Embracing the Spirit of Summer at Work
Remember the excitement as a child when the summer months rolled around? When that last school bell rang, a sense of adventure and freedom was upon us as we looked forward to warm, sunny days. As adults, this desire is still within us – but our adult responsibilities get in the way. Sitting at our desks, attending countless meetings, all while gazing outside at blue skies can be a bit depressing. Therefore, it is not surprising that during the summer, employee motivation, job satisfaction, and productivity drop.
How can we combat this decline? Is it possible to balance the freedom of summer with the demands of work? The answer is…YES! Here are a few ideas…
Encourage Time Off
Do you have an employee who is not taking time off during the summer? If so, encourage them to do so – even if it is just a day or two. According to a recent report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics , 50% of American workers do not use the paid vacation time they are given. Taking time off helps us reduce stress, clear our minds, and return ready to take on the world (or at least that big client project!).
Promote Work Flexibility
Adding a little flexibility into how work gets done is a great way to embrace the summer spirit. 74% of employers offer some type of telecommuting arrangement, which is a great way to promote work flexibility.
Host Family Events
Consider a companywide picnic, field day, or trip to the local baseball game. Showing that you value family time positions the organization in a positive light for the significant others – which comes in handy when you ask employees to work late nights!
Today’s employees value organizations that embrace a work environment that supports employee well-being. Having a culture that promotes work-life balance and flexibility can result in a happy and healthy workforce – and a solid bottom line. Get out there and enjoy the sunshine with your employees…the child inside all of them will love you for it!
Reach out to us at https://www.successfulculture.com/contact/ to discover how we can help you design a balanced work-life culture, the supports the whole employee. Our SCALE Academy is the perfect place to start! Building cultures where everyone feels valued is what we do best.
Make Life at Work Better for Your Team
According to a recent Bersin Report, a major focus in the years ahead will be on human performance – a combination of how we think, feel, experience, and react to the world around us. People today are experiencing higher stress levels, pressure to do more in less time, and forced to juggle multiple priorities – all with a smile on their face. So, it’s not surprising to see employees disengaging and burning out. For example, the Bersin report shows:
- Employee engagement levels today are no higher than they were 10 years ago
- Productivity in the United States after the iPhone launch has slowed (ironic considering the device was meant to make us more productive)
- Employees in the United States take 4-5 days less vacation now that they did in 1998
- Almost 40% of employees believe it is impossible to maintain a growing career and sound family life
Work-life balance is important – but don’t overlook the importance of life at work. How do we as leaders make the work we offer one that encourages employees to perform at their best AND enjoy themselves while they’re doing it? What is good about life at work at your organization? What is not? How are you challengingyour employees to be their best? Consider adopting these strategies when assessing your company’s life at work:
Offer Purpose
We all crave to find a deeper meaning in the work we do – to have purpose, to contribute to something bigger than ourselves and to feel energized. How does the work you offer contribute to the small and big picture (company, industry, community, self)? Although this is often a personal journey, employers can support the importance of discovering purpose with their employees.
Embrace Mentoring
Having someone who helps you work through challenges, pushes you out of your comfort zone, and helps to define your career path is something many of us long for in our careers. Effective mentors are perfect for this and go a long way in keeping employees engaged and excited about the work they do.
In addition to these strategies, ensuring your employees have access to the resources they need and keeping the lines of communication open are always key to making life at work better. We spend a big chunk of our waking hours at work – shouldn’t making it a great experience be a top priority? We think so.
Reach out to us at https://www.successfulculture.com/contact/ to discover how we can help your organization make your organization’s life at work better. Our SCALE Academy is the perfect place to start! Building cultures where everyone can thrive is what we do best.
Three Questions Great Leaders Ask Themselves in the 21st Century
I recently designed and facilitated a two-day leadership training program for senior managers in the Air Force. The program objective was to educate them on the mindset and skillset required to lead effectively in the 21st century. They work in an environment of heavy demands, limited resources, and severe time constraints, and are challenged to motivate a highly-pressured workforce.
My training included 7 interactive and introspective modules. In each module I included a TED Talk on leadership and a discussion worksheet to encourage transfer of concepts from the presenter to the student.
One of the TED Talks I shared was “What it Takes to be a Good Leader” by Roselinde Torres. In her talk, she shared her experiences of working with hundreds of organizations to uncover why leadership ability is declining, even though attention to leadership development is increasing.
