The FRONT: A Leadership Podcast

Today we are talking about more than taking action... take inspirational action!

Any time you take a class, or workshop, conference or training, most of the time, you will come back to your business life "FIRED UP"! But, when you return, it takes more than just fire to make an impact on your sales or your business. If there is no action taken... then nothing is going to change for you, your business, or the people around you. You will have to ask yourself a couple of questions and be deliberate about taking some specific actions. Act while you are fired up and inspired!

https://youtu.be/YIlyitwzNkI

1. What are you actually going to ACT ON, on your return? When you get back to your regular business life, what will you DO?
2. What connections are you going to deliberately maintain? Who are you going to take initiative to stay connected with? We all make great connections and friendships throughout our lives... Do your part to maintain them once you've made them!

 

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As always, thank you for your time in watching or listening! Please share the video or audio podcasts, SUBSCRIBE! I appreciate you! #MUCHLOVE 

I love fire, passion. I admire persistence. And I respect perseverance.

There are so many amazing parallels in athletics, especially football, to business. For example, the work ethic involved. The overwhelming emotion and the continued pursuit of success and winning. You'll have to tune into the video or podcast for the full narrative today! But, let me leave you with a few definitions below.

https://youtu.be/ce6D_T2pUlY

Passion – A strong and barely controllable emotion.

Persistence - continuance in a course of action despite difficulty or opposition

Perseverance - steadfastness in doing something and achieving success.  

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Did you learn something new?

https://youtu.be/IwpTx5oT1Lg

I have talked often about learning. Learning being deliberate and definitive. Regularly we talk about having a teachable attitude or a growth mindset – but what does that really mean? Like specifically. You MUST keep the wonder – you MUST be open to learning new ideas about old tasks. One activity you may involve yourself in is to look back at the end of each day and ask yourself the question, “What did I deliberately work on learning today?” One fundamental key to learning is feedback. Feedback from the people that are supposed to be learning the subject matter and then fed back to the instructor, so that they can tell the quality or the teaching. In a recent blog this week, I talked heavily about mediocrity. And one of the ways to eliminate mediocrity: learn something new every day. Make yourself more valuable today than what you had to offer yesterday. Pick up a book, do some research, listen a little bit better when someone is speaking on a subject that you know nothing about – or worse, think you don’t have interest in. Then, when you ask that question at the end of the day, like literally at the end of the day. “What did I deliberately work on learning today?” You can provide yourself really good feedback for what you did learn, what you need to work on, and what you plan to do tomorrow.  

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Get motivated and stay motivated with these five tips! When someone says, “Wow, that person is highly motivated!” We think of someone with limitless energy, and a positive attitude. But, how did they get that way? Where does the energy and the non-stop positivity come from? Motivation at its core is one of two things. Motivation is “need,” or motivation is “want.” Thus, when you NEED something bad enough, you get motivated. It creates high energy, positive attitude, laser-like focus, and more confidence. Likewise, when you WANT something badly enough, then the same or similar effects take place. https://youtu.be/m__MYEK-9uQ Here are 5 tips in 5 minutes to get motivated and stay motivated!

1. Define your want or need (WHY do you want or need this goal?) Some people say to find a “WHY” or at least a large enough “WHY.”
2. Write things down. Keep a list of notes. Write down and continue to evolve strategies
3. Focus on the goal every single day. Look at it, repeat it to yourself. Tell other people about it. And then, keep going until you hit it
4. RE-check your “WHY,” regularly. Make sure it’s still important to you. Check to see if it has evolved. Re-define and re-strategize.
5. Repeat.

That’s it. It’s simple. You can work through this simple process. This can be done for long and short-term goals or tasks. You could do it daily, weekly, a year, 5-year plan – whatever works best for you and how long you think the goal or goals will take to accomplish. Work through it and see how quickly your energy changes your outlook becomes more positive. And, as with anything, it’s not a one time deal. You must be consistent. When you are consistent watch how quickly things happen, or start to change! Thanks for joining me today for the FRONT! Reminder It’s every Wednesday and Sunday. Download This Episode Now! [subscribe2]

When you decide that you want to improve. You MUST practice every… single… day. Consistent, everyday practice creates more stamina, a complete skill set and therefore confidence.

