Bridging Leadership Lessons from the Workplace and Those Experiences Shaping Today's Youth and Tomorrow's Leaders
 Besides focusing on culture development, organizational health, and leadership, I also spend time with organizations helping to optimize their Operational Excellence programs. They really are 2 sides of the same coin.
I am a supporter of the Lean Six Sigma concept, but have no certifications. Partially, because in the organizations I led, we had experts who took care of that, and my leadership approach was to let experts be experts and my focus was on asking the right questions of those experts. I developed the Be Better Today tool to help foster an ownership and continuous improvement mindset that could help people down the path of process improvement and optimization without having to fully jump into the costly and timely training and certification process. I’m not claiming my approach is an alternative to a Lean Six Sigma process, because they are not focused on the same outcomes. I want to help people grow and improve, even if it is only in small increments, in small areas of their life. I want them to lead a lifestyle of positive growth, so they can make a positive IMPACT on those they engage. How they do that, is up to them. OWNING A PROCESS What has led to this blog post, is based upon discussions within various organizations where people become frustrated because processes seem to be rigid and locked in place. The end-users will question the value of the process compared to the hurdles they are having to jump through. It comes to a simple question: Is the process working for you, or are you working for the process? Most often, the experience end users feel is determined by the Process Owner and their actions. I place Process Owners into two buckets: Protectors or Improvers. In large organizations, it may be difficult to identify the ultimate owner, but they can be categorized based upon how the processes are being managed. The owner’s approach to the process is observed in the behaviors, actions and words of those who manage the steps in the process. PROTECTORS Protectors but values on the process itself and not the purpose. They get caught up in using the process for the sake of the process. When people make recommendations, the Protector(s) get defensive and attempt to justify, explain, or deflect instead of listening to understand areas of possible improvement. They have a blind-eye, thinking it’s perfect. For some, they measure their personal value in the purity of the process. A suggestion that the process can be improved, is broken or is lacking is seen as a direct attack on them and what they have built. IMPROVERS Improvers see the process as a guide to achieve a purpose. They see the process as a recommended approach and method based upon the current situation. As the situation changes, just like when using map directions on your phone, you have to reroute which may require a deviation from the process. Technology, people, time, markets, etc., can impact processes and may force processes to adapt and evolve. It doesn’t mean there isn’t a formal process to evaluate the changes, it means that there is a willingness and a desire to see processes improved for the sake of all the stakeholders involved. The Improver looks for these opportunities and knows that if people are to reach their potential, they cannot be a slave to the process. They are not reckless, but they keep things in perspective and are willing to make changes. They understand the value and future benefit of a continuous improvement mindset. They have embraced the Be Better Today mindset and understand that processes are essential, but a fixed process puts the process and the people at risk for stagnation. In business, stagnation equals decline. MOVING FROM PROTECTOR TO IMPROVER The only way a Protector will become an Improver is if they first, recognize that they are a Protector and second, understand the value in the change. It can’t be forced on them, or they will provide lip service, but never embrace the actions needed to change. If you are a Process Owner, ask yourself these questions:
When you own the process, you have the responsibility to validate the value of the process on the people and in achieving its purpose. Be the champion that understands the value is not in the process, but in using the process in the best manor to help you achieve the goal, Beyond Today.
