You’ll hear him talk about: 

1. The joy of being associated with gratitude.
2. The fallacy of perfection.
3. The serendipitous moments that the year 2020 has instigated.
4. A new project under the This Extraordinary Life banner.
5. Intentionality.

Kevin encourages anyone who is willing to add their take to This Extraordinary Life to call or text him at 404-713-0713, or send their suggestions to kevin@thisextraordinarylife.com 

Resources

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

ThisExtraordinary.life

Reach out to Kevin at 404-713-0713 to find out more about his newest project!

This week’s theme is about belonging. As most of us spend most of our time at work, our experiences there have the potential to impact all other aspects of our lives. When you belong at your workplace, it improves your quality of life. You go home happy which encourages a happy and healthy home atmosphere; this then enables you to go to work happy and healthy, and the cycle continues. 

You’ll hear Paul and Kevin Monroe talk about:

1. What happens when teamwork, love and the environment work together in harmony.
2. The misconceptions surrounding leadership from the heart.
3. How belonging is more than just a feeling.
4. What true courage is about.
5. The full value of belonging.

Paul stays for the Community Magic segment and shares his experiences with belonging in the This ExtraOrdinary Life community.

Resources

Paul Haury on LinkedIn | Twitter

HeartBasedLeading.com

Email: paul@heartbasedleading.com 

Call or text Paul at +206-714-6113

Her work is motivated by philotimo, a Greek personal and cultural imperative that life has a deeper meaning through larger contributions, to honor your God-given gifts by improving the lives of others.  

This week’s episode is all about balance and energy. Theo and Kevin talk about the different ways energy shows up in our lives and how to balance the different kinds we experience to be happier and more fulfilled, and ultimately able to do more for others. 

Some of the topics they explored are:

1. The importance of family, history and culture - and how they shape us.
2. How ideas take work - even inspired ones. Pairing hustle with flow can make all the difference in how you approach things. 
3. Presence - being present is the ability to suspend the chatter in your mind. This is a gift you can give to the people you spend time with.
4. You are the curator of your own life and can make space for what you want to have in it. This is true for people, projects, energy and emotions. 
5. The importance, and sometimes the difficulty, of being kind to yourself, and the micro strategies you can use to do so. 

This week’s community magic - we have another wonderful thought from Theo

ConnectWithTheo.com

The Balance Between Hustle and Flow

This week’s theme explores emotions. Emotions carry over into every aspect of our lives, from decision-making to relationships and our mental and physical health. Emotions also fuel the creative process. Developing emotional intelligence unlocks untapped potential and has the power to change our whole lives.

You’ll hear Marc and Kevin Monroe discuss:

1. The effect that emotions have on our personal and professional lives.
2. Why there is no such thing as a ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ emotion.
3. There’s no correlation between your inclination to experience strong emotions and your skill in managing them. 
4. How community affects the individual.
5. Why it’s important to identify which emotions are best suited for different tasks.

Arlene Mendoza of the This ExtraOrdinary Life community talks about emotional language.

Resources

Marc Brackett on LinkedIn

MarcBrackett.com

Permission to Feel: Unlocking the Power of Emotions to Help Our Kids, Ourselves, and Our Society Thrive

The theme of this week’s episode is hospitality. When we say hospitality, we don’t mean how to set a table; it’s about creating a genuinely welcoming climate in an organization. When you create an environment that is truly welcoming to a diverse group of people, you have amazing potential to combat the difficulties of the world today. 

You’ll hear Terry and Kevin Monroe talk about:

1. How hospitality combats polarization.
2. The five welcomes of hospitable leadership.
3. Hospitality and belonging.
4. How hospitality intersects with diversification and inclusivity.
5. What it takes to be hospitable.

Kat Haste, the resident artist for the Gratitude Challenge, shares what excites her most about creating art that inspires gratitude. 

Kevin and Kat are proud to announce the unveiling of a new facet of the Gratitude Challenge: the Gratitude Challenge Card Deck! This deck consists of 54 prompts in a lovely gift box sized for your convenience to use anywhere at any time you wish. 

Resources

Terry Smith on Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

TerryASmith.com

The Hospitable Leader: Create Environments Where People and Dreams Can Flourish

Pre-order the Gratitude Challenge Card Deck

This week, we explore the theme of intention, a concept that is often misunderstood. Intention is energy: living intentionally shortens the amount of time one gets thrown off course. Choosing to live intentionally gives you more options for how to go about life. It takes practice, and is a conscious choice you have to make every day. 

You’ll hear her and Kevin Monroe discuss:

1. The connection between intentionality and serendipity.
2. What success really means.
3. The disciplines of focusing on one thing.
4. The definition of intention.
5. How intentionality impacts your life.

Kevin Monroe reflects on the impact that the This Extraordinary Life community has had on his life so far.

Resources

Lorin Beller on LinkedIn | Twitter

LorinBeller.com | ChangeMakerNation.com

This week’s theme is kindness, and why we need it. Kindness is bigger than just being kind; it involves being your authentic self, warmth, depth and empathy. Kindness is not a soft skill. Though society sees kindness as a weakness, it requires immense strength.

You’ll hear them and Kevin Monroe discuss:

1. What kindness means to them.
2. Instances where they were recipients of kind acts.
3. Why we should be kinder to ourselves.
4. The correlation between kindness and gratitude.
5. Overcoming your negativity bias.

Sarah Radican of the This Extraordinary Life community returns to share more thoughts about community and belonging.

Resources

Emma Lloyd on LinkedIn | Twitter

Joanna Suvarna on LinkedIn | Twitter

BeTheRipple.co.uk

The theme of this week’s episode is belonging, and how it impacts your life both personally and professionally. Onlyness is the experience, purpose, talent and perspective that lies untapped within every person. Feeling a sense of belonging is key to untapping the potential of your employees.

You’ll hear her and Kevin Monroe talk about:

1. What onlyness means.
2. The power of questions.
3. The importance of choosing your friends wisely.
4. What belonging feels like.
5. Defining your identity.

Linda Simpson of the This Extraordinary Life community shares past experiences with belonging at work. 

Resources

Nilofer Merchant on LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram

Call or text Nilofer: 404-713-0713

Join Nilofer on a journey to change the workplace at @work.

The Benefit of Belonging

The theme of this week’s episode is the intersection of modern technology and social networks. Software has a generative ability to unlock positive, constructive relationships and build deeper connections. Additionally, creator-led communities present us with the opportunity to redefine success. 

You’ll hear Gina and Kevin Monroe talk about:

1. The origins of Mighty Networks.
2. The role of software in facilitating community and connection.
3. The keys to a flourishing online community.
4. How software has been weaponized to destroy rather than construct.
5. How community is more than just having commonalities.

Sarah Ratekin of the This Extraordinary Life community shares thoughts and reflections about community. 

Resources

Gina Bianchini on LinkedIn | Twitter

MightyNetworks.com

The theme of this week’s show is that conversation begets connection, and connection begets community. Our conversations have the potential to be profound and life-changing in the simplest of ways. Within the last 50 years our means of communication have advanced tremendously; this enables us to have more conversation, make more connections, and build more communities. 

In this episode you’ll hear him and Kevin Monroe discuss:

1. The definition of conversation.
2. Serendipitous encounters.
3. How to replace expectation with anticipation.
4. Blitzr, an online platform that lets you interact with and have stimulating conversations with new people.
5. Practical steps one can take to create better conversations with those we’re distanced from.

Hedden of the This Extraordinary Life community talks about his experiences with conversations and how they led him into the extraordinary.

Resources

Jeff Durso on LinkedIn | Twitter

JeffDurso.com

Blitzr.com

Jeff and Kevin are extending an invite to listeners to join a Blitz with them! Visit the website to learn more.

Listening is the willingness to have your mind changed, and the difference between hearing and listening is the action we take. Kevin and his guests explore the concept of active listening with the intent to understand and act, not just to respond. What’s the role of a listener, and how can we be a better one?

They’ll share:

1. The difference between hearing and listening.
2. How the state of listening has changed during the current pandemic.
3. Ways to address interruptions or distractions.
4. How to be an ear of reason in a global crisis.
5. How to create a listening environment.  

Scott James of the This Extraordinary Life community touches on how today’s guests have impacted him along his personal and professional journey.

Resources

Jane Adshead-Grant on LinkedIn | Twitter

Email: jane@ashvaleconsultancy.com

JaneAdsheadGrant.com

Oscar Trimboli on LinkedIn | Twitter

OscarTrimboli.com

You’ll hear him talk about: 

1. The impact that community has on your life.
2. How to humanize transactional interactions.
3. His encounter with Congressman John Lewis.
4. How a simple decision gave him the opportunity to witness the history lesson of a lifetime.
5. A truly extraordinary connection between two of his friends, Arlene Mendoza and Jason Meucci

Resources

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

ThisExtraordinary.life

One of the themes that we are going to be returning to again and again is the idea of the 7 people who enter your life and make a huge impact on your journey to finding your purpose.

There are certain people who you will meet in your life, who are going to make a huge difference for you in different ways. They will impact how you think and feel, and what you do.

These people may appear once in a lifetime, or regularly. They may be in your life for a long time, or for only a brief window – no matter what kind of relationship you have with them – they are going to matter.

Here’s a quick list of the roles these people play in your life:

• Awakener – who alerts you to your purpose
• Doubter – who questions your worth
• Encourager – who encourages and has confidence in you
• Hero – who inspires and models greatness
• Mentor – who you have a close and trusting relationship with
• Critic – who thwarts your progress
• Ally – who supports and helps you

Even though some of these people can cause you pain – they are ALL instructive and necessary to help you connect with your purpose. For those that bring you comfort and joy – tell them! 

Resources

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Laurie Cameron, founder of PurposeBlue and bestselling author of The Power of Self-Compassion, talks with Kevin Monroe about the benefits of mindfulness and the journey to self-compassion, as well as the hurdles one might come across on that journey.

The Inner Critic

Laurie shares a disheartening experience with someone in which her trust was broken. Her first thought was critical of herself and the red flags she ignored: her “inner critic” had reared its head. The inner critic is part of our biology and is there to protect us to ensure we survive both physically and emotionally, Laurie says. The first step in practicing self-compassion is not ignoring the inner critic, but acknowledging it and moving past the cognitive analysis of the hurtful event. 

Shifting Your Perspective

Laurie communicates that some of our feelings of being hurt are due to a narrative that we tell ourselves. Mindfulness training helps you to observe your narratives, and analyse how you interpret others’ actions and intentions. Only then would you be able to shift your perspective to objectively understand your situation and avoid miscommunication. 

Touch as Self Care

Kevin quotes from Laurie’s book, “Touch activates the physiology of care,” and comments that he hadn’t considered an individual’s touch to themselves falling under that category. He now realizes that you can apply the physiology of care to yourself. Laurie adds that the tool of touch is one of many approaches to practicing self-compassion and is a primal development of our biology.

I’m Not That Voice

We’re born with a negativity bias that has good intentions - to protect us - but is counterproductive as it creates a fixed mindset which is demotivating and stunts growth. The voice may be more dominant in individuals conditioned to be critical. We may associate our identity with that negative inner voice instead of seeing certain behaviors and patterns as transient. Thankfully, Laurie conveys, we can recondition or unlearn the negative voice and relearn a positive voice.

Self-Compassion is Not Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is tied to ranking, rating, and comparison to others. Comparison has caused much emotional suffering and loneliness in society. On the other hand, self-compassion has nothing to do with metrics; it’s all about how we see and treat ourselves in the moment. Laurie offers some insight and practical tips on how to practice self-compassion. She hopes that people can engage in mindfulness, self-awareness and self-acceptance. Mindfulness is accepting that life is messy and mistakes are normal, she adds. It’s the practice of accepting what is and amplifying the good. 

Resources

The Power of Self-Compassion 

PurposeBlue.com

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Executive coach and author of Are You Listening or Just Waiting to Speak, Jane Adshead-Grant is the guest on today’s show. She shares deep insights about listening with host Kevin Monroe, including why she discourages note-taking during conversations.

Don’t Take Notes 

Kevin often creates some questions to ask podcast guests as a springboard to their conversation. While they are speaking, he jots down notes so that he remembers important points or ideas he wants to revisit. Jane discourages this practice. She says that instead of taking notes, he should trust himself. When you listen deeply, you’re allowing the speaker to continue to think and speak at their very best. You will remember the essential elements of what they said, she assures Kevin. To listen deeply, you must first be at ease with yourself as the listener; you must know that both speaker and listener have equal capacity to think, listen and share; and you must appreciate each other for the qualities that you see in one another.

The Gift of Time

Kevin asks what listeners can do to be more present in the conversation. Jane advises them to give themselves the gift of this time, free from judgment, distraction and interruption. Distraction can be both internal and external, she says. An example of internal distraction is when your mind wanders; she advises that you should mentally check yourself when this happens and bring your focus back to the conversation. The most common external distraction is the phone: just put it on silent. When you actively give your attention - paying attention is more passive and reactive, Jane says - you’re giving respect to the other person. You’re saying that in this moment they are more important than anything else.

Let Silence Do the Heavy Lifting

Jane writes in her book that we should let silence do the heavy lifting. Kevin asks her to unpack that statement. She explains that people need time to process questions or information. Giving them the opportunity to pause while they process their thoughts is a real gift. Humans think in waves and pauses: we have a wave of thinking, and then we naturally pause. If we allow that silence for long enough, the brain itself will soar once more in a new way, Jane says.

Don’t Interrupt

The brain receives an interruption like an assault, Jane reveals. One of the greatest things we can do is resist the urge to interrupt and allow the person to complete their thoughts, feelings and ideas. Interrupting prevents the person from flourishing into who they are meant to become. If you absolutely must interrupt, you should do it as gracefully as possible, while the person takes a pause. If you inadvertently interrupt someone, apologize. 

Listening is a Gift

Jane reminds us that listening is a gift that is worth mastering because it shows how much you care. When you listen to someone to generate their best thinking, it frees them to be more, to create more, to feel more courageous. Whereas time is the currency of leadership, listening is the currency of relationship.

Resources

JaneAdsheadGrant.com

Jane on LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram

Nilofer Merchant is a famous author and speaker for TED Conferences. Her most recent book, The Power of Onlyness, talks about worthiness and the connected individuality of all human beings. She joins Kevin Monroe to discuss her book and how the principles in it apply to current events.

The New Normal

Nilofer talks about the things people are doing to help those in need. People now have the voice to create change, she says. She gives an example of altruism that arose due to the coronavirus, and states that society may come to the point where we realize our fates are linked rather than ranked or separated. She ponders on the possibility of the care with which we treat others and the connectivity we have established becoming the new normal. Onlyness’ role in this is to be the combination of voice and belonging that creates real change and lasting connection between people. 

Making a Difference

There are people who feel like they should be doing more. Part of their struggle is that they think they need to do something of a grander scale to make a difference. All they need to do is care for the person next to them, Kevin says. Nilofer adds that whatever you pay attention to grows, so if you focus more on having a grand plan rather than actually showing love, it’s counteractive. Center on what you know and what you can do right in the moment, and the rest will take care of itself. 

Onlyness

Nilofer defines onlyness as the source of all ideas and innovation. Onlyness is contrary to the traditional hierarchy of worthy contribution, and holds an egalitarian view that everyone has something of value to add to the world. We have been conditioned to believe that our level of capability relies solely on measures such as level of education, but that is a lie, Nilofer says. For example, we now realize how dependent we are on grocery store workers, a position that has historically been considered low-skilled. They are part of a system that feeds us, which allows us to exist and do our creative work. Contribute, don’t compare.

Part of A System

When you enter a room, your light illuminates the entire space. This makes it difficult to discern your own ‘only’ because the light you shine is also the filter you see the world through. Here is where others come in to help you, as they have the perspective to see the difference in the world when you are present and absent. The meaning of individual is the smallest measure of humankind, so even alone, you are never disconnected. 

Parking Your Fears

Nilofer says she has to park her fears in order to be present for a conversation. Fear always demands to be heard and gets louder the more it is ignored. She believes fear acts as a signal, like every other emotion. It doesn’t have to rule you, but you need to pay attention to it.

Hope Is A Bridge

“Hope is a thing with others that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all,” Nilofer quotes. She shares a past experience in which she thought hope was something lightweight, but now she defines it as the bridge we have to walk across in order to get to a new future. She believes that unity happens because two people are both going toward the same thing together.

Resources

Nilofer Merchant on LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

NiloferMerchant.com

The Power of Onlyness: Make Your Wild Ideas Mighty Enough to Dent the World

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Kevin describes an interaction with a colleague that caused him to have an epiphany. After pondering about his purpose, his colleague proposed that he was already fulfilling it. He talks about playing it safe in his professional life by spreading his energy evenly into all his projects. He was “making a millimeter of progress in a million directions rather than going far in one direction.” 

