Life as Leadership: Where Leaders Gather to Grow Together

Josh, Elijah, and Thomas talk about Monday's interview with Dr. Peter Kerr. Their discussion includes how leaders should balance a public presence while still being able to focus on their leadership where it matters most, the value of thinking of organizations as a collections of silos that leaders must exist beyond, and the importance of equipping yourself with new "tools" for leadership. They also discuss their strengths when it comes to "the ABCs of Communication" and some of the keys for networking effectively.

Key Takeaways:

- Peter's definition of leadership: Being able to make a decision before there's an obvious answer (a paraphrase).

- Be self-aware and intentional.

- Be a life-long learner and always be looking to grow through new opportunities.

- Leadership is a service. If you are in it for yourself, you're in it for the wrong reason.

- Be someone who can deliver results and put others first.

- Be a good gift-giver.

Peter Kerr started his own leadership consulting company that provides world-class training for media engagement, public relations, crisis planning, public speaking and leadership improvement. He has worked with nearly every large national and international media outlet and was responsible for media relations in Washington D.C. during the 2004 Ronald Reagan state funeral and served as the Chief Media Liaison Officer for all Outdoor Games in Beijing for the 2008 Olympics. He led the media training team at the Pentagon for two years and has media trained hundreds of leaders including White House officials, politicians, military generals, CEOs, communications directors, and non-profit leaders. He has traveled to more than 50 countries on six continents and speaks multiple languages.

LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

- "Leadership is being able to make a decision before there's an obvious answer and then being responsible enough to motivate people to see that decision through to a successful conclusion."

- Expand your vocabulary (especially verbs) to up your ability to communication.

- Triangulate: Find the best combination of accuracy, brevity, and clarity.

- As a young leader, be more forceful with those things that you believe need to be heard (while keeping humility as a priority).

- As a leader, do not become "siloed off." It is the responsibility of the leader to maintain a good idea of what is happening in each different "silo" of an organization.

- Networking Tip 1: Don't go cheap on your business card. Have one that you are proud to give out.

- Networking Tip 2: Go up to people rather than waiting for them to come up to you.

- Networking Tip 3: Ask good questions that are relevant to the person you are talking to.

- Networking Tip 4: Give people a gift as a follow-up to your conversation.

- Networking Tip 5: Memorize the meaning of names so that you can share that meaning with the person you are talking to.

ABOUT Kerr Communications

- Provides training for organizations on the practices of media engagement, public relations, crisis planning, public speaking and leadership improvement.

Website:

https://www.kerrcommunications.com

Contact:

Josh, Mark, and Molly discuss Monday's interview with Abe Parker. Their discussion includes why they love the things that they lead, how to handle those time when what we love becomes difficult or uninteresting, how to use collaboration effectively and keeping it from hurting us. They also discuss those moments in life that are obviously life-changing in the moment (as opposed to retrospectively) and what to do when you get the chance to spend time with people at the "next level" of life.

Key Takeaways:

- Take initiative and seek out your followers and new opportunities - neither will likely come to you unless you take initiative!

- Surround yourself with friends, advisors, mentors, and those who will challenge you with consistent honesty.

- Look for ways to collaborate with others who will help you go further than either of you could alone.

- Don't rely on others to reach your goals for you.

- Pay attention to those things you can't imagine NOT doing. You are likely uniquely suited for these things.

Abe Parker is an Atlanta-based musician who is already headlining and selling out his own stages but has also shared the stage with the likes of Andy Grammer, JohnnySwim, Ben Rector, and David Crowder. Recently he has also collaborated with Lecrae and Trip Lee. He shares today about the power of music and the value of leading from the stage.

Check out Abe's newest music video https://smarturl.it/coolkidsingle (here).

LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

- Be stubborn about the thing(s) you're called to do!

- Let people you trust speak into your life.

- Be a bridge between different worlds to reach people that others might not be able to reach.

- Collaborate with others to accomplish greater things than you could alone.

- Don't RELY on collaboration to move you forward as an individual.

- Use collaboration to spark creativity on your personal projects.

- Figure out the protocol and nuances of your industry to connect with those further ahead than you.

QUESTIONS TO INSPIRE US TO ACTION

– What is some lesson, saying, or experience that continues to influence your leadership to this day? If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go fast, go together. Have the right people around you to get where you want to go.

– Use three descriptors to finish this sentence: “A leader is…” Others-focused, a part of something bigger, and driven.

