Latest / Books4Guys / Why Putting Others First Makes You a Better Leader | Dan Albaum

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Why Putting Others First Makes You a Better Leader | Dan Albaum · Books4Guys

• 0:13
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 0:14
  SPEAKER_01: First game of the season.
• 0:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, they were playing.
• 0:17
  SPEAKER_01: I saw a little bit of that game.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_01: And then obviously this coming Saturday, Texas, Ohio State.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_01: So and then you got the Seahawks kicking things off.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 0:30
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we're in it.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: But Dan, man, it is uh man such an honor to have you on the Books for Guys podcast.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_01: And I've got both your books on the website right now for everyone to go find them.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_01: But I'm excited to talk with you because you have an approach to work, to life, to just what you put out there of being a very positive person and trying to have a positive impact in a time and in a way that a lot of people just don't take that approach, it seems, even though it just and maybe it's just who I am.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_01: I love being I love smiling, I love helping people.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_01: I I love that you use the term servant leadership a lot because I talk about that a lot with other people.
• 1:09
  SPEAKER_01: I love talking with leaders about that approach.
• 1:11
  SPEAKER_01: But before we get into your work and just kind of your approach to that, man, tell tell our audience a little bit about yourself.
• 1:18
  SPEAKER_01: We were talking a little bit before we got started about, you know, you being from Washington and then being a Huskers fan and then going to Texas.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: But like what led you down the path of marketing and then just really love to dive into your approach on just positivity in general and just kind of how I don't know why are you so positive and why do you have that passion to help people that way?
• 1:39
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, Chris, it's great to be on and having this conversation with you.
• 1:43
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, my my life story is, you know, I think back when you asked that question.
• 1:47
  SPEAKER_00: I grew up in the Pacific Northwest and coming out of college, originally I was going into broadcast journalism.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: And so I was in a sports and news broadcasting.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: And so it was always about uh something about connecting with people, about the art of communication, just energized me and it just gave me a sense of fulfillment to just have that constantly be gaining that new perspective and to be helping others be informed.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_00: And when I went back and got my MBA, really marketing made sense because I viewed that as the ultimate challenge of really being able to understand the psychology of an audience and of buyers and being able to then bridge between a great product or service and be able to solve the needs of those customers.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_00: And marketing was right at the center of that, working really closely with product development or solution development.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: And so the art of communication, of connecting with people, just ran through my veins.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: And I really found myself wanting to pursue that.
• 2:45
  SPEAKER_00: And now having done that over a couple of decades, work for some of the large brands and technology like Cisco and Honeywell, and then in the fitness space with Pre-Corps, Peloton, and then even in the education space, and now with my consultancy, it's really about understanding customer needs and being able to solve those problems that they have.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_00: And if I can really help be able to make it clear for people to make the right buying decision, to help them be more productive at work and in life, that really fuels me.
• 3:17
  SPEAKER_00: And then along the way, of course, we're going to get into it.
• 3:19
  SPEAKER_00: Leadership really drives that engine to allow us to be able to do that.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah, it's been quite a journey for sure.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 3:27
  SPEAKER_01: No, appreciate that.
• 3:28
  SPEAKER_01: And yeah, I want to dive in.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_01: You know, your latest book, The Giving Edge, why putting others first creates your greatest advantage.
• 3:35
  SPEAKER_01: I'd like to go back a little bit, just kind of like at the start of your career, because I was thinking about this before our conversation on just certain leaders that have had an impact on me because they cared so much about trying to get me to the next level.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_01: They truly were trying to give me every bit of advice they could.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_01: They were trying to help me up the ladder.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: And I will always appreciate that.
• 3:57
  SPEAKER_01: And I and I use their examples a lot in different conversations.
• 4:00
  SPEAKER_01: But I've also had leaders kind of the opposite.
• 4:03
  SPEAKER_01: And you kind of talk about that in your book a little bit of some people, they're just out there for themselves, you know, and they use you as the as the step to get to their next promotion.
