Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

You probably know one of the greatest Japanese proverbs of all time that teaches us about the power of resilience - ‘Fall down seven times, rise eight.’ In this week’s episode, McKay talks about the importance of dusting yourself off after a crisis and getting back up. He kicks off the episode by telling us a powerful story about Florence Rogers and how a seemingly normal day turned out to be an enormous test of her resilience. Just like Rocky Balboa, she decided to keep moving forward after life hit her hard. Next, McKay shares a few other compelling examples of keeping faith during a crisis and rising from the ashes every single time. There’s so much wisdom to unpack from this episode, as McKay shares the most effective tips for surviving tough times and picking yourself back up after you’re down. So if you want to build resilience and learn to endure life’s hardships, make sure you tune into this week’s episode to hear what McKay has to say.The Finer Details of This Episode:The power of rising againExample from the Book of IsaiahKeeping faith in hard timesHelpful tools for picking yourself back upDoing the next best thingChanging your mindsetAsking for helpQuotes:“When you're knocked down, you're left with two choices - stay there or get up. And people asked me, ‘How did you overcome the loss?’ My answer - I got up. No matter what life throws at you, you get up. Even if you need help, you get up.”“Even though it may seem like it's too hard to get up, try again, I promise you can. It is worth one more try.”“It ain't about how hard you hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much you can take and keep moving forward.”“Mistakes or a fall or a pause or a failing doesn't need to define you. You are able to mount up with wings of eagles and rise to the person you can and should become.”“There's great power in a new paradigm.”“I promise, the moment you reach out to the right person for help, you will begin to see a way out of your situation.”Links:McKay Christensen Homepage

Risk-taking is one of the most critical skills that every strong leader should have. It involves envisioning the future, enhancing your odds of success, and then translating your vision into reality. Risk-taking leaders are self-aware, nimble, and fearless. So, it’s no surprise that employees respond well to risk takers and perceive them as leaders worth following. Taking calculated risks will not only empower you as a leader, but it will also empower and inspire everyone around you.In this week’s episode, McKay talks about the most important skills that a risk-taking leader should have, and dives deep into the concept of leading by taking risks (that are worth taking). First, he tells us a story about Myles Frost and his journey to becoming a Tony Award winner. Thanks to his extraordinary talent, hard work, and some smart risk-taking, Myles showed us that life is inherently risky, but that very rarely does anything worthwhile happen without a gamble. Then, McKay walks us through some of the key traits of a risk-taking leader. According to him, if you want to lead as a risk taker, you need to learn to see the difference between foolish and sound risks. You need to know how to improve your odds of success and visit the future by examining the paths of others. Finally, you should have a clear vision and gain the capacity to translate that vision into reality. The Finer Details of This Episode:Learning from Myles Frost’s exampleRisks that are worth takingLeading by taking calculated risksThe difference between foolish and sound risk-takingImproving odds of successVisiting the future by examining your competitorsTranslating your vision into realityQuotes:“I think we all face risks now and then in our life. And sometimes those risks seem too impossible or too much to hope for or even seem like too much to think that we may actually have a chance to do something remarkable or good.”“That's how it is sometimes. The opportunities that come our way, and the direction we need to take our team or live from time to time is both a godsend and a gamble. But it is worth the risk. ”“You see, it's not the tendency of most leaders to risk because there's often too much to lose. But risk-taking builds credibility and makes you attractive as a leader.”“Almost everything worthwhile is a risk. ”“You can improve your odds as a leader and risk taker by getting smarter, using the best in the world to help you, having options, and putting your resources to work in the best way.”“Leadership is the ability to translate that vision into reality, to take what the road looks like in the future, and create a roadmap now for success.”Links:McKay Christensen Homepage

