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I was recently reminded of a powerful formula originally taught by Dr. Robert Resnick many years ago, which emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for our lives regardless of what happens to us.

Here’s what it is: E + R = O (Event + Response = Outcome)

We can’t always control what happens, but we can control our response, which leads to a certain outcome.

If our response is poor, we can make a bad situation worse.

If our response is positive, we can turn a bad situation into a positive experience.

Playing the blame game is a poor response because it assumes others have all the power in the situation.

Taking responsibility for our responses allows us to live an empowered life.

No matter the situation, you can always control your thoughts and actions.

Unfortunately, bad things happen in life. Fortunately, we can control our responses to and make something positive come from them.

At a minimum, we can learn from situations, which is a positive response that leads to the outcome of personal growth.

I’m not saying this is easy, but it is possible when we approach things with the right mindset.

The next time something negative happens to you, carefully choose your response so your outcome can be positive.

Don’t play the blame game. Instead, take ownership of your thoughts and actions so you can turn negative events into positive outcomes.

Until next time, make today GREAT!

Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways I can help you:

1. ​The Way to Greatness​ book – Discover the five continual choices that lead to The GREAT Life and how to implement them immediately.
2. ​The GREAT Life Bootcamp video course​ – In this self-paced course, I’ll guide you to learn how to experience the life you were created to live by improving your faith, relationships, mindset, stewardship, and time management. (Enter coupon code “MM50” at checkout to receive a subscriber-only 50% discount!)

Four years ago today, on my dad’s birthday, I launched “The Magnetic Leader” into the world.

It’s hard to believe so many years have passed already!

This book captures my lifetime of leadership lessons and personal leadership philosophy.

It teaches 18 “essential actions” that can transform a person’s influence regardless of role, title, age, or experience.

It’s applicable at work, at home, and in the community.

It includes a faith application component at the end of each chapter for those who are interested.

I’ve been blessed with many opportunities to share these lessons with numerous leaders, teams, and conference attendees.

If you’ve read the book, I would greatly appreciate your sharing an honest review on Amazon.

If you don’t have a copy and want to get one, you can either ​order at Amazon​ or ​directly from me​, as I have some copies in my inventory.

Milestones like this are often overlooked, so today I wanted to make sure I didn’t do that since it was a labor of love to write and share it with the world.

I believe you’ll benefit greatly from reading it, and I hope you’ll even share it with a colleague or friend so they get their own copy! 😉

Until next time, make today GREAT!

Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways I can help you:

1. ​The Way to Greatness​ book – Discover the five continual choices that lead to The GREAT Life and how to implement them immediately.
2. ​The GREAT Life Bootcamp video course​ – In this self-paced course, I’ll guide you to learn how to experience the life you were created to live by improving your faith, relationships, mindset, stewardship, and time management. (Enter coupon code “MM50” at checkout to receive a subscriber-only 50% discount!)

The NFL draft occurred last week, and one story captured much attention.

Shedeur Sanders, son of NFL legend Deion Sanders, went undrafted in the first four rounds after many analysts predicted he would be picked early in the first round. He was finally selected in the fifth round as the 144th pick of the draft.

Most commentators were beside themselves. They couldn’t understand why he fell so far in the draft, but others claimed he wasn’t as good as he was hyped up to be. They also talked about the baggage he would bring to an organization, and that NFL executives weren’t interested in dealing with that.

Some commentators thought the NFL was conspiring against this young man, while others spoke out and said the league was making an example out of him, and other college athletes who are acting with an entitlement mindset.

Regardless of why he fell so far in the draft, I think there’s a good lesson for leaders in all of this.

Beware of hyping yourself or your organization up so much that it turns people off.

Whether Shedeur is ready to play at the NFL level or not, his self-promotion and the hype surrounding him didn’t help him achieve his dream of being selected early in this year’s draft.

When you create hype, you attract haters.

When you create hype, you make yourself a target.

It’s better to quietly do your business and let your results do the talking for you.

Don’t talk about what you’re going to do or how great you are. Instead, let your results speak for you.

