In November, 2023, I had the honor of speaking at First Fridays Fort Wayne – a leadership networking forum that I co-founded with my brother. Here’s the video presentation of my talk that day:
#leadershipdevelopment
Personal Update
About a month ago, I began a new role at CVC Communications in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I am the new VP of Business Development. CVC has been in business for over 40 years. We specialize in creating customized online training solutions for companies in the US, Canada, and around the world.
What topics can we cover? Well, we create customized training that is done in partnership with our client’s subject matter experts. We have covered training topics such as:
- Sales
- Customer Service / Experience
- Company Culture
- Safety
- Maintenance
- Technician training
- Leadership Development
- and many more
We have worked with very familiar brands such as: Pepsi, Lilly, Stanley, Bosch, Johnson & Johnson, Siemens, GE, Discover, Kubota, just to name a few.
We have worked with companies whose workforce is spread across the US, Canada, and around the world. We can deliver training anywhere, at any time, and on any device. We can deliver in multiple languages. And it is all trackable and measurable.
I am excited to be with CVC Communications. Visit us at: www.BusinessStoryTellers.com
I would love to partner with your organization!
What are You Investing In?
Global Leadership Summit 2019 Registration
Make an investment in your leadership development. The GLS is coming to a city near you! I participate in the largest remote site in the world here in Fort Wayne, Indiana. There are sites all over the world as well. If you haven’t registered, there is still time. Use this link to register and learn from top leaders: Global Leadership Summit Registration link
Speakers included: Craig Groeschel, Bozoma Saint John, Patrick Lencioni, Jia Jiang, Jo Saxton, Bear Grylls, Ben Sherwood, and others
SPECIAL PRICING ENDS TODAY! (June 25)
I Read to Grow
I have set reading goals for 3 years now. The past two years, my goal was to read 12 books in a year. I did that two years ago. Last year I read 18 books. This year my goal is 24. I’m on my 8th currently.
I read about leadership, marketing, habits, biographies, and self-development. This is the book I just started last evening. I’ve read Dr. Helmstetter’s book What Do You Say When You Talk to Yourself. In fact, I’ve read and re-read it.
This new book is proving to be great as well.
“Your brain is changed by the thoughts you think. You can rewire your brain.”
I’m 59 years old. This thought brings me great hope! I can learn more. I can become more. You can, too!
I encourage you to live a life of learning. It’s not too late to start. For me, I learn most through reading. But there are seminars, continuing education, blogs, podcasts, mastermind groups…the list goes on. We have more resources available to us than ever before. Pick one and dig in.
You and I can become better. Go for it!
Leadership Forum Resource
Are you looking for a regular leadership forum where you can learn lessons from incredible leaders? My brother and I created a leadership forum in Fort Wayne, Indiana that we call First Fridays Fort Wayne.
Every month, leaders from across Northeast Indiana come together to listen to another leader share lessons that they’ve learned and bring valuable insights. We are now on YouTube and you can follow us there by searching for First Fridays Fort Wayne. You can also visit our website at https://firstfridaysfw.com
Plan on visiting our site and watch one of our events. We are in season 2. We have also launched this in Cincinnati, Ohio. And we are in the works to launch in a third site here in Indiana.
Preparing for 2019 by Jim Johnson
This is that time of year. Budgets have been turned in. We are closing out one year and getting ready for a new year. Strategic planning sessions have happened. Follow-up sessions may still be on the calendar.
What are you expecting for your business in 2019? Growth? Increase in revenue? Larger market presence? I’m sure most of that and more is true.
But what about YOU?
What are you expecting out of YOU in 2019? Now is the time to prepare. Here are some things you may want to consider:
Read
If you know me, you know I am a big advocate of reading. The past 2 years, I set a goal to read 12 books/year. I did it 2 years ago. This year, I’m on track to read 19. My goal in 2019 is to read 24. How will I do that? I’ve already established a simple process that I learned from Jeff Olson (author of the Slight Edge). Read 10 pages/day. Most business books can be read in 1 month with this process. I am capable of reading 20 pages/day. This process works.
Connect
Make 2019 the year you better connect with the community of leaders around you. Find a meaningful networking group. Or start one like my brother and I did last year (we can help you do this!).
Serve
Make your work and your passions about serving others. What you receive back will be more than you can imagine.
Create
Take time to think about big ideas and then take action on it. Experiment. Collaborate. Innovate. The world needs your creative passions to emerge! Get out of your rut and start asking yourself, “What if…?”
If you are looking for something to jump-start you, pick up the book Atomic Habits – Tiny Changes, Remarkable Results by James Clear. I just recently heard about this book and ordered it. I started it last night. It’s not about goals but about the processes (habits) we can create to help us achieve far more than we thought possible. It is outstanding so far! If you have read Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit or Jeff Olson’s The Slight Edge, this book is an excellent compliment to those.
Book Reading Goal for 2018
I set a goal for 2018 to read at least 12 books this year. In the spirit of accountability, here is what I’ve accomplished so far:
- Leverage (January)
- Mindset (3/4/18)
- The CEO Next Door (3/15/18)
- Millionaire Success Habits (3/4/18)
- High Performance Habits (4/3/18)
- The Energy Bus (4/4/18)
- Everyone Communicates, Few Connect (4/17/18)
- Strengths Finder 2.0 (May 2018)
- Born to Build (Clifton) (7/1/18)
On deck for me are the following books:
- Third Door
- Sharpen Your Verbal Edge
- The Future Belongs to Those Who Dare
- Super Connector
- The Surprising Power of the Coil
What are you reading?
Global Leadership Summit – time to register!
On August 9-10, you can experience the Global Leadership Summit. Be exposed to some of the best leaders from around the world. There are Summit remote locations all over the planet, so nearly anyone can experience GLS.
To register, follow this link: Global Leadership Summit Registration
Attend. Experience. Grow.
Connecting with Others Goes Beyond Words
I am reading John Maxwell’s book, Everyone Communicates, Few Connect. I highly recommend this book! As you may remember, I strive to read 10 pages each day which allows me to read most books in a month or less. This is book #6 for me since January 1 – yes, I sometimes read more than 10 pages per day! This is one of those books.
In today’s reading, John writes about connecting with others goes beyond the words we use. I particularly like the section he entitles “What People Feel – Connecting Emotionally”. I suppose this struck home with me because I need work in this area. Here are some points that I want to share that are making me think and act differently:
- “The colossal misunderstanding of our time is the assumption that insight will work with people who are unmotivated to change….People can only hear you when they are moving toward you, and they are not likely to when your words are pursuing them. Even the choicest words lose their power when they are used to overpower.” (Rabbi Edwin H. Friedman)
- “The exact words that you use are far less important than the energy, intensity, and conviction with which you use them.” (Jules Rose)
- Effective communicators “pay attention to other people, and they desire to add value to them.”
- Do you want to improve you communication skills in one-on-one, group, and audience settings? “You need to be positive, believe in yourself, and focus on others.”
These are just a few of the tidbits found in this great book. If you are looking for books to read in 2018, add this one to your list!
Go, Leader, Grow! 