Today is a special day. It’s the first issue of The Better Leader Newsletter.
I’m thrilled to be sharing this moment with you. Because you have made it possible, this moment is yours too. By being part of the BLN community, you are already making a bigger impact in the world.
I’m humbled and grateful.
On to the content…
REFLECT ON THIS
Pause and consider what’s truly important.
Let’s take a step back in time.
It’s 2010. A new decade has begun. Fresh starts. Beginnings filled with excitement. Journeys to continue. Dreams of making a difference.
You are brimming with anticipation of the future you want to claim. You plant your feet, take a deep breath, lift your eyes and walk forward.
Life came at you fast, and before you had a chance to blink, 2019 was gone.
Where did you make an impact?
…
It’s 2020. A new decade has begun. Fresh starts. Beginnings filled with excitement. Journeys to continue. Dreams of making a difference.
You are brimming with anticipation of the future you want to claim. You plant your feet, take a deep breath, lift your eyes and walk forward.
Life has already come at you fast, but 2030 is a tiny light in the distance.
Where will you make an impact?
…
Today you have a choice: to make an impact, or not. Choose to make an impact and become a change agent for good in the world.
FOREFRONT
What’s on my mind.
Time goes by so quickly. One blink, and 10 years have passed.
So much happens in 10 years. I’ve started a company, graduated from college, gotten married, moved twice, welcomed a son, experienced great loss… and while those are big moments, they merely scratch the surface of the colorful experiences lived throughout the years. I’m certain you have experienced the same.
As I reflect on the past 10 years, I can’t help but consider the strategic advantage that comes from thinking 10 years ahead. In the moment, planning that far in advance seems unnecessary. Who can predict what will happen tomorrow?
And yet, the mountains in the distance we climb (or not) will be the fruit of our actions today.
Consider this question: How will you make an impact in 10 years?
Here are some practical ways to think about bridging the time/thinking gap. Long-term thinking clarifies the short term steps:
- Build great self discipline habits today that lead to poised leadership in 10 years.
- Build great health habits today that lead to a more resilient physique in 10 years.
- Build great planning habits today that lead to smarter decisions in 10 years.
- Build great journaling habits today that lead to emotional well-being in 10 years.
- Build great networking habits today that lead to incredible opportunities in 10 years.
Think about the mountains you want to climb, then determine how you will measure your impact along the journey. Your barometer of success may look different, but here’s a sample of mine:
- A world-class organization that has exponentially multiplied (100 million websites) its positive impact on small businesses across the globe.
- A healthy, flourishing marriage that sets an example worthy of imitating.
- Children that are growing in favor with God and man.
- Rich, meaningful friendships that are life-giving.
- Financial stability that enables radical, life-changing generosity toward others.
- A vibrant community of leaders that are growing in their influence and impact on the people around them.
I encourage you to write down your mountains and measures. They inform the steps you take today, tomorrow, next week, next year and beyond.
We can’t control the future, but we can work to shape and claim the future we want to see.
The next 10 years are upon you and I. Will you live into them with great intention, or will you let them pass you by?
FOR THE CURIOUS MIND
Broaden your horizons.
Curiosity is vital for growth. In each newsletter, I share a few resources tangentially related to leadership. I’ve found them interesting, and they’ve in turned expanded my capacity as a well-rounded leader.
The Lesson to Unlearn
Paul Graham is most widely known as the co-founder of the popular startup incubator Y Combinator. He recently pinned an essay – The Lesson to Unlearn – and argues that the most damaging thing you learned in school wasn’t anything specific taught in class. It was learning to get good grades. The fallout, Graham argues, is a tendency to overcomplicate, to “hack” or to find that “one simple trick” to solve X. It’s conditioning akin to cramming for a test, and I tend to agree.
Inversion and the Power of Avoiding Stupidity
“Avoiding stupidity is easier than seeking brilliance.”
The hardest part of solving a problem is accurately defining it. Inversion is a problem-solving technique that focuses on not doing something wrong instead of getting something right. A subtle difference in approach that is helpful in many scenarios where solutions are not clear.
Masters of Love
In 1986, a psychologist named John Gottman conducted a study called “The Love Lab”. In the study, he hooked up newlyweds to electrodes and asked them to speak about their relationship, answering questions of varying depth and difficulty. Then, he followed up with them 6 years later to see if they were still together.
Based on the follow-up research, two groups emerged: the “Masters of Love” and “Disasters of Love”.
The primary difference? Masters practiced kindness and generosity toward one another.
The full article in The Atlantic is an interesting read and will have you asking important questions about how you can love your significant other better.
MY LATEST CONTENT
What I’ve been writing about.
It’s no secret that I am passionate about helping leaders flourish. It’s my personal mission.
On the topic of mission, there are few better ways to align, motivate and inspire the people in your organization than a compelling mission statement. I’ve written a series entitled Mission 101, and all 6 of the articles have been published.
- Mission 101: Creating a Mission Statement That Inspires – It’s hard to overstate the importance of a mission statement. A great mission statement is foundational to any successful organization, and great leaders know this.
- What is a Mission Statement? – Mission statements are often misrepresented, so I clarify what a mission statement actually is (along with its purpose and effects).
- Mission Statement vs. Vision Statement: What’s the Difference? – There’s a difference between the two, and you need both working together to propel your organization to the next level.
- 17 Mission Statement Examples from World-Class Organizations – I walk through 17 instantly recognizable organizations and examine their mission statements. It’s exceedingly helpful if you are looking for some ideas on creating (or refining) your own.
- How to Write a Mission Statement (and Make It Compelling) – This exercise helps you execute and write a compelling mission statement. I’ve included a free bonus template to guide the process.
- How to Maximize the Impact of Your Mission Statement (7 Ideas) – You must diligently communicate your mission statement in order to maximize its impact in your organization. I present 7 ideas that you can implement today.
Finally, I am putting together an epic decade in review article that chronicles my journey for the last 10 years. I will believe you find it engaging and insightful. I’m also going to share with you how I’ve implemented time blocking successfully, and I’ll even have a template for you to start!
PODCAST PICKS
Learn and grow by listening to others.
Here are 3 podcast episodes I enjoyed in the last couple of weeks, and you may too!
- Megan Hyatt Miller and Suzie Barbour discuss how to do one-on-one meetings with people on your team on Lead to Win. I love the questions they use in their meeting template (and will implement them for our teams in 2020).
- Andy Stanley interviewed Horst Schulze, the former COO and President of Ritz-Carlton, on his leadership podcast. His story is incredible, and the way he speaks about all people in his organization is inspiring. I received Horst’s new book “Excellence Wins: A No-Nonsense Guide to Becoming the Best in a World of Compromise” as a Christmas gift and look forward to reading it in 2020.
- “You can’t outsource culture.” So true. Allison Trowbridge and Steve Cockram talk about bringing the best out of your team on the Building a Storybrand podcast. Steve is incredibly well-spoken and the author of the book “5 Voices: How to Communicate Effectively with Everyone You Lead“. I’ve recently taken the assessment (you can learn more about that here) and am already halfway through the book. My Foundational Voice is Pioneer; my Secondary Voice is Creative. You will love listening to this podcast. (h/t Brian for the recommendation)
A QUESTION FOR YOU
Until we meet again…
At the end of each newsletter, I conclude our time with a thoughtful question designed to bring the best out of you.
What good habit do you need to create to maximize your impact in 2020 and beyond?
Talk soon,
Thomas
P.S. Did you know that you can help shape this content? Reply back with your favorite leadership insights and finds, and I’ll handpick the best ones to include in future updates.
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