Tomorrow's Leader

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In the business world, there is a constant tug-of-war between doing something ‘right’ and doing it fast. Should leadership prioritize speed or quality? Today host John Laurito talks about the age-old dilemma: Is speed more important than quality? It depends on the situational context – but even then, the right answer can be far from obvious.

Show notes:
[0:39] Perfecting the turkey
[1:44] Everything riddle
[3:48] Sometimes speed is more important than quality
[8:38] Do a better job by asking
[10:20] Outro

Send your answers to today’s riddle to 860-573-7230 or to [email protected]

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Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

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In today’s episode, host John Laurito speaks with New York Times best-selling Author and one of America’s most prolific ghostwriters and journalists, Michael Levin. They talk about how Michael started his career, from being a lawyer – and not liking it – to finally trying a hand at what he loved: writing. He also shares his experience and lessons from being on Shark Tank.

Michael Levin is a nationally acclaimed thought leader on the subject of the future of book publishing. Michael believes that the traditional publishing model is dead, thanks to the long-term foolishness of the major houses and their willful ignorance of new technologies for the marketing and distribution of books. Levin appeared on ABC's Shark Tank for his ghostwriting company, BusinessGhost, Inc., which has authored more than 120 books. E-Myth creator Michael Gerber says Levin has created more successful books than any human being in history. He has written with Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield, football broadcasting legend Pat Summerall, football stars Chad Hennings and Maurice Jones-Drew, NBA star Doug Christie, and Fox News broadcaster Chris Myers, among many others. He also edited Zig Ziglar’s most recent book, Born To Win. Michael has contributed to The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CBS News, Forbes.com, The Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, and many other top media sources.

Get in touch with Michael:
Website: https://www.michaellevinwrites.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thebestearningauthor/
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 617-543-3747

Show notes:
[2:21] What’s Michael’s story?
[7:47] How being on Shark Tank came about
[14:41] An interesting story from Shark Tank
[16:36] How his works get into TV and movies
[18:40] When did he feel that his career was heading in the right direction?
[21:23] What are you most proud of?
[25:52] Has he been in a middle of a project and realized he didn’t like where it was going?
[27:48] Everything that happens to us comes through people
[37:55[ On finding his unique ability
[40:10] Where to find Michael
[41:52] Outro

Get a copy of Tomorrow's Leader on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/huseae9h

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

For questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at [email protected]

Send a text

In today’s episode, host John Laurito talks about having a CEO mindset with Christine Gaze. She shares her turning point of wanting to change how conferences and meetings are handled to allow more thought-sharing and engagement, especially from the team. Christine also shares what a disengaged leader looks like, so make sure you tune in because you might be unintentionally disengaging yourself not only from meetings but from your team.

Christine Gaze is the founder and managing partner of Purpose Consulting Group, LLC, a practice management consulting firm that develops comprehensive thought leadership and training programs to engage and advance financial professionals. Over the course of her career, she has developed programs that have influenced top advisors in all channels and generated billions in new assets.

Christine is the former Head of Practice Management at TD Ameritrade, where she and her team developed a practice management platform to attract and educate mega advisors. Previously, she was Managing Director and Head of Professional Development at AllianceBernstein and was instrumental in the formation of the practice management consulting group at Wachovia Securities. Christine is also intimately familiar with educating advisors in the field, having led private banking sales teams at both Morgan Stanley and Prudential Securities. Christine built her foundation in financial services as a successful advisor at Merrill Lynch which
continues to inform her approach to this day.

Want to learn more about Christine Gaze and Purpose Consulting Group?
Website: https://www.purposeconsultinggroup.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinegaze/

Show notes:
[2:25] The mistakes a leader can make from the lens of Christine
[5:10] Becoming aware of a well-run or an ineffective meeting
[9:22] Righting the wrongs
[14:59] How Christine changed the way conferences/meetings were conducted
[18:33] The importance of staying focused and engaged during meetings, especially if you are a leader
[22:47] What questions should leaders be asking to approach a meeting better?
[25:54] Take time and give space for you and your organization to think through things
[29:07] Where to find more about Christine   
[30:31] Outro

Get a copy of Tomorrow's Leader on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/huseae9h

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

For questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at [email protected]

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In today’s episode, host John Laurito discusses the importance of preparation, which also increases your confidence. It may seem insignificant in some aspects of business and your day-to-day tasks, but you should never underestimate the power of preparation. The quality of your preparation will directly influence the quality of your performance.

Show notes:
[0:44] Riddle… it’s been a while
[2:42] Thanks for your reviews!
[4:23] The power of preparation and attention-to-detail
[7:29] Have the confidence of a champ but prepare like the underdog
[12:30] You can never prepare enough
[14:49] Outro

Send your answers to today’s riddle to 860-573-7230 or to [email protected]

Get a copy of Tomorrow's Leader on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/huseae9h

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

For questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at [email protected]

Send a text

In this episode, John talks to Accomplished Athlete and Coach Derek Yorek about the importance of both discipline and determination to accomplish your goals. Derek also shares his experience during the 2015 Boston Marathon and his biggest Whys to everything he does.

