Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Speaker A: Leadership isn't about titles. It's about vision, resilience, and growth. I'm Erica Butler, and on the Go Hire show, we talk about the tools and strategies that help you lead with impact, grow your business, and build teams that thrive. From real estate to cultural agility, from managing diverse teams to creating work life harmony, Gohire helps you rise above challenges and step into your next level. Catch Go Higher. Every week on Now Media Television, we're streaming on Roku, Apple TV, SiriusXM, I Heart Radio, and all other major platforms. Let's go higher together.
Welcome to Go Higher, the show where we equip leaders to elevate their performance, sharpen their strategy, and build organizations that thrive. I'm your host, Erica Butler. Today we're joined by a guest whose experience lies in helping businesses operate smarter, faster, and more profitable. Ryan Herpin is the co founder and managing partner of Impact Strategies Consulting. With more than a decade of experience optimizing operations, strengthening leadership teams, and driving lasting organizational success.
He specializes in operational excellence, leadership development, and strategic planning across a wide range of industries.
Rylan is. Sorry, Rylan is my daughter's name. Ryan. So Ryan is also a published author and shared his story of what's happening with his book. It's amazing. I hope we can dive into that in this segment. But he teaches leaders to maximize revenue while maintaining a healthy work life balance, so important a balance many entrepreneurs struggle to achieve. So, Ryan, welcome to the show. Our first segment tackles a universal challenge, decision making, when choices feel overwhelming or frustrating. So let's dive in. Welcome to Go Higher. So happy to have you today.
[00:01:57] Speaker B: It's such a pleasure being here. Thank you for having me on. And it's so funny, I mess up names with my kids all the time.
[00:02:04] Speaker A: You have a great name. My daughter's name, Ry Lynn, sounds like Ryan. And I just. And I talked to you so many times, so I wasn't expecting that. But Ryan's a great name. So anyway, why does decision making feel so scary for leaders, especially during growth or change? What's your perspective?
[00:02:22] Speaker B: You know, this is a really good question, and it's. It's something I run into all the time. And just from my experience, I can say this confidently.
It's really because every major decision feels like a reflection of who we are as leaders. Growth exposes our insecurities. You know, when things are stable, choices feel safer, but when everything's changing, the margin for error feels really, really small. Right. The truth is, fear is not a sign you're doing something wrong. It's A sign you're stepping into new territory.
Growth always comes with uncertainty. The problem isn't fear itself. It's letting fear dictate kind of where the wheel steers instead of allowing it to fuel the courage to move forward. I take fear as a sign. Hey, I should probably press harder, I should study more, I should focus deeper. You know, to me, fear is a great sign that, okay, I'm in the right spot, I need to push forward.
[00:03:20] Speaker A: I love that, Ryan. And I can't agree more. I think you know something I ask myself if I'm not uncomfortable, I'm not growing. And I do this saying, I'm sure you've heard it, being comfortable, being uncomfortable. As entrepreneurs, leaders, the more we can be in that space, the more we will grow and help others around us to do that. So I just love that example you share about fear and overcoming it.
So with that, how can leaders learn to trust their judgment without second guessing everything? We have to make decisions, right? If we're not making decisions, we don't move forward. So what, what do you recommend in this, in this space?
[00:03:53] Speaker B: I could boil it down to one word, but I'll elaborate a little bit more than just that one liner there. But it really. You build trust in your judgment the same way you build trust in other people through that one word consistency.
You know, every time you make a decision, you know, reflect on the outcome, learn, adjust. And over time you realize your instincts aren't random, they're built from experience.
The more aligned your decisions are with your values, the less you'll second guess. Because you're not just asking, is it right, you're asking, is it me? And when you can align it with who you are, it becomes very, very automatic. And then the second guessing is just kind of falls off the mat, becomes non existent because you're in complete alignment with everything you believe.
[00:04:46] Speaker A: I love what you shared. Because you're focusing on being authentic in your leadership, which also people recognize very quickly, and allowing them to be authentic, inviting them into this vulnerable space, which just works. So thank you for that example. Let's talk about tools and real strategies. So what tools help leaders make decisions more confidently and calmly?
[00:05:08] Speaker B: Hmm.
I've got three simple kind of tools I guess you could say that I use. This is a really good question. And you know, there's so many different ways I could answer this, but I think there's three, three tools I'd really like to kind of specify here.
Slow the frame, step back before you step in.
