6 Steps to Creating a Warrior Mindset in Life-Changing Situations
Difficulty doesn’t discriminate. It doesn’t matter if you have a net worth of $50 million or $50,000.
It doesn’t matter if you’re running a multi-million dollar company, or working for someone else.
You’re going to encounter situations that draw a before-and-after line in the sand, where things change in a moment’s notice.
If you are a business owner, you face more risk than others because you have so much more on the line. Therefore, the ability to recover is absolutely essential.
Recently, several friends have encountered what I call “before-and-after moments.” Most recently, a friend received news that her 9-year old daughter has Type-1 diabetes and will be on insulin the rest of her life.
In my own life, I’ve beaten melanoma, had a breast cancer scare, overcame two business bankruptcy possibilities, lost people I love, and recovered from a fairly devastating betrayal by someone I thought was a true friend.
I recently provided some experiential wisdom to my friend whose daughter was diagnosed with diabetes.
I’m sharing my 6 strategies for creating what I call a Warrior Mindset.
1: Block out the sky-is-falling supporters. When we receive bad news, or go through something traumatic, our natural response is to reach out to others for support. While the outreach is important, what is even more important is who we are seeking for support.
We are at our most vulnerable state when we are facing a difficult situation. We require support from those who can lift us higher and move us forward. We need support from those who are stronger than we are.
2: Move out of the “why-me” response as soon as possible. It’s natural to feel a loss of control, and to feel victimized by our circumstances. When circumstances drastically change, they often require a mourning process to eventually accept the new reality. This may include denial, anger, grief, and finally acceptance.
3: Get a grip on your fear. Fear is also a natural response to life-changing news and situations. We must remember that it is just an emotion. Nothing else. However, if we empower it – if we go to that place of, “What happens if….” then we will be paralyzed. There’s no time for inertia or inaction.
4: Seek out your new “tribe.” Diabetes has profoundly impacted our family; we have lost young people we love to the disease. I advised my friend to quickly connect with others that have already walked her path. I recommended the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) as well as Facebook support groups and meetups.
When the rules & parameters of our daily living change, we must create a tribe so that we know we are not alone, and so that we can make informed decisions based on knowledge & facts, rather than emotion. We need people like us.
Our other tribes may not understand, or even approve. That’s not your concern. Your healing & progress depends on getting the right support.
5: Seize control over the situation. This may not be the situation you would have chosen, but it is YOUR situation. Choose control over it. We either control our circumstances (even the poor ones) or they control us.
6: Remember that your circumstance does not define you. Your situation is one piece of a tapestry that is your life. I had cancer. I am not cancer. Several friends struggle with depression. They are not depression. Several friends have experienced business failure or divorce. They are more than their business situation or marital situation.
We decide how well we-co-exist with our new reality… how much it defines us.
Life delivers us a blend of the good and the bad. How it all shows up for us largely depends on our outlook and our mindset. We are not our struggles. They are only a part of the amazing people we are.
Good luck!
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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.
Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook, Linked In, and Twitter.
Please check out my Inc. Magazine columns on my Author Page too.
Learn about the 12 Habits of Horrible Leaders, and How to Break Them.
Wishing you joy and success on your journey!
In gratitude,
Marissa Levin
CEO, Successful Culture
“Taking Leaders from Triage to Transformation.”
[email protected]
Three Steps to Living Audaciously: Setting Your Lifetime Legacy Mission
My lifetime legacy mission (LLM) is to educate, equip, & empower 100 million entrepreneurs & leaders worldwide to reach their greatest personal & organizational potential.
In my last two speaking engagements, I watched the audience’s reactions as the conference coordinator read my bio aloud. People were taken aback. They raised their eyebrows and smiled in surprise.
During my remarks, I put my lifetime legacy mission into perspective:
- There are approximately 400 million entrepreneurs in the world, so my goal only reflects 25% of that population.
- I’m only 48, so I estimate I have another 40 years ahead of me to make my impact.
- There are so many ways to reach people globally today. Between my writing, speaking, online products (in development), merchandising line (in development), and consulting, I should be able to touch a lot of people.
- Even if I achieve only 50% of my goal, I’m still impacting 50 million people, which isn’t so shabby.
