Lead the People

Katja Schipperheijn is an internationally recognized learning strategist and founder of Habit of Improvement, a consultancy that focuses on learning strategies that foster growth and well-being in a human-machine symbiosis. Besides her work in corporate settings, she is founder of the sCooledu foundation with which she reached over 15,000 children participating in her workshops on digital citizenship. Based in Antwerp, Belgium and Dubai, UAE, she is also an international keynote speaker and guest lecturer. Top 3 Takeaways Cultivate learning. Think of a learnscape as a garden. Whether you’re constructing the learning ecosystem or you’re contributing to it, embrace organic growth and sustainability of your learning assets. Go there. Be an active participant—or at least a dabbler—on the platforms that your employees turn to for learning. Don’t shy away from newer spaces like TikTok and Roblox that are heating up. Let them in. If your organization is depending on external and contract providers to do material work, don’t prevent them from accessing your knowledge systems and capturing their learnings and insights. From the Source “Sometimes things don't happen like you want it to be but that's not always the bad thing about it, because we have to learn and unlearn and try again. That's what I say: this is a habit that you create to improve yourself, to improve your organization, the society, the people that you work with. So it all comes to—habit to improve.” “Now more than ever with the accelerating speed of innovation—the world that is—changing. We had a pandemic, we have a war. Things are going so fast, like waves coming over this garden, we have to adapt all the time. And I think learning as human beings to understand all the impact of this is the only way that we can survive and thrive as people and as an organization.” “When I'm doing presentations or keynotes for L&D people, HR people, or leaders, I always ask them: when was the last time you went on TikTok? Fortnite? Roblox? And I know the answer about the last time. They never went on it. But that's the future. Those are learning ecosystems.” Connect with Katja Website: https://habitofimprovement.com/Twitter: https://twitter.com/KatjaHoILinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katjaschipperheijn/ Links Katja's book Learning Ecosystems: Creating Innovative, Lean and Tech-driven Learning Strategies: https://amzn.to/3o0S6ve Katja's article on hope: https://habitofimprovement.com/2022/11/24/hope-as-the-leadership-competence-for-a-growth-culture/

Dr. Richard Shuster is a clinical psychologist, TEDx speaker, and CEO of Your Success Insights, which helps individuals, corporations, and athletes achieve balance and peak performance. He is also the host of The Daily Helping with Dr. Richard Shuster: Food for the Brain, Knowledge from the experts, Tools to Win at Life which is regularly downloaded in over 150 countries. Dr. Shuster’s clinical expertise and podcast have been featured in such publications as The Huffington Post, NBCNews.com, Men’s Health, Cosmopolitan, and others. He is also the president of Every Kid Rocks, Inc., a 501c3 which helps schools provide therapy services to children. Top 3 Takeaways Awareness comes in many flavors. Personal discovery can come from intentional reflection, a growing sense of discontent or disengagement, or a life-changing event. However it happens, pay attention! Show up. When in doubt, take action. By being active and doing something—anything—you increase the likelihood of creating connections and new opportunities to engage and create value. Think like a child. Never lose your sense of wonder and amazement. Try to always look at the world with fresh eyes, and whenever you have the opportunity, ask questions to increase your understanding and broaden your perspective. From the Source “Being in a car accident really started to meet down this transitional path towards really taking a look at what was important, what my values were, what mattered and, and moving toward a career path that fulfilled me in my soul as well as in my pocket book.“ “When you let yourself be open to experiences and open to possibilities, things happen.” “There was no agenda around this. I wasn't trying to sell stuff. It was just that I was going to help. I was going to help some people, and that was really the first kind of spark for me.” “No matter how many pandemics there are, no matter how many political scandals, no matter how many setbacks, how many unexpected illnesses or whatever else, life throws at you. If you are in alignment with your values and you love what you're doing, you're going to weather that storm.“ “What makes kids really unique is that they have an exuberance and a sense of fascination with all kinds of things.” Connect with Richard Website: https://drrichardshuster.com Podcast: https://drrichardshuster.com/business-portfolio/the-daily-helping-podcast/ Every Kid Rocks nonprofit: http://everykidrocks.org/ References “Food Fight” trivia game content: https://www.thedailymeal.com/eat/kids-favorite-least-favorite-packed-school-lunches-gallery

