Focus on being a Contender, not a Pretender!

Many times in life, we feel like an imposter. We feel we are not as equipped or capable as we are. In other words, we feel like we are a pretender and not a contender! We believe we will be found wanting if we attempted to do something new or harder. The good news is many of overcome these feelings and succeed. This got me thinking out loud about how we move from pretension to contention!

Often when we are faced with a new challenge, job, or opportunity, the unspoken question is “Can I?” Nothing better illustrates this than every fall when millions of young (or not so young!) people start college. Whether they say it loud or not, they are asking many “Can I” questions.

• Can I handle the work academically?

• Can I succeed socially?

• Can I make an impact while I am here?

• Can I find my “why”?

Many of us ask similar questions later in life when faced with bigger jobs, newer roles, or trying something new. Here’s the thing, asking “Can I?” is natural. It probably is an evolutionary fail-safe that keeps us out of trouble in situations like wondering if I am a good enough skier to handle the steepest and fastest runs versus the beginner’s slope (that answer for me is NO by the way!). But short of life-threatening situations, the answer is often YES! So here are some things to think about to move yourself from pretender to contender.

Focus on the POSITIVES. Speaker and author Paul Martinelli encourages us to ask, ‘What is the BEST that can happen?” as opposed to our usual “What is the worst that can happen?” when confronted with a new opportunity. The first is empowering while the latter often stops us cold!

Focus on SOLUTIONS. Leadership expert John Maxwell encourages us to change the paradigm. Instead of asking “Can I?”, try asking “HOW Can I?”. In other words, look at a new role or opportunity as a puzzle to be solved. Working the problem is far more productive than enlarging the problem!

Focus on MINDSET. We become what we think about. If you believe you are a contender, then you will marshal the resources to become one. Even if you are not 100% equipped (and whoever is?) for what you are facing, the right mindset and attitude can help carry you the rest of the way.

Focus on EQUIPPING. I have often advised young professionals to seek roles that may be a bit bigger than what their current skills levels match to stretch themselves. If what they HAVE as foundational (i.e. integrity, strong work ethic, learner’s mindset, strong communicator, etc.) than much of what is NEEDED is informational which can be learned and obtained.

The point of all of this is you are far more equipped and capable than you give yourself credit for. So, seek the larger, bigger, or better! Believe you are a contender and you will be!

As always if I can help you and the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! Also, as a bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical to add value to your organization!

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Principal Consultant – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

Visit our website at: www.outloudinc.com

Feel free to “LIKE” our FB Page www.facebook.com/outloudinc

Success is a Series of “Do It Now’s”!

I love college football. The pageantry and still relative purity of play for the love of the game is very appealing. Often I wonder what separates the winning teams from those that do not even when they may have not parity in terms of facilities, equipment, budgets, etc. This got me thinking out loud that those who succeed even when success is stacked against them is the LEVEL OF INTENSITY they bring to EVERY action, every interaction, every intention. In short, successful people and teams “Do It Now” EVERY TIME!

Some of my favorite teams to watch right now (next to my alma mater) is the University of Tennessee and Clemson University. These teams find a way to win even when behind with seconds to play! In fact, I saw a funny sign on College Game Day on ESPN that read “Tennessee’s Game Plan:

1.Half-Time

2.?????

3.Miracle!”

The point being is that this team plays every play. They hold nothing in reserve. They approach each play like it is the most important one! And is that my friends, why they seem to pull off miracle wins! But really it is no miracle, it is the commitment to Do It Now!

The same should be true for us when we are approaching something important.

You have an important relationship to fix? Do It Now!

You have an important meeting to plan for? Do It Now!

You have an important project to complete? Do It Now!

You have a great idea to initiate? Do It Now!

You have a community service initiative? Do It Now!

You have a goal or dream that moves you? DO . . .  IT . . .  NOW!!!!

The point in all of this is there is NO REASON to pace yourself. No reason to hold back and save it for later. You WILL have ALL the energy you need when you need it! I often heard it said that the best ideas are not always those who originated the concept, it is whoever brought it to market the fastest! SUCCESS truly is a commitment to Do It Now!

Of all the reasons why I value my association with the John Maxwell Team, the primary one is the access to all the teaching and wisdom John offers. I once heard John share that he had a mentor early in his career who encouraged him to start every day by saying “Do It Now” 50 times! Now that sounds like a lot but it certainly provided him the mindset that has made him one of the most successful authors, speakers, and trainers of leadership and personal effectiveness in the world today!

As always if I can help you and the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! Also, as a bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical in order to add value to your organization!

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Principal Consultant – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

Visit our website at: www.outloudinc.com

Feel free to “LIKE” our FB Page www.facebook.com/outloudinc

Leaders Know that Hope is NOT a Strategy!