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 Recently, a couple of proverbs really hit home for me. They may not connect with the younger generation, but the message itself will hit home. The proverbs were:
“The cobbler’s children have no shoes.” “Every house but the carpenter’s is fixed.” It’s easy to get caught up in what you are doing for others. Helping them to achieve their desired results. Sharing lessons and experiences while coaching or introducing leadership and productivity tools to teams you can find yourself focusing on how these tools can help others and miss out that they are for you as well. When our mission is to make an external impact, it’s easy to miss out on the internal focus to get us there. In the past few weeks, I have had two situations that made me stop and shake my head, realizing I was not listening to my own words. Failed to Set Expectations I was participating in a panel discussion and had worked out with the location host to record the session so that I could use it for future promotion and sharing with others. Following the event, I was excited when I found the video recording in my inbox. I was excited with anticipation as I awaited the download, remembering the powerful moments of sharing during the discussion and excited for the amazing clips that I knew would hit home for others. I opened the file and quickly started fast forwarding through the video as the initial formatting was not in line with my expectations. It didn’t take long to realize; this wasn’t going to work. Frustration started to boil inside of me as my head was filled with inappropriate words that cannot be shared here. Then just like that, it was over. I realized that I had not defined what success would look like to the video person. I left it up to interpretation and based upon the conversation I could clearly see why it was recorded the way it was - it was 100% my fault. I teach others to define success. To communicate what Excellence looks like to their teams, yet I failed to do so. This served as a great reminder that you never arrive, and you must look inward first for clarity. Be Better Today Last month, I caught myself struggling with focus as I was bouncing around between projects and then completely changing direction into other disparate areas. I was feeling extremely busy but was not feeling productive. I was not experiencing the outcomes I had hoped for. Essentially, it felt like I was running a race with no finish line in sight. A timely call with my mentor was the wake-up call I needed. My mentor listened, asked the tough questions as only a mentor can. He helped me to focus in on the Power of 3. He asked if the various initiatives I was working on were “rifle shots” or a “shotgun blast.” Basically, do I have a specific target I am going after or am I going fishing to see what I can land? I quickly realized that I was all over the place and while I mentally started to shift my thinking, I stopped short as he pointed out that focusing on 3 rifle shots may not always be the best approach and sometimes a hybrid approach may work best. Shifting gears opened my thinking. I used the Be Better Today Tool to create two targeted Focus Areas and then I added in a broader Focus Area that allowed me room to float and explore. Bang! Clarity and purpose achieved. Some years ago, I wrote about a Coach Willing to be Coached. Growth is not only for others, but for the teacher as well. I need to take time for my internal focus to continue making an external impact. I must spend time working on my house…making my own shoes. To make an IMPACT Beyond Today.  I was talking with a young professional, and they shared a story of the challenges that came when their company acquired another. In the corporate world, this is commonplace and the actual negotiation, no matter how arduous they are, will still be much simpler than what comes next.
In this case, the larger company who acquired the smaller company, had to make the difficult decision on where they will cut staff due to duplication of positions and activities. This consolidation led to the departure of an established leader who was highly regarded by team members. No explanation was given to the team on why the long-term employee was the sacrificial lamb to build unity going forward. The VP showed up, made the announcement, and finished with “it’s just part of the corporate world.” Wow! This right here is why I write, share, and engage organizations and people on leadership. It’s why I am committed to helping others create an IMPACT Culture where #LeadersLead because culture cannot be delegated. It seems like we are experiencing a leadership crisis where too many “leaders” are granted a title instead of earning the title. I write about Invisible Leaders who spend time putting together the Vision Statement and posting the Values on the wall, but don’t live them in actions or deeds. People as Assets or Expenses Places where “Leaders” tout that “people are our greatest assets…” That is a true statement but not how they intend it to be heard. In reality, it is the cost of people that is deemed an asset - an asset that is viewed as a cost and easily eliminated instead of as a value meant to be cherished, invested in, grown, and allowed to flourish. These same “leaders” give voice in times of financial crisis to the value of employees. If they can “buckle down” and find cost savings, “we” can pull through this together. As they sit on high, watching disconnected from those on the floor, insulated from the repercussions of the compounding bad decisions they have made and the years of poor leadership. Servant Leadership I am a huge proponent of Servant Leadership. My mentor shared with me the book, The Way of the Shepherd, early in our relationship and I have worked hard trying to live up to those expectations. Ironically, in the organizations where the Invisible Leaders operate, they often talk about servant leadership being the way they lead, but their actions tell a completely different story. In those organizations, the shepherds who not only guide the flock, but also protect the flock, are often sacrificed in fear of the wolf who roams in the shadows on the edge of the field. Sowing seeds of doubt through politics and self-preservation. You can’t blame the wolf for their natural tendencies to prey on the weak, it’s what they do. The sad reality is that oftentimes the flock that is being protected by the shepherd will turn a blind eye to the sacrifice due to their fear of the wolf. In a way, you can’t blame the sheep for being sheep, for if they were leaders, they would be the shepherd. Leaders Lead Ultimately, it comes down to a simple question; are you seen as a leader by your actions or for your words? By your deeds or by your posts? If what I have written sounds familiar or has made you uncomfortable because you now have questions, reach out and let’s talk. It might be time to take a step back and assess your situation. You need to understand the role you are playing and how you are impacting your team. As leaders, we need to commit to our own growth if we are to be successful leaders. But the reason for the internal focus is not to create a greater impact for you. Leadership is never about you, but about those you are entrusted to lead. We need to focus on ourselves so we can make an impact on others. We use an internal focus to make an external impact. Choose to be a visible leader by your actions and deeds. Make that external impact that lasts Beyond Today.  When things in life or work start piling up, people either tend to feel overwhelmed and shut down or buckle down and get to work. From my experience, the people who buckle down tend to only focus on the “action” of getting to work… of getting busy and may not be focused on the right things to do.
