Love in Action

Dr. Monica Worline is the founder and CEO of EnlivenWork, an organization that teaches other organizations how to use compassionate leadership to humanize and energize the workplace. In addition, she is a research scientist and the Executive Director of Compassion Lab. Her book, Awakening Compassion at Work: The Quiet Power That Elevates People and Organizations, is a practical guide to practicing compassion on the job. She joins Marcel to discuss the book and how its principles apply to all organizations.Compassion is often misunderstood as a four-part human experience which unfolds in relation to suffering or pain. The four parts are: notice someone’s pain; interpret their pain as worth one’s time, attention and action; empathize; and take action to alleviate or address the pain. Marcel adds that people believe the fourth step is the most crucial since they think that true compassion is removing the burden from someone’s shoulders.  [7:29]Kindness and compassion are often mixed up together. The key differentiator, Monica says, is that kindness is a voluntary activity that helps another person flourish, whether there is suffering or not. [9:10]Humans have an innate instinct to help those who are suffering, but we unlearn it through institutions and/or family structures. [12:58]There is a cultural and normative bias built into the word ‘compassion’ as it is most often associated with words like ‘nurture’ and ‘care.’ These connotations make compassion seem like “women’s work” and only fit for caregiving institutions, Monica argues. This may hold people back from speaking about or practicing compassion in the workplace for fear of being perceived as ‘weak’ or ‘soft.’ [17:44]Companies lose billions of dollars every month due to a lack of compassion, Monica says. Marcel shares his experience in a toxic work environment where he was sent to the ER due to stress-related back pain. [20:17]Commitment and retention are two major benefits of building a compassionate culture at work. Compassion is essential in the trial and error world of the innovation industry. [25:44]A powerhouse leader is someone who prioritizes connecting with human beings over strategic aims. [31:00]Leaders should make space in their organizations for compassion so that it becomes part of the fabric of the organization. This can be designed within the organization’s networks, roles, routines, and culture. [33:23]The main obstacle to interpersonal compassion is fear: we fear giving compassion because we believe we would be perceived as weak, and we fear receiving it because we believe we would be taken advantage of. [41:33]Monica shares a sociological theory that argues that people will take advantage of you at any given opportunity. Western capitalism is rooted in this theory; the structure of the economic system is based on it. As such, leaders born into this system are more inclined to lead through fear. [43:16]ResourcesDr. Monica C. Worline on LinkedIn | FacebookCompassionLab.comAwakening Compassion at Work: The Quiet Power That Elevates People and OrganizationsSend Marcel a text message!

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the seminal book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by the late great Stephen Covey. A special 30th Anniversary Edition is to be released later this month, with new content and personal insights from Stephen Covey’s son, Sean Covey. Another of Stephen’s sons, Stephen M.R. Covey joins Marcel Schwantes on this week's show to discuss his father's work, including the reasons why the book has stood the test of time. Stephen M.R. Covey is co-founder of Covey Link and Franklin Covey Global Speed of Trust, as well as the bestselling author of The Speed of Trust.Marcel describes the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People as a masterpiece. It has been called the number one Most Influential Book of the 20th century and one of the best selling books of all time by Fortune Magazine. “When I read it it changed my life for the better,” Marcel says. [1:28]His father lived out the 7 habits at home, Stephen says, because his premise was that the principles should not only work with leaders and organizations, but they should also work at home. Stephen pays tribute to his father: “As good as he was in public, he was even better in private, as a husband to my mother, as a father to us kids. He was who you thought he was. He was the real deal.” [5:03]Life is about contribution not accumulation.  [9:16]Marcel and Stephen revisit the 7 habits and how new research has further supported these principles. Some of the ideas they talk about are:Happiness comes from focusing on your circle of influence.If you want to gain influence with others, seek to understand them first. This is giving them a gift of understanding, care, concern, empathy and love. Never be too busy to take time to sharpen the saw. Renew and develop your body, heart, mind and spirit. Start with yourself first. [10:13]The 7 Habits book has withstood the test of time because it’s based on timeless principles of effectiveness. Also, it builds the reader from the inside out. Finally, Stephen points out, his father made its principles practical and accessible to the reader. [21:52]Trust is a learnable skill. [24:58]“Trust affects the speed at which we can move and the cost of everything,” Stephen says. When trust is low, everything takes longer to do and it costs more. On the other hand, when there is high trust, things move faster and cost less. It's also energizing and joyful, and there are huge dividends, he adds. [25:32]Marcel and Stephen discuss why trust is common sense but not common practice. [ 27:19]Three behaviors that help to build a culture of trust are: straight talk, creating transparency, and extending trust first. Stephen also describes the counterfeit behaviors that destroy trust. [30:38]Stephen advises leaders to declare their intent to create a high trust culture. He gives insights about how to measure trust within an organization. [43:00]Many leaders lead through fear because it’s what they know, Stephen posits. Also, they may have a need to be in control, or they may have a scarcity mentality. [45:40]“We need to shift the mindset of ...what a true leader is,” Marcel argues. We should also stop rewarding the command and control behaviors. Stephen adds that we should prove that leading with love is not only the right thing to do, but also the economic thing to do. “We need to create models under the trust and inspire style where they get results and build the culture, and you have the engagement and the inspiration, and they start to say, ‘This is a better way to lead, and if he or she could do it then I can do it too’,” Stephen says.[49:43]Stephen challenges listeners to start with themselves to bring about a renaissance of trust. [56:40]ResourcesSpeedOfTrust.comStephen M.R. Covey on LinkedIn | TwitterGet the 30th Anniversary Edition of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective PeopleMarcel@LoveInAction.clubSend Marcel a text message!

Dr. Timothy Clark is an Oxford-trained social scientist, author, and international authority in the fields of psychological safety and innovation, large scale change and transformation, and senior leadership development. He is the Founder and CEO at LeaderFactor, and is a highly sought-after advisor, coach and facilitator to CEOs around the globe. His latest book, The 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and Innovation, guides leaders through the process of building psychological safety in their organizations. He joins Marcel Schwantes to share how leaders can create an environment where employees feel included, fully engaged, and encouraged to do their best.Marcel is grateful for the spirit of humanity and how resilient humans are in the face of adversity. His home was recently adversely affected by a tornado, and his friends, relatives, neighbors and even strangers offered whatever they could to assist him and his family. The best of what humanity had to offer showed up and came to his aid, he says. The human spirit in our DNA rises up with strength and courage in this time of crisis to help others in need. [4:16]Principles are aspects or elements of truth in leadership; they are eternal and unchanging constants. [8:24]Psychological safety is inexpensive authenticity: being yourself without any economic, emotional, social and political expense. [12:13]Safety is holistic, Tim says. After a devastating experience early in his career, he realized it was his stewardship to help create, curate and protect a culture that would provide psychological safety to the members of an organization. It’s a sacred stewardship every leader has, he adds. [14:51]“Innovation is never easy to think of; it requires creative abrasion and constructive dissent processes that rely on high intellectual friction and low social friction,” Marcel quotes from Tim’s book. Tim describes the terms and shares that each one builds on the next. [16:16]The four stages of psychological safety are: Inclusion Safety, Learner Safety, Contributor Safety, and Challenger Safety. Tim describes and explains each stage, sharing the research behind them.[19:18]The absence of psychological safety eventually negatively affects one’s mental health and emotional well-being. It poses a hindrance to personal and professional development, which profoundly impacts one’s overall sense of self. [30:50]Marcel asks if there can be too much unhealthy psychological safety. Tim responds that sometimes people misinterpret psychological safety as absence of accountability. Rather, it involves a high tolerance for candor, and maintains respect and mutual accountability. [31:32]Psychological safety is a form of industrialized love. [37:09]Leading a team in a virtual environment requires a high tolerance for candor. [40:01]“I know of no rights of race that are superior to the rights of humanity,” Tim quotes. We divide ourselves by differences which are arbitrary distinctions that we need to get rid of. [43:50]A leader is not based on title or position or authority; leaders must recognize that their influence is profound and that if they do not lead the way, then they will only get in the way. [44:29]ResourcesDr. Timothy Clark on LinkedIn | TwitterLeaderFactor.comThe 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: Defining the Path to Inclusion and InnovationThe 4 Stages of Psychological Safety: GuideSend Marcel a text message!