• 4:12
  SPEAKER_01: Or and they and they they just have an approach that's I don't know, again, with different opinions and different people do different things.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_01: But what was your experience with leadership early on in your career that kind of helped shape your output?
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, it was really interesting, Chris, because in the first couple of roles uh that I had coming out of school in marketing and in my first foray was actually in consumer packaged goods.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_00: So it wasn't in technology, but it was with some large brands at General Mills and then at Kedbury Schwepps.
• 4:42
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, as someone really new in my career, I was really craving and I was really looking to be inspired and to have that kind of sense of mentorship.
• 4:51
  SPEAKER_00: And unfortunately, in those first few roles, I really didn't get that.
• 4:55
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I, you know, had some leaders that were a little much, very much focused around their own path.
• 5:00
  SPEAKER_00: And they were, again, looking to leverage the work that the team did, but really more for their own purposes.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_00: There wasn't a lot of give back.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: There was in one case, and I share this in my first book, The Impact Makers, some really toxic negativity.
• 5:15
  SPEAKER_00: And while it was tough in the moment, what it did, Chris, for me was crystallize a commitment in my heart for my focus going forward that I was going to be a different kind of leader than that, that I was going to do it differently and I was going to put others first.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_00: I was going to empower.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_00: I was going to inflate rather than deflate.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: And that has served me well in the teams that I've led for the rest of my career.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_00: So, in a way, that was a gift as toxic and as tough as it was because it gave me that motivation and the commitment to be able to contribute, perhaps even more so than had I had it a little easier at the beginning of my career.
• 5:56
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 5:57
  SPEAKER_01: No, and I'm glad you said that because I, in a weird way, too, you it I do have an appreciation for some of the stuff.
• 6:03
  SPEAKER_01: Because you because you learn from that and you and you decide how you're going to be as a leader.
• 6:08
  SPEAKER_01: And you take things that you like from this person, you take things that you don't like from that person.
• 6:13
  SPEAKER_01: It kind of shapes your growth as a person and again as a leader.
• 6:17
  SPEAKER_01: You know, as you studied this, and you're obviously you're putting together curriculum and formula around the way you lead and how others have led.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_01: You you use a lot of examples of other people and their leadership styles and how that works.
• 6:30
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you hear people talk about this too, like employees, like, man, they were such a great leader.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: They helped me.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_01: So there's this the lessons out there that good leadership matters.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_01: Why do you think there is a disconnect with some leaders versus others and their approaches?
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, you know, if you took a poll, you you'd probably have a 99% say, hey, I want the leader that helps me and that cares about me versus the other way around.
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_01: So why do you think it's it's why do certain leaders have trouble with that approach so much?
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_00: Well, I I think there there's like some things that that make it a little more challenging sometimes to really go all in on the idea of a servant leadership approach.
• 7:10
  SPEAKER_00: One is that there's a common misperception out there.
• 7:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I know because I've had conversations with people that sometimes will challenge and say, well, isn't servant leadership this idea of putting others first, putting team first, isn't that soft leadership?
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_00: Isn't that really holding people less accountable?
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_00: And actually, Chris, it's the opposite.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_00: Because when you micromanage, when you go into a command control mode, kind of the anti-servant leadership mode, you're actually allowing people to check out and be less accountable.
• 7:42
  SPEAKER_00: Because if I know, for example, that Chris is gonna come in, he's gonna take over, he's gonna micromanage, well, that gives me the opportunity.
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_00: I'll just throw my hands up.
• 7:51
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna sit back because I know Chris is gonna come in.
• 7:54
  SPEAKER_00: He's probably gonna just take over, he's gonna maybe do my work, or he's gonna basically just have me sit back and be waiting to tell me what I need to do next.
• 8:04
  SPEAKER_00: But when you are a true servant leader that shows trust and brings empowerment, well, then, Chris, you'd be giving Dan the opportunity to really run with an initiative, right?
• 8:16
  SPEAKER_00: We'd agree upon some outcomes.
• 8:18
  SPEAKER_00: That's really important to have some goals and have some measurement.
• 8:22
  SPEAKER_00: But when you put your trust and the ultimate respect and you give people the freedom to learn and to actually take that responsibility on and to get the visibility, well, that is driving more accountability.
• 8:35
  SPEAKER_00: So there's that misperception.
• 8:37
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's one thing.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_00: And then the other is when we're viewing leadership as more of a rank or something to obtain in terms of a title, if we're defining it that way, makes it easier for us to be a very much ego-centered and not be thinking about the broader team.
• 8:54
  SPEAKER_00: But if we can open our eyes to the idea that leadership actually is about growing people and allowing teams to reach their full potential, well, that's about leaving a legacy, not just about a transaction.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:09
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's a mindset as well, a perspective that can change the whole way in which you approach it.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_01: I love that.
• 9:16
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_01: And again, I'm thinking back to just some of the leaders that have had an impact on me.
• 9:20
  SPEAKER_01: And they were very open.
• 9:21
  SPEAKER_01: They were like, hey man, the quicker I get you to take my job, I get to go up the ranks to the next, too.
• 9:26
  SPEAKER_01: So we're gonna work at this together and we're both gonna win.
• 9:29
  SPEAKER_01: And uh I thought that was a unique approach.
• 9:31
  SPEAKER_01: They weren't trying to use me, but they were like, hey man, I'm gonna help you be the best you can be, because it's only gonna lead to more rewards for myself, too.
• 9:38
  SPEAKER_01: So let's just let's all win, you know, if we can.
• 9:40
  SPEAKER_01: And so I was thinking about that in the competitive environment that I've been in for a while.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_01: But Dan, I wanted to ask you, because I think in your book I saw you got 37 individuals that you kind of dissect and look into.
• 9:53
  SPEAKER_01: You know, who were some of the people that you really enjoyed learning about and kind of sharing their approaches?
• 10:00
  SPEAKER_01: Um, you know, I don't want what need you to share all 37, but who were a handful you think some people would recognize and kind of appreciate, you know, what you write about with their stories?
• 10:10
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, there are there are a couple that uh certainly, and all 37 bring a unique kind of life experience and lens to it with that common thread of discovering the power of a giving mindset.
• 10:22
  SPEAKER_00: A few that that are worth noting.
• 10:24
  SPEAKER_00: One uh would be Terry Healy.
• 10:26
  SPEAKER_00: Now, Terry was a colleague of mine at Cisco who had uh and has had, continued to have an amazing career as a marketing leader in technology, as a speaker, as an author.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_00: But what Terry represents is this idea of unexpected life challenges.
• 10:43
  SPEAKER_00: And then in that moment, that moment of truth, when we're facing what might seem insurmountable life challenges, we we have a choice to make.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: Are we going to let that situation define us?
• 10:56
  SPEAKER_00: Or are we actually going to have the resolve to use that as a platform to help others?
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_00: And in Terry's case, at age 21, very successful academic career at UC Berkeley, he was ready to go and start to have an amazing career.
• 11:12
  SPEAKER_00: And he actually was diagnosed with a severe sarcoma that resulted in nearly 30 reconstructive surgeries to his face.
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_00: So there was there was this mental perseverance, there was a physical perseverance of going through that cancer treatment, those surgeries, and him literally having a seminal moment in front of a mirror and saying, What am I going to do?
• 11:34
  SPEAKER_00: And what Terry decided was he was going to devote his life to helping others facing cancer battles to be an inspiring message that yes, you have the strength to overcome and to make your life truly meaningful, regardless of the fit any physical impairment that you might have.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: And he was a living, breathing example of it.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: So Terry would be one that I would call out.
