People struggle to articulate how they add value. They've either never taken the time to think about it. Or, they have some idea but feel like talking about it is arrogant or self-promoting. Here's a different way to think about it: If you're committed to the mission of your organization, you have an obligation to use your strengths to further that mission. To help others see what those strengths are you must demonstrate them AND you must talk about them. To talk about them, you must know them. Also, when you know them, you'll understand just how many ways you can make a contribution. You'll see so many more opportunities to serve them. Treating every interaction as a sacred opportunity to leave the other person a little better off is the best way I know to create positive change and to do it more quickly than you can imagine! Here's the worksheet for you to document your personal inventory: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-EXDTANNs2DNkHjTgsGkUTEwVhWldNyZ/view?usp=sharing (Personal Value Inventory) Here's the simple framework you can use to synthesize how you help people down into a single sentence: I help <who do you help?> Do this <what do you help them do?> So they can <what does your help allow them to achieve> And not <what pain do you help them avoid?> Here's mine so you can get the idea: I help leaders and teams who want to make a positive difference Unlock collective wisdom and rapidly innovate So they can successfully and skillfully execute on the goals that matter most And not struggle with mediocrity and untapped potential

Did you know that 80-90% of the competencies that differentiate high performers fall in the realm of emotional intelligence? Do you find yourself pushing aside "bad" emotions? Do you get stuck wallowing in your emotions or reacting to them in ways that are clearly unproductive? Do you find yourself reacting to your emotional triggers rather than effectively navigating challenging situations? If any of that sounds like you, you're certainly not alone! In this episode I give you an overview of emotional excellence and why it's a critical skill for every leader. Here are some great resources for you to learn even more: At the Heart of Leadership The Gift and Power of Emotional Courage Adelson's Checkerboard Illusion Man's Search for Meaning If you find this podcast valuable please, rate, subscribe and share! It really helps us spread our message!

What a thrill for this was! I had the chance to have a wonderful conversation with August Turak, author of the Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks. We chatted about so many things including: how he came to the decision to write this book how it's in our self-interest to forget our self-interest and what that means for capitalism what a middle manager can do to be unfailingly effective and create massive positive change what it means to aim past the target the importance of selflessness, self-knowledge and authenticity August Turak is an award-winning author, speaker, consultant and contributor for Forbes.com and the BBC. He is also the founder of the spiritual and educational nonprofit the Self Knowledge Symposium Foundation (SKSF). A super successful entrepreneur and corporate executive, Turak attributes much of his success to living and working alongside the Trappist monks of Mepkin Abbey since 1996. As a frequent monastic guest, he learned firsthand from the monks as they grew an incredibly successful portfolio of businesses. When he is not praying and working alongside the Trappist monks of Mepkin Abbey, he works with his nonprofit and lives on a seventy-five-acre farm near Raleigh, North Carolina. Here's an overview of August's amazing book - https://www.amazon.com/Business-Secrets-Trappist-Monks-Authenticity/dp/0231160631 (Business Secrets of the Trappist Monks)! Service and selflessness are at the heart of the 1,500-year-old monastic tradition's remarkable business success. It is an ancient though immensely relevant economic model that preserves what is positive and productive about capitalism while transcending its ethical limitations and internal contradictions. Combining vivid case studies from his thirty-year business career with intimate portraits of the monks at work, Turak shows how Trappist principles can be successfully applied to a variety of secular business settings and to our personal lives as well. He demonstrates that monks and people like Warren Buffett are wildly successful not despite their high principles but because of them. Turak also introduces other "transformational organizations" that share the crucial monastic business strategies so critical for success.

We all find ourselves in situations we don't like or that are unfolding differently than we hoped. Many turn their view outwards and look for people to blame. Heroic Middle Managers do the opposite. They turn the mirror on themselves. They know they are the only ones they have control over. They ask themselves powerful questions to learn more. They reframe discomfort as growth. They ask themselves and others how they can be more effective. Be heroic.

In this episode I dive into the 6 foundational questions you can use to create incredible conversations in any context. It might be a one-on-one conversation with someone, a facilitated conversation with your team or something on an even larger scale. These questions can be used on their own or combined to generate inspiration, alignment and innovation more quickly than you ever though possible. So what are they? Questions that connect us to a shared purpose Questions that study the best of the past (moments of excellence) Questions that study the best of the present (what's working right now) Questions that imagine our brightest future Questions that generate new, innovative ideas Questions that inspire purposeful action As a middle manager (and human being) your questions are fateful. They change the future before you even have the answers. Choose wisely

In this episode I talk about the importance of creating a sense of belonging on your team. This is more of a conceptual monologue - we'll talk more specifics on later episodes. There are three main ideas to think about: Creating psychological safety Connecting to a shared transcendent purpose Inviting more voices into your most important conversations Learn more about Project Aristotle and Google's findings https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/28/what-google-learned-in-its-quest-to-build-the-perfect-team.html (here.)

Are you ready to become a Heroic Middle Manager? Of course you are! This podcast is dedicated to bringing you big ideas and practical tools that you can apply in your team (and in your life) right away! Here's what you have to look forward to: Incredible authors and thought leaders Real managers in the trenches right now Senior leaders sharing their stories and lessons Live coaching sessions ...and powerful tools and tactics you can apply right away Thanks for listening and remember...if you love what you heard then please give us a rating and review. It really helps us reach more people!