WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:04.040 Hello, everyone, and welcome to another Hacking Leadership Leadership Authors 2 00:00:04.200 --> 00:00:07.919 podcast here. This new series that we've been doing this 3 00:00:08.039 --> 00:00:10.839 year is something we're really excited about. And you know, 4 00:00:11.080 --> 00:00:13.279 Chris and I have done a lot of work in 5 00:00:14.199 --> 00:00:17.800 kind of combing through requests, doing some research here, vetting 6 00:00:18.359 --> 00:00:21.760 some amazing leadership authors, and we have another one today. 7 00:00:22.320 --> 00:00:24.719 I want to introduce you to Mark Meers. He's a 8 00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:28.960 number one best selling author, keynote speaker, consultant, visionary, business leader. 9 00:00:29.280 --> 00:00:31.320 You know, he serves as the founder and the chief 10 00:00:31.320 --> 00:00:34.920 growth Officer for Leaf Growth Ventures LLC, which is a 11 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:39.439 consulting firm, and he's got some amazing content here that 12 00:00:39.520 --> 00:00:42.799 we have really become fans of. A lot of overlap 13 00:00:42.960 --> 00:00:45.640 in the dialogue that we have around leadership, a lot 14 00:00:45.640 --> 00:00:48.359 of approaches. So first and foremost, Mark, welcome to the show. 15 00:00:48.359 --> 00:00:49.320 Say hi to the audience. 16 00:00:49.920 --> 00:00:53.640 Hey Lorenzo, and hello to your audience. I'm looking forward 17 00:00:53.640 --> 00:00:54.759 to our conversation today. 18 00:00:55.359 --> 00:00:57.799 Definitely, Yes, I want to jump right into it. You've 19 00:00:57.799 --> 00:01:00.640 got a book, The Purposeful Growth Revolution and four Ways 20 00:01:00.679 --> 00:01:03.679 to Grow from Leader to Legacy Builder Number one. I 21 00:01:03.719 --> 00:01:07.840 love the title. I'm a sucker for like, tell me 22 00:01:07.879 --> 00:01:11.920 what's going on here and give me some numbers on 23 00:01:12.359 --> 00:01:14.400 ways that I can kind of grow acronyms. I'm all 24 00:01:14.400 --> 00:01:16.719 for that type of stuff like that. So I love 25 00:01:16.760 --> 00:01:18.079 the title, but I do want to start off right 26 00:01:18.079 --> 00:01:20.879 off the bat like, talk to me about what got 27 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:23.879 you to this point about writing about this. What were 28 00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:26.319 the things that let you down this path to kind 29 00:01:26.359 --> 00:01:28.599 of have this moment of sharing this content with the world. 30 00:01:29.560 --> 00:01:31.799 Well, I never started off thinking I was going to 31 00:01:31.799 --> 00:01:34.280 write a book. And you know, while I do have 32 00:01:34.319 --> 00:01:38.719 a journalism background, I fancy myself a decent writer. I 33 00:01:38.840 --> 00:01:43.159 love to communicate ideas and so years ago, I think 34 00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:46.599 it was February twenty first, twenty thirteen, I got an 35 00:01:46.640 --> 00:01:50.840 epiphany and it came to me the morning after a 36 00:01:50.879 --> 00:01:54.760 significant life event, and I had just been let go 37 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:59.640 from a president's role for half a billion dollar casual 38 00:01:59.640 --> 00:02:05.000 restaurant concept that was owned by a publicly traded entity, 39 00:02:05.560 --> 00:02:09.800 and brought in as the president from the Cheesecake Factory, 40 00:02:09.800 --> 00:02:12.120 where I served as a senior BP and chief marketing 41 00:02:12.120 --> 00:02:16.479 officer with three different objectives, turned the brand around it 42 00:02:16.520 --> 00:02:22.800 was down double digit negative in sales research and establish 43 00:02:22.919 --> 00:02:27.520 a new contemporary and relevant brand positioning and created kind 44 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:30.560 of a new concept or concept extension that could earn 45 00:02:30.599 --> 00:02:35.199 the right to capital, and I took on the challenge, 46 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:38.639 and my team and I we put together a wonderful 47 00:02:38.680 --> 00:02:42.879 plan that we faithfully executed and sacrificed and did a 48 00:02:42.919 --> 00:02:47.199 lot of early mornings, late nights traveling here and there, 49 00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:51.159 but we accomplished all three of those objectives within two years. 