Most poor decisions are made from panic not purpose.
It's. It's easy to get into a mode of grind, grind, grind, go, go, go.
And it feels very chaotic and stressful.
If you slow down, look at the bigger picture, it's easy to make decisions based on purpose, logic and reason, not panic and desperation. The second thing I would say is simplify the options. I'm a firm believer in cardboard and crayon methods. That is a big way that I simplify businesses and really, really change the excellence of operations. The flow of communication and leaderships all together is simplify it, right? If you're juggling 10 choices, you're avoiding clarity. Boil it down to the top two and evaluate impact versus alignment. So cardboard and crayon, the simpler, you can make it easier. Everything gets. And then lastly, I'd say seek perspective, not permission.
Ask others for insight, but make the final call yourself. Leaders don't outsource responsibility, right? But we have teams, we have resources.
Let's gather information from everyone we can. Perspective is important.
Don't dismiss perspective because you don't always have all the answers.
So a good way to make calm, clear decisions, get the perspective of those around you, but make that final call yourself.
[00:07:00] Speaker A: I love that. And many times as leaders, we don't have all the answers, but we can gather information and make an educated decision.
And when you make an educated decision, you can speak to and explain even if it ends up being wrong, because you can go back and fix it and tweak and tweak and tweak, right? That's part of business is trial and error. You know, that you had really good information to go off of. And even if you have 80% of the data points, you can make a decision off of that and feel good about it. And I have to share one of my best leaders in my life, decade ago, but I still quote him. Go slow to go fast. Go slow to go fast. So I love that you started with that as your advice, as a tool.
So let's talk about a real life example. Can you share a story of a leader who made a bold choice that paid off?
[00:07:46] Speaker B: Yes.
One that stands out to me pretty clearly is a few years ago, I worked with a business owner. You know, he was terrified to delegate.
He was the bottleneck in his own success. And I challenged him to trust his team and promote one of his people into operations management.
He was quite hesitant to do so, but finally he took that leap and within six months, his profit margin almost doubled because he was willing to then surrender control.
You know, it's not about Being control of everything, it's having faith in those around you, trusting that your guidance, wisdom, and resource can help others act without you having to make every single call. Right. There's a saying that actually ties to what you just said, but in this sense, it works really well. If you want to go fast, go alone.
If you want to go far, go with others.
You can't go far on your own. You might be able to get somewhere fast, but you're going to. You're going to hit a dead end. You're going to burn out. You're going to find the limitation of your capability.
If you can trust and delegate in others and support them in the process, a lot of the time they end up doing it better than you. Might not be your way, but they will do it and they will succeed at it. But you do have to guide and you do have to give up some of that, that control and just have faith that it's going to work out. But last little note, don't micromanage. No one likes it. It doesn't work. It's counterproductive.
And I'll tell you what, I've never been good being micromanaged myself, so I don't do it to others, and it works out pretty well.
[00:09:29] Speaker A: Oh, I could talk an hour with you about what you just unpacked. Genius. Amazing. I hope people are taking notes from this session.
I couldn't agree more. And the thing is, we actually hold people back when we are micromanaging, when we are not delegating as leaders, and we hold ourselves back. There's so much more we could do and achieve an impact when we let people thrive and empower them to do their jobs well and share with them, you know, and export talent.
We really hold ourselves back when we're not doing that. And then we talk about a players and attracting those a players. A players don't want to work with leaders who are not delegating, micromanaging. So you hit the nail on the head. And I just couldn't agree more with that. And that is a key to successful entrepreneurship leadership. So thank you for sharing that, Ryan. That was amazing.
[00:10:20] Speaker B: Absolutely. You know, there's. There's a lot of secrets there to success, but a lot of is it. It's just really extremely simple. If you take a step back, look from 10,000ft, everything gets pretty clear.
[00:10:29] Speaker A: And if you're someone that struggles with that, take a mentor, take an accountability partner, ask your team, am I micromanaging? Am I not delegating? Red flags.
[00:10:38] Speaker B: So 100% yeah.
[00:10:41] Speaker A: With that, what can leaders do when they're stuck and don't know what choice is right? One minute of advice. You have.
[00:10:49] Speaker B: Got you. I'll keep it real short and sweet.
Do something.
Motion creates clarity. You can't steer a parked car when you're stuck. Make a small move.
Research test. Call someone. Take one measurable step. Every step forward reveals more about the road ahead.