Here is what I know for sure: If I don’t envision it, and put it out there, it will never happen.
- Elon Musk (Founder of PayPal, SpaceX, and Tesla)
- Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon)
- Mark Zuckerberg (Founder of Facebook)
- Steve Case & Ted Leonsis (Founders of AOL)
These are just a few audacious thinkers who have committed to changing the world.
Why shouldn’t you think big? Because someone else may find your idea to be grandiose? Because you sound unrealistic? Are those really reasons to limit our thinking?
“Thinking realistically is the quickest path to mediocrity.” ~Will Smith
I can’t remember the exact day when I committed to my LLM, but I do know this: everything changed the day I committed.
When I start to get tired, I remind myself of why the little things matter. When I doubt myself, or question why I am doing what I am doing, I reach back to my LLM, and the possibility of helping so many others live up to their potential.
You can set an LLM too, and here is how you do it.
- Think about what fuels you. What creates a fire inside of you? When an opportunity presents itself, or when you have achieved a specific result, how does that impact you emotionally, physically, and spiritually?
- Think about your success without limits. If you had absolutely no constraints (money, time, resources, energy), what would success look like for you? Think BIG. Think audaciously.
- Craft your LLM using this format:
My lifetime legacy mission is to:
1: Insert Verb
2: Follow that with the number of people you want to impact
3: Follow that with the target population you will impact
4: Follow that with how you will impact them
Your LLM should be connected to what you are doing every day. If it’s not, you need to re-evaluate what you are doing every day, and how you are spending your valuable time.
As a Melanoma survivor, I have a very healthy respect for mortality. Our lives pass by in the blink of an eye. Every day you should LOVE what you are doing. If you don’t, what is holding you back?
Your LLM begins with the mindset that you are capable and worthy of living a life that delivers joy, fulfillment, and impact to yourself and everyone you touch.
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” ~Marianne Williamson
Your LLM is inside of your heart & spirit right now. “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? Your playing small does not serve the world.”
My hope is that as I let my own light shine, I am unconsciously giving you permission to do the same. As I am liberated from my own fears of failure, loss, and disappointment, my hope is that my presence automatically liberates you.
Today, commit to developing your LLM. I would love to hear your mission. Please email me your LLM at [email protected] and indicate if I have permission to share.
The world needs your light!
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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.
~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.
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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.”
The Two Questions You Need to Answer When Faced with Indecision
A client is currently interviewing potential project management partners. This is a big decision. She intends to delegate all project management tasks. She is expecting meticulous reporting and financial oversight, and a strong representation of her company’s brand. She has no interest in micromanaging.
There aren’t many options, due to the size of her projects. Her projects are a bit too large for solopreneur project managers, but a bit too small for most of the larger management firms. She’s narrowed her choices to three vendors.
One of her minority partners is leaning towards the least expensive option. She has a lot of hesitation because this vendor does not seem to be detail-oriented. In their initial meeting, he stated that he tracks everything old-school, using pen and paper. He has a lot of experience but hasn’t embraced some technologies & processes that newer firms employ to manage & run projects. This vendor doesn’t align with how my client runs her business.
Another vendor is more expensive up-front, but has an outstanding system and developed infrastructure for managing projects. As my client continues to grow, this company could keep pace with her growth. My client definitely prefers this option.
We were discussing the conversation she needs to have with her partner. I reminded her that all business decisions tie back to one thing: core values. When we are evaluating anyone that will have any connection to our business (employee, partner, customer, vendor), we need to scrutinize if they can negatively impact our brand in any way. How do they align with our core value system, which is our organizational moral compass?
Seth Godin says that “we get the culture we deserve.” Every day we must wrestle with which corners we cut, and what type of culture we build.
Every decision we make is tied to our culture, and the culture we select will drive all of our choices going forward.
As the leader, we need to say, “we’re doing it this way because this is the way it will get us where we need to go.”
So, when you are faced with indecision, ask yourself these two questions:
- How does this option align with our core value system?
- How does this option align with the culture I am building?
Remember, we get the culture we deserve.
Good luck!
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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?
As we go into the Holiday season, be kind & compassionate with yourself.
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.”