She presented three questions that all leaders will need to constantly ask themselves as they hone their leadership skills in the 21st century:
- Where are you looking to anticipate change? To answer this question, she recommends looking in one place: your calendar. With whom are you spending your time, and on what topics? What are you reading? How are you distilling? Great leaders see around corners and shape their future based on what they see. What you read, where you are, and who you are with will shape what you see.
- What is the diversity metric of your personal and professional stakeholder network? To some extent, we all have a network of people that mirror us. This question addresses your capacity to develop relationships with people that are different than you. Those differences can be biological, physical, functional, political, cultural, socioeconomic. And yet, despite these differences, they connect with you and they trust you enough to cooperate with you in achieving a shared goal. Great leaders understand that having a more diverse network is a source of pattern identification at higher levels, and is an important component in solving problems, because you have people that think differently than you do.
- Are you courageous enough to abandon a practice that has made you successful in the past? There is an expression: Go along to get along. But if you follow this advice, chances are as a leader, you’re going to keep doing what’s familiar and comfortable.
Great leaders dare to be different. They don’t just talk about risk-taking, they actually do it. The most impactful development comes when you are able to build the emotional stamina to withstand people telling you that your new idea is naïve, reckless or impractical.
When you step out with a new idea, the people who will join you are not your usual suspects in your network. They’re often people that think differently and therefore are willing to join you in taking a courageous leap. And it’s a leap, not a step.
Asking yourself these three questions will force you to have important conversations with yourself, and examine how you are showing up in the world & in your organizations. All great leadership begins with self-awareness. We can only lead others well when we know ourselves well.
“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” ~Aristotle
——————————————————————————————————–
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Ready to move forward? Email us today at [email protected].
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Engage with me during my morning Periscope sessions as well (@marissalevin).
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
– In my latest Inc, article, I share The Essential Guide to Avoiding Workplace Text, Email, & Social Media Disasters.
– Learn about the 9 Leadership Behaviors that Lose Employee Trust & Respect here.
~Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
4 Ways Perfection is Our Enemy and 4 Strategies to Embrace Imperfection
One of the questions I’m constantly asked is, “Marissa how do you get so much done?” Admittedly I move at a brisk pace. I don’t really have a choice, because I have a lot going on. However, we all do. We all have too much to do and not enough time. We are all somewhat controlled by both the blessing and the curse of our digital devices, which allow us to be accessible & on 24/7.
One of my secrets, however, is that I embrace the idea of imperfection. I will never be perfect. This doesn’t mean that I don’t give 100% effort, or that I’m satisfied with mediocrity. On the contrary, I tend to lean the other way. I set very high standards for myself, and strive to exceed the expectations of those that depend on me. However, I’ve also learned to recognize when I’ve crossed over into the dangerous zone of “perfection obsession,” and I’ve trained myself to embrace that “almost perfect” is usually acceptable.
One of my favorite business models is the Lean Start-Up Model. Rather than having every business element locked in place and etched in stone prior to launching an idea, this model allows for a much more fluid growth trajectory. The founder is able to constantly pivot direction in response to market feedback, throughout the life of the business. Rather than exerting energy in building an immovable & inflexible model, and then staying squarely in that pre-defined box, a leadership team can reconfigure the business to remain relevant & responsive.
For those that may have difficulty escaping the claws of perfection, I’ve identified 4 ways perfection impedes our progress.
- It slows us down or stops us from moving through a milestone. The quest for perfection causes procrastination. We become so fixated on the perfect end-result that we don’t move forward until we are 100% there. When I wrote my book, “Built to SCALE,” I stayed focused on completion, rather than perfection. Ask any author how difficult it is to release a book, and they will tell you it is incredibly painful because we always have more to add or more to edit. It’s never really “finished” in our minds.
- Perfection causes us to question our own accomplishments and achievements. We become so focused on what we haven’t completed or what haven’t done well that we forget how much we really have accomplished. Sometimes we just have to pause and be in gratitude of all we have accomplished. We forget the struggle we endured to arrive at where we are. This is a self-destructive mindset.
- Perfection shifts our perspective from the journey to the end game. Focusing solely on the end-game or final deliverable impedes us from appreciating what is right in front of us. Suppose you never make it to your ending. Suppose you never achieve “perfection.” Will you still be able to look back and appreciate the good that came out of the journey?
