Instead of always harping on a man’s faults, tell him of his virtues. Try to pull him out of his rut of bad habits. Hold up to him his better self, his real self that can dare and do and win out. —Eleanor H. Porter

On Today’s Episode:

* Carla and I are talking about getting out of a rut

* Harvard Business Review’s research to get unstuck

* When ruts are most likely to happen

* LEAP: my preferred system to jump-start the team

* Laugh

* Exercise

* Art

* Praise

Everyone can get stuck in a rut; that’s the easy part. The hard part is getting yourself (or your team) out of that rut. The system that I’ve used at Southwest Michigan First for years has been successful time and again to jump-start the motivation and gain back the momentum. Listen in to hear more about getting your team unstuck.

I hope you enjoyed today’s episode, and I’d love to hear your suggestions for future topics by dropping me a line or tweeting me @ronkitchens. See you next week!

Always Forward.

—Ron

Question: How would you get yourself or your team out of a rut? 

The issues that divide us are second in priority to the way we respond to each other. —Lucas Ramirez

On Today’s Episode:

* Lucas Ramirez, author of Designed for More, will be joining us at Catalyst University on June 20.

* How the term “murmuration” goes beyond birds and is important to leadership

* How unity drives all great teams

* The importance of learning to redefine our flock

* The danger of over-identifying with smaller groups

Today’s episode is a re-launch of an interview I did with Lucas Ramirez last fall. Lucas has such an amazing outlook on how to drive unity and make teams thrive that I wanted to share it with you again in preparation for him to join us on June 20 for Catalyst University. If you want to connect further with Lucas, you can find him on Twitter and on Instagram. And if you would like to come see him and many other amazing speakers at Catalyst University, you can register here!

Always Forward.

Ron

Question: How can you encourage a culture of unity and civility in discussions within your organization? 

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

On Today’s Episode:

* I talk with Carla about enthusiasm in the workplace

* Tiggers vs. Eeyores

* Make a plan and get on board

* Building enthusiasm through gratitude

When we talk about enthusiasm, we are not talking about a relentless, bouncing positivity. We are talking about a drive to approach all situations, whether good or bad, with a positive outlook and a drive to make the best decisions possible. The best ways to drive enthusiasm that I have found are to express appreciation and gratitude, as well as having a scoreboard that clearly lays out the goals and milestones for my team.

I’d love to hear your suggestions for future topics by dropping me a line or tweeting me @ronkitchens. Make this week amazing!

Always Forward.

—Ron

Question: What tasks are a source of energy for you? How can you apply that kind of enthusiasm to your whole day?

What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while. —Gretchen Rubin

On Today’s Episode:

* Gretchen Rubin, author of The Four Tendencies

* What is really at play when creating habits?

* The four personality types (tendencies) Gretchen discovered

* Tailoring communications and workflow with these personality types

* The one unifying leadership characteristic for all personality types

Today’s episode is a re-launch of an interview I did with Gretchen last year. I wanted to share it with you again because Gretchen will be joining us on June 20 for Catalyst University and this interview gives such a great introduction to her and her works. I’m so excited for Gretchen to share more of her tools to guide you to success in June!

If you’d like to join us on June 20 for Catalyst University, you can register here. If you have any questions or feedback, drop me a line or tweet me @ronkitchens.

Always Forward.

—Ron

Question: What is a habit you’d like to create? Why is it important to you?

Make a conscious decision to put people in opportunities that are beyond their comfort zone. —Ron Kitchens

On Today’s Episode:

* Carla and I talk about “inboarding” (a method to help employees improve their knowledge and skills to grow within the organization)

* The 90-day turnover problem

* Providing safe space for your people to jump into new opportunities

* The rule of the tall poppy

* Don’t wait to develop your team

In today’s time of full employment, it can be brutal trying to find talent. That is why I am so adamant about encouraging my team to find their own lane at Southwest Michigan First. I want people to have the job of their dreams, and sometimes that means switching roles within our organization. The beauty of inboarding is that when someone steps into a new role, you will already know that they are a cultural fit. 

I’d love to hear your suggestions for future topics. Simply drop me a line or tweet me @ronkitchens. Have an awesome week!

Always Forward.

—Ron

Question: If someone in your organization leaves, who would you delegate those responsibilities to? Has that person had opportunities to develop the necessary skills? What are you waiting for?

