“If you want to get somewhere you’ve never been, you need to make an investment. You need to invest your time, money and energy. An investment is a sacrifice. And sacrifice is required for success.” – Kevin Eastman
To truly pursue excellence, you need to WATCH, READ and DO!
Watch
In this episode we take a look back to 2018 at the retirement speech of New Orleans Saints Zach Strief as he shared why Drew Brees was his biggest inspiration and what it meant to play alongside him.
Here are my 3 most meaningful take-a-ways from Zach…
- He recognized that Drew’s preparation and work ethic during the Unseen Hours were unparalleled.
- He acknowledged the countless sacrifices that Drew made on a consistent basis to help the team win.
- He praised Drew as the best leader he’s ever been around and that he is an ever better person than player.
Read
One of the most common questions I get asked as I travel the world is also one of my favorites:
“What advice do you have for young leaders?”
I love this question because it comes from a place of humility and erases all air of entitlement.
It’s funny how maturity works. When I was 25, I thought I knew everything. And now at 43, I not only realize how much I didn’t know then, but even more importantly, how much more I still need to learn!
And therein lies my first piece of advice to younger, less experienced “leaders:”
- Always stay humble, acknowledge you don’t have all of the answers (and never will), and be open to learning anything and everything you can from anyone and everyone you can.
- The best investment you can make is an investment in yourself. You need to work as hard on yourself as you do on your craft. You need to develop yourself as a whole person. You need to be very intentional in developing yourself mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. The only way you can maximize your ability to lead is to maximize yourself as a person.
- Put effort and focus into developing quality relationships. Relationships with your fellow employees, with your staff and with your colleagues. It is about connection. It’s about establishing trust. It’s about being fully invested into serving others. Any investment you make into forging quality relationships is well worth your time and effort. The relationships you create are your most valuable currency.
- Work on your craft every single day. Do something every day of your life that helps you grow and develop. Read, watch and listen to any quality resource you can to help you improve your leadership, communication, teaching and organization. Being a true leader is not one-dimensional.
- Dedicate yourself to serving others. Commit to adding value to everyone and everything you come in contact with. Focus on making everyone around you better by putting their interests, their needs and their goals first. Be the type of leader that people want to work with. Be a true servant leader. Bring energy, enthusiasm, and effort to every day. When you see a problem, fix it. Be a problem solver, not problem maker. The world has enough of those already!
So that’s it! Develop yourself, forge quality relationships, work on your craft, and serve others. Do those 4 things consistently.
Sounds easy, right? It’s not. Basic? Yes. But definitely not easy. But then again, neither is being a great leader.
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Do
Write down your normal morning routine. What time do you usually get up? What do you do first? How do you spend the first 60 minutes of your day? Write down your normal evening routine. What time do you usually go to bed? How do you spend the last 60 minutes of your day?
If you could snap your fingers and magically add one positive habit to either routine, what would it be? If you could snap your fingers and magically remove one negative habit from either routine, what would it be?
If your organization could use a meaningful, memorable, and impactful keynote speaker, I’d love to work with you! All of my programs are customized and personalized for each audience. Contact Michelle Joyce, my Director of Events, for more information HERE.
Thanks for taking this Full Time Out with me. I appreciate your presence!
