Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

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

Today, McKay reflects on the curves we all experience in the road of life and discusses how we can not only cope but also thrive when life throws us a curve. He discusses how leaning into life can make all the difference.  He opens up today’s episode on an unexpected note, recounting the trials and tribulations of the world’s famous eating contest competitors.  And while McKay doesn’t expect you to become Nathan’s next hotdog eating champion, he does hope that you lean in and commit to whatever endeavors you decide to pursue in this life the way those champions do.  Give it your all - don’t just dip your toe in.  McKay goes on to urge the audience to inspire others to lean into their own lives and goals as well, especially when working in a team.  When all group members are leaning in with their own unique skill sets, the team is more likely to thrive. It’s important to remember that life will still throw you curveballs, and it can be easy just to give up.  But, just like in baseball, if you strike out, there will always be another chance to try again.  Take Clay Dyer, professional sport bass fisherman, for instance; born without an arm on his left side and half an arm on the opposite, he made it his goal to become a fisherman, despite the unlikelihood of him making it big.  But because he leaned in, he made it happen. Learn to lean into life and you can make great things happen as well.The Finer Details of This Episode: The grit in eating contestsCommitting The story of John HancockInspiring othersLeaning into the turn on a bikeCoping with curveballsClay DyerQuotes: “Now, it's not likely that you and I are going to become professional speed eaters, but you have to admire a few things about these people. They are seriously committed to what they do. They lean into it with all their appetites.”“Let's say you've decided to give an online business a try. When you only dip your toe in the water, when you only give it a balanced effort, when you never lean fully into it, you're not likely to do as well.”“When you lean into people, when you're inclined towards their potential, they often rise and they often improve, and I was reminded how much other people need us to lean into them and have faith in them.”“When you find something you love, lean in and recognize that, in the game of life, you will strike out a few times at the plate.”“When a batter goes to bat, he'll get a hit 30% of the time. Players that hit .300 get paid the most, and they feel great about their performance. And you know what? We ought to feel the same. You don't win every time, and life isn't fair.”“Whatever you lean into will make the difference. So as we end today, remember, like competitive eaters, it doesn't matter what you've chosen to do, or what you've decided to be remarkable at doing. Lean into it with all your heart, focus and effort.”“Lean in.  Give what you have. At least, you'll learn and grow, and, at most, you'll succeed beyond your expectations.”Links: Open Your Eyes With McKay Christiansen

In the episode of Open Your Eyes, McKay discusses a grip that often takes hold in our life and directs our actions.  This grip, which McKay describes at the jaws of life, often lurks just outside our view and, little by little, changes the way we think, act, and live. What are these jaws?  Habits.  These habits can change our view of reality and over time pull us in a direction we otherwise would not go.  McKay discusses how we can avoid the jaws of life and build productive habits that help us live a healthy life.This episode opens with a narration of the tragic death of young Lane Graves who lost his life to the jaws of an alligator. Like Lane, McKay says many of us are pulled in opposite directions by the jaws of life. The reason? Our habits. McKay explains the power of habits and what happens when you lose control to poor habits. He describes how the habit of complacency causes us to settle and highlights the need to avoid the habit of pulling others down. Mckay draws this important episode to a close by detailing how to form new habits through creating a keystone habit and changing the habit loops in which we often find ourselves. Listen in today and gain a better understanding of these jaws of life and how to direct your life in a positive fashion.The Finer Details of This Episode:The tragic death of Lane Graves How the jaws of life grip and affect us The power of habits What happens when your habits take control of your life? How to avoid complacency in life How habits are formed Overcoming your habits What is a keystone habit? The dangers of putting others downQuotes:“There are jaws in our life that hold our future and how we live in their grip. And like an alligator's forceful grip, these forces in our life can seize control, and pull us in one direction or another.”“Habits can grip your life and carry you in a positive or negative direction. And the difference between the positive and negative is how purposefully you approach life.”“The key question is, are you directing your life, or are your habits directing you?”“If there's a plague in our generation today, it is more ease, more time, more leisure, and more choices. And all of these things can be blessings, and curses, depending on how we use them. Use them wisely and you can craft a meaningful life, a life of purpose.  Use them unwisely and the opposite will happen.”“We are what we repeatedly do. Laziness or complacency then is not an act, but a habit.”“There's greater rest and peace in a life with purpose.”“When I have a purpose that consumes my thinking, I am much more apt to create habits to meet that purpose.”“Displacement involves taking a hostile emotion from one situation and transferring it to another.”“Starting small allows you to find success on your way to larger habit changes.”Show Links:Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen