I don’t want to make a series of poor choices that leads me down a dark path, (Is this my tie-in to Star Wars?). I discovered recently the difference between First Order and Second Order thinking.

The First Order

No, I’m not talking about the evil empire of the recent Star Wars trilogy. Although, I wonder if Lucas named his new Sith group “First Order” because of this cognitive thinking definition? It would certainly fit that group! Always thinking about immediate gratification instead of the long-term ramifications.

What is First-Order Thinking?

First-order thinking is short-term thinking. In other words, we only consider the immediate effects of any decision we make. As an example, if I eat that cake, my sweet tooth will be satisfied! Or… if I go to the gym, I’m going to be tired and have sore muscles.

First Order thinking puts us in a thinking category closest to the animals. (This is not a creation vs. evolution conversation… I’m simply stating a fact.) Animals don’t cognitively think about the future or consider strategic ramifications of their decisions. They simply make decisions to achieve short-term and immediate effects. What do I want right now and how can I get it right now?

Guess what? We do the same thing sometimes.

Second-Order Thinking Tool

In contrast, our ability to think further down the road about the derivative results spawned off of first-order decisions gives us more control over our future. This is called Second-Order Thinking. Of course, we don’t always do the best job of exercising this style of thinking.

To make better decisions we can use this tool to think about both the short-term and long-term results of the decision you’re about to make. This is heavy lifting for the brain. It pulls in multiple inputs and variables which could lead to a variety of potential outcomes. I’m reminded of the recent Avengers Infinity War movie where Dr. Strange played out one million potential outcomes in his mind and found only one good path forward where the Avengers could win.

That was some heavy-duty, second-order thinking!

But this tool creates a problem…

If you’re like me, then you love to play the second-order thinking game. It’s called speculation! My wife says if I were in the Avengers my super hero name would be “The Speculator” because I love to play out what-if scenarios. I prefer to think I’d be Dr. Strange, but I digress.

The problem we run into with second-order thinking is the tendency to overthink a situation and get caught in analysis paralysis. Sometimes we constantly play out scenarios to look at the potential results, but we never actually take action. That isn’t healthy or helpful. So how do we balance that? The second tool can help us!

The Tool to Force a Decision

Gen. Colin Powell is a retired 4-star general who served in the Persian Gulf War. He had a tool he used to make war-time decisions. His decisions had the greatest of ramifications (people’s lives were on the line) and they had to be made quickly.

To prevent himself from getting caught up in too much second-order thinking, he used a tool he called 40-70. He wouldn’t make a decision before having at least 40% of the information needed. He also didn’t wait to have all the possible information, he didn’t need more than 70%. In an imperfect world and with the constant change of the battlefield, he couldn’t afford to wait for more information.

If he had between 40 and 70% of the information needed for a decision, he felt he could make good decisions much faster than others.

We don’t need all the information and we don’t need perfect information, we just need a fair amount. Then we need the courage to make the call because we don’t have limitless time. So how do we finally pull the trigger? I present to you… the third tool.

20 Seconds of Courage Tool

In the Matt Damon movie, We Bought a Zoo, Damon’s character Benjamin moves his family to the country after losing his wife. The house also comes with a zoo. In one scene when Benjamin is talking to his son, he gives him advice on making decisions, “All you need is 20 seconds of courage… literally, 20 seconds of courage.”

Don’t be afraid to make that decision. It doesn’t take courage for a lifetime. It only takes 20 seconds of courage. All leadership requires courage, so don’t be surprised when you’re standing at the fork in the road and the followers are waiting on you to make your decision. Use your tools. You got this.

Tool 1: Did you consider the second-order ramifications of the decision?

Tool 2: Do you have between 40 and 70% of the information you need?

Tool 3: Can you muster 20 seconds of courage?

It’s time.

Have fun and enjoy the next 20 seconds.
Russ

Let’s connect…

on Twitter if we haven’t already?

OR Let’s connect on LinkedIn.

OR Let’s connect via my Facebook page!

iSpeak teaches workshops to help leaders put a voice to their vision. It’s about connecting with an audience and giving them what they came for.

Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a speaker, international trainer, and published author on Professional Sales Communication and Business Communication. He delivers workshops, keynotes, and personal communication coaching services to business professionals in the US and around the world. His leadership blog assists leaders in giving voice to their vision. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

“I hate my job.” That’s all he said. Then he just sat there with a blank stare focused somewhere between me and the back wall. It’s a look I’d seen before… but I was the one wearing it back then. Have you been there before? It’s not a fun place. But, you do have choices. You can change it. You actually have 3 choices.

Remember, nothing improves until something changes. That’s just logical. If everything stays the same… then everything stays the same. If you want the situation to improve, then you need to change something! Otherwise, you’ll just keep getting what you’re getting. You’ve got to change something!

Two-Step Process Toward Improvement

You really have two major decisions to make before you can improve your situation. Each decision must be made and if you think you’re not making these decisions, then you’ve really already made your decision. Once you’ve consciously made these two decisions, you can know what to expect out of life. While each of us must decide for ourselves, there is nothing wrong with choosing either option. But, these decisions are made by all of us. When you recognize you’re making these choices, you’ll know what to expect.