50 00:02:52.039 --> 00:02:54.960 Instead of getting the capital that we earned the right 51 00:02:55.080 --> 00:02:59.360 to receive to grow, I heard we've decided to move 52 00:02:59.360 --> 00:03:02.080 in a different dread. The board wants to put the 53 00:03:02.080 --> 00:03:04.680 brand up for sale, But don't worry. You're going to 54 00:03:04.759 --> 00:03:07.240 lead the sale process and we'll give you a stay 55 00:03:07.240 --> 00:03:09.240 on bonus and a sale bonus if it happens, and 56 00:03:09.280 --> 00:03:11.039 if it doesn't happen, you go back to doing what 57 00:03:11.080 --> 00:03:15.280 you normally do. But you can't tell anybody confidential like, 58 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:19.719 oh my goodness, so that just happened. Well, we worked 59 00:03:19.719 --> 00:03:21.879 through all of that process and we had a lot 60 00:03:21.879 --> 00:03:24.479 of tire kickers, a lot of private equity firms. We 61 00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:26.639 found a strategic play that we thought was going to 62 00:03:26.639 --> 00:03:29.319 be our rightful owner. For a lot of reasons, we 63 00:03:29.360 --> 00:03:32.000 don't have time to go into The deal closed on 64 00:03:32.039 --> 00:03:35.759 a Friday, and we're drinking champagne, celebrating over the weekend. 65 00:03:36.360 --> 00:03:38.639 And on Monday morning, I had a meeting scheduled with 66 00:03:38.680 --> 00:03:41.080 the new CEO at eight o'clock. And this meeting was 67 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:43.879 scheduled for two weeks out, so we were going to 68 00:03:43.919 --> 00:03:47.400 plot our new future together. At eight oh five, I'm 69 00:03:47.400 --> 00:03:50.800 out the door. We've decided to move in a different direction, 70 00:03:51.840 --> 00:03:55.360 and I'm like what Over the weekend? So I learned 71 00:03:55.599 --> 00:04:00.080 a valuable lesson of the world of corporate America. And 72 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:04.520 so I'm living in southern California at the time, and 73 00:04:05.520 --> 00:04:08.639 that February twenty first date I mentioned is about the 74 00:04:09.159 --> 00:04:11.360 time we start to see the first signs of spring, 75 00:04:12.120 --> 00:04:15.439 not here in Kansas City, but in southern California. And 76 00:04:15.560 --> 00:04:18.879 after a fitful night of sleep, I took the dog 77 00:04:18.879 --> 00:04:22.079 out the next morning early. And you've always heard the 78 00:04:22.120 --> 00:04:24.680 term as the darkest, always darkest before the dawn, And 79 00:04:24.720 --> 00:04:28.319 that was very apropos and dark in many ways, not 80 00:04:28.399 --> 00:04:32.000 just light, but in how I viewed myself and what 81 00:04:32.199 --> 00:04:35.439 happened and what could I have done different. Oh, by 82 00:04:35.480 --> 00:04:38.079 the way, all of our executive team was let go 83 00:04:38.439 --> 00:04:40.680 within two weeks, and they moved the corporate office from 84 00:04:40.680 --> 00:04:43.360 Orange County to their US headquarters in Dallas. So all 85 00:04:43.399 --> 00:04:45.040 things they said they wouldn't do, they did. And so 86 00:04:45.560 --> 00:04:48.120 I was frustrated that it wasn't smarter or wasn't able 87 00:04:48.160 --> 00:04:51.759 to see beyond the corner of what could have happened. 88 00:04:52.759 --> 00:04:56.639 And so I take the dog outside and we had 89 00:04:56.639 --> 00:04:59.480 a fig tree in our backyard that was barren from 90 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:01.319 the five or six weeks of winter. We do get, 91 00:05:02.600 --> 00:05:05.079 but Lorenzo as God as my witness, as the sun 92 00:05:05.160 --> 00:05:07.839 was coming up over the wall in our backyard, It's 93 00:05:07.839 --> 00:05:10.839 shone on that fig tree and there on the end 94 00:05:10.839 --> 00:05:13.839 of just one branch with this tiny little green sprig 95 00:05:13.959 --> 00:05:17.000 of a leaf just starting to bud. And there I 96 00:05:17.040 --> 00:05:19.360 got this epiphany that a leaf is a symbol of 97 00:05:19.399 --> 00:05:22.720 growth and rebirth. Here I was going through this dark 98 00:05:22.839 --> 00:05:25.279 woe is Me moment, and I'm getting this sign that 99 00:05:25.399 --> 00:05:29.079 says it's going to be okay. Spring is coming and 100 00:05:29.319 --> 00:05:31.920 a leaf is not only a symbol of growth and rebirth. 