WEBVTT

1
00:00:04.200 --> 00:00:06.960
<v Speaker 1>Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of

2
00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:11.720
<v Speaker 1>performance through strong human relations, team building, and golajving. This

3
00:00:11.919 --> 00:00:15.519
<v Speaker 1>is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host Paul

4
00:00:15.599 --> 00:00:23.960
<v Speaker 1>fella Aledo. Hello everyone, and welcome to the Seven Minute

5
00:00:24.039 --> 00:00:28.879
<v Speaker 1>Leadership Podcast. It's episode five twenty six. Today we're taking

6
00:00:28.920 --> 00:00:33.399
<v Speaker 1>a trip back to the wisdom of Aristotle, who said

7
00:00:34.119 --> 00:00:38.280
<v Speaker 1>excellence is not an act, but a habit. It's one

8
00:00:38.280 --> 00:00:42.439
<v Speaker 1>of the most important quoted lines in leadership and personal development,

9
00:00:42.520 --> 00:00:46.920
<v Speaker 1>but too often people hear it not in agreement and

10
00:00:46.960 --> 00:00:50.840
<v Speaker 1>then never apply it. So for today's episode, let's break

11
00:00:50.880 --> 00:00:57.079
<v Speaker 1>it down and make it real. Excellence isn't about one

12
00:00:57.159 --> 00:01:01.679
<v Speaker 1>shining moment. It's not the big present you nailed, the

13
00:01:01.799 --> 00:01:05.719
<v Speaker 1>huge deal you closed, or the one time you went

14
00:01:05.879 --> 00:01:11.000
<v Speaker 1>above and beyond for your team. Those are snapshots. But excellence,

15
00:01:11.200 --> 00:01:15.760
<v Speaker 1>the kind that defines a leader, the kind that earns trust,

16
00:01:16.400 --> 00:01:21.599
<v Speaker 1>respect and followership, comes from what you do every single day,

17
00:01:21.879 --> 00:01:26.200
<v Speaker 1>especially when nobody's watching. Think about the athlete who doesn't

18
00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:29.959
<v Speaker 1>just train on game day, but trains every morning at

19
00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:34.599
<v Speaker 1>five am when the stands are empty, or the paramedic

20
00:01:34.640 --> 00:01:38.560
<v Speaker 1>who doesn't only care about patient care when supervisors are present.

21
00:01:39.159 --> 00:01:44.319
<v Speaker 1>But checks their equipment thoroughly on every shift, or the

22
00:01:44.400 --> 00:01:48.040
<v Speaker 1>pilot who never skips a checklist even when they've flown

23
00:01:48.120 --> 00:01:53.000
<v Speaker 1>the same route a thousand times. Those aren't one time acts.

24
00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:59.120
<v Speaker 1>Those are habits. Now Here's the hard truth. Average is

25
00:01:59.120 --> 00:02:03.959
<v Speaker 1>a habit too. Cutting corners, showing up late, not preparing

26
00:02:04.040 --> 00:02:09.319
<v Speaker 1>for meetings, letting little details slide. Those are habits, and

27
00:02:09.400 --> 00:02:12.240
<v Speaker 1>if you let them build up, your people will notice.

28
00:02:12.719 --> 00:02:15.719
<v Speaker 1>Teams don't remember the one big speech you gave. They

29
00:02:15.759 --> 00:02:22.560
<v Speaker 1>remember if you're consistently dependable, consistently fair, and consistently clear.

30
00:02:23.599 --> 00:02:29.319
<v Speaker 1>So how do you turn Aristotle's wisdom into something actionable?

31
00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:34.879
<v Speaker 1>Let me give you three takeaways. Number one, audit your

32
00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:40.080
<v Speaker 1>daily habits. Ask yourself, are your small daily actions moving

33
00:02:40.120 --> 00:02:44.960
<v Speaker 1>you toward excellence or away from it? Excellence doesn't hide

34
00:02:45.000 --> 00:02:48.039
<v Speaker 1>in the big things. It's in the emails you send,

35
00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:51.639
<v Speaker 1>the tone of your voice in tough conversations, in the

36
00:02:51.680 --> 00:02:57.520
<v Speaker 1>way you respond to stress. Number two, define your non negotiables.

37
00:02:57.599 --> 00:03:00.919
<v Speaker 1>These are the habits you commit to no matter what.

38
00:03:01.879 --> 00:03:05.960
<v Speaker 1>For me, it's preparation, whether it's a podcast, a meeting,

39
00:03:06.080 --> 00:03:09.120
<v Speaker 1>or a training session. I don't just wing it. That's

40
00:03:09.240 --> 00:03:13.000
<v Speaker 1>my habit. What are yours. Maybe it's being present for

41
00:03:13.080 --> 00:03:18.120
<v Speaker 1>your people. Maybe it's never walking past a problem without

42
00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:24.039
<v Speaker 1>addressing it. And number three, make it visible. Excellence should

43
00:03:24.120 --> 00:03:28.039
<v Speaker 1>show up in your calendar, your schedule, and your systems.

44
00:03:28.759 --> 00:03:32.840
<v Speaker 1>If you believe feedback is critical, then set a weekly

45
00:03:32.960 --> 00:03:36.199
<v Speaker 1>reminder to give it. If you believe learning is key,

46
00:03:37.039 --> 00:03:41.080
<v Speaker 1>then block twenty minutes every day to read, study, or

47
00:03:41.159 --> 00:03:46.319
<v Speaker 1>listen to something that sharpens you. Habits need structure in

48
00:03:46.439 --> 00:03:49.879
<v Speaker 1>order to survive. So let me give you a challenge.

49
00:03:50.120 --> 00:03:54.759
<v Speaker 1>Pick one habit of excellence and start it today. Just one.

50
00:03:54.919 --> 00:03:58.680
<v Speaker 1>Don't overcomplicate it. Maybe it's greeting every team member by

51
00:03:58.759 --> 00:04:01.879
<v Speaker 1>name when you walk in. Maybe it's writing a five

52
00:04:01.960 --> 00:04:04.800
<v Speaker 1>sentence reflection at the end of every day about how

53
00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:07.960
<v Speaker 1>you showed up as a leader. Do it every day

54
00:04:08.319 --> 00:04:12.599
<v Speaker 1>for the next thirty days. You'll see results that you

55
00:04:12.639 --> 00:04:19.680
<v Speaker 1>can't ignore, and so will your people. Remember, habits build

56
00:04:19.720 --> 00:04:25.079
<v Speaker 1>a culture. If your habits say average, your team will

57
00:04:25.120 --> 00:04:30.680
<v Speaker 1>respond with average. If your habits say excellence, your team

58
00:04:30.759 --> 00:04:35.600
<v Speaker 1>will rise to meet you. Excellence is never about one act.

59
00:04:36.399 --> 00:04:43.399
<v Speaker 1>It's who you are repeatedly every single day. That's Aristotle's message,

60
00:04:43.959 --> 00:04:48.480
<v Speaker 1>and in leadership it's not optional. This has been the

61
00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:51.839
<v Speaker 1>seven Minute Leadership podcast, and I thank you for listening.

62
00:04:52.160 --> 00:04:56.079
<v Speaker 1>For more Paul fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot

63
00:04:56.120 --> 00:04:56.519
<v Speaker 1>com