You already have everything you need to live this extraordinary life. Instead of framing, “What if I go all-in on this extraordinary life?” as a rhetorical or theoretical question, Kevin used it as a clarifying question for all facets of business. This prompted the re-branding of the Higher Purpose Podcast to This Extraordinary Life podcast. Kevin details the changes and new features expected to come with the re-branding.

This Extraordinary Life is expected to launch between late August and early September.

Resources

ThisExtraordinary.Life

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Everyone’s Extra

We are all ordinary people, but what sets us apart is our “extras.” Extra is defined by Emily as a gift or calling unique to each individual. Sometimes we only recognize or identify our extras when other people point them out to us. We often undervalue them because they come so easily to us that we think of them as things everyone can do. That which you are gifted to do, you do not understand; you cannot deconstruct it and teach it to other people because you do it naturally, Kevin quotes.

The Little Things

People are hung up on the idea that your extras need to be extravagant and large to set you apart, but in reality, the cumulative effect of the little things unique to you is what brings the extra to the ordinary and transcends you to extraordinary.

The Power of Thoughts and Feelings

Thoughts trigger biochemical secretions which generate emotional responses, or feelings. The nature of these thoughts, whether positive or negative, affect the subsequent emotional response. According to Emily, 97% of our decisions are made off of feelings. We like to think we are logical in our decisions making, Kevin remarks, but almost every buying decision we have ever made has been an emotional decision, which we then use logic to justify. Emily describes her background and how she learned the importance of addressing her feelings through her experiences.

Killing the ANTs

A step to breaking bad habits and behaviors is addressing our thoughts by killing the ANTs. ANTs are Automatic Negative Thoughts, that correlate to the negativity bias instilled in all of us, Emily says. Think of your automatic negative thought as an ant you need to squash. Start by acknowledging the thought, and questioning why it is there. 

Failure is Not the Antithesis of Success

Failure is a process of success, Emily argues. If you don’t fail then you won’t succeed. Most of us think that success or failure is about the final outcome, Kevin adds. Rather, failure is part of the journey to success, not its antithesis.

Kevin quotes a response he received to the question of what makes life extraordinary. “For me,” he says, “it is to continue to seek and create harmony. When I am in harmony, there are four things that are aligned: what I do; what I think; what I say; and how I feel. In those moments, things flow without a sense of agitation, tension, or stress.”

Resources

Emily Elrod on LinkedIn

Workzbe.com

Email: emily@workzbe.com

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

In Safe Hands

Lucas shares an experience that reminded him to not take the safety of his family for granted. He thinks about two coordinating realities everyday: we are on the precipice of complete disaster and pain in our daily lives, yet there is comfort in that we are not in control and someone is always watching over us. 

Hidden Extraordinary Opportunities

Ordinary events have the opportunity to be much more than just mundane moments, Kevin says. He prompts Lucas to share another experience, in which he made a choice to help someone in need even though his best interest was to carry on his way. He stepped into something extraordinary by responding to an ordinary opportunity, Kevin remarks. It was a divine appointment that, though it was planned for him, he could have elected to ignore. This is why fatalism and/or passive faith can be fatal, Lucas says. We are slothful in our hoping and expect that if something is meant to happen, it will magically manifest. He speaks about the impact that experience had on his life. 

Love versus Fear or Love & Fear?

Lucas describes an experiment that sought to discover whether gain or fear was the bigger motivator, by using rats in a maze with cheese before them and the scent of a cat behind them. The results revealed that the simultaneous presence of both gain and fear motivated the rats more than just gain or just fear. Kevin references the work of Elisabeth Kubler-Ross on love and fear being the only two primary emotions. We often try to make binary choices, he says, as though we can shut off one or the other. If we are solely motivated by fear, then we will be reactionary in nature, Lucas adds. However fear reminds us that there is always something at stake. Furthermore, love propels us towards a goal. They can both be present at the same time.

Identity and Truth

Lucas believes the reason young people search so desperately for identity and purpose is to find freedom. Though there is agency on the outside, they don’t feel free on the inside, and so equate freedom with purpose, identity and destiny. Only the truth will set you free, he advises, and the truth is love. You don’t need to have a platform to make a monumental dent in the universe; you just need to love the people right in front of you.

Kevin urges listeners to choose to be kind and show love in a world full of choices.

Resources

Lucas Skrobot on LinkedIn | Instagram

LucasSkrobot.com

Call or text Lucas: 202-922-0220

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Gateway to Abundance

Gratitude is the gateway to abundance, Kevin says. It is easier to focus on what we lack or what we’ve lost due to our negativity bias. However, no amount of regret changes the past and no amount of anxiety changes the future, but any amount of gratitude has the power to change your present. Shifting one’s mindset towards gratitude during challenging periods can relieve feelings of negativity, Kerry advises. There is always something to be grateful for. She describes an experience in which expressing gratitude for someone she considered a friend enabled her to repair their relationship, which was interrupted by feelings of hurt.

What Gratitude Does

Life challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, but rather, help you discover who you are. Focusing on gratitude allows you to move forward into being the best version of yourself. Kerry urges listeners who may be experiencing difficulties in their personal and professional lives to practice gratitude by connecting with people that inspire them. People want to do a good job, she adds, and they will be more motivated to put more effort into their work if they feel genuinely appreciated. You can start by finding one person on your team and expressing your gratitude, emphasizing why they earned it. It will make a difference in the organization. Kerry shares an experience in which she expressed her gratitude to everyone in her company and they doubled their reciprocation of her gratitude. 

Infusion

Kevin asks Kerry what infusion means. Kerry defines infusion by using an analogy she learned from her grandmother: when cooking, you do not just add flavor to the food and call it a day. You must layer the flavors so that it is present in every bite. Similarly, gratitude must be a regular practice that is present in every level of an organization. It has to be cultivated and nurtured continuously. 

Receiving gratitude is often harder than practicing it. Kevin and Kerry urge listeners to graciously accept gratitude when it is expressed, because it is coming from a place of sincerity that should not be overlooked. 

Resources

Kerry Wekelo on LinkedIn | Twitter

KerryAlison.com 

ActualizeConsulting.com

Gratitude Infusion: Workplace Strategies for a Thriving Organizational Culture

Episode 118: Infusing Your Company with Culture 

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Anyone Can, But Not Everyone Will

Kevin believes that the act of listening to his podcast shows that listeners are aware that their lives have meaning and purpose, and strive to live an extraordinary life. This extraordinary life is here in the now rather than far in the distance. Anyone can do it regardless of their current circumstances, but not everyone will, he says. Though simple, it is not an easy task. It is available to everyone, but not all will say yes to the invitation, and some are so preoccupied with other things that living an extraordinary life is not one of their pursuits. 

Takeaways from the 90-Day Challenge

Kevin talks about the 90-Day “Extraordinary Experiment” challenge and what it taught him. Purpose starves in isolation and thrives in community, he says. An extraordinary life is other-centered, and is best lived with others who are on the same journey. We need one another to inspire, encourage, and lift ourselves up. It is through shared passions, perspectives and experiences between ourselves and others from around the world that we realize there is more that unites us than that which divides us. In addition, we all desire safe spaces where we can freely share our thoughts and ideas. 

Deaths of Despair

Kevin discusses “deaths of despair”: deaths during the current global pandemic caused by isolation and feelings of loneliness. These prove that we are designed for community, Kevin says, and crave to be around like-minded people who see our value. 

Kevin gives details about a guide to living an extraordinary life: his collaborative project with Debbie LaChusa. He urges listeners to maximize their life’s full potential by not settling for an ordinary life, and to inspire others to do the same.

Resources

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade 

Episode 152

ThisExtraordinary.life

TheGratitudeChallenge.community

TNT ESQ: Episode 9 with Kevin Monroe

It’s Natural

Kevin reads responses from colleagues and listeners to the question of what makes life extraordinary. Being extraordinary and living an extraordinary life is a matter of choice and not chance; it is not contingent on being born with a rare talent or ability. There is an assumption that it is the result of a monumental experience or achievement. “An extraordinary life is made of a myriad of what many may perceive as mundane moments, lived with such fervor and flair that the ordinary things of life are transformed into extraordinary,” Kevin says. We already have what we need to make life spectacular, he adds. 

Transform your Life

Debbie joins in to talk about a new course developed by herself and Kevin about how to transform your life from ordinary to extraordinary, as well as what motivated them to start this project. It’s not about being special, she says; it’s about living your life more consciously and intentionally. Additionally, it’s not all about you, but involves the people around you as well.

Kevin extends a promotional offer to listeners: purchase the course within the next 5 days for a discounted price!

Resources

Debbie LaChusa on LinkedIn

DebbieLaChusa.com

ExtraordinaryLifeCourse.com 

How to Live an ExtraOrdinary Life: Transform your Life from Ordinary to ExtraOrdinary and Live with More Intention, Meaning, and Purpose

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

This Podcast is a Platform

Many are silent out of fear of saying something wrong, ignorant, or insensitive. Now is not a time to be silent, Kevin Monroe begins. The Higher Purpose Podcast is a platform of responsibility and opportunity, and Kevin sees it as his duty to speak up instead of sitting back and doing nothing. 

An Offense to God

The civil unrest in the United States of America is as a result of neither political or legislative problems; rather, it is as a result of an offense to the heart of God, Rick claims. The Bible calls for love and equality in both the Old and New Testaments. The issues present today are moral issues, rather than issues about specific topics like police and/or race. Rick adds that even during this time of uncertainty and darkness, there are positive things occurring in response. Circumstances are never completely bad, he says. There are always opportunities for growth and improvement. 

The Media’s Agenda

Rick’s background in media prompts Kevin to ask him why he thinks it is harder for the media to give more attention to positive news. Rick replies that while the media represents an important estate of society, the profession is narrow. Their goal is to tell a story, which requires certain dramatic features and elements such as a hero and a villain to keep viewers intrigued. The media only shows a glimpse of life, which is more often than not very emotive and spectacular because that interests viewers the most. This births a narrow, myopic view of the world. 

Perspective

Rick shares his beliefs regarding the rights and freedoms of all people. As a pastor in the Christian faith, he views the world through a spiritual lens. All people are children of God, he says, and should be treated with equal love and respect regardless of their differences. He believes that God is speaking to His children through the chaos of current events, and is passing on an instruction of humility, repentance, and obedience.

Protests Then vs. Protests Now

Kevin asks Rick about the main differences between the protests of the 50’s and 60’s and the current protests. Peaceful protests did not mean the protesters were not angry, he says. Rick replies that the black church was largely responsible for shaping the moral compass of the civil rights movement, which shaped the narrative of the leadership. The protests of today lack direction, and while the energy and pragmatism is admirable, the absence of leadership provides no moral compass to point people towards, he claims.The blame for that partially falls on the baby boomer generation for not teaching their successors enough about their rights according to the Constitution and nonviolent, passive resistance. 

People should fear saying nothing at all more than saying the wrong thing, Rick argues. People die for the right to speak out and do something, so those with that freedom should utilize it to its full power. America cannot afford for her citizens to be silent any longer. There is a common, misguided belief that argumentation and dissension are negative, but dissension advanced citizenry and democracy. “If you’re sitting on your butt, you can’t move forward,” Rick urges. In the end we will not remember the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends. 

Resources

Rick Rigsby on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook 

RickRigsby.com

Rick’s Podcast: How Ya Livin’?

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Leader of the Future

Many leaders see people as human resources instead of human beings. They are still stuck in the industrial age mindset, Alain says. The leader of the future must be able to embrace both masculine and feminine archetypal energies in order to effectively carry out their duties. Alain gives examples of good and bad leadership during the current global crisis. He and Kevin also comment on the civil unrest within America, talk about their privilege as white men, and call for systemic change in order to combat racial oppression. 

Qualities that Leaders Need to Have

Kevin cites Alain’s book about the four important characteristics of good leaders according to a study involving 1700 CEOs from 64 countries and 18 industries. The four characteristics are: communicative; collaborative; flexible; and creative. These soft skills are essential for today’s leaders because the industrial-age, hierarchical, command, and control style of leadership doesn’t work anymore. Leaders should instead see themselves as facilitators of groups. 

The Three Secrets

The three secrets to building strong leaders are connection, communication, and collaboration, in that order. Alain describes the model for these principles as concentric circles that include each one before it. Rather than a title or position, leadership is a relationship between one who chooses to lead and one who chooses to follow. The quality of that relationship is based on the quality of their connection, communication and collaboration. In addition, the person who chooses to follow has the final say about the quality of the relationship, and only 23% of leaders understand this. Alain details each secret, how they intersect with one another, and how they apply currently. 

The Three Trends

The three trends of the current working world are choice, transparency, and technology. These trends largely make up the key differences between the 21st and 20th centuries: past generations were not aware that they had a choice in following a leader, neither were they able to access the technologies that we have today. Subsequently, there was barely any demand for transparency. 

Alain calls on leaders to become familiar with discomfort; if you’re always comfortable then you’re not growing.

Resources

Alain Hunkins on LinkedIn

AlainHunkins.com | Blog

Email: alain@alainhunkins.com 

Cracking the Leadership Code: Three Secrets to Building Strong Leaders

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

How Much is “Enough”?

Kevin asks Shawn when he started thinking about the concept of “enough.” Shawn replies that as he embarked into a new career the idea of financial success and notoriety began to lose its luster. The paradoxical and mysterious connection between his joy and sorrow gave him clarity of purpose during those years of transition. “If you want to find yourself, lose yourself in service to others,” Shawn quotes. 

Scale

Shawn claims that rapid growth is the temptation of our time, especially for entrepreneurs and people with ideas. In certain cases, scale is necessary and optimal, but you risk losing something when growth is valued above all else. He describes scaling as a dark temptation and warns that even when it’s for ostensibly good purposes, it may not actually be good. He describes an experience with a major retail company in which they give a fitting depiction of Askinosie Chocolate: they are about reverse scale.

Kinship

Kinship, Shawn says, is woven deep within the fabric of his company, is highly valued, and is another part of the human connection. He details how Askinosie Chocolate strives to engender kinship among their members, partners, and customers. Doing business with these values at the forefront is a much more rewarding pathway, he points out. 

Relationships Affect Your Product

If you bake a bread with indifference, you bake a bitter bread that feeds but half man’s hunger, Kevin quotes. He asks Shawn to elaborate on the correlation between a good product and human connection. Who we are and the product or service that we deliver are inseparable; we can’t peel them apart, Shawn replies. The value chain is enhanced through relationships. Shawn talks about the projects Askinosie Chocolate has undertaken, the impacts they have made in numerous communities internationally, and how the connections he has established with people have positively enhanced his life.

Fair and Direct Trade

Fair trade began with good intentions, but has become so ubiquitous that it is now a victim of its own good marketing. Studies show that the premium added to the market price of products is not making its way to producers and is gradually lost along the complex supply chain. Shawn describes how Askinosie Chocolate has redefined fair trade into direct trade, including modified travel practices that ensure their producers get the profits they rightfully deserve.

Resources

Shawn Askinosie on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: hello@shawnaskinosie.com

Askinosie.com

ShawnAskinosie.com

Meaningful Work: A Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Threshold

Poet and philosopher John O’Donoghue would consider this current period a threshold, Shawn says. A threshold can be a dark place of panic, discomfort and depression, but also a place of teaching, awakening and connection with our higher selves, if we allow it. You have to understand your present position and acknowledge your fear, instead of waiting to reach the other side of the threshold. Kevin adds that he has realized that current events are the world’s “temporary new normal,” and we must learn to adjust to it rather than hold on to the normal of the past. We may all be in one of three places right now, according to Shawn: on a threshold; on the path to awakening, where you have a daily practice that keeps you grounded; or among the masters or teachers from whom we gain wisdom. The tools you can access on your path depend on where you are. 

Success

Kevin quotes a line from Shawn’s book and asks him to elaborate. Shawn shares a story about a young girl’s positive experience with an employee of one of his stores, and says that even if his business fails, that moment of impact will be around forever. He considers that as part of his redefined meaning of success. “What people want to know is that they are joyfully alive,” he says. 

The Journey

Shawn’s experience of losing the love and motivation he had for his career led him on a quest to discover a new passion. He shares some of the activities he participated in along his journey, a notable one being volunteer work in hospice care. Accepting his broken heart, caused by the death of his father, enabled him to connect with his true self. “Our greatest joy is sorrow unmasked,” Kevin quotes. This joy wants to explode out of our sorrow, and to access it we must be willing and open to find that pathway. 

Floundering and Flourishing

The greatest freedom in humanity is the choice we make in response to the stimulus in our lives. Even in the midst of challenge and difficulty, we can decide whether to flounder or flourish. However, we must be able to surrender to the moment, and not just survive it. We do not have to wait until we cross the threshold to flourish, Shawn says. 