101 00:05:32.759 --> 00:05:36.519 I used to lead with the rule of threes. You know, 102 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:39.199 if you focus on three things, you know people can't 103 00:05:39.480 --> 00:05:42.160 deal with more than that, you'll be more productive and 104 00:05:42.240 --> 00:05:45.199 ultimately more successful. So my three things is part of 105 00:05:45.240 --> 00:05:51.720 that turnaround or leadership, engagement, and accountability powerful three things, right. 106 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:54.639 We need strong leadership up and down the ranks. We 107 00:05:54.720 --> 00:05:58.199 need to engage people's heart, head, hands, and habits in 108 00:05:58.240 --> 00:06:01.279 this process. And we need to ourselves and our team 109 00:06:01.319 --> 00:06:05.480 members accountable for results, because after all, we're a publicly 110 00:06:05.480 --> 00:06:08.040 traded company and now here we are going through a 111 00:06:08.079 --> 00:06:11.600 sales process which no one really knew until the last minute. 112 00:06:12.319 --> 00:06:15.399 And so I use that in all my weekly communications 113 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:18.959 reward and recognition. I'd say, Lorenzo's leading his team and 114 00:06:18.959 --> 00:06:22.160 they're doing this, and they're doing that where he's engaging 115 00:06:22.199 --> 00:06:24.319 them on a deeper level and they're getting these kinds 116 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:27.319 of results, or he's holding them accountable for results. And 117 00:06:27.319 --> 00:06:31.639 now look what you sales are coming out of it. 118 00:06:32.600 --> 00:06:35.519 And everybody knew it, and it wasn't until that morning 119 00:06:35.560 --> 00:06:39.000 after I said something's missing. That approach should have worked. 120 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:42.680 And that's one I believe now in the higher power 121 00:06:42.759 --> 00:06:45.959 of force. Now I think about that leaf in spring, right, 122 00:06:46.439 --> 00:06:50.839 there are four directions. There are four seasons, not three. Therefore, 123 00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:53.959 chambers to the human heart not three. There are four 124 00:06:54.040 --> 00:06:57.759 elements to an atom, the source of all life, not three. 125 00:06:57.879 --> 00:06:59.240 I could go on and on with this for play, 126 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:01.399 but you get the idea. And it hit me that 127 00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:04.639 what was missing for me was fulfillment. We were burning 128 00:07:04.639 --> 00:07:07.600 the candle at both ends. We were doing this kind 129 00:07:07.600 --> 00:07:13.279 of heroic career altering project that we all could look 130 00:07:13.319 --> 00:07:17.839 back and be proud of, and yet we were not 131 00:07:18.279 --> 00:07:21.399 being fulfilled. We had the rug taken out from under us. 132 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:23.839 And that's when I got this notion of this four 133 00:07:23.920 --> 00:07:28.480 circle event diagram, like the four seasons overlap, and it 134 00:07:28.519 --> 00:07:30.839 came to me that, yeah, we need strong leadership, we 135 00:07:30.920 --> 00:07:34.360 need an engagement of one's heart, head, hands, and habits. 136 00:07:34.560 --> 00:07:37.160 We need accountability up and down the ranks, but we 137 00:07:37.199 --> 00:07:40.879 also need fulfillment. And so I came up with this 138 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:45.120 model where that fig tree serves as my kind of 139 00:07:45.160 --> 00:07:48.079 idea around purposeful growth. It only knows how to be 140 00:07:48.120 --> 00:07:51.319 a fig tree. Its purpose is to grow fig leaves, 141 00:07:51.319 --> 00:07:53.600 where all growth happens in a plant or a tree 142 00:07:53.639 --> 00:07:58.600 through the magic of photosynthesis, right, But leadership represents the roots, 143 00:07:59.439 --> 00:08:01.720 the seed roots, and you have to have a strong, 144 00:08:02.079 --> 00:08:04.560 solid root system to grow any plant or tree. Just 145 00:08:04.639 --> 00:08:07.639 like in business, you have to have strong leadership and 146 00:08:07.680 --> 00:08:11.879 that leads to alignment and then engagement is the trunk, 147 00:08:11.959 --> 00:08:15.160 the branches and the system of nourishment, which is called savia. 