Let me start this with a real-life event. My wife and I enjoy going to the gym together. Sometimes we work out on our own, sometimes we take classes. We have been out of the gym for about ten days, I could easily offer various excuses – but let’s just keep it simple and call it “life.” So when we show up today to do our normal kickboxing class – it was tough, really tough. Neither of us had the stamina we normally have. And for me without stamina, I lost desire, and on top of that, I think I probably put on a few pounds, IN TEN DAYS! – and let’s just say, fortunately, the instructor, or coach, is awesome, because if he wasn’t I likely wouldn’t have made it out the other side of 60 minutes.

https://youtu.be/dlH2kFDc_z4

This experience really made me realize how quickly we lose our basics, our simple skills, that we become accustomed to in everyday use. Not only does this apply to examples like the one I just gave, but in business as well. Many people, I’ll just say it, once they feel that they have “made it” – you know, they put in their 10,000 hours of deliberate practice… then they stop practicing, and practicing is often the thing that made them great and got them to where they are at in the first place. People that practice and maintain a learning mentality are the ones that excel the most. They see success, practice more, see more success, get results, you get the idea. I’m going to share with you 5 tactical things You Can Do To Practice that will help you to Learn and Improve! So here’s the deal – WRITE THESE DOWN (please)

1. Choose the right mentor(s). If you want to improve in an area, you must learn from people that are better than you are. While a lateral peer may have something to offer sometimes, you can’t get better from more of the same. But mostly you want to be deliberate about choosing people who are headed to where you want to go. People who are growing and learning, people who display excellence.
2. Show up. While “perfect practice” may be what you can walk through in your head, or a meditation, or watching another expert do the task. You MUST show up, physically, even when you don’t want to, including while you are still not as good as you want to be. Show up, excellence happens over time.
3. Consume The Right Data. Read books on the subject you want to improve on. Find relevant trade magazines. Watch videos. Google shit. Google is a magnificent learning tool. Listen to audiobooks on your business or subject. Take notes while you are doing these things. When you take the time to write things down they are more important and you will remember and recall better.
4. Be Observant. Being observant is different than just watching something. Observation means you are watching the action, but also watching the environment, listening, engaging ALL of your senses. Engaging the material as if everything in the material is significant. Being deliberate about your learning.
5. When you play, play to WIN. In sales for example. I appreciate building the relationship, looking at the long-term and repeat business. I’m all for that. When it comes to sales, I’m all for SELLING! Sell the product, that is what puts “points on the board…” your results! So you are not just showing up to be a resource and make a lot of great connections. You are there to produce a result. FOR EXAMPLE, You don’t want to just hop into the ring in a boxing match. That is a recipe for a pummeling. You show up as a competitor. So make work fun, and when it’s fun and playful, remember the end goal is to produce your result and get the win. Because when you are winning, that is fun.

So then… how much should you be practicing? A lot. Every day you should be taking one of those 5 things I mentioned and be executing on them. So every day… 2, 3, 4 or more hours a day in my opinion. I know in business it can’t all just suddenly stop so you can practice, you have customers, B2B sales, other things going on. Certainly, some things can be practiced in that last step, while you are playing (to WIN), i.e. while you are working. Here are a few examples. NCAA restricts collegiate practice to 20 hours per week during the season. Post-college level, professional athletes practice at 40 hours per week, and sometimes more. 10,000 hours of deliberate practice is what creates a level of expertise – or when someone is considered an “expert.” Deliberate practice – meaning you have to narrow it down to the finite. BE specific. Are you doing that in your life, specifically in your business? Are you being deliberate about practice, what do you want to learn, where do you want to improve? What 1 new skill will you work on today. Once you’ve entered the business world, it would take you 250 weeks at work, practicing, or basically 5 years or likely more than that to become an expert. That is if you spent some 40 hours a week practicing your craft. The skills that go with that in business and so on.  And the reality is that people don’t spend that much time practicing in business… they spend time working, performing the tasks that they are assumed to be good at. They learn along the way. Which let's talk about sales, for example, means part of the time you are “practicing on real-life customers.” That can’t be deliberate practice because when you are dealing with other humans, each situation is unique. You can’t recreate a duplicate situation with a different person. So make deliberate practice important. There is power in practice.  

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Get ready for some motivation! Say YES!!!

As I have done an all video episode before, this episode of "The FRONT" is all audio. You can still "see" it on YouTube and also by checking out the Lead The Team Podcast Archive. This episode is all about the power of positive thinking! It is about the power of the word "YES." I originally did the audio podcast of this episode in 2010... wow how time flies. Even now this remains one of my personal favorites; and one of my most downloaded episodes, so I thought I would share it again today. YES = Yourself Eliminating Stoppage

There is an assignment in this episode, so watch all the way until the end!

https://youtu.be/hh-mb3Om4tg

There is so much power in spreading positivity! Eliminate the negative as much as you can! How are you speaking to yourself? Is it building you up or tearing you down? Make sure you execute on finding your inspiration and write down the assignment that I gave you! (If you didn't do it yet, now is the time!) Thank you for tuning in again to The FRONT! If you've gotten some value out of this, please "like" and share it with your friends! #SayYES

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Let’s face it, some days you are just not in it at 100%.