Resources 

Shawn Askinosie on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: hello@shawnaskinosie.com

Askinosie.com

(Blog) ShawnAskinosie.com

Meaningful Work: A Quest to Do Great Business, Find Your Calling, and Feed Your Soul

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Decade of Difference

Kevin’s previous expectation for the turn of the decade was for 2020 to open a decade of difference. He describes the current global pandemic as a “legacy shaping event,” one that will impact how people are regarded post-crisis based on how they responded and lived through it. Leading now is different, but many leaders are doing what they’ve always done in hope for a magically different result, Kevin says. The way of life and business pre-COVID-19 is no longer sustainable and so we must adapt. 

Excuse-Making

The first activity is excuse-making. Kevin advises anyone who participates in making excuses to stop. When a leader makes excuses, they are not leading. When people engage in excuse-making, their focus is usually in the past. However, leadership involves accepting responsibility and being accountable for one’s decisions. 

Sense-Making

Sense-making is the ability or attempt to make meaning in situations that are uncertain, complex or ambiguous so that you know what actions to take. The challenge the current crisis poses for sense-makers lies in the fluidity of events and how liable they are to rapid change. Sense-making is a leadership responsibility, highly valuable, and may enhance your legacy. However, it does not necessarily result in action, as there is often no end to the information that comes. There comes a time where you must make do with the information you have.

Way-Making

Similar to sense-making, way-making is defined as forging a solution despite difficulty, impossibility or uncertainty. The key differentiator between the two activities is that way-making is action-based and dependent on sense-making. It bridges the present to the future, invokes the pioneer spirit, and incorporates what you have learnt in the sense-making process, Kevin adds. Way-makers begin their journey by assessing where they are now. They don’t need to have it all figured out; they just find the next step, and follow it forward. 

Resources

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

The Benefits of Being Broken

Circumstances never leave you the same as you were before them. If a difficult season in your life breaks you, there's an unknown authenticity that can pour out of you as a result. Rick tells Kevin Monroe he feels at ease around broken people because they are authentic. He shares a definition of humility from his late friend: “Humility is the absolute God-given ability that eliminates the need to prove the worth of who you are and the rightness of what you do.” Broken people are humble, which is why Rick enjoys their company.

Losing Perspective

We are all leaders, Rick says. Leadership is influence; you are a leader if you are influencing anyone within your periphery. The first thing that's lost in a crisis is perspective, which it is incumbent upon a leader to lead with. Maintaining perspective is crucial to leadership during difficult times, as it can lead to hope for a better day. Feeling like you’ve lost hope is a result of losing perspective. As long as you are still breathing, you have hope.

Hope is...

Our casual use of the word hope has relegated it to the basement of human emotion and neutered its power. Rick defines hope as a quality contained within every human spirit that places a transformative demand upon the heart to believe for the absolute best outcome. Hope is more powerful than a strategy: a strategy is a plan, whereas hope is a belief; strategy is external, whereas hope is an internal virtue that can improve your quality of life. 

Hope energizes, it’s active, alive, passionate, and transformative. It requires courage. Fear is a reaction; courage is a choice. One must choose to be brave even through fear. Hope requires faith. Lastly, the characteristic that moves hope out of the realm of strategy is the requirement of an immediate decisive response. 

Renewing Your Mind

The thoughts we cultivate have a butterfly effect on other aspects of our lives, so we should pay careful attention to them. You have to renew your mind in order to not be negatively affected by external factors. Every day a choice must be made to replace thoughts of negativity with positive thoughts and affirmations, especially during the current crisis. 

Unfounded Hope

Kevin shares a saying his friend told him; misplaced hope is more dangerous than not having hope at all. Rick says that rather than misplaced, the more applicable description would be unfounded hope, which he defines as hope based on a set arbitrary condition. While it is critical to have hope, one must remain realistic with one’s expectations, else they will be reducing hope to wish fulfillment. However, not having any hope at all, Rick believes, is death to the soul. Hope is idiosyncratic, so even if your hope may seem unfounded to others, if it is what keeps you moving forward, there is no room for judgment. 

Resources

Rick Rigsby on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook 

RickRigsby.com

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Epidemic of Silent Suffering

Raj claims that the current crisis has only exacerbated underlying problems within the workplace and society: it has “made explicit what was already quite implicit and under the surface.” The faults in our systems have always been the unseen part of the iceberg. He shares statistics concerning stress-related deaths, overworking and disengagement, stating that it is evidence of an epidemic of silent suffering. Vulnerability has always defined us as human beings, he comments, but now it unites us. He and Kevin discuss their personal response to the current crisis. Raj says that he has been thinking about how he can serve. 

The Healing Organization

A healing organization recognizes the role of business in the world. Raj believes human beings are put here to take care of each other. If you start a business, you could touch the lives of potentially thousands of people. Businesses which have the mindset of serving others and meeting their real needs are places of healing for those who work there. Employees leave work at the end of the day feeling better off than when they came in. They can also be a source of healing for customers and communities, as they provide goods and services that make a positive difference in their lives, rather than simply feeding their desires and addictions. Capitalism, Raj says, is the way in which we can cooperate with each other to achieve things we cannot do by ourselves, and come together with a shared purpose and shared values.

Healing Leaders

Unexpressed human caring is the most abundant underutilized resource in the world. Human beings have a need and desire to care: it brings fulfilment to our lives. If we can connect silent suffering and unexpressed human caring, we would have the opportunity for healing to take place, for both the receiver of care and the caregiver. Leaders must model the vulnerability and the willingness to express their needs. Kevin asks what differentiates regular leaders from leaders of healing organizations. Raj replies that leaders of healing organizations have a more expanded view of leadership; they recognize that leadership is the stewardship of the lives entrusted to them, and that the way they lead impacts the way people live. Leaders, however, cannot be healing leaders if they haven’t yet healed themselves. Kevin inquires whether every business can become a healing organization. Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future, Raj quotes.

The Right Thing to Do

Organizations shouldn’t decide to do the right thing purely because it may be good for business. Leaders must believe that taking care of people is the right thing to do in order to do it for the right reasons. The notion that the wellbeing of people is only an instrument which contributes to profits has to change. The business of business is people. True business creates value. 

Resources

Raj Sisodia on LinkedIn | Twitter

RajSisodia.com

The Healing Organization: Awakening the Conscience of Business to Help Save the World

HealingOrganizations.com

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Tensions

Everyone deals with tension in their everyday lives, and tension is generally considered to be a bad thing. However, Tim says, not all tension is inherently bad. Ignoring or avoiding tensions may only cause them to escalate; if we choose to embrace them, it can lead to a level of effectiveness, and more impactful relationships with others. During challenging times, there are a few tensions that matter and need to be managed in healthy ways.  When you’re dealing with tension you need to see both sides of the struggle. We may want to pick one side more strongly when we’re under pressure, but Tim warns that it is the worst time to choose one side and neglect the other.

Resilience

Tim defines resilience as the ability to keep going when your circumstances are against you. It is something you assess over time. Three tensions that are critical to obtain and maintain resilience are: optimism and realism, embracing change while staying rooted in stability, and caring for others while not neglecting to care for yourself. He explains each tension and what they entail. 

Optimism and Realism

There is something in our psyche that loves binary options, Tim says. Though the tension is between picking a side, in order to be resilient you must be fully immersed in both ends of the spectrum of both optimism and realism. Kevin likens it to an infinity loop rather than a pure continuum. One must retain hope for a better future while remaining aware of and acknowledging the bitter facts of reality, Tim paraphrases. He shares three steps to managing tensions: accept the tension; assess the tension; and leverage the tension. 

Change and Stability

Change brings with it new circumstances, which may cause you to neglect your core values and let go of what really matters. When difficult times pass, ensure that you are still the same regarding who you serve, the values you are committed to, and the level of quality you are known for. However, you must be open to change and the experience and perspective it gives.

Caring for Others and Oneself

Tim and Kevin discuss how you can reach out to others during the pandemic, and what you can do to help them. Kevin recounts a lesson from a previous episode: people think that they need to do grand gestures in order to assist anyone. Rather than thinking of all the things you wish you could be doing, think about one small thing that you’re going to start doing, Tim says. He comments on the misconception of self-care perpetuated by mass media, stating that simplistic rituals such as sitting down to enjoy a cup of coffee are just as effective.

Resources

Tim Arnold on LinkedIn | Twitter

LeadersForLeaders.ca

Join Kevin and Tim for their first series of WayMaking Sessions -- helping you navigate your way forward: ZoomMeIn.com

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Gratitude is the Foundation

More emphasis needs to be placed on gratitude in our daily lives because gratitude is the foundation of where we can start to make changes, Karl says. The more we put our focus on the things we are grateful for, the more those things will come to light and add abundance to our experiences. Gratitude is a key component in living a more joyful life. According to Karl, gratitude is the best way to release endorphins in your brain. These ‘feel-good’ chemicals make us less stressed and help calm us. When we are calm, we make better choices, which enables us to do things that truly matter to us. 

An Opportunity

The current global pandemic gives us the opportunity for us to understand and have more compassion for those around us. We can use this time of social distancing to make shifts in our mindsets and habits. Although it is scary and we must remain cautious and vigilant, we should not let this opportunity go to waste.

Finding Gratitude in the Challenge

“If I can turn any situation into a growth experience, I can appreciate any moment now,” Kevin quotes from Karl’s book. He asks Karl how it may apply to our current situation. Karl replies that everyone struggles on a daily basis, and if we practice compassion, it opens up our hearts and makes it easier to feel gratitude even during the struggle. He describes a challenge he faced during the pandemic, and how he was able to subvert it by his regular practices of gratitude. 

The Strength of Gratitude

In addition to sending out endorphins, gratitude shifts our mindsets. It has a direct effect on what we choose to think about, which dictates who we are and how we behave. It is a powerful tool that helps moderate our reactions to negative experiences. Karl says that bringing gratitude to negative interactions with people allows you to be thoughtful of your next steps. Meditation is a huge part of gratitude, he adds, because it enables you to pause and appreciate the whole moment. This ensures that you do not get swept away by your thoughts and succumb to your ‘inner bully.’ It teaches you your triggers, and once you are aware of them, then you can use gratitude and compassion to make sure you stay level-headed.

Positive Rumination

The things you think about at the end of the day will go into your long term memory. Additionally, what you put into your head at night solidifies as thoughts and feelings the next day. If you focus on negative things like dwelling on your mistakes, you gain nothing but negativity. However, if you acknowledge your mistakes and approach them with the intention of learning from them, you gain knowledge and perspective. You must take the negative moments and flip them into positive ones in order to live a joyful life. The people that grow and achieve success are the ones who learn from their mistakes. 

Resources

Karl Staib on LinkedIn | Twitter

BringGratitude.com/plan

Bring Gratitude on Facebook

Bring Gratitude: Feel Joyful Again with Bite-Sized Mindset Practices

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

The New Normal

Nilofer talks about the things people are doing to help those in need. People now have the voice to create change, she says. She gives an example of altruism that arose due to the coronavirus, and states that society may come to the point where we realize our fates are linked rather than ranked or separated. She ponders on the possibility of the care with which we treat others and the connectivity we have established becoming the new normal. Onlyness’ role in this is to be the combination of voice and belonging that creates real change and lasting connection between people. 

Making a Difference

There are people who feel like they should be doing more. Part of their struggle is that they think they need to do something of a grander scale to make a difference. All they need to do is care for the person next to them, Kevin says. He shares a story from a children’s book about contribution, explaining that even the smallest thing makes a difference. Nilofer adds that whatever you pay attention to grows, so if you focus more on having a grand plan rather than actually showing love, it’s counteractive. Center on what you know and what you can do right in the moment, and the rest will take care of itself. 

Onlyness

Nilofer defines onlyness as the source of all ideas and innovation. Onlyness is contrary to the traditional hierarchy of worthy contribution, and holds an egalitarian view that everyone has something of value to add to the world. We have been conditioned to believe that our level of capability relies solely on measures such as level of education, but that is a lie, Nilofer says. For example, we now realize how dependent we are on grocery store workers, a position that has historically been considered low-skilled. They are part of a system that feeds us, which allows us to exist and do our creative work. Contribute, don’t compare.

Part of A System

When you enter a room, your light illuminates the entire space. This makes it difficult to discern your own ‘only’ because the light you shine is also the filter you see the world through. Here is where others come in to help you, as they have the perspective to see the difference in the world when you are present and absent. The meaning of individual is the smallest measure of humankind, so even alone, you are never disconnected. 

Parking Your Fears

Nilofer says she has to park her fears in order to be present for a conversation. Fear always demands to be heard and gets louder the more it is ignored. She believes fear acts as a signal, like every other emotion. It doesn’t have to rule you, but you need to pay attention to it.

Hope Is A Bridge

“Hope is a thing with others that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all,” Nilofer quotes. She shares a past experience in which she thought hope was something lightweight, but now she defines it as the bridge we have to walk across in order to get to a new future. She believes that unity happens because two people are both going toward the same thing together.

Resources

Nilofer Merchant on LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

NiloferMerchant.com

The Power of Onlyness: Make Your Wild Ideas Mighty Enough to Dent the World

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Visions of Hope

Jane has been collecting and sharing stories of acts of kindness and compassion, which gives her hope that we will get through this pandemic. She believes that we will also sustain the compassion and connection we are practicing right now. In many situations in life, you have the option to become either better or bitter, Kevin reminds listeners. He is glad that the birds, unlike much of the global population, didn’t get the memo to stop singing and be joyful.

Truly Human Leadership World Tour

Jane describes her experience in the Truly Human Leadership World Tour as profound and meaningful. One point that seemed to resonate deeply with the audience was the concept of treating your team members like they are your precious children. This concept is especially relevant today, when leaders are working remotely with team members in this unprecedented time.

How Leaders are Taking Charge

Kevin shares what he learned about Truly Human Leadership from the last episode with Bob Chapman, and asks Jane what it was like to see it in action. Jane mentions what Bob did to make people feel acknowledged and appreciated. She also discloses how the leaders she coaches are navigating through the pivot to a remote work environment, while displaying admirable values in their leadership. Jane believes it is important, during virtual meetings, to let members express how they feel, as it enables them to feel more connected to their team. Acknowledging people by their names with a short, heartfelt greeting as they join meetings (and even in emails) makes them feel seen and cared for. 

Why Optimism Is Important

Kevin asks why Jane thinks optimism is essential and not frivolous. She replies that it is a tool leaders can use to lift others up and create a sense of hope. With optimism comes empathy and sensitivity. Jane recounts how Bob answered a difficult question on the tour. When told some people would take him for granted, Bob said that while he is aware it’s a possibility. It’s not his job to focus on those people. It’s important to look at the goodness of people, so they can be who they are meant to be. Jane describes optimism as a grounded reality. 

Resources

Jane Adshead-Grant on LinkedIn | Facebook 

JaneAdsheadGrant.com

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Perpetual Optimism

Kevin asks Bob how his optimism equips him to navigate seasons of uncertainty. Bob responds that our greatest growth comes from our greatest challenges, and that he takes life on one day at a time. Everybody has a lens, Bob says, and though he’s not sure what creates the lens through which we see the world, he was blessed with one of optimism so he sees the good in people.

Leadership

Bob believes that a leader’s fundamental responsibility is to give the people in their care a sense of hope for a better future. A core issue is that leaders are not taught to care for people, and instead know how to to use people for their success. Bob defines management as ‘the manipulation of others for your success,’ whereas leadership is ‘the stewardship of those entrusted to you.’ 

Span of Care

Bob describes ‘employee’ as too much of a technical term to apply to humans. He had a key revelation that everyone in his span of care is someone’s precious child. Research shows that the way leaders treat those in their span of care has a profound effect on their health. Every business should be the most powerful force for good in the world because they have people in their care for at least 40 hours a week, every week. The way people are treated will affect not only themselves, but their families and lives and communities. 

Truly Human Leadership

Leadership during a crisis starts with a fundamental responsibility to both the individual and the organization, Bob says. You can’t decide to do the right thing for the people without considering the impact it may have on the business, because the business provides for the people. Truly human leadership looks at both the organization's health and the people’s health, and leads with it in a positive way. 

Kevin and Bob hope that leaders are able to keep their feet on solid ground and lift their vision to see beyond this current crisis. Many are making hard decisions that affect the lives and futures of many others, and so, should be a voice of reason and a source of hope for those they lead.

Resources

Bob Chapman on LinkedIn | Twitter

TrulyHumanLeadership.com

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Gratitude

Kevin believes gratitude makes a huge difference in times of calm, crisis, or chaos. Chester adds that we often get caught up in the moment and forget to take a longer view. Even during the chaos of current events, there are many amazing things in your life that you could be grateful for. And when put in perspective, they give you the strength and momentum to overcome hard times, and the opportunity to deepen the relationships you have with people. 