The events surrounding Hurricane Matthew contain many leadership lessons for all of us. Living in South Florida, those lessons are all too real and take on more immediacy! As fortunate as we were, clearly there are many in the Caribbean and in the Carolina’s that were not. In reflecting on my own preparations as well as those at the local and state level, it gets me thinking out loud about the importance of a leader’s ability to anticipate and prepare versus just hope things work out!

First of all, I encourage everyone to remember the sacrifices and dedication of all types of first-responders who respond to these emergencies. Everyone from law enforcement, fire/rescue, medical professionals, power crews, national guard, etc. mobilized during the storm so that they could be on the scene as soon as possible. If you listened to the briefings by state and local officials, clearly you could tell they had emergency response plans and assets that were coordinated.

Obviously I hope you and your organization never has to face such a monumental challenge, but what are the lessons to be learned here? Whereas not an exhaustive list, here are some things to consider. 

Threat Scenarios = list the possible threats to your enterprise. Do you have contingencies for your I.T. and communications if the primaries fail? What about inventory? The point is to identify the physical, digital, and human resource issues that could impact your organization.

Assets = best on the above, what assets do you have in place that you could draw upon if needed? These assets could include partnerships, expertise, equipment, procedures, backups, etc. that can help you in times of need.

Proactive Solutions = the time to have solutions is BEFORE you need them, not WHEN you need them! For example, if you live in South Florida and other hurricane possible areas, you check and restock your supplies before the season and NOT when a storm is approaching to avoid the long lines and possible shortages at the grocery store, gas station, home supply stores, etc. The same is true for your business. You may not want to make such proactive expenditures but I guarantee it is better than the alternative of not having them at all when you really need them!

Coordination = make sure you have contingency plans in advance and that all parties know what to in the case of an emergency or challenge. Coordinating with customers, vendors, your own team, etc. is critical when things come off the rails!

Mindset = when challenges emerge, what is your mindset or attitude? If you have prepared the best you can and done all that you can do, then it is up to you to stay strong and resilient. Survival experts assert that the primary difference between those the survive challenging situations and those that do not is the WILL do so!

Post Review = a big part of emergency planning is reflecting on the lessons learned after the last one! You may realize some procedures worked better than others and some assets were more important.

Leadership expert John Maxwell tells us that challenges don’t create character, they reveal them! I am sure in the days to come we will hear countless stories of how individuals and communities come together to help each other based upon individual acts of courageous and selfless leadership. I encourage you to do what you can to help the victims of this storm. If you donate, research carefully so that your generosity is maximized versus going to fund large overhead costs that is often the case with large organizations and foundations.

As always if I can help you and the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! Also, as a bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical in order to add value to your organization!

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Principal Consultant – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

Visit our website at: www.outloudinc.com

Feel free to “LIKE” our FB Page www.facebook.com/outloudinc

5 Essentials of any Leadership Development Program.

I like to consider myself primarily a practitioner of leadership in that I am actively teaching and developing leaders as well as leading my own teams. From time to time, however, I use my teaching faculty and research background to think out loud about certain topics, especially as it relates to the MECHANICS or PROCESSES of developing leaders.

I believe that there as 5 ESSENTIALS to any leadership development program. Too often, however, many of these are ignored due to time or cost concerns. The point is that leadership is a PROCESS and so is the method to improve upon leadership skills. So whether you are wanting to use these 5 elements to improve individually or institute a LEADERSHIP CULTURE on an organizational level, make sure you include ALL of the following. The first 3 elements are proposed by Dr. Dennis Roberts who is a thought leader in this area of leadership development. The last two are based upon my observations of what is lacking in most programs. 

Education – to improve as a leader, it is imperative that you dive into content. There are a great many books, articles, videos, etc. now widely available on the web. In short, to become a better leader you need to STUDY what great leaders do!

Training – along with increasing your knowledge-based, you must immerse yourself in skill building activities. These may include seminars or on-line programs related to a variety of topics such as communication, delegation, resilience, decision making, ethics, etc.

Development – along with Education and Training, in order to get better you have to practice and apply the new skills and knowledge you have acquired. Obviously, it is best to do this in real world environments such as your work arena. If you are self-employed, then volunteer to assist a non-profit or faith-based organization and eventually chair a committee or lead a project.

Process Coaching – Whereas the above elements are critical, they are incomplete. In order for leadership development to “stick” you need to get feedback on how you are performing. Acquiring the services of a leadership coach can be a great way to do this. You and the coach can discuss what you are learning, how you are applying new skills and content, and then processing or debriefing what happened when you attempted to do so.