In this week’s memorable and uplifting show, Marcel Schwantes chats with Kevin Hancock, who shares his inspirational story of finding purpose in the midst of adversity, and re-scripting his definition of leadership as a result. They also discuss his new book, The Seventh Power: One CEO’s Journey into the Business of Shared Leadership.Kevin is the CEO of Hancock Lumber Company, one of the oldest and best known family businesses in America, and six-time recipient of the Best Places To Work In Maine. Kevin has been awarded the Ed Muskie Access to Justice Award, the Habitat for Humanity Spirit of Humanity Award, the Boy Scouts of America Distinguished Citizen Award, and the Timber Processing Magazine Person of the Year award. [2:08]Kevin’s ‘why’ is self-awareness: “... to come to know my own true voice and to follow it as best as I can.” [4:00]Marcel asks Kevin to share his personal story. Kevin relates the personal tragedy that struck him in 2010 and his struggle to lead his company in the wake of it. He soon realized, however, that what he initially saw as a loss was actually an incredible gift. How he viewed leadership was completely changed because of it. [4:32]“Everyone has a valuable, powerful, unique, never to be repeated voice and the best cultural model for an organization is to release those voices, not restrict them,” Kevin says. He sees his experience as an invitation to strengthen the voices of others. [10:49]Marcel and Kevin discuss his book. Kevin says that the seventh power is the power of the individual human spirit. His book is “an invitation to turn inward for strength and meaning and purpose, and for leaders to create cultures that make it safe for people to do that.” [15:45]The seven lessons for the age of shared leadership include:Great people are everywhere.Culture makes the difference.Real change is created first from within.In the 21st century, leadership will be about localizing power and shrinking the center.Listen for understanding not judgment.Overreaching has consequences: it collapses back upon the people that do it.An invitation for places of work to broaden their mission. [18:41]“If you were a manager or a supervisor, leadership was something to be shared and dispersed; and if you were an employee within the company, leadership was something to be accepted and embraced... The invitation was for everybody to share the responsibilities of leading,” Kevin says. [23:51]“People are more apt to support authentically that which they helped to create.” [24:49]Kevin’s philosophy is that work should take less time as productivity expands. His company has revamped its compensation system in line with this principle. [25:44]Leaders who want to create a culture of shared leadership should talk less, sit still more, have faith in their people and engage their power. The way to get people to pick up more, he says, is simply to occupy less. “...the power of them all leading is just immeasurably greater than anything I could do on my own,” he comments. [29:43]Marcel says that “fear and in control are relics of the industrial age that have been passed on from generation to generation.” [34:46]When leaders focus on becoming the change they want to see, the effects ripple throughout the organization. [36:00]Kevin wants listeners to take away these ideas:It takes everyone to lead to defeat the virus.We need a new definition of winning.We have to start thinking more about our shared collective humanity.“Your voice is unique by design. It will never be repeated, and your gift to humanity is to do the best you can to release it and share it and bring it forth into this world.”In nature, power is meant to be dispersed. [38:30]ResourcesKevinDHancock.comSend Marcel a text message!