• 11:59
  SPEAKER_00: And then another that I would call out would be Regina Jones.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I had a chance to actually have Regina join me for a book signing event in Los Angeles.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: Regina was a true trailblazer, a groundbreaker.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: In the 1960s, she co-founded Seoul Newspaper, Soul Newspaper, which for the first time really celebrated and gave visibility to black artists, even before Rolling Stone, focused on the music industry.
• 12:27
  SPEAKER_00: And some of the biggest and the brightest, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, the Jacksons, I mean, you name it, you know, she had the opportunity to spotlight.
• 12:37
  SPEAKER_00: And then in her case, beyond just the courage, during a time of great social unrest in the U.S., to go and found something new and to create a voice for our society.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_00: She actually faced hardship 15 years later, with her marriage ending, with her marriage with her partner in the newspaper, the newspaper having to basically go out of publication, did not have a lot of financial resources.
• 13:02
  SPEAKER_00: And she basically rebuilt herself as a publicist in the music industry from scratch, and then went on to actually help raise$7 million for a major childcare center in Los Angeles.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: So giving back.
• 13:17
  SPEAKER_00: And so her story, along with having five kids by the age of 21, is that you can accomplish and give back and receive more in doing that.
• 13:28
  SPEAKER_00: So Regina and Terry would be two that I would call out.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 13:32
  SPEAKER_01: Well, that that's only two incredible stories of the 37 in that book.
• 13:37
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think uh though those grabbed me.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sure they grabbed someone listening to this too.
• 13:42
  SPEAKER_01: And I I love hearing stories like that.
• 13:44
  SPEAKER_01: I just like learning about people.
• 13:45
  SPEAKER_01: And again, it just feels good to do the right thing and to do good things.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_01: And so I love, again, those stories of people wanting to give back, even through hardship and just choosing to be good instead of sulking and becoming self- you know, different reasons you could go a whole different route.
• 14:03
  SPEAKER_01: But hearing examples of people that, hey, I'm gonna use my disadvantage in the moment to try and do something positive with it.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_01: Man, that's that's incredible.
• 14:12
  SPEAKER_01: And Dan, I wanted to bring up too, because you've got a pretty successful podcast.
• 14:15
  SPEAKER_01: I think I saw where you just you just recorded or released your 300th episode recently.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_01: That's right.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 14:22
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I'm curious to know because you know, as as I've been doing this podcast for a little over a year now, I think I'm approaching 200 episodes, which is mind-blowing to me.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_01: And but you you learned so many different things from having these conversations.
• 14:37
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm curious to know, just after releasing 300 episodes and having that many conversations, what are some things?
• 14:45
  SPEAKER_01: And this can go back to just your research into writing your books too.
• 14:49
  SPEAKER_01: But what are some things that you've learned as an individual and been able to take from others that maybe you didn't, I don't know, didn't realize, you know, along your journey.
• 14:59
  SPEAKER_01: But what are some things you've learned and appreciate from these uh all these conversations you've been able to have?
• 15:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think one of the things that's come through so many of these conversations with these exceptional leaders from around the world is that they have an attitude about being okay with not being perfect, right?
• 15:19
  SPEAKER_00: So so often we think about oh, the strongest, the most incredibly intelligent, these almost otherworldworldly level leaders, they must just be like perfect.
• 15:30
  SPEAKER_00: They never make a mistake, they never foul up.
• 15:33
  SPEAKER_00: But the reality is so many have been so refreshingly honest and transparent about, oh, I've I've made a ton of mistakes.
• 15:40
  SPEAKER_00: In fact, making mistakes all the time.
• 15:42
  SPEAKER_00: But the the key is that they're committed to be continuous learners.
• 15:46
  SPEAKER_00: And so what they do is they they take that maybe that misstep or falling short, whether it's them or their team, and they always translate that into, well, how can I use the learning from this to be better?
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_00: And that's what makes them exceptional and unique.
• 16:00
  SPEAKER_00: So that was a little bit of a different take on that.
• 16:03
  SPEAKER_00: And then the other thing that I have heard loud and clear is that they tell me that they they would never be able to achieve the success that they've had doing it totally alone.