148 00:08:15.199 --> 00:08:19.560 I learned that it translates into lifeblood. What's the life 149 00:08:19.560 --> 00:08:23.240 blood of any organization, It's people. So the way engaging 150 00:08:23.279 --> 00:08:26.920 their hearthead, hands, and habits, you're giving them the result 151 00:08:26.959 --> 00:08:31.959 of empowerment. And we know that empowered team members will 152 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:36.360 give you more discretionary effort, they'll give you better and 153 00:08:36.399 --> 00:08:39.360 higher quality work, they'll have a stake of ownership in 154 00:08:39.399 --> 00:08:43.240 the outcome, and they'll be more loyal, whether it's staying 155 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:46.759 in the firm themselves or recommending you to others. Right, 156 00:08:47.399 --> 00:08:50.320 But then we say, what's that plant or tree designed 157 00:08:50.360 --> 00:08:53.679 to do. That's where accountability comes in. And that's the 158 00:08:53.799 --> 00:08:57.639 leaf and the fruit of the tree. And the cool 159 00:08:57.679 --> 00:08:59.679 thing about that fig tree is not only is it 160 00:08:59.720 --> 00:09:02.039 to go, oh, you know, fig leafs, but to bear 161 00:09:02.120 --> 00:09:06.080 fig fruit. And within that fig fruit come the achievement. 162 00:09:07.399 --> 00:09:09.480 And we'll get to later the fact that it also 163 00:09:09.519 --> 00:09:12.919 has seeds in it that can be scattered for future growth. 164 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:15.799 That then leads to the idea the foundation of all 165 00:09:15.840 --> 00:09:21.840 of it is, you know, fulfillment, and that's the environment 166 00:09:21.919 --> 00:09:26.360 that that nurturing environment, that has the soil, the sun, 167 00:09:26.519 --> 00:09:31.720 the rain that provides the balance necessary for photosynthesis to occur. 168 00:09:32.440 --> 00:09:34.879 And it's like the culture of any organization or we're 169 00:09:34.879 --> 00:09:36.240 going to get to the fact that I prefer the 170 00:09:36.240 --> 00:09:40.120 word community, and that really is where people feel like 171 00:09:40.159 --> 00:09:43.440 they belong and can do their best work. So the 172 00:09:43.559 --> 00:09:47.279 notion of Leaf and why I call it a revolution, 173 00:09:48.159 --> 00:09:53.240 is it's all revolving around purposeful growth. It's revolving around 174 00:09:53.559 --> 00:09:55.919 being the best fig tree it can be in the 175 00:09:56.039 --> 00:09:59.039 environment it's in. It's being the best team member we 176 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:02.320 can be within the environment we're in. And it's being 177 00:10:02.720 --> 00:10:07.320 not just a manager, but a leader and ultimately a 178 00:10:07.399 --> 00:10:10.480 living legacy builder, which we'll talk more about. But I 179 00:10:10.519 --> 00:10:13.080 got that epiphany several years ago and I started working 180 00:10:13.120 --> 00:10:16.399 on it, and then it became a book idea, and 181 00:10:16.440 --> 00:10:18.679 I kept putting it off and taking another C level 182 00:10:18.759 --> 00:10:22.600 job and progressing in my career. But finally it caught 183 00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:25.879 up to me a couple of years ago. I said, 184 00:10:25.879 --> 00:10:27.960 if I'm going to do this, I've got to kind 185 00:10:27.960 --> 00:10:31.759 of put my W two corporate world by the side 186 00:10:32.039 --> 00:10:36.200 and really focus on this thing I felt called to do. 187 00:10:36.879 --> 00:10:38.720 And so I finished the book and now I'm using 188 00:10:38.759 --> 00:10:42.720 it as a foundation for speaking and consulting, and I'm 189 00:10:42.759 --> 00:10:45.320 working on an e learning platform that will help people 190 00:10:45.559 --> 00:10:49.240 meld their purpose in both life and work. And it's 191 00:10:49.279 --> 00:10:52.039 led me to believe it or not write a second book, 192 00:10:52.080 --> 00:10:52.960 which we'll talk about. 193 00:10:53.879 --> 00:10:55.600 That's awesome that I appreciate that there's so much to 194 00:10:56.399 --> 00:10:59.639 unpack there, but so very easy to understand and consume 195 00:10:59.720 --> 00:11:02.480 kind of like you know, and and I love the 196 00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:05.440 you know, kind of the genesis story of these things 197 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:09.159 because I think that when it's when it's really great, relevant, 198 00:11:09.240 --> 00:11:12.840 authentic content, it comes from the things that you talk to, 199 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:15.799 there's a personal testimony to it of an experience that 200 00:11:16.000 --> 00:11:18.480 happened to them having to sit back and kind of 201 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:22.480 reflect and just like think through where am I today, 202 00:11:22.759 --> 00:11:25.879 Where am I going? How did I get here? What 203 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:28.279 makes sense? And then all these dots kind of start 204 00:11:28.320 --> 00:11:31.399 to connect themselves naturally. And I think when that happens, 205 00:11:32.279 --> 00:11:34.039 it's just and I've had that moment in my life 206 00:11:34.080 --> 00:11:36.480 where then just like the creative juice is just flow, 207 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:39.639 like it all makes sense now, everything has a place. 208 00:11:40.039 --> 00:11:42.639 Everything kind of calls back to things that I've experienced 209 00:11:42.679 --> 00:11:44.600 and things that I've seen in my leadership and things 210 00:11:44.639 --> 00:11:47.480 that I've seen in great mentors. So I love that, 211 00:11:47.759 --> 00:11:50.960 and I know you know. I want to ask a 212 00:11:50.960 --> 00:11:53.159 couple of questions. We are going to take a break 213 00:11:53.159 --> 00:11:55.600 for just a second for some of our sponsors, but 214 00:11:55.639 --> 00:11:57.639 when we get back, Mark, I want to ask you 215 00:11:57.759 --> 00:12:00.480 about that the difference between a leader and a leg builder. 216 00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:02.559 I love that you use that language, and I love 217 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:05.320 that there is a difference. And I talk about legacy 218 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:07.639 a lot, so I can't wait to hear about this. 219 00:12:07.759 --> 00:12:09.960 But we will be right back after a few works 220 00:12:09.960 --> 00:12:17.080 from our sponsors. All right, Mark, leader and a legacy builder. 221 00:12:17.159 --> 00:12:19.639 So walk me through what's the difference between these two things. 222 00:12:20.240 --> 00:12:23.039 Well, it's a great question. I get asked a lot, 223 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:25.519 but we have to kind of rewind a bit further. 224 00:12:26.320 --> 00:12:29.480 Think about those of us who were junior in our careers. 225 00:12:29.759 --> 00:12:34.000 We were doers and it was functional, right. We need 226 00:12:34.000 --> 00:12:38.039 a job, we got bills to pay, right, and we 227 00:12:38.120 --> 00:12:41.200 had to start somewhere right. But if you're a good doer, 228 00:12:41.720 --> 00:12:47.240 oftentimes you'll get elevated to become a manager, right. And 229 00:12:47.840 --> 00:12:53.600 if you're a manager, that can be more transactional. If 230 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:57.799 you think about business schools, some of them are called 231 00:12:57.799 --> 00:13:01.200 schools of management. We learned how to be a manager. 232 00:13:01.919 --> 00:13:05.679 But when I say that's transactional, it's like we're managing projects. 233 00:13:05.720 --> 00:13:10.159 We're managing timelines and budgets and resources and metrics of 234 00:13:10.279 --> 00:13:14.399 performance and people to get the job done right. Well, 235 00:13:14.840 --> 00:13:18.279 that might create a sense where if someone works for you, 236 00:13:18.360 --> 00:13:20.919 And by the way, my career, I've never said anyone 237 00:13:20.960 --> 00:13:23.639 works for me. I say they work with me. Right, 238 00:13:23.720 --> 00:13:26.919 But in this hierarchical command and control style that I'm 239 00:13:26.919 --> 00:13:33.080 trying to transform, it makes someone say, if I'm working 240 00:13:33.159 --> 00:13:36.240 for you, I must obey you because you're a manager 241 00:13:36.360 --> 00:13:38.679 with a title that's bigger than mine and a voice 242 00:13:38.759 --> 00:13:43.720 that's bigger than mine. And so that becomes transactional. Now 243 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:47.200 you have an opportunity as a manager to grow into 244 00:13:47.279 --> 00:13:52.240 a leader, and a leader is more relational someone I 245 00:13:52.320 --> 00:13:56.279 want to follow. Right, But if I'm a legacy builder, 246 00:13:56.799 --> 00:13:59.559 it's more than just your Lorenzo the person I want 247 00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:02.200 to follow. Well, you're such a great leader, and I 248 00:14:02.279 --> 00:14:04.559 enjoy working with you so much that I want to 249 00:14:04.639 --> 00:14:09.360 lead like you when it's my turn to lead. And 250 00:14:09.399 --> 00:14:17.559 that's the living legacy that you bequeath to your