Bridging Leadership Lessons from the Workplace and Those Experiences Shaping Today's Youth and Tomorrow's Leaders
Besides my wife and kids, it seems that I spend the most time with one special friend. Steady, reliable and always available, this friend can provide tremendous insight into ways I can grow at work and in my personal life. He is knowledgeable on a seemingly endless number of hobbies; from farming, to sports to creative writing! Plus, he can be extremely funny and entertaining when I need that positive energy or spiritual and introspective when I need to find some inner peace. Maybe I just need to get lost in a great story.
This friend is there for me every step of the way as I log in my 20,000 steps trying to avoid the Zombie horde through our healthy steps app from work. The friend is also there for me on my long drives when the family is asleep or I’m alone and he simply keeps me company. Yep, my friend the Podcast! Currently, I subscribe to 14 podcasts but honestly over the summer, I have only listened to 5. There are a lot of reasons why people choose a podcast.
5 Podcasts That Have Dominated My Summer Positive University - Jon Gordon Jon is a tremendous author of books such as the Energy Bus, One Word, The Garden and many others. He is a leadership guru that focuses on helping people to see the importance of making a positive impact on those around you. His podcasts have interviews with people from all background and experiences The Coaches Corner - Kent Thomas It is a local podcast that talks about all things basketball with a flare of central Missouri basketball experts. I know Kent personally as well as many of the guests he has on the show so it connects with my passion for basketball. Changing Discourse - Chip Huth and Tanner Brock This podcast is based out of KC and came out of the turmoil and social challenges that arose over the past couple of years. I went to high school with Chip and he is an officer in the KCPD and is focused on having tough conversations and increasing awareness. He also is an instructor at the Arbinger Institute that wrote the books, Leadership and Self-Deception, The Anatomy of Peace and The Outward Mindset. The Way I heard It - Mike Rowe The Dirty Jobs host has taken the place of Paul Harvey and shares stories with a twist. He has a great delivery and you know his background. He is a straight shooter and while his stories are short and entertaining, they are also educational. The Side Hustle Show - Nick Loper I stumbled on this podcast recently when I started to research how to start a Blog and ways that I can share my words to a wider audience than just the company newsletter. While most of his focus is on creating the side business or for you young people the “side hustle” it’s fascinating to hear the stories of others and the roads they have taken to share their writings. That’s it! The top 5 podcasts I have been listening to this summer. What podcasts have you been listening to? Share in the comments below so that we may all listen to Beyond Today.
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Why do you run your race?
The 1999 St. Louis Rams, the Greatest Show on Turf, used to say “you don’t run the race to beat the runner next to you, you run it as fast as you can.” In other words, they didn’t compete against others. They didn’t judge their level of success by comparing themselves to others. They judged their success based upon their internal growth. Some people need to have an adversary. Someone they can compete with at work or in life. The Miss Perfect mom who likes to post about her perfect kids, spending time with her perfect husband at their perfect house. You know what I’m talking about, the person you compare yourself to on how good of a parent you are to your own kids. Maybe, it’s the person at work who always challenges your suggestions in the meeting. The person who always asks to hear more details, to understand how you did the analysis to reach your conclusion. Your arch nemesis. But what if they are not? Many times we go through life creating adversaries and they don’t even know that they have been assigned that role. We use this to gain support/allies while justifying our lack of success based upon the efforts of the adversary to slow us down. A pattern of negativity that we use to fuel a one-sided conflict. Right or wrong, that person may be unaware of the conflict, the hurt you feel. It could be that they are too much of a narcissistic butthead or it could be that they are simply unaware. Because whatever wrong you felt, it didn’t happen to them. They did not feel the anger, sadness, hurt, embarrassment, inadequacy that you felt. I realized a few years back that when faced with a disagreement, I would internalize their statement and view it as a personal attack on me instead of a question of my action or perspective. I would get defensive and protective of the team and fail to listen to their message. To combat this tendency, I adopted a simple creed and I have shared with several coworkers: To Always:
It may well be that the person is incorrect and is using a bias of their own, but at least now, we have gone through the process of understanding and can answer the questions, clarify the position and help work towards communicating a perspective that can be understood. Is this something you can relate to as well? Have you found yourself talking to people about “them” and “they” who are negatively impacting your project? What would happen if you spent more time talking to others about the desired outcomes? To make sure they are understood AND valued the same way by them? What if you asked them about their outcomes to make sure you are aligned? That you became more aware of their perspective and how your actions could be viewed by others? Creating Awareness and Alignment are the two fundamental principles of the weekly Operations meetings we hold at work. They are key to our growth and success in the organization. We stopped viewing each other as separate groups who were obstacles to our success and instead as avenues for growth that will lead to our mutual success. So ask yourself, “why do you run your race?” It’s not to compete with the person next to you but to compete with yourself. That is how you will continue to grow Beyond Today.  Before an offer is made to bring a prospective employee into the Operations group, I have a brief introductory phone call to explain the expectations to be part of our team. The 30 minute conversation comes down to this: we want you to work with us, but only if you are committed to making a difference.
It’s that simple. If they can make a difference in their job and then their team, they will impact our customers and the industry. If they can make a difference at work, they can make a difference in their family and the community. The ripple effect of making that difference, that little stone in the pond, is what leads to the ability to change the world. On September 11th, 2020, the Phelps County Focus published an article recognizing our very own Able Delagarza for his patriotic runs on Saturday mornings through the Rolla community carrying a large American flag. He did this to honor those who have served and are currently serving but also as a way to help unite our community in hopes of uniting a country. In challenging times, with divisiveness on every channel and seemingly every social media post, Able chose to be a Person of Impact and stand up for what he believes; To make a difference. This past weekend, on July 4th, Able decided to “step” up his game and brought out a much larger flag to carry in honor of our Nation’s Birthday. Despite the burning in his arms from the larger flag and the rising humidity during the day, Able continued on his mission of making a difference along his route, stopping to talk with people about his Why and to share his story of support and pride. I came across an article in the Fort Hood Sentinel from 2017 which talked about then Staff Sgt Able Delagarza who won the Military Police Brigades NCO of the Year at the Annual Griffin Challenge. It was a three day event that stretched him both physically and mentally, but Able, as we all know, was more than ready for the challenge. He stated that he took his motivation from the other NCO’s that competed. Not in a combative way, but a shared motivation to push each other, to make each other better. It seems that all participants were making a difference to each other. How are you making a difference today? In your job? In the jobs of those you work with? In your homes and your community? My question is what are you going to do today to be a Person of Impact - an Impact that lasts Beyond Today. |
AuthorTom Brown - a husband and a father who is simply trying to make a difference. Using my experience as a Manufacturing Executive to connect leadership from the boardroom to the hardwood to help teams grow and develop to make a difference in the lives of others. 
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