Assessment – finally, you need to keep score! How will you know if you are improving if you do not assess your progress? Assessment can occur in a variety of formats but I suggest two in particular. A) trait-based assessments like DiSC or StrengthsFinder give you a baseline as to how you like to view and respond to the world around you. B) behavior-based assessments track on what you actually DO! The Leadership Practices Inventory by Kouzes and Posner or the Maxwell Leadership Assessment (based upon Maxwell’s 5 Levels of Leadership) provide you with both a pre and post snapshot as to how you are improving along with a 360⁰ feedback loop from those you are leading or observing your leadership.

Again, any leadership development MUST include ALL of these elements. I would suggest you design a logic-model or curriculum that incorporates ALL elements whether you are doing this individually or on an organizational level. The good news is that you do not have to abandon everything you have done or have planned, just organize your efforts in a more cogent model!

Speaker and author Charlie “Tremendous” Jones states that “You’re going to be the same person 5 years from now that you are today except for two things, the people you meet and he books you read!” The point is that leadership will not develop on its own. You have to be intentional if you want to get where you want to go! A word of caution, not all programs or relationships are worthy of your investment so choose wisely!

As always if I can help you and the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! Also, as a bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical in order to add value to your organization!

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Principal Consultant – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

Visit our website at: www.outloudinc.com

Feel free to “LIKE” our FB Page www.facebook.com/outloudinc

When a Leader’s Good Intention is a Bad Idea.

Recently, I had the opportunity to watch the 2015 movie Everest which loosely depicts the 1996 climbing disaster in which 8 climbers from two parties attempting to summit Mt. Everest perished. In one scene of the movie, the lead guide allowed a lagging climber to attempt the summit of Mt. Everest even though a weather window was quickly closing. This got me thinking out loud about how sometimes as leaders, a good intention can be a bad idea.

The movie starts out with the lead guide (played by actor Jason Clark) for outfitter, Adventure Consultants, gathering an international party of experienced climbers who wanted to attempt to climb Mt. Everest in 1996. The guide was an experienced professional and knew full well the dangers of attempting to climb the highest peak in the world. In fact, in one scene you hear Clark tell the climbers that he was responsible for their safety in both the ascent and the descent from the peak.

Things start out well but as the climbers near the peak, the lead guide is informed by base-camp staff that a massive blizzard is quickly approaching the summit. Based upon that information, he starts the party climbing early in the morning of the final ascent due to the fact the weather window will close quickly as the day progresses. Whereas most of the climbers are successful, the movie depicts the guide postponing the descent in order to allow a lagging member of the party to reach the summit. This decision would prove to be disastrous in that a powerful blizzard quickly closed in and trapped members of the party above the safety of their base-camps.

The leadership lessons here are numerous. The film depicts an experienced leader who suspended his good judgement to allow a paying client to reach the summit. Hall knew that conditions would deteriorate and that the success of one lagging client was not worth the safety of an entire party. Unfortunately, this was not the case in that he allowed a good intention to overshadow his judgement. Granted, many of us will never face such life and death circumstances but I believe the story is a cautionary tale for leaders. Here are some of the learning points from the tragic events depicted by the film that we should all take to heart.

• Rely On Your Experience – you have more life and leadership experience than you think. You have been a witness to your and the action of others that have taught you many lessons.

• Trust Your Judgement – I believe most people have pretty sound judgement and plenty of common sense. Don’t let others sway you when the best decision is clearly before you.

• Tune In To Your Instincts – your intuition is a product of both your conscious and subconscious thoughts working in tandem. Clearly if you gut is telling you something, listen closely. Your subconscious is constantly processing information that you are not even aware of. The more your exercise your intuition, the stronger it becomes.

• Believe In Yourself – finally, have faith in yourself. Make the best decisions you can based upon your best information and most important priorities. History is full of examples of leaders who made the courageous or unpopular decision even when others close to them urged them not to.

As a side note, whereas some of the surviving members of the 1996 expedition will argue some of the events as depicted, Everest as film has a solid cast and is beautifully filmed in a variety of locations. Even with my spoiler alerts, there is a lot to see and learn! You will gain an appreciation of those who choose to risk it all for their dreams.

As always if I can help you and the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! Also, as a bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical in order to add value to your organization!

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Principal Consultant – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

Visit our website at: www.outloudinc.com

Feel free to “LIKE” our FB Page www.facebook.com/outloudinc

The Toughest Thing for Leaders to do? Stick to the Essentials!

There is just no getting around it, Leaders are busy people! You are prone to action and activity which is great. The big question, however, is are you really getting done what is ESSENTIAL to get done versus what is just on your To-Do list? Accordingly, leadership expert John Maxwell often warns us to not confuse ACTIVITY with ACCOMPLISHMENT. This always gets me thinking out loud about how do we really focus on what is important and strategic versus what is really just peripheral.