– What is a question that leaders should be asking either themselves or others? How can I add value to those I'm leading or to the cause I'm serving?

– What book would you recommend to leaders? [Podcast] And the Writer Is...

– If you could get every listener to start doing something THIS week to help them be a better leader, what would it be? Make a good plan and stick with it, even if you begin to feel doubt.

– As a general life principle, is it better to ask “why?” or “why not?” "Why?" because you are able to identify where you're going and the reason you're going there. "Why not?" can get you sidetracked.

Website:

https://www.abeparker.net/

Find Abe Parker on social media:

https://open.spotify.com/artist/5V61WloeXM3XLslOqJ8RES (Spotify page)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abeparker/ (@AbeParker)

Josh, Jake, and Michelle talk about Monday’s interview with Nancy Sleeth of Blessed Earth. Their discussion includes how to lead when you have not yet gotten to where you are trying to lead your followers to, how to find ways to evaluate yourself as a leader, and how to lead people in contexts where they might not yet be prepared to go. They also talk about the values in life that make up a valuable life.

Key Takeaways:

-Align with people, meet them where they are, and go with them where you want to lead them.

- Be willing to seek answers when your worldview isn’t able to give you those answers.

- Highlight the cause of motive of your actions for your followers.

- Bigger is not always better with your materials OR your organization.

- Lead with integrity – have the change you are seeking for your followers in your life or be working toward it.

- If you have access to the same resources/materials that others do but are seeing something different, but open to the possibility that you have a new perspective to share with others.

- Take time to rest each week.

Nancy Sleeth is the managing director at Blessed Earth, a nonprofit focused on inspiring stewardship of all creation. After a spiritual and environmental conversion experience, Nancy and her family radically altered their footprint, reducing their electricity use to one-tenth and their fossil fuel use to one-third the national averages. Along with her husband, Matthew, Nancy now travels throughout the U.S. speaking and writing about faith and the environment. She is the author of Go Green, Save Green: A Simple Guide to Saving Time, Money, and God's Green Earth and Almost Amish: One Woman's Quest for a Slower, Simpler, More Sustainable Life.

LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

- Look in the mirror before calling others to change.

- Find common ground with those you are calling to change.

- Encourage without pointing fingers.

- Find alignment (socially, politically, philosophically, spiritually, etc.), then work forward.

- Organizationally, bigger is not always better.

- Don't get on the "treadmill" of wanting more (materialistically).

- Stay out of personal debt.

- Be sure to take time to rest one day each week (Sabbath).

- Put boundaries on technology.

ABOUT Blessed Earth

- Shares about stewardship with organizations - primarily Christian churches.

QUESTIONS TO INSPIRE US TO ACTION

– What is some lesson, saying, or experience that continues to influence your leadership to this day? "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all the rest will be added unto you." (Matthew 7:7)

– Use three descriptors to finish this sentence: “A leader is…” Joyful, servant-hearted, and authentic.

– What is a question that leaders should be asking either themselves or others? Am I using my gifts to glorify God?

– What book would you recommend to leaders? Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller.

– If you could get every listener to start doing something THIS week to help them be a better leader, what would it be? To start each day in prayer.

– As a general life principle, is it better to ask “why?” or “why not?” "Why not?" because our vision is too small, and we need to think a little bit bigger like God does.

Website:

http://www.blessedearth.org/

Find Blessed Earth on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blessedearth/ (@blessedearth)

Josh, Ali, and Cody talk about Monday's interview with Emily Flippen from the Motley Fool. The discussion includes the importance of showing up, the value and cost of taking risks, how to be open to when things go wrong, and goal-setting. They also discuss the balance between procrastination, lack of knowledge, and fear of failure and more.

Key Takeaways:

- Take risks, seek opportunities, and work hard.

- Half of life is just showing up - so show up, get started, and do it every day.

- Seek out opportunity and don't be afraid to take chances. Every opportunity is a chance to succeed!

- Reach out to people to learn about their lives and what they're doing.

- Going slow is a LOT better than not moving at all.

- If there are things you DON'T currently know about, figure out a way to teach yourself. Don't let a lack of knowledge hold you back.

- Once you know, act. Knowledge and action build off of each other.