Feeling Forgotten

There’s nothing worse, in both the workplace and especially in one’s personal life, than feeling forgotten, Chester says. Nothing connects people more than simple acts of reaching out, such as texts saying ‘I love you’, which affirm feelings of value and importance. People are less likely to express gratitude at work than any place else; consequently, people are more likely to feel forgotten at work. Saying ‘thank you’ in the workplace is the moral equivalent of saying ‘I love you’ in your personal life, Chester adds. A study shows that 82% of people will work harder if their boss expresses gratitude. Gratitude creates feelings of belonging.

Leading with Gratitude

Gratitude attracts gratitude, Chester says. When you’re happy, engaged and motivated at work, you are 150% more likely to be the same way in your personal life. The goal of Chester’s book is to create great workplaces which have that ripple effect into homes and communities. It’s so we can take our best selves home after taking our best selves to work. 

Kevin says a sincere ‘thank you’ never gets old, to which Chester adds that general praise has no impact, and specificity is meaningful. In showing gratitude to your employees, you must remember that what works for one person may not work for someone else, which is why it’s important to know your people. Not only must the expression of gratitude be appropriate to the person, it should also be appropriate to the accomplishment.

Find Your Gratitude

Kevin and Chester extend a special invitation for listeners to participate in a new collaborative project. Find out more at FindYourGratitude.community.

Resources

Chester Elton on LinkedIn | Twitter

The CultureWorks.com

LeadingWithGratitude.info

Leading with Gratitude: Eight Leadership Practices for Extraordinary Business Results

The Carrot Principle: How the Best Managers Use Recognition to Engage Their Employees, Retain Talent, and Drive Performance

FindYourGratitude.community

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade 

The GPS of Life

Michelle likens the mind and subconscious to a GPS. You program your GPS to take you to your destination, and often don’t care what route you end up taking, so long as you get there. Sometimes there are potholes and detours, but eventually you will arrive at the destination you programmed. The opposite is also true, she warns. If you dwell too much on destinations you don’t want to go to, your GPS’ programming will be inclined to take you there. Michelle is a big believer in getting clarity on what you truly want in life and positively affirming where you want to go. It doesn’t prevent difficulties, but it allows you to easily reset your coordinates and get back on track. It comes right back to gratitude, Michelle says, which doesn’t mean that everything is great; gratitude just means you choose to focus on what is good in the moment.

Your Story is Not About You

Michelle recalls that she wrote her first book with the intention of only her family being her readers. However, a friend convinced her to share it to a wider audience so she could make a difference to others. She advertised it on Facebook and people started buying the book, and gradually she began getting calls asking her to speak and coach in many places. Sharing your story is all about serving people, she says. Your story is not about you, but about someone else and the benefit you can provide to them. 

Passion and Purpose

Passion is a clue to your purpose. Michelle believes everyone was put on Earth for a reason, and that the intersection of passion and purpose gives people their stories. Most individuals have a measure of pain in their stories, and if there is no connection between your pain and a passion to help others with the same or a similar experience, it may not be sufficient enough to write a book about. Kevin shares some advice that was relayed to him by a friend: it’s helpful when we can talk about our pain from our scars and not our wounds. There needs to be distance between when your pain was first dealt and when you start to share the story behind it, because you need enough time to heal.

The Power of Authority

Everyone has a story worth telling, and this book will help you write it. The Power of Authority teaches readers that we all have the power to be the authority in our lives. You can’t spell authority without the word author, Michelle says. She believes that becoming an author is one of the easiest ways to gain authority over one’s niche. However, if you don’t want to write, this book will teach you how to claim the authority of your story.

Resources

The Power of Authority

Winning in Life Now

PerformancePublishingGroup.com

Michelle Prince on Facebook | LinkedIn

Email: support@michelleprince.com

MichellePrince.com

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Servant Leadership

If servant leadership is the answer, what question is being asked? Kevin recounts his experiences working with numerous companies who were drawn to servant leadership. Companies that operate on servant leadership usually characterize themselves as either purpose-driven, value-based, or people-focused. They tend to gravitate toward this type of leadership because they feel it is the best approach to achieving their purpose. Servant leadership aligns with the values they want to see come alive in the world. 

The PCL Framework

Kevin describes a purpose-powered business as a Venn Diagram of three interlocking circles, with one circle below and two on top. The lower circle is purpose (P) because it is the starting point, direction and destination of a business. When done well, purpose permeates all facets of a business and unites all departments and initiatives into a symphonic endeavor. The top circles are culture (C) and leadership (L). Kevin defines culture as the way things are done daily in an organization. While in most organizations culture happens by default, purpose-powered businesses design their culture, anchor it in a rich set of values and beliefs, and actively cultivate it. In addition, purpose-powered businesses recognize leadership as a function and not a position, and empower employees at all levels to think for themselves. Every purpose powered leader is a coach seeking to encourage everyone on the team to live out the company values and use the values combined with data to make prudent decisions.

Kevin says that to make a difference, purpose needs to be paired with action around culture and leadership. If an organization is strong in purpose and culture but lacks leadership, they may have a high degree of devotion to the purpose, but do not have as much movement toward their results and outcomes. If they are strong in purpose and leadership but do not cultivate culture, they may have a high sense of drive, but it may be to the detriment of their people. Finally, if a company lacks purpose but has leadership and culture, they may have a high sense of duty, but it may be adrift.

Resources

Listen to Episode 103  

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Writing the Book

Kevin asks Moshe what inspired him to write his book. Moshe answers that it would be more appropriate to say the book wrote him instead. The common business mentality of disdain towards customers, combined with the predatory and warlike language of business, and his own spiritual journey were his muses for the book.

Surfing the Wave

Kevin comments on the bandwagonist behavior that some companies have: he says that they adopt a certain principle or behavior to get ahead, rather than sincerely believing it in their hearts. Moshe shares two perspectives on this: sometimes we need to change our behaviors before we change our beliefs, and so some companies that genuinely want development adopt these practices to promote change. The other perspective is that some companies have an opportunistic view of promoting love in the workplace, and use it for financial benefit.

Love, and Its Many Names

Moshe stresses that it doesn’t matter what you choose to call love; as long as you practice it, you can call it whatever you wish. Some people embrace the concepts of love but are uncomfortable with the language, and so use other words like appreciation as a substitute

Actions, Words and Values

Companies that practice the Amare Way do so by actively expressing authenticity, belonging and collaboration. Their words and actions are consistent with their values. Moshe paraphrases Plato, “What is honored in a company is cultivated there.” The ideal is to achieve alignment between what people believe, say and do.

Moshe hopes that more and more companies will develop the courage to implement love at work, treat their employees well, and have leaders that learn to love themselves. “It starts from the inside and spreads outwards. You can’t give what you don’t have,” he says. 

Resources

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade 

The Missing Link

Kevin asks whether BetterUp has uncovered the answer to the question of the missing link between diversity and inclusion. Gabriella answers BetterUp has been able to prove that belonging is, in fact, that missing link. Gabriella describes her organization as a “mobile development platform” that does one-to-one coaching with individuals around the globe on personal professional development. Belonging is one part of BetterUp’s six pillars of employees’ experience index, and, as such, is a significant part of how they help and support their clients in their development.

Unbelonging and Belonging

Researchers at BetterUp coined the term “unbelonging” to describe someone’s internal 

experience, not considering external factors such as inclusion or exclusion. Kevin adds that the idea of unbelonging expresses one’s personal experience of a group, independent of what may be happening within the group. Gabriella says that BetterUp’s definition of “belonging” is your internal experience of feeling like part of a group which cannot be triggered by people behaving inclusively.

The Impact of Unbelonging

Gabriella shares research recorded by BetterUp Labs. People usually respond to feelings of exclusion in one of three ways: 

• You work less hard:  If you perceive exclusion, you may have a decreased motivation to work and you would put in less effort. 
• There is no impact: You are not affected by feelings of exclusion and it doesn’t affect how you perform.
• You work even harder than you are required to: You feel motivated to go above and beyond in your work to earn your spot.

Belonging in Business

Having a sense of belonging in an organization is good for business. According to Gabriella, people who feel they belong are 50% less likely to quit their jobs, and perform up to 56% better than those who feel they do not. Individuals who experience high degrees of belonging take 75% fewer sick days. Gabriella describes the research her team did and the evidence-based practices that lead to greater sense of belonging they discovered from their investigations.

How to Belong at Work

Positivity resonance is a concept that describes the depth of connection you feel with someone in a particular moment. You have to allow yourself to feel a certain degree of vulnerability in order to have that deep connection. The same is true at work. Feeling connected to your coworkers means that you allow them to get to know the real you, and vice versa. 

Gabriella shares practical tips to help you if you feel you don’t belong. If you want to help someone feel like they belong, she has advice for you as well:

• Share your own experiences of feeling like you don’t belong, and how you got through it;
• If you’re in a position to effect change, create more conditions of belonging for them. Simply being a fair minded ally can be of tremendous help.

Resources

The Value of Belonging at Work (Report)

The Value of Belonging at Work (Whitepaper)

BetterUp.com

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

The Inner Critic

Laurie shares a disheartening experience with someone in which her trust was broken. Her first thought was critical of herself and the red flags she ignored: her “inner critic” had reared its head. The inner critic is part of our biology and is there to protect us to ensure we survive both physically and emotionally, Laurie says. The first step in practicing self-compassion is not ignoring the inner critic, but acknowledging it and moving past the cognitive analysis of the hurtful event. 

Shifting Your Perspective

Laurie communicates that some of our feelings of being hurt are due to a narrative that we tell ourselves. Mindfulness training helps you to observe your narratives, and analyse how you interpret others’ actions and intentions. Only then would you be able to shift your perspective to objectively understand your situation and avoid miscommunication. 

Touch as Self Care

Kevin quotes from Laurie’s book, “Touch activates the physiology of care,” and comments that he hadn’t considered an individual’s touch to themselves falling under that category. He now realizes that you can apply the physiology of care to yourself. Laurie adds that the tool of touch is one of many approaches to practicing self-compassion and is a primal development of our biology.

I’m Not That Voice

We’re born with a negativity bias that has good intentions - to protect us - but is counterproductive as it creates a fixed mindset which is demotivating and stunts growth. The voice may be more dominant in individuals conditioned to be critical. We may associate our identity with that negative inner voice instead of seeing certain behaviors and patterns as transient. Thankfully, Laurie conveys, we can recondition or unlearn the negative voice and relearn a positive voice.

Self-Compassion is Not Self-Esteem

Self-esteem is tied to ranking, rating, and comparison to others. Comparison has caused much emotional suffering and loneliness in society. On the other hand, self-compassion has nothing to do with metrics; it’s all about how we see and treat ourselves in the moment. Laurie offers some insight and practical tips on how to practice self-compassion. She hopes that people can engage in mindfulness, self-awareness and self-acceptance. Mindfulness is accepting that life is messy and mistakes are normal, she adds. It’s the practice of accepting what is and amplifying the good. 

Resources

The Power of Self-Compassion 

PurposeBlue.com

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

A Textbook

Kevin says that he was surprised that Bruno’s book is a textbook. Bruno responds that it’s both an entrepreneurial book and a textbook, about how companies can be more humane in the business environment. His research goal was to gather some principles about human-oriented enterprises that could be applied to any company, regardless of size, sector or nationality.

Love Is Good For Business

At the heart of compassionate business, Bruno says, is the principle of love. Business is based on relationships, so if you only focus on KPIs, you’re dismissing an important part of your business activity: the human aspect. If your business treats stakeholders - employees, customers, community, even the government - in a loving way, your KPIs will improve automatically as they are a natural result of a healthy relationship between your company and its stakeholders. He is gratified that there is a new generation of businesses that adopt a human-oriented approach.

Holistic vs Fragmented

Kevin quotes Bob Chapman’s book, Everybody Matters, to point out that employees would give their best if they are respected and cared for. Bruno agrees that leaders need to see their employees as whole human beings with different needs. He says that the principle of reciprocity suggests that how you treat your employees influences the way they treat your business. If you adopt the fragmented approach, where you only see them as cogs in your organizational wheel, they would take a defensive mode, and only do the minimum. However, treating employees in a loving way by embracing their humanity, encourages them to give their best.

A Definition of Love

Bruno says that there are two incompatible polarities in business: love and fear. Some workplaces are full of fear, while others operate through love. When you’re focused on love, you connect with others, you feel that you belong, and you’re warmer, kinder and more supportive. Love is much broader than romance, Bruno points out. It includes care, empathy, respectfulness and willingness to help. Love people because they are human, he says, because we’re all interconnected. Kevin mentions that there are over 30 definitions of love in Bruno’s book. He asks Bruno which is his favorite. Bruno replies that he likes the definition of love as service to others. 

Love vs Fear

“Love is the natural heightener of people’s human qualities,” Bruno writes in his book, a quote which Kevin shares. “In other words, when people adopt a loving attitude, their positive human side is gracefully enhanced. On the other side, when people adopt an unloving attitude, even their greatest human qualities are degraded.” Love is always expansive, Bruno adds: it helps us to connect with and trust one another; it helps us cooperate better and think more creatively; it makes us more intelligent. Fear, on the other hand, makes us focus only on a narrow set of factors when we perceive a threat. It is immobilizing and does not bring about any positive change within a company. 

Bruno offers some practical tips for leaders to build a loving environment. He hopes that love and the idea of embracing the whole human being in the world of work, become common practice. Focus on growing your relationships, and your business will naturally flourish, he advises. When you focus on the people, they will help you achieve your objectives.

Resources

HumanOrientedEnterprise.com 

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

Live Wow

Lorie’s life mission is to “live wow and love completely.” She defines living wow as the intention to create wow experiences, and loving completely as a reminder to love herself and others completely because it’s only when we accept our whole being that we can love others more freely. Kevin responds that ‘wow’ is the perfect response when something happens that grabs your attention and your heart.

Love Belongs In The Workplace

It all comes down to love, Lorie says. Workplace culture is something that is felt. In a fear-based organization we can’t be our real selves because we don’t feel psychologically safe. Love is what we need, even though the word seems inappropriate in a professional setting. To ease their dissonance with the word love, Lorie asks her clients to think about what they want their customers to say about their products, or their staff to say about the company. Usually, they want customers to say that they love their product, and staff to say that they love working there. She then tells them that if they want customers and staff to love, they need to love as well. 

Amazing Results

Kevin asks Lorie to define love as it relates to the workplace. She responds that when love exists in the workplace, people feel connected, they work well together, they’re fully engaged and excited about making a contribution. In order to achieve this, leadership has to feel the same way. Imagine if every team member feels worthy, valued, seen and cared for, she says. We would be able to create amazing things together.

Love By Example

Lorie wants people to love by example. We may not all be leaders at work, but we are leaders in our own lives. The best leaders are good with themselves, Lorie comments. Start with embracing and accepting who you are as a person. That will build your confidence to show up as your authentic self. Then you can focus on loving others. Her dream is for a workplace where every person feels love for themselves so that they can love others. That loving energy is shared with customers and team members, and ultimately with their families. “At the end of the day,” Lorie says, “it's all about relationships. Love is the key, because that's the basis of relationships.”

Kevin adds that in a fear-based environment you leave work drained and there’s nothing left for your family or community. On the other hand, when you work in a love-filled organization you may be physically tired at the end of the day, but you are not emotionally drained. You can be fully present with your loved ones. Lorie comments that we all want to look back and say we had an amazing life because we were fulfilled in so many ways. It all starts with love. Kevin challenges listeners to love by example: do something every day for the next seven days to lift and encourage others, he says.

Resources

Lorie Corcuera on LinkedIn 

Episode 15 with Kari Enge 

Radical Loving Care book

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

He’s Grateful For… 

It’s amazing how projects like the Gratitude Challenge bring like-hearted people together in community, Kevin says. We find one another, engage in conversation and encourage one another. Sharing our stories allows us to connect and build friendships. He is grateful that he is able to provide opportunities for people to connect, collaborate and become friends.

Who’s Your Mahalia?

Kevin sat down to write the blog post for the Big Dreams challenge on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Naturally, he began to reflect on MLK’s famous I Have A Dream speech, and its inspiring backstory. He relates that 10 minutes into Dr. King’s prepared message, he went off script. At one point he paused, and famed gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, who was standing behind him, encouraged him. “Tell them about the dream, Martin,” Mahalia urged him. It was then that Dr King ad libbed - vividly and passionately - about his cherished dream. His inspiring speech breathed new life to the civil rights movement, and gave hope to millions.

What’s the dream in your heart? Who is your Mahalia, the person in your life who knows you have a dream inside of you that needs to find fulfillment and expression, and encourages you to keep going?

Kevin’s Dream

Sharing your dream is what allows it to take root and grow, Kevin says. Certainly Dr. King didn’t have a 12-step plan of how his dream would be accomplished, but that didn’t stop him from sharing it. In the same way, Kevin shares his dream with listeners. 