• 16:14
  SPEAKER_00: You know, that they recognize the value of collaboration and the fact that they were part of something bigger than themselves.
• 16:21
  SPEAKER_00: And that was really reassuring for me to keep hearing this because that's I've always led that way, is to think that, you know, I'm I'm one part of something bigger and not the center of the universe myself.
• 16:33
  SPEAKER_00: And that just comes through loud and clear across these conversations.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 16:37
  SPEAKER_01: I'm so glad you said that because that's something I've been thinking about too, is like, what am I learning from these conversations with individuals like yourself who have been, you know, in my eyes, and and in in in truthfulness, you've been ultra successful in the marketing space.
• 16:51
  SPEAKER_01: And now you're an author and you have this successful podcast.
• 16:54
  SPEAKER_01: But it's so interesting hearing people like yourself say, like, man, I'm constantly learning.
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm I, you know, I mess up every day and I'm not perfect.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm there, it's kind of funny.
• 17:03
  SPEAKER_01: I've had I had one guy on, he's like, Chris, I don't know as much as you think I know.
• 17:06
  SPEAKER_01: And maybe I do, but I'm, you know, I take the approach of I'm always trying to learn.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_01: And another thing I've picked up on too, and you kind of hinted, you mentioned it, where they're just not afraid to fail.
• 17:17
  SPEAKER_01: And they're not afraid to look dumb doing what they're trying to do.
• 17:20
  SPEAKER_01: They just have this ability to be like, you know what?
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_01: I'm probably going to mess up.
• 17:25
  SPEAKER_01: I'm probably going to trip up, and I don't care what other people have to say, because I'm going to figure it out anyway, and people will forget, you know, all the mess ups I had along the way.
• 17:33
  SPEAKER_01: But it's that ability, you know, and I I look at guys like Musk and Bezos and Phil Knight, Nike Story, you know, things that like, especially Phil Knight with Shoe Dog, like something that almost never happened, but they just kept going.
• 17:48
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you know what?
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not too proud to share sell shoes out the back of my car.
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_01: I know what I got is is gonna be something big one day, and it and it is.
• 17:55
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's just cool learning from those individuals who are we look at as these ultra successful people that never have any mess ups.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: It's cool to hear them say, like, no man, I mess up all the time.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_00: And and it's also just really being open and recognizing that putting all your energy and your focus into trying to prove you're the smartest person in the room all the time.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, that that's a recipe for failure.
• 18:20
  SPEAKER_00: What you want to do ideally is, you know, when you're hiring really smart and motivated people that probably know a whole lot more than you about a particular specialty area.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_00: Well, now you're building this complementary organization or team and you're bringing in the best and the brightest, and and you don't have to be that ego-fed smartest person in the room.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_00: And I hear that all the time about from these exceptional leaders that said, you know, I view myself as successful when I'm not the smartest person in the room on all topics.
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_00: Then I know I've really built something special.
• 18:54
  SPEAKER_00: And that, boy, that gives me a lot of excitement to keep on having more conversations.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 19:00
  SPEAKER_01: No, I love that.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_01: Dan, as you, I mean, obviously you're doing a lot of different things.
• 19:04
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you got the podcast, you've got books, you've got your consulting company.
• 19:08
  SPEAKER_01: What is your vision for for what you want to accomplish over the next few years?
• 19:13
  SPEAKER_01: Are you trying to, you, you know, I'm I I I assume the goal is to have as big of a positive impact as possible, but what does that look like to you?
• 19:21
  SPEAKER_01: And what is what is that, what does success, I guess, in a in a lack of a better term, look like to you as you kind of go down these different paths or continue the things that you're building?
• 19:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I mean, success for me is about inspiring, motivating, and really carrying this message of servant leadership into the ranks of leadership.
• 19:41
  SPEAKER_00: And so we can get more leaders that fully embrace that and are bringing that into their teams.