Emily Flippen is a young professional who works for an investing advisory company called the Motley Fool. She went to school in Shanghai, China, where she was part of the inaugural class at NYU Shanghai. While in school, she quickly learned that ethics and finance don’t always go hand in hand. In search of a career that would let her analyze equities without compromising her desire for transparency, she found an internship at the Motley Fool and never looked back. These days, Emily lends a hand on the Stock Advisor and Rule Breakers teams, using her international experiences to push investors to consider and invest in high-growth international powerhouse companies.

LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

- Half of life is just showing up!

- Even "worse case scenarios" aren't that bad in the long run.

- Don't be afraid to take opportunities - at least take that first step.

- Exposing yourself to the risk of failure also means exposing yourself to the possibility of success.

- Ask yourself what other people are missing - and take those opportunities.

- Save money, pay of debt, and invest (in that order).

QUESTIONS TO INSPIRE US TO ACTION

– What is some lesson, saying, or experience that continues to influence your leadership to this day? *A Chinese phrase that means, "You shouldn't be afraid of going slowly but of stopping completely"*

– Use three descriptors to finish this sentence: “A leader is…” Curious, questioning, and empathetic.

– What is a question that leaders should be asking either themselves or others? What do I want to be different a year from now? AND What can I do in the next day or week to achieve it?

– What book would you recommend to leaders? The Little Book that Beats the Market by Joel Greenblatt

– If you could get every listener to start doing something THIS week to help them be a better leader, what would it be? Take someone out to coffee to get to know them.

– As a general life principle, is it better to ask “why?” or “why not?” Definitely "why not?" If you ask "why?" you're being retrospective. "Why not?" is looking toward the future - being proactive instead of reactive.

Website:

https://fool.com

Josh, Caleb, and Maria talk about Monday's interview with Cherie Lowe, "The Queen of Free." Their discussion includes how certain moments in life act as catalysts for long-lasting and life-defining change, what goes into making those catalytic changes, and how to face the difficulties in life that you may not want to face. They also discuss how to model actions as leaders (particularly celebrations) and, in a roundabout way, how leaders can help round each other out with their unique strengths, and more.

Key Takeaways:

- Make hard but necessary decisions sooner rather than later.

- Embrace the reality of criticism. Let it make you better. Take what's valuable, leave what's not. But don't let it kill your identity.

- Find your pace and rhythm in life.

- Take people's critique with a grain of salt. Value feedback from people who value you more than those who don't know you.

- Have two types of people in your life: someone you look up to and someone you can encourage on their journey.

- Change that thing in your life - whether finances or otherwise - by taking that next smallest step. Move forward from there!

Cherie Lowe is the Queen of Free. While Cherie and her husband Brian were paying off over $127k of debt over a four-year period, she began to blog about her experiences. Today, she continues her blog, Queen of Free, where she shares about how to get things for free, how to develop strategies for every day saving, and inspiration for those pursuing a debt-free life. She has written two book: First, Slaying the Debt Dragon, which focuses on their journey out of debt. Her second book, written with her husband, is called, “Your Money Your Marriage: The Secrets to Smart Finance, Spicy Romance, and their Intimate Connection.” Cherie has appeared on the Wall Street Journal, Yahoo Finance, NBC News, MarketWatch, and more.

LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

- If you don't get the money thing right, it holds you back from what you were made to do.

- Give people courage by bringing the "darkness" of your life into the light.

- Learn from negative feedback, but value it more when it's from people who value you.

- Hone skills that you are learning at the moment. You will likely be able to use them in the future, even if they don't seem relevant in the moment.

- Celebrate small wins along the way

- Have someone out in front of you to follower/admire.

- Have someone behind you to encourage in their journey.

QUESTIONS TO INSPIRE US TO ACTION

– What is some lesson, saying, or experience that continues to influence your leadership to this day? To have more, desire less

– Use three descriptors to finish this sentence: “A leader is…” Kind, brings about positive change, and passionate.

– What is a question that leaders should be asking either themselves or others? How can I bring life to this situation?

– What book would you recommend to leaders? A Wrinkle in Time, Madeleine L'Engle (and fiction in general).

– If you could get every listener to start doing something THIS week to help them be a better leader, what would it be? Pay attention to finances - it will help you manage your life and people better!

– As a general life principle, is it better to ask “why?” or “why not?” "Why not?" - live life while you can!

Website:

http://www.queenoffree.net/

Find Cherie Lowe on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Thequeenoffree (@thequeenoffree)

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thequeenoffree/ (@thequeenoffree)

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thequeenoffree/ (@thequeenoffree)