Launch Youniversity

Turning Good Intentions into Reality in Your Career, Business and Life

leadership

085: Mid-Year Reset: Using Rest, Reflection, Rituals & Recommitment to Improve Results

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Mid-Year Reset: Rest, Reflection, Rituals, Recommitment Improve Results
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
085: Mid-Year Reset: Using Rest, Reflection, Rituals & Recommitment to Improve Results
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Summary:

We’ve officially reached the halfway point of 2018 and for many of us, it’s the perfect time to review the goals we set at the beginning of the year. Maybe you haven’t made as much progress as you would’ve liked this far into the year. Maybe you’ve completed your goals and you’re wondering what’s next. No matter what side you land on, don’t worry — there’s no time like right now to recommit or make adjustments to your plans.

Today, we hear from three of Launch Youniversity’s mentors: David Farmer, Shane Benson, and Jeff Henderson, who will discuss the best ways to take stock of your year so far and set a clear path to where you’re headed.

Links + Resources:

Launch Youniversity Episode 070 with Karen Houghton of Atlanta Tech Village

Rocket Fuel [Goal Setting Guide]

Success Is Not An Accident by Tommy Newberry

Elevator Pitch

Ask us a question!

Three Takeaways:

1. Take time to rest and reflect on your wins.

Negative feedback usually outweighs the positive feedback you receive no matter how much someone loves you or your idea. When you take time to rest, it helps you reprioritize the goals you set for yourself and focus on celebrating the positive outcomes. Take a half day or full day to reflect on the year so far. Ask yourself,
“What went well?”
“What needs improvement?”
“Where do I go from here?”

2. Establish morning and nighttime success rituals.

Rituals give structure to the areas of your life you’d like to see improvement. When you stick to a morning ritual, it will set you up for success for the entire day. Doing a nighttime ritual takes the friction out of the next day and sets you up for even greater success. Planning your day (and upcoming week and months, for that matter) ensures you make time for the things that truly matter to you, including not only your goals, but for your family and self-care, too.

3. Start from where you are right now.

There’s nothing magical about January 1. Review the goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year. Do those goals still matter to you? Is this still the right plan? If so, start (or restart) now. Jeff Henderson shared a great idea that could help you recommit to your goals: Jeff takes the first of every month and spends 10 days trying something new, whether it’s doing yoga for 10 days or eating a meat-free diet for 10 days. You can take this same concept and apply it to your idea — maybe it’ll motivate you to try a new and fresh approach.

Thank you for listening to the Launch Youniversity Podcast! If you have a question you want to be answered on the podcast… ask us here!

 

082: Leading People with Passion and Purpose

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Laura Whitaker of ESP on The Launch Youniversity Podcast
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
082: Leading People with Passion and Purpose
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Summary:

If you had been chosen to run an organization at 19-years-old, how would you have managed? Scary for most of us to think about, right? But that’s what happened to Laura Whitaker when she became the Executive Director of Extra Special People, Inc.

13 years later, Laura is still ESP’s Executive Director. Today on the podcast, she’s sitting down with Kevin and sharing her greatest lessons and advice from her years in the trenches.

Welcome to episode 82 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor

ExtraSpecialPeople.com

Laura’s Blog HopeSweetHome.com

Ask us a question! 

Three Takeaways:

1. Hope Dealers + Priority Givers

As the leader of a team, company or organization… your job is to be a hope dealer and priority giver. Being a hope dealer means constantly reminding people of the vision, the why, and how it’s possible. People rally around passion. Being a priority giver means guiding your team on what they should be working on, when. If you come to work each day with a plan to provide hope and clarify priorities, you might be the best leader they’ll ever have.

2. View your organization as its own person

Leading people is hard, hard work. And finding the balance between serving your team well and serving the company well can feel like a perpetual tightrope walk. One piece of advice Laura shared was: View your organization like it’s a person. It’s a person who has the highest value of anyone on your team. So when you make decisions about the team, think: Does this positively or negatively impact our highest value person?

3. You are not your organization

You have unique value outside of who you are at work. You are more than a people leader, entrepreneur, intrapreneur, director, etc. To be the best leader you can be, you need to know that you are much more than just a leader.

Thank you for listening to the Launch Youniversity Podcast! If you have a question that you want to be answered on the podcast… ask us here!  

Considering a Career Change? Ask These 15 Questions

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If you’re considering a career change, your mind might be swirling with what-ifs, anxiety, and conflicting arguments.  Slow the process down and take some time to think through the following questions. Be honest with yourself, and clarity about the direction you should take will become clearer as a result. [Read more…] about Considering a Career Change? Ask These 15 Questions

Leadership Comes with a Microphone

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Have you ever endured a boring business presentation?