[00:11:08] Speaker A: Amazing. Perfect. Coming up, we jump into a challenge many leaders face. Building a strong team that actually fits the mission.
We'll be right back with more stories, lessons and practical tools to help you rise in leadership, business and life. This is Go Higher on NOW Media Television.
And we're back. I'm Erica Butler and you're watching Go Higher on NOW Media Television. Let's continue the conversation that helps you lead live and love with purpose.
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So welcome back to our show, Go Higher. We're here with Ryan Herpin. We're diving into a problem leaders face in every industry.
Building a strong and united team. Talent alone is isn't enough. There is unitedness that has to happen in that team to perform well together and to be engaged and be successful. So culture, clarity, and alignment matter just as match.
So let's dive in. What are the traits of a strong team and why do so many teams fall short?
[00:12:47] Speaker B: Ryan, this one might step on a few toes if I'm being completely clear here. See, because there's a lot of misconceptions in what a strong team really is. Right. Strong teams are built on trust, ownership, and purpose. Everyone knows why they are there and they believe in the mission. Right. Most teams fall short because they mistake proximity for unity.
Sitting in the same meeting doesn't make you a team. Alignment does. Having a clear vision, having communication that might be hard or difficult at times, sharing perspectives even when you're not the most popular. Right. Those are the things that make you a team.
Just being around each other doesn't. Working in the same company doesn't. You've got to see the goal together. You've got to move to that goal together and you've got to pick each other up.
When you fall short, that makes you a team.
[00:13:41] Speaker A: I love that you said stepping on toes because I actually think that's authentic, that's honest, that that's going forward, not afraid. And the real teams that work well together, they challenge each other, they constructively give feedback to each other. They don't just sit there pretty pretending. So yes, you will step on toes, but in the sense of building a successful team and impacting together. So I think you couldn't have started out better for that question. Thank you, Ryan.
So with that, how can leaders hire to grow people who truly fit their mission and culture? Million dollar question, right?
[00:14:20] Speaker B: Well, if it's a million dollar question, I can keep it real simple.
Attitude over aptitude is something I've always used.
Hire for values before skills. Skills can be trained. Values can't.
I tell leaders, stop asking if they can do the job. Start asking if they believe in why you do it. The best culture fit isn't somebody who fits in. It's someone who adds to the culture. Right. Someone with the right attitude can learn anything. But attitude is one thing you can't just teach people. It's a skill that has to be grown, has to be, has to be learned.
A lot of people think a shiny degree makes you the best at something. It really doesn't. It truly, truly doesn't. I've seen people with no degree, but a world of wisdom that have put them in places in life that I can only dream to reach.
It's not about skills. Those can be, those can be learned. So attitude over aptitude, write it down, don't forget it. If you start hiring based off of that, the belief system, the values, the integrity, the personality traits, you're going to find a team that, well, doesn't see this as a job, they see it as a career.
Because they can tie their purpose, their reason why, for your purpose, your reason why, then you have real alignment. That's when you have a team that grows and a culture that is really powerful and unbreakable.
[00:15:53] Speaker A: Wow. Speaking of wisdom. You have it. I just have to back up what you said.
So over a decade ago, I was so fortunate to work with a Fortune 100 company and our CEO who's now enrolled over 20 years, top 100 company in the world, literally taught that to the whole organization. And we live that. And we're talking about science. This is not easy jobs. We've had salespeople that did not have a background in science, but their attitude was there, their results were there. They Were driven, hardworking, learning people, and they learned it. We're talking about people joining a place of chromatography and mass spectrometry. It's even hard to say for someone not in science, but they would take people who could learn and grow and have the right attitude, and they had massive success, which they continue to have. I just love that's what you focused on, Ryan. It's so true. And we really hurt ourselves when we hire for just experience without all those other pieces that actually make results happen.
Well, exactly.
So going off of that, what steps help turn a group of individuals into a united, powerful team? You hired your A players. Now you want to help them unite and grow and be impactful together. What do you recommend?
[00:17:09] Speaker B: I'll stick with the three things again this time. There's. There's. There's a million things that could be said, but I think I can boil this down to three efficient, I guess, pieces or three things. Right. Number one, clarify the mission. If people don't know the destination, they'll wander.
It's. It's hard to arrive at a destination if everyone's trying to walk in a different direction. So I'll clarify that mission.
Number two, define the roles.