Trey is CEO of Taylor Insurance Services & Managing Director of Trinity | Blue. His experience derives from fields as diverse as technology, venture capital, & commercial real estate. As a keynote speaker, he has addressed attendees at the Human Capital Institute, & the Ascend Conference. He holds a Bachelors degree in History from Emory University, & a Juris Doctor degree in Tax & Corporate Transactions from Tulane. He recently published his first book: A CEO Only Does 3 Things. Top 3 Takeaways Leaders Live in 3D—Trey has a view that leaders are comprised of intellectual, emotional, and identity dimensions. The three are highly connected, and it’s key to understand these both in ourselves and in our people. The essentials are key—Three things matter most for a CEO: culture, people, and the numbers. Ensure that these are solid before you move on to other matters. Learn to delegate—Your ability to scale your business and to experience real joy in your life relies on your ability to delegate effectively. Make it a point to get good at giving your work and accountability to your team. From the Source “You can't manage someone until you manage yourself, and you can't manage yourself until you understand yourself.“ “You have to understand: how do you intellectually respond to challenges, how do you emotionally respond to challenges, and where do those two things come from? They come from an identity that you hold.“ “Every organization has a culture whether you intend to have one or not.“ “If we fix the culture and we get the right people in the door then the numbers are proof that the first two things are in alignment.“ “The burnout that [clients] are feeling is a direct result of the unwillingness to let go of both ends of the stick.” “Your team is not an extension of yourself. Your team is an extension of the mission of the company.” “If you want to grow the business, grow your people, and feel a lot more joy come into your life, delegation is the first thing.“ “If you can't delegate to someone, you either have the wrong heart or the wrong team. And one of those has to change.“ Connect with Trey Book Website: http://www.aceoonlydoesthreethings.com Book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/CEO-Only-Does-Three-Things/dp/B09HMYRD78/ Newsletter: http://www.plantyourflag.live Trinity Blue Consulting: https://trinity-blue.com/ Personal Website: http://www.trey-taylor.com Links “(Wall) Street Smarts”: https://www.top-business-degrees.net/30-greatest-living-geniuses-in-business/

Kamini Wood is the founder and CEO of Live Joy Your Way and the AuthenticMe® RiseUp program. An international best-selling author Kamini is driven to support both high performing teens and adults heal the relationship with themselves  and to stop outsourcing their self-worth. Kamini says she messes with the way people think in order to help them gain clarity and deep self-acceptance to move forward professionally and personally. Top 3 Takeaways Replenish for the win—High achievers are particularly susceptible to spreading themselves thin in pursuit of positive results. Remember to rest and recuperate when needed. Accentuate the positive—Resist the urge to dwell on what you could’ve done better. Take the opportunity to appreciate what you’re doing right and determine how you can take that to the next level. Develop complementary strengths—The act of leadership and developing others has the win-win effect of boosting your own capabilities. Help one another get better for twice the success. From the Source “When we're trying to do it all, we end up depleting ourselves in such a fashion that we, we actually are, are working from an empty cup.“ “At some point we've got to replenish, otherwise we don't have anything else to put into the thing that we're working towards.” “I really try to talk to my clients about recognizing that self compassion is an act of self-fullness not self-ishness.” “We don't have to go it alone. We don't have to be isolated. We can ask for other people's opinions or maybe they've had a similar experience that we can build off of.” “I truly believe that we learn when we are teaching others. Sometimes, when we are teaching others or leading others, we are actually stepping into those things for ourselves.” “I think the pandemic has taught us this concept of really learning how to give ourselves grace as the environment changes, that some things are outside of our control, and it’s focusing back on What is within my control? What do I have the ability to do? How do I choose to show up?” Connect with Kamini Website: http://www.kaminiwood.com   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsauthenticme/  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsauthenticme/

