Lead With Purpose

For Your Leadership Toolkit

·       the true meaning of resilience in leadership

·       the importance of flexibility

·       knowing when to turn back is a sign of strong leadership

·       building confidence and competence in teams

·       decision-making under extreme pressure

·       preparing for risks and anticipating challenges

·       confidence must be well-founded, not overblown

·       leadership involves continuous learning from adversity.

Sound bites

“When you’re facing something really big, you have to become more and you have to do more.”

“Sometimes in mountains and in work situations, there’s times when turning back is the smartest decision.”

“Resilience isn’t just being tough, it’s being flexible, agile, recovering after you get beat down.”

“Resilient leadership is also a learned skill.”

“I’ve learned way more from the times I turned around than from the few times that I summited.”

“I don’t want to climb with somebody who hasn’t made the decision to turn around.”

“You don’t want to drag down the whole team trying to salvage a bad project or a bad situation.”

“We’re looking for people who are good teammates.”

“We want to see how we act as a team when the going gets tough.”

“An expedition leader needs to be thinking three, four plans ahead.”

“You need to be very confident with what you know and be honest about the rest.”

“Certainly no one person is as smart as three people or three hundred people put together.”

“Going through hardship makes you hardier.”

“You can get PTG, post-traumatic growth, literally growth from trauma.”

“If you think to yourself somebody needs to do something about that, you’re probably right, and that person is probably you.”

“Those small acts allow you to start moving in the direction of bigger actions and better things.”

Chapters

03:06 Jim's experience during the Nepal earthquake on Everest

09:31 Lessons from surviving a crevasse fall and the importance of resilience

10:33 Mountaineering as a crucible for leadership behavior

13:05 Knowing when resilience means changing course or turning back

15:10 Summiting Everest and the internal doubts

20:00 Preparing for risks and planning ahead

22:24 The importance of honesty and confidence in team members

26:36 Handling pressure and avoiding overconfidence

32:24 The concept of post-traumatic growth and resilience

34:00 Advice for emerging leaders on embracing uncertainty

Resources

Jim’s Website - https://www.speakingofadventure.com/

Jim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speakingofadventure/

Jim’s books: The Ledge: An Inspirational Story of Friendship and Survival, The Next Everest: Surviving the Mountain's Deadliest Day and Finding the Resilience to Climb Again

Connect with Merv at www.PeopleFirstProjectManagement.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merv.jersak/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mervjersak/

For Your Leadership Toolkit

·       the “you and me versus the problem” mindset is crucial for collaborative problem-solving

·       the importance of going first in conversations

·       relational programming and its impact on communication

·       how tone and body language influence understanding

·       strategies for handling difficult conversations with superiors

·       the role of vulnerability and honesty in leadership

·       the significance of listening to understand, not respond

·       how to set the stage for productive dialogue

Sound bites

“It's not you versus me, it's you and me versus the problem.”

“As soon as you make the person the problem, you stop solving the problem.”

“That's the point of a conversation is to understand what happens next.”

“Most people are never taught the art of a conversation.”

“Most of us are bringing a childhood operating system to an adult conversation.”

“You don't get to control the outcome.”

“Effective communication does not equal agreement.”

“They listen to respond. They don't listen to understand.”

“You're missing a real opportunity to connect with somebody because you just want to be right.”

“The successful people are just better at interrupting the pattern faster.”

“Silence often says a lot more than words do.”

“Somebody has to be willing to go first or we just keep doing what we've been doing.”

“Everybody shows up to the same conversation differently.”

“Most problems are solved the moment somebody feels heard.”

Chapters

04:22 The simplicity of having better conversations

06:12 The “Air-Check” method for self-improvement

08:45 Watching back conversations to improve

10:31 Knowing when to let go of certain conversations

11:38 The power of honesty and vulnerability

13:12 Listening to understand versus to respond

15:53 Interrupting patterns for effective communication

17:42 Reprogramming relational patterns from the past

20:18 Creating a safe space for honest dialogue

22:19 The “Sharp Communication” framework

26:15 Making others feel heard to foster trust

28:12 The value of clear outcomes and tone awareness

30:20 Handling conversations with your boss

34:22 Advice for emerging leaders on difficult conversations

38:08 The art of disarming with awareness

39:16 The real-world application of effective communication

 Resources

Mathew’s Website - https://mathewblades.com/

Mathew on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathewblades/

Mathew’s new book: Go First: How Better Conversations Change Everything

Connect with Merv at www.PeopleFirstProjectManagement.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merv.jersak/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mervjersak/

For Your Leadership Toolkit

·       relationship building is a skill that can be learned and developed

·       importance of transformational relationships over transactional ones

·       overcoming challenges as introverted leaders in relationship building

·       your network equals net worth

·       relationships are the currency of growth and success

·       trust is built over time through credibility, reliability, and vulnerability

·       trust can be lost in an instant

·       being intentional and authentic in interactions fosters deeper connections

·       building social capital involves giving value and paying attention to human interactions

Sound bites

“If you are interested in the other person, you become interesting.”