Your FIRST Decision

First you need to have a very raw conversation with yourself and make a critical decision about your life. I’m not over exaggerating this when I say it. This question is not to be dismissed quickly. You’ve got to decide who is steering your ship. We’re all moving through life and someone is going to steer. It can be you or it can be someone else.

There is nothing wrong with what you decide. You just need to understand and accept who has the steering wheel. If you get on a bus and the driver says he’s going to St. Louis, then don’t be surprised when you end up in St. Louis! Even if you’d rather be in Baltimore… the bus driver who wants to go to St. Louis is taking you to the gateway to the West!

Stop complaining about being in St. Louis and stop telling everyone about how great Baltimore is this time of year. We’re going to St. Louis and you knew it. If you have a certain set of expectations for your life, but you’ve given the steering over to another person heading in a different direction, you’ll be very disappointed when you don’t end up where you want to go.

What are your options for someone to steer? At a high level I think we all have 3 choices for someone to steer. You can steer yourself, you can let someone else steer, or (if you are so inclined) you can look to a higher power.

Whatever you select, know who’s steering so you know what to expect.

Your SECOND Decision

The second decision is simple, but not easy. The second question is, “Where do you want to steer?” At a very high level, you really have three choices:

• You can work for someone else
• You can be an independent contractor
• You can start your own company

Option 1: Work for Someone Else

When you work for someone else, you can take ownership of your career by working with your internal Organizational Development group to understand your career path options within your company. The OD Department is responsible for the development of the human resources within the organization to fulfill the business objectives for the company. Understand you are on one ship which you are not steering, but you are free to move around the ship and find where you fit in best.

Option 2: Independent Contractor

This is a job with no boss. That’s how I think of an independent contractor. The most successful independent contractors know they do have a boss. In fact, they have many bosses. The bosses are the customers. The best independent contractors are self-starters who understand their business and customer service. In today’s online virtual world, many people are finding this a great place to land. With websites like Fiverr.com and UpWork.com, the people who are highly skilled specialists can focus on using their talents while these web services focus on providing the marketing and sales.

Option 3: Start Your Own Company

This is different from being an independent contractor. From my experience I’ve found many people who are independent contractors and would be very successful if they remained just that, but instead they allow the customers to drive them into starting their own company. It goes something like this…

Independent contractor is a highly skilled specialist and begins working for a customer. She does outstanding work as the technical expert. Through referrals, the contractor gets even more business. Now the contractor discovers she has too much work to complete herself and she also has to do the invoicing, bookkeeping, customer service, quarterly taxes, sales follow-up, and logistics too.

The independent contractor takes care of what she can, starts to outsource some of it or hires her first employee so she can stay focused on what she loves… the technical work she wanted to do in the first place!

Then, before she knows it, the hired help is dropping the ball because she’s put no effort into training these people or giving them any direction. “Why can’t people just do their jobs!” she’s thinking as she’s working on a Saturday now to clean up the errors they’ve made.

Then one day the independent contractor wakes up and realizes they hate their own jobs because they’re running around crazy, doing the extra work they don’t like, and not being given enough time to do the technical work they love so much. Congratulations… you’re an independent contractor with the accidental company you never meant to start in the first place.

“ Go to work ON your business, not IN your business. —MICHAEL GERBER

If you want to start your own company, you’re not doing it because you love the technical work. You’re doing it because you want to build a business that does the technical work. That means it will be your job to create the business plan, define all the processes, create the roadmap for where you’re steering this company, and the proper Organization Development plans to effectively train up the skills of everyone working for you.

As Michael Gerber says in his book The E-Myth, if you started as the independent contractor and found yourself owning a company, you need to “start working on your business not in your business.”

Just another accidental entrepreneur,
Russ

Nobody answers their phone anymore and they never return a cold call voice mail! Right? I’d beg to differ. iSpeak has been using outbound calling for almost 15 years now and we still see positive results. Much of what I share below was learned from Dara, our Sr. Sales Consultant. She’s the highest caliber professional in the learning and development industry; her clients love her and we’re lucky to have her.

Of course, we all love it when we get an inbound lead from a referral, but what if your phone isn’t ringing much? What if your passionate customers just aren’t recommending you to others? You can’t just sit around waiting for the next LinkedIn ad or Blog post to generate a lead, right? So what can you do?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not disputing the importance of social media selling, opt-in marketing, SEO, online funnels and other types of lead generation, but if you think cold calling just doesn’t work… maybe you’re just doing it wrong.

What can we do proactively?

Do you want to stand out from your competitors? Well think about this. If people are abandoning the traditional cold call, you might just stand out from the crowd if you do make those calls… and if you do them well! In his book The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving your Wildly Important Goals, Sean Covey points out the necessity to identify both your lead and your lag measures if you want to affect outcomes.

“ One of the few things that can’t be recycled is wasted time. —SEAN COVEY

Lag vs. Lead Measures

A lag measure is what we are usually very good at measuring. It’s measuring the outcomes. What were your sales last month? How much of your quota have your required? How many opportunities did you add last week? Sometimes we forget about the lead measures.