team members. Right, 251 00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:21.559 it's not legacy. That means something you bequeath after you're 252 00:14:21.559 --> 00:14:23.600 dead and buried, something of value that you give to 253 00:14:23.600 --> 00:14:28.080 a loved one. It's how do you treat your team 254 00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:30.600 members and lead them in a way that they not 255 00:14:30.639 --> 00:14:33.840 only want to follow you willingly, not just obey you, 256 00:14:34.600 --> 00:14:37.720 but they want to lead like you. And when I 257 00:14:37.759 --> 00:14:40.320 work for Pizza Hut in the PepsiCo world, back when 258 00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:43.000 they still owned us, we refer to that as your 259 00:14:43.080 --> 00:14:47.759 leadership shadow. So how are you casting your leadership shadow? Right? 260 00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:52.000 And I think that's really what people understand more and 261 00:14:52.080 --> 00:14:55.519 better today because I did you use the word mentors. 262 00:14:55.519 --> 00:15:00.159 I had some wonderful mentors who walked alongside me, from 263 00:15:00.279 --> 00:15:05.000 my professor in advertising and marketing at the University of Kansas, 264 00:15:05.039 --> 00:15:07.720 doctor Tim Bankston, who taught me out of going to 265 00:15:07.799 --> 00:15:11.039 law school and into going to graduate school at Northwestern 266 00:15:11.399 --> 00:15:14.320 where I learned the feat of doctor Don Schultz, who 267 00:15:14.320 --> 00:15:17.440 came up with the whole concept of integrated Marketing Communications 268 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:20.519 or IMC, which there are curriculums all over the world. 269 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:24.000 Now I was on the early stages of that. I 270 00:15:24.080 --> 00:15:26.960 was IMC before IMC was cool. Well, that then served 271 00:15:26.960 --> 00:15:31.919 as the bedrock or foundation for my marketing communications strategies 272 00:15:31.960 --> 00:15:34.039 going forward with all the brands that I work with. 273 00:15:34.799 --> 00:15:38.480 And then one brand I worked for easily the most 274 00:15:38.519 --> 00:15:43.600 inspirational leader, a guy named David Novak when I was 275 00:15:43.639 --> 00:15:46.720 at Pizza Hut, and he was ahead of marketing, and 276 00:15:46.759 --> 00:15:49.480 so then he later rose up the ranks within PepsiCo 277 00:15:49.600 --> 00:15:52.039 and then you know, became the co founder and CEO 278 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:57.039 of Young Brands, which was the new organization that was 279 00:15:57.120 --> 00:16:02.480 banded together after PepsiCo divested the restaurant brands. And I 280 00:16:02.559 --> 00:16:04.919 learned so much from him that I wanted to lead 281 00:16:05.159 --> 00:16:10.240 like him. And then I had another mentor, David Overton 282 00:16:10.480 --> 00:16:16.080 at the Cheesecake Factory, the founder and dynamic CEO and chairman, 283 00:16:16.320 --> 00:16:20.879 and just learned a lot of how to work and 284 00:16:20.919 --> 00:16:24.440 how to always strive for excellence. So if I learned 285 00:16:24.440 --> 00:16:28.639 about inspiration, reward and recognition and the idea that the 286 00:16:28.679 --> 00:16:32.200 idea that big ideas moved business from David Novak, I 287 00:16:32.320 --> 00:16:38.000 learned about casting a vision and then organizing an organization 288 00:16:38.279 --> 00:16:40.879 around it. And we think about almost three hundred menu items, 289 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:44.480 almost all made fresh from scratch, and it's been going 290 00:16:44.519 --> 00:16:48.120 on for over forty some years now, and I think 291 00:16:48.240 --> 00:16:52.320 that those are people that impacted my life to where 292 00:16:52.320 --> 00:16:54.559 I now want to pay it backward. And that's why 293 00:16:54.600 --> 00:16:57.399 I ended up writing this book, was to take all 294 00:16:57.480 --> 00:17:01.039 of these key experiences and observation of those I admire, 295 00:17:02.080 --> 00:17:05.400 along with the curation of research that supports my thesis 296 00:17:05.440 --> 00:17:08.079 and subject matter experts that can go deeper than I 297 00:17:08.160 --> 00:17:12.119 can go, and I'm crafting what I call a curated 298 00:17:12.200 --> 00:17:15.759 reading experience that isn't just something you'll pick up in 299 00:17:15.839 --> 00:17:19.240 an airport and finish when you land. It's