What’s the most important role in an organization? Despite what you may think, it’s not a CEO, CFO, or CMO. It’s actually CIO - Chief Inspiration Officer. A CIO has a job to inspire others and lead by example. So, how can you become your team’s CIO? You’re about to find out! In this week’s episode, McKay talks about the key characteristics that an inspiring leader must have: credibility and integrity. He dives deep into the power of inspiration - the driving force that moves a team forward and helps them achieve higher levels of performance. McKay starts the episode by telling us a story about a young group of Boy Scouts and their heroic deeds during a terrible train accident. From this inspirational example, we learn the basic principles of great leadership - leading by example. As a leader, you must show your team the way by practicing what you preach. In other words, walk the talk. Next, McKay goes on to share a few valuable lessons on becoming a Chief Inspiration Officer. He talks about building competence, confidence, and character, which are some of the key traits you should have as a CIO. Finally, McKay asks us to imagine ourselves as Chief Inspiration Officers of our homes, teams, or organizations. Whatever that’d be for you, open your eyes and seek to inspire.The Finer Details of This Episode:-          Eli Skrypczak and the Amtrack train accident-          Walking the talk and leading to inspire-          Discussing the most important role there is - CIO-          The importance of credibility for great leaders-          Leading by example-          The incredible power of inspirationQuotes:“Can you picture it?  A group of scouts putting into practice what they had learned, and caring for hundreds of injured passengers.”“That’s what happens with leaders: they inspire by who they are, the goals they keep, and the actions they take.  And when they do what they say they will do, when they do their duty, they inspire. Leadership IS what you inspire others to do.”“As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly and they will show themselves great.’ This leads us to the first lesson of being a Chief Inspiration Officer, and this is very important… trusted leaders have credibility. ”“When we personally have gaps between our values and what we do, we experience dissonance or anxiety.  It robs us of our strength.  Likewise, when we don’t walk our talk, it robs us of our leadership influence. ”“Nothing is as powerful as you when you decide to be the Chief Inspiration Officer of your house or team or life.”“To be more inspiring, open your eyes to this fact:  the people on our team and in your family are not just people, they are gifts. It’s the leader’s job - your job - to nurture those gifts.”Links:McKay Christensen Homepage

A constructive leader is someone who builds others, not just themselves. It’s someone who creates ownership in a team to move the organization in the right direction. But a constructive leader is also a mother who lifts her child up, supports them in any way she can, and builds on their creativity. If you think about it, examples of great leaders are everywhere around us; we just need to know what to look for.In this week’s episode, McKay talks about the main principles of constructive leadership. He starts the episode by telling us an inspiring story about a young boy and his rise to fame. Thanks to the incredible support of his mother and his enormous talent for filmmaking, this boy grew up to become one of the most successful people in the industry, M. Night Shyamalan. The secret sauce to his success? Constructive parents. Then, McKay shares a few other success stories and phenomenal lessons on constructive leadership, from taking ownership like a goose in a flock to borrowing important dates like the Yankees. He ends the episode by reflecting on the most vital aspect of constructive leadership and that is your mindset to lead and construct.The Finer Details of This Episode:The success story of M. Night Shyamalan The importance of having supportive and constructive parents The most important principles of constructive leadership Three essential ingredients for building ownership on a team Borrowing important dates like the Yankees Building the mindset to lead and constructQuotes:“His mother’s influence was momentous in his life… The interesting thing is his mother was not a filmmaker. Far from it, and she did more than support, she helped magnify his passion and creativity.”“How do successes like this happen? How do you construct an M. Night Shyamalan who is bold enough to spend a year on a screenplay and bring the questions he had as a young Hindu boy in a Catholic grammar school about life and death to the screen in such unique and amazing ways? How does that happen? A mother, and father, who were constructive.”“There is power in being constructive. And…there are great results waiting for the leader who leads by being constructive.”“When you are constructive as a leader, you build something other than yourself.”“The constructive leader believes that to get the organization or family to where it needs to go, they must develop the people who make up that organization. They will work through others and focus on the building of others to reach their goals.”“Talk is cheap. Action makes all the difference. When you are trying as a parent to be constructive with your children, act as much as you can, not to do things for them, but to provide opportunities for them, to encourage them and to assist them in their self-leadership.”Links:McKay Christensen Homepage