A lead measure is something we can measure that will ultimately drive the outcome we want. Think of it as the measurement of the activity prior to achieving the results. If, for example, we want to achieve sales per month of $10,000, then we can’t just track our sales each month. That is a lag measure. By the time we get the measurement, we have no opportunity to change it. It’s already in the past!

However, if we measure things like the number of cold calls made per day, the number of emails sent per day, the number of face-to-face meetings per week or the number of proposals sent out each week, we’re now measuring the primary activities that ultimately affect the outcome we’re seeking. We know that if these numbers (lead measures) increase, our odds of reaching our higher sales goal (lag measure) also increases.

7 Tips for Better Cold Calling

If one of your lead measures is to make more outbound calls to potential prospects, here are some tips for improving your cold calls (lead measures) so you can improve your outcomes (lag measures).

1. Use both voicemail and email

Call and leave a voicemail and mention you will send them an email, as well. In case it is easier to respond that way. Then, send an email and point out, “I just left you a voicemail, as well…” The combination of the two messages received in a short period of time will stand out.

2. Don’t sound desperate

People buy to satisfy a business need. They are looking for a solution to an issue. They want to improve their business. If you have a product or service that best fits their business need, they’ll want to have a conversation. If the voicemail or phone conversation sounds like it’s more about you making a sale… they will smell it… and they will run.

3. Establish your credibility

You don’t have much time in a voicemail or an email, so you need to be succinct. If the prospect is not familiar with you or your company, you need to establish yourself as a credible source and you need to do it quickly.

“We’ve worked with other Learning and Development leaders similar to you…”

4. Focus on their business need

They have a business need. It’s been said, “No one likes to get sold, but everyone likes to buy.” The point is this… establish quickly that you’re looking for business needs where you can help. If you know the typical issues your customers struggle with, let them know you’re familiar with those needs.

“… and they’ve told us one of their biggest concerns is replenishing the numerous leadership vacancies being created by retiring baby boomers over the next 10 years.”

5. Position yourself as a problem solver

You don’t sell products or services. You sell solutions. You are a professional problem solver! If you’re going to satisfy their business need, you need to be good at solving problems. In your first voicemail or email, you could include something like this:

“We’ve been able to assist others in preparing their next generation of leaders with our High-Potential Leadership Communication workshops.”

6. Offer a connection

Give them an opportunity to connect with you for a future conversation. This can be short and simple with a couple options for connecting. You could leave your phone number, email or even send them a LinkedIn invite, as well.

“If this is an area you’re also investigating, I’d be happy to share some thoughts on how we’ve been able to help others and what we’ve learned. If you’d like to speak and if the timing is right for you, would you please let me know the best way to set a time for us to talk?

I appreciate your time and look forward to connecting with you.”

“ People don’t buy from people they like. They buy from people they trust. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

7. Be patient, it’s a relationship

If you’ve been in sales for awhile, you know it rarely happens quickly and there is no magic potion for sales success every time you try. People don’t buy from people they like… they buy from people they trust. Take the time to establish some trust with your prospects and customers.

“If I don’t hear from you, I’ll set a reminder to reach out to you again in 3 months.”

If you thought cold calling was dead… I’d invite you to try it again.

Let’s sell like professionals,
Russ

Books referenced in this post:

Cut The C.R.A.P. and Make the Sale, by Russ Peterson Jr.

The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Achieving your Wildly Important Goals, by Sean Covey, Chris McChesney, Jim Huling

I’ve always loved the wisdom found in a short statement. In keynote speaker terms, we call these “sticky statements.” If you’re speaking to an audience and you make a statement that causes everyone to write it down, you just gave them a sticky statement.

As we’ve brought the first quarter of 2018 to a close and we look toward the remaining 75% of the year, I have one question for you…

How’re you doing?

It’s a fair question. It’s a good question. I’m guessing you may have been like me back in January, full of excitement and hope for the new year. I had my New Year’s Resolutions locked and loaded and ready to take on the world. Then, the whirlwind happens. You get caught up in the day to day list of tasks that need to be completed. We become busy but not necessarily productive.

This can be a killer for any leader because it affects the entire team. Leaders have to be time travelers and live in two different time zones. The leader must always have the vision for tomorrow. You know the goal and you know where you’re taking the team.

What about today?

But then you also need to live in today… in the present. Work can only get done in the present. If you only focus on the vision of tomorrow, the work of today will never get done. Failure to recognize this will turn visions into dreams. Dreams with no chance of ever becoming reality.

To keep us all focused on our visions for 2018 and the work we need to get done today, here are 21 of my favorite inspiring quotes to keep us all moving.

Have a GREAT rest of the year!