How to Become a 20-Year Overnight Success (Caution: Raw Content)
“Allow me to introduce you to one of our region’s most successful business icons.” This was how a colleague introduced me to another woman at a recent awards event. This happens often. Because of my public persona, many people place me on a grandiose pedestal. While always well-meaning, the challenge with any pedestal is that those looking up at the pedestal have not seen how bruised and bloodied the person has become to arrive there.
My 20-year journey has been filled with landmines. In both my personal and professional worlds, I have endured experiences that have brought me to my knees, leaving me wondering how I would ever emerge whole again.
Personal challenges include:
• Two brushes with cancer
• The deaths of loved ones (young and old)
• Being kicked to the curb by women I thought were my friends, in my darkest hours of need
Professional challenges include:
• Bringing my first company back from the brink of bankruptcy multiple times
• Having to walk away from something I built, 15 years in, to save myself
• Re-inventing myself while in the midst of crisis
I’m not sharing any of this as a plea for sympathy. My intention in sharing this is to correct your frame of reference when looking at anyone “successful.” You are seeing a sliver of the picture, like one glass pane on a kaleidoscope. Turn the scope slightly to the left or right, and you will see a completely different picture. It’s all an illusion.
When we look at those on pedestals, our vision is distorted. We focus only on what’s straight ahead of us. We don’t look to the sides to see the dark & twisted paths that led to where one is right now, in this place in time.
I’m also not discounting my successes. Like so many, I’ve worked hard to build a personal & professional reputation of integrity, trust, credibility, and competence. I take responsibility & accountability for my decisions and outcomes. I am tenacious in my quest for continuous personal learning, growth, & development, in mind, body, heart & spirit. I give 100% to my relationships. I immensely respect the power of our words, to both harm and heal. I live and lead from my whole heart, never hesitating to be completely transparent.
Through my personal exploration and development, I’ve learned to lean into all emotions, and to get comfortable with discomfort. I embrace both bravery and broken-heartedness, because you can not have one without the other. They are two sides of the same coin. There is no conversation I won’t have. I’m fully committed to living a life of compassion, void of anger. I will always choose living in harmony over being right, if I must make that choice.
I’ve also been in personal therapy intermittently for 15 years. My therapy provides a safe place for me to shine light into the darkest places of my psyche so that they aren’t so frightening. It gives me a place to grieve uninterrupted for people I’ve lost, for expectations that fell short, and for events that did not manifest as I expected. My therapy has taught me the survival skill of self-love and self-forgiveness. It allows me get to the root causes of why I make the decisions I make, and uncover potentially unhealthy and harmful behavioral patterns so I can replace them with healthy patterns. It provides me strategies for navigating potentially paralyzing fear and anxiety so that I can continue to move forward.
All of this work empowers me to show up in both my personal and professional life in a more healthy and complete way. To quote Brene Brown, “Recognizing emotion means developing awareness about how our thinking, feeling, and behavior are connected.” We can not experience growth and transformation until we address all three as equally important, interconnected parts of whole.
THIS is how I’ve become a 20-year overnight success. Certainly I’m adept at sales, marketing, and business operations. I acknowledge that I have great business vision, and nothing excites me more in business than turning my vision into reality to make the world a better place. All of this comes with risk, however. We can do all of the “right” things and still fail.
It’s the inside work I’ve done, and will continue to do for the rest of my life, that keeps me on track. I can say with 100% certainty that life is going to deliver me additional circumstances that will bring me to my knees, and cause me to step back. However, I will rise strong again. I can’t be afraid of loving, engaging, giving, and risking for fear of the downfall. This empowers the fear of the unknown to map out my future, and that is unacceptable.
I want to recommend some books to help you along your path of self-development. In a world where we are increasingly disillusioned by inflated personas… where we are bombarded by strategies to achieve great success, it is more important than ever to care for our emotional, mental, psychological, and spiritual well-being.
As trite as it sounds, Happiness really is an inside job. When we get the inside right, things fall into place for us externally.
The books I recommend for everyone, whether you are just starting out on your path of professional growth or if you are a 25-year business expert, are:
• The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz
• Rising Strong, by Brene Brown
I have proudly integrated my darkest hours with my greatest successes to write the story of my lifetime. There’s no other way to write our stories. They both play an equal role in creating the person you see on the pedestals.