“When your why is big enough, the facts don't matter.”

“If it's going to be in alignment with your goals, even if it scares you, say yes.”

“That's a trait of a leader being comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

“Part of relationship building is being comfortable in your own skin and knowing that you're valuable.”

“People can feel your energy and they can feel your intent.”

“If I've been a giver, then when you need something, people are willing to lean forward and help you out.”

“It's not transactional. It's actually transformational.”

“Pay attention to every single human interaction that you have with someone.”

“Great relationships usually give you energy.”

“Trust is foundational to any good relationship.”

“It takes a while to build trust, but only an instant to break it.”

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Relationship Building in Leadership

02:10 Kymberli Speight's Journey from Military to Leadership Coach

05:39 Buying F-15 Fighter Jets at Age 28 and Building Credibility

06:23 Owning Your Value and Building Respect in Relationships

08:45 Relationship as a Leadership Skill and How to Develop It

09:40 Meeting 100 People in 100 Days: Goals and Lessons Learned

12:06 Maintaining Relationships Over Time and Social Media Strategies

15:19 Relationships as the Currency of Growth for Young Leaders

16:43 Building Trust and Authenticity in Relationships

18:12 The Three-Part Framework for Building Relationships

19:35 Supporting Introverted Leaders in Relationship Building

20:31 Effective Icebreaker Questions for Relationship Conversations

26:39 The Foundation of Trust and How to Build It

33:17 Maintaining Relationships and the Effort Required

Resources

Kymberli’s Website - https://kymberlispeight.com/

Kymberli on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kymberlispeight/

Connect with Merv at www.PeopleFirstProjectManagement.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merv.jersak/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mervjersak/

For Your Leadership Toolkit

Sound bites

"The meaning of the message doesn't always come from the sender."

"Your performance as an individual does not equate with your performance as a leader."

"Anybody can talk, but not everybody can communicate with impact."

"Yet organizations just make the assumption, if you can talk, you can lead."

"What should I keep doing? What should I stop doing? And what could I be doing differently?"

"Every communication starts with intention. Think before you speak."

"Why am I communicating this message with this person at this time?"

"Things will get done if people are clear and understanding."

"If people understand the why, they're more likely to accept the how."

"Don't just make the assumption that once it's delivered, it's going to be received correctly."

"The more we can be concise, the more we can be consistent, the more we can be clear, the better the reception."

"It is a process, not an event."

"When in doubt, check it out."

"What gets rewarded gets repeated."

Chapters

00:00 The true source of message meaning

02:21 Introducing the IMPACT process

06:19 Start with intention in communication

12:53 The importance of explaining the why

13:22 Checking for understanding and active listening

19:36 Cultural cues and verbal ticks in communication

25:58 Common mistakes in delivering difficult messages

28:31 Starting with clear intention before conversations

Resources

Learn more:www.PatrickDonadio.com

The IMPACT©” Process Model Overview (PDF): https://patrickdonadio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Communicating-with-IMPACT-Wheel.pdf

Connect on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickdonadio.

Speaker/Coach One-Pager (PDF): https://patrickdonadio.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Donadio-One-Page-Overview-Speaking-Coaching-24.pdf

Get Patrick’s book “Communicating with IMPACT©” on Amazon: https://tinyurl.com/vh9a7emContact:https://forms.gle/PxmQQFSPs91w3R9i8 (Questions, Event Bookings, Communication Coaching)

Connect with Merv at www.PeopleFirstProjectManagement.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merv.jersak/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mervjersak/

For Your Leadership Toolkit

Sound bites

“Good culture is what perpetuates good culture.”

“I may have the knowledge on how to fix the problem, but what are they seeing?”

“Being able to sit in their place for long enough.”

“You're not gonna go faster by giving them the answer.”

“I didn't give them the answer. I just gave them the details.”