Best,
Russ

“ Things no one sees creates results everyone wants. —CRAIG GROESCHEL

“ People buy into the leader before they buy into the vision. —JOHN C. MAXWELL

“ Capital isn’t scarce; vision is. —SAM WALTON

“ Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny. —C.S. LEWIS

“ The most pathetic person in the world is someone who has sight but no vision. —HELEN KELLER

“ Leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality. —WARREN G. BENNIS

“ There is no best; there’s always a better. —KEVIN KARSCHNIK

“ Great leaders must have two things: a vision of the world that does not yet exist and the ability to communicate that vision clearly. —SIMON SINEK

“ Good business leaders create a vision, articulate the vision, passionately own the vision, and relentlessly drive it to completion. —JACK WELCH

“ The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails. —JOHN C. MAXWELL

“ Work on tomorrow after you debrief today. —CHRIS HODGES

“ The decision to lead is a decision to change. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

“ A vision is not just a picture of what could be; it is an appeal to our better selves. A call to become something more. —ROSABETH MOSS KANTER

“ If you are working on something exciting that you really care about, you don’t have to be pushed. The vision pulls you. —STEVE JOBS

“ We will steer where we stare. —LYSA TERKEURST

“ Vision without execution is hallucination. —THOMAS EDISON

“ The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling but in rising every time we fall. —NELSON MANDELA

“ The greatest leader is not necessarily the one who does the greatest things. He is the one that gets the people to do the greatest things. —RONALD REAGAN

“ Efforts and courage are not enough without purpose and direction. —JOHN F. KENNEDY

“ No man will make a great leader who wants to do it all himself or get all the credit for doing it. —ANDREW CARNEGIE

“ Leadership is about vision and responsibility, not power. —SETH BERKLEY

My son had his eyes set on the biggest stuffed animal, but throwing the balls into the basket was not going to be as easy as it appeared. After three failed attempts at tossing the balls he looked up at me and said, “I want to try again.” I could see where this was going. We would end up spending $40 on a $10 stuffed animal. Well it wasn’t exactly $40, but let’s just say, the carnival midway will remain in business a little longer.

After each attempt of tossing the ball, my son would make an adjustment. He tried different tosses, overhand, underhand, backspin, no spin, hit the back of the basket, lay it in the front. Each attempt taught him something and he’d make an adjustment. Besides, the only thing he was risking was Dad’s money.

Don’t Fear Failure

Why do we fear failure? Probably because there’s something at risk and we’re too focused on losing it. You could argue, “But if we don’t try, then there’s zero chance of failure, right?” Wrong. If you don’t try, you’ve already failed.  You’ve missed out on an opportunity for learning and growth. I’d call that a failure.

None of us want to be seen as a failure but we have to remember what Zig Ziglar said, “Failure is an event, not a person.” Too often we think failure is going to be a reflection on us. If we fail too often, we’ll be defined by it. We will become failure.

According to Daniel Coyle’s research for his book The Talent Code, the most successful musicians, athletes, students, all share a common trait… they relish in their failures because they can learn from those mistakes.

“ You never fail until you stop trying. —ALBERT EINSTEIN

With similar findings, Carol Dweck’s research on what she calls fixed vs. growth mindsets shows that children with a growth mindset are open to failure because they see it as a learning opportunity. Once they learn from the event, they can try something new the next time.

Practice Won’t Make Perfect

I’ve heard people say the quote before, “Practice makes perfect.” Other people prefer the improved version of this quote from Vince Lombardi, “Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.” I personally don’t think Lombardi’s quote is the best for learning either. The main reason is because the focus is placed on the expectation… perfection. Learning doesn’t occur by focusing on the expectation. You have to focus on something else!

“ Perfection is a direction, not a destination. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

Besides, I don’t believe I’ll ever achieve perfection (on this side of eternity) because I’m a flawed individual. But that’s okay. It doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop pursuing it. That’s why I’d rather say, “Perfection is a direction, not a destination.”

Just knowing your destination (the goal or expectation) doesn’t get you there. You need a plan. So where should you place the focus if you want to learn and improve? Your emphasis should be placed on the process, the process of learning.

“ You just can’t beat the person who never gives up. —BABE RUTH

Focus on the Process

This process is circular. Once you reach the end, you start over again. Remember what Babe Ruth said, “You just can’t beat the person who never gives up.”  The only time you get to exit this circle (briefly) is when you achieve success. As I said earlier, it might be success, but I doubt it’s perfection. Since it’s not perfection, there will always be something to learn, then adjust, and then try to improve again.

As Kevin Karschnik says, “There is no best; there’s always a better.” But, trying over and over can be both mentally and physically draining, so make sure you have the motivation or inspiration to change.

The Learning Process

The learning process includes 5 steps:  Try – Fail or Succeed – Reflect – Learn – Adjust

“Trying” is Not a Final Exam

Going back to Carol Dweck’s research on growth mindsets, she found that children who see “trying” as a test of whether you got it or you don’t are less likely to learn and improve. In other words, the fixed mindset shows itself when the children would try something once, fail and then make a comment like, “I can’t do that.” In other words, in their minds their talent was fixed. It was locked in and never going to change.

Don’t allow yourself to see “trying” as the final exam. It’s merely a progress measurement. It’s where you are today, but it’s not your final destination.

What’s the One Thing?

Failure Doesn’t Teach… Reflection Does!