a pretty 300 00:17:19.319 --> 00:17:23.720 lengthy tome, but it's been written carefully and thoughtfully and 301 00:17:23.799 --> 00:17:28.720 planfully to carry the reader through a journey with four 302 00:17:28.920 --> 00:17:32.160 key sections. You know, how do you cultivate your field 303 00:17:32.240 --> 00:17:35.480 for purposeful growth? And it's the you know, the reason 304 00:17:35.519 --> 00:17:38.519 why you know growth matters, the reason why purposeful growth 305 00:17:38.559 --> 00:17:41.960 matters even more. And then it's planting your seed for 306 00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:45.119 purposeful self and that's all about the self reflective part 307 00:17:45.160 --> 00:17:46.960 of who am I, where do I want to go? 308 00:17:47.000 --> 00:17:49.240 And how do I get there? And then there's the 309 00:17:49.279 --> 00:17:51.680 third section, which is the medior section with the leaf 310 00:17:51.759 --> 00:17:57.359 growth model, and that's you know, kind of driving you 311 00:17:57.440 --> 00:18:02.039 forward for purposeful work, right, and then finally it's scattering 312 00:18:02.079 --> 00:18:04.920 your seeds for purposeful life. And so if you think 313 00:18:04.960 --> 00:18:07.519 about that four circle band diagram, all of that is 314 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:11.039 revolving around purposeful growth, and it's different for all of us. 315 00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:13.599 I created my own purpose statement a few years ago, 316 00:18:13.640 --> 00:18:16.000 and I wanted to drink my own kool aid, and 317 00:18:16.039 --> 00:18:18.920 I said, Lorenzo, I don't want to just make money 318 00:18:18.960 --> 00:18:21.519 and retire. I want to make a difference and inspire. 319 00:18:22.079 --> 00:18:23.920 And that means making a difference in the lives of 320 00:18:23.960 --> 00:18:26.359 others and inspiring them to want to do likewise. So 321 00:18:26.400 --> 00:18:29.759 it creates this virtuous cycle of reciprocity. And that's what 322 00:18:29.799 --> 00:18:33.359 I call paying it backward because it's not paying it forward. 323 00:18:33.799 --> 00:18:36.319 Because when I go to Starbucks, and I'm a big 324 00:18:36.359 --> 00:18:38.920 coffee junkie and I'm also a growth junkie, so a 325 00:18:38.920 --> 00:18:42.440 little both one hand washes the other. I'll pay for 326 00:18:42.480 --> 00:18:45.519 the car behind me in an intentional active kindness, not 327 00:18:45.640 --> 00:18:48.759 some random active kindness if the spirit moves me. But 328 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:52.440 I kind of made that my thing because it fits 329 00:18:52.480 --> 00:18:56.559 perfectly with my purpose statement because when I do that, 330 00:18:57.799 --> 00:19:02.160 I go to the to carry out or drive through 331 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:05.839 a counter and tell the person just tell them God 332 00:19:05.839 --> 00:19:08.359 bless you your debt has been paid, and they say, oh, 333 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:11.160 that's so nice, And then I drive off and I 334 00:19:11.160 --> 00:19:13.680 say a silent prayer for them. I don't know them, 335 00:19:13.960 --> 00:19:15.519 they don't know me, and I have no idea what 336 00:19:15.519 --> 00:19:17.880 they're going through in their life, but I'm merely praying 337 00:19:18.000 --> 00:19:20.400 for them to be blessed in some way by that 338 00:19:20.519 --> 00:19:25.680 intentional act of kindness. And there's a law of reciprocity, 339 00:19:25.799 --> 00:19:28.839 and it's truly a law proven by research. It says, 340 00:19:28.880 --> 00:19:31.640 when someone does something nice for you, you feel a 341 00:19:31.720 --> 00:19:34.519 deep urge to do something nice for somebody else, and 342 00:19:34.599 --> 00:19:39.559 oftentimes in greater measure. So now imagine that person feeling 343 00:19:39.640 --> 00:19:43.000 blessed at someone in the car ahead of them cared 344 00:19:43.119 --> 00:19:45.640 enough about them to not only bless them with a 345 00:19:45.640 --> 00:19:47.559 cup of copy or two, depending on how many people 346 00:19:47.559 --> 00:19:51.319 are in the car, but an actual blessing. And don't 347 00:19:51.319 --> 00:19:53.440 you think they might want to do likewise for the 348 00:19:53.480 --> 00:19:55.559 car behind them, and the car behind them, and the 349 00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:59.440 car behind them. I'm told it happens. So imagine the 350 00:19:59.559 --> 00:20:05.200 