Maybe Sanders will turn out to be a great player. Maybe not. Only time will tell.

However, let’s allow this situation to remind us to lead with humility and work with excellence so our results do the talking for us.

Whenever you’re ready, here are four ways I can help you:

1. ​The Magnetic Leader book​– Grab your copy of my playbook to consistently attract and retain high-quality team members, customers, and clients.
2. ​Magnetic Leadership video course​ – Learn the 18 Essential Actions to attract and retain high-quality team members. (Enter coupon code “MM50” at checkout to receive a 50% newsletter subscriber discount!)
3. ​Magnetic Leadership Community​ – Join the community of growth-minded individuals focused on leveling up their leadership capabilities. (This is a monthly membership program that includes group coaching, expert interviews, the Magnetic Leadership video course, and bonus training)
4. ​Magnetic Leadership Community for Teams​ – Enroll your team for an 18-month leadership development program that provides a common leadership language and helps foster a thriving, attractive culture.

Recently I’ve had more downtime than I’m used to in the evenings, and it feels very strange.

My work days feel like a whirlwind of activity, so it feels like I’m going from 100 mph into a 25 mph speed zone when 5 PM comes along.

And it’s hard to adjust.

Have you ever felt that way?

Have you ever been super busy, then have unexpected margin in your schedule that you’re not sure what to do with?

I’ve felt this on vacation before as well.

It’s so easy to be insanely busy leading up to a trip that it takes a couple of days to calm down and enjoy the time away.

I know I’m not alone in this. I’ve had too many conversations with others about it for it to just be a “me” problem.

I’m trying to embrace the stillness.

I’m trying to unlearn busyness and embrace calmness.

I’m trying to focus on “being” rather than constant “doing.”

What about you?

Are you comfortable being still, or are you a fellow struggler?

I encourage you to create space in your schedule to slow down and just “be” for a while.

And if you find anything that works well for you, please share it with me so I can experiment!

Until next time, make today GREAT!

Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways I can help you:

1. ​The Way to Greatness​ book – Discover the five continual choices that lead to The GREAT Life and how to implement them immediately.
2. ​The GREAT Life Bootcamp video course​ – In this self-paced course, I’ll guide you to learn how to experience the life you were created to live by improving your faith, relationships, mindset, stewardship, and time management. (Enter coupon code “MM50” at checkout to receive a subscriber-only 50% discount!)

Although I’ve been aware of Stephen R. Covey’s book, ​“The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,”​ for many years, I am actually reading it for the first time right now.

On the surface, his 7 habits make a lot of sense, but he drills down very deep in the book in a way that causes readers to think deeply about each one.

I’m currently reading about Habit 3 – Put First Things First.

It’s all about prioritizing and managing your life rather than simply reacting to whatever is thrown at you.

It’s so easy in our 24/7 digital world to react versus plan and implement strategically.

We’re always “on” and connected.

We’re always within reach via phone calls, texting, or email.

It takes real discipline to prioritize what matters most and build your schedule around those priorities in the various roles we each operate in.

If you’re unfamiliar with Covey’s “urgent vs important” concepts, here’s an image to give you a snapshot of what he discusses:

Too many people live in Quadrants III and IV, which aren’t important.

Quadrant I must be dealt with, but Quadrant II is where the most effective people operate, which relieves them from the stress of the other three quadrants.

Without going too deep into this right now, I encourage you to think about your schedule and typical activities.

How much time, energy, and resources are you giving to things that are not important?

How much are you giving to the most important, even if they aren’t urgent?

There’s a delicate balance to navigate life and leadership with this mindset and approach.

I encourage you to invest some time to reflect and, if you’re feeling overwhelmed, grab a copy of Covey’s book and take a deeper dive into this topic so you can experience a better personal and professional reality.

Until next time, make today GREAT!