“You don't even know how good you are.”

“Who is becoming a better leader because you are their leader?”

Chapters

04:09 From Technical Expert to Leadership Developer

05:42 The Importance of Micro-Credentialing in Leadership

07:34 Critical Thinking as a Guardrail for the Future

09:03 The Role of Innovation and Culture in Leadership

10:14 When Expertise Becomes a Liability

12:15 Building Roots and Cultural Integration

13:53 Empathy and Influence in Client Engagement

20:33 Recognizing and Developing Leadership Potential

22:39 Knowing When to Step Back as a Leader

25:46 Micro-Credentialing's Role in Workforce Development

30:25 Rapid Fire Questions: Leadership Perspectives

32:30 Key Takeaways 

Resources

Joanne’s Website - https://soar.llc/

Joanne on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanne-gallagher-pmp-ccmp-hcs-6a6346/

Connect with Merv at www.PeopleFirstProjectManagement.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merv.jersak/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mervjersak/

For Your Leadership Toolkit

Sound bites

“People have to see that you're willing to do what you're going to delegate to them.”

“I want to be judged by the people I promote, not the sales that I make.”

“When you have a leader who believes in your abilities, then you start to have a certain belief in yourself.”

“As leaders we have to be visible.”

“We have to have people who have belief in the same objective first, and then we can truly align.”

“What are we feeding our brain? What are we feeding our soul daily? Because it's junk in, junk out.”

“These are people who aren't going to tell you what you want to hear, it's what you need to hear.”

“Culture can fuel your success, or culture can lead to you not cooking up your success.”

“Leadership isn't about convincing people that they're not up to it. It's about helping them discover that they're capable of more than they've even imagined for themselves.”

Chapters

00:00 The importance of leaders being visible and doing the 'dirty work'

02:00 Frank's background and journey to becoming the chef of success

04:57 Belief becomes habits and habits become success

09:07 How leaders can inadvertently create belief gaps in teams

11:41 Defining a healthy organizational culture

13:10 Jim's leadership example and its impact on Frank

14:29 Building or rebuilding belief in team members

16:14 The power of visible leadership and modeling behavior

17:34 Belief and alignment in team success

20:25 The impact of belief on team roles and collaboration

22:04 Closing the belief gap to foster a unified culture

24:43 Providing truthful information to build belief

25:52 The five ingredients of mental strength for leaders

29:13 Feeding your mind with positive, growth-oriented content

30:18 Who closed the belief gap for Frank Kitchen

31:15 The influence of students and mentors on belief

32:31 Rapid fire: leadership insights and personal preferences

33:58 The power of belief as a transformation tool

34:24 Culture can fuel or hinder success

35:05 Leadership is about helping people believe in their potential

Resources

Frank’s Website - https://www.frankkitchen.com/

Frank on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankkitchen/

Connect with Merv at www.PeopleFirstProjectManagement.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merv.jersak/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mervjersak/

For Your Leadership Toolkit

Sound bites

"Clarity can only be measured by its simplicity." 

"People follow confidence. They do not follow leaders who lack confidence." 

"Leadership is the opportunity to unlock the potential of people, opportunity, and the organization." 

"Failure's only failure if you quit. It's not final and it's not fatal." 

"Believe in you." 

"The deeper the connection the greater the commitment." 

"Most organizations don't have a talent problem. They have a systems problem." 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: Why teams often struggle despite having talented members

00:28 Leadership is about systems, not just talent

01:00 The role of leadership in unlocking potential

02:13 Why most organizational failures are system failures

02:24 The five C's of high-impact leadership

03:26 Leadership as influence, not just a role

04:20 Removing barriers vs. unlocking latent potential

05:25 Leadership is about influence, not titles

07:23 Signs of leadership misalignment: communication, connection, confidence

08:40 The power of clarity and simplicity in leadership

12:00 The importance of explicit, specific clarity

16:25 Building connection and trust in teams

18:27 Creating organizational consistency through routines

21:37 The importance of capacity and continual growth

23:48 Addressing low trust and poor alignment in teams

28:05 Overcoming dark days and leadership doubts

30:21 Failure is only final if you quit

33:00 Daily rhythms and routines for sustained success

34:11 How to find and work with leadership experts

35:14 Leadership challenge: aligning team mission and priorities

36:04 Closing thoughts: Lead with purpose and intentionality

Resources

Jerome’s Website - https://jeromewade.com/

Jerome on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeromewade/

Connect with Merv at www.PeopleFirstProjectManagement.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merv.jersak/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mervjersak/

For Your Leadership Toolkit

Sound bites

“People will respect a position... but they will fight in the streets for the person they feel they know—the person behind the position.”