The key element of this entire process often overlooked is reflection. Whether you win or lose, time for reflection will give you the proper perspective to learn from the experience. If you failed in your attempt, take time to reflect on the experience to pull out the learning. But don’t forget to reflect on your wins too!

I’ve been in sales my entire career and I had to learn that you can’t just reflect on the failures to make adjustments for the future, you needed to stay curious and focus on your wins too!

“ Failure is an event, not a person. —ZIG ZIGLAR

There was an opportunity with a customer in California I had been pursuing for 18 months. The call from the customer came through on a Friday afternoon and Chuck told me, “You got the deal!” I was ecstatic for ten seconds and then I realized I had a question for Chuck.

“Chuck, can me and the rest of the sales team fly out there to meet with your decision committee next week?  I’d like to know why you picked us.”

There was silence on the phone at first, but then Chuck spoke up. “Of course you can. We’d be happy to go over it with you.”

For those first 10 seconds of excitement I had forgotten about my learning cycle. This win was a great opportunity for me to reflect on what we did well to win. With that new information, I could adjust my future sales pursuits to replicate even more wins.

Once he agreed to the meeting, I went back to being ecstatic. It was fajitas and margaritas that night!

“ There is no best; there’s always a better. —KEVIN KARSCHNIK

Learning is a life-long process. We don’t stop learning once we graduate from school. But we do stop learning if we fail to reflect on our failures and our successes. Reflection gives us the information we need to make adjustments for the future. Don’t skip it!

Still reflecting and still adjusting…

Best,
Russ

Let’s connect on Twitter if we haven’t already?

OR Let’s connect on LinkedIn.

OR Let’s connect via my Facebook page!

Books referenced in this post:

The Talent Code: Unlocking the Secret of Skill in Sports, Art, Music, Math and Just About Anything by Daniel Coyle

Mindset – The New Psychology of Success: How We Can Learn to Fulfill Our Potential by Carol S. Deck, Ph.D.

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iSpeak also teaches workshops on Professional Selling to help sales leaders gather the most important data and then use that information to create the right message. Are your sales presentations closing eyelids or deals?

Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a speaker, international trainer, and published author on Professional Sales Communication and Business Communication. He delivers workshops, keynotes, and personal communication coaching services to business professionals in the US and around the world. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

I coach my students to remove “hedging” phrases when speaking, and I get asked, “Why is that so important?” Hedging phrases are non-committal to the audience. These phrases show hesitancy in your thoughts and actions. Your audience will subconsciously interpret these phrases as a lack of confidence on your part. Your audience may even see you lacking in leadership qualities.

What’s the One Sure Sign of a Leader?

In a word… courage. Leaders have courage. Leaders are willing to step into the gray areas of a decision and make them black or white. Somebody’s got to make a decision on this! Even though you’re lacking all the information you’d like to have… you still need to make a decision. This is going to take courage.

If you make decisions before you’ve collected or analyzed any data, you’re seen as reckless. If you postpone decisions too long because you always over-analyze things, you’re seen as non-committal and unfit to lead. Leaders make decisions when others aren’t willing to. Leaders make decisions somewhere between reckless (zero analysis) and non-committal (analysis-paralysis.) You’re accepting risk when you accept responsibility for your decision and that takes courage.

If you want more opportunities to be a leader, then look for opportunities to be courageous. Look for the situations that generate fear in others and be the first to step into it.

“ Nothing ventured, nothing gained. —BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

How do you Define Courage?

My simple definition for courage is “being afraid but going anyway.” Fear shows up when we acknowledge the risk of loss. The more we have to lose, the greater the risk feels. Ultimately, the leader needs to make a choice. Recognizing the risk and what’s at stake, the leader must step into the fear by making your commitment to a choice.

Courage isn’t needed if there’s nothing to be afraid of. We should be thankful for the opportunities presented by fear because it gives us an opportunity to be courageous. It gives us an opportunity to be a leader!

“ I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. —NELSON MANDELA

Why is Courage so Important?

Fear is a defense mechanism that notifies our minds when we’re at risk. When something is at risk we have an opportunity to lose something… maybe even our life! Without this fear mechanism, we would errantly walk into extremely risky situations on a regular basis. The human species would not have survived very long without a fear mechanism!

But is our fear well-founded? If the fear is a false sense of fear, then we might be holding back where we should be stepping forward. So the better question to ask ourselves is, “What’s really at risk here?” When we allow our imagination to magnify the situation beyond the true risk and what’s really at stake, we cower back into a corner and we stop moving forward.

As a Christian, I find comfort in knowing it’s all in God’s hands. That doesn’t mean I expect everything to come up roses for me. It doesn’t mean life will be easy or that I’ll never lose. What it actually means to me is freedom. It’s freedom from fear so I’m free to take a risk. Whether the results end up good or bad, he can use it. I find that thought both comforting and freeing.

“ I’ve found that luck is quite predictable. If you want more luck, take more chances. Be more active. Show up more often. —BRIAN TRACY

How can we Develop our Courage?

This takes practice. As an entrepreneur, I’ve stepped into risky situations many times over my career. But, I’ve been able to slowly improve my ability to manage my fears by facing each situation with a question, “What’s the worst thing that could happen?” In most cases, even the potential worst case result is really not that bad.