Whenever you’re ready, here are four ways I can help you:

1. ​The Magnetic Leader book​– Grab your copy of my playbook to consistently attract and retain high-quality team members, customers, and clients.
2. ​Magnetic Leadership video course​ – Learn the 18 Essential Actions to attract and retain high-quality team members. (Enter coupon code “MM50” at checkout to receive a 50% newsletter subscriber discount!)
3. ​Magnetic Leadership Community​ – Join the community of growth-minded individuals focused on leveling up their leadership capabilities. (This is a monthly membership program that includes group coaching, expert interviews, the Magnetic Leadership video course, and bonus training)
4. ​Magnetic Leadership Community for Teams​ – Enroll your team for an 18-month leadership development program that provides a common leadership language and helps foster a thriving, attractive culture.

As I was thinking about this week’s topic, I started to wonder about the various things that motivate others.

Writing a “motivation” article each week can lead to certain assumptions on my part if I’m not careful.

Most people would love to be more motivated and inspired in their lives and careers, but my guess is that few ever stop to think about what actually motivates them.

“What’s your ‘why’?” has become a popular question over the past decade, but have you slowed down to answer that for yourself?

Is it monetary gain?

Family?

Freedom?

Career advancement?

It could be one of many things that truly motivates you to get up with energy and go about your days with enthusiasm.

The key to being motivated is recognizing what motivates you in the first place.

I can’t motivate people.

You can’t motivate people.

The reason is that it’s an inside job.

We may be inspired by someone for a moment, but sustainable motivation starts inside each of us.

So, what motivates you?

And if you know what that is, are you tapping into it consistently so you can experience life at a whole new level?

Do some thinking and reflecting on this and adjust accordingly.

Until next time, make today GREAT!

Whenever you’re ready, here are two ways I can help you:

1. ​The Way to Greatness​ book – Discover the five continual choices that lead to The GREAT Life and how to implement them immediately.
2. ​The GREAT Life Bootcamp video course​ – In this self-paced course, I’ll guide you to learn how to experience the life you were created to live by improving your faith, relationships, mindset, stewardship, and time management. (Enter coupon code “MM50” at checkout to receive a subscriber-only 50% discount!)

I recently ordered a book because the title captured my attention, but when it arrived, it wasn’t what I expected.

Rather than being disappointed, I found myself intrigued.

While the topic wasn’t what I anticipated, the ideas shared in the book made me think about business in new ways.

I’ve heard from many experts to look outside your industry for fresh ideas to implement in your own business. That’s what this book is doing for me.

An example of this concept is that Chick-fil-A looked to the hotel industry for how to upgrade their hospitality. That’s why you see flowers on the tables, which is rare for a fast-food restaurant.

Any industry can learn from others if you look hard enough.

Maybe you need to go to a different place to be jarred from your routine.

Maybe you need to listen to a podcast that seems completely unrelated to your business.

Maybe you need to simply slow down and pay attention when you’re running your routine errands to notice what other companies are doing.

As I’ve studied marketing in-depth the past few years, I’ve begun to watch commercials more intentionally to see how companies advertise their products and services and think about lessons I can glean for my business.

The opportunities to gain fresh perspectives and new ideas are endless if you pay attention to what’s going on around you.

When you feel stuck in the same old routine, intentionally get outside of your box and engage with other leaders or places.

Even grabbing a cup of coffee or having lunch with another leader to casually chat can provide new insights that are just what you need for the season you’re in.

I encourage you to look for fresh ideas in unexpected places and encourage your team members to do the same.

Until next time, make today GREAT!

Whenever you’re ready, here are four ways I can help you:

1. ​The Magnetic Leader book​– Grab your copy of my playbook to consistently attract and retain high-quality team members, customers, and clients.
2. ​Magnetic Leadership video course​ – Learn the 18 Essential Actions to attract and retain high-quality team members. (Enter coupon code “MM50” at checkout to receive a 50% newsletter subscriber discount!)
3. ​Magnetic Leadership Community​ – Join the community of growth-minded individuals focused on leveling up their leadership capabilities. (This is a monthly membership program that includes group coaching, expert interviews, the Magnetic Leadership video course, and bonus training)
4. ​Magnetic Leadership Community for Teams​ – Enroll your team for an 18-month leadership development program that provides a common leadership language and helps foster a thriving, attractive culture.