Kevin has a dream of a world where: 

• Everyone sees themselves as difference makers and gives some part of themselves to making a difference for others.
• We all take a moment every day to share an act of compassion and kindness with those around us.
• Difference makers from around the world connect and collaborate with one another so that together we are inspired to take action on a larger, broader scale than any of us could take alone.
• Everyone has the opportunity to be involved in meaningful work and workplaces around the world are filled with love, dignity, freedom and respect. Where workers return home safely at the end of each day with energy and zeal for their families, because they feel valued, appreciated and respected at work. 
• Leaders see themselves as serving those they lead, as shining the spotlight on the great work of others, and creating environments where people flourish and thrive.
• Everyone has a strong sense of belonging; where acceptance is extended as a birthright rather than earned as a bonus for good behavior and performance.

Resources

I Have A Dream speech

How Martin Luther King Jr Went Off Script in ‘I Have A Dream’

Kevin Monroe on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

• Rachel says that she has always been an overachiever. Once she realized that she could be successful at school, she decided to keep at it and carried the same attitude into her career. Kevin reflects that the hustle for approval started very early for him as well. Approval is dangled in front of us as a carrot, he says, and it’s the reward that keeps us performing.
• We have this idea that if it's worthwhile, it's going to be hard; and if it's not hard enough, we're going to make it harder.
• Rachel says that she had to be the best, and that meant constantly looking for ways to prove herself to people. When we're insecure, she says, we have this tendency to oversell ourselves instead of just letting our work speak for us. Kevin posits that more money is traded on the Insecurity Exchange than the Securities Exchange. We do all these things to prove that we’re good enough.
• Tying your identity, self-worth and sense of belonging to your achievements is a very dangerous place to be, Rachel warns. Kevin calls this the “will be when ____” phenomenon, because we think we will belong or will be good enough when we achieve something or check some box. He argues that there’s never an end to the boxes we need to check because once we’ve checked one box, we replace it with another. As such, we never feel like we belong or that we are good enough. Rachel agrees; she says that she always felt that love and acceptance were on the other side of achievement.
• Rachel relates that she burned out three years ago, and how that experience led her to realize her value as a person.
• Kevin talks about Dr. Emil Brunner’s Cycle of Grace. Flip the cycle and start with acceptance, he says.
• We punish ourselves mercilessly to get acceptance, which is really a free gift, Kevin says.
• None of us can make any impact on anybody else in isolation, Kevin points out. Even if you work by yourself, he advises you to find a way to connect with other people.
• Start with what brings you joy, Rachel says, and invite others into that joy. Reach out and have a conversation. Take the initiative to join or create the kinds of communities that you want to be a part of.
• Rachel lives by these principles now:
• What is meant for you will not pass by you. If you're meant to do something in the course of your life, everything will conspire to make it happen despite how you might try to prevent it. 
• No amount of achievements and accomplishment will ever fill the hole left by a lack of connection and belonging.
• You were born to belong. The fact that you exist means that you’re wanted in the world.
• Kevin asks Rachel how she experiences life differently now. She says she now makes it a priority to make time for the people who mean the most to her. She quotes a poem by Bruce Wilmer, Be Yourself.

Resources

Unmutedlife.com

Rachel Druckenmiller on LinkedIn | Instagram 

Cycle of Grace by Dr. Emil Brunner

Be Yourself by Bruce B. Wilmer

Episode 127: Living an Inspired Life with Debbie LaChusa 

Episode 116: Are You Listening? with Jane Adshead-Grant 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade

• One of the most enlightening challenges of the Gratitude Challenge, Kevin says, is Phone-A-Friend. You ask someone else, If you were me, what would you be grateful for? Kevin poses that very question to Claude and Cody. They bring tears to each other’s eyes with their answers.
• The #1 request Claude hears from employees is “Help me grow.” This is what people are actually saying when they ask for feedback or when they want to improve their skills, she says. Along their journey, they’re going to experience many micro-journeys - some successes, some failures - and that is what they’ll remember in life.
• People want to get from point A to point B. As a leader, what are you doing to coach and mentor to get there?
• Cody is happy that the conversation is moving away from management towards coaching and mastery. The sports world can teach us so much about this, he says. 
• When you master your craft, you notice that the game slows down, Cody says. The coach’s job is to get the athlete to reach that point by honing skill as well as removing barriers. Kevin finds this a beautiful description of the idea of mastery. He comments that the game slows down because you’ve grown and developed your skill, so you are now able to show up in the environment differently. 
• Claude says you can help others grow by creating an environment of psychological safety. Be real, inspire them and live by example so that they feel comfortable to talk about anything with you. She shares a game she uses with employees that opens them up and helps them to talk about what matters to them personally. Cody adds that everyone has to be involved in creating a psychologically safe environment. We can all help each other then because we all feel safe.
• Kevin, Claude and Cody discuss the difference between drinking the water vs drinking the Kool Aid.
• Kevin asks, “What does it take for people to shift and get comfortable with a trusting, welcoming human environment?” Claude says that her company gives trust first not last. It takes time for people and interaction with other workers to accept that it truly is as good as it sounds. Cody comments that it starts with being truthful at recruitment. It’s just like dating: if what you deliver is not what you promised, things go south pretty quickly.
• We have the impression that someone has to stay at an organization for a long time in order to have an impact. We need to rethink this idea, Cody argues. A more productive approach is to ask, How can I help this person right now and maybe momentarily in their life, whether that's with us or not? A good coach helps his players grow so much that they don’t need him anymore, Cody says. Accept that they may leave, but ask them to give you their best while they’re with you, and be the best coach and mentor to them you can be. 
• If you want your company culture to change, you be the change, Claude encourages listeners. Find a mentor to guide you if you need to.

Resources

ClaudeSilver.com

CodyRoyle.com 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade 

As Kevin Monroe reflects on 2019, he is grateful for all the people he has met. He is also grateful for hope of a brighter future and fresh clarity about who this podcast serves best. In this first episode of 2020, he invites listeners to look at business, leadership and life through a different lens by embracing a decade of difference. 

You’re Qualified!

This takeaway from episode 125 with Tim Arnold resonates with Kevin: Everything in your life up to this moment - the good, the bad and the ugly - has prepared you for your present and your future. Therefore, nothing disqualifies you from making a decade of difference. In fact, the things that you think count you out, actually attract people to you. Your life message resonates with others who have had a similar experience, so you have the moral authority to reach them in a way no one else can. Your past lights the way for you and for others who have known the same struggles, difficulties, and challenges. Kevin invites you to make peace with your past, so it no longer casts a shadow over your future.  

Characteristics of Difference Makers

Here are some traits that difference-makers commonly share:

• They are other-centered. They’re focused on making a difference in the lives of others, rather than making things better for themselves. 
• They are purpose-powered. There’s a purpose that inspires and motivates them to do what they do.
• They are ‘tragically optimistic’. No matter how difficult the circumstances, they believe that good will emerge in the end.
• They are dealers in hope. They inspire others by depositing hope into their lives.
• They are kind, compassionate, caring and humble.

Ripples of Influence

When you make a difference in someone’s life, Kevin says, you may not even be aware of it. There’s no way of knowing how far the waves and ripples of your influence will reach, so don’t even try to track it. The important thing is to realize that your decade of difference cannot be outsourced. It must be insourced; that is, it starts with you thinking differently, seeing the world differently and living differently. Start with your own personal development, and your influence will ripple out to your family, and community, and maybe even the world.

Permission To Live A Decade of Difference

Whether you know exactly what difference you want to make in the world, or you’re not quite sure, Kevin is cheering you on. He invites you to give yourself permission to dream, imagine and discover your decade of difference. You live a decade of difference one day at a time, he says. If you go off-track, reorient yourself and keep moving forward. Connect with a community of others who are also on the journey. Prepare for challenges and tough times because they will inevitably come, but seize the decade nonetheless, and be a difference-maker whatever arena you’re in.  

Resources

Episode 125: Managing Tension On Your Journey To Greatness with Tim Arnold

Episode 127:  Living An Inspired Life with Debbie LaChusa 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Join the community: KevinDMonroe.com/decade 

• Following inspiration means listening to that little voice in your head, Debbie says. It’s trusting your gut, listening to your intuition, or it can be feeling called to do something. For her, it meant stepping away from planning every aspect of her life, and just paying attention to the people, events and opportunities that showed up.
• Kevin and Debbie relate how they came to this view of life. Kevin says that four words came to his mind one Sunday: “More led, less driven.” Since then he has been intentional about following the invitations that show up in life, rather than trying to make them happen. When Debbie started to let go and started doing what showed up, amazing things began to happen.
• Following inspiration has been a 10-year experiment for Debbie. Kevin asks if she is there yet. She responds that there is no ‘there’. There, she says, implies that happiness and success is someplace else. The best place to be is right here, right now, because when you’re present you notice the inspired path, you pay attention to the ideas that show up, and they stick. It’s simple, but it’s not always easy to practice, she points out.
• Your work will be harder, frustrating, and not as good when you force it. Kevin says that he has never produced inspired work in make-it-happen mode. Debbie adds that the recipients of your work can tell the difference: there’s an energy in your work when you do it from an inspired place that’s just not there when you plow through.
• We’re all going to end up where we’re supposed to be if we pay attention to what speaks to us. We each have our own path, and it’s different from everyone else’s. If we open ourselves to what shows up, our purpose will find us.
• Flow is being in the zone. It’s when life and work feel effortless, peaceful, and purposeful. Debbie says that being in flow is all about getting out of your head and into your heart. Kevin adds that it’s moving effortlessly with energy and direction towards an intention. Drifting, on the other hand, is feeling lost; it’s aimless.
• Synchronicity is a perfect, meaningful coincidence: it’s something that happens that you just couldn’t plan, but feels right. Let yourself follow through on the ideas and opportunities that feel right to you, Debbie advises. Trust that there’s a reason you’re being attracted to them. Ultimately, that’s what synchronicity is, and it’s one of the ways inspiration shows up.
• Living an inspired life makes you feel at peace. Even when bad things happen, you find the lessons and the good that comes from the bad.
• Debbie describes how her book title came about. It was an inspiration in itself, she relates. She says that her ‘marketing’ strategy has been to put her book out there, and trust that it will get in front of the people that it needs to. “That's what's happened,” Debbie says.
• She urges listeners not to be afraid to try something different. If life seems harder, and you’re feeling unsettled, if you’re thinking that there must be a better way, just give it a try, she says.

Resources

DebbieLaChusa.com

The Following Inspiration Experiment 

Join the Joy Challenge

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Schedule a call: KevinDMonroe.com/2020

In this special holiday episode of the Higher Purpose Podcast, Kevin Monroe takes the opportunity to reflect. He begins by expressing gratitude to listeners and collaborators. He also counts down the top 10 episodes of 2019. Finally, he shares his wishes for listeners for 2020 and beyond.

So Much To Be Grateful For

More than any other time of the year, its popular to express gratitude during the holidays. Kevin asks listeners to think about something they are grateful for in this moment. He shares that he is grateful for the gift of podcasting which gives him the privilege of engaging in conversations and forming relationships with guests as well as listeners. He quotes Barbara Sable who said, “Relationships are primary. All else is derivative.” Kevin reflects that 90% of his guests in 2019 were new relationships that came to be because someone he knew introduced him to someone they thought he should know. None of us knows everybody we need to know, he says, but everybody we do know, knows someone we need to know. When they open the door, beautiful things happen. He goes on to thank his collaborators, without whom the podcast and his other projects would not have been possible. 

Clarity Comes Through Action

2019 was a year of experimentation, Kevin reflects. Years ago his mentor Rich Sheridan taught him to stop overthinking and just “run the experiment.” As a result, most of what he now does in life starts as an experiment. Major projects in 2019, such as the Gratitude Challenge, the Humans First Hangout, and the This Extraordinary Life community, came about because of experiments. Kevin points out that clarity comes through action: as he took action, the next steps became clearer, and he is ending 2019 with greater clarity than he started with. His wish for listeners is that clarity comes for them as well.

Top 10 Episodes of 2019

There were several episodes that resonated most with listeners in 2019. Kevin recalls the Top 10 episodes of the year. He wants you to take time to celebrate your progress and come up with your own list of your Top 10 Moments of 2019. Make peace with your past, he urges; celebrate your progress, and prepare for the future.

Holiday Wishes

Kevin wishes you a Merry Christmas. May peace, love and joy be magnified in your life. May you have true peace, which is wholeness and harmony in every dimension of your life. May you have abiding joy even in difficult times. May you have the deep and unconditional love you deserve. 

Resources

Top 10 Episodes of 2019:

1. Episode 88: Everybody Matters with Bob Chapman
2. Episode 101: The Power of Gratitude with Steve Foran
3. Episode 82: Being a Chief Heart Officer with Claude Silver
4. Episode 102: Dealing With Impostor Syndrome with Kimberly Davis and Melissa Hughes
5. Episode 91: The Pulse of Your Organization with David Niu
6. Episode 117: Are You Listening? with Jane Adshead-Grant
7. Episode 97: Higher Purpose and Self Worth with Traci Fenton
8. Episode 96: The Employee Experience with Ben Whitter
9. Episode 105: Gratitude Is A Way of Life with Steve Foran
10. Episode 98: The Definition of Success with Al Lopez

Join the Joy Challenge

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Schedule a call: KevinDMonroe.com/2020 

It’s All Preparation

When Tim decided to leave the consulting business to open a homeless shelter, he felt that he was starting a totally new chapter in his life. He soon realized, however, that his prior experience was preparing him for this new path. He says that when you choose to live a purpose-oriented life you should assume that your experiences - good and bad - have all been preparation for the present. Teaching the concept of healthy tension for so many years prepared him to apply it at the shelter, often in very challenging situations. 

Healthy Tension

Kevin asks Tim to define the concept of healthy tension. Tim explains that we’ve been conditioned to see things from an either-or perspective, that decisions are problems to solve and we should choose the right answer. While problem-solving is a critical and laudable skill, there are situations in life that are not problems to solve but tensions to manage. In these moments we have to be able to hold two opposing positions in tension, or adopt an ‘and’ mindset instead of an ‘either-or’ one. For example, manage both flexibility AND structure, don’t try to choose either only flexibility OR only structure. If we want to achieve our higher aspirations, there are some underlying tensions in work and life we should embrace rather than avoid.

What Does It Look Like To You?

Choosing one side may feel good but it will work against you in the long term, Tim points out. Rather than picking one side, he advises, think about what living on both sides looks like for you. Many times an ideal, such as fairness, means different things to different people. The goal is not to compromise your values, but to embrace both sides fully. Kevin comments that oftentimes organizations would choose words to portray their values without fully defining what those words mean to their business. Tim adds that if you don’t fully understand the underlying tensions you have manage to live out those values, then they are just words. Dig into those underlying tensions and learn how to leverage them.

Key Tensions on the Road Less Traveled

Kevin and Tim discuss a few key tensions that difference-makers need to leverage on their journey to greatness. These include:

• Fun and seriousness;
• Purpose and profit;
• Caring about the right people’s opinions and not caring what everyone else thinks;
• Idealism and realism.

Tim says that once we realize that idealism and realism go together, we will be able to hold on to our vision while accepting the reality of what needs to be done now. 

A Challenge For Listeners

Tim’s challenge to listeners is to think about what tensions they are going to manage in the coming year. Are you willing to embrace them? What would it look like to get the value of both sides? Kevin has his own questions for listeners:

• Are there any issues that you previously saw as problems to solve that you now realize are actually tensions to manage?
• What are the key tensions you face as a difference-maker?
• What do you plan to do with what you've learned today? What’s your next step and how can we help?

Resources

Book and other resources: ThePowerOfHealthyTension.com 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Schedule a call: KevinDMonroe.com/2020 

• Kevin congratulates Mike on the launch of his first book, Believership: The Superpower Beyond Leadership.
• Both Kevin and Mike choose not to accept commonly held beliefs or ‘best practices’ if those beliefs and practices do not make sense to them. Mike calls it having the strength to resist becoming someone else. 
• Mike shares an experience of corporate culture, of “feeling that I had to conform and become one of them rather than the best of me.” To his mind, if you’re going to work together, you should enjoy the experience. His way of leading his team was producing high-level results, yet he was told they didn’t like his methods. It led him to make the difficult decision to leave the company in order to stay true to himself. He saw their entrenched ideas of how he should behave as a leader as authority, not leadership. The way he led his team was the way he believed leadership should be.
• Mike’s book, Believership, emerged from his exploration of the question, What happens because of me? He discovered that his teams performed well together because they all believed in what they were doing and they believed in each other. He comments that we’re in a new era of business so a lot about leadership needs to change. He wants to open up the dialogue about what that change looks like and what we need to discard to get there. Kevin admires that Mike’s approach is not prescriptive; rather, it is an invitation into a conversation.
• An idea from Mike’s book that Kevin loves is, Lift Others. Mike says that it is an intention that he starts each day with. 
• There are repeatable things that we can do to make work better, Mike says, and we should apply those patterns. When they no longer work, we should look for alternatives. Mike is resistant to the term “best practices” as it’s often used as an authoritative statement - the one best way - which closes off ideas, creativity and ingenuity. 
• Mike talks about his upcoming book launch event at VaynerMedia in New York City.
• We can do better, Mike says. Things can improve and we can lift others along the journey with us. He sees a decade of difference as an invitation to become excited about the challenges and opportunities in front of us. He encourages listeners to imagine how much we can accomplish this decade simply because of the technology and tools we have available to us.
• Kevin asks Mike to encourage listeners who may be facing difficult times. Mike responds that we need each other. As such, we should be there for one another. When we can support each other, especially when it’s most needed, we’re actually doing greater service. That is when we’re actually winning, he says.
• The road less traveled is lonely when you try to go it alone. When you realize that there are people on the same journey as you, it motivates you and gives you hope. There is a ripple effect that multiplies to others. Kevin sums it up in a phrase: Open hearts, love others, multiply impact.
• To become comfortable with only knowing the next step and taking it, Mike says we should realize that when we take that step forward, our vantage point changes. We can see more clearly what’s possible, and maybe the end result will be much better than what we imagined at the beginning. 