Matthew Emerzian is an author, keynote speaker, and the founder and CEO of Every Monday Matters, a non-profit organization committed to helping others understand their value and purpose. His work has been featured in Fast Company, Oprah.com, The Today Show, and the Hallmark Channel. He joins Marcel Schwantes to share a powerful and timely message about why we all matter.Marcel asks Matthew what he hopes comes as a result of current events. Matthew responds: that we continue to operate on our “human spirit” even after the coronavirus is gone. [4:30]Live a life that’s not about you. Matthew talks about the life motto given to him by his therapist that completely changed his world view. He shares how doing community service every Saturday morning helped him redefine what mattered to him. [11:48]Matthew’s book, Every Monday Matters, was used as part of a restorative justice program for convicted felons. After speaking to a group of them at a prison, one man tearfully commented that not being told he mattered was what got him into his position. [18:19]Marcel shares that Every Monday Matters the book is broken down into three sections: I Matter, You Matter, and We Matter. He asks Matthew to explain how they interconnect. Matthew describes it as a Venn Diagram with three circles, where each circle represents one section of the book and they all share an intersection. [21:38]People should be themselves authentically and unapologetically. They should not put filters on their lives like they do to social media posts in an attempt to reach perfection, because every individual is already uniquely perfect. [23:52]The silver lining in the current pandemic is that people are being forced to be their true selves; the masks are being torn off because we are all in a mutual state of suffering. [26:19]Some argue that doing selfless things is selfish because it only makes you feel good about yourself. If being selfless is actually being selfish, then we should create a selfish world, Matthew jokes. [31:22]We are wired to serve others. A life of service fulfills you in ways that material success cannot, and you find a sense of inner peace when you dedicate yourself to it. [34:39]Marcel asks Matthew how we can emerge from the global pandemic as better people. Before the coronavirus hit, we were suffering from a human virus of unkindness, Matthew says. We were not treating each other with compassion. When the virus goes away, in order to emerge as better people we must continue to embrace our humanity as we are doing currently. [36:21]Matthew believes that to create a world where everyone is aware of why and how much they matter, education must start with the youth. Every Monday Matters has a social and emotional learning program in six countries that has reached two million students worldwide. They are also providing free lessons and live classes on Zoom due to the pandemic. [38:38]Every day we wake up, we can make a choice to be someone who gives to the world, or someone who takes from it. [44:16]I matter, you matter, we matter. Marcel asks Matthew to explain how everybody matters. I Matter involves coming to terms with your own worth in all your imperfections and uniqueness. You Matter involves expanding your awareness to acknowledge and celebrate the value of those around you. We Matter explores how powerful we are together in impacting lives and communities.  [46:44]ResourcesMatthew Emerzian on LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | YoutubeMatthewEmerzian.comEvery Monday Matters: 52 Ways to Make a DifferenceYou Matter: Learning to Love Who You Really AreEveryMondayMatters.comSend Marcel a text message!

This week’s guest on the Love In Action podcast is Michael Hyatt, CEO and founder of Michael Hyatt & Company, and the former Chairman and CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. Michael Hyatt & Company has been featured in the Inc 5000 list of the fastest growing companies in America for three consecutive years. Michael is also a bestselling author. He joins Marcel Schwantes to discuss his new book, The Vision Driven Leader: 10 Questions to Focus Your Efforts, Energize Your Team and Scale Your Business, and to explain how leaders can design an irresistible vision and rally their teams to achieve it. Marcel quotes from Michael’s new book: “Vision is the essential ingredient for successful leadership. There's no substitute... Unless you as a leader have a clear picture of the destination where you want your company to be in 3 to 5 years, you've got nothing that will inspire people to follow you.” [1:30]Michael says, “...in moments of crisis our character is proven.” People who survive a crisis are those who are willing to face the reality of their situation, and who have faith that they would prevail in the end. [3:58]It’s possible to win at work and succeed in life as long as you have a vision. [5:28]Michael lists how vision helps leaders become better: [6:15]Vision gives you confidence. [6:22]Vision accelerates your momentum. [6:42]A clear vision is a filter to differentiate between opportunities and distraction. [7:01]Vision drives execution and reduces overwhelm. [7:29]A clear vision aligns your organization and ensures that you're driving towards the things that bring success. [7:42]A clear vision helps you attract the right teammates and repel the wrong ones. [7:58]“Mission and vision are very different,” Michael points out. “Mission is about your purpose; it answers the question, Why? Vision is about your destination and it answers the question, What?” [8:50]Michael defines vision as “a clear, inspiring, practical and attractive picture of your organization’s future and it has to be superior to the present. It's got to be written down...and it's going to be written in the present tense as though it's actually already achieved.” His company has created a Vision Scriptor tool to walk users through the process of creating a vision. [9:13]Marcel and Michael discuss the qualities of a vision driven leader, as well as leaders who are vision deficient. Michael illustrates the difference between leaders and managers, and emphasizes that both roles are essential. [12:07]“One of the things that happens in a crisis,” Michael says, “is that people lose connection with that larger story... because it's a lot of...daily tasks that have to be done. So it's up to the leader to be refilling the vision bucket that everybody is carrying around, so that they can find meaning in their work, and so they have hope for the future.” [17:20]The long-term vision of most organizations would not change in a crisis; the thing that has to change is strategy. [17:47]Loving customers and employees means serving them well. Creating a culture where people flourish starts with the leader. [20:14]Marcel asks why some people still lead through fear. Michael believes that such people have a scarcity mindset. [23:22]Michael gives practical tips about working remotely, including two useful online tools. [25:44]Creating a winning culture begins with the leader’s vision. What would serve the people we want to serve? How can we help our employees get the “double win”? [31:08]Michael believes that “this is the moment for entrepreneurs for leaders to rise up as an army and really deliver the future that all of us need and want.” [32:58]Listeners should know that they have what it takes, according to Michael. “This moment will bring out the best in your leadership if you let it.” [33:30]ResourcesMichaelHyatt.comVisionDrivenLeader.com/coreMarcelSchwSend Marcel a text message!