- Perfection removes the margins of error, setting us up failure. Are you defining yourself solely by a score of 100%? If you achieve 90% of your goals, can you appreciate your success? The beauty of life exists in our shades of grey and in the fringes, not in life’s absolutes, and certainly not with only smooth edges. Life is messy and unpredictable. Very little will go exactly as you expect. I have so many friends looking for the “perfect” job or the “perfect” partner. They continue to dismiss so many opportunities that are right in front of them. Allow yourself some breathing room, rather than only accepting perfection. Total inflexibility severely narrows our choices.
Shifting Our Mindset: Embracing Imperfection
- Embrace progress. Create a sense of urgency about what you are trying to achieve. The quest for perfection can stall our momentum. If you have an idea, it does not have to be perfect for you to launch it! Put a deadline in place and move briskly to make it happen. Perfection is the enemy of progress.
- Remember that others are not evaluating you the way you evaluate yourself. We are always our own worst critics. And for those that criticize us more severely than we criticize ourselves (which is hard), ignore them. (Reread my article on how to manage the three types of haters in your life). They aren’t in your corner. People generally see the accomplishment, not what’s missing.
- Embrace “draft mode.” Draft mode makes everything a little lighter, a little less serious. Most of the time, if you make a mistake, you can fix it. It won’t be the end of the world. You can change your mind. You can move a little to the left or right. For major pushes, and in circumstances where people are depending on you, have confidence that you will do what’s necessary to make it work. For the smaller things, however, move briskly.
- Remember to enjoy the journey! Refer back to my column about Rule #6. We must be mindful to appreciate how we are spending every day, not just the culmination of what we are working to achieve. Our endings are unwritten. As much as we plan, and as much as we think we know how things will turn out, they are not decided. Our time is limited and precious. The culmination may or may not deliver the happiness you have attached to the outcome. Your greatest potential for happiness lies in the journey, and in the little things leading up to the end.
I hope this perfectly framed the concept of imperfection for you. Good luck, and celebrate the wins!
——————————————————————————————————–
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Ready to move forward? Email us today at [email protected].
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Engage with me during my morning Periscope sessions as well (@marissalevin).
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
– In my latest Inc, article, I share The Essential Guide to Avoiding Workplace Text, Email, & Social Media Disasters.
– Learn about the 9 Leadership Behaviors that Lose Employee Trust & Respect here.
~Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
How to Manage The Three Types of Haters In Your Life
Haters. We all have them, quietly circling around us like vultures, waiting for us to fail. If we pay attention them, if we empower them and let them know they impact us, our minds can trick us into thinking that we will actually fail.
I’ve identified the three types of haters that live on the periphery of our lives. Acknowledging that they are there, and committing to the two suggestions I will share with you, will minimize their impact on you. In fact, they may even make you stronger!
The Obvious Hater
The obvious haters are people that just don’t like you. They know it, you know it, their friends & your friends know it. For whatever reason, they just don’t get you. No matter what you do, you won’t change their mind. And you know what? It’s fine. It’s no big deal. Not everyone has to like you, and not everyone will like you. Trying to win over the obvious hater is a futile effort. Why would you try? Perhaps your ego doesn’t like the idea that not everyone likes you. This is something you will have to accept. I’ve always taught our sons, “We don’t go where we aren’t wanted.” There are too many people in the world that do get you, that see your value, that appreciate the gifts you bring to so many. Focus on them.
The Under-the-Radar Hater (The Frienemy)
The under-the-radar haters are people that may act like they like you – to you and to others – but they really don’t. Perhaps they are jealous, or they consider you threatening in some way to their own success. They may publicly support you, but you know differently. It may be your instincts telling you the truth, or it may be past conversations & experiences you’ve had with these people that showed their true colors. Either way, you know what’s what. You know where you truly stand with them, even if others think otherwise.
For these haters, who I like to call Frienemies (people that show up as friends but really aren’t), always remember where you stand. Never lower yourself to their level, so always act professional and respectful. But know the truth, and for your own well-being, you must live according to the truth.
The Conflicted Hater
“Hater” may be too strong of a term in this case. The conflicted hater may be someone who has been in your life for a long time, or perhaps came into your life as a result of a specific circumstance. You have a strong, trust-based bond, and you’ve always had each other’s backs. However, as you’ve both grown and evolved, perhaps you’ve gone in separate directions. I’ve seen this happen when one friend has lost a lot of weight, and new activities, people, & experiences come into their lives. The other friend doesn’t quite know where she fits in. She doesn’t know how to react to the new version of her friend. Or perhaps one friend has recovered from a difficult life crisis (a death, an illness, a divorce), and is thriving again. Her friend may not know how to find joy in her friend’s life because she may not be in the same place. In business, perhaps one is enjoying a lot of success, and her friend doesn’t know how to manage that. Personal change & growth is hard on a relationship that has been steady and static for a long period of time.