The next time you meet a “successful business icon,” remember that you are only seeing one glass pane in their kaleidoscope. One does not rise without falling first.
Wishing you joy and peace on your journey.
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.”
Five Steps to Showing Up 100% Engaged
A client called me to discuss a serious situation with a customer. My client is a government contractor, and has placed 20 full-time employees at her customer’s location.
There is a lot at stake with a potentially volatile situation.
As one who personally knows the challenges of the government environment, and of running a government contracting firm, I could personally relate to her situation and anxiety.
My client needed, and had a right to expect, my undivided attention. Creating a distraction-free environment in which we can be completely present and show up 100% takes effort today. We’re always multi-tasking, we juggle multiple devices, and our schedules are over-crowded.
Here is how I make sure I stay completely present when I’m scheduled for a one-on-one call:
- I schedule our time with a buffer on both sides. Often appointments run over, and we may have to start a few minutes early or late. I want to be sure my appointment has a cushion of time so that they don’t bring additional anxiety to our conversation.
- Prior to our time together, I take a few minutes to review any notes/information that will educate me & prepare me for our discussion.
- I clear my physical space. I close my emails and my browsers, and declutter my desk. I place a notebook and pen nearby so I am ready to take notes.
- I visualize how I want to show up in our meeting. I recognize that I have the power & responsibility to make an impact. For example, with my coaching & strategy clients, I want to be present, compassionate, open, sympathetic, credible, trustworthy, solutions-focused, and helpful. By identifying how I want to show up, I engage in the behaviors that result in these outcomes.
- I think about how I want the other party in my meeting to feel. I want my coaching clients to feel safe, supported, empowered, and equipped with knowledge and strategies to move forward.
My undivided attention enabled me to help my client adapt a mindset of total situational control. We mapped out the four key points she was going to make with her client. This demonstrated to her customer that my client was fully ready to respond to the unexpected challenge that arose, and that she had a plan of action. Going into the meeting with her customer, my client felt empowered and supported. Her customer knew that my client had a difficult situation well under control.
All of us have the potential to bring power and presence to our conversations, whether they are on the phone, on Skype, online, or in person. These are great strategies to use for any conversation…with a customer, an employee, a partner. A little bit of forethought and effort with respect to how we show up can yield big results in the areas of trust and connection.
For your next meeting, what are some ways you can show up 100%, and drive your desired outcomes? Rather than leaving your meeting to chance, set up your environment for success.
Do you have other strategies for complete connection? Please email me to share them.
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.”
photo credit Ascension Digital via Free Digital Photos
Perspective
I’m at my happy place… the ocean. This is my favorite week of the year. I spend hours reflecting, dreaming, and meditating, which restores my mind, body, heart, soul, and spirit.This week I share with you a wonderful poem on Perspective.
In all aspects of our lives, our perspective and our mindset is our single most important tool in our toolkit. How wonderful it is that you have complete control over yours!
Have an amazing week!
Directions: Read the entire poem from top to bottom. Then when you are finished, immediately read it again from bottom to top.
Today was the absolute worst day ever
And don’t try to convince me that
There’s something good in every day
Because when you take a closer look,
The world is a pretty evil place.
Even if
Some goodness does shine through once in a while
Satisfaction and happiness don’t last.
And it’s not true that
It’s all in the mind and heart
Because
True happiness can be obtained
Only if one’s surroundings are good
It’s not true that good exists
I’m sure you can agree that
The reality
Creates
My attitude
It’s all beyond my control
And you’ll never in a million years here me say that
Today was a good day
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.”
Three Integrated Strategies for Peak Productivity
We all have a set number of hours in a day, with multiple demands always competing for our attention. How do we maximize efficiency & productivity? This is a MAJOR issue with most leaders who are chasing way too many relationships, company tasks, opportunities, and requirements.
Productivity is essential for health and happiness because it allows leaders to get off the constantly running treadmill and incorporate downtime for rest. “Busy” often has a way of looking like “Productive.”
