biggest obstacles I hear from Direct Sales Leaders is “How do I instill more belief in my team members? I just wish they knew they could enjoy everything they want from this business.” 

I get it! Today I’m here to share the top 5 habits to help them with that directly impact their belief in themselves. Each of these topics can be taboo. These are the things we don’t like to focus on or talk about but they are real and they are happening for your team. 

You can find the full transcript at crazybigdreams.biz/40. 

These habits are actually things you want to help them avoid! 

These habits are what is standing in the way of her results and her productivity. Each of these is a habit you want to help her be mindful of. Help increase your team's overall awareness of these habits. In turn, they can help one another. 

These are easy to do in the moment, but over time, they accumulate. It robs her of her action in the moment and quickly over time her results suffer. 

Five Habits to Avoid

Number One: Taking Things Personally

As women, is this in our biological makeup or what? I mean, I’ve been known to do this myself in the past. 

When we take things personally our focus is too much on ‘me, myself, and I’  and not on how we can be of service to others. It’s really difficult to identify the needs of another person if we’re stuck in our heads. 

We can get stuck on a rejection from last week, take it personally, and carry that energy into our next conversation. We hesitate. We second guess ourselves. We may not even put ourselves out there enough to make a new connection if we’re stuck in that space of taking things personally. 

The second habit to help your team avoid is holding onto the past. Oh, can we hold onto the past or what?! We may have let go of the situation, but the residual impact it has on our confidence can still linger. 

Don’t hesitate to talk this through with your team members. You can do this by simply asking “Could your confidence still be bruised by that situation? I know you’re past it and you’ve let it go, but have you protected your courage and confidence since then?

Simply open it up for conversation and see where it goes. 

The third habit to avoid is too much time on technology and social media. I’m not saying any time. But it’s always a helpful reminder to check in with your team on this. Especially because you’re working some of your business largely from your phone. It’s ok to remind them too much time here can zap their energy. Get outside without a device and recharge. 

The fourth habit to help your team avoid is overthinking. I used to call this one my hobby! Ha. It serves no one. Overthinking is that rabbit hole you can continue down quickly. 

The further down, the harder it is to get out! So often overthinking is simply making false assumptions we have no facts or evidence to support. It’s highly unproductive and keeps us further and further from reality. 

The fifth and final habit to help your team avoid is people pleasing. More specifically over-people pleasing. It’s ok to help others. It’s ok to be of service. That’s what your business is all about. 

For everything about the 5 habits to instill belief with your team go to crazybigdreams.biz/40. 

Hi savvy leaders! Welcome to episode 39 Do you have the number one leadership strength high achievers in direct sales need?  

This strength embodies several other strengths that high achievers in Direct Sales need for a  growing and successful team. 

You can find the full transcript of this episode at crazybigdreams.biz/39.

Honestly, this topic about strengths is one I take seriously and I’m very careful with. A big chunk of my VIP client experience is catered to strengths. Discovering them, owning them, and applying them. 

We all have strengths and we all have strengths that we each live out in our own unique way. That’s what makes you uniquely you as a leader for your team vs another person leading her team. 

For example, the strength of positivity. How one leader expresses this and when and how she pulls her team into a positive culture can look and feel very different from how the next leader may use her strength of positivity to lead her team. 

The number one strength this episode is about however is empathy. That’s right. Empathy. Empathy is being able to have a sense of someone else’s thoughts and feelings. It’s the ability to help someone else feel understood, and to refrain from judgment. 

See, to be empathetic you have to have three things in place. 

One, you also have to be a good listener. 

Two you also have to be a good communicator.

Three you have to have someone that receives your empathy. 

If you express sincere empathy, there has to be another person to receive it. Or it’s not a strength anyone would know you have and you’re utilizing. No one would know you have empathy if there’s not another person to receive it. Do you see the reciprocal nature of this strength?

Empathy is the number one strength I hear high-achieving leaders self-identify with (in so many words). 

I would argue that you most certainly do have empathy and that you exercise it as a high-achieving leader because you have the team that you do. 

You’re a people person. Women love to be around you because you get them. They feel included, understood, and connected when they are with you and the people you bring together. 

I would also argue that you’re a good listener. That’s how you pick up on how someone’s feeling and what she’s thinking even if she doesn’t have the words to communicate it. 

You’re also likely a very good communicator because you help bring all of this together by helping others feel understood and doing so with a judgment-free approach. 

All of this creates a culture for your team. Empathy is also the number one leadership strength for high-achieving leaders because its impact on team culture is so powerful. It’s inclusive, it’s contagious in the best of ways, and it sets a tone. This is how we support one another. 

So, I’m confident you have empathy, you’re a good listener, and a good communicator, and have built a team culture around this. 

Are you confident in this as well? Do you feel it? Are you consciously recognizing, in the moment, when you’re being empathetic? Yes, let it come naturally, but also be aware. Own it. Let it be contagious and feel the culture of your team solidify even stronger. 

Click over to Instagram @yourcrazybigdreams and share one word that describes the culture of your team! 

The best is yet to come, friend! Always.