We all have greatness within us. And we all navigate through life searching for it, trying to embrace our greatest strengths, and striving to become the best version of ourselves. But life is filled with irony, paradox, and dichotomy. And when we can embrace the dichotomy of greatness, that’s when we’ll be able to live our life to the fullest. The dichotomy of greatness is what leads us to greatness; we see it all around us – the most talented athletes, the world’s greatest leaders, and even in our closest friends. It shows us that we can’t be great until we accept that we’re also small. When we can step away from one side of life’s dichotomies and adopt a new view, only then can we find the secret to greatness.In this week’s episode, McKay dives deep into the dichotomy of greatness and how it can help us learn and grow. He shares some of the most inspiring stories of the world’s greatest people, from Muhammad Ali and Og Mandino to his courageous friend Jeff and his family members. He tells us about Ali’s rise to greatness and how he became a hero in the eyes of the public. Then, McKay shares his own personal experience with the dichotomy of greatness as well as a few other lessons to learn from life’s dichotomies. He finishes off the episode by explaining why taking the long view is the way to achieve hope and greatness in life.The Finer Details of This Episode:Muhammad Ali’s inspiring lessons on greatness The strange and beautiful dichotomy of life Learning and growing by embracing life’s dichotomies The Greatest Miracle in the World Taking the long viewQuotes:“Isn't that how life is? We travel a road in life only to learn the lesson that we should have learned all along. Life is filled with irony, paradox and dichotomy.”“I believe that God gives us these opposites, these dichotomies to help us learn and grow. It is in the contrast of things that we find the profound. It is the paradoxical that allow us to open our eyes to a new view. Without the opposite, the dichotomy, we couldn’t see in new ways who we are and what we can become.”“As the saying goes: if you are not willing to learn, no one can help you; if you are determined to learn, no one can stop you.”“The truth is that we all have an invisible talisman. We can choose to embrace the greatness within us.”“To find greatness in the midst of dichotomy requires an unwavering patience that most people don’t or can’t sustain. Greatness requires the long view.”“Remember, greatness is waiting for you as you navigate the dichotomies of life. And if you will open your eyes to see things from both sides, lead with adaptability, learn all you can and to recognize you are the greatest, the greatest miracle in the world, just watch, you will find greatness in your life and the lives of those around you.”Links:McKay Christensen HomepageThe Greatest Miracle in the World by Og MandinoSuccess Through a Positive Mental Attitude by W. Clement Stone and Napoleon Hill

Today, McKay delves into the concept of becoming a person of grace and a leader who leads with grace. He shares an inspiring example of grace from the most recent Little League World Series playoffs. Like the little leaguers, when we extend grace to others, we become more inspiring. And that’s needed in our world today.While grace is incredibly motivational and encouraging, not many people actually engage in demonstrating or offering it, but we can all start.  McKay spends much of the episode characterizing someone leading with grace as someone who cares more about making things right than being right themselves, someone who is grateful, generous, and someone who is content to listen first before they speak.  Leading with grace isn’t always easy though.  It requires a certain discipline and willingness to sacrifice.  Nothing is more inspiring and motivating though than a graceful leader.  So encourage others with your grace, and soon you will see that you too can make a positive impact.  The Finer Details of This Episode: Great moments in Little League HistoryPresident Bush’s moment of graceMaking things right Gratitude and unassuming generosityBeing content to listenThe value of encouragementQuotes: “These two girls were playing pitch and catch as they linked generations of girls together who love the game of baseball.”“There, on that day at the regional finals, two 12-year-old boys, with the game on the line, put aside their own aspirations and demonstrated the type of grace and sportsmanship that is lacking in so many professional sports played by grown men today.”“Grace reminds us that leadership starts with the leader but it’s never about the leader.”“Grace is so easy to give and so powerful when it is received.  Hillary Clinton says the letter made her cry when she first read it and she cried again when she heard Bush had passed away years later.”“And it isn’t that people of grace give lots of money or even lots of time.  They simply give of themselves, of their own attention.”“There is something about people of grace that is content to wait for their time and let others have theirs.  There is a certain discipline to grace. We sacrifice, we temper the need to give to ourselves.”Links: McKay Christensen Homepage

