High Road Leadership: Lessons from Mom & Other Uncommon Leaders - Your Champions Brew

"Do the right thing. It will gratify some people and astonish the rest." ~ Mark Twain

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Happy Friday, Brew Nation!

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Grab your favorite coffee cup and get ready to embark on a transformative journey. The Champions Brew Newsletter is here to invigorate your mornings and ignite your drive for personal growth and impact! ?Fuel your mornings with motivation and purpose. As you savor your first cup of the day, let the Champions Brew infuse you with the insights and strategies you need to make each day a stepping stone towards your aspirations. Let’s Go!

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·?????? Uncommon Leader Insights –Throughout life, we encounter defining moments that shape our paths and inform our leadership styles. Reflect on whether you find meaning in the lessons I took away from Luis Hernandez, especially as he transitioned from a curious explorer in his childhood to a successful real estate entrepreneur and passionate long-distance runner.

1.????? Exploration: As a child, Luis’ innate curiosity led him to venture beyond the confines of his neighborhood. This desire to explore unknown territories garnered followers who were inspired by his fearlessness. This attribute of exploration is an essential leadership quality.

2.????? Discipline: Growing as a runner and leader, Luis learned that success lies in the small, consistent actions nobody sees. From incorporating core work and healthier eating habits into his running regimen to preparing meticulously for business opportunities, he stressed ?the importance of daily discipline. Whether it's running a mile every day or doing market research, the underlying principle remains: "Do the little things with great care and consistency."

3.????? Giving: Influenced by his mother and the book "The Go-Giver" by Bob Berg, Luis champions the power of giving unselfishly. His mother's wisdom and Berg's principles taught him that giving without expecting anything in return paves the way for unexpected rewards. In leadership and life, giving creates meaningful connections and fosters a supportive community.

Exploration encourages innovation, discipline builds resilience, and giving fosters a thriving community.

I encourage you all to watch & listen to the fantastic episode and consider how these takeaways can influence your own approach to leadership. ?

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Being successful as a leader requires intentional leadership habits. That's why I developed the Ideal Week template – a tool that helps me identify disciplines and habits needed for success and allocate the necessary time. It guides you through planning your ideal week, ensuring you dedicate time to the activities that bring you closer to your goals.

Want to give it a try? Email me at [email protected] ?with the words ‘IDEAL WEEK’ in the subject line and I'll send you a copy of the Ideal Week template complete with a sample to get you started!?

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·?????? Think Positively – As I approach the 200th consecutive week of the Champions Brew, it's humbling to reflect on this journey. What began as a simple endeavor has evolved into consistent practice. Many people ask me how I consistently generate fresh content. The answer lies in my daily habits of reading, listening to podcasts during exercise and commuting, and most recently, video subscriptions to voices from which I respect and find value. To make the most of this consumption, I follow a simple framework: the SAS method.

o?? Store: The first step is to Store knowledge. This involves actively seeking out information through reading books, articles, or listening to podcasts. As I consume this information, I attempt to store it in a way that I can easily access it later. This could involve highlighting key passages, taking notes, or using a digital tool like Evernote.? I am also testing out a new app called Readwise that is designed to sync what I highlight in Kindle or other e-readers and then sends me a daily email summarizing what I have highlighted.? I am very early in this use but will let you know how it goes!?

o?? Apply: Once I've stored knowledge, the next step is to Apply it. I choose one or two actionable insights from what I've learned and implement it into my daily or weekly. Whether it's a new habit, a different approach to a problem, or a fresh perspective, I strive to take the initiative to put the knowledge into action.

o?? Share: Finally, I Share my knowledge with others. By sharing my insights, it is my hope that it inspires, encourages and equips others. I share that knowledge through conversations, social media, or even right here in the Champions Brew!

By applying this simple three step SAS framework, I find more fulfillment from my daily reading habit, and I believe you will, too!

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·?????? Read More & Build Faith– I am enjoying traveling through a new book I am reading, Jesus the High Road Leader, ?by John Maxwell and Chris Hodges. While faith plays a central role in this book, I believe that the leadership principles it explores are timeless and applicable to everyone.?

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Behavior #5 – Jesus Did the Right Things for the Right Reasons

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I have shared with you before that I often faced teasing due to my larger than average head as a teen. My mother, ever wise, imparted advice that has stayed with me: "Kill them with kindness." This simple yet profound counsel encouraged me to respond to cruelty with grace. While I may not have always mastered this art, the principle has remained a guiding light. When we choose to do the right thing for the right reason, even when it's challenging, we can elevate ourselves and inspire others.

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One excerpt from this chapter that really caught my attention was Kent Keith’s “Paradoxical Commandments of Leadership”.? It reads:

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o?? People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.? Love them anyway.

o?? If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.? Do good anyway.

o?? If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies.? Succeed anyway.

o?? The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.? Do good anyway.

o?? Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.? Be honest and frank anyway.

o?? The biggest men with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men with the smallest minds.? Think big anyway.

o?? People will favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.? Fight for a few underdogs anyway.

o?? What you spend building may be destroyed overnight.? Build anyway.

o?? Give the world the best you have, and you’ll get kicked in the teeth.? Give the world the best you have anyway.

o?? And when you are different, you will get mocked.? Kill them with kindness anyway (That one is mine!? Thanks, Mom!!)

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Jesus consistently demonstrated a God-centered perspective, acting for the right reasons, even in the face of adversity. Two notable examples include: 1) washing the feet of Judas, knowing full well he would betray Him (John 13:5); and 2) healing the servant of the high priest who came to arrest Him after Peter had cut off his ear (John 18:10-11), setting new standards of uncommon behavior.? Doing the right things for the right reason is the best way to be salt and light in a world that feels like it’s getting darker.

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·?????? Quote of the week: ??

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"It's the action, not the fruit of the action, that's important. You have to do the right thing. It may not be in your power, may not be in your time, that there'll be any fruit. But that doesn't mean you stop doing the right thing. You may never know what results come from your action. But if you do nothing, there will be no result." ~ Mahatma Gandhi

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What You Need to Do:

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Call to Action: Ready to take your reading to the next level?? Try out the SAS (Store, Apply, Share) framework with what you read this week.? Comment below if you have a different process we can learn from.

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It’s an honor to be your trusted “Friday Coffee Guy”.? Each week, I’m excited to provide yet another round of curated content that I’ve been reading, listening to, watching, or thinking over. The purpose of the Champions Brew is to inspire, equip and encourage you to become the uncommon leader you were designed to be. I am so grateful for your decision to invest a few moments with me! I hope you enjoyed this week’s edition of Champions Brew. If you did, I would appreciate it if you would share it with someone who might enjoy it as well and ask them to subscribe! I will make sure they automatically get this email every week.

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Until next time, Go and Grow Champions!

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P.S. - Are you a podcast fan?? Maybe the Uncommon Leader podcast is for you.? ??Are you interested in being a guest on the Uncommon Leader Podcast?? Do you have a story to tell?? Email me [email protected] and let’s have a chat and set something up!!