Nov 11, 2016
Most of you stayed up late to watch the 2016 Presidential Election results, and it is a night you will never forget. Many were anticipating a Clinton domination. Even the Trump campaign started the night seemingly nervous about how the night would end. So how did Trump surprise most of the world? What can we learn about leadership in the midst of these election results? Here are 7 valuable leadership lessons that the election reminded me.
1. Experts Aren’t Always Experts
Almost every pollster was wrong. Almost every major media outlet was incorrect. The experts weren’t really experts now were they?
2. People Love to Win
Trump fans came out of the woodwork on social media. They were generally hiding. They didn’t want to show their faces. Until he did the unthinkable, and won the election. All of the sudden, these proud Trump supporters came alive to the public eye. Bottom line, people love to be led by a winner. So be a winner!
3. Be You!
C.S Lewis wisely stated, “I would rather be what God chose to make me than the most glorious creature that I could think of.” We all agree that Trump is not politically correct. He says what he wants to say. Every word of his is not scripted. He doesn’t have experts controlling what comes out of his mouth. Hillary is the exact opposite. So politically correct. Every word is prepared. The people have spoken, and the PC culture is over, they want you to be you.
4. Debt Kills You
Whether you are liberal or conservative, we can all agree that the Clinton campaign was funded by play to play type minutiae. Her whole foundation made that clear. The email campaign left her in debt to the FBI for bailing her out of the mess she created. Trump didn’t owe anybody anything. Hillary has a debt crisis, not financially, but she is indebted to so many people to do exactly what they want her to do. As a leader, don’t owe anyone anything, it keeps you from being you.
5. Haters Are Inevitable
No matter what would have happened, haters from both sides would manifest. Riots and all the junk that is taking place is hideous. As a leader, remember that haters will come alive and people love to try to minimize your success.
6. The Media Lies to You
All the time. They lie. Both sides. Liberal and conservative. So many people are lying to you. Rise above the noise. Don’t let the lies reign in your life.
7. Surprises Create Lasting Impact
When things don’t go according to anticipation, the memorable moment leaves a penetrating imprint. As a leader, we need to defy norms, push limits, and create a lasting impact. Don’t be forgotten.
Whether you are happy with the results or disappointed, make sure you take time to learn from these milestone moments. Leaders always learn.
Be amazing! God bless you, and God bless America!
-CK
Oct 27, 2016
We all know the power of mentorship. One of my mentors is taking his talents to Florida and as he moves down south, I want to express my gratitude by sharing 10 things I have learned from him over the years. Perhaps I already knew them in theory, but his life painted a better picture. A picture that resonated with me.
1. When you form habits that seem outrageous to everyone else – you are on the right track (he wakes up at 3:30AM).
2. Transparency and vulnerability will allow you to develop long-lasting and incredibly strong relationships (we grieved the loss of our Dads together).
3. Do the hard stuff first. If you don’t, it probably won’t get done (he hits the gym at 4AM).
4. Amateurs wing it, professionals always have a plan (his motto).
5. Your background doesn’t matter. It’s who you are today and what you are willing to do tomorrow that can take you anywhere (he recently published his first book).
6. Invest in yourself and invest in others (he was consistently buying books in bulk for himself and for his teammates).
7. Dream enormous. If you don’t hit your audacious goal, wherever you land would have been better than if you set your dreams/goals too low (he set a goal to post 5 blogs per week, but he always said if you land at 3 it’s still pretty good!)
8. Accountability partners are key (I am thankful that he is one of mine).
9. If you don’t get out of your comfort zone you will never get to where you need to be (We went through two corporate training certifications together that were both way out of our comfort zones).
10. If you don’t have “more health” then it doesn’t matter what else you have because you won’t be able to enjoy it anyway (7 Ways to More).
Buy Brian Willett’s book – 7 Ways to More on Amazon. Follow him on twitter @bwillett79.
Hope you can take these tips and apply them in your life. If nothing else, get yourself a mentor if you don’t have one already!
Be amazing and God bless you!
-CK
Oct 5, 2016
Guys/Gals – exciting news! If you could only see the smile on my face right now.
Finally stumbled upon a reality that I have struggled to give language to for many years. I knew about this concept in my heart and I have wanted to share it with all of you, I just didn’t know how to elaborate and bring it to life.
To my knowledge, no one has written anything comprehensive on this topic and there is nothing significant published about this idea.
All I will tell you is this, once you recognize and embrace this profound reality, your life will significantly change for the better. This concept will help you become more effective in every area of your life. This is an idea that I would consider a game changer. I can say that assertively, because it has enhanced my life dramatically.
This post is not designed to make you mad, it is simply a reminder to intentionally stimulate thought patterns so you can help yourself, and in turn help others. My guess is, that God has created you with many passions and you have a profound idea brewing inside of you that is waiting to come to life. Be purposeful with bringing that idea out of you so you can use it to serve others.
I am sorry I can’t share it with you today. Stay tuned – more to come. So pumped use this God-given idea to help you increase your winning percentage.
Hold on tight. Don’t blink, my friends.
Be amazing and God bless you!
-CK