• 19:47
  SPEAKER_00: And by doing that, then they're also helping shape and grow the next generation of leaders.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_00: So I want to really be part of contributing to a legacy of positivity, of enlightened and empowering leadership that's servant leadership based.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_00: And, you know, using that through the stories and the examples that I share in my books, The Impact Makers and The Giving Edge, and through my podcast, Market Impact Insights, and through all the clients that I continue to work with, that is a message.
• 20:18
  SPEAKER_00: And I also want to be a living, breathing example of that in how I uh basically behave and I and I build and nurture relationships.
• 20:26
  SPEAKER_00: If I can do that, Chris, I can't think of any way I could be more successful.
• 20:31
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I love that.
• 20:33
  SPEAKER_01: Just a couple more questions for you, Dan.
• 20:35
  SPEAKER_01: I'm more curious, you know, throughout your career, I know leadership, it kind of stays in a certain lane, no matter kind of what's going on, you know, through technology advances.
• 20:45
  SPEAKER_01: Like, you know, people are still managing people, you're still building things.
• 20:48
  SPEAKER_01: But just your outlook over the last few years specifically, as technology has changed things very quickly.
• 20:56
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, COVID had a big impact on things.
• 20:59
  SPEAKER_01: AI, obviously, the, you know, I said technology, but AI it's in its own lane the last couple of years.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_01: As you work with organizations and you see kind of a, you know, and I'm always curious about this too, you know, people who have been in leadership for a long time versus new emerging leaders.
• 21:15
  SPEAKER_01: What are some things you see that are a little bit different?
• 21:19
  SPEAKER_01: And and are you encouraged by the up-and-coming leaders that you see, or or what are some challenges you think that they may be facing that are a little bit different than maybe some things that were, you know, 15, 20 years ago before some of these high impact moments that are taking place?
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 21:36
  SPEAKER_00: Well, you know, I'm really optimistic and I'm feeling good about where I see kind of the newer generation, you know, coming into professional workforce because what I see there is a a deep curiosity and interest to ask questions and to be open to the idea that that maybe challenges traditional ways of thinking.
• 21:58
  SPEAKER_00: And and I think in the new environment.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Where you have technology so rapidly evolving, that you can't be too wetted on any particular process or rigid way of doing something because you need to keep yourself open to the idea that there may be a better way of doing that.
• 22:15
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think that's one shift that I see is that I think newer generation is in a more perpetual state of adapting, changing, evolving worse.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: I think in the past it's like, well, no, if we find a best practice, let's just double down on that and let's just go with it and not be distracted with the idea that maybe there's some other ways to do it.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: I think the new generation comes in and says, what's right now?
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_00: I could be open to the idea that maybe six months from now we'll we'll go through some change.
• 22:45
  SPEAKER_00: So change tolerance, high change tolerance.
• 22:49
  SPEAKER_00: But I also think that there's a high bar that they're setting around what they expect from the companies they work with in the area of social responsibility.
• 22:58
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's a really good thing that, hey, we should be doing something good for the broader community and for people, for humanity.
• 23:06
  SPEAKER_00: And so that they're they're holding companies to a higher standard, I think, around things like ethics and social responsibility.
• 23:13
  SPEAKER_00: I so that's really refreshing.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_00: And then I think the third piece would be part of the curiosity, which is the asking the question of just give me a little bit more of the why, not just the command of the what, is around this idea of open to learning and wanting to really expand their growth and capability.
• 23:32
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that is always a path to excellence versus just assuming that we've got it locked down and that we know it.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm feeling really good about where we're going.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_00: How about you?
• 23:43
  SPEAKER_00: What's your perspective on that?
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I'm glad you just said all of that because I'm I'm seeing the same thing and experiencing the same thing.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm sitting here laughing.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_01: I like to ask that because we've had moments, I think, where some, and maybe this was closer to COVID, but people are worried, like, man, the the next generation, they're stuck in their screens, they're doing this.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_01: But really, it's kind of complete opposite.