Eliminate overlap and confusion.
Clarity creates confidence.
Truly it does. So if everyone doesn't know exactly what they're responsible for, how do they know when they drop the ball? How do they know when they can improve? How do they know when they can step above the expectations and go the extra mile?
So number three, celebrate progress.
Recognition fuels retention.
When people feel seen, they'll go further.
People ask me all the time, how can I get my team to stop being the people that do the bare minimum and start being the people that try to go the extra mile?
Celebrate them.
Recognize their wins.
Recognize all of it. Make a game out of it. Make it, make it fun, make it exciting. Public displays of recognition builds strong confidence. Strong teams, and now they want to go further. They want to keep receiving that. Recognition is really important. It's kind of a basic need for all of us. Honestly, if we break down to who we are as people, we want to be seen, we want to be heard, we want to know we're valuable. So don't miss that step, because without that, the other ones don't really matter.
[00:18:49] Speaker A: It sounds like such a simple piece of advice, but what do people talk about at dinner with their families?
My boss told me this today, and it really was hard for me. Or I got an award today. I got this, this great team recognition today. That's what people talk about, that's what people come home to. Their dinner tables. We've all done it. We've all been there. And I think many leaders don't realize the power they have over people's lives and what they come home and tell their families. You can either make them feel awful or you can actually recognize them, support them, say great job when. When there's a job well done. So I think it does sound simple, but I think it's so beautiful that you spoke so much about recognition and reward and the power of momentum that drives across a team. It's really important. So thank you for sharing that.
Our next question is, can you share a success story of a team that completely transformed?
[00:19:46] Speaker B: There's a few, but there's one that was fairly recent that sits in my brain, and I'm pretty proud of it in a way that I feel fulfillment because my.
What work I put into them has.
And what you just said about, you know, what do we talk about at dinner? This is why I'm thinking of this, because their, their quality of life also changed quite a bit. But once I was. I was working with a graphics company where the team was pretty fractured. Everyone walked around and. And worked in these, like, silos. Right. It's where everyone was kind of in their own world.
It didn't really feel like there was much of a team kind of effort. Right. But we really worked on rebuilding and restructuring everything. We clarified accountability and created weekly alignment meetings. And within 90 days, the team was producing almost double the volume. They were showing up on time, they were getting things done on time, and they actually enjoyed what they were doing. Again, culture isn't luck. It's leadership on repeat. It's showing up day in, day out with intention, purpose, and the honest feeling of, I'm going to give everything I can to the people around me, because those are the people that are going to have my back if I fall short.
So when people started feeling like the person to my left or the person to my right have my back, everything just improved. Camaraderie grew, relationships were formed.
And I know that the conversations around the dinner table they'd have with their family changed. The, the, the feelings, the emotions they brought home to their wife, their kids, or their husband, their kids, whatever. It was completely different because instead of feeling isolated, alone and under the thumb all the time, they felt like they were valued.
[00:21:38] Speaker A: Well, what I hear you say, as a leader, they feel valued, but you add value.
The leaders that add value to everyone around them, that people in their presence leave Better off, they leave encouraged. They leave empowered.
That's what I heard you say. Wow, that is profound, Ryan.
So where can people find you and can you also tell about your business? What do you do? What are you doing to help other companies right now?
[00:22:06] Speaker B: Absolutely. So the easiest ways to Find Me is LinkedIn, my website.
Oh, goodness. They're now media is an easy way obviously to find me.
But what we do right now, we really focus on helping small to midsize businesses transform, to grow, to achieve what it is they're dreaming of, but also find that work life rhythm. I've worked in so many international corporations, large scale businesses, but I really like helping people in everyday real life make a change. Now we also have mentorship program. I'm getting on stages, speaking to teams, doing workshops, you name it. I'm trying to do it all for the betterment of the people around me.
[00:22:44] Speaker A: I think it is just getting to know you. It is very sacrificial because I know you care so much about elevating people and what's possible in this life and I think it's so beautiful. So, yeah, check out Ryan's website and LinkedIn and everything he has to offer. He's the real deal and I know that for a fact. Fact. So next we're talking about burnout. How do we address burnout, the silent challenge many leaders hide until it becomes crisis level.
We'll be right back with more stories, lessons and practical tools to help you rise in leadership, business and life. This is Go Higher on NOW Media Television. And we're back. I'm Erica Butler and you're watching Go Higher on NOW Media Television. Let's continue the conversation that helps you leave live and love with purpose.