That is when you need to take a breath, step back, and focus on what you need to improve to move you forward. Be Better Today I created the Be Better Today tool as a method to help you drive targeted improvement. It comes down to the idea that if you narrow your focus on Being Better Today than you were yesterday, you will move forward gaining momentum. I introduce this tool in my 3 Pillars of IMPACT sessions to simplify the continuous improvement process by establishing the mindset of forward progress on a single improvement area without having to do a formal program that causes you to quit before you even start. The Power of 3 There are scores of research to be found that stress the importance of narrowing focus to enhance your effectiveness. The Rule of 3 by J.D. Meier used applied psychology to support the productivity framework of limiting to three things in any given period. It comes down to narrowing your focus, breaking things into digestible bite-size chunks, and then focusing further on the priorities. Identify Your Target Improvement Area This is the area where you want to be better and improve yourself to have a greater impact. I’ve had people select things like goal setting, improved engagement with their work team, hitting a project timeline, and even getting an athletic scholarship. You can view the Targeted Improvement Area as a goal which may help keep you focused, but for some, the goal-setting process can be intimidating and the process of identifying the perfect measurables can leave them stuck. So, we focus less on a measurable value to achieve and more on the process of moving forward. Ultimately, the word Target means we want to narrow the improvement area, but it rarely is a one-to-one cause and effect. In the next step we want to identify three focus areas to help move you forward. 3 Focus Areas We now use the Rule of 3 to bring focus to your targeted area of improvement. If you can't identify three, then your targeted area is too narrow. Take a step back to get a border view and reset the Targeted Area of Improvement. Identify the three areas where you can focus to gain improvement. If your Targeted Area is to establish a healthy lifestyle, maybe your 3 focus areas are healthy eating, regular exercise, and mental health. There could be more focus areas, but we want to focus on the top three. Don’t cause undue stress by trying to find the perfect three or to phrase them in inspirational, life-changing, motivational poster quality words… just choose 3 areas and put them in order of importance. Creating Action Next is where we focus on identifying the action steps that will create the forward movement. You identify three specific actions that need to be done in each focus area. Only three. There may be 20 actions that need to happen but right now, we are creating and building momentum to help you Be Better Today than yesterday. Under each Focus Area, the actions need to be sequenced but also prioritized. By this I mean there may be something that won’t be required until step 4 or 5, but it’s important to ensure you are moving in the right direction. (I.e., creating recipes and meal plans before going to the grocery store.) Put it to Work Now you are probably looking at your BBT Tool and saying, “what happened to three?” Remember, bite-sized chunks. While there are three actions under each Focus Area, we are only going to focus in on the #1 action under each area. When you get one of the actions complete, you then move on to the next action under that Focus Area, maintaining your focus on three activities. When all three actions in a focus area have been completed, you can add in more actions that need to be done to achieve that focus area. If that Focus Area is now complete and you have success, you can add a new Focus Area or if there are no more to add, then focus on two actions within a different Focus Area. Remember the Power of 3. Start Being Better That’s it! No fancy project plan book. No costly subscription fees. Just spend some time in reflections, put pen to paper, and begin. Be sure to make a copy of your filled out BBT tool so you can have one at work and one at your home. Keep it prominent and visible. Don’t put it in a drawer where it is forgotten with all of your past efforts. Find an accountability partner. Share with them how you want to Be Better Today and ask them to check-in with you to see how you are doing. Once you explain, maybe they will want a BBT Tool of their own to complete. Let the Be Better Tool help you reach your potential to drive IMPACT, Beyond Today.  A key component of my sessions to help create IMPACT Teams is establishing Trust and Vulnerability so that you can be open with your teammate on the impact they have on you and others. It is much more difficult than it sounds, because for this to truly be impactful, it must be truthful.
