LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Often, all that stands between you and what you want is a better set of questions." Tim Ferriss

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I've been following Tim Ferriss for a number of years, primarily through a couple of his books and his podcast. I don't listen to every podcast, but I've enjoyed many as he interviews a wide variety of people and asks questions of productivity, performance and many times really interesting conversations. He did a Ted Talk entitled "Why you should define your fears instead of your goals."

This quote is from Tim Ferris in his book, Tribe of Mentors, and it's been said in different ways from different people for years, but this thought resonated with me today as I think about QUESTIONS.

Warren Berger, in his book A More Beautiful Question says simply, "You don't learn unless you question."

Why are we afraid of asking questions?

• We're afraid of being EMBARRASSED. Asking questions makes us vulnerable and it lets others know that we don't have the answer.

• We're not willing to do the WORK. Asking questions often leads us in new directions and many times we just want the easy route.

• We're used to being TOLD WHAT TO DO and questions are discouraged. Questions can be viewed as challenging or testing.

• We're don't take the TIME. We're in too much of a hurry and we don't stop long enough to figure out what questions to ask.

What keeps you from asking questions when you have them? Why do you stay quiet instead of bringing something up?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"What we fear doing most is usually what we most need to do." Tim Ferriss

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

I've been following Tim Ferriss for a number of years, primarily through a couple of his books and his podcast. I don't listen to every podcast, but I've enjoyed many as he interviews a wide variety of people and asks questions of productivity, performance and many times really interesting conversations. He did a Ted Talk entitled "Why you should define your fears instead of your goals."

This quote is a theme Ferriss drives. He often asks people about their fear, and that leads to the conversation around performance & productivity.

This quote is true for me. Often the thing I fear, or the thing I put off the longest is the thing I need to do the most.

I remember a time that I was called on to speak in front of a group of people. It wasn't planned, and I was asked to step in at the last minute. I had about 10 minutes of pure PANIC. I think that's what fear feels like for me... that idea of being completely out of control, and unsure of what will happen.

10 minutes of panic.

But, the second I stood up in front, the fear and panic went away, and I had a peace that just filled me. I enjoyed the presentation, and think I did OK, but I Iearned a lesson at that moment:

Fear is temporary. As soon as you face your fear, you're able to move through it, hopefully quickly.

What does the word FEAR bring up for you? What does it stir?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Your life matters. You are here for a reason. Your job is to determine why." Michael Hyatt

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This is the last quote from Michael Hyatt this month. I've been following Hyatt for years and he continues to develop resources to help leaders succeed in both life and leadership! I encourage you to learn more about what is offered at Full Focus.

This final quote from Hyatt is simply a reminder to each of you today.

It's Tuesday, and if you're like me, sometimes you ask yourself if what you're doing is really making a difference. This question often pops up in my mind, and I walk through a simple process, reminding myself of why my life matters.

This all stems from the general question: "What am I here for?" Each of us need to determine the answer to this question, then spend our lives living that out.

What's amazing is how easy it is to lose sight of this purpose or this calling. All it takes is one challenging moment or one negative comment or one frustration and we're ready to change course.

Calling and purpose is so much more than a reaction to a situation.

I often challenge people with this question:

"What gets you out of bed in the morning? What is your WHY?"

You are here for a purpose, and you need to be able to constantly remind yourself of that purpose, especially when things get a little foggy. How do you stay on track?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Self-leadership always precedes team leadership." Michael Hyatt

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

We'll do a couple more quotes from Michael Hyatt this month. I've been following Hyatt for years and he continues to develop resources to help leaders succeed in both life and leadership! I encourage you to learn more about what is offered at Full Focus.

I love this quote from him because it's a great reminder to me as a leader. This is a lesson I learned early on from one of my mentors, and because of this I've created some healthy habits of self-leadership in my life. I wish I could say that I've mastered this area, but because I'm aware of the importance of this, it's a daily battle and a daily struggle to stay in alignment.

I looked up what "self-leadership" is defined as. This is what I found:

"Self-leadership is the ability to influence and direct your own thoughts and actions to successfully reach goals and build a satisfying life."

That's a pretty general description. I would probably rather describe it this way:

"Self-Leadership is the discipline to focus on leading from a place of health and strength FIRST. As you are healthy, you're able to lead others in a healthy and effective way."