Peak Productivity Results from the successful integration of three things:
1: Time Management
2: Energy Management
3: Prioritization
Time Management
• Say NO. No is a complete sentence. Limit volunteering. Say no to lunch and coffee appointments. Offer a 15-minute skype session/Google hangout instead.
• Make decisions quickly – avoid ANALYSIS PARALYSIS. I’m setting up a media studio in my home for the weekly video tapings I am launching in June, and for my podcast show (summer launch planned). The amount of information available on equipment is overwhelming. I am keeping a narrow focus and working from a checklist to get what I need, and actually MOVE FORWARD rather than getting caught up in a never-ending swirl of decision making.
• Set an agenda for every meeting to make the time together meaningful and effective. If someone can’t identify three desired outcomes for your time together, don’t meet with them. This goes for 5-minute meetings, 15-minute meetings, or 50-minute meetings.
• Set time limits on things that can drag you down a rabbit hole (research, new ideas, networking events). Create a time budget for new activities you are going to explore.
• If possible, bundle your commitments/appointments to get the most “mileage” out of driving. Do not drive 45 minutes each way for one appointment.
• Put boundaries in place with people/activities/groups to allow downtime.
• Don’t reinvent the wheel – leverage things you have already done or created and build upon them. Creation of original content is great, but it’s time-consuming and expensive. Determine when it makes sense, based on your desired outcome.
• Be OK with “good enough.” Perfection” is the enemy of “good enough.” People get sucked into the fantasy of needing things to be perfect. This becomes the enemy of productivity AND execution. The goal is to FINISH…not complete it 99%.
• Delegate. Working on the wrong things sucks time, money and energy, and puts us in a position of not working from our strengths.
Energy Management
• Become aware of your own energy and work with it. Know when you are most productive to handle specific tasks. Some tasks take more mental energy than others, so knowing your own energy rhythm is necessary for peak productivity.
• Become aware of other people’s energy and distance yourself from negativity. Everyone projects energy. Protect your own energy by being cognizant of the energy of other people.
• If you can’t distance yourself, create mental barriers. Know your triggers. Do not allow yourself to be dragged down. Some people are like energy tornadoes; they suck you in. It is not your job to fix everyone else’s problems.
• Become aware of the impact other people’s drama has on you and do not engage. You can say NO when others try to bring you in. We can help others without becoming a drama victim.
Prioritization
• SINGLE-task. Itemize your priorities according to the criteria that works for you (time needed; deadline to be made; money spent; money made; ROI, etc.) and only work on the top few – sometimes only one, depending on the size of it. That’s it. You will get more done, more quickly, with better quality, with much less stress.
Other Important Tools/Strategy for Peak Productivity
Here are a few more tricks to tap into your Peak Productivity:
Mindset
• Practice a mindset of achievement and productivity. There are no excuses for not producing.
• Build a mindset of resilience. Do not let fear or setbacks derail you.
• Start the day in a positive place. Develop habits and own that time.
Goal Setting & Accountability
• Create realistic goals.
• Create an accountability partnership with someone who is in a similar place that you are.
Your Circle of Influence
• Who is around you? What is their daily pace? We run at the pace of our peers. When people exercise, they train with people on their level. It’s the same philosophy with our work pace.
• This is also a cultural issue in organizations. The CEO sets the pace. We are the people that surround us. When hiring employees, does their pace match the organizational pace?
Productivity Hacks
• Technology apps that streamline your most common tasks are essential for productivity. You can now accomplish almost everything you do at your desk with a mobile app.
• Scent/candles: Cinnamon and Citrus stimulate limbic system in the brain and make us more focused.
• Music: Focus music proven to stimulate the limbic system too for enhanced concentration (Spotify and [email protected])
• Physical care: Mind, body and spirit. All three need care & feeding on a daily basis.
For specific tips on neutralizing the effect that toxic behavior has on you, read my blog, Six Strategies for Containing Workplace Behavior.
For more insight on my Peak Productivity tips, visit Washington Business Report’s website to view my regular monthly appearance. My March segment focused on Peak Productivity.
If you would like to discuss how the Successful Culture Prioritization tools can work for you, email me at [email protected] We can set up a Skype chat to discuss how my TransformU tools can move you past your blocks and onto your next level of growth.
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.”
