Is joy an underrated asset in your leadership? In our latest article, Matt Rusten explores why joy, much like humor, plays a vital role in building a thriving company culture. From increasing team engagement to fostering resilience, joy can transform workplace dynamics and inspire purpose-driven work. Discover three key ways to cultivate joy in your organization and why it’s essential for leaders who seek both results and fulfillment.
‘Do not worry.’ We’ve read Matthew 6:25-34 in the Sermon on the Mount, but what does that look like on a day-to-day, minute-by-minute basis? God knows our every worry, fear, and concern – and He can handle it. Many thanks to Darrell Passwater, Convene Forum Team leader, for his encouragement to think about how our lives might be different by truly living out this scriptural principle.
Got a quick minute to chat? I’ve been wanting to share something with you as you lead in the midst of the election cycle in the USA or when your political election takes place in your country. When the dust settles on the election and the new country leader is declared, one thing will still be as true as it is right now. You’ll still be the one leading your firm the day after the election. Your team members will still come to work the day after the winner is declared. They’ll still be looking to you for leadership, for a paycheck, for a sense of community at their workplace.
What do they want most that only you can deliver? It’s meaning. That meaning they’re looking for begins with you and your leadership. To be sure, what Washington DC does actually can impact your business significantly, however, the president of the United States or the leader of any country does not lead your firm. You do. It’s an enterprise entrusted to you to lead as a steward. It’s a place where people look to you for answers, where people want to be part of a team that cares about them and where people want to be valued, appreciated, and loved. The next president of the country will not show up this week at your office to encourage your team, fix a broken piece of equipment, hire the next team member, sell a big account, or cast a bold vision about how your team will reach your goals and impact the culture.
As we find ourselves mid-October and a blink away from a new calendar year, it is an opportunity to prepare for how we view transitions. Transitions allow for reflection and renewal, for letting go and beginning anew, and for learning from the past and creating the future. Instead of laying out trends for the next year, I would like to comment on a fundamental enabler of any transition: hope. Leaders who want to improve, CEO’s who work toward excellence, HR professionals who aspire to deliver more value, and employees who seek well-being all achieve their transitions by realizing hope.
Hope integrates many of the positive traits that shape transitions for others and matter to me personally: learning, patience, service, faith, humility, optimism, gratitude, and so forth. I send hundreds of formal and informal e-mails every month to invite people to programs, to thank people for attending programs, to check in on those I mentor, and to stay connected to those I care about. I begin almost every one of these notes with “Hope you are well.” Hope is one of my personal desires, tag lines, and biases and an enabler of any transition.
If I could implant one trait in my family, friends, and colleagues who are undergoing continual transition, it would be hope.
As a business consultant and coach, some of the most powerful and transformational moments I've experienced have been the simple act of telling a business leader or executive team something that they already know. Reflecting on this made me ask why we so often know the right thing, but fail to do it.
Many business leaders right now are recognizing this brutal reality: their current sales and marketing methods are not built for these trying times.
The pressure is building for companies to get their sales back up, but it’s a real struggle.
Clients are putting projects, jobs, and events (and accounts payable) on hold indefinitely. Many consumers have lost their jobs or are worried they will soon. Social distancing requirements are continuing to create substantial barriers to the business’s normal flow everywhere from the retail floor to the manufacturing floor. Travel is still heavily restricted, and uncertainty abounds.
Zig Ziglar tells a great story in his book “See You At The Top.” John Jones was waiting for his flight from New York to Boston. He stepped on the scales that gave your “weight and fortune.” He inserted his coin and out came his fortune: “You are John Jones, you weigh 188 pounds, and you are going to catch the 2:20 to Boston.” John was astounded and surprised. He tried it again with the same results. The fortune said, “Your name is still John Jones, you still weigh 188 pounds, and you are still going to catch the 2:20 to Boston.” He went into the restroom and changed clothes and he tried it again. This time the fortune said: “Your name is still John Jones, you still weigh 188 pounds, but you just missed the 2:20 to Boston!!!” Are you missing the good things that the sales profession has to offer? Do you feel that sometimes “you missed the 2:20 to Boston?” Or, that you decided to get off before it reached Boston? Well, the good news is that if you feel you missed it the first time, there is another flight leaving shortly and you can catch that flight. If you don’t like where you are at this time in your life, rest assured you aren’t stuck there. There are ways to move past this spot. Let’s explore three ways to do just that. By following these, your sales career might just take off this week!!!
You are what you are and where you are because of what has gone into your mind. You can change what you and you can change where you are by changing what goes into your mind. How do you achieve this? One way is to begin a listening and reading program. For just minutes a day, you can feed your mind with the pure, the powerful, and the positive. How? Turn off the radio and listen to sales ideas and motivational and inspirational CD’s. Give yourself that check-up from the neck-up!
Learn from successful failures. That’s right, learn from those who put forth the effort --- and failed --- but keep swinging for the fences. Learn from baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson. He hit over 500 home runs in his big league career, yet he struck out close to 2,500 times!!! He didn’t put the ball in play 2,500 times. However, he didn’t stop swinging for the fence. The lesson to be learned is this: don’t give up… keep swinging!
Keep a “victory list.” You should make a list - both mentally and physically - to remind yourself of past successes. This will fuel your motivation by reminding you that you can do it! Your self worth will be enhanced and your confidence will be increased. We sales people need all the encouragement we can get. You will find that by making this list, you will recall that you possess the qualities and attributes necessary for sales success.
Well, there you have it. Three hints on how to catch your 2:20 to Boston. If you implement these ideas, you will be more dangerous than you are now!