Resources

Believership: The Superpower Beyond Leadership  

Humans First Club

Mike Vacanti on LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook

MJVacanti.com 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call or text Kevin: 678-744-5111

Schedule a call: KevinDMonroe.com/2020 

• Ten years ago a mentor showed Piers a different way of seeing the world. Once seen, he could no longer do his work the old way.
• One thing that occurred to Piers in the last 10 years is that there's so much richness in the most ordinary of lives. Kevin comments that he named his community This Extraordinary Life because the life we have is extraordinary if we embrace it.
• Whatever we create in our lives lands much more beautifully, richly and effortlessly when we go with the wind rather than against it, if we sail rather than row.
• Conventional wisdom, Piers says, is that we can achieve our goals if we work hard at them. Sailing, however, is intuitively capturing an inspiration coming through yourself. It emerges with an obviousness and direction, but not necessarily an outcome. Piers calls this flow. 
• When we sense that what we see in our external world is real but not true, we have an opening of our aperture to emergence and sailing and resourcefulness. Ironically, Piers says, we become better at the external stuff.
• Piers describes his approach to goal setting. He says he never lets today’s wisdom be tomorrow’s prison. He finds that he is now retroactively spotting goals after he has achieved them. They came through with such obviousness that he just acted on them in the moment.
• Kevin relates how he feels frustrated with conventional goal setting methods. Piers explains that we’re not designed that way. When we get frustrated with our ability to set goals, we're putting it all on us as this separate entity. However, if we see that we are a part of a broader system that it happens through and to, it takes the weight off.
• Flow is when a freshness has occurred to see the same thing differently. It turns up with an obviousness and a clarity of feeling and lightness. Piers advises that you should be with the feeling in the moment.
• An intangible understanding of the mind increases the likelihood of the emergence of flow.
• Piers wants listeners to take away a lingering curiosity but also to be comfortable with not knowing. Press pause on what you’ve been taught and look afresh, he says. You don't have to look far. You just have to look into what you already are.

Resources

Piers Thurston on LinkedIn

piers@makingchangework.co.uk

Your Best Life Is In The Arena

Kevin recently attended a football game that boasted a record crowd. He says he couldn’t escape the fact that over 100,000 people were in the stands, and millions more elsewhere, to watch 22 players. Only the players were in the arena while everyone else was somewhere else:  either watching the action, waiting to get in on the action, commentating on the action or missing out on the action. If you’re committed to living an extraordinary life, Kevin says, there’s only one place that can happen, and that’s in the arena. He quotes the Man In The Arena speech by Theodore Roosevelt, “...The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood…” He asks listeners, Are you in the arena? Life is not a spectator sport. Life is meant to be lived in the arena, so if you’re sitting in the stands, it’s time to change. Get on the field and play.

Who’s Not In The Arena

Kevin lists the different categories of people who are not in the arena:

• Tailgators - In the US people spend more time at tailgate parties than the actual game. For various reasons, they never actually go to the game, they stay in the parking lot. They are missing out on the action.
• Players on the bench - These are either specialist players who enter the field when it’s their turn to contribute or backup players. They’re just waiting for the coach to call them to the field. If you feel like you’re a backup, Kevin encourages you to get ready to go on the field. Your time is coming, he says.
• Players in the locker room - If you get injured or disabled on the field, you’re sent to the locker room. You have to sit the game out and you may even be licking your wounds. Don’t be discouraged, Kevin says. Once you have a pulse you have a purpose. You’re still living and breathing so you still have a contribution to offer the world. Get back in the arena.
• Penalty box - You may have made mistakes or disregarded the rules, and you’ve been sent to the penalty box. You too can get back in the game in time, Kevin says.
• Reporters - These are the people who comment on the game. You get to report the play by play action, but you’re not on the field. If you want to get in the game, you can. It may be as a coach or mentor but get in there regardless.

Are You In The Arena?

Kevin concludes this week’s show by encouraging listeners to ask themselves what’s keeping them out of the arena of life. The arena is where you will live your decade of difference. Don’t beat yourself up over your shortcomings, we all have some. Get in the arena and dare greatly.

Resources

Join the Joy Challenge

Book Your Decade of Difference

Email Kevin: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Call: 678-744-5111

In Finding Your Purpose, Even Baby Steps Are Steps

We’ve all had moments where we think we discovered our purpose in life. Cornell says that happened twice before he found his true purpose. He shares how his purpose changed from basketball player to coach, then to writer. Purpose is a journey, not a destination, Kevin says. Cornell agrees that it’s a journey because it’s never-ending. A destination means that you get there at some point, so it becomes a race to the finish line. There’s no finish line to what I do, he says, because my purpose is evolving every single day. The reason so many people don’t discover their purpose is because they either get discouraged or they think there’s nothing else they could do. There’s always another step, Cornell emphasizes. You have to fight for your purpose. Kevin adds that you just have to take one step, then another, and don’t quit. Even baby steps are steps, says Cornell. 

You Are Extraordinary

You are extraordinary because there’s no one else like you or ever will be. So how can you not treat yourself as priceless? The difference between extraordinary and ordinary is that extra that you put in. What you do determines if your legacy becomes special. He asks listeners, who are the top three people who have influenced you in your life? Who would name you in their top three? If you’ve made someone’s top three, you’ve made a lasting impact on their life. That impact will last long after you’re gone, and they in turn may pass it on to their children. That’s legacy for Cornell. Legacy is not changing the world by yourself.

Who’s Your Mahalia?

We’ve bought into a fantasy that one person by themselves changes the world, Kevin comments. The reality is that no one does it alone. The sooner you figure out who your people are, the bigger the impact you will make together with them. He relates how it was Mahalia Jackson’s prompting Martin Luther King, Jr to tell the crowd about the dream, that led to his greatest speech. Who’s your Mahalia? Who is the person who sees your dream and helps you articulate it in a way you’ve never done before?

Getting Through Adversity

Kevin asks, what’s one thing that awakens an ordinary person to believe that life can be extraordinary? Cornell answers that for him, it has been adversity. After you’ve been through a difficult experience, you often ask yourself how you got through it. It awakens you and inspires you to make a change. If you’re in the middle of adversity, he advises you not to go it alone. Use your support network. First, ask yourself, Is this life or death? Then, what do I immediately have to start doing to slowly change my mindset? The third question to ask yourself is, Who can I bring along with me to hold me accountable for these action steps? There are going to be storms in life, Cornell says. But they are transitory and you can get through it.

Resources

Cornell-Thomas.com

cornellthomas365@gmail.com

Cornell Thomas on Twitter | Instagram | Facebook

The Road Less Traveled

Kevin believes that, like himself, listeners have chosen the road less traveled, whether in business, leadership or life in general. A question he has been pondering is, what happens when we lose our way on this road? There aren’t any established markings or exits here, so maybe we’re not actually lost as we think. He asks, who do you call first when you’ve lost your way? If that person is not on the same road as you, their options may be very different from yours, so their advice would not be of much help to you. You should surround yourself with people who are on the same journey, Kevin admonishes. Be especially selective about who you allow into your life as a mentor and how much influence you allow them to have in your business and life, he warns, especially if their goals, beliefs, and values are diametrically opposed to your own.

The Power of a Like-Hearted Community

More and more, Kevin is recognizing how important it is to connect to a like-hearted community. We don’t have to think alike, but we must be wired alike at the heart, he says. We can’t change the universe by ourselves, we need to do it in community with people who are on the same road.

Long-Range Planning

Instead of the typical annual planning that we do, what if we think of the coming decade instead, Kevin suggests. Now you have 40 quarters to accomplish your goals, instead of just 4, and 3650 days instead of just 365. How would your plans change using this approach? If we take a decade-long mindset, we wouldn’t be in such a hurry to gain traction, we’d know we have lots of time. 

Living an Extra-Ordinary Life

Many of us aspire to be extraordinary but we compare ourselves to other people, and we conclude that we’re just too ordinary. However, the path from ordinary to extra-ordinary is simple: it's doing ordinary things, but doing them with extra focus, flair and fervor. Suddenly, that life that we thought was ordinary is extra-ordinary. This extra-ordinary life is available to us all, Kevin says, and the gateway to it is gratitude. He invites listeners to think about 2020 as a decade of difference. To have that decade of difference, we need to focus more on who we are being and becoming than what we are doing and accomplishing. Embracing the extra-ordinary in business, leadership or life is the long road. Being faithful with it requires us doing it together as a community of like-hearted travelers.

Resources

Book a call with Kevin

Call Kevin: 678-744-5111 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Episode 37 - Story Driven with Bernadette Jiwa 

Waking Up

Garry recently delivered a keynote address at the Ignite Conference in Switzerland. His topic was Waking Up to Purpose, Meaning, and Connection. Kevin asks why he used the term waking up. He replies that five years ago he had already achieved everything society said was important, but he had a hollow feeling in his heart. That was the start of his awakening. He realized that he was sleepwalking through life: he was only focusing on the outside and neglecting his inner self. He describes his awakening as a gradual process that included taking deliberate action but then experiencing burnout. It was his coach that led him to realize that the outside world didn’t cause his burnout, but that he did it to himself by believing that he was not good enough.

Life Post Awakening

When he accepted that he was the cause of his own burnout, Garry felt a release and freedom from feeling like a victim. He now believes that he is good enough. He does not attach his identity to making money or outside validation. He can now appreciate insights that did not mean much before. I just feel more vibrant, he says. He has more capacity and is more productive because he does not waste so much energy thinking that he is not enough. Kevin comments that we expend so much energy in fantasy conversations that don’t take us any place good. He asks Garry to speak to listeners who may be feeling inadequate or hopeless. Garry assures listeners that they are enough and to actively connect with other people. If you need a listening ear, he invites you to reach out to him or Kevin personally.

The Joy of Connecting

You feel a sense of belonging when you’re part of a community where you can connect with others and just be yourself. We’re all innately connected because we’re part of the human race, Garry says. If you think you don’t belong, you’re overthinking your way away from belonging. Kevin agrees with that assessment. He asks Garry whether his awakening prompted him to be a great connector, or if he has always been that way. Garry responds that he’s always been good at developing meaningful relationships, but his awakening made this ability more pronounced. For him, connecting people is more a flow state than an active energy. It’s very intuitive, he says. For Kevin, it’s a deep calling and almost like a duty. He says that it’s like he is responding to an invitation to do something and who knows the impact it might have! Everything opens up when you’re connected, Garry says. He experiences a transformation in his ability to be present and empathetic, to serve, and to love himself as part of the bigger system. His life is richer for just being open to all life has to offer.

Resources

Garry Turner on Twitter | LinkedIn  

Email Garry: garry.turner@thelisteningorganisation.co.uk 

Value Through Vulnerability podcast

Episode 90 of Higher Purpose Podcast

Humans First Hangout

Join the Gratitude Challenge

Call Kevin: 678-744-5111 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com

An Inside Out Perspective

Kerry explains that the book is a case study of Actualize and shows how they were able to turn around their culture from being focused on profits first, to people first. Kevin says that he appreciates that this book gives an inside out perspective.

Infusing Means Layering Flavors

As Kerry looks forward to 2020 she is thinking about what strategies she will improve on or new ones she will include. She emphasizes that you can’t just make a decision and never revisit it: it’s a constant, continuous journey of putting people first and keeping up with the times, similar to how you would layer flavors in a dish you are cooking. That’s why her book is called Culture Infusion. When Actualize decided to put their people first, they layered that principle into every touchpoint, such as their newsletter, their monthly All Hands calls, and even when Kerry checks in with new recruits. What we’re doing, she says, is a lot of little things that are infusing the people-first principle, and it’s really making a big difference. Throughout the organization people feel supported and appreciated. 

Building From Your Heart

Kevin asks Kerry to unpack a quote from the book, “When it all comes down to it as the leader the most solid foundation on which you can build is your heart.” She explains that it’s important to check your gut instinct when you’re making decisions. She trusts her intuition then brings in the analytical business case.

Defining Culture

Both Kerry and Kevin share their definition of culture. To Kerry, culture is the pulse of the organization. Kevin defines culture as the way we do things around here. Kerry feels gratified that prospective employees all feel that what they heard about Actualize turns out to be true - that it’s a great place to work.

Principles They Live By

One of the nine principles Kerry discusses in her book is surveying the team. She says that they seek feedback on several topics throughout the year. They always let their employees know what they decided based on their feedback; and if they didn’t decide to do something, they let everyone know why. Kevin asks how her process has changed since she wrote the book. She comments that she has been focusing more on gratitude in the company as well as in her seminars.

Resources

Kerry Wekolo on LinkedIn | Twitter 

Actualize Consulting 

Join the Gratitude Challenge

Call Kevin: 678-744-5111 

Email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com 

Don’t Take Notes 

Kevin often creates some questions to ask podcast guests as a springboard to their conversation. While they are speaking, he jots down notes so that he remembers important points or ideas he wants to revisit. Jane discourages this practice. She says that instead of taking notes, he should trust himself. When you listen deeply, you’re allowing the speaker to continue to think and speak at their very best. You will remember the essential elements of what they said, she assures Kevin. To listen deeply, you must first be at ease with yourself as the listener; you must know that both speaker and listener have equal capacity to think, listen and share; and you must appreciate each other for the qualities that you see in one another.

The Gift of Time

Kevin asks what listeners can do to be more present in the conversation. Jane advises them to give themselves the gift of this time, free from judgment, distraction and interruption. Distraction can be both internal and external, she says. An example of internal distraction is when your mind wanders; she advises that you should mentally check yourself when this happens and bring your focus back to the conversation. The most common external distraction is the phone: just put it on silent. When you actively give your attention - paying attention is more passive and reactive, Jane says - you’re giving respect to the other person. You’re saying that in this moment they are more important than anything else.

Let Silence Do the Heavy Lifting

Jane writes in her book that we should let silence do the heavy lifting. Kevin asks her to unpack that statement. She explains that people need time to process questions or information. Giving them the opportunity to pause while they process their thoughts is a real gift. Humans think in waves and pauses: we have a wave of thinking, and then we naturally pause. If we allow that silence for long enough, the brain itself will soar once more in a new way, Jane says.

Don’t Interrupt

The brain receives an interruption like an assault, Jane reveals. One of the greatest things we can do is resist the urge to interrupt, and allow the person to complete their thoughts, feelings and ideas. Interrupting prevents the person from flourishing into who they are meant to become. If you absolutely must interrupt, you should do it as gracefully as possible, while the person takes a pause. If you inadvertently interrupt someone, apologize. 

Listening is a Gift

Jane reminds us that listening is a gift that is worth mastering because it shows how much you care. When you listen to someone to generate their best thinking, it frees them to be more, to create more, to feel more courageous. Whereas time is the currency of leadership, listening is the currency of relationship.

Resources

JaneAdsheadGrant.com

Jane on LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram 

The Epidemic of LonelinessMost people have many ‘friends’, especially on social media, that they are connected to, yet loneliness has reached epidemic proportions. People may be socially connected, but they are lonely because they lack a sense of belonging. Loneliness is a greater health risk than obesity, Kevin says. The risk of dying from obesity is 30%, whereas the risk of dying from loneliness is 50% greater than that.

The Beauty of Belonging Much of what humans do, according to a study by Baumeister and Leary, is in the service of belonging. Kevin invites listeners to reflect on the things they’ve done in order to belong. He states that there is beauty in belonging. What is that place of deep belonging for you, he asks. What are the memories and feelings you associate with that place? The best experience of belonging, he declares, is a place where no credentials are required. You feel a sense of home there.