On this week’s episode of the Open Your Eyes podcast, McKay talks about perseverance, how to adapt and overcome mistakes/failure, and why you should start doing ordinary things with excellence.  He opens up the episode with brief remarks about Walmart and the company's evolution. In 2010, when Walmart slowly started to fall to a new competitor on the scene, Amazon, they shifted their online marketing strategies to catch up, and they did.  So in a world that’s constantly changing, McKay urges us to,  like Walmart, adapt and overcome.  It’s okay to take inspiration from others, but we must do what they do better to stand out.  Take Markelle Taylor for example.  After years in prison that felt like they would never end, Taylor joined his center’s local bible study and 1000 mile running club.  And with thousands of hours spent running and reading the Lord's word under his belt, his time for parole arrived.  And when it finally did, he competed in the Boston Marathon and got a job in his neighborhood.  Like the strenuous hours that Taylor put in, it often doesn’t take anything special to embark on a new journey.  All you have to do is continue to do the same things, but this time with diligence and excellence.  Reinvention can feel scary though, and that’s why McKay tries to constantly make the right decisions that support his future and goals.  So like him, spend some time soon thinking about your purpose and what changes you need to make in your life to take yourself to the next level.The Finer Details of This Episode: The story of WalmartTake actionAdapting and overcomingDo what others do but betterMarkelle Taylor  and the 1000 mile clubBecoming a first class noticerDoing things with excellenceBritish Petroleum’s fatal mistakeQuotes: “You see early on, Wal-Mart built new stores, not in large city markets, but rather in rural markets.  Because in rural markets, Sam was competing against mom-and-pop independent retailers who suffered from lack of volume or economies of scale.”“And for many of us, the type of reinvention and work required to shift midstream can seem overwhelming.”“The way things used to work aren’t working so well anymore.”“ But like Walmart, my experience is that you make the very best decision you can and move forward keeping your options open to modify and adapt.”“You and I, too, can do the same.  We can run, work, lead, serve like others but we can do it better. Don’t be afraid, like Markelle, to follow the advice of others to get you running.  Then once you’re running, run better.”“The pivot required in our life to face new circumstances often doesn’t involve doing new things.  It requires doing old things with excellence. “Now one of the most important lessons to take away from this podcast today, is the realization that what got you here may not get you to where you want to go.  Spend some time soon thinking about this principle and getting purposeful about what you are going to do to move you and your business and your team and your family to the next level.”Links: Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

Decision making remains a core life skill that benefits you and those who learn from you for years to come. In this week’s episode, McKay breaks down the importance of decision making and teaches listeners how to become better decision makers themselves.McKay begins by citing 9/11 as an incident that highlights the critical importance of decision making. He explains how rapid decisions had to be made on that day and how this impacted the USA. McKay also delves into the science behind decision making and explains how the 37% rule can help people make decisions. He advises listeners to ignore the rumors on social media and always research to make knowledgeable decisions. Finally, McKay explains the different biases that affect our decision making and how to counter them.The Finer Details of This Episode:The story of 9/11: making difficult decisions The science of decision making What is the 37% rule? How does knowledge impact decision making? The dangers of social media based decision making What biases affect our decisions?Quotes:“Some of the hardest decisions are hard because we have imperfect information, and there's uncertainty and risk associated with making those decisions.”“Often, the impact of a decision lasts long after the decision is made.”“We've all fallen prey to analysis paralysis. And we've all likely lost out on something promising because it took too long for us to decide.”“There is a statistically proven answer as to how long or how many options you should consider before making this type of decision.”“Science tells us that people who have a broad knowledge in the subject area related to the decision have a higher likelihood of deciding better. So know your circumstances, and be knowledgeable about a lot of things having to do with the subject of your decision.”“Learn all you can know while you can. If you're in business, learn the science of it. Understand all you can about how to bring customers to your business and what type of person to team up with and how to help them move faster and more productively.”“Know your space. There are so many reliable books and people who can help you get educated.”“It is impossible to be both ignorant and a good decision maker.”“If you're unwilling to take time to read and search and think critically, you are left to make decisions based on poor data, particularly in today's day and age in which anyone can post anything online.”“Don't make permanent decisions out of temporary emotion.”Show Links:Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

