Top 5 Things You Might Not Know About Me – 2023 May

Happy May! Today I realized that I've had an uptick in my followers and that many of my connections might not feel I've made a proper introduction.

So in the interest of countering that nagging sense that some might feel that I'm neglecting you, I'm writing this quick post to give more insight and context about me and my work.?

Top 5 Things You Might Not Know About Me

These can provide some useful context for working with me, learning from me, or just to add more details to our connection in case we've not yet met or talked.

One.

Professionally, I work with senior leaders (mostly, but not exclusively in tech companies) to clarify, communicate, and implement strategy.?

Sometimes, providing clarity and being available for consults is just what's needed to move the needle or get unstuck on a big decision.?

Sometimes it involves more intensive work, such as developing and teaching new curriculum to help a manager take advantage of a strategic market opportunity or to improve an important, yet overlooked part of how they operate.?

It helps that I've worked in more than 41 different industries and from the chairman's office to CXO teams, to other direct reports because that unique perspective leads to different ideas and insights than managers come up with on their own.?

Often, the 90-Day Program is where we start to work to create a "reset" environment or business culture for the senior leaders of a business unit or company because that creates a powerful compounded effect through the entire organization as the management team establishes common practices with common toolsets and becomes more empathetic of each other through the exercises and coursework.?

Two.

A related passion project is My Quest for the Best, the podcast for ambitious small business leaders.?

Each week, I share a discussion with a published thought or business leader and I have thousands of subscribers in the United States and around the world who subscribe and listen in so that they can apply the ideas, tools, or strategies that we discuss, and gain inspiration from the stories we tell.?

It's not only great fun to meet and hang out with such interesting and accomplished thought leaders, but it's very satisfying to see the audience grow which means more ambitious business leaders are hearing about the show and subscribing so that they stay with the new releases week to week.?

You'll see posts sharing some of the best parts of these interviews on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram from me and my team.

Check out my profile or the web site for more details.

Three.

A thought or quote that inspires me:?

I give different answers to this question when I'm interviewed by other podcasters or journalists.

What occurs to me right now is a quote I first heard Guy Kawasaki use when we were both at Apple:

“Work like a slave; command like a king; create like a god.”

My work ethic is strong – I've always been the one to put in the extra hours or effort to get a job done well, from yard jobs in high school, to coaching tennis, to serving my professional clients and students.

Commanding in this quote is delegating, and delegating should be thoughtful, comprehensive, resource-backed, and for senior leaders, especially, outcome-oriented.?

Creating like a god says that you and I can take our vision and creativity to new levels by using our imagination boldly.?

Four.

A superpower I have is being able to teach ideas in a way that people quickly get the message and the method so that there is a minimal gap between learning, applying, and getting the benefit of the coaching or training.?

Being a sports coach as well as an executive coach certainly has its bilateral advantages, and this is one of them for sure.

Five.

When I'm not working, one thing I love is watching and playing tennis.?

I've been an NCAA coach at two colleges and worked with junior players competing at the national level. It's great to see the progression from a high school player to professional in the workforce for so many and to stay in touch as friends.

I've traveled to a bunch of ATP 1000 tournaments and hung out with pros and their coaches. Are you also a tournament junkie – if so, what's your favorite tournament in the US? Indian Wells is the pinnacle for me, and I enjoy smaller ones like the Delray Beach Open and the CitiOpen, as well.?

My son and I were ranked nationally and as the top father-son doubles team in our USTA section, and he fulfilled his dream of playing Division 1 tennis at St. Joseph's University – all of which is to say, it's more than a weekend hobby for me. :-)

That's a wrap of 5 Things You Might Not Know About Me.

If this was useful, let me know in the comments below or in a DM. I'm thinking of doing one of these with different questions each month for a few months. Would you like to see more graphics or video? LMK, it's for you, not me. ;-)

I'm also glad to help people in my network, so if you have a question about leadership, learning, or high performance, please ask. If there are people who I could help you meet who are in my network or who have been on My Quest for the Best, do reach out.

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Follow the link to my profile and then click the bell, as the red arrow in the top graphic shows.