Eric Rogell is the host of the Warriors, Lovers, Kings, and Heroes podcast. He’s a sought after corporate speaker, bestselling author, and he shows executives and entrepreneurs highly effective strategies to break through barriers, forge mental toughness, and inspire and engage their teams to be more capable, more confident, more connected. Eric has interviewed hundreds of people including celebrities, athletes, entrepreneurs, and military vets. He gets them to dive deep into their stories and all the memories, lessons, failures and triumphs that made them the success they are today. These are valuable insights that collectively paint a picture of what great leaders are made of.  Top 3 Takeaways Find yourself in the story—You’re the protagonist, the hero, of your own story; recognize that your storyline likely follows the structure of Joseph Campbell’s classic Hero’s Journey. Strike a balance—Carl Jung believed that we have within us both Warrior and Lover tendencies. By embracing and integrating our hard and soft sides and skills, we can amplify our leadership ability.   Be genuine for the win—When you’re able to tap into your full essence, you’re able to be completely authentic in your leadership and your results and your relationships will improve in kind. From the Source “One of the things I loved was stories of fantasy and comic books and science fiction and myths.“ “When do I need to be more Warrior and then support with that Lover side? When do I need to come in as the Hero and just be selfless and those kinds of things.” “These traits that the warriors have, things like courage and boldness and being a Maverick and risk-taking and adventurer leadership, being a guardian and a steward, those kinds of things really are our Warrior.” “There are great things in this Lover side, this heart side that really takes whatever it is the Warrior has now driven towards—ambition and drive; those warrior traits and now makes it flourish and thrive—become come abundant.” “When you look at that Warrior side, it was just, ‘Hey, we've made a decision.’ I didn't have to come in guns, blazing swords, drawn, mad.” Connect with Eric Website: http://www.ericrogell.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericrogell

Shannon DelVecchio has always been drawn to many things—running, hiking, gardening, photography, writing, reading, travel, and most recently—beekeeping. She’s at her happiest and most fulfilled not by mastering a specific hobby/topic/task that she loves, but LEARNING about it. Beekeeping hit Shannon’s radar in December 2019 when her husband registered for "Bee School" that Winter. The pair became the proud keepers of 10,000 bees on April 18th, 2020.  Top 3 Takeaways Embrace the learning curve—Like beekeeping, leadership is a deep subject; commit to making the investment of time and energy required to excel in the craft. Seek to create optimal conditions—As a leader, you can’t directly control the outcome, but you can take steps to create an optimal environment that will increase your team’s likelihood of success. Excitement is contagious—Teams can become abuzz (sorry about that) with energy and enthusiasm if you let them; stoke the flames of excitement about your mission and your team achievements whenever you can. From the Source  “The running joke with beekeepers is if you ask 10 beekeepers one question you'll get 11 answers.“  “I am literally blind to the colony's behavior as they go about their work inside in complete darkness.”  “The more excited a scout bee appears, the more likely other bees will go out and check out this new location. And when they come back, if they're excited, they start dancing as well.”  “The queen is not the dictator, and your colony actually can get to a point where they've decided the queen is failing us and we are actually going to prepare to replace her.”  Connect with Shannon  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shannon.w.delvecchio  Links  “Hive Help Wanted” trivia source: ​​https://www.hobbyfarms.com/9-hive-jobs-of-honey-bees-2/