Charn McAllister is an Assistant Professor of Management and Organizational Development at D’Amore-McKim School of Business at Northeastern University. Earlier in his career, Charn served in the US Army as a helicopter pilot and troop commander during two deployments in Iraq. He joins Marcel Schwantes on this week’s show to talk about why being a likable leader matters and how it leads to results.“Really good leadership,” Charn argues, “involves being liked… treating [your subordinates] with respect and being a good person, which leads to being liked.” [6:00]Likability undercuts every leadership theory, Charn points out. If your subordinates like you, they rate you as a better leader. [7:00]The Leadership Affect Questionnaire (LAQ) measures how much subordinates like their leaders. Marcel and Charn discuss how the LAQ works. [8:41]If your leader scores low on the LAQ, think about what they do to merit such a low score, and endeavor not to repeat those behaviors in your own leadership style, Charn advises. Bad leaders teach us what not to do. Also, if you can find a kind way to give feedback, take the opportunity, Charn advises. Many leaders aren’t aware of what they’re doing wrong, so your feedback can help them correct their path. [11:46]Everyone can be likable, Charn believes. “It’s somewhat of a choice… Treat people as we would want to be treated…we become more likable by treating people with respect and treating them as people.” [13:33]“If all you are is a transaction between you and your subordinates, that’s all that relationship will ever become. When you actually create care for each other and understanding between the two, that’s how you become likable... We want to like the person who we know and understand and they understand us in return,” Charn says. [15:45]Marcel comments that research proves that soft skills such as empathy lead to high achievement in the workplace. He quotes author Tom Peters, “Soft skills are the new hard skills.” [16:57]Charn describes leadership as a tightrope. Treating people with respect sometimes means making concessions; however, a good relationship with your subordinates also puts them under the obligation to perform at their best. “By creating these relationships and becoming likable, I think you're increasing the performance of the entire team,” Charn says. [18:08]Marcel and Charn discuss being a likable leader in challenging times such as the current pandemic. Charn advocates having the difficult conversations about the next steps. Let your employees know that you’re thinking about them and you care for them. Marcel agrees that radical honesty about what's happening - even if it's bad news - is vital. “But,” he says, “also be there to let them know that you are backing them up, You are supporting them along the way until this thing is over.” [19:33]Leadership is about unlocking potential. People want to be part of something bigger than themselves. Leaders can help give them that sense of purpose. [24:48]Having a mutually respectful relationship with your subordinates makes them respect you more, not less. [27:50]The first step a leader should take to build a relationship with subordinates is to humbly ask for feedback, and then take action on it. This builds trust, Charn points out. Eventually both parties will feel committed to each other’s success. [30:51]Charn advises listeners to have empathy for each other. “We’re all people. We all have these battles and struggles that we're going through,” he reminds us. [35:12]Marcel’s takeaway for listeners is: “We are in a soft skills economy, especially now with the spread of the virus.You have to respond with empathy, kindness, respect, flexibility, and meet people's needs where they're at. Those are the leaders that are going to rise up in the face of crisis.” [37:10]ResourcesCharn McAllister on LinkedInProfessoSend Marcel a text message!