“The stories are what get repeated in the hall. It's the stories that build the culture.”

“You are just an untrained speaker. Why would you expect to be good at any area you've had no time to focus on?”

“For a leader, nothing is ordinary because everything has impact.”

“You always have to have something to say while you're thinking of what you're going to say.”

“Everyone is more interested in themselves than they are in us. We always have to speak as an audience advocate.”

“Why would they care about what I'm saying? If they wouldn't, find a way to make them care.”

“If your boss gives you 15 minutes and you can give your report in eight or ten, you're gonna get points.”

“You don't have to have a title to be a leader. But you do have to communicate.”

Chapters

00:00 The Power of Communication in Leadership

01:53 Patricia Fripp's Journey from Hair Stylist to Communication Expert

04:04 How Storytelling Builds Trust and Leadership Presence

07:02 Turning Speech into a Business: Patricia's Coaching Journey

09:02 Elevating Technical Leaders Through Presentation Skills

12:08 The Role of Stories in Shaping Company Culture

16:07 Building Confidence in Public Speaking

18:05 Making Meetings Engaging and Purposeful

21:51 Using Quotes and History to Enhance Meetings

26:07 Handling Difficult Conversations with Confidence

30:10 Key Communication Habits for New Leaders

Resources

Patricia’s Website - https://fripp.com/

Patricia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/executivespeechcoach/

Connect with Merv at www.PeopleFirstProjectManagement.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merv.jersak/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mervjersak/

For Your Leadership Toolkit

Sound bites

"Uncommunicated expectations are always unmet expectations." 

"Accountability is kindness." 

"Feedback is just data." 

"Alignment doesn't mean we're all thinking the same." 

"People need to feel seen, valued, and heard." 

"Transactional relationships are really hard to build good cultures." 

"You cannot be your authentic self if you don't know who you are." 

"You can't overcommunicate during change." 

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Leadership and Alignment

01:12 Shelly Davis Boyd's Leadership Journey

04:36 Defining Organizational Alignment in Plain English

05:16 Creating Accountability with Kindness

11:46 Misconceptions About Workplace Culture

14:07 Building Culture Remotely

15:17 The Impact of Civility on Performance

19:03 Developing Leadership Presence and Emotional Intelligence

23:07 Leading Through Change

24:18 First 30 Days as a New Leader

26:38 Fixing Workplace Problems with Leadership

Resources

Shelley’s Website - https://www.essdeeandco.com/

Shelley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleydavisboyd/

Connect with Merv at www.PeopleFirstProjectManagement.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merv.jersak/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mervjersak/

For Your Leadership Toolkit

Sound bites

"Differentiation means you're different. Distinction means what you do matters to others."

"AI is for tasks. Relationships are for people."

"Leadership is less about standing out and more about what you're standing for."

"Comparison is the thief of joy."

"I developed this reservoir of goodwill."

"It's not about your title. It's about the influence and impact you're having."

"You don't become distinctive because you claim you are … The marketplace decides whether you're distinctive."

"Distinction is determined by what people say about you when you're not in the room."

"Leaders need to be authentic about the best version of themselves."

"We take leadership seriously, but we don't take ourselves solemnly."

"Great leaders are great storytellers."

"The best leaders I've ever met have a pretty good dose of humility."

"The 'I'm the boss' mentality is one of the biggest challenges in leadership today."

"The first thing you do as a leader is ask questions—not make statements."

"Failure isn't fatal."

Chapters

00:00 The Challenge of Distinction in Leadership

03:36 Scott McKain's Journey to Leadership Distinction

07:15 The Evolution of Leadership Literature

12:40 Leading Without Authority

18:29 The Essence of Memorable Leadership

20:34 Transcending Leadership in Modern Times

23:37 Leading a Diverse Workforce

27:23 The Power of Storytelling in Leadership

29:40 Challenging Leadership Myths

32:05 Authenticity and Distinction in Leadership

36:17 Lessons from Failure

38:10 Advice for New Leaders

Resources

Scott’s Website - https://scottmckain.com/

Scott on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottmckain/

Connect with Merv at www.PeopleFirstProjectManagement.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/merv.jersak/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mervjersak/