Welcome back to Go Higher. In this segment, we explore burnout, one of the biggest threats to effective leadership.
Many leaders are exhausted, overwhelmed and emotionally depleted. Many of us have been there, many of us have led teams through this, but they feel they can't slow down without falling behind.
Burnout affects decision making, cultural, culture, the productivity and the health of yourself. But also your team is very real. This segment covers early warning signs so we can prevent this, recovery strategies if you're already there, and how leaders can model balance to protect both themselves and their teams. I'm very happy to be speaking with Ryan about this because I know he has real life experiences to share that can help the audience.
So, Ryan, why do so many leaders hide their burnout instead of talking about it vulnerably?
[00:24:27] Speaker B: This topic is pretty important to me because I've definitely Lived it. And. And, you know, Erica's had the opportunity to hear a little bit about the story before.
And once upon a time, I was trapped in the rat race of go, go, go. My identity was getting lost into the grind and, you know, 100 plus hours a week running, companies growing exponentially.
But truth is, you know, we don't talk about it because we think exhaustion prove, you know, we think it proves commitment, right? And somewhere along the way, hustle becomes our identity. And leaders fear that if they slow down, everything they've built will crumble or worse, the people around them will start to believe that they're weak. And I can tell you, I used to think that that hustle, that grind, that that sacrifice made me strong, made me tough. People saw me as a leader.
Really, it was just killing me as a person. It was breaking me down. I was on the verge of ruining my marriage and not really being present as a father because I spent too much time focused on grind. Hustle, accomplish, conquer, earn accolades, win achievements.
And it really wasn't worth it because what I thought was strength was really weakness.
You know, burnout isn't weakness. It's your body and your spirit trying to tell you you've been leading from empty. You're trying to pour out of an empty cup into others. It doesn't work like that. You've got to find that vulnerability.
Vulnerability is not weakness.
Taking a step back and taking a break, taking a deep breath, is not something that makes you weak or makes you less than. It makes you smart. It makes you human, which you are, whether you like to believe it or not.
Working at that pace, working at that level of grind, is not sustainable. It will lead to serious identity problems, relationship problems, and health issues.
So be strong and know when to take a break.
Be strong. No one to talk about the stress. No one to talk about what you're losing in the process. Don't compromise your core values for what you think makes you tough and a good leader, because it doesn't.
[00:26:49] Speaker A: Everything you're saying is so relevant and real and raw. And I just appreciate you sharing because I know it's not easy to share your honest, open experience.
And you shared some of it. I know there's even more.
We had an hour to unpack it all, taking it one step further. You imagine, as a leader leading this way, the damage it does to the people around us, watching us work a hundred hours a week, watching us exhaust ourselves, knowing that this is the expectation. So actually, everything you learn, Ryan, I know you lead in a different way. Now, and the blessing and benefit it is to the leaders around you that are also having a life balance because you're choosing to lead like that. You're choosing that it's possible, which it absolutely is. And you are helping them be engaged and perform well as their best selves. Healthy, good relationships, all these other parts of our life that absolutely matter. And I want to quick say, my husband and I have this saying, you know, on our deathbeds, are we going to say, do we. We're both very hard workers and we like really like what we do, but like, will we say we wish we put, you know, 20 more hours in a week or do we wish we spent more time with our kids, investing in them, our, our marriage, our parents, you know, all these things. And I, I don't think anyone says I wish I worked whatever more hours. So I love your example. It's real, it's raw, and it's good. So going off of that.
Why do so many leaders hide their burnout, do you think? Instead of sharing it, talking about it, you talked a bit about this, but do you want to sick band on it a little bit?
[00:28:19] Speaker B: Yeah. You know, I, I think it's, it's pretty, pretty common for us to just see those things as, like I said, weakness. You know, we, we can see vulnerability and opening up and slowing down as, as we're. Our dreams are slipping away from us. But think of it like this.
If your vehicle's constantly running on fumes, it's gonna have a lot of problems. You're gonna, well, a lot of things are gonna happen that's just not okay. You're gonna be going at a snail's pace as opposed to a race car. Right. If you take this time to stop, fuel up, to rejuvenate, repair some things that may be getting broken to, you know, kind of oil some of those old joints that are getting tired of grinding non stop.
You're able to carry on a pace once again that is more effective.
