Steve Sims’s day job is to make the impossible possible. A few of the projects he has made possible for others include getting married by the Pope in the Vatican, being serenaded by Andrea Bocelli, and connecting with powerful business moguls like Elon Musk and Sir Elton John. Steve has been called “The Real Life Wizard of Oz" by Forbes and Entrepreneur Magazine and is a best-selling author of Bluefishing: The Art of Making Things Happen. He is a sought-after consultant and a speaker at a variety of networks, groups and associations as well as the Pentagon and Harvard.

LEADERSHIP INSIGHTS

- Fail, fail, fail, and fail a lot more. There are things you cannot plan, so try many things and learn from those failures.

- We have distanced ourselves from each other over the last 15 years through social media. In the time of the Coronavirus pandemic and (eventually) a post-pandemic world, we are more aware that this isn’t enough. We need face-to-face interaction.

- Don’t email too much. When possible, respond to emails with a call or even by filming a quick video.

- Most people are lazy. When you have time on your hands that can be dedicated to productivity (i.e. not designated for rest or something else), use that time so you can get ahead and prepare yourself for action.

- To connect with people, keep these things in mind: 1. Remember that people are people. Do not put anyone on a pedestal and separate them from you. 2. Approach people with a value proposition. This requires homework and finding out what people are involved with and passionate about.

- When you turn up with a solution to someone’s problem, 9 times out of 10 they will have already thought of or tried it. But the fact that you came with a solution still helps to get people’s attention.

- If you get a “no” from someone you likely either 1. Asked the wrong person or 2. Asked the wrong question.

- As a learning opportunity, ask where did it (the one thing—likely not the whole thing) go wrong. You can correct this for the future.

- The fight’s not over when you go down. It’s over when you stop getting up.

QUESTIONS TO INSPIRE US TO ACTION

– What is some lesson, saying, or experience that continues to influence your leadership to this day? From his dad: “No one ever drowned by falling in the water; they drowned by staying there.”

- Use three descriptors to finish this sentence: “A leader is…” Transparent, direct, and solid.

- What is a question that leaders should be asking either themselves or others? Where did it go wrong? Always be fine-tuning. Your greatest growth will come from finding (and correcting) your mistakes and faults.

- What book would you recommend to leaders? Anything by Jay Abraham.

- If you could get every listener to start doing something THIS week to help them be a better leader, what would it be? Order an appetizer you have never touched (it teaches you to constantly try new things and be open to discovery).

- As a general life principle, is it better to ask “why?” or “why not?” “Why?” because it instigates a conversation and triggers a reaction.

Website:

https://www.stevedsims.com/

Find Steve on social media:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/stevedsims1 (@stevedsims1)

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/stevedsims/ (@stevedsims)

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdsims/ (in/sdsims)