Legendary Leaders: For Female Business Leaders

When you have spent 6 hours sharpening the ax remember, when the ax is ready, use it!  In episode 89 we talked about the Abraham Lincoln quote: If I had 8 hours to chop down a tree, I would spend the first 6 sharpening my ax.   So if you recall (and if you haven't listened to episode 89 go check it out!),  we should be spending 3/4 of the time preparing for action. Most people...

As leaders, we have to follow up in order to ensure follow-through from our teams. Right now, in the remote environment, I see leaders getting frustrated with results or the lack thereof.  Remember that in our businesses, the first place we need to look is the mirror. We need to ask ourselves, what role did we play in the miss? Realize that your follow-up determines the success of your ask.&n...

What is the difference between preparation versus action? I am seeing a ton of social media posts about people establishing side hustles right now. Are you seeing the same? The challenge for all of us is to be productive during this social distancing period. And while I want us all to be productive, the fact is, many people simply won't be. Now, no doubt your first thought when you read that was "...

What is the difference between teaching and coaching? Most leaders transition between the two, back and forth, throughout the day, never realizing they are actually jumping between the two methodologies! In today’s episode, we discuss the difference between coaching vs teaching and acknowledge the fundamental fact: whoever is asking the questions in the conversation determines if you as the leader...

Are you effectively using communication tools while working remotely? Do you constantly blow up your team with texts or IMs to the point that they can’t get anything done? Or, is your team doing that to you?  If you feel like you have less time now than you did working at the office, chances are your feeling is and right, and it’s not 100% because you’re family is at home with you too. It’s b...

Give your top performers deadlines to help them succeed and reduce burnout.  You read that right.  Now, I know when you think about your top performer you think that you simply need to stay out of her way.  She knows her part of the business, she is a strong communicator, and she always delivers.  But you see, that last part right there, the "always delivers," that's what is ki...

When your confidence is low, your why will carry you forward. I have had people ask me over the past year how I am so confident. They assume that’s what is pushing me forward and helping me achieve various milestones in Legend. But the reality is that while I am confident, it isn’t my confidence helping me succeed. It isn’t my confidence that pushes me to get the work done. My whys, the reasons I...

Please be different, or as Steve Jobs said, one of the crazy ones. Believe it or not, the world still needs that.  As I was thinking about yesterday’s episode around hustling, I realized it’s not just hustling we need to deliver on right now, it’s the challenge we have all accepted and must continue to accept.  The challenge of being different. Because we have to be different! Our “diffe...

Even though it’s Saturday, even though the world is a little different, don’t stop hustling! Instead of spending time catching up on Netflix and your recorded TV episodes, come up with a new business idea. Instead of watching Tiger King, work around your house, spend time with family, or volunteer if you can. Be productive! We all feel better when we accomplish something we set out to achieve. Wha...

You have made it through the first quarter of the year. It’s time to look at how you are delivering your metrics and timelines. I can’t wait to celebrate your successes!

We are all fearful to push our businesses into uncharted territories. Dean Graziosi once shared that we need to be the thermostat, not the thermometer. We need to control our environment not simply read it. Today’s challenge is for you to acknowledge that fear is natural, no matter what is happening in the world. It’s ok to acknowledge the fear, but you need to push past it and control your intern...

Don't give up, lean in and push forward!  Under the shelter in place orders, it can be very easy to start letting each day feel like a "Saturday."  You know, those days that we wake up when we want, spend time with family, cook breakfast, eventually get to our emails, etc.  When our habits no longer have to be "habits," how do you push forward to stay productive? I'm going to challe...

This episode focuses on the idea of regaining control.  Right now it may feel like you have survived a sudden avalanche of change, only to be on a stormy sea, unsure of where or how to navigate.  It is time for you to focus on regaining control.   To do that, first, figure out where you want your business to go and what needs to happen.  Explain the why's to your team (even if...

The AIR2 Framework will help you move forward, whether you are trying to find a way to take your business down a virtual path or your business is in demand and you need to scale quickly. Many times we become frozen in our path to growth and change. What we need is a consistent way to review our business, find the gaps we need to close, and put plans in place to fix them. Go check out the case stud...

About a month ago, I put this topic on the calendar to discuss today.  Today's topic was supposed to be "unplugging on vacations."  It's spring break season, the time we all typically try to take some time off and enjoy time away with family/friends away from work.  Little did I know the changes that would take place in the last 4 weeks. Instead of talking about unplugging on vacati...

When we are placed in new situations, new environments, naturally we start to change as people, leaders, and business owners.  The emotions we feel, the actions we believe we need to take in this "new world," can cause us to change who we are and what we show the world.  My challenge to you is to be aware of what is impacting your personal brand.   We have talked in previous episode...

During this time of change and uncertainty, be kind to yourself. Whether you have a business that is directly serving patients, a business that is having to change and adjust in this new environment, or you can simply do your day job at home, give yourself permission to take care of yourself.

When is it time to change external business partners? As we establish and grow our businesses, inherently we will rely on external vendors, companies, or business partners to support our needs; be it digital support, marketing, manufacturing, admin work, etc. But as your company grows or that external partner company grows, your needs and expectations may not be met with the same level of commitme...

In this time of heightened emotions due to the changes in the world, schools closing, people working remote, limited supplies, etc. we can all get frustrated with our team a little quicker than we normally would. My challenge for you is to not get frustrated when your team presents a problem to you. Seek to understand why they see the event as a problem. Let them be heard. Explain your whys so the...

Have you ever worked for a supervisor or observed a peer who lead from a cowardly position? It’s not true leadership, is it? Having one person who avoids tough conversations or praises everything or even says yes to everything will undermine and derail your strong culture in your company. Ron Carucci in his book “How To Work for a Cowardly Boss” calls out how to address these behaviors and I agree...

As we face the rapid change and uncertainty of the world around us, we have two mental pathways we can follow: negative talk that derails you and your business or positive affirmations that push you forward. My challenge for you is to wake up each morning and tell yourself what you are and what you have accomplished. The world needs your gift. You are innovative and creative. You are smart and you...

In this ever-changing landscape of business, we can become very unsure of what “good” is when we try to deliver to our customer/client. In those moments, we focus on perfection, and in those moments perfect becomes the enemy of good. We aren’t sure of what “good” looks like, but we know what “perfect” looks like in our minds, so we strive for that. However, in striving for perfection, it takes us...

In this last episode of the mini-series " bad advice for entrepreneurs," today’s episode centers around the notion that good people make good partners. Now, good people make good friends, but that doesn’t mean they have the qualities you need to help you run your business. Do not let emotion drive your hiring or partnership decisions, including the loyalty you feel towards a person.  Know wha...

Have you been told, "your brand doesn't matter, just get out there and get started!"  I heard that from time to time in the early days of starting Legend and it was always perplexing to me.  Having come from the corporate world, I learned early in my career that your brand matters, both your company brand and your personal brand as a leader.  If you do not establish it, someone will...

In this episode, we focus on the bad advice that you don’t need to learn to sell. Now, no one wants to the typical “car salesman.” However, we do need to learn how to tell a story and solve a human emotional need in order to get our service or product in front of our customer who truly needs us. Listen to the podcasts to learn about how to change your perspective of selling and how selling your pr...