When I ask audiences this question, the response is the always the same.  [Read more…] about Leadership Comes with a Microphone

043: Timeless Leadership In a Changing World with Tim Elmore

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Timeless Leadership In a Changing World with Tim Elmore
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
043: Timeless Leadership In a Changing World with Tim Elmore
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SUMMARY:

Do you have an idea inside of you that you think would really work, but you need the push to make it a reality? Tim Elmore, President of Growing Leaders, was the same. He had an idea for a nonprofit that would equip young adults with leadership skills. Today, over a decade after launching, Tim is joining Jeff on the podcast. They discuss the what it look to launch, what working with young leaders has taught him, and how Growing Leaders intentionally tries to march off the map into new territory.

Welcome to Episode 43 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.

LINKS:

GrowingLeaders.com

Growing Leaders Blog

Marching Off the Map: Inspire Students to Navigate a Brand New World by Tim Elmore

StoryBrand Online by Donald Miller

Launch: An Internet Millionaire’s Secret Formula To Sell Almost Anything Online, Build A Business You Love, And Live The Life Of Your Dreams by Jeff Walker

Sell Your Book Like Wildfire: The Writer’s Guide to Marketing and Publicity by Rob Eager

5by5 — A Change Agency Shannon Litton

THREE KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Who are your guard rails?

Tim had the idea for Growing Leaders stirring inside of him for years, but it wasn’t until his friends gave him the push he needed to start. Andy Stanley calls these people guardrail friends. Do you have people in your life who are going to encourage you, help push you out of your comfort zone, and hold you accountable? Because you need them.

In this day and age, you need to be both timely and timeless.

The world is changing so rapidly, that leaders and launchers need to master being both timely and timeless. Timely means that you understand what’s happening in culture today and are fully in-tune with what’s going on. Timeless means you can reach back into the past and look for the virtues and values you don’t want to lose.

Go find the answer you’re looking for. 

When you’re getting ready to launch a new business or idea, it can feel overwhelming. How many times have you thought, “I would love to do XYZ, but it seems complicated and I don’t know how”? Those conversations with ourselves are usually where our ideas start to die and never get launched. But the truth is, you can find the answers to almost anything you need. When Jeff asked Tim what helps him keep Growing Leaders fresh, he listed off all of his favorite resources (linked above) that have helped him learn how to maintain a business. You don’t need to know everything before you launch, but harness the art of being a learner. If something seems overwhelming, make it a game to go find the right resource to help.

021: Launchers Are Listeners

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Launchers Are Listeners
The Launch Youniversity Podcast
021: Launchers Are Listeners
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Summary:

If you’re a launcher or a leader, you know how important it is to be a good listener. A few years ago, Shane began working with a Listening Coach. Through his time working on his listening skills, he learned that being a good listener is a lot more than just sitting quietly while another person talks. True listening is about helping people self-discover their own solutions. Today’s episode with Kevin, Shane and David is one all leaders and aspiring leaders need to hear.

Welcome to episode 21 of the Launch Youniversity Podcast.

Links + Resources:

Can You Hear Me Now? by Dr. Dallas Demmitt

Why I Stopped Solving Problems for My Team

Listening to Customer Feedback in the Validate Stage

Three Takeaways:

Shane’s Listening Coach, Dr. Dallas Demmitt, created a simple but effective framework to become a better listener and thinking partner. Here are three ways you can become a better listener today:

1. Ask: How can I bring value to the person I’m listening to?
In order to truly be a good listener, you need to understand the person across the table.  This is called anchoring the conversation. It’s putting yourself in a position to truly value the person you are listening to. Ask yourself: “How do I make ___ feel valued and appreciated?” Remember, the goal of listening isn’t to solve problems for them… it’s to help them self-discover their own solutions.

Read Shane’s blog on this: Why I Stopped Solving Problems for My Team

2. Eliminate outside distractions.
One of the hardest part of listening is focusing. Even if you’re listening, a quick glance at your watch or checking your phone can be perceived as you checking-out. Ask yourself: What’s most important here: The solution and your time? Or your ability to help the person? If it’s the ability to help the person, then put away your phone.

3. Summarize their thoughts back to them.
Allow someone to hear their own thoughts. Recap what they said to you and repeat it back to them. This moves you from solving their problems for them to taking them down the path to self-discovery.