Inspire Success: Leadership Through Logical Insights

Who is your hero? Is it a fictional character who displays virtues you admire? A historical icon who stood for justice? For Matthew McConaughey, as he shared in his 2014 Best Actor acceptance speech, his hero has always been an idealized version of his future self. “When I was 15, I was asked ‘Who’s your hero?’ I didn’t know so I took some time to think about it. When I came back with my answer, I said ‘My hero is me in 10 years.’” This statement reveals an important mindset for leaders and those seeking to better themselves. Rather than looking externally to others for an example to emulate, McConaughey found inspiration by envisioning the person he could become. The “me in 10 years” represents the potential within himself that was not yet actualized. It gave him a vision to strive for, one that is ever on the horizon beckoning him onwards and upwards. Ten years later, someone asked McConaughey if he had achieved his vision and become his hero. His revealing response: “Not even cl...

Intuition is an incredible leadership asset that distinguishes truly visionary leaders from merely competent managers. The capacity to sense important patterns, make creative connections between seemingly disconnected ideas, or just have a “gut feel” about people and future trends is invaluable. But the problem is many think intuition is an innate trait - you either have that sixth sense or you don’t. However, one of the keys to elevating our leadership is realizing that while some intuitive capacity may be innate, the vast majority of intuition is actually the result of key leadership capabilities we CAN develop. Specifically, intuition is built from the raw material of individual learning and experience over time. With practice, lessons become instinct. The more we intentionally push ourselves to learn, reflect, analyze data, observe human nature and understand culture, the stronger our intuition muscle becomes. I frequently coach leaders that if they envy an entrepreneurial lead...

We all face challenges in life, both personal and professional. As leaders, how we choose to view and approach those challenges can make a big difference in whether they become opportunities for growth or reasons to give up. I firmly believe that if something was easy, it wouldn’t really present much of a developmental opportunity. The most rewarding accomplishments are the ones that require perseverance, creative problem-solving, teamwork, and rising to meet a difficult challenge head-on. As leaders, one of our primary responsibilities is to help our teams turn challenges into opportunities instead of reasons to become frustrated and disengaged. Here are a few ways we can reframe challenges and empower our people to see them as chances to learn and grow: Paint a vision of success - Remind the team of the positive difference our work makes, the inspiring mission we are all working towards, and why solving this challenge matters. Giving meaning and purpose provides motivation to per...