Like I said before in a previous segment, don't confuse doing more with getting more done.
That leads to burnout faster than anything.
Rob Dyrdek, great example. This guy is actually launching his own program about how to be effective and efficient with your time because, well, the Guy can record 12 episodes of a show, of his show in a day, no problem.
But he never sacrifices time with his family, never sacrifices or compromises on his core values, his integrity and the life he wants to live where he's not going to end up with the regret of. I wish I would have spent more time with my family.
He has a level of success that most people never reach.
He also doesn't burn out because he has healthy habits and routines that prevent it.
I recommend you find it.
[00:29:55] Speaker A: I have seen firsthand, like handfuls of leaders, Fortune 100 and multiple companies have to take loas because they work themselves to sickness. So it is very real. And that's why I'm so happy we're talking about it, to equip leaders how to identify this for themselves, but others. So let's talk about the early warning side so we can catch this sooner and not literally needed a leave of absence because of our burnout. What are the early warning signs, Ryan, that you've seen, that we can help people prevent this?
[00:30:24] Speaker B: I'll keep it short and sweet on this one because it really is short and sweet. When success starts to feel heavy instead of fulfilling, you dread the things that once excited you. You're short tempered, distracted, or worst of all. And this is where I got once upon a time, you grow numb.
Those are signs your output has exceeded your input.
And I can tell you from firsthand experience, it. It takes a really big toll, really, really fast. So to rephrase that, quickly, short temper, short fuse, really distracted or distant, you know, separated from family, the things you actually love, or completely numb to it all, those are major, major signs. You notice even one of those, you need to take a step back and reflect and start getting things in alignment again because it only gets worse.
[00:31:14] Speaker A: Hmm.
I have to share this as a follow up. So we're from the United States. We've lived there our whole lives. But the last five years we've been in Europe and they do have a different look and work and their breaks and their summers and all of this. And I don't really see burnout here because they do value their quality of life and family so much.
So I think there's a lot we've learned. But from that perspective, what you learned, you're kind of living life now the way they do with rest and breaks and family time. And then you're super efficient in the work you do, which they are. They're successful. They just learn life hacks to be efficient and productive and then shut it down. So what simple habits can help leaders refill their energy before they actually hit that breaking point.
[00:31:58] Speaker B: To break this down in a way that is easy to digest. I'd say number one, stillness before strategy. Even 10 minutes of quiet time in the morning can completely reset your clarity. You know, whether it's reflection Time, study time. Just shut everything off, put that phone away, be quiet for a little bit, and just reflect, think, relax, strategize. Whatever it is. You got to be still before you go heavy into the chaos. Number two, I'd say boundaries without guilt. You know, rest is not avoidance. It's preparation.
Start thinking of it as such. Just because you want to take a break doesn't mean you're avoiding anything.
And third, and probably the most important out of all this, delegation.
Empower your people. You hired them for a reason.
Give them the opportunity to succeed.
The ideal way to measure a leader is your production of other leaders. And if you're really a leader, not a boss, your goal is for the people around you to become better than you in leadership. So delegate.
Give up the responsibility, give up the control, and you're going to be very happy with how light that load feels.
[00:33:15] Speaker A: So of everything you talked about, all of it resonates with me by also turning your phone off.
And there's this movement about a Sabbath, about a rest period, a whole day or more off without a phone. Imagine that.
Uh, I just. I've been encouraged by that. I've been practicing this more, and it's just truly amazing to be so present one day a week in full rest, you come back so recharged, so energized, so ready for your call, your purpose. So I just. Yeah, I. I'm living. I feel like I'm learning based on what you're saying, but it's real and it works. So thank you. That's. I can just speak so many examples of that in action. It's very practical.
So I'd love to hear a story of a leader who you've seen recover from burnout, could be yourself, could be a client that you have. Because I know you coach and help many leaders, but how did they go through burnout and come back stronger?
[00:34:07] Speaker B: I'll give you a quick breakdown of a little bit more on my story with it, and I will keep it brief. You know, I've lived that story. I had burnout years ago. And when I was trying to hold everything together, you know, family, career, identity, the breakthrough came when I realized I wasn't meant to carry everything on my own, only what God assigned to me. You know, whether you resonate with that or not, that's what really hit me. And once I began to rest with intention, not guilt, my creativity came back, my clarity came back, and so did my joy of life.
So take that as you will. Don't carry everything that's not Your responsibility to carry.