Giving compliments isn’t easy for everyone and is something I have struggled with over the years. Growing up with a father born in the 1920’s did not allow for a ton of easy and natural positive reinforcement. For others, the fear of upsetting a teammate that could cause a rift or disrupt the chemistry is a real thing and so we focus on not only having the Courage to Challenge but being aware that HOW you challenge is important. To be a Builder and not a Blamer. I’m talking about using “I See You” as a tool to build IMPACT Teams. It’s how I wrap up my talk on the Power & Price of IMPACT and part of building an IMPACT Culture. The I.C.U. Framework Acknowledging others with intentional words can strengthen bonds and create lasting impact. It also provides team members to understand that it is important to have INTERNAL focus so that you can have EXTERNAL impact. I - IMPACT Recognize the specific actions or efforts of someone on your team. It helps your teammate take an INTERNAL focus on their actions and behaviors. “I see you making an impact by…” C – CONNECT Share why it matters to you personally or to the team. You reinforce their action and the connection it has to you. “I appreciate it because it makes me…” U – UNIFY Explain how their effort strengthens the team as a whole. This brings the conversation from focusing on SELF so that you can have impact on OTHERS “It helps our team by…” How to Use It It can be awkward using this at first, especially for younger people, but helping them to understand the importance and the power of acknowledging the efforts of others is part of the process. To successfully use the I.C.U. you must:
Quick Example “Hey, I want you to know that I.C.U. making an impact by really pushing me in our one-on-one drills to fight through screens. I appreciate it because I was forced to not only put more effort into getting through the screens but had to work on setting you up to make it easier to get through the screens. It helps our team when you show that type of effort in practice to simulate what we will see in games. It’s not only helping me but also helping the screeners get better of setting screens so our offense can be better. Thank you!” Instituting I.C.U.s as a standard practice of your Team - in sports, business or life - will create a positive IMPACT, help CONNECT those around you, and UNIFY your team to create a powerful IMPACT that will last Beyond Today.  One of the benefits of working for yourself is the ability to quickly adjust direction or I guess it is more like choosing to take a different pathway to your destination. I love sharing the power of IMPACT with various organizations and companies to help them recognize the value but also the understanding that what they do and how they do it matters.
But being able to adapt this to reach student athletes in high school and college hits to the core of who I am. I have begun speaking to athletic teams in hopes of moving the individuals from a self-centric focus to an external-centric impact. The Power & Price of IMPACT This interactive talk is designed to inspire athletes to uncover the Power of making a positive IMPACT and recognize the Price when the IMPACT is negative. Through stories, reflection, and practical strategies, athletes will be challenged to embrace their role in shaping themselves, their team, and their community. This isn’t a lecture, but an open discussion on who and what is impacting them as well as using the team engagement to uncover impact areas that were previously hidden or ignored. I use a workshop format to create understanding and awareness so that the team members can align and build a greater connection. My Day of IMPACT I begin by sharing my personal story of the day my heart stopped beating, and the resulting gratitude fuels a life committed to positive IMPACT. The IMPACT You Have Interactive reflection on how athletes influence themselves, their teammates, and the game—celebrating positives while confronting negatives. We then expand the discussion to create the understanding that IMPACT reaches beyond the team to the program, school, fans, and community. Creating awareness that what you do matters and understanding what that IMPACT looks like. The IMPACT on You After the recognition of all the ways we can impact others, we begin exploring who and what influences our performance, while learning to manage the Circle of Control, Influence, and Concern. This is where it can get uncomfortable as we confront our own biases, fears, and insecurities to step away from the blame game, so that we can focus on moving ourselves forward. The IMPACT Challenge Athletes find it easy to work on skill-development, but the mental aspect is often overlooked and simply avoided. We will identify barriers that keep athletes from maximizing their IMPACT and creating focus on self-development for greater external influence. We will create an internal focus for