Marcel Schwantes welcomes Dr. Wayne Baker to this week’s Love In Action show. Wayne is the co-founder and board member of Give and Take Inc. He also serves as the Faculty Director of the Center for Positive Organizations at the University of Michigan Ross School of Business. His work has been published in Harvard Business Review, Chief Executive Magazine, and Sloan Management Review. His teaching and research focus on social capital, social networks, generosity and positive organizations. He chats with Marcel about the art of making strategic asks as detailed in his new book, All You Have To Do Is Ask: How to Master the Most Important Skill for Success.Generalized reciprocity is when one person helps another, and that person is motivated to pay it forward. The cycle of reciprocity eventually comes back around to the person who started it. [7:11]Wayne realized that people had no problem being generous; however, many people struggle with asking for help. This is problematic because it is the request that drives the process of giving and receiving. [7:51]Marcel asks about the barriers that cause us to be reluctant to ask for help. Wayne answers: [8:40]We think we’d look incompetent. Making a thoughtful request however, makes us seem more competent. [9:00]We think no one can help. Wayne counters that you never know what or who people know until you ask. [9:25]We’re too self-reliant. In the real world, work is a team sport. [10:16]We don’t feel psychologically safe. The leader should be the chief help seeker, Wayne says. He or she should model the behavior that makes a psychologically safe workplace. [11:00]Fear is also a barrier. Wayne advocates the behavior first principle: it’s hard to change people’s beliefs and then their behavior; instead, get them to do something different, and they’ll update their beliefs as a result. [12:54]Bureaucracy, in particular organizational silos or excessive rules and regulations, is another reason. Wayne shares how cross collaboration can help break these barriers down. [13:40]Wayne describes his company’s digital platform, Givitas. He says it’s “based on the principle of enabling people to ask for what they need.” [15:40]Marcel asks Wayne to explain why asking for help can mean the difference between success and failure. Wayne replies that when an individual asks for help, he/she is more productive, performs better, has higher job satisfaction and less stress. He also describes the benefits of asking for help on the team and organizational levels. [16:15]A thoughtful request is SMART:SpecificMeaningfulAction - you should ask for something to be done.Realistic Time - set a specific deadline. [18:27]You should only think about who you should ask after you know what you want to accomplish and the resources you need, and you’ve formulated a SMART request. [20:08]Marcel asks Wayne to define and describe the Reciprocity Ring. Wayne explains that it came out of a discussion with his wife 21 years ago. He describes how using it leads to positive attitude and behavior change. [28:05]“People are more likely to do what is recognized and rewarded,” Wayne says. As such, he advocates rewarding those who make requests. [32:04]Wayne shares a miracle that happened because someone gave themselves permission to ask. [35:05]Wayne wants listeners to …”give yourself permission to ask, to think about what you need personally, what you might need professionally that will help you be more effective, more successful, and to make that request.” [39:30]Marcel’s takeaways from this episode include: “Make asking a personal and organizational habit and a cultural expectation in your workplace, and also have the tools and strategies in place to support asking.”“...asking is the key to giving at work, at home or anywhere in your life.”ResourcesAllYouHaveToDoIsAsk.comSend Marcel a text message!