[00:34:46] Speaker A: Joy of Life. I think that could be a tattoo. I think that could be, you know, somewhere in our rooms as a note card, something. Joy of life. Life. That's, that's beautiful and powerful, Ryan.
With that, we'll be right back. Up next, we close with a powerful topic, restarting momentum when teams feel stuck and unmotivated.
We'll be right back with more stories, lessons, and practical tools to help you rise in leadership, business, and life. This is Go Higher on NOW Media Television.
And we're back. I'm Erica Butler, and you're watching Go Higher on NOW Media Television.
Let's continue the conversation that helps you lead live and love with purpose.
Welcome back to Go Higher.
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So welcome back to our final conversation with Ryan. In this segment, we tackle a common challenge. Teams that feel stuck. I think many of us have been there at one time or another. When energy drops and motivation disappears, that momentum's gone. Leaders feel like they're pushing a boulder uphill. So I can't wait to dive into this with you, Ryan. How can leaders restart momentum when the team has lost their energy?
[00:36:39] Speaker B: You know, there's a lot of ways once again, but you gotta remind them of the mission.
When people forget why they started, they lose heart. Energy comes from purpose, not pressure. Reignite the vision before you push for production.
Right. It's, it's.
Misalignment is a serious, serious problem in a business. It's a great way to fail, honestly. So, well keep that momentum by keeping the mission completely clear for everybody and keep them all in. In the know of where they're at along the way. In that mission, you cannot manage what you do not measure. So provide measurement right back and instead of pressure, show them that it aligns with their purpose and what it is they want out of life.
You get a whole different kind of motivation out of that.
[00:37:34] Speaker A: I love that you start it with the why.
And in previous conversations we had, we talked about blue zones and we talked about people's why and purpose and what Makes them get out of bed in the morning. And I think you're right. Companies that lead that way help people connect to what they're doing that really matters. That making the world a better place. So I love that you started with that.
So let's continue. How can leaders restart momentum when team has completely. Oh, sorry, what? Tools. I want to talk about tools now. Tools are exercises that help teams find their spark again when they lost it.
[00:38:08] Speaker B: You know, okay, one of my favorites is a mission reset. You know, like a make it a session, right? Have everyone answer three simple questions. And, and, and these are deep questions. Don't get me wrong. Not everyone's going to have a quick, easy answer for, as a matter of fact, they probably shouldn't have a quick, easy answer. But if you really want to find that spark, these are questions I've asked others. I've asked myself.
Shoot. My wife has even asked me at times. But number one, why do we exist?
Deep loaded question, but it's intended to be, you want to find your spark, Start there. Second question.
Who are we serving?
Are we serving ourselves? Are we serving others?
Are we serving whatever God or religion we have?
Who are you serving? Very important question. This will quickly start breaking down where you might be misaligned. Then lastly, what would happen if we stopped showing up?
It reconnects the team emotionally and resets alignment almost instantly. Because these are three profound questions that start to change the way you think pretty quickly.
[00:39:29] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, those are a powerful litness check on, you know, our why and literally the things that won't happen if we don't do our jobs, what we're called to, what we care about.
That's wonderful. Thanks for sharing that.
So even when you have great talent in place and great intentions, sometimes we do lose that spark. So can you share a story when a team completely rebound it and they regained their drive when they didn't have it anymore?
[00:39:55] Speaker B: I worked with a.
A restoration company where, you know, the morale had hit complete rock.
It was pretty bad. We shifted focus from workload to win stories.
Every week we opened meetings by celebrating one client's success. You know, the difference that the team actually made in that person's life in their story. And the energy started to change what felt like overnight.
It really opened up gratitude and that reignited the pride and what everyone was doing. And that pride really impacted the performance because they were able to see the work they're doing, the effort they put in, the sacrifices they were making, the hard days, the long, long work, you know, hours.
It was leading to real impact in people's lives. When they went through storms or, or disaster, they were able to take some of the hardest times of people's lives and turn it into a time where they got to see humanity and this team, they just need to be reminded that they were the humanity people needed. In those moments when they could see it, everything started to change.
The drive became very obvious again. The focus for what they do really grew. And just the love, the love of showing up and giving what they could, it was impressive. It inspired me in many, many ways.
[00:41:29] Speaker A: It does something to you as a human to know your hard work and your effort matters and impacts people.