There are days you either are hurt, sick, or just have an off-energy day and you don’t even want to show up to your business. These are the times that you must. Today is one of those days for me – I have a head cold. If you are on the other side of the screen or speakers, it doesn’t matter – what’s the message?

Here it goes.

https://youtu.be/vsaThEDmOGA

There is a rule in business that I have heard stated as: Performance = Ability X Motivation Therefore: Your Performance = Your Ability X Your Motivation (for the day) And: Your Team’s Performance = Their Ability X Your Motivation – WAIT WHAT? That’s right when you are in a leadership role. Your team's performance is amplified by your performance and motivation as a leader. It’s always amplified – it doesn’t matter what direction. It can be amplified for excellence, or amplified for crap. For example – if you catch a cold and have to call in sick, your team will catch pneumonia. (It’s a metaphor) And one by one, many people start following suit and calling in sick after you have. It’s the leadership ripple effect that I have mentioned before. During cold or flu season – if one person lets on that they have the crud… then whether it’s real and people get sick, or not, and they use it to take personal time – it always happens. So there are some days, regardless of how you feel, you must dress up in a smile and show up. Act as if. Act as if you feel okay if you are ready to be there, and as if everything is just fine. Because in leadership, your followers, your team is ALWAYS watching. I’m not asking you to BS your way through it every day, that wouldn’t be healthy. If you are not motivated every day in your role – find something else and go do it. I’m simply acknowledging that we all have “those days” and you have to power through them. And I’ll let you in on a secret, while everyone may show you sympathy, and they will genuinely be concerned. They ultimately don’t care, they are depending on your skills and performance, they are depending on your motivation and ultimately depending on your leadership. So you want to have a killer team environment, want more consistent wins and performance? Know that your team's performance rises and falls on your leadership. Make sure you show up, sometimes fake it until you make it – enhance and amplify your team by pushing yourself to stay motivated.

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It's true. Evolution and sacrifice are different things, but I imagine you know that.

Let me explain the context...This episode came out of a conversation that my wife and I were having about a pop artist last night. While listening to the radio, I commented that, “(The artist) doesn’t know who she is, or who her audience is anymore.” And my wife agreed. We talked for a while about how people put into certain situations, will change for the moment, to fit in, or to gain popularity. Most of the time, the people on the outside can easily see that it’s not really who they are, and they become exposed. And then I got to thinking about that statement…life is about evolving and growing. My wife even said to me, well that person is in a different place than when they started. True, but is it the right place for them, is it a good place – neither of us can answer that question. It’s not our life; not our path.

https://youtu.be/WZYIxDGNZ1o

ev·o·lu·tion - the gradual development of something, especially from a simple to a more complex form.

And in the limelight – it’s way more complex I’m sure.

sac·ri·fice - give up (something important or valued) for the sake of other considerations.

Problem is, that people sacrifice things all the time that shouldn’t be sacrificed. Then they find themselves frustrated and filled with sadness or despair – OR WORSE - Alone, because they sacrificed themselves quickly and for the moment. We all want to grow, and evolve and develop and improve. But, here is where I will caution you: You want to evolve, without sacrificing who you are in your core. You mustn’t give in to popularity and give up your character. Your mental state and your morals. Don’t lose your integrity, you know what right and wrong are, though to some this is subjective at times. This is your truth, which also makes up your moral fiber. Stay true to the core values. The core values of the person that you are, and who you are wanting to become. Values are your essence, they are made up of your character, and integrity, your emotional state, your attitude, your beliefs – it is YOU. When I am looking at these things, right now, in society, there are so many people that will sacrifice who they are - to be liked, or rich, or famous. The problem with that is when you throw in the towel on your values, you create inner turmoil. Your “heart” that knows all the things that you are. And your “head” that knows what you want, even if it’s temporary. It takes far more strength, in my opinion, to stay you, and honor who you are and who you are becoming than to become what others want you to be.

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What if I told you, that it’s okay to NOT have everyone like you.

Historically many influential and now universally loved people were hated in their time. Jesus Christ, Abe Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., just to name a few. Jesus spent his life spreading the word of God, of love, hope, and understanding. The stories of Jesus and lessons in the Bible are wholesome, they are human and real and raw. AND because of his conviction, Jesus was feared, loathed and ultimately crucified, because at the time he was not loved by all. He was feared by those that feared change, by small minds. But, he was loved by a few that made a deep and lasting impact. That impact that is still spreading throughout the world today.

https://youtu.be/bF6pCwer468

We want everyone to like us.