Productivity expert Michael Hyatt explains this trap of “business” is an easy one for leaders to fall in to. Being busy becomes a corporate “merit badge” where we think we are proving our worth by coming in early, staying late, working weekends, postponing vacations, etc. We are checking a lot of things off our To-Do list but are those things the most ESSENTIAL in accomplishing what we REALLY need to in order to grow our business, improve as a professional, build healthy relationships, etc.?

Melissa Balmain from Success Magazine shares great insight from Greg McKeown, author of Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. According to McKeown, there are some key steps in helping us focus on what is really ESSENTIAL.

• First, take a PERSONAL RETREAT DAY once a quarter. Make sure to get some place out of the office or home where you will not be tempted to be distracted by technology. This may involve (gasp!) getting outside in nature. I bet there is some kind of state or national park near you to do this!

• Second, now that you are uncomfortably outside (!!), pick your TOP PRIORITY for the quarter. A great question to identity that is “What would I do if I could do anything?”  Then ask and identify to yourself what is getting in the way of that? What social or work pressures are getting in the way of what is truly ESSENTIAL?

• Next, once you are picked your QUARTERLY PRIORITY, plan a ROUTINE around accomplishing that. The trick is to then MAINTAIN that focus by asking yourself weekly questions such as, “Is this the RIGHT ROUTINE?” or “What do I need to ADJUST?”

• Finally, each day ask yourself two more questions. 1) What is the MOST IMPORTANT thing I can do today to move my FOCUS or ESSENTIAL forward? and at the end of the day ask 2) How did I spend my TIME today? or Were the CHOICES I made today helpful in moving me forward?

McKeown shares one more incredibly profound insight. Each of us has an ESSENTIAL MISSION in life and we are given just enough time to fulfill it but we have to STAY FOCUSED!

"Each of us has an ESSENTIAL MISSION in life and we are given just enough time to fulfill it!" - George McKeown

As always if I can help you and the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! Also, as a bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical in order to add value to your organization!

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Principal Consultant – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

Visit our website at: www.outloudinc.com

Feel free to “LIKE” our FB Page www.facebook.com/outloudinc

Sooner or Later, EVERYONE is Extraordinary!

President John F. Kennedy once stated that “to be courageous is sooner or later an opportunity this is presented to all of us.” Like many people, the date of 9/11 stirs up many emotions in me. Sadness for those who lost so much that day and continue to do so. Anger at those who perpetuated those acts of pure evil and barbarism. Disappointment in those that now want to minimize the events of that fateful day in order to meet some cynical political or social agenda. But as I think out loud about it, what I mostly I feel immense pride. Pride in how so many “ordinary” people became extraordinary that day and many days after.

"To be courageous is sooner or later an opportunity this is presented to all of us." - President John F. Kennedy

We have all heard the stories but it is important to remind ourselves now more than ever how police officers, firefighters, and other first responders (previously viewed as a mundane profession by many) became something much more that day. How members of the military answered the nation’s call and reassured us they did then and continue now to “stand watch” over all of us. Finally, pride in acts of incredible sacrifice and courage by “ordinary” citizens.

You see, if the history of this event teaches us anything, it is that EVERYONE and ANYONE has the opportunity to be extraordinary. Just think about how many millions of hours of service to others have been inspired by the events of 9/11! How many lemonade stands to high profile foundations were created with the intention to make things better for those directly impacted. How many young people entered their professions as a result of a selfless sense of duty. All of this has moved millions of people from the ordinary to the extraordinary category. I bet you are one of them!

So how can we continue to honor both the event and subsequent response to 9/11 and continue to be extraordinary? I suggest that as leaders, we make the following commitments:

• Commit to lifting up others who need our help
• Commit to supporting those in professions that protect us and ensure our freedoms
• Commit to acting on your beliefs even when unpopular to do so (many of paid the ultimate price for your ability to do so!)
• Commit to believing that you a more than “just a” but you are “the” in life of someone else

Finally, commit to leading out loud NOW and not delay doing the important thing, the noble thing, the inspiring thing . . . the thing that moves others to want to join you!

As always if I can help you and the people you associate with Get Better, Be Ready and LEAD OUT LOUD, I would invite you to email me or to visit my website below and see if any of the training or coaching experiences I offer can provide an impact! Also, as a bonus, if you go to my Out Loud Strategies website (www.outloudinc.com) and enter your contact information, I will send you a FREE guide to establishing a mentoring initiative program in your organization! Such an initiative would be critical in order to add value to your organization!

Yours in Leadership,

Bill Faulkner

Principal Consultant – Out Loud Strategies

Independent Coach, Speaker, and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team ^TM

Email = bill@outloudinc.com

Visit our website at: www.outloudinc.com

Feel free to “LIKE” our FB Page www.facebook.com/outloudinc