In this week's episode, McKay discusses the importance of building and investing in your brand. We all have a brand which we create and build daily, and today, McKay shares the secrets on how to create that brand, how to keep the brand alive, and how to fulfill the purpose of whatever brand we create.He begins looking at the importance of brand building by sharing a story of the Superbowl and why many brands advertise during the Superbowl. McKay goes on to explain how Amazon became the biggest brand and why branding is essential in our lives. He also discusses the steps of successful branding which include knowing what your audience values in you and then creating a brand promise. Above all, McKay explains that keeping and communicating your brand promise while being consistent are the key ingredients to building a successful brand.The Finer Details of This Episode:Why many brands spend a lot to advertise in the Superbowl How Amazon became the biggest brand in the world The history of branding The steps of brand building The story behind Cocomelon’s branding Creating a brand promise Keeping and communicating your brand promiseQuotes:“During the Superbowl, consumers watch on an average eighty-nine commercials for an average of forty-six and a half minutes.”“To say your brand is your name or the name of your product or company is accurate, but not complete. Over the years, marketers have worked to create a specific perception in customers' minds of the qualities and attributes associated with their brand. So, a brand is the way a product, company or individual is perceived by those who experience it or them.”“Your brand is the perception in other people's minds of the qualities and attributes associated with you, with your brand.”“We all have a brand. And each day we're building, shaping, and creating that brand.”“A brand is more than reputation. It represents a mark of trust and confidence in you. ”“We often fail in creating a brand because we don't adequately assess what people or consumers are looking for.”“If you know what your business partners, kids, customers, or friends really value in you or your product, you have a winning brand concept.”“When your customers have finished using your product or service, when team members reflect on your relationship with them, when your kids look back on their life with you, how do you want them to describe their experience?”“Strong brands deliver on their promise.”“Consistency pays.”Show Links:Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

McKay kicks off today’s Open Your Eyes episode by sharing his wisdom about failures and flops, specifically how some of the world’s greatest success stories followed in the footsteps of rather embarrassing failures.  Take Dick Fosbury, Brian Epstein, or Tiger Woods for example.  Even J.K Rowling was a homeless, single mother by the time she began to write the world’s most beloved children series.  Suffering at the hands of an abuser and reckoning with her mother’s death, Rowling felt like the biggest failure she knew.  But she decided to work hard and make use of that wild imagination of hers to overcome and become the writer she knew she could be.  It took Rowling a little over three years to get her book published, but her fortitude and dedication paid off.  And it will for you too.  Making mistakes can often deter us from following our dreams, when instead, we should see these moments as opportunities to learn from.  After all, if you don’t try, you’ll never know.  So embrace the educational chance to learn from your flops.  McKay knows it’s not easy, but he also knows that our imaginations are far richer than one would think. So abandon the fear of flopping, jump right in, and use that imagination to see a path through.  The Finer Details of This Episode:The Fosbury FlopJ.K. Rowling embracing her dreamsLearning from mistakesLeaving your comfort zoneImagining new futuresQuotes: “While you and I may never jump over a 7-foot high jump bar or even try the high jump, we will all likely flop or at least benefit from someone else’s flop.”“I stopped pretending I was anything other than what I was. I determined more than I had ever determined to do what I was meant to do—to write. I finally knew inside I was a writer. I was alive, I had a beautiful daughter and a typewriter.”“It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all.  Failure gave me inner security and taught me things about myself that I could have learned no other way.”“Don’t quit. Don’t let the flop of the moment keep you from stepping up and trying again.  Stand in your place, wherever you are, and know that you can and will rise.”“So, keep believing.  Your current flops can enable the highest jumps of all.  And the thing is, when we flop, we can see and relate to others in ways we didn’t know before.”“And the truth is that for all of us in life, things we used to do with ease get a little harder. Expectations we have aren’t always met like we wish they would.  Life will take from us things we used to take for granted, and getting old is not for sissies.”“When you’re in the middle of a flop, let your imagination come to your aid.  You can see a different future, a better reaction, how other people feel, and what you can do to be of help to others.”“Whatever flops may be present in your life today, use your imagination to see a way through them. And when others flop, tip your hat, learn from their experience and give all the grace you can.”Links: Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen