Life Lesson

The signs and signals aren’t always positive.

The ideas aren’t game changers in the sense of a trajectory forward.

The examples aren’t of someone striking the lottery with an idea.

Signs of a remarkable leader often come from almost the opposite of what we’d expect.

A leader points out that something doesn’t work…even if that something has been done for awhile and others are bought in. It’s pointing out the ineffectiveness when they know doing so goes against the grain.

The idea may be self-inflicting. It may be about moving backward before being able to move forward.

The examples are of someone who has all the ideas that don’t win the lottery so someone else may be the one to get the one that does.

Stay Positive & Leaders Embrace The Discomfort

A relationship hack learned a long time ago: if there’s something you disagree on, you both share the number on a scale of 1-10 how important it is to you. The person with the higher number is the one who’s decision is selected. Reason being? Most disagreements are merely sourced from a misunderstanding of importance to someone else.

You can apply this methodology to other facets of life, too.

When your boss asks you to do something, it’s worth sharing how high it ranks in priority of other efforts you have underway. Their reaction of your ranking will be exactly what you need to help either prioritize it more, de-prioritize, or simply put, you’re aligned. Most frustrations in the work space are sourced from the difference in expectations. There can’t be a difference when you’re both vocal about the ranking.

The two punch strategy to alignment and eliminating resistance: Rate the importance and share that rating.

Stay Positive & Smoother Sailing Ahead

They’re the risky ones, but the ones that pay off.

The decision to wake up at 5 a.m. to workout is a valid decision to make in advance, even if you’re one that’s up at that time anyway.

The decision that impacts others may be best made in advance of their knowledge. Not always, but sometimes.

Here’s the thing we know about decisions. Once we decide, our brains come in for the assist on rationalizing it further.

Having that rationalization down-pat may just help communicate with the team once the decision impacts them.

The way a leader puts their mark on being remarkable is their ability to decide fast; and sometimes that just means deciding in advance.

Stay Positive & What Are You Doing Tomorrow?

You can build repeatability into a product or service.

With how obvious repeatability is in some products (think Netflix or Venmo, for example), it can be written off as a fit for them but not us.

Repeatability with a book for example is unheard of, right? What author writes with intention of having their book re-read by someone?

Rare. But existent. (Think Tom Robbins or Paulo Coelho, for example ).

But I’d argue it’s worth addressing with whatever project you’re working on.

What can you do not to ensure it’s visited again and again? Can you build connection into it? Because that’s the key to repeatability. It’s not your project that turns anyone on, but the connection it enables them to have with others because of it.

Lean into that and you lean into repeatability.

Stay Positive & Need I Repeat Myself?

I just had someone come to check out the motorcycle I was selling. I smiled when I saw they had a trailer hooked up to their truck; a significant signal of purchase intention.

Oscar Wild mentioned that you can never be over-dressed or over-educated for meetings. Reason being? It sends a signal.

We’re walking beacons of signals. As many thoughts as we may have in a moment, we have as many signals being sent.

The look on our face. The way we sigh. What we’re wearing.

Just as it’s on us to control our thinking; it’s on us to control the signals we’re sending.

Stay Positive & Sorry, There’s No Off Button

People who make the time to do the things no one else makes the time to do? That’s the good stuff.

The volunteers. The leaders. The connectors.

The people who care the most in an org – that’s the good stuff.

Those who show up consistently. That’s the good stuff.

Stay Positive & Are You Good Stuff?

There’s no shortage of questions to ask yourself about a project or an ask you’re making to someone or a purchase or that text or…

But one to check in on is this: how is this impacting morale?

At the end of the day, your goals require people’s energy, and the best way to impact energy levels is to be intentional about doing so.

How will changing the target sales goals impact morale?

How will that text to your team impact morale?

How will submitting for that award – that won’t drive any new business – impact morale?

Ever wonder why every notable leader is considered a morale booster?

Stay Positive & They Need A Boost