Barriers to BelongingThere are many barriers to belonging, such as economic, social and institutional barriers. Perhaps the biggest barrier for most of us, Kevin says, is the personal barrier. We have this narrative running in our head that tells us that we don’t belong, and gives us the reasons why. When we enter a new place, we go in looking for resistance and rejection, and our confirmation bias ensures that that’s exactly what we see.

The Battle for Belonging We have been sold a lie, mostly by mass media, that belonging is beautiful but only the beautiful belong. This idea is funded by billions of dollars to tell us that we don’t belong, but we can buy our way into belonging. But if we have to buy belonging, what happens when we can’t afford it any longer? We’re booted out. Kevin discusses the various ways we are made to battle for belonging.

The Birthright of BelongingWe belong, simply because we are part of the human race. It’s our birthright and we don’t have to do anything or buy anything to earn that right. Kevin says that we can’t make someone feel that they belong, but we certainly can create an environment where people feel welcome. Stop erecting artificial barriers and entrance exams that do more to keep people out than let them in. Look people in the eye, smile, shake hands, hug. Call them by name. See people and let them see you. Have conversations with people who are different from you. Don’t just stop at connection, Kevin says, move beyond it to belonging. Let’s create hospitable environments that welcome people and allow them to experience belonging.

ResourcesKevin@higherpurposepodcast.comPhone: 678-744-5111Barriers to Belonging reportBaumeister and Leary studyTraci Fenton episode Chris Chancey episode 

His two most recent speaking engagements were the most fun for Kevin because, as he says, “It was the most me I've ever allowed myself to be.” He describes himself as a blue jeans guy, and it was the first time he allowed himself to wear jeans on stage, instead of a suit and tie. His keynote address was about the Superhero syndrome, which was discussed in episode 83 as well as in his Linkedin blog post titled Soft Skills Suck. Soft skills, he says, are really a misnomer because, in today's world of business and life, it takes people skills to succeed. That's the really hard stuff.

The audience responded well to his presentation and it made him realize that people are tired of being talked at. They want to have conversations. Showing up as his authentic self and having real conversations with his audience really made the experience special. Kevin challenges listeners: What do you want to do that is authentically you despite the expectations others have placed on you?

Overthinking and UnderactingKevin talks about how the Gratitude Challenge began and where it has reached in such a short time. He is grateful that he took action on the idea instead of overthinking, over-preparing, and underacting as he would usually do. He urges listeners to take action on their ideas: make a minimally viable product, get it out there and see how people respond to it.

We’re All On the VergeWe all have times when we think: “By now I should…” These thoughts often lead nowhere good.  When Kevin has these thoughts, as he recently did, he calls out in prayer and he reaches out to someone in person. This practice staves off what could have been a series of dark days. What came out of his conversation was that, in one way or another, we’re all on the verge of becoming what we’re capable of. He reflects about he would much rather have the words He was on the verge written on his tombstone than the words He quit.

The Liminal StateThe liminal state is the state between what was and what will be. We are not who we were, yet we've not fully become who we are in the process of becoming. We often express this as: “I will be _____ when _____.” Kevin says that if we believe that we will only be successful when something happens, that day will never come. The moment we reach that milestone we move the bar higher.  We should say instead: “I am ______ now, because _______.”  Even though you may not have or be all that you want at this moment, there are still many things that are beautiful in your life.

ResourcesJoin the Gratitude Challenge  Kevin@higherpurposepodcast.comPhone: 678-744-5111

About the BookThe book highlights the lessons Chris learned from five years of working with companies in manufacturing, construction, and hospitality, to fill their labor shortage with a dependable refugee workforce.  Chris says that over seven million jobs will go unfilled in 2019, mostly in those three categories.

What Refugees Really WantWe often stereotype refugees in two ways:  we either think of them as charity cases that we need to provide for, or we consider them a terrorist threat that we need to be wary of. On the contrary, Chris says, refugees want to contribute, they want to pay taxes, they want to use their skills and time to provide for their families. They want to be seen as people who have value. The average length of time for a refugee to be in a refugee camp is 10 years. They’re not allowed to work while they’re there. Chris sees this as wasted potential since these are the prime years of their working lives. When they do get an opportunity to work, they have a hunger to prove themselves.

ShalomKevin asked Chris to talk about the win-win-win opportunity Amplio is helping businesses discover. Chris responds that we have persons with strong motivation to work, for whom drug abuse is not an issue, and who are legal to work in the US. Amplio matches them with companies that have open positions. Very quickly they started seeing the true impact of engaging the refugee workforce at companies:Increase in retention:  the industry standard in manufacturing is 40%.  With refugees, the retention rate is 80%.Increase in productivity: Refugees are highly motivated to work so they can provide better for their families.Increase in profits: with higher productivity comes increased profits.It's a win for the refugee, it's a win for the employer, and it's a win for Amplio, being the one making that relationship happen. Kevin calls this win-win-win state Shalom, as it’s the right order in all relationships.

A Challenge for ListenersChris throws out a challenge to listeners, which Kevin endorses: Let your table be filled with people not like you. He invites you to find someone from a different background or culture, and engage with them in deep, meaningful conversation. He promises that you'll come away with insights and perspectives that you didn't have before.

ResourcesLearn more about the bookAmplio Recruiting Kevin@higherpurposepodcast.comPhone: 678-744-5111

This is the Century of ListeningKevin recalls a statement that Oscar made in episode 57: “The biggest productivity gains for leaders and systems is by listening more, not learning to speak more effectively. We spent the last century learning how to speak. We'll spend the 21st century learning how to listen.” Oscar says that we are going back to our storytelling traditions, and there will also be a correspondent focus on improving our listening skills. Stories are a great way to teach children to listen.

The Cost of Not ListeningKevin estimates that the cost of not listening is about $73 billion per year. In some notable crises in recent history, it took people outside of the system who were listening, to point out the impending disaster. Sadly, they were ridiculed at the time. Oscar points out that we find it difficult to pay attention to people who are different because we’re listening to prove them wrong. When you find yourself violently disagreeing with someone, he says, ask yourself which of your assumptions could be false, and what could you learn from that person. That is listening on a deeper level.

The Math of ListeningEric explains the 125/400 and the 125/900 rules and how they keep us from listening well. He describes a good listener as one who helps the speaker to discover their own meaning.

Listening VillainsMost people think they are better listeners than they are. Oscar helps people in the workplace discover which of the 4 listening villains they actually are:The shrewd listener, who pretends they're listening but actually thinks they’re smarter than the speaker;The interrupting listener, who just wants the speaker to get to the point;The lost listener, who is stuck in his own head; orThe dramatic listener, who always has a bigger, better story.

Overcome DistractionKevin shares a simple practice from Oscar’s book that helps him overcome distraction to listen better. That practice is simply to pause for a moment and breathe. Oscar says that putting your phone into flight mode and drinking a glass of water are other simple steps you can take. He finds that these simple practices have a big impact on business: meetings start earlier and end sooner, projects come in under budget, customers are happier, and employees stay with the company longer.

Join the Listening ChallengeKevin and Oscar invite you to join them in the Listening Challenge. It's an opportunity for you to discover your listening villain, remove distractions and become comfortable with silence. You can enroll at ListeningChallenge.com.

ResourcesOscar’s book: Deep Listening - Impact Beyond Words Join the Listening Challenge Kevin@higherpurposepodcast.comPhone: 678-744-5111

The Rhythms of Life David recognizes that life has rhythms that are very much like the seasons. There is a time to prepare, a time to bloom, a time for blooming to end and to prepare for winter, and a time to go deep and grow. Kevin concurs and adds that there is also a rhythm to the day. When we find and follow the flow of the daily rhythm, beautiful things happen.

World-class by Design In every organization, there are success behaviors that lead to high performance. When we help people reach their fullest potential, we're actually helping our company to develop: high performance and being people-centered and not mutually exclusive, David says. He helps companies be intentional about creating a world-class culture. He states that a good company has a good culture by default, but a world-class company has a world-class culture by design. Culture is what we actually see as behaviors in an organization. It is either desired and led intentionally or it’s what is allowed to transpire.

Traits of a World-class Organization World-class organizations intentionally develop the rhythms, disciplines, and processes necessary to be high performance. We see it in their attention to detail and how they are purposeful about everything they do. David calls this playing like a champion: it's doing the things that matter most to people on a daily basis, over and over again, no matter how boring it gets. He stresses that it's important for leaders to step back from the business for a moment and define the behaviors that would lead to success. What does it look like to them to be world-class? What are the small behaviors that would make a difference?

World-class Performance Begins With Purpose David says that most people want to do their best. In order for them to perform at their best, however, we have to be able to align them with their purpose. If leaders develop their people, they will, in turn, bring all their skills and talents to the business to the benefit of both parties. Developing people is the groundwork for a culture that is magnetizing. Give people the opportunity to see their full potential, and believe in them, David advises. Leaders should be intentional about helping align their people with their purpose. If we’re on purpose, we're going to serve and impact more people and more lives, he says.

Resources David McGlennen on LinkedIn Email: david@davidmcglennen.com  Be The Leader Podcast on Youtube  Kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com Phone: 678-744-5111

Finding Your TribeWe’re all looking for our tribe, Devin says. He relates how he came to realize that it was his responsibility as a leader to create an environment where his team could feel a sense of trust, connection, and cooperation. By creating a team with this dynamic, you're creating a culture where people can truly feel like they belong. 

The Belonging DeficitIt's tragic that many people experience a belonging deficit, Kevin says. Devin explains that  social media in particular exposes this. When we post on social media and many people like our post - ironically, most of whom we have no real-life relationship with - we experience a quick dopamine response from feeling we belong. This dopamine fix goes away quickly and the belonging deficit returns, so we post again and again. In the workplace, the belonging deficit manifests itself in 3 major areas:Misalignment between your personal values and the organization’s values - if the organization’s values are not lived by leaders, or employees are not allowed to fulfill these values, they start to question whether they belong. Ultimately the cost to the organization is the repeated loss of its highest-performing talent.Misalignment with your direct leader -  when you don't believe you have trust from your leader, or you're unable to express your voice or share constructive dissent, you feel a growing dislike for your job.Misalignment with your team - this can usually show up in teams that are focusing on diversity just to fulfill a metric. Without the right leadership, the team will be unable to innovate or communicate, and members would feel that they don't belong there. 

5 Key CharacteristicsDevin describes five characteristics shared amongst brands and leaders that when replicated, have a tremendous impact on creating a sense of belonging.

How Leaders Can Create an Environment of BelongingBelonging is feeling permission to show up as yourself, Devin says.  Leaders can create an environment of belonging by:Being an ally and advocate four people in a different position than themselves;Making sure they have clearly defined the organization’s values, culture, and roles and behaviors;Modeling what's expected by being transparent.If you aspire for great impact, be the leader who is taking the appropriate actions and live the values. Devin admonishes, choose the challenge of struggle because it's that path that's going to lead you to exactly the outcome you want to achieve. 

ResourcesWin one of 2 free autographed copies of Devin’s book: HigherPurpose.BelongingFactor.comEmail Devin: ibelong@belongingfactor.comWebsite: devinhalliday.com Kevin@higherpurposepodcast.comPhone: 678-744-5111

Psychological Numbing Melissa posted a video about psychological numbing on LinkedIn that caught Kevin's attention. He asks Melissa to describe psychological numbing and the effect it has on us. She explains, when something tragic happens over and over, we feel the emotional magnitude of it less and less. It's not that we don't care; but the more we are exposed to bad stimuli, the more desensitized we get. Sadly, as the number of victims in a tragedy increases, our empathy or willingness to do something decreases, because we feel like there is nothing we can do.

Start With One When it comes to tragedies, big numbers are really abstract but one is a real person. Melissa says that fighting psychological numbness takes intention. The answer is to look for one person and make a difference in his or her life. Kevin adds that this one intentional act of kindness creates a ripple effect.

The Neuroscience of Purpose We are much more positive and engaged when we have a purpose, Melissa says. It's a myth that we want everything to be easy; the human brain likes a challenge but it needs to matter to us. We find joy when we are in a place where we can be both challenged and positive. When we live a purposeful life, the limbic system produces more happy chemicals - oxytocin, serotonin and dopamine - instead of cortisol, the stress hormone. Understanding why it’s important to increase these happy hormones intensifies their benefits to us.

Make Gratitude Part of Your Routine Gratitude works the same way as the happy hormones: the more you do it, the more you benefit. In fact, the best way to get out of a negative feedback loop is to intentionally break it with gratitude. Melissa starts and ends her day by writing in her gratitude journal. Doing so sets her up for a successful day. When you envision yourself being successful, she says, you alert your reticular activation system, also known as the brain’s bouncer, to let in any opportunity that will help you reach your goal. At the end of the day, think of one thing that you are grateful for. You will feel more empowered and more empathetic towards others. We are in much more control of our brains than we think.

Resources Subscribe to Neuroscience NuggetMelissa’s book: Happy Hour With EinsteinJoin the Gratitude ChallengeKevin@higherpurposepodcast.comPhone: 678-744-5111

The Value of a LeaderLeaders commonly internalize the destructive notion that they need to have all the answers and solve all the problems in the company. In fact, we attach our sense of value to this idea, Jonathan says. This causes lots of problems at work. When it comes to the people part of leadership, a leader’s job is to ask good questions, to get answers you may not even think about. Rather than conducting meetings and presentations, have 1-on-1 conversations and listen actively.

Jonathan’s Journey Into Good AuthorityJonathan shares his gradual journey to becoming a good leader. He describes the moment he realized that things needed to change, and the steps he took from there. His wife asked him a question that would become the cornerstone of his life from that moment: what if professional and personal growth were two separate paths, but one journey? He now sees his life at work as daily opportunities for personal growth.

What is Good Authority?Good authority is not command and control, as it has been historically accepted. It is also not no authority or hierarchy at all. Good authority is acknowledging and embracing that I am in a position of authority and that I use it respectfully and with two-way dialogue.

3 Core PrinciplesKevin asks Jonathan to define the 3 core principles discussed in his book. Jonathan discusses these ideas:The deepest purpose of a business is to change the lives of the people who work there.The role of leaders and managers is to show people that personal and professional growth are inseparable.If you want people to be more engaged, you’ve got to be more engaged with them.

More Yoda, Less SupermanSuperman’s whole identity is wrapped up in saving the day. He never mentored anyone. He was focused on solving all the problems on his own. By contrast, Yoda was invested in helping Luke to become the best version of himself. He asked Luke difficult questions, informative moments to empower him to self-reflect and make difficult decisions, instead of holding his hand at every step. Jonathan believes that the future of work is to give people more Yoda; in other words, a pathway to self-discovery and self-actualization.

ResourcesFind Jonathan at Refound.comEmail: hello@refound.com Book: Good AuthorityKevin@higherpurposepodcast.comPhone: 678-744-5111

How Adversity Led to PurposeHeather feels depleted by all the negative news in our society. She remarks that we have turned into a society of being victims. By contrast, she chose to use the adversity she faced early in life as fuel to do what she was called to do. She is driven to help others move forward because there is so much more to all of us than any of us know. She feels that God created her to do exactly what she is doing today. “I can't even be me if I'm not doing what I'm doing,” she says.

Heather’s North StarsThere are many guiding principles Heather lives by. She calls them North Stars. Two of her favorites are: End strong, never end weak. Uplift others always.She comments that she came by these principles through her life experiences. It all started from the adversity: I am the person I am today because of my adversity, not in spite of it, Heather explains. 

How to Reframe AdversityWhen something bad happens, we each have a natural proclivity to either fight, flee or freeze. The first step in reframing is to allow the natural emotions to roll over you. However, there is a cut-off time: you don’t stay in that emotional mode forever. You move on to step 2 in reframing, which is to rethink that event or situation in a way that allows you to grow and move forward. Heather says that there are many ways to rethink what’s happening to us. Asking yourself questions such as “what did I learn from that? What can I do now because of this?” can help us see new possibilities. This same reframing process helps organizations and leaders to focus on rational ways they can impact the customer experience, rather than be discouraged by the things that are out of their control.

Reframing is Not Denying RealityKevin emphasizes the fact that reframing is not denying reality. It is letting reality sink in, but refusing to let it soak in for long periods of time. If you soak in it for too long you will wrinkle and shrink. Instead, focus on thoughts such as “what does this make possible? What's a different path forward?” If you think that there is only one path forward after a bad experience, that's being a victim. There is always more than one way to respond to any problem or dilemma.

Flip the SwitchA big part of personal, organizational and leadership effectiveness is to get a hold of your mind first. Once you discover what you can control after or in the midst of adversity, you feel a level of empowerment, like flipping a switch. 3 steps to start flipping the switch are:Step outside physically.Don’t soak in your adversity.Start imagining a new set of possibilities.