external IMPACT. Be Better Today (BBT) Closing with an action plan. We answer the IMPACT Challenge by using the BBT Tool to help them identify focus areas and list out specific actions the athletes commit to, in order to create a greater IMPACT. It’s great to be able to pull together the 3 Pillars of IMPACT that I have used for business as well as for athletics and turn it into an hour-long discussion. It lays the foundation for future workshops where teams can be transformed into IMPACT Teams as they can build on this work to create greater awareness and respect for the roles that each other play for the team to be successful. For young athletes who are so used to being the center of attention in their own social media bubble, stepping out to create awareness of their potential for IMPACT can be transformative for them. Coming to grips with how their actions have the power to positively or negatively impact others, is the price they pay to lead a life of IMPACT, Beyond Today.  At the last LeadersLead session, we focused on the power of an IMPACT Legacy. Participants openly shared experiences where an event or person from their past made an IMPACT on their life. After breaking down that experience, they reflected on how that IMPACT helped shape them as a person. Finally, we talked about the IMPACT they are now having on others because of those experiences of growth.
What I quickly found was that during these moments of courage and vulnerability, it was easy to connect with the individual in a way that you could feel changing you and your perspective. Those moments where attendees are nodding their heads in not only recognition, but appreciation for those experiences. You quickly realized that these are People of IMPACT. Using the IMPACT Legacy Tool, we heard from a wrestling coach, who helped train 33 different Olympians, about how a collegiate athlete shaped him as a leader. As he was working out with this All-American wrestler and future MMA Champion, the wrestler asked the coach, “why are you trying to beat me? You are here to coach me.” It was a punch to the gut as the coach realized his focus was too much on competing and not enough on teaching and growing. That led to a transformation on how he leads and trains his team as well as athletes across the globe. Fully aware that the impact is in their growth, which in turn results in his own growth as well. We heard from a young father who shared that his 7 year-old son was shaping him every day, as his son’s love for learning and his growth made him reconsider his priorities and how he relates to his team at work. The power of patience. As leaders, we can all relate to the complexities of delegation. The importance of effectively delegating, but the nuances of it positively impacting the person you are delegating to while also achieving overall success. A leader shared the importance of delegating RESPONSIBILITIES and not just TASKS. It resonated with those as you could see them jotting down notes for their own growth paths. Sharing the appreciation of a manager who took a chance on a young, inexperienced, small-town kid who wanted more than what was typical from those in her community. “I found myself by not allowing fear to overtake my life.“ She talked about the IMPACT of a “manager who believed in who I was and what I could become.” She went on to share that now, she is in a position where she can focus on mentoring others and have a positive IMPACT on their lives. I was able to share my story of IMPACT and how an athletic trainer, Liz Sizemore, was at the right spot at the right time to get my heart beating again, combined with all of the other “coincidences” associated with that event, that made me realize the importance of making an IMPACT in the lives of others and how that ripples though the greater connection of life. When you are in control of your organization, your team or your life, you can choose to NOT do uncomfortable things… but when you are a person of IMPACT, you realize that it has to be done. That you can’t delegate it to someone else. There is a time to face your fears because you know you are able to overcome them. The session was a moment of IMPACT for me as I was able to grow and learn by listening to the stories of others and then reflecting on how those stories impact me. As I review my notes from that session, I am already considering how I will use their IMPACT on me, to start Impacting others Beyond Today. You can find out more about #LeadersLead by clicking HERE and watch past sessions.  At the end of a recent Vision Alignment session, I was approached by a participant. Expecting him to bring up some aspect of the Shared Vision process, I was shocked when he told me his biggest takeaway for him came from a casual rabbit hole we traveled where I explained IMPACT Leadership and the importance of adjusting your Leadership Style to meet the Readiness Level of the employee.