ripple of fact of just one active kindness or talking 351 00:20:05.240 --> 00:20:09.759 to and dealing with and loving on one team member 352 00:20:09.799 --> 00:20:14.200 who might be in your direct report. Once step Pebble 353 00:20:14.279 --> 00:20:17.640 goes in the pond, you don't see the pebble anymore, 354 00:20:18.160 --> 00:20:21.119 but you see the ripple on top of the water. Now, 355 00:20:21.160 --> 00:20:23.720 imagine if you have four or five direct reports, you 356 00:20:23.799 --> 00:20:26.599 have the opportunity for four or five pebbles, and now 357 00:20:26.839 --> 00:20:30.839 all of a sudden, exponentially you're reaching more people and 358 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:36.240 more lives. And so for me, that's what it's all about. Yeah, 359 00:20:36.440 --> 00:20:36.839 I love that. 360 00:20:37.000 --> 00:20:39.079 There's there's a lot of things you spoke about that 361 00:20:39.240 --> 00:20:41.799 that really resonated with me. And I think the kind 362 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:44.119 of you know, doing something with no expectation of return, 363 00:20:44.640 --> 00:20:47.400 you know, doing the right thing, kind of being that 364 00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:49.519 pebble to make the positive ripple the cross. I think 365 00:20:49.519 --> 00:20:51.519 it's such an important thing and just in life in general, 366 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:56.000 but especially when you are responsible for the development and 367 00:20:56.039 --> 00:20:58.880 the success of kind of people under your leadership or 368 00:20:59.160 --> 00:21:01.160 you know a month you with the work that you 369 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:03.400 do every single day. I also think, you know, you 370 00:21:03.480 --> 00:21:07.599 brought this up around the power and the time you 371 00:21:07.640 --> 00:21:10.880 have to spend figuring out who you are. And I 372 00:21:10.880 --> 00:21:12.640 love kind of the questions that you ask and how 373 00:21:12.680 --> 00:21:15.440 you talk about that. Because I was having this conversation 374 00:21:15.640 --> 00:21:19.759 not too long ago with Elizabeth Biennik who's also another 375 00:21:20.039 --> 00:21:23.319 leadership author around. Sometimes we look in the mirror and 376 00:21:23.359 --> 00:21:27.200 we see the aspirational version of ourselves, who we want 377 00:21:27.240 --> 00:21:29.599 to be, who we think we should be, how we 378 00:21:29.640 --> 00:21:32.880 think we show up, and if we really want to 379 00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:34.839 be able to pour into others, we also have to 380 00:21:34.839 --> 00:21:38.240 pour into ourselves with an with with with an element 381 00:21:38.279 --> 00:21:41.960 of self accountability and and and a realization of that 382 00:21:42.119 --> 00:21:44.720 how we think we show up may not actually be 383 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:47.039 how we show up. And we have to do that 384 00:21:47.200 --> 00:21:49.240 work to ask those around us and bring them on 385 00:21:49.279 --> 00:21:52.319 the journey and be open enough to take that in. 386 00:21:53.000 --> 00:21:53.960 That's a critical piece. 387 00:21:54.279 --> 00:21:57.200 Yeah, amen, brother, I tell you there's this chapter in 388 00:21:57.240 --> 00:22:00.640 the book that says, you know, who are you? And 389 00:22:00.680 --> 00:22:03.920 there's four dimensional four dimensions of you As I see 390 00:22:03.960 --> 00:22:06.279 it again, they're all intertwined like that four circle vent 391 00:22:06.400 --> 00:22:08.400 diagram that I use as a model throughout the book. 392 00:22:08.440 --> 00:22:10.400 It's not the model for everything, but I found it 393 00:22:10.440 --> 00:22:12.640 to be pretty darn good for a lot of things. 394 00:22:13.480 --> 00:22:16.680 And you're right, there is who you think you are, 395 00:22:17.559 --> 00:22:21.359 there's who you actually are, there's who others see you 396 00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:25.119 as being to your point about you know, getting feedback, 397 00:22:25.160 --> 00:22:27.960 and then there's who you ideally want to be, and 398 00:22:28.000 --> 00:22:31.480 so you have to understand each of those four circles, 399 00:22:31.960 --> 00:22:35.079 and there are diagnostic tools that are out there that 400 00:22:35.160 --> 00:22:38.400 can help you understand. You know, not only who you 401 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:41.000