This isn't selfish. It's called leading from health. Leading from success. Leading from a full-tank.

Are you able to prioritize your self-leadership? Is there a void in your life?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"The busier you are, the more intentional you must be." Michael Hyatt

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This month I want to look at some quotes from Michael Hyatt. I've been following Hyatt for years and he continues to develop resources to help leaders succeed in both life and leadership! I encourage you to learn more about what is offered at Full Focus.

The name of Hyatt's company is FULL FOCUS. This aligns exactly with the quote above I'm sharing.

I don't know about you, but when I get busy, it becomes more and more difficult to focus, or to be intentional.

When I'm TOO busy:

• I'm usually running from one thing to another

• I'm not finishing things well, so I'm usually making a mess

• Often I'm rushing through something just to check it off my list

• I'm not paying attention to all that's going on around me

There's a difference between being "BUSY" and being "TOO BUSY".

Being busy is just a part of life and leadership. Being busy isn't a bad thing. Being busy is usually connected to productivity, to results and to vision.

But being TOO busy can get you in trouble. When you're "too busy", the idea of being focused and being intentional is critical.

What does your "busy" look like? What does your "too busy" look like in your life?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Consistency is better than perfection. We can all be consistent - perfection is impossible." Michael Hyatt

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This month I want to look at some quotes from Michael Hyatt. I've been following Hyatt for years and he continues to develop resources to help leaders succeed in both life and leadership! I encourage you to learn more about what is offered at Full Focus.

This quote from Hyatt has been spinning around in my head for a few days.

I find myself at the end of a very "hectic" season of travel, deadlines, some pressure and the feeling that I'm not getting everything done.

As I've thought about this quote, I think I'm guilty of doing this!

I want to do things right, but if I can't do them right, I just don't do them.

This is a simple cycle to get stuck in, and I'm challenging myself to focus on that word: CONSISTENCY. What does this look like in my life?

How do you manage the tension of "CONSISTENCY" with "PERFECTION" in your life?

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

"Never limit your vision based on your current resources." Michael Hyatt

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This month I want to look at some quotes from Michael Hyatt. I've been following Hyatt for years and he continues to develop resources to help leaders succeed in both life and leadership! I encourage you to learn more about what is offered at Full Focus.

This quote is a great place to start. It's a powerful thought about limitations, vision and opportunity!

Often in life we begin to dream from a position of "what's possible". We then build out vision that is easy, attainable and expected.

This quote should challenge us to think bigger! When we're not limited to our perceived reality, we're able to ask different questions:

• What is my greatest contribution?

• What am I dreaming about?

• What is the greatest need that I've been equipped to meet?

• If I could do anything, what would that be?

All of these questions are asked during a LifePlan process, but they should also be asked at any point that we're creating goals, vision or making plans.

Don't be limited by your perceived reality! Think bigger, then bring it back to what's within your reach.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE:

“To get real diversity of thought, you need to find the people who genuinely hold different views and invite them into the conversation." Adam Grant

A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:

This is the last quote from Adam Grant and it's a good one! You can see past posts HERE.

I don't know about you, but I am learning to be quiet.

I cautiously share my views with friends, colleagues or people I don't know that well because I'm afraid to offend someone or I don't want to engage in a debate. I just want a conversation!

I don't post online much anymore, especially anything personal because I've been called names, critiqued, challenged and flatly told I'm wrong.

When I meet someone new, I dance around the edges of controversy, trying to determine where someone stands without just asking them.

At times I feel paralyzed, and I wonder how we got to this place.

I don't know if you feel the same way, but when I'm able to have honest discussion, when I'm able to disagree and have an intelligent conversation, it's like a breath of fresh air.

I long to be honest, to discuss things that matter, to be challenged, to re-consider my position based on what I'm learning, and I want the security of a real relationship to be the most important thing, not the topic of the conversation.

I've always disagreed with things close friends of mine believe, and they've disagreed with me too, but we are still close friends. This actually makes us better friends because it tests our relationship.

Adam Grant's quote above speaks to this, and I long for diversity of opinion, position and perspective. This is what makes us better!

How do you respond when your views or perspective is not received well? How does this make you feel?