That led to an engaging discussion on the value he took from that and how he felt it would shape his pathway going forward. That was a moment of IMPACT for sure! IMPACT Leadership is one of my favorite topics because it is so often overlooked by leaders. When you bring up the importance of flexing your leadership to what they need versus leading the way you like, people will always nod and say of course. But why then do they rarely do so? I wrote about IMPACT Leadership back in March in my blog post titled, Use IMPACT Leadership to Flex to Their Needs. I also brought it up in 4 Leadership Assumptions to Avoid. In my more intensive IMPACT Alignment sessions, we focus on IMPACT Leadership to help you identify what you need to do as a leader. We combine that with IMPACT Communication where we work through your SOCIAL STYLE Model™ to understand how you engage them based upon their communication style. This week, I will be putting a team of managers through an IMPACT Leadership Skill-Up session. It’s a 2-hour workshop that helps the attendees apply the IMPACT Leadership process with their team members and they walk away with a specific action plan on how to engage their team. Here is a breakdown of the IMPACT Leadership Skill-Up. Engaging Your Team We begin by having them identify key people they engage through leadership activities. Sometimes participants are not managers or team leads, so we have them consider people that they advise or guide through processes. We then list out specific tasks, projects, roles or activities in which they engage their team. We reflect on how they explained the work and delivered expectations. This gives us a starting point for how they are currently interacting with their team. Identify the Readiness Level We have a series of activities that assess the skills/abilities of the employee as well as the confidence/willingness to do the work. We require specific examples as well as areas where they need to grow. Based upon this we can determine their readiness level for the specific activity. The key is to recognize that depending upon the activity itself, a person’s readiness level can change and as a leader, this must be understood. Identify the Required Leadership Style Based upon the Readiness Level identified, we then match up the Leadership Style to provide the right leadership they need. Since an employee’s readiness level can change depending upon the activity, a leader’s style must adapt as well. We can’t take a one size fits all approach. They determine what is needed by their team and they identify specific actions and approaches to work in those situations. We avoid generalizations. Taking Action Recognizing the Readiness Level of the employee and understanding the Leadership Style that is needed, we work then to formulate a commitment plan. We offer two tools to allow the participant an option that is most comfortable for them. The K.S.S. tool is very straight forward because we look at three basic questions: K: What do I need to Keep doing? S: What do I need to Stop doing? S: What do I need to Start doing? The other tool is the Be Better Today tool where the leader identifies 3 areas to focus on flexing their leadership style to help their team. They then list 3 specific actions to support each of the focus areas. The Follow-Up The creation of the commitment plan is a great thing because we know written plans that are regularly reviewed with a mentor or peer group gives a 95% higher chance of success compared to those who don’t. So, follow-up is critical either through an accountability partner or part of our IMPACT Coaching process. The ability to flex your leadership to what is needed by your team along with the commitment to your team is what will help you grow as a leader, Beyond Today. If you are interested in finding out more about IMPACT Leadership, you can DM me or contact me through our website by clicking HERE.  Before agreeing to provide leadership development sessions, I spend time asking questions to understand the pain points an organization is experiencing and how I can tailor the session to provide the most value.