When we allow our minds to speculate and paint a horrible future situation, we are catastrophizing the situation. In other words, creating a catastrophe in our minds when that’s only one potential (and probably unlikely) outcome.

Let’s avoid making reckless choices but let’s also be willing to choose something. Remember even inaction is an action because it’s a choice to do nothing. I’d rather choose and be wrong than let a situation determine my outcome. I don’t want to let the tail wag the dog!

Find the fear and step into it. Time to face your fear… Time to be courageous… because that’s what leaders do!

“ If you want more opportunities to be a leader, look for the fear and be the first to step into it.

Facing my fears one at a time,
Russ

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iSpeak teaches workshops on Professional Selling to help sales professionals gather the most important data and then use that information to align the right message. Are your sales presentations closing eyelids or deals?

Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a speaker, international trainer, and published author on Professional Sales Communication and Business Communication. He delivers workshops, keynotes, and personal communication coaching services to business professionals in the US and around the world. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

During my college years, I’m ashamed to admit it, but I was self-centered. It was all about me. For an infant or a small toddler to think this way, you’d probably expect it. But, as a college-aged student, it just looks selfish. Not a great way to meet new friends. Since that time I’ve discovered two mindsets that determine your leadership effectiveness.

I’m definitely not perfect when it comes to applying these, but I know I’m in the process of improving because now I’m aware of my mistakes. Sometimes I’m only aware of which mindset was correct when I reflect back on how I handled a situation poorly. I learn, I apologize and I keep trying.

At a very high level, we can think about any situation through either an inward (read: “What do I get out of this?”) mindset or an outward (read: “How can this benefit others?”) mindset. I’ve learned to look at a situation and start with one simple question, “What can I give?” instead of “What can I get?” As I said above and I’ll say again… this is easier said than done… but I’m working on it.

The Inward Mindset

This one isn’t difficult to understand. At a fundamental level we’re all programmed with a deep desire for self-preservation. We’ll take tremendous risks if we think it will save our life. This is the inward mindset and when it comes to self-preservation, it’s really not a bad thing! Self-preservation isn’t selfish, it helps keep us alive! But, when the inward mindset starts to permeate all of our decisions, our resulting actions become more and more about what we gain and less about helping others. That’s when we cross the line into selfishness.

The Outward Mindset

The outward mindset puts others before yourself. This is the mindset of serving. This can be seen in the amazing acts of courage to help others. The amazing group of men and women in first-responder roles are applying their outward mindset.

Here is the interesting part about converting from an inward mindset to an outward mindset… the decision isn’t made in the mind! It has to drop from the mind to the heart. You see, the outward mindset is actually driven by the heart. When your heart breaks for others, it will overrule the mind. Once the heart starts driving the mind, the mind gets converted outward.

“ What breaks your heart?

The Outward Mindset at Work

After college, I had been praying for a servant’s heart and God kept his promise, as he always does. (Ezekiel 36:26). I was deeply moved to serve others in need so I volunteered to lead a group of men each month to build a wheelchair ramp for a needy family. Forty wheelchair ramps later, it has helped others and it has helped my heart stay in the driver’s seat.

Right now in Houston and all along the Gulf Coast, families are hurting. Born and raised in Texas and also being a citizen of Houston for 8 years, I can tell you, Texans are proud. We pride ourselves on independence and strength, but I personally believe most Texans also want to be a blessing to others. While it may be hard for a strong, proud Texan to accept assistance, it certainly isn’t hard for Texans to offer a helping hand.

This isn’t just about Texans reaching out, it’s about all Americans. I think at some level, it’s a human thing. We’re made in an image. That image is one that has love as a foundation. None of us are perfect, but we’re all built on that foundation of love. This has been evident with the volunteers and donations coming from all over the country and world to help those in need. It’s an outward mindset. When the heart takes the steering wheel and the mind moves to the back seat!

“ An outward mindset is when the HEART takes the steering wheel and the MIND moves to the back seat —RUSS PETERSON JR.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget the videos on social media of the Cajun Navy from the great state of Louisiana, or the photo of SWAT officer Daryl Hudeck carrying Catherine Pham and her baby to safety.

I believe the foundation of love we are built on serves a purpose in our lives. It was given to us for a reason. That reason is a simple one. We were meant for relationships with others; and relationships can’t exist without love.

If you’d like to exercise your foundation of love for others, consider donating your time, money, or needed items to your favorite charity. If you don’t know where to donate, here are just a few of the quality organizations helping out with Hurricane Harvey disaster relief. I’ve personally donated and iSpeak has donated to ADRN, Samaritan’s Purse, and American Red Cross.

• Austin Disaster Relief Network (ADRN)
• Samaritan’s Purse
• American Red Cross
• Salvation Army
• Houston Food Bank
• United Way
• Catholic Charities

I’m so thankful for the leaders with outward mindsets helping others during this catastrophe!

Bless you all,
Russ

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I collected over 80 quotes that give me inspiration as a salesperson and leader. I hope they bring you some inspiration as well. Get my FREE eBook on Sales and Leadership Inspiration.

Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a speaker, international trainer, and published author on Professional Sales Communication and Business Communication. He delivers workshops, keynotes, and personal communication coaching services to business professionals in the US and around the world. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

I bet you didn’t think I’d drop that deep question on you so early in the morning! Don’t worry, I’m not going to get all philosophical here on you. Pondering an answer to this question could take a couple lifetimes! So, let me tell you why I bring it up… It’s the foundation for anyone in leadership.

As leaders we’re tasked with taking our teams from point A to point B. In other words, take them somewhere they’ve never been before. Leaders are going somewhere. The child’s game “follow the leader” would be a total bore if the leader never moved! Leaders are tasked to envision a different future destination, then help their teams move to that place. This means the leader will offer guidance and coaching to each person on the team.

Truth vs. Opinion

Two types of guidance can be offered from the leader: Truth and Opinion. It’s important for leaders to understand the difference between the two before leading their teams.

Most of the feedback or constructive criticism you offer your team is just your opinion. While you’re the leader (read “boss”) your opinion is certainly important, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking that everything you speak while coaching is truth. Leaders who fall into this trap are seen as arrogant, or even worse, manipulative.

We’ll look at three characteristics of truth and how we can apply them in a leadership role to help our teams achieve new heights.

1. Truth doesn’t change

Truth is something that doesn’t change based on how I feel today, or what my morning commute was like or how my fantasy football team is doing. Truth is unchanging. For this universe to exist there must be laws outside of our own personal opinions. For example, if the laws of gravity were based on how I felt each day, my commute to the office would be much more exciting, but drastically more dangerous! Truth exists outside of my own preferences and feelings. It doesn’t change.

Applied Leadership:

Define and know your own core values. It will make all your decisions much easier. If the core values of the organization are known by all, the members of the team can also make their own decisions much easier. The core values of the leader and the organization should be grounded in unchanging truth. This makes it much easier for teams to apply the popular corporate mantra, “We always do what’s right!”

“ The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it. —FLANNERY O'CONNOR

2. Truth is universal

Real truth applies to all. Regardless of the country or culture, 2 + 2 = 4. It always has and it always will. That is a universal truth. Regardless of how I feel today (happy, sad, excited, apathetic, etc.) 2 + 2 will remain 4. Regardless of your religious preference (including atheist and agnostic!), some form of the golden rule is accepted by all. Treating others as you would have them treat you is considered to be part of our moral fiber as humans. We could say, it’s a universal truth among moral, decent human beings.

Applied Leadership:

When someone on the team violates a corporate truth, always separate the person from the poor decision when dealing with it. We deal with the issue, not the person. Don’t allow bad decisions to be equated to bad people. When someone believes they are inherently bad, as opposed to a decision being bad, they feel helpless to change. “Well, that’s just me. I’m a (loser, screw up, amateur, half wit, bully, mean person, etc.) and that’ll never change.” Don’t allow this type of negative self-talk. Have a conversation to realign this person’s decisions and behaviors with the universal truths (core values.)

“ The greatest friend of truth is time, her greatest enemy is prejudice, and her constant companion is humility —CHARLES CALEB COLTON

3. Truth is discovered

Real truth isn’t meant to be defined by the leader. Real truth is discovered. As we explore math and science further, we don’t define more truth, we discover it. Again, regardless of your religious preference, I don’t think any of us would be so arrogant to say that we define truth. We can discover it and we can speak it, but to be so arrogant to say that we have the authority to define it? Nope, I don’t think so.

Applied Leadership:

As leaders we should feel free to share our opinions. But, we should also speak our opinions knowing that others may disagree. True leaders should encourage deep dialogue and debate because it leads to the discovery of truth and stronger solutions.

“ All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them. —GALILEO

So, where do I start?

Start by being authentic. This means knowing your own core values (based on truth). Then, keep your decisions and actions aligned with those core values. As John C. Maxwell points out, people will follow leaders at the highest level of leadership (Pinnacle) because of who they are and what they represent. Our ability to recognize the distinction between truth and opinion is a strong sign of leadership maturity. Lead with authenticity and stay true to your core values.

Always seeking to discover more truth,
Russ

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Books I’d Recommend for further reading:

The 5 Levels of Leadership: Proven Steps to Maximize Your Potential, by John C. Maxwell

Leaders Eat Last: Why some teams pull together and others don’t, by Simon Sinek

Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win, Jocko Willink and Leif Babin

Claim your copy of my new FREE eBook on Sales and Leadership Inspiration.

Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a published author on Professional Sales Communication and Business Communication. He delivers workshops, keynotes, and personal communication coaching services to business professionals in the US and around the world. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Providing constructive feedback to the people I coach can be challenging for several reasons. For my students, it can be difficult for them to receive feedback from someone they’ve just met! They know I’m going to point out areas in need of improvement. This creates feelings of exposure and vulnerability. Here’s how I approach the coaching in 4 steps.

As a coach, I’ve found several methods to help create a foundation of trust for coaching. This foundation creates the right environment for effective coaching to take place.