ResourcesHeather R. Younger on LinkedInTed TalkBook: The 7 Intuitive Laws of Employee LoyaltyKevin@higherpurposepodcast.comPhone: 678-744-5111

Creating Cultures Where People ThriveOur duty as adults, Mike says, is to create environments where all people can thrive. This involves listening and creating empathy. He outlines 6 steps to help people thrive at work. Step 2 is to stop and evaluate your organization’s culture now, from the outside as well as the inside. He defines culture as the thousands of interactions that happen every day in your environment: the way people experience your culture, not the way you talk about it. In step 5 he advises to let TIP (Thoughtful, Intentional, Personal) guide your approach to employee development and retention.

What is Thriving?You can know that someone is thriving if they are innately happy in what they’re doing, when their work is contributing to the company's mission as well as their personal life. The better you understand their personal goals, the more you can understand their motives.

Would You Want to Work For You?The first step in evaluating your culture is to ask yourself, if you were interviewing with you, would you want to work here? Organizations and leaders who care about their people are crushing the competition: when you care about your people, others hear about it and want to work for your organization. Mike shares 3 ways you can evaluate your company culture. Kevin adds that another question to ask yourself is, would you want your children to work here? If the answer is no, Mike advises you to accept it and not excuse it. Be the change.

Caring is Good BusinessCaring about your people is the right thing to do but it also makes good business. Research on positive work cultures show a tangible financial impact, including a 400- 500% greater stock price value and greater ROI for those companies who invest in their people. Mike advises leaders to treat their people just like they treat their customers. Kevin adds that the customer experience will never be better than the employee experience.

Successful LeadersMike shares 4 characteristics of leaders who love well and who are not afraid to let their people know they care. These leaders are courageous, they believe that people are genuinely good, they care about those that struggle, and they are good communicators. Success in leadership is not just about work, Mike says. He asks leaders, do you have 3 a.m. friends? Would you want your kids to live like you? Real success is also about how you show up personally, in relationships as well as the community.

Resources MikeSipplejr.com Talent Magnet Institute PodcastKevin Monroe email: kevin@higherpurposepodcast.comKevin Monroe phone: 1-678-744-5111One Stone Creative 

Gratitude Steve is grateful for Maryann and asks her to share why he dubbed her the Unofficial Sponsor of the Gratitude Challenge. Maryann explains that it was of the little thing she did by tagging Steve Foran in a post that Kevin had written on LinkedIn. Both men connected from that post which led to their collaboration. Kevin commented that a lot of the things we do are simple, but can be so significant. Actions do not have to be big to have significance.

What is Wrong With Me? Maryann posted on LinkedIn about how she had been fired 3 times in the last 9 years.  She says that she asked herself, why does this keep happening to me? What is wrong with me? The post generated lots of feedback, with many people telling her thanks because they could relate to what she wrote. She realized she wasn't showing the same kindness and compassion to herself that she showed to a complete stranger.

Shed the Guilt Kevin says that fear holds a lot of us back from starting over, mainly because of our responsibilities. The purpose of this podcast, Kevin says, is to help people feel free to start over, and to help them shed the guilt of doing so. Maryann adds that the most important questions to ask yourself are Who am I, What am I meant to do, and What might I have to give up to live my purpose?

Starting Over With Purpose Maryann’s purpose is bigger than herself: there are too many unhappy people in the workplace and her ‘empathy gene’ compels her to do something about it. She comments that if you want to lead your life, nothing is more important than knowing yourself really well.  Come at life from a position of strength, knowing what you're good at and what other people whom you admire, say they like about you. Build on your strengths just like elite athletes do. They focus most of their efforts on honing their strengths.

Toxicity at Work Causes Illness Kevin states that the stress and anxiety at work is the leading cause of chronic disease in North America. Maryann quotes the statistics of toxicity in the workplace and the impact it has on people’s lives. She concludes that if governments are trying to create more productive countries and companies, they could do so by investing in creating kinder, more collaborative, productive workplaces.

How to Have a Purpose-Powered Reboot Maryann outlines the three steps to take to give yourself a purpose-powered reboot, and shares some stories about how they can work for you.

There may be things we have to give up, but what we are getting in exchange for those tradeoffs is of far more value than what we are giving up. Energy that is directed from purpose is transformative. If you want to have a purpose-powered reboot Maryann advises you to be brave, be kind to yourself, and embrace the support of the people you love and trust the most. Most of all be grateful: if you can step back and look at all the things you're grateful for, it will remind you that you are living in an abundant place and that the world is full of hope and possibility and that we're all here to help one another.

Resources Maryann Kerr on LinkedIn 

Debriefing the Gratitude Challenge The hypothesis was that in ten days we could move people from 0-10 in terms of surviving and thriving. The gratitude challenge was 10 days of emails to help people improve their gratitude. The hypothesis was proven right - the needle moved for many, many people, as proven by an avalanche of messages talking about the real, meaningful changes in their lives. The average self-reported change people experienced was a 46% improvement in how they felt. Steve points out that as more people take the challenge, this kind of data, and what it represents could be massively impactful.

What Happens When You Invite Gratitude In? Steve talks about some of the physical, neurological changes that happen when you’re focusing and prioritizing on gratitude. When stress is one of the leading causes of disease and unhappiness, gratitude is a simple, effective and accessible antidote to the chemicals caused by stress. The hormones that stress causes cannot be produced at the same time as the hormones caused by gratitude. Kevin talks about reading the Abundance Loop, which talks about how negative outcomes have happened when decisions are made on fear. The fix for that is, you guessed it - gratitude. Steve points out that we can be tempted to dismiss the power of gratitude because it is so simple.

Gratitude is Critical The average North American has the highest quality of life in recorded history. But happiness is not keeping up with the external indicators of happiness and comfort. Steve thinks that the negative is so easy to see, and humans have a tendency to notice and amplify the negative much more than the positive. Kevin and Steve talk about one particular challenge, and how the idea of turning lemons into lemonade can be a useful tool.

Breakthroughs Kevin had breakthroughs in gratitude and outlook - even as the host of the challenge! Gratitude is the gateway to improvements in all areas of your life. Steve compares it to brushing your teeth. It’s something to do every day. It shouldn’t be rote, and the 10-day challenges are a way to keep your gratitude practice fresh and engaging. Steve asks Kevin to talk a little bit about the change in outlook he had during the challenge. Ultimately, Kevin doesn’t believe they found the gratitude challenge - the challenge found them. Like most things in life, gratitude is better together than alone.

A Grateful Community The third gratitude challenge - new and improved! - is starting on August 12th. It is the foundation for an extraordinary life. Steve reminds the listeners that even if you’ve taken the first or second challenge - take the third one. There is always something more to learn and experience.

Kevin recalls the line from Steve’s book: “You are worthy and you have much to be grateful for.” Steve talks about what this means, and the way you can use the idea to keep yourself from living in the survival zone. We can all thrive.

Resources 

The Power of Gratitude with Steve Foran 

The Abundance Loop 

The Gratitude Challenge 

The Lightness of Forgiveness Kevin shares a quotation from Called to Forgive, and Anthony talks about how forgiveness is a journey that ultimately, is about the person doing the forgiving, and heals their life along the way. There are different aspects of forgiveness, and Anthony explains what they are, and how they are involved in the process. Forgiveness is a decision that you make.

Incurring a Debt When you harm someone, Anthony believes you incur a debt. In the case of the murderer, the debt is in the form of multiple life sentences. Paying your debt is different than repentance, and Anthony explores the theological process of forgiveness, debt, and repentance. This process doesn’t necessitate a response to forgiveness, as satisfying as it might be - but it’s important to remember that forgiveness is for the person who was harmed, not the person who caused it. It releases the control the offender has over the victim.

When is Reconciliation the Goal? Not every event that requires forgiveness gets a reconciliation, and that can be challenging, especially when it’s close to home. Kevin and Anthony discuss how to manage those situations and the feelings that arise because of it. “Forgive and Forget” is a saying that may not mean exactly what people think it means. Forgetting, in this context means not hating, and not taking revenge, but doesn’t mean losing the memory of what happened, or working to prevent it from happening again.

The Consequences of Unforgiveness Anthony talks about the physical, mental and spiritual consequences of not forgiving those who have harmed you. The impacts of forgiveness and unforgiveness are not just personal, it affects communities, cities and whole countries. The response of the people of Charleston in 2015 was forgiveness, and that allowed them to begin healing. Kevin points out that when we have been wronged, we often want to take things into our own hands, and Anthony talks about what happens when you choose to put it into the hands of God.

The act of unforgiveness, or not forgiving, is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.

Remembering Anthony shares what the community does each year as a memorial for the victims of the shooting. There are several purposes to these memorials: to honor and remember the victims, to connect with members of the community and other denominations, and to work together towards racial reconciliation and repentance.

Anthony and Kevin close the conversation with a reiteration of the power of genuine forgiveness and the benefits of making the choice to do so.

ResourcesCalled to Forgive

Victims of the Charleston Shooting:Clementa C. PinckneyCynthia Marie Graham Hurd Susie Jackson Ethel Lee Lance DePayne Middleton-Doctor Tywanza Sanders Rev Daniel L. Simmons SrSharonda Coleman-SingletonMyra Thompson 

Rest in Power.

The Bottleneck Problem - there are all sorts of different shapes of bottles - but the neck is always at the top. Similarly, with purpose in businesses, the problem is at the top - people perceive purpose as the privilege of the few rather than the many. Often, many employees in an organization feel disconnected from it, and it is the opposite of how it should be. When every person in an organization has a purpose, they are mobilized in many ways.

The World Peace Problem - or the beauty pageant problem. If you have to look at the entire world and all the problems in it - thinking about how to move forward is paralyzing. The problems are so big, and the pursuit of purpose within that is so grandiose. We want to make our purpose granular, and actionable. Kevin shares some strategies on how to make purpose closer and more personal.

The Plaque Problem - when purpose is enshrined on the walls, but never seen in the halls. You see this when company discussions of purpose are all about PR, and not about actions. This filters down to how team members think about purpose. Kevin talks about the worst version of this - purpose-washing. Purpose should permeate the environment, and be a part of every day’s activities, rather than just the marketing departments.

The Megaphone Problem - this is when purpose is more talk than walk, something we've all seen, unfortunately. The solution is to start *doing* it before you start telling people about it. Put your plans into action, and then talk to people about how they’re experiencing it.

The Rainbow Problem - you see this problem come up when purpose is seen only as a dream, and not a reality, or something you can see in the abstract - but isn’t tangible. This is hard for people to connect with individually - it seems like something impossible to achieve. Kevin talks about how you can bring purpose into the day-to-day by breaking it down into something more actionable.

The (Jackson) Pollock Problem - when purpose is too abstract and open to different interpretations in your organization. Kevin points out that while everyone should have their own understanding of purpose when it’s too abstract, people can’t work towards the same goal. Put purpose into practice, instead.

The Marshmallow Problem - when purpose comes up at special occasions - but has no impact on the rest of the year. Purpose needs to be substantive and transformative - the main course rather than the appetizer.

Kevin talks about how these problems, when taken together, can make purpose something that gets eye-rolls and lip-service rather than the immensely powerful tool it is. There are concrete ways for your organization to use and take advantage of purpose, and when purpose permeates your organization, everything you’re trying to achieve becomes possible.

Right now Kevin is available to work with a select number of organizations as a Strategic Purpose Partner and Advisor, to help them identify, experience and enjoy the results that are possible.  Call 678-744-5111, or email Kevin@higherpurposepodcast.com to put purpose to work in your organization.

ResourcesTheGratitudeChallenge.Community

The Irony of Imposter SyndromeMore often than not, it is the people who are the most accomplished who suffer from imposter syndrome the most. Melissa talks about how high achievers aren’t always good at reaching out and asking for help. Kimberley agrees and talks about the steps that she’s taking to combat that hesitance to get involved in projects with others and collaborate professionally. That instinct to do it alone is a self-preservation instinct - but one that often backfires.

The Inner CriticMelissa and Kimberley discuss what the imposter syndrome means to them: sometimes it’s when your inner critic takes over your confidence, sometimes it's about other people’s expectations - or what you think they are. Kimberley makes a powerful statement about giving yourself the right to do what you do, and take up the space you need. Melissa adds that it’s important to share what you’ve done and what you’ve learned without being afraid you’re speaking out of turn, or that you’re not ‘expert’ enough. When you chart your own path, you’ll often be faced with the imposter syndrome.

The Importance of TrustTrust is a huge and critical part of the human experience. Melissa points out how important having trust for others is when it comes to achieving your goals. Kevin adds that the listeners to this episode are also being entrusted with this kind of vulnerability. Our early experiences can have a huge impact on our ability to trust, our bravery, and our confidence. They often supply the sound and tone of those inner voices that tell us we’re not good enough. Kimberley shares some challenges and experiences she has encountered when talking about her background, and what they have taught her about standing up for herself.

We’re Wired to ConnectCreating a Humans First culture makes a huge difference because it increases the sense of belonging we need to take risks and achieve great things. This matters at the organizational level, but on the personal level, we can’t afford to wait until we're in a fantastic culture - we need to take individual action to feel confident in ourselves. Melissa, Kimberley and Kevin discuss different strategies you can use to defeat your imposter syndrome.

Authenticity and Seeking TruthIt’s important to be aware of the impact you have on others and the world - how you show up and how you treat people matters. All too often, someone who is ‘just being honest’ may be telling the truth, but they’re often not being kind or helpful or supportive. None of us can control how other people will respond or react to us, and not having that control leads to imposter syndrome. Melissa points out that we often wouldn’t speak to others the way we speak to ourselves - and why not? Kimberley talks about faith, and the impact it can have on imposter syndrome.

The Jam Session ends with some final thoughts and reflections on imposter syndrome, connecting with others, and being mindful of the impact that we have on the world. One of the biggest fears leaders have is being exposed as an imposter - these feelings plague everyone on the path of achievement - and there is something validating about knowing you aren’t alone.

ResourcesKimberley Davis | onstageleadership.com | Dr. Melissa Hughes | Brave Leadership

Steve Foran is a gratitude guide. He has a background in electrical engineering and an MBA - but had a revelation that led him to pursue gratitude as a full-time career. He’s written a book called Surviving to Thriving, and Steve talks about how it came to be, after banging around in his head for several years. Kevin notes that the book ended up cracking him wide open, and helped him solidify his goal of making gratitude his focus for the next 100 episodes of the show.

The Hierarchy of LeadershipSteve talks about the 4 primary points on the leadership spectrum. Underlying them all is Influence.

Surviving is drudgery.Striving is hard work.Arriving is a good place to be.Thriving is where life is like a playground.

Kevin and Steve discuss where you end up spending most of your time because it has a huge impact on how you feel, and what you’re able to accomplish. In other words: when the sh*t hits the fan - lean into gratitude!

One of the unrelenting forces pulling us back down the hierarchy is negative attribution bias  - Steve discusses what they are, and the kinds of impacts they have on us physiologically and emotionally. Kevin notes that this is a good reason to keep your gratitude practice consistent!

You Are Worthy and You Have Much to be Grateful ForGratitude has a profound way of touching each of our lives, and Steve couples it with the concept of worthiness. When you hold onto the belief that you are worthy - the opportunities to thrive and succeed open up for you. Many of us, deep down, don’t feel as if we are - but Steve (and Kevin!) both fundamentally believe that we are - every one of us.

The Benefits of GratitudeMore and more studies are finding there are physical benefits to expressing gratitude. Kevin asks Steve what the implications of gratitude are in business. Steve talks about increases in collaboration, empathy, successful/positive conflict and a general improvement in morale and profitability. It can be as simple as beginning meetings by asking everyone what they are grateful for.

The Gratitude ChallengeAs Kevin was preparing this show, he was thinking about creating a short gratitude challenge - Steve’s immediate response was: Yes! The gratitude challenge is open for registration now  - so whether or not you’ve had a regular formal gratitude practice, or you’re an old hand - Kevin and Steve invite you to go to Thegratitudechallenge.community. This is a 10-day challenge, with a daily email that will help you think about gratitude that day. Over the course of 10 days, Kevin and Steve both believe you could experience a major change in your life. If you don’t feel like you have a huge amount to be grateful for - this challenge could change that for you.

Kevin reminds us that gratitude may not immediately change anything about the situation, but it changes us and how we perceive and experience the situation. Steve adds that it’s easy to get complacent in your gratitude practice - and this challenge can be a way to re-invigorate it. 

ResourcesGratitudeatwork.caUse the discount code: Higher Purpose Podcast for $5.00CAD off the price of the book. TheGratitudeChallenge.Community

Many Ways to Celebrate There are so many possible ways to celebrate the 100th episode of a podcast or any show for that matter. First off, Kevin explains how the 100th-episode-milestone is always a 'big deal' in business, simply because it is a reminder of success – and how many (most, even) podcasts don't get to make it that far. What are some of the ways other podcasters have celebrated their 100th mark? Kevin shares a few such as highlights, navel-gazing – some kind of introspective look