One of the most frequent issues brought up is the conflict between teams or team members that gets described as silos. Silos Often, what I find is that silos are built unintentionally due to a lack of awareness as to the role others play to the overall success. People may know the role they play, but don’t know the roles others play and therefore don’t respect the roles. I created a simple tool to help create awareness and to force some self-reflection that has been successful in helping to tear down silos at its best and at the least, creating awareness that they are also part of the reason the silo exists. The Impact Awareness Tool This tool was initially a discussion topic in my session to get attendees thinking about who impacts them and how they impact others. However, when I created the IMPACT Legacy Tool I realized that taking the same focus but instead turning it onto the work relationships will have a much greater impact within the work teams. The tool really has two parts. The first is uncovering who does work that impacts you and your work, identifying what their activity/role is and then consider the ways it can impact your work positively and negatively. The 2nd part is where we look at who is downstream from us and how our work impacts them. The power comes when we have to consider how our actions could negatively impact the work of others. You know the tool is working when people start on the 2nd part and the room gets quieter. The realization that the work they do, that they are so confident in, could negatively impact others slowly comes to the surface. They start to reflect on past conflicts that they tended to blame on others but now are not so sure. How Others Impact You The first part is to identify the people who are upstream from you, that do a job that impacts you. We identify the person and the specific role or activity that directly connects to your work. (i.e., they provide data analysis on market trends you use for your product plans.) Once you have the people and activities identified, reflect on how the activity impacts you. Consider how that activity can positively impact you and your role as well as how it could negatively impact your work. By looking at both the positive and negative potential it can open your mind to why things may have a negative impact. Putting it All on the Table Self-reflection is wonderful and is the start of bringing growth. When we take the small discussion and turn it into a large conversation is where the eyes get wide, the heads start to nod, and others jump into the conversation. It’s the moment of transparency and vulnerability when people stand up and share with the group how others impact them and how their work impacts others. They listen to people who are both upstream and downstream share their perspectives and experiences. Fostering a brotherhood, if you will, that they are all in this together. That everyone has challenges in their work and people are not malicious and evil, but unaware of how what they do could negatively impact others. Awareness Creates IMPACT We always break after this part of the session, and you see people in the room start to search out others and share their thoughts. There might be apologies or words of appreciation for what others do, but always you see greater awareness that they are not alone. Not stuck in a silo. That awareness of your impact on others, energizes a team Beyond Today. Download the IMPACT Awareness Tool  Making an IMPACT seems to be at the heart of most people’s purpose in life. Leaving a mark on the lives of those you have touched, is where the legacy comes to play. In this blog, I share stories of people and situations that have made an impact on my life. The day I died, a mentor who shared tough words, a mentor who encouraged, or a the beauty of a daughter.
Many people can recall people and events when asked, but most need time to reflect to uncover and sift through all those impactful moments to find those that are truly meaningful. Through this blog, it is my hope to help foster and promote an IMPACT Culture. If we are going to live in a culture where IMPACT is desired, then we must change our mindset and embrace those who have impacted us and be intentional in recognizing how we have grown and been impacted by them. It is then up to us to honor those by living the IMPACT Culture and realizing that everything we do impacts others. Whether positive or negative depends upon you. Beginning intentional is what the IMPACT Culture is all about. IMPACT Legacy This is a tool I use to help people understand the power of IMPACT. To help people take time to reflect on their past experiences and how they have shaped you as well as how you have used that to IMPACT others. Often, during the reflection, people uncover ways that people impacted them but only after the reflection and not at that moment. This realization becomes the true impact in their lives, as they understand what was missed and the true value in that relationship. Let’s take a look at the tool. Recognizing IMPACT Spend time thinking about people in your life that made an impact on you. Maybe it was an event or situation, more than a specific individual. The impact might have been a negative experience that fueled a change in you or pushed you down a different path that what was originally before you. Identify that IMPACT. Now, peel back the onion and the superficial layers and identify where the deep impact happened. What imprint did the person or situation leave on you? IMPACT on You So, what changed in your life? How did this impact change how you see the world, how you approach your day, or how you see others? Make the connection. Look for the ways that can be tied back to that impact to see the fingerprints left behind in your life. Your Turn to IMPACT This is where it gets tricky. We are raised to be humble. To dismiss our impact and leave it to others to recognize. Take time to unpack where you are impacting others. Who is impacted by you and what you do? As you open your mind and loosen the self-induced restrictions, that list will grow as you realize how many people you actually impact. Choose a person or group that you feel you impact most. Dig deep. How are you impacting them? Where are you passing on a gift to them…the gift of IMPACT? How is their life changing because you are connected to them? The IMPACT Culture This is what it’s about. Being a Person of IMPACT. Living a life of IMPACT so that we can help make the world a better place. Download the IMPACT Legacy Tool and go through the process. Share it with others. Take time to honor those who have impacted your life and take pride in how you impact others. Creating an IMPACT Culture starts with you and by doing so, we will make the world a better place, 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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