Have you ever felt energized and motivated after attending a motivational event or reading an inspiring book, only to find that feeling quickly fade when you return to your daily life?
In this week’s Champions Brew, we’ll explore some practical steps we can take to cultivate a success-driven mindset, both for ourselves and those around us, as well as how we can improve our communications skills with another law from John Maxwell. But first, let’s take a moment to celebrate love and family, as I share a special moment from my recent travels.
Happy Friday, Brew Nation!
Grab your favorite coffee cup, sit back, relax, and get ready to sip on some enriching and thought-provoking content that will equip you to thrive in all areas of your life:
- Love Forever – I am out in Boulder, CO, this week visiting with my youngest son, Joseph (many out here know him as Jo-Jo, but I just can’t get anything other than Joseph to come out of my mouth!). It was a special visit as he was engaged to the woman of his dreams. One of the prayers I regularly have in my daily prayers for both my sons was that they find Godly women in their lives to share all the great things in life and she is a definite answer to that prayer! She is going to be a great addition to the Gallagher family. Congratulations, Amy & Jo-Jo!!!!!
- Think Positively – In a recent episode of The Ed Mylett Show, Ed delivered a compelling message on “The X-Factor for Success.” Two of his points stood out to me:
- The importance of environment in shaping our mindset and success – When we attend motivational events or consume inspiring content, we often feel energized and motivated. However, when we return to our daily lives, we can quickly lose that sense of purpose. This is because our environment – the people and places around us – plays a critical role in shaping our beliefs and expectations. As Ed puts it, “in our lives, a powerful force is to be consistent and congruent with the expectations of our peer group.” If the people around us don’t believe in us or our potential, it can be challenging to reach our goals. Therefore, it’s crucial to surround ourselves with individuals who support our aspirations and push us to be our best selves.
- The importance of having future-focused conversations with those around us – If we’re on a personal development journey, we need people who share our vision and can help us stay focused on our goals. As Ed suggests, aiming to have 75% of our conversations with others centered on the future can help reinforce our aspirations and keep us motivated. If we find ourselves surrounded by people who are more focused on the past, we may need to add people who can challenge us and help us move forward.
Overall, Ed’s message underscores the critical role that environment and social connections play in our success. By intentionally seeking out supportive individuals and maintaining future-focused conversations, we can cultivate a mindset that drives us towards our goals. Listen to the entire episode here.
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- Read More –Each week I have been sharing my takeaways with you as I read The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication – Apply Them and Make the Most of Your Message. This week I review Law # 14 of 16:
Law # 14 – The Law of The Change-Up
Sameness is the Death of Communication
When the audience falls asleep, wake up the speaker.
I will say it again.
When the audience falls asleep, wake up the speaker.
You see, while your speech may be guaranteed, having listeners is not. In the Law of the Change-up, John Maxwell explains that we need to be continually adjusting the way we communicate. Changing up the way you deliver can make what you say unforgettable. Every time you speak, you need to read your audience the way a good driver reads the road and change your movement continually to reach your desired destination.
In this chapter, John outlines four ways to change up your communication:
1) Use movement and facial expressions – With regards to movement, Chris Anderson, the head of TEDx Conferences, advises new speakers to be careful about movement…nervous movement. He encourages to start with our hands, and if you sense people wanderings, walk to a different spot in the room.
2) Understand and practice good timing – Maxwell defines timing as “the ART (emphasis added my me) of regulating your speech and movement in relation to your audience to produce the best results.” By defining a word as an ‘art’, we need to recognize that there is no handbook to good timing. It takes practice, but the practice can be worth it.
3) Practice the Pause – The ‘pause’ or silence, can often be some of the most effective emphasizers of what you are saying. An inexperienced communicator will be nervous with chatter, but a greatly timed pause can be a way of “underlining” a word or phrase. I appreciated the experiment John shared to help practice the pause: “When you’re alone, choose a written piece you plan to use in a speech. Read it aloud in a monotone to get a sense of the message. Now, underline the parts you feel are important, and read it aloud again, emphasizing those words by saying them slowly and more forcefully. You will hear the difference. The Pause does not only emphasize what you’re saying, but it can bring your audience back to you, reveal your emotions, pivot to what you say next, or allow the listener to ‘hear the whisper’. Sometimes we hear and learn the most in the silence.
4) Create interaction with your group – Interaction can turn a talk into an experience. If you have had a chance to see John Maxwell speak, you know how gifted he is at creating interaction with the group. One of his favorite techniques to use is when he says something off the cuff, that the audience loves, he might ask someone in the front row to write it down so he won’t forget. One of my favorite techniques is to ask the group to fold their arms and notice which arm is folded on top and then switch it. It is really awkward and uncomfortable. It gets people engaged and talking with each other. And, it allows me to create a storyline for how difficult it is to change.
If you want people to pay attention to what you say, you may need to be less predictable. That is the Law of the Change-up.
Quote of the week:
“Everything worthwhile is uphill. Our problem is, we have downhill habits.” – John C Maxwell
What You Need to Do:
Call to Action: Are you intentionally creating a space that supports the growth and success of those you lead? Take a moment to reflect on your own leadership style and consider what steps you can take to foster a culture of positivity, growth, and future-focused conversations within your team.
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.
Until next time, Go and Grow Champions!
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!!
