The Clarity Maestro™

Where there is accountability, there has to be empathy in equal measure. When an imbalance occurs on either side of that equation, your organization pays the price. If your business feels like a roller coaster, if turnover is high or you regularly feel “betrayed by employees, the problem is almost always a lack of balance between empathy and accountability. In this episode, we explore The Yin & Yang of Leadership, what it is, and how to use it to take your leadership to the next level. 

Have you ever wondered how legendary creators and entrepreneurs come up with such incredible ideas? Epic ideas are rarely born from a sudden flash of inspiration. The sparks may be sudden, out of the blue, but it takes discipline to bring them to life. That can be hard when 30-40% of those ideas go nowhere. In this episode, you'll learn a few tools and techniques that will level up your creative process!

I spent decades in the ad game and during that time, I shopped hundreds of competitors for my clientele. It was an eye opening experience on many levels. One of the big surprises was how my clientele viewed the process, which was very counterproductive. In this episode, I break down the process of shopping your competition by using real world examples. I talk the importance of going into this process with the right mindset, and conclude with a tangible 5 point process to get you started.  

Business owners often frame customer service as a global strategy when, in truth, the DNA of exceptional service are exceptional moments. Retail, wholesale, professional service, coaches to agencies; the magic happens in the moments. In this podcast episode, I use real-life stories and industry-specific insights to help you craft moments that authentically connect and convert.

Highly effective leaders don’t fight fires, nor do they charge up a hill to save the day. Old school leadership paradigms keep you, and your organization stuck. It’s time to modernize your leadership paradigm. But here’s the problem, you don’t know what you don’t know. The vast majority of business owners that are stuck in time don’t know they are stuck in time. In this episode, I do a deep dive into the leadership philosophy that cities and organizations have paid me good money to teach for decades. I strongly recommend grabbing a paper and pen. 

The pouring rain against the backdrop stress and strain, got stuff to do, sales goals to meet … a long thoughtful pause … my business needs to survive. I need to survive. The stress and strain of COVID-19 on business owners is all too real. And business owners, typically, are far more comfortable thinking and fixing, than feeling and dealing. In this episode, I share four tangible strategies for battling stress while honoring your humanity. 

The drivers of business success are often counterintuitive. Take for example, hard work. Being stupendously good at the thing that you do but then, you start a business or take over a family business doing the thing. That’s when it typically starts, confusing hard work with sound, disciplined leadership. Before long, key tasks start slipping through the cracks. You’re earning good money, the business seems to be on solid ground, but on autopilot. What to do? In this episode, we put you back in the drivers seat.

Even though I have been a professional writer for well over 20 years, writing about myself has always felt awkward, self-indulgent. In my mind, there is a huge difference between bragging (ugh), and an honest telling of who you are and what you're about as a human. I'm super happy with my About page these days but getting there was a process. In this episode, I share that simple process of telling your story from an authentic place.

Obsession is a beautiful thing! Yes, you read that correctly. If you put the greatest Maestros under the microscope, the profession does not matter, Massimo Botttura to Oprah Winfrey, you will always find, on some level, obsession. Properly managed, which is not easy, obsessions pushes us to always push the envelope. But is such an approach valuable for everyday humans trying to do their thing? Indeed, it is, and with but a few questions, you can be well on your way to opening new doors.

Vulnerable, ever curious leaders are better equipped to handle our rapidly changing world. Join Clarity Coach Bob Olmstead for an episode about staying curious, looking in the mirror your work provides and asking tough questions to bring down your armor.