People by default crave interaction. People are social creatures, often, far more than they should be. And as social creatures, we seek approval. We seek appreciation and respect from the people around us. Especially those that we connect with, interact with and view as friends. Most of us wear our emotions on our sleeve, meaning we openly share probably sometimes over share what we are thinking and feeling. It’s the social media phenomenon we are experiencing right now. Seeking other peoples approval is a top social priority and a leading need right now. Everything we do is so public. Someone unfriends us… holy crap the world just might be over… and then we go and have to talk about it. We question first ourselves, did we say or do something wrong? Then we question the other people and their motives. Sometimes it doesn’t even have to do with like. Sometimes you have just outgrown people, or they’ve outgrown you. And that’s okay too, at least it means that people are growing. People who frequently seek the attention and praise of others are looking for an external validation of themselves. Stop investing so much in everyone else’s opinions and be satisfied with what YOU do. Be satisfied with who you are! And stop worrying about if everyone likes you or not. It doesn't matter. Be truly happy with yourself, people can take it or leave it. It won't change your character or who you are, just like you cannot change them.

When you stop worrying about others opinions, you will find your true friends.

These are the people that stick with you no matter what, they are badasses, they SHOULD be your peers. After all, everyone needs approval - I do, you do, everyone. Just pick and choose wisely who your peers are because those are the people that will stretch and grow you. They will make you excellent.  

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Building on Yesterday’s Performance and Getting Better Every Day!

Today, I’m going to give you 10 actions or mindsets to aid you in continually upping your performance.

https://youtu.be/J4LF6NwryS8

Know this, your present conditions reflect decisions you have made in the past. So today, when you look back on yesterday – it was YOU that made the right decisions that garnered you the win and hit the goals you had for yourself at that time. Your decisions and actions today will be reflected in tomorrow’s outcomes. Whatever your best performance was yesterday, you’ve done it, you’ve achieved it. It’s not the BEST anymore. That doesn’t mean that it is an average performance for you, but you only get one BEST. Here is an example: If you put up a phenomenal performance, let’s say in sales. Say you sell 20 (or 30) cars. That is certainly an excellent job. While that may be your best performance now. It’s repeatable. If you invest the same activities, the same time, the same effort or energy, you should get the same or similar results.

#WIN

Once you put points on the board and get what is considered a win, the most successful people up their game. They MUST, something inside them drives them. When the goal is achieved, high performers go after more. High achievers know that if they don’t… then they will become stagnant and just like a train pulling out of the station. It’s tough to get going again.

Here are my 10 keys to remember to building on yesterday’s performance:

1. Success is never as hard as you think it will be. The sooner you start, the sooner it happens. The biggest thing holding you back is just the fear. Fear of rejection, judgement, the unknown… JUST START.
2. (Success) Hitting your goal will never be as good as you think it will be. Often when you make it to the top of the mountain, you look around and say, “Is this all there is?” Enjoy the view for a bit, then climb another mountain, KEEP GOING!
3. Competition isn’t the real enemy of your success. You are. One of your continued goals should be to improve a little each day and strive to be better than yourself. The real testament of success if to improve on your own performance each day.
4. Who you WANT to be, your belief and vision will ALWAYS drive you from within. People that are competitors aren’t afraid to show emotion and allow it to steer them. They lead from their heart. When they feel it is right – they go there.
5. Setup and preparation is as important as your actions. You must have a plan to act on, and you must act on your plan. If you are in constant preparation mode, nothing may ever get done. If you are DOING things and taking action without a plan, many time things won’t get done correctly. So performance takes a little of each – preparation and action.
6. Time management is a farce. You cannot manage time, you can only manage the actions that you put into that time. When you look at it, there is really a lot you can accomplish in 5 or 10 minutes. Make 3 phones calls and connect with someone, make dinner, drive across town, write a blog, listen to an uplifting message. You just have to decide and then GO!
7. Get up early. There is a tremendous amount of success that happens in the hour before the sun comes up.
8. Stay up late. After the sun sets, there is a lot that can get done. Gary Vaynerchuk writes and talks about the accomplishments between 9 pm and 1 am. That is 4 hours a day. In 4 hours a day, 28 hours a week, you can build something massive, you can run an entire business!
9. Stay humble. Continue to show up for the love of the game. Show up to train and to learn. Show up for the win. Be mindful, you don’t have to brag or boast when you do win, your actions and the accomplishment will do that for you.
10. Study to learn and grow. You do not just receive information automatically, you must deliberately want to learn, and you have to look for learning opportunities in every situation. The interactions of people are just as valuable as a classroom learning situation.

BONUS –

When you conduct training, you can improve others, you add value to them and when you do - you too will improve. You should be excellent at a skill to be able to teach a skill. SO, when you invest time to train or mentor someone else in a skill and it will keep you sharp.

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