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: You know, a lot of people I talk to, they're like, man, I don't, you know, we want to do things the right way.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_01: And and the questions that the asking why, I think is really important.
• 24:12
  SPEAKER_01: And I think some people can get annoyed with that, but I also think it, like you said, it challenges companies to be better.
• 24:18
  SPEAKER_01: Because if there isn't a good why, well, what's the why are we doing it this way?
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_01: Maybe maybe that question is a legitimate question and we should change things up because this doesn't make sense.
• 24:27
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we don't need to just do something to do it.
• 24:30
  SPEAKER_01: Um, let's think about this a little bit.
• 24:31
  SPEAKER_01: And you're right, that that next kind of level generation, they're they're not really afraid to ask why or ask a lot of questions.
• 24:39
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, but it but like you said, I think that can lead to better outcomes and better processes and better strategies and just better positive responsibility and a lot of positive things.
• 24:49
  SPEAKER_01: But no, I just it's been funny.
• 24:51
  SPEAKER_01: I think, you know, I'm kind of in that middle part of my career where I'm I've learned some things from from leaders, like I mentioned earlier in the podcast, who kind of had a more old school approach.
• 25:01
  SPEAKER_01: And I could tell it wasn't resonating with my peers or the people following me.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_01: But I've also seen great leaders adapt and they they they come to the meeting trying to answer the why before the question even gets asked, so that you can better understand, you know, why we're doing something a certain way.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_01: And that seems to go over a lot better.
• 25:19
  SPEAKER_01: Everyone jumps in and everyone's unified a lot easier that way.
• 25:23
  SPEAKER_01: And so, um, but no, I think I'm very optimistic too, especially over the last six to twelve months.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_01: I'm in recruiting, so I talk to candidates a lot and I hear what they're interested in and what they want to see in opportunities.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm very much more refreshed now than maybe I'd been feeling, you know, two or three years ago, just from I don't know, just more conversations and just seeing, seeing where we're headed more recently.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_01: I I'm I'm very optimistic as well.
• 25:49
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 25:50
  SPEAKER_00: And I also think that uh, you know, as part of being open to adapting and and just handling and viewing change that can be a real positive.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_00: See, a lot of times we're we're fearful of change because we get into this routine, we get into habit, and and human nature sometimes is we like to lock down on those repeatable habits, right?
• 26:11
  SPEAKER_00: But then just like uh I'm a big uh into um fitness and and exercise.
• 26:16
  SPEAKER_00: And the thing that I've discovered, and I think the science backs it up, is that when you challenge your body and you stimulate your body with new and different routines, that's where you see the real growth happen, right?
• 26:26
  SPEAKER_00: As opposed to just locking into one routine I'm gonna do 50, 60, 70 times.
• 26:32
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think um life and our professional experience is just like that, is be open to that.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_00: At the same time, make sure that if you're um trying to answer some key questions as part of the work you do, make sure you're asking the right questions.
• 26:46
  SPEAKER_00: You know, Len Jessop, who wrote the forum to The Giving Edge and actually devote a chapter to Dr.
• 26:52
  SPEAKER_00: Jessup, who former president of University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Claremont Graduate University and now leads a venture fund in Las Vegas.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_00: Len has a quote that just like sticks with me, which is go slow to go fast.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_00: So sometimes you know what we need to do is balance the need for speed and kind of continuous driving with take the time to kind of assess and evaluate and make sure to fine-tune and tweak and make sure you're truly asking and answering the right questions to give you the best intelligence to make the best decisions.
• 27:28
  SPEAKER_00: So sometimes we need to turn the speed down, go slow to go fast.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_00: And so that needs to come into the mix also.
• 27:37
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_01: I'm laughing, Dan, because I literally had a mentor of mine share that exact guidance with me probably about three weeks ago.
• 27:44
  SPEAKER_01: He was like, Chris, you're going 100 miles an hour, and that's great.