I think it's one of the best gifts we have as humans to know that we make a meaningful difference in others lives. And just to back you up, working at Fortune 100s for 15 years, we start meetings with recognition and thanking people, uplifting them. And also this amazing group, entrepreneurs organization, this book scaling up. Oh my gosh. They talk about huddles and meetings and checking in with people, but also celebrating the win. So Ryan, everything you're saying is fully backed up by the best leaders I've ever worked with, the best groups I've part of. So I just can't back you up enough. It really works. So thanks for sharing that.
So giving something very tangible for today. Those that are hearing this, they want to make a shift. What can leaders do today to bring new life and motivation to their people?
[00:42:26] Speaker B: Speak belief into them.
Leadership isn't just about managing tasks. It's about multiplying belief.
Tell your team, I see you.
I believe in you.
What you do matters because when people feel valued, they give value back tenfold.
That's why I touch base on recognition multiple times.
Because it's a need of ours. It's something innately. As humans, we desire, we seek.
We, we.
It's fuel, right? You, you receive fulfillment in that way.
And I, I can tell you personally, when you know what you're doing matters, nothing stops you. You chase it at a rate you didn't even know was possible.
So thing you can do today is start speaking that into them.
Tell them it would be a shame for me to believe in you more than you believe in you.
So start believing in yourself the way that I believe in you.
And people are going to start one reacting to your leadership different.
They're going to trust you differently. They're going to respect you differently. They're going to feel that my leader is a leader. They're not a boss. They're somebody who really has My back has my best interest in mind.
And I'm telling you it's one of the fastest things you can do. It's one of the easiest things you can do. But with that is the risk.
Because it's easy to do. It's also easy not to do. So don't overlook it. Don't miss that step because the value in it is much more than you can imagine. And once you start applying it, you'll thank me.
[00:44:04] Speaker A: I couldn't agree more. Well, I have to ask you, as a follow up, it's special to speak with you about this today because I know your book has been picked up by a major publisher and you have all this momentum happening. Keynote speaker about motivation. Is there any other, you know, quick hits you want to share with the audience from your keynote? From anything that will just help them continue on this journey? Any other takeaways we didn't get to touch on during the segment?
[00:44:29] Speaker B: I'll give you three major principles.
Three really four major principles that anyone successful on this planet, they have applied, they utilize, and they have a deep understanding of. Number one is purpose.
If your life is like building a castle, building a skyscraper, purpose is your foundation.
Purpose though doesn't get you anywhere without discipline.
Purpose is foundation. Discipline is the engine used to build that skyscraper, to put thing on top of thing to grow.
But all of that falls apart if you don't have belief.
Belief in yourself.
That's the glue that holds purpose tightly to discipline and stops you from going astray when it seems like the odds are just insurmountable. But the last piece of that puzzle, because nobody is impervious to attack. No one is impervious to self doubt.
You've got to surround yourself with the right people.
The right people become either the wings that lift you higher or the weights that drag you down.
Not everyone's meant to stay in your life forever.
So surround yourself with people that challenge you and genuinely want your success.
It's quick for people to be jealous. You know, people that aren't going anywhere really want you to stay where they're at.
So identify those people, cut them out and find people that become wings that take you higher.
Those are my principles and the principles of everyone that's ever been successful.
[00:46:08] Speaker A: That was powerful. But in that you also said a very big word, build.
Build anyway, build when there's silence. Build when no one else seems to care and you know in your heart what's possible. You know your intentions and you just keep building and it pays off even in the silence and one day you wake up and it's like, wow, impact, life change. It's very possible. So yeah, I love that word. So where can people.
Ryan, you're such a great coach and leader consultant. So where's the best place for people to find you who want to keep working with you and learning more easy.
[00:46:42] Speaker B: Ways to Find Me website, LinkedIn.
You can find me through now media, social media stuff. You know, I'm the bald bearded guy who likes to talk a lot. You know, pretty simple and straightforward. But you know, anything that goes through my website, anything goes to LinkedIn. It, it always ends it back to me.
So easy way to find me.
[00:47:04] Speaker A: Perfect. Well, Ryan, thank you for sharing your experience on decision making, team building, burnout and recovery and how to build that momentum. Your insights give leaders tangible steps, real life experiences to take their organizations and themselves higher. So to our viewers, thank you so much for joining us again. Continue striving and growing and continue to elevate your leadership.
So much is possible. We'll see you next time on Go Higher.