Austin runners may remember Yorek when he made his mark by winning the Keep Austin Weird, Run for the water 10 miler, CapTexTri, and Elite Congress Ave Mile. A larger audience remembers that in 2015 he led the Boston Marathon with a crazy 4:27 sprint-to-the-front first mile (captured on national sports news) before fading to a more pedestrian 3:04 finish.

Derek Yorek is a highly accomplished athlete and coach. Derek is a 3-time collegiate All-American, Professional Triathlete, and is now a member of the Spartan pro team.

He now lives in Bentonville, AR, with his wife and two daughters. He is a CrossFit Coach, a personal endurance Coach, and serves in the Army National Guard.

Learn more about Derek at:
IG: https://www.instagram.com/yorekfitish/
YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxMAJ4u9O6qB8ffjScGuYVQ


Show notes:
[4:03] The before, during, and after of the Boston Marathon
[19:06] The power of a strong Why
[23:11] What’s the most pain he has been in?
[28:33] What do the hardships he overcame do to him mentally?
[35:16] Being the Holistic Health and Fitness Coordinator of the Arkansas Army National Guard
[37:55] Where to find Derek
[39:18] Outro

Get a copy of Tomorrow's Leader on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/huseae9h

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

For questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at [email protected]

Send a text

"The definition of insanity is expecting things to change when I haven't changed anything about what I do or anything about the circumstances."

For the past 20 years, host John Laurito has been speaking at events all over the world to share his knowledge on what makes the best leaders so good (personally or professionally). Recently, he realized that his own perfectionism was holding him back from being an effective leader. He would get so caught up in making sure everything was perfect that he would miss deadlines or not even start projects. He decided that the only way to overcome this was to put some of his leadership responsibilities in the hands of others—delegating. This has been a game-changer for him, and he can now focus on the things that he is good at and make progress instead of getting bogged down in details.

Show notes:
[1:12] The problem with perfectionism
[4:00] Is your life affected by perfectionism?
[5:23] John’s recommendation if you are plagued by perfectionism
[8:49] Outro

Get a copy of Tomorrow's Leader on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/huseae9h

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

For questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at [email protected]

Send a text

In this episode, host John Laurito talks with the CEO, President, and Chairperson of Merchants Fleet, Brendan Keegan. They talk about how Brendan got into leadership at a young age and how he developed the skill through the years and became the outstanding leader he is today. He also shares how he used the same skill and helped push the companies he worked for forward on gigantic scales.

Brendan P. Keegan is the President, CEO & Chairperson of Merchants Fleet, the fastest-growing FleetTech company in North America. He previously served Merchants as a board member, compensation committee chair, strategic advisor, and client. Keegan is an award-winning 6-time president and chief executive officer, having raised nearly $5.0B in capital and returned over $10.0B to investors. Keegan has experience in business transformation, capital raises, strategy development, revenue growth, operational scale, technology enablement, and enterprise value creation with successful liquidity exits.

With a background in the financial services, technology, and professional service industries, Keegan has led companies ranging from 500 to 10,000 employees. He started his career at EDS as a systems engineer; there, Keegan progressed through the ranks rapidly, becoming the youngest Chief Sales Officer at a Fortune 100 company.

During his time with Merchants, he has been named the world’s Most Innovative CEO by CEO World Awards®; Executive of the Year by Best in Biz Awards; Visionary of the Year by Globee Awards; Executive of the Year by Business Intelligence Group; NH Business Leader of the Year by Business NH Magazine; Maverick of the Year by Stevie Awards® and Inspiring Leader of the Year by TITAN Awards. He has led Merchants to be a two-time Inc 5000 Fastest-Growing Private Company, Deloitte Best Managed Company, Fast Company Top 10 Most Innovative Company, and more.

Keegan is a member of the Forbes Technology Council and is an editorial contributor to Entrepreneur Media, Fox News Digital, Inc. Magazine, the Newsweek Expert Forum, and sits on the Executive Board for Fast Company, He received his Bachelor’s Degree from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, MBA from George Washington University, and Executive Certificates from Harvard, Columbia, UPenn, MIT, Yale and the University of Chicago.

Connect with Keegan at:
Website: https://www.merchantsfleet.com/
                       https://brendanpkeegan.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanpkeegan/


Show notes:
[2:39] Was there a leadership moment in Brendan’s life that pushed him to get into leadership?
[7:14] Is there more that can be done to develop leadership?
[9:29] Looking back, was there a point in his career where he thought he made a good move?
[16:49] How did he bring people together and make them one?
[20:50] Organizing people and bringing them around a common goal
[24:36] How can leaders create a culture that lets people feel that their opinion is valued?
[30:11] What keeps Brendan awake at night?
[33:08] Maintaining the ideal culture for long term
[35:47] What’s Brendan’s vision for Merchants Fleet?
[37:03] Seizing the moments and having faith in yourself
[40:26] How can people push themselves a little more?
[42:45] How can people learn more about Brendan and Merchants Fleet?
[44:03] Outro

Get a copy of Tomorrow's Leader on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/huseae9h

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

For questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at [email protected]

Send a text

A mentor is a person who gives a younger or less experienced person help and advice over a period of time. Today host John Laurito talks about the importance of having a mentor and how it impacts and changes your life by simply adding someone in your life who can guide you and help you learn the ropes of something you want to excel on.