Step 1: Check your heart

If you’re going to offer constructive feedback to anyone, you need to first check your heart. What is your intent with this conversation? If your goal is to tear someone down and make them feel as if they are “less than” you and others, then your brain will find the right words to make that happen. But, if your intent is to build this person up and encourage them to improve from his/her current position, then your brain will find the right words.

If you only want to hit your numbers and you need this person to do something different to make that happen, your heart is focused on the wrong things. If you truly want to see this person succeed, you’re focus is in the right place. Remember, if they succeed – you succeed. You can’t be a great coach without a great team. Focus on creating a great team.

Step 2: Meet them where they are

If you were traveling to Dallas and you asked me for directions, my first question to you would be, “Where are you now?” I can’t offer you any guidance until I know where you’re currently located. I’m sure that seems completely logical to you. But in our leadership roles, sometimes we forget this. Managers will publish a goal and then expect everyone to just get there. “If they’re worth their salt, they’ll figure it out!”

The worst leaders just stand at the finish line waiting for each team member to cross it. Some will make it. Some won’t. But, a true leader recognizes each person will need different levels of coaching to make it there. Meet the people on your team in their current location. Then give them the personal guidance they need to reach that finish line and succeed.

“ The coach’s success is defined by the team’s success. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

Step 3: Separate truth from opinion

When you offer any type of guidance to the individuals on your team, you are giving them either truth or opinion. If the quota for the team is set at $45 Million for this quarter, that is truth. If a team member is constantly tapping a pen on the table during sales presentations you might tell them to cease and desist because it is distracting to the audience. That would also be truth. (If you’re thinking… “Actually, I could just tune that pen tapping distraction out.” You may be mentally strong enough to filter the tapping out, but the truth is you had to filter the distraction out. It’s a distraction!)

If you tell a team member you want them to wear a different color tie for sales presentations, that’s just your opinion. If you would rather have them sit down when presenting instead of standing up, that’s your opinion. If you want a team member to change some of the words in their presentation, that’s also your opinion. Most of what you offer your team when coaching is just your opinion. As the boss, of course, your opinion matters. But, if you mistake your opinion for truth, you give the impression you’re a know-it-all.

As the coach, make sure you offer your suggestions (opinions) as just that… your opinion. As the coach, be prepared to offer why you feel the change is needed. From your experience or knowledge, share why you have this opinion. Show them the new result you expect if they adopt your recommendation.

“ In reality, very little of what you offer in coaching is truth. Most of it is just your opinion. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

In reality, very little of what you offer in coaching is truth. Most of it is just your opinion. Without being omniscient yourself, you can only offer your opinion from your view of the world. If you were all-knowing, then your opinion would be truth. But you’re not omniscient (and neither am I) and so your opinion is not truth. It’s just your opinion. So approach your coaching of others with humility. You don’t know it all.

“ Recognizing you don’t know it all is called humility.

Step 4: Offer encouragement

You know it’s difficult to receive coaching, especially when the coach doesn’t start with the heart (see Step #1 above). Even when the coaching is delivered in the best possible way from the heart, implementing change can be difficult for everyone. If you want to see your team implement change, they will need your encouragement. Encouragement creates movement by showing the individual they can achieve the next step. If his/her own future self doesn’t seem achievable from where he/she is standing today, just focus them on the next step. Encourage them to take one step.

“ Encourage your team by helping them see their future selves. —RUSS PETERSON JR.

Anyone can point out something they don’t like in others. It takes a true leader to care enough to give both guidance and encouragement so others can succeed.

Just offering you my opinions… and I pray there’s some truth you can use,
Russ

Can I ask a favor? If you like these messages, please invite others to join us!
They can sign up here.

Books I’d Recommend for further reading:

Heretics and Heroes: A Memoir on Modern Leadership, by Cort Dial

Start with Why: How all great leaders inspire everyone to take action, by Simon Sinek

The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John C. Maxwell

Claim your copy of my new FREE eBook on Sales and Leadership Inspiration.

Russ Peterson Jr. is the co-founder and Managing Director of iSpeak, Inc. – An award-winning professional development training company. Russ is a published author on Professional Sales Communication and Business Communication. He delivers workshops, keynotes, and personal communication coaching services to business professionals in the US and around the world. You can connect with Russ directly through Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

I was heading back to LAX to catch my flight back to Houston and my Senior VP called to ask how my sales meeting with my customer went. I said, “I think it went pretty well.” After a long pause, he replied, “What the hell does that mean?”

Based on my Senior VP’s response I could tell he wasn’t happy. I learned a valuable lesson that day. If you don’t know whether or not you achieved your objectives after the meeting, then your goals weren’t specific enough.

In this video…

I explain the three questions you need to ask yourself before speaking. You need these answers before you can construct your best message… together these three make up your purpose.

Goals are necessary

In business we’re all used to the process of setting goals. If you’re in sales, you have an annual quota. If you’re a project manager, you have project milestones and goals. If you’re a senior leader, you set quarterly and annual strategic goals for your organization. Without setting specific goals, how will you ever know if you accomplished your task?

Until next week,
Russ

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