• 27:47
  SPEAKER_01: He's like, I bet though, if we take a moment to pause, assess, sharpen some things up, you're actually going to see greater growth over the next three to six months versus if you keep doing the same thing at 120 miles an hour.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_01: So I it was just so funny that someone shared that exact thing with me.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_01: It was, hey, we're you're doing great.
• 28:06
  SPEAKER_01: Let's let's assess, pause for just a second, make sure we're going in the right direction.
• 28:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I bet we'll see some even better results from from taking that approach and then doing that little step along the way.
• 28:17
  SPEAKER_01: So you're you're on to something there, Dan.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_01: I'm I'm taking, I'm I'm hearing what what you're saying.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_01: Dan, last question for you.
• 28:23
  SPEAKER_01: Actually, I and I love to ask this question to to most every guest that comes on, um, because I'm it's more of a just a book question, but I'm always curious to know what is a book or two that has meant a lot to you personally or professionally?
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_01: And what's a book or two that you love to recommend to other people?
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, well, a couple.
• 28:42
  SPEAKER_00: One, I I'm gonna mention because I I did read his own book, Dr.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_00: Jessup's Selfless, which is a really awesome little bit of uh weaving in some of his life story that we also capture in the Giving Edge.
• 28:55
  SPEAKER_00: Also, just because uh the dynamics of leading a team and the personalities and really being able to navigate through conflict, this is kind of a classic, but the mentioni family of books, seven dysfunctions of a team.
• 29:08
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'm always I always recommend that.
• 29:11
  SPEAKER_00: And that was really, I was at a point with a particular team of really needing to handle a lot of stress and some challenge.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_00: And that really made a difference to just kind of take a step back and be able to assess that.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_00: So those would be a couple, you know, that I would uh definitely recommend.
• 29:26
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 29:27
  SPEAKER_01: Neither of those have been recommended.
• 29:29
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm glad you you recommended both of those books.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_01: And so, Dan, thanks again, man, for taking the time to do this.
• 29:36
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's an honor.
• 29:38
  SPEAKER_01: Again, I love just your approach of wanting to do things in a positive way, be a servant leader.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_01: That's a lesson we can all dig into and use that approach.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_01: And not just, you know, it's not just for you have this incredible marketing background, but this is this is life stuff.
• 29:52
  SPEAKER_01: You can use it in any any industry, any job.
• 29:55
  SPEAKER_01: You can do it with your family, your friends, like having that approach of being a servant leader, man, can lead to so many incredible things in so many different areas of life.
• 30:04
  SPEAKER_01: And so again, I'm very proud and honored to spotlight you and your work on our website.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_01: For those that, if they want to connect with you, Dan, or follow along with your podcast, where where can they?
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_01: I want you to share the name of it, where they can find you, and how they can reach out to you if needed.
• 30:19
  SPEAKER_01: Sure.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_00: So, first the the books, the impact makers, and then the new release, the Giving Edge, you can find that on Amazon at Barnes Noble, wherever you find books.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_00: So go online and check that out.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_00: The podcast, Market Impact Insights, also wherever you find podcasts, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
• 30:36
  SPEAKER_00: Check out the latest conversations there and to engage with me, uh, the website, Market Impact Now.
• 30:43
  SPEAKER_00: You can also find me, Dan Albom, out on LinkedIn.
• 30:46
  SPEAKER_00: And I look forward to hearing and connecting with all of you, Chris, and I really appreciate your advocacy and support of this idea that servant leadership really matters.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: I really enjoyed it.
• 30:59
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely, Dan.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_01: I'll make sure all of the links are in our show notes so everyone can easily find them.
• 31:04
  SPEAKER_01: But no, Dan, keep doing the good work, man.
• 31:06
  SPEAKER_01: Excited to see everything that you continue to accomplish.
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, we appreciate you being a part of our mission, and we're certainly happy to support yours as well.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_01: So much appreciated.
• 31:15
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you.