Show notes:
[0:53] Storytime
[3:23] Can you add a mentor to your life?
[5:48] What doesn’t make the mentorship successful?
[7:10] Think about it…
[8:28] Outro

Get a copy of Tomorrow's Leader on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/huseae9h

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

For questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at [email protected]

Send a text

Today host John Laurito is joined by Hall Of Fame Speaker, Best Selling Author, Coach, and President of Blackman and Associates, Jeff Blackman. They talk about the importance of listening to your people as a leader and how it can help you hit the mark in terms of directing your company to where you want it to go. 

As a speaker, author, success coach, radio/TV broadcaster, and lawyer, Jeff combines his background to help you become an even more powerful, persuasive, and profitable—individual, team, or company.

Since 1982, Jeff has shared his positive and profit-producing messages with numerous; Fortune 500 companies, closely-held businesses, entrepreneurial-driven organizations, solo practitioners, and association audiences throughout the world.

Jeff is a Contributing Editor or columnist to many magazines and newspapers. His best-selling books include; the Opportunity $elling sales quotation book and the revised and upgraded 5th edition of Peak Your Profits. The bestselling RESULT$ and Carpe A.M. • Carpe P.M. – Seize Your Destiny books, And Stop Whining! Start Selling! achieved “Bestseller” status on Amazon within one month of its release.

In business, quality is measured by results. Jeff guarantees results. Be sure to take a peek at his incredible No-Risk Assurance. As a dynamic and multi-faceted business-growth specialist, Jeff shares his positive and profit-producing messages with corporate, association, and entrepreneurial audiences throughout the world. From the boardroom to the ballroom.

Jeff is a happy husband, devoted father, veteran softball player, avid biker—and a loyal or nutty Chicago Cubs fan! He and his family are also crazy Chicago Blackhawks, Bears, and Bulls fans. (They also love the Cubs, yet spend lots of their time, aside from the 2016 World Series Championship, consoling Jeff!) On Sunday nights, the Blackmans can often be spotted together at a local hip, happenin’, or dive restaurant…eating, talking, and laughing!

Learn more about Jeff at:
Website: https://www.jeffblackman.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-blackman-j-d-csp-cpae-349233/
FB: https://tinyurl.com/FacebookBlackmanResults
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BlackmanResults

Get your own sweet sixteen! Email Sheryl at [email protected] with the subject “Sweet Sixteen John Rocks”


Show notes:
[1:53] What’s foremost on the minds of leaders he works with?
[6:12] What keeps leaders up at night? Keeping their clients or employees?
[11:10] How do CEOs find out that there’s a problem?
[20:09] The Relationship Power
[22:50] His upcoming book, Bullseye: Hitting Your Targets At Home and At Work
[25:50] Words of wisdom from Jeff
[28:21] Outro

Get a copy of Tomorrow's Leader on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/huseae9h

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

For questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at [email protected]

Send a text

In today’s episode, host John Laurito talks with the President of Walton Insurance Group, Kyle O’Malley, about the importance of servant leadership and building a winning culture in an organization. He also talks about the challenges he has faced since becoming president of Walton Insurance. He also shares his advice for leaders looking to improve their company’s culture.

Kyle O’Malley is the President and Shareholder of the Jackson, Michigan-based Walton Insurance Group. He is also an active Senior Advisor and Board Member of Worth Investment Group, a Michigan-based privately held diversified financial holding company, and serves on the Board of the Judson Center, one of Michigan’s largest not-for-profit human services organizations. Kyle is a Past President and Secretary of the Board. 

He grew up in Kitchener, Ontario, where he played and coached youth hockey, and moved to Michigan in 1997 to work for Penske Corporation.  Kyle has been actively coaching and managing Michigan youth hockey teams within the Ann Arbor Amateur Hockey Association, the Victory Honda Hockey Association, The Farmington Hills Hockey Association, and the Compuware Hockey Association. Kyle lives in Ann Arbor with his wife, Chris, and their four children.

Reach out to Kyle:
Website: https://www.waltoninsurancegroup.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kyleomalleypandc/
Email: [email protected]

Show notes:
[1:50] What does servant leadership look like to Kyle?
[3:21] What are the challenges that Kyle faces right now?
[5:53] How does Kyle deal with someone who’s underperforming?
[7:34] How does he find the balance between being empathetic and allowing excuses for underperformance?
[10:48] What are the communication mistakes that leaders often make?
[13:41] What action steps can leaders take to improve their culture?
[19:59] Outro

Get a copy of Tomorrow's Leader on Amazon https://tinyurl.com/huseae9h

Text LEADER to 617-393-5383 to receive The Top 10 Things That The Best Leaders Are Doing Right Now

For questions, suggestions, or speaker inquiries, contact me at [email protected]