Impossible became “I’m possible.” And if I’m possible, everyone’s possible. —Jeremy Cowart

On Today’s Episode:

* Jeremy Cowart joins me to share his remarkable journey; Jeremy is an artist, the founder of The Purpose Hotel and will be joining us on June 20, 2019, at Catalyst University

* The importance of being intentional about with whom you surround yourself

* The Purpose Hotel and Jeremy’s humanitarian vision

* How to move past resistance and fear

After being named the “Most Influential Photographer on the Internet” by Huffington Post, Forbes and Yahoo in 2014, Jeremy Cowart’s goal in life became to use his creative platform to change lives. Jeremy’s approach to art and his dedication to his family make him a deep well of inspiration. He dives deeper into his story in his upcoming book, “I’m Possible: Jumping Into Fear and Discovering a Life of Purpose” which releases on April 16. (You can pre-order it here.)

If you’d like to join us on June 20 to see Jeremy tell his amazing story in-person, you can register here. If you have any questions or feedback, drop me a line or tweet me @ronkitchens.

Always Forward.

—Ron

Question: How do you ensure you are making the right decisions?

Today’s time of full employment is the time to curate an environment that’s supportive of employees speaking their dreams. —Ron Kitchens

On Today’s Episode:

* Carla and my conversation about personal leadership plans

* The importance of daring to dream big

* My eclectic music tastes come to light

* Speaking your dreams out loud

* Being the hero of your own story

I love Jay-Z’s belief in speaking things into existence. Too often, we stay in a role or job too long because it’s comfortable. I get it, dreaming big is scary. But if you do not speak your dreams out loud to someone who can help you grow, you’re never going to do great things. Do something scary and cut through the fear of admitting your lofty goals. Then, make a plan to make that dream happen.

I’d love to hear what your dreams are. You can send me a message here or tweet me @ronkitchens. And if you have any ideas or questions, please feel free to connect with me as well.

Always Forward.

—Ron

Question: What’s your dream? Who should hear your dream that can help you get there? Why haven’t you told them?

Integrity first. Service before self. Excellence in all we do. — Tim Scott

On Today’s Episode:

* Tim Scott from Mitscoots Outfitters, who is joining us at Catalyst University on June 20

* Mitscoots makes gear with a mission: get + give + employ

* Leading with integrity as a foundation of your organization and business

* The importance of quality

* As business leaders, making the right decisions rather than quick decisions

Today’s episode is a re-launch of a previous interview I did with Tim back in late 2017. I wanted to share it with you again because he shared some amazing insights during that interview. Tim will be joining us on June 20 for Catalyst University and I’m so excited for him to share more of his story (and gear) with you that day!

If you’d like to join us on June 20 to see Tim live and in-person, you can register here. If you have any questions or feedback, drop me a line or tweet me @ronkitchens. Have a great week!

Always Forward.

—Ron

Question: How do you ensure you are making the right decisions?

The only way to thrive and succeed today is through accelerating people. — Ron Kitchens

On Today’s Episode:

* Carla and I talk about the talent shortage

* How lack of population is going to disrupt all areas of employment

* Coaching green talent to accelerate and lead teams

* My favorite metaphor about prospective employees

* The importance of developing your team

In a time of full employment, it’s scary to think that in just the Southwest Michigan region alone, we will be facing a 35,000-person shortage in the next 10 years. Holding onto your talent is becoming more important than ever. I hope today’s episode helps frame the conversation and gives you ideas on how to help close the gap.

If you have any questions about today’s episode or if you have ideas for a future episode, please reach out. You can send me a message here or tweet me @ronkitchens.

Always Forward.

—Ron

Question: What are you doing to curb your talent woes?

It’s my goal to help you live your life, not let your life live you. — Carlos Whittaker

On Today’s Episode:

* Carla interviews Carlos Whittaker, who will be joining us on June 20, 2019, at Catalyst University.

* Being a “Moment Maker” is not about one moment

* How Carlos’ father has been his biggest inspiration

* How to pay attention on purpose and with purpose

* Carlos’ thoughts on the biggest challenge facing leaders today

Carlos is such a dynamic, engaging person. I’m so excited to welcome him to Catalyst University on June 20; his story is funny yet life-changing. You can follow Carlos on Twitter @loswhit and Instagram @loswhit.

If you’d like to join us on June 20 to see Carlos live and in-person, you can register here. If you have any questions or feedback, drop me a line or tweet me @ronkitchens. Have a great week!

Always Forward.

—Ron

Question: What is a small moment that, in hindsight, has made a huge impact on your life?