Kim Ades is the Founder of Frame of Mind Coaching™ and The Journal That Talks Back™. Recognized as a pioneer in the field of leadership coaching and thought mastery, Kim uses her unique philosophy and quirky coaching style to help leaders identify their blind spots and learn to direct their thinking to achieve extraordinary results. Author, speaker, entrepreneur, coach, and mom of five, Kim’s claim to fame is teaching her powerful coaching process to leaders, executives, and entrepreneurs worldwide. Top 3 Takeaways Feeling Good is Fundamental—If you want to perform at your best, you’ve got to feel good about what you’re pursuing. Life’s too short to chase goals that don’t resonate with your deepest sense of purpose. Write it Out—Journaling allows you to slow things down and capture your thoughts in an unobstructed flow. Then you can step back and see them in a more open way to broaden your perspective. Dig Deep—Go beyond the surface level to examine the emotions tangled up in your experiences. Don’t just dwell on decisions and actions, but get down to the emotional why behind them. From the Source “When people aren't reaching the goals they want to reach, it simply means they're not lined up with the goal or the desire.“ “Journaling allows us to deposit our thoughts, step back, and look at them from a greater vantage point.“ “it's really very useful for leaders to understand that in order to truly maximize the potential of your people, you absolutely need to look at the beliefs they have around everything they're doing.” “Our fingers can't write or type as fast as our brains go. They just can't. It's physically not possible. And so what happens when you're journaling is you're actually slowing down your mind.” “Now you're really digging in. You're really going beneath the surface of your original journal and you're examining, how do I really think or feel about that? Why did that happen? What is the pattern that's going on? Why did I respond that way? What's actually happening?“ Connect with Kim Website: frameofmindcoaching.com Website: thejournalthattalksback.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimades/

Jeff Leisawitz burns with a mission to inspire songwriters, authors and screenwriters to amp up their creativity and shine in the world. As an award winning musician/ producer, college songwriting prof, critically acclaimed author, distributed filmmaker and internationally in-demand coach for creatives, Jeff has devoted his life to creativity.  At its best, creativity is a way for us to be seen, expressed and connected.  With this philosophy as a guiding principle, Jeff has helped empower countless people to tap deeply into their creative hearts to live richer, more fulfilling lives. “Not F*ing Around: The No Bullsh*t Guide for Getting Your Creative Dreams Off the Ground” is Jeff’s first book. Top 3 Takeaways Leadership is personal—Like any creative act, you pour yourself into your leadership and you open yourself to both positive and not-so-positive reactions from others. Creativity is a choice—a series of choices actually; while many leaders draw upon similar tools and techniques, their stylistic choices can produce dramatically different results. Creativity is energy—being true to yourself and finding harmony in your leadership allows that energy to flow smoothly. From the Source “Unlike a lot of other endeavors in the world—if you do it well—you're really putting yourself into your creation whether it's a painting or a poem or a song or whatever you're into.” “When you’re creating anything, it is essentially choice after choice after choice after choice.“ “The truth is there’s a much bigger intelligence going on out there.” “Fascination is essentially a sense of being sort of enthralled by what the world is or could be. This is a sense of curiosity, a sense of possibility.” “You need to be true to yourself and what you're doing, because that's where the energy really comes in.” “By loving what you're doing, it will fuel you, focus you, and motivate you.” Connect with Jeff Website: https://jeffleisawitz.com/ Twitter: @nfajeff LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffleisawitz/

As a busy wife, mom of three, and business owner, Sara knows how stressful life can be. After battling anxiety and losing her dad, Sara reevaluated everything so she could maximize her life. She discovered that we can turn things around! We can have more energy and a life full of all the "extra" we were made for. As a Doctor of Chiropractic and wellness advocate, Sara has helped thousands of others get back on their feet the same way she did—through better nutrition, cleaner products, and a mastered mindset. Top 3 Takeaways Look for the signs—Sara’s panic attack was a clear signal that she needed to make some BIG life changes. Yours may be more subtle, but be on the lookout for clues that you’re not at your best. Battle the busy-ness—Sometimes we give ourselves too much credit for being so busy. Being constantly in motion doesn’t make you a great leader. Stay focused on making an impact. Choose wisely—If you want to improve the quality of your life or your leadership, improve the quality of your choices. If you can call timeout and make a better choice in the moment, you’ll be much more satisfied with your long term performance. From the Source “I am a huge advocate on what works best for you, and that's when I started to dig in and decide that I needed to make some changes in my life.“ ”It starts out with, ‘Oh, I can't sleep’ or ‘Oh, I just can't focus’. And you always just kind of brush it off. You brush it off, you brush it off until all of a sudden it's just so much. Your body can only really take so much.” “Some people are wearing busy-ness as a badge of honor.” “We get complacent because we're so busy that maybe we just stopped caring about trying to do our best in certain situations.” “The busy-ness can be a blessing. I have three little boys and we’re busy, but this is a stage in life. This is a different busy than what it's going to be like in 10, 15 years.” “ If your only option is fast food, at least you could make a better fast food choice.” Connect with Sara Website: https://www.purelysarajayne.com/ Links “Back on Track” trivia game sources: Anatomy of the Spine: https://www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/a/anatomy-of-the-spine.html Chiropractic Statistics: https://www.thegoodbody.com/chiropractic-statistics-facts/