Ankur Gopal is the CEO of Interapt, an award-winning mobile and wearable technology solutions innovation partner. He was named one of Business’ First 40 Business Leaders Under 40 and inducted into the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame in 2014. He joins Marcel Schwantes to discuss talent acquisition and what he’s doing to make it easier.Interapt is an IT services firm that provides solutions primarily for large enterprises but meets with small businesses as well. [2:53]Ankur hadn’t intended to start an impactful movement in helping the community when he moved back to Kentucky; it happened organically. [6:05]Ankur started off acquiring talent by having a heart. [8:02]We can either take the onus of building our own talent, or go out and buy it in an already flourishing market, Ankur says. [11:43] People can’t take breaks from life when you ask them to retool themselves, and they certainly can’t do that without a paycheck. [14:12]There’s a bias against a non-traditional hire without a college degree. [18:01]Ankur’s paid apprenticeship program is intended to launch unskilled workers and those with minimal digital literacy into a future in the tech industry. [21:23]We tend to associate low income with low functioning. [24:56]Giving someone a first chance or letting them know that they’re supported can lead to a ripple effect of monumental outcomes. [30:41]Ankur quotes his late mentor’s advice to him during difficult times: “If you’re not ticking people off then you’re not pushing hard enough.” [36:38]Apprentices are given a month per year to learn something new, with fully funded training as long as they continue to do their jobs efficiently. [38:40]Everyone has value and skills that they bring to the table. [42:28]There are both business oriented and altruistic reasons for Ankur’s program. [46:35]Leaders need to create an environment where employees feel safe sharing their problems. [50:33]Give people first chances and you’ll be surprised at what they can do. [53:30]ResourcesInterapt.comInterapt on FacebookAnkur Gopal on LinkedIn | Twitter | FacebookSend Marcel a text message!

Marcel Schwantes welcomes Todd Palmer to this week’s Love In Action show. Todd is the CEO of Extraordinary Advisors, a renowned executive coach and author of The Job Search Process: Find and Land a Great Job in Six Weeks or Less. He shares how he went from being $600,000 in debt to making the Inc 5000 list six times! He and Marcel chat about his amazing story and his proven framework for helping business owners achieve success through authenticity, transparency, and vulnerability.The impostor syndrome is real, Todd says. It shows up in every part of our lives and it goes wherever we go. [2:45]Todd would not have made the Inc 5000 list had he not dealt with his impostor syndrome. He describes the feeling of empowerment when he made the transformative decision to “...take the wheel of my life again.” [3:52]Marcel quotes Todd’s book, “Growth happens only when we lean into the uncomfortable.” [6:07]“In order for me to lean into the uncomfortable ...the first person I would have had the conversation with was myself, and to look deep within, to do an inventory of how I got there. It was so incredibly painful but the flip side of it is, it was transformative,” says Todd. [7:00]Fixing your business is an inside out process, according to Todd. You have to work on yourself first. [9:13]Marcel comments that working on yourself requires self-awareness, as well as a level of authenticity, transparency and vulnerability not everyone is naturally wired to do. [11:40]You can’t take care of your business if you don’t take care of you. [12:59]Todd describes how he helps his clients lean into the uncomfortable. [13:15]Storytelling is the new business currency, according to Todd. He and Marcel discuss the impact of stories on businesses and lives. While telling your own story is good, it’s much more powerful to tell other people’s stories, especially how your work has impacted their lives. People resonate with the stories they hear, Todd adds. They see themselves in the arc of the story. [14:56]Marcel asks Todd to define psychological safety. [18:35]Todd comments, “If you have the best talent going in the right direction because they feel cared for, they feel heard, they feel validated and they feel rewarded to grow that organization as a collective team, it gives you the power of many.” [20:20]Todd shares an interesting story about what he learned from prisoners. He applauds the Hustle 2.0 program. [22:28]Ditching your comfort zone is a disciplined, methodical process that requires commitment. [25:00]Marcel asks Todd, “Is it fair to say that the impostor syndrome is basically wearing false masks?” Todd agrees and adds that it has been programmed in us to not show up authentically. However, if we have enough courage to put away the masks, we’d be amazed how much people want to help us. When we collaborate with others, we get the best ideas. [26:39]Leaders who accept themselves, who acknowledge that they are a work in progress, allow that acceptance to come out in their teams, Todd says. “Sometimes the hardest part though is to authentically see ourselves.” [28:24]Todd wants listeners to know that the real differentiator in life is people. “The better the people are in your life, the better you show up for other people.” [33:55]“Look within before blaming the rest of the world for your challenges,” Todd urges listeners. [35:27]ResourcesExtraordinaryAdvisors.comTodd Palmer on Facebook | InstagramHustle 2.0 programSend Marcel a text message!