OneSharpSword

It’s important to redefine success. Winning seems to be about making someone else lose. The truth is, well, that happens. It’s also true that this is an abundant universe and we can support each other in getting better.

And that’s the key to this episode - How do you define success? Is it by doing or having more than someone else? Or is it that you got what you wanted and needed and you lifted others along the way?

You decide!

See you here next week and remember to check out http://ExponentialSuccessSummit.com to dive in deeper.

= Wayne =

You get more of what you focus on.

What are you focused on for yourself?

I’m not good enough!

OR

I’m so grateful that life is working for me!

What are you looking for from others? What are you looking for from yourself?

Focus there!

What’s the actual cost of “expensive?” Because you really have to ask yourself, compared to what?

That’s expensive… 

You don’t need that… 

That’s not who you are… 

Who do you think you are, wanting to have or do that?

Those are other people’s voices that no longer need to haunt you. They taught you to keep in your “place.” Don’t be needy and don’t want for yourself. Don’t be selfish, for goodness sake.

The thing is, you can’t give or serve others more greatly if you’re not investing in yourself.

So who are you NOT to have or want nice things?

The question really is twofold:

1. What’s the cost?
2. Will it enhance your life now and/or in the future?

Rule out ego. You don’t need designer clothes so that you fit in. You might want designer clothes because they fit and feel better than some lesser brands. That’s excellence. And it’s a choice.

Filter for excellence. 

Filter for enhancing your life now and in the future.

Step into new clothes, new meals, new books, and even new mentorship.

Invest in yourself for now and in the future.

And if you were thinking about taking a leap and coaching with me, DM me. And, be sure to check out my signature small-group program: www.ExponentialSuccessSummit.com

See you here next week.

Uplevel Your Excellence

= Wayne = 

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog 

Every year on my birthday, I look for things to celebrate and recalibrate my values.

If I had things on my goal list that didn’t get completed, I had to evaluate whether I really wanted to do them or whether I couldn’t get them done. If I just didn’t want to, I decide whether it’s something I value or if the task itself was too hard. Usually, if I’m honest, what was on my list was a supposed-to-do vs a want-to-do. 

Being honest with myself allows me to 

focus on the things that really, truly matter to me.

Next steps: 

• Celebrate the accomplishments.

• Plot new goals.

• Use journals, one is for personal reflection. The other is for ideas that could enhance the way I work. 

And invest in yourself - read a book, learn a language, get a great coach.

And while you’re here, check out http://exponentialsuccesssummit.com

It’s not right for everyone. It’s a small group. And if it is right for you, then don’t hesitate. Jump in right now!

See you here next week!

= Wayne =

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog 

An apologetic leader isn’t followed for very long. Their trust level dips and their judgment of leadership qualities are natural.

Sure, if you’ve made a huge transgression, apologize for it in the context of violating your own values and make a vow to live into your values even more fully.

Instead of an apology, consider acknowledgment and appreciation.

Turn, “Oh so sorry I was late” into “Thank you so much for your patience.”

You’ve shifted the focus from you and your tardiness to the other and their positive trait of patience.

Try that. 

Live in integrity.

And don’t forget to check out Dr P’s signature small group retreat at www.ExponentialSuccessSummit.com

Maybe, just maybe, it’s time for you to step into a bigger life.  

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog

Jim’s job is unusual. He leads teams of innovators to continue to innovate. He has created an innovation ecosystem, nurturing ideas and building bridges.

In our interview, he highlights that entrepreneurship is about:

• Staying open-minded and continuing your lifelong learning
• Building and nurturing relationships, whether your team or your advisors
• Leading by being a good person with good values 

He repeatedly advised that, as a leader, you need to get a coach.

Get a coach!

I underscored that to focus on the idea of, "who do I need to become to lead a company that is growing?"

The easiest part of an entrepreneur’s day: celebrate your team members!

Jim also advises over-communicating so that your message is received and focusing on your health, both physical and mental, as a role model. 

Reach out to someone - on your team or beyond, just ask, “how are you doing?”

He invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbarrood/ 

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog 

How much time do we spend thinking about what needs to get done?

Are you caught in the “getting ready to get ready” loop?

One of my 1:1 clients gave me a gem when she had the insight, 

I spent more time thinking about doing something than the time it would take me to do it.

Amazing, right?

There’s no “someday” on your calendar.

You will be judged for whatever you put out there.

Perfect is always flawed.

You get the best lessons by actually putting something out there. 

Perfection is a verb… it, whatever “it” is, needs to be presented before it can be perfected.

Block some time.

Stop thinking.

Go and do.

And while you’re doing, check out www.ExponentialSuccessSummit.com

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog

Where have you let judgment stop you from showing up as your authentic self?

We all do it. We all have rules in our heads that stop us from fully expressing who we are because, “what would other people think?”

The lesson here is simple:

If you want people to accept you and trust you,

then you need to accept and trust yourself first.

If you want to go deeper, take a look at www.ExponentialSuccessSummit.com

Thank you for listening to One Sharp Sword!  Be sure to also check out Wednesdays With Wayne for quick, fun, and inspirational mid-week reading.  www.WaynePernell.com/blog

They’re not stupid, they just can’t read.

Colleen is a woman of service with a great heart. She grew up in Southern California and became a nurse. But she was called back to something closer to home as her father had revealed a deep secret. At 48 years old, John Corcoran let his family know that he couldn’t read.

Having grown up in what she thought was a “normal” home, she now sees how her father became angry when pressured to read documents and would have “lost” his glasses. His fear and anger was self protection. And this may be a clue for others.

Colleen describes her father’s path: he was told he was a winner at home, but at school, “the system told him something else.” The system will make you feel less valued.

Illiteracy affects a surprisingly huge percentage of the population. Surprisingly huge. And that’s why it’s a “hidden crisis.” People hide illiteracy in multiple ways and they’re not stupid, they just can’t read. They never learned and yes, they were passed onto the next grade in school.

There is help for anyone at any age - 

There are 44 phonemes (sounds) in the English language. 

There are numerous graphemes for each of those sounds. 

But there’s only one name for each letter in the alphabet.

Humans are born to communicate. We do that vocally. The written language was made up. Think about making certain sounds. Then think about the different spellings for all of those sounds (eg: “oo” = threw, through, loop, soup, etc.)

Help is out there:

• www.JohnCorcoranFoundation.org

• 1-760-445-0229

• Book recommendation: The Teacher Who Couldn’t Read
• And be sure to look out for The Truth About Reading film

You’d think that the president of a bank, of BofA in New York state, would be stuffy. You’d think he’d be all about the numbers. And you’d think he’d be hard to talk to. And, refreshingly, you’d be wrong on all counts!

Jeff Barker is the Market Segment Executive for Bank of America’s Metro Markets. Oh, and he’s also the President of Bank of America in New York State.

Growing up in a family business in New Haven, CT, he learned early on how much great customer service mattered. Individual interactions make all the difference in someone connecting to you, your store, and your brand.

Jeff tells his story from boyhood to college (Cornell and Wharton) to running department stores, packed goods, electronics retail, Barnes and Noble, and now Bank of America for New York.

In addition to all of those, he’s doing amazing philanthropic work in communities across America creating economic mobility through capital investments. From supporting Cheech Marin’s museum of Chicano Art in Riverside, CA to helping raise financial literacy across generations at www.BetterMoneyHabits.com his goal is to advocate for racial equality and to activate sustainability for the community.

He doesn’t see himself as some grand poo-bah, but rather a general manager and leader of teams. The leadership lessons here:

• Teamwork means listening to the team members first
• Allow for mistakes
• Success means that you’re better today than you were yesterday

And… my favorite - something ALL leaders need to remember:

• “My job is to create the right environment for you to do your job.”

Mr Barker can be reached on social on his LinkedIn account or on Twitter

Connect on LinkedIn here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-barker-16715231/

And on Twitter @JeffBarkerNY https://twitter.com/JeffBarkerNY?s=20&t=E8UlxVzj_t3MxmYIg3_Jqg