Tommy Breedlove is a Wall Street Journal & USA Today bestselling author of the book, Legendary, and Atlanta-based business, relationship, and mindset coach who is a regular featured keynote speaker at global events. Tommy started his 20-year corporate career at one of the largest financial consulting firms in the world, and eventually became a shareholder, the International Practice Leader, and a member of the board of directors for one of the largest public accounting and financial firms in the southeast U.S. At the top of his career, Tommy experienced a transformational moment inspiring him to walk away from the corporate world to change his life and follow his true calling. Tommy now serves clients and audiences everywhere by empowering them to build and live Legendary Lives. He guides people to discover a life of significance while building a lasting legacy. The simple tools he shares shows them how to work in their zone of brilliance, obtain financial freedom, and live with meaning and balance. Tommy’s goal is to help everybody to become the person they've always wanted to be. Top 3 Takeaways Lead thyself—Put yourself under the microscope, and figure out what you’re all about; resolve to convert self-awareness into intentional action. Put in the reps—Be prepared to put in the hard work. Success won’t come easily, but it will show up if YOU show up. Be Legendary—Don’t fixate on money, power, and prestige; make yours a life of giving, gratitude, and service. From the Source “I decided to lead myself and participate in my own rescue.“ “My network started reaching out to me saying, ‘Hey man, you've transformed a whole lot, brother. How did you do it? I want some of that in my life.’” “That's how I did it, and I still do it to this day. I work on myself. I lead myself, which is the most selfless thing we can do.” “When we feel closed or we get scared or insecure or things aren't going away or we make a mistake, or whatever, we start isolating and we start numbing ourselves. That could be in a hundred different ways. It could be isolating, could be TV, it could be food, it could be booze. There's a thousand ways that we can numb ourselves.”​​ “We all have mistakes, things that were done to us, things we've done. We regret things we don't want people to know. And we all have these feelings of insecurity, worry, fear. We're not alone in that.“ “When we know we're not alone, we can lean into that and use it—not as an anchor that holds us down—but use it as a floor to stand on with gratitude and use it to compel us forward.” “What we've all got to realize is we're on this journey of life and we make it super, super hard with social media and that comparison bug, that envy bug. Nobody posts their crap. They're either posting their political opinions or they're posting their best selves, and that promotes envy, that promotes jealousy, that promotes judgment.” “If we do the work—the internal work leading ourselves—we can rewrite that story and the ending can be a whole lot better.” “if you're not getting promoted or you're not being as successful as you want, here's the truth: Go find the nearest mirror and look at it. That is both the problem and the solution.“ “You have to lead yourself first. You have to be respected by others. You've got to respect yourself to be loved by others. You've got to love yourself. So you've got to lean in and lead yourself first.” “We can be horrible legends or great legends, and it has nothing to do with money, power, and success. It has to do with empathy. It has to do with net giving. It has to do with serving.” Connect with Tommy Website: http://tommybreedlove.com Legendary (book): https://www.amazon.com/Legendary-Tommy-Breedlove/dp/1642795534 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tommybreedlove LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/legendarybook Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/public/Tommy-Breedlove