In these circumstances, it is important to consider the history you’ve shared, and work to preserve the friendship. Our friends who have been with us through thick and thin are treasures. Those relationships are not disposable. They are the threads of the tapestries that weave around our hearts, our souls, and spirits.
The Two Rules of Engagement for The Three Types of Haters
Two rules of engagement apply to all three types of haters:
1: You are in control of you. You can only control yourself and your reactions. You can not control the feelings, thoughts, or actions of another person. You can not make someone like you, or make someone happy for you. You alone determine how much these haters influence your life. They do not decide that. You decide that. How much are you empowering your haters?
2. Always choose compassion. Every moment of every day, we can choose compassion, and our haters need it more than anyone else. Those that have hate, resentment, contempt, and jealousy in their hearts are in pain. These feelings stem from hurt that they have endured. Somewhere along the way on their journeys, they have been scarred. They have been made to feel that they are not enough. Those people in our lives that get pleasure from the pain or failure of others are deeply in need of love, healing, & compassion. Plus, forgiveness of others is the greatest gift we can give ourselves, because it frees us to love fully.
Remember that the way others respond to us is not a reflection of us in any way. It is a reflection of how they feel about themselves, and how they engage with the world around them. When we know that the daggers that others throw at us are coming from a place of pain, we can deflect them with compassion. Every day, we can choose compassion over hate.
————————————————————————————
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Ready to move forward? Email us today at [email protected].
Connect with me on Instragram, Facebook, and Twitter. Engage with me during my morning Periscope sessions as well (@marissalevin).
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
– In my latest Inc, article, I share The Essential Guide to Avoiding Workplace Text, Email, & Social Media Disasters.
– Learn about the 9 Leadership Behaviors that Lose Employee Trust & Respect here.
~Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
10 Cardinal Rules for Working with Friends
Ask any business owner if they’ve ever worked with friends, and you will likely get a yes. How they answer you (with a scowl or with a smile), will determine if it turned out well.
One of my clients is WAKA, an 18-year old company that has put kickball and social sports for young professionals on the map. The three owners have been friends for more than two decades. They have mastered the art of “working with friends.” This doesn’t mean they haven’t experienced turmoil or conflict. In fact, one of my key roles in working with them was to help them move through some inertia that was stalling their continued growth. They have aggressive growth goals over the next 3-5 years, and decision-by-consensus was slowing momentum.
Nevertheless, these three life-long friends have managed to maintain and strengthen their brotherly bonds as they’ve built their business. So how have they done it? They’ve followed what I have identified as the 10 cardinal rules for working with friends.
1: Alignment of core values regarding life and business. It would seem natural that our friends would share our values, but this isn’t always the case. If we’re going into business with anyone, there must be alignment of values. If you are a high-value service provider but your friend is focused on being a low-cost service provider, you’re not driven by the same outcomes. If you are a workaholic, but your friend is focused on work-life balance, you are misaligned regarding focus. Misalignment of values is a non-starter.
2: Clearly defined roles & responsibilities. What is expected of each person? You would never hire a stranger without clearly defined roles & responsibilities. Clearly spell out what you expect of anyone you work with, and what they can expect of you.
3:No exceptions to any rules: All restrictions/processes apply. When I started my first company Information Experts 20 years ago, I hired a friend as a sub-contractor. She was required to sign a non-compete and a non-disclosure agreement, like all of my subcontractors. If I showed favoritism, this would have set a precedent that rules only apply to certain people in my company. Sadly, she violated both documents. She stole my content, and solicited work directly from my client. Again, I had to set a precedent with this situation. Our attorney issued a cease-and-desist letter, demanding that she cease solicitation. My client broke ties with her, I fired her, and that was the end of the friendship. This goes back to Rule #1: Alignment of core values. She valued money more than our friendship.
4: Respect of financial arrangements. The mixing of money and friendships, especially in business, is a potential landmine. Should you decide to work with a friend, do whatever is necessary to minimize financial friction. Stay away from loans and promisory notes. Pay your friend on time, in accordance with the agreed upon terms. Working with a friend is not permission to take financial advantage.
5: Respect of the value and worth of each party. This past week, I had conversations with two good friends that own businesses, who are experts in their fields, that feel disrespected, devalued, and taken for granted by friends they’ve worked with. They both chose to charge their friends significantly discounted rates for their services. This is a terrible idea, and almost always backfires. A true friend would not expect another friend to decrease her market rate, which is essentially communicating, “I don’t think you are worth what you are charging others.” Conversely, the friend that discounts her rate ends up feeling as if she’s giving away her services. “I felt bad” or “I felt guilty” is almost always the outcome.
6: Establishment of a way out of the business arrangement. Every business arrangement requires an “out” clause, and this situation is no different. Discuss ahead of time the possibility that one may want to terminate the arrangement. Should that occur, exit gracefully and graciously. Don’t make it personal, and don’t take it personally.
7: Respect of confidentiality. As with any business relationship, do not discuss your business with others. Don’t share proprietary company information, don’t discuss the relationship challenges, don’t gossip. Treat the business part of your relationship with utmost respect and confidentiality.
8: Ability to have difficult conversations. Difficult conversations are stressful. Especially when we blend our personal & professional lives, there is a lot at stake if a difficult conversation goes wrong. However, not having the conversation is even worse. Trust that you can have a respectful, constructive dialogue, and make it happen to move past any feelings of resentment or anger that may be building.
9: Care and feeding of your friendship outside of the business. To preserve the friendship, set aside time to just be friends. Grab lunch, go to a movie or a museum, or text/email/call with no business agenda – just to say hello.
10: Finally, Remember Rule #6 from my last column. Don’t take yourself so seriously. It’s just business. Businesses come and go, but our most important friendships endure.
A Note about mentorship, service donations, and trades
We all have much to contribute to others! Mentorship and pro-bono or discounted services are wonderful ways to help others move forward, especially when we can help socially impactful organizations fulfill their missions. When we agree to mentor someone, or donate our services to a non-profit, we still must spell out the terms so that both parties know what to expect. The only thing missing is the exchange of money.
I have done many successful trades for service as well. Again, spell out all terms & conditions so that there are no surprises. These arrangements are still business relationships.
In Other SC News….
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
Successful Culture accepts applications for its TransformU coaching program on a rolling basis. All one-on-one coaching spots are currently filled, however, we will open more spots in 2nd quarter. The TransformU coaching program is only for CEOs and leaders seeking a high level of accountability, who are ready to build the right foundation, and move to the next level of growth. All engagements follow a customized road map to move the client from current state to desired state. A mandatory skype interview and online assessment will determine if the TransformU program is a fit. You can learn more about the TransformU program on the Successful Culture website here. Please email me at [email protected] with any questions.
The Annual SC Customer Appreciation Luncheon Was Amazing!
I recently honored about 40 SC clients at our annual Customer Appreciation Luncheon. I spoke about the gifts that each client brings to the world every day in their own business accomplishments, and expressed my gratitude for their trust in my leadership to move them forward to the next levels of growth. Everyone made important connections too! I can’t wait for our Spring community gathering. Will you be engaging Successful Culture to help with your growth, and joining us too?
————————————————————————————————-
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Ready to move forward? Email us today at [email protected]
Connect with me on Instragram, Facebook, and Twitter. Engage with me during my morning Periscope sessions as well (@marissalevin).
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
– In my latest Inc, article, I share The Essential Guide to Avoiding Workplace Text, Email, & Social Media Disasters.
– Learn about the 9 Leadership Behaviors that Lose Employee Trust & Respect here.
~Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
Do You Follow Leadership Rule #6?
I recently spent a Saturday afternoon with 600 other people from around the globe attending a 3-hour online leadership program conducted by leadership expert Seth Godin. The program included nine modules, covering topics such as culture, strategy, leadership versus management, how to enroll your followers, certain failure, and authority versus responsibility. All topics had “ah-ha moments” but the one topic that re-surfaces for me every day is “Don’t Forget Rule #6.”
Seth shared a story of a prime minister who had been reminded by one of his assistants, immediately prior to an important meeting, to always follow Rule #6: “Don’t take yourself so seriously.”
The rule, Seth explained, is not “Don’t take the problem seriously.” The rule is “Don’t take yourself so seriously.” We must be able to separate our personal, physical entities from our situations. When we allow our situations to consume our identities, we attach our happiness to a specific outcome. We are not our problems.
Truth be told, leaders place a lot on the line. Everything we are trying to build and put together is on the line every day. Every day, something is threatening to bring it all crashing down.
So, it’s easy to take yourself really seriously. It’s easy to wake up every day in a somber mood, completely lost in your own head, certain that your problems are the greatest problems a leader has ever faced. This is what happens when we lose ourselves in an external circumstance. However, there is zero evidence that taking yourself really seriously helps you solve the problem. There is no evidence that connecting our total identities to our situations equips us with what we need to drive our outcomes.
“There is no evidence that freaking out because you are about to be judged and seen as a fraud makes you do a better job of solving the problem,” says Seth.
In fact, when we face our problems from a place of distress, anxiety, and fear, we are suppressing the parts of our brains that we need for creative problem solving. When we focus on the situation/problem with some distance, rather than focusing on ourselves, we have much greater clarity because we can step outside the situation for some objective perspective.
It’s undeniable that building a business and leading others is challenging, stressful work, that stretches us way beyond our comfort zones. The goal, however is to bend us so that we grow, not break us.
One of my favorite writers, Brene Brown, explains the difference between enmeshment and empathy when we want to help others who are going through a difficult time. Enmeshment occurs when we completely immerse ourselves in a problem…when we become one with the problem. This is an unhealthy way to help. When we become enmeshed, we lose sight of where the problem ends and where we begin. We are all rolled up into one.
Empathy allows us to help at a distance. We can be most compassionate when we can remain strong & supportive. Think about this concept as it applies to you. When you have a serious challenge, are you enmeshed and consumed by it? Or can you maintain some distance, and show some self-compassion so that you can calmly navigate through it?
I personally follow a mantra when I find myself with my back against the wall: “Regardless if I come to a problem from a place of calm or chaos, I will invariably end up at the same place.” So, I intentionally choose calm. Because chaos is a complete drag.
As you build your culture, your mission, and your dream, is it necessary to violate Rule 6 in order to get there? If it is, is it worth it?
————————————————————————————————-
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Ready to move forward? Email us today at [email protected]
Connect with me on Instragram, Facebook, and Twitter. Engage with me during my morning Periscope sessions as well (@marissalevin).
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
– In my latest Inc, article, I share The Essential Guide to Avoiding Workplace Text, Email, & Social Media Disasters.
– Learn about the 9 Leadership Behaviors that Lose Employee Trust & Respect here.
~Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
Breaking Though The Mental Barrier
This past month, I broke through two mental barriers. One barrier was professional and one was personal, but my success with both of them originated in the same place: my mind.
The first barrier was a significant accomplishment because it was a culmination of a 7-year dream that I would not let die. Upon learning of my accomplishment, I texted a friend and told him, “I feel like I am about to have a growth spurt. I’m playing in the big leagues. I am at the bottom of the food chain again. I think life is awesome that way though…you never really quite reach the summit.”
My accomplishment is that Inc. Magazine invited me to be a columnist! For the writer in me, this is Nirvana. This is the gold-paved intersection between entrepreneurship and journalism. To have been asked to join this community of voices, influencers, & thought leaders is simultaneously humbling, validating & terrifying.
Some people will say, “She’s so lucky.” It has nothing to do with luck. This end-result occurred because I first believed I could accomplish it, and I felt it in my soul. I made it happen through diligent & rigorous relationship-building, follow-up, and by establishing my credibility. Without my own belief in myself, it would have never happened. I was actually rejected by Inc. 7 years ago, but I knew even then that it wasn’t the end. I simply understood that it was not the right time, and that no actually meant not yet.
The second barrier I broke through is not as pivotal or potentially game-changing, but it’s significant nonetheless because I was able to push through a long-standing plateau. Again, the success originated in my mind, with a vivid visualization.
I attend a 5:30 AM strength-training class three times a week called Body Pump. On a recent frigid morning, when I really did not want to drag myself out of bed to go, I went anyway. The class consists of 9 intense sets about 5 minutes each for each muscle group. I’ve been struggling for about two months to make it through the bicep track with an extra five pounds on the bar. You may think, “5 pounds is nothing.” Well, for 5-7 minutes straight, with no breaks for rest, to include more than 100 reps with perfect form, 5 pounds is really heavy. This week, I broke through the barrier. I gripped that bar and did every rep until the last note of the track song.
Many times in class as I’ve struggled, I’ve trash-talked myself. “Maybe it’s just too much weight for you Marissa. Maybe you’re getting too old to build a lot more muscle.”
I was so close to putting the bar down. My arms were shaking. I had to remind myself to breathe. And it truly became a mental exercise of mind over body. What pushed me through was a recent column I read in Inc: “A NAVY Seal’s Secret for Pushing Yourself Way Beyond Your Supposed Limits.” The premise in the article is that when your mind tells you that you are “done,” you are actually only 40% done. When you hit that wall, you’re really only 40% through your stores of energy and determination. “Whenever life puts a challenge in your path and you feel like you’re on the edge of giving up, you can lean on the SEALs’ 40 percent rule to remind you that your apparent limits really aren’t.” I reminded myself that our greatest change & growth always occurs when we push through the greatest pain. Growth and pain are two sides of the same coin.
As we move into 2016, I’m certain you have set some ambitious goals. To move past the barriers that will inevitably surface, your single most powerful tool in your toolbox is your mindset. You must believe without any hesitation that you can achieve your desired outcome. You must! All success originates in the mind.
In my inaugural Inc. column, “Why Ditching Your Goals May Be The Smartest Thing You Do in 2016,” I share why you should ditch your “goals,” and replace them with Intentions. I’ve created a model known as STARS™ to help my clients and their organizations construct Smart, Transformation, Achievable, Relevant, and Strategic intentions that can result in measurable growth.
What are your intentions for 2016? What will your plan be to push through your mental barriers, and achieve the end result?
Please share your desired outcomes with me at [email protected].
Good luck!
Marissa
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Ready to move forward? Email us today at [email protected]
Connect with me on Instragram, Facebook, and Twitter. Engage with me during my morning Periscope sessions as well (@marissalevin).
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
– In my latest Inc, article, I share The Essential Guide to Avoiding Workplace Text, Email, & Social Media Disasters.
– Learn about the 9 Leadership Behaviors that Lose Employee Trust & Respect here.
~Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
Overwhelmed with Messages of Gratitude?
Holidays are hard. We’re bombarded with messages of joy & gratitude everywhere, and we often feel compelled to feel grateful, when what we really feel is tired, stressed, and anxious. It’s not so easy to simply “choose happiness,” or “choose gratitude,” or “choose joy,” or even “choose optimism” as I discussed in my last column. It takes a lot of work, and a lot of practice to arrive at a place where happiness and faith are our default states of being.
It is true that we all have many things in our life for which to be grateful. However, when we’re going through difficulty it’s easy to zero in on only what’s wrong, and write traumatic endings to our stories. These apocalyptic endings that we fabricate can cause us to feel scared & isolated. We lose perspective of what I call the totality of our life. No single circumstance or event, no matter how large or small, ever defines us. No single decision ever defines us. Every circumstance is one step in a larger journey.
So often our actions & decisions lead us to places we did not anticipate. This doesn’t mean they are “wrong” or “bad.” It simply means they are different than what we envisioned. This is where Faith comes in, and the importance of tapping into our ability to choose Faith over Fear. To surrender to what is, rather than fighting it, and to believe that all will be OK.
Perhaps starting with baby steps is the best approach. So, just for today, as we go into the Holiday season, I ask you to be kind to yourself. Feel as much gratitude as you can. Be as present as you can. Remember that all is impermanent… the good and the bad. Every moment of every day, we are growing, changing, and evolving.
The most wonderful thing in your life is YOU. You are a gift to this world in ways you may not be able to appreciate. You are loved by so many. Along your journey, you have made a profound impact in the lives of those you know, and of those you don’t know.
Be in gratitude to yourself this Thanksgiving season. This will have a domino effect, and enable you to be thankful for those
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Ready to move forward? Email us today at [email protected]
Connect with me on Instragram, Facebook, and Twitter. Engage with me during my morning Periscope sessions as well (@marissalevin).
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
– In my latest Inc, article, I share The Essential Guide to Avoiding Workplace Text, Email, & Social Media Disasters.
– Learn about the 9 Leadership Behaviors that Lose Employee Trust & Respect here.
~Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
Tell Me Something Good That Happened Today
Life is Not Perfect. Life is Not Easy. Life is Good.
Occasionally, we experience a speaker that touches our hearts, souls, and minds in a profoundly impactful way. This was my experience last week at the Inc. Magazine Iconic conference in Washington, DC. Conference, when Life Is Good Founder Bert Jacobs took the stage.
Bert and his brother John dreamed of building a business together since they were very young. They grew up in a home with 4 other siblings and a lot of love, but with very little of anything else. Despite the hardships, no matter what was happening, their mother Joan made one request every night at the dinner table: “Tell me something good today.”
This commitment to optimism stuck with Bert & John, and became the basis for their international company, Life is Good.
Like most companies, they got off to a rocky start. They wanted to make a living by creating art. They started designing & selling t-shirts in the streets and college dorms. For five years, they traveled up and down the East Coast, selling one shirt at a time. They slept in their van and survived on peanut butter & jelly. With horrible sales, and a total of $78 to their name, Bert and John considered giving up. But they kept coming back to an idea, a vision they had to drown out the noise of all of the negative news. Then three words changed their lives forever: Life is Good.
In a moment, the Life is Good icon “Jake” was born. Bert and John were committed to sharing the power of optimism with the world by creating emotional connections with consumers through their messaging.
“Each one of us has a choice: to focus our energy on obstacles or opportunities. To fixate on our problems, or focus on solutions. We can harp on what’s wrong with the world (see most news media), or we can cultivate what’s right with the world. What we focus on grows.
That’s why the Life is Good community shares one simple, unifying mission: to spread the power of optimism. Optimism is not irrational cheerfulness or “blind” positivity. It’s a pragmatic strategy for approaching life. Optimism empowers us to explore the world with open arms and an eye toward solutions, progress, and growth. It also makes life a hell of a lot more fun.”
While consumers may see Life Is Good as a clothing & accessories company, it’s actually a communications company. Their mission is to become the hub of optimism. Their approaches apply to the real world and to the corporate world.
Every Life is Good meeting begins with the question, “Tell Me Something Good That Happened Today.” Their organizational culture revolves around optimism, and is reflected in the extraordinary work they do for others outside of the organization. In addition to donating 10% of its net profits too kids in need, Life is Good has launched national events that have raised millions of dollars for sick children. Their social commitments are integrated into every aspect of their business.
Social Enterprise: Leveraging Business to Change The World
Social enterprise, and “doing good while doing well,” is the future of all businesses. Businesses that do not serve a purpose beyond profitability will not survive. My long-time close friend Yanik Silver recently discussed this movement in his new book, “Evolved Enterprise: How to Re-Think, Re-Imagine, and Re-Invent Your Business to Deliver Meaningful Impact and Even Greater Profits.” Yanik is a 20+ year entrepreneur and best-selling author. The book evolved from a question he was asked: Do you want to push water down the river, or do you want to change the course of the river?” He decided he wanted to change the course of the river…to be a part of the conversation about how businesses can be a force for good to change the world, and not simply be about profits. Yanik is giving away copies of his book. Just click on the link above, and you will pay shipping plus $1 which goes to a charity.
Business owners have never been more empowered to use their enterprises to make a difference. No longer is philanthropy a separate component of business. No longer do we need to choose between building a for-profit model or a non-profit model. The businesses of the future will serve a higher purpose, which will elevate the standards of living for all of us.
Successful Culture has been a long-time supporter of Tigerlily Foundation which provides breast cancer support to women under the age of 40. The founder, Maimah Karmo is one of my closest friends, and is a 9-year survivor of breast cancer. Maimah started TigerLily while she was going through treatment for an aggressive cancer, and while raising her daughter (now 12) as a single mom. Successful Culture will continue to support Tigerlily as Maimah works tirelessly to expand her impact. Now in 42 states, Tigerlily last year generated $1 million in aid for women across the country who are fighting breast cancer.
So the question is, how are you changing the world through business? Imagine if every business committed itself to changing the world. It all starts with you.
Please write me and tell me about the social impacts you make through your businesses. Your stories inspire me every day. Thank you for your commitment to healing the world.
Sign up here to receive Successful Culture’s leadership blog every Friday. All posts contain actionable content to make you the best leader you can be, to help you develop your people to their greatest potential, and to help you build your best organization.
About Successful Culture
We work with business owners, CEOs, and leadership teams that want to achieve their greatest personal & organizational potential. Through coaching, strategic consulting, retreat facilitation, and workshops, we equip leaders & emerging leaders with the mindset, tools, strategies, and processes they need to excel.
Ready to move forward? Email us today at [email protected]
Connect with me on Instragram, Facebook, and Twitter. Engage with me during my morning Periscope sessions as well (@marissalevin).
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
– In my latest Inc, article, I share The Essential Guide to Avoiding Workplace Text, Email, & Social Media Disasters.
– Learn about the 9 Leadership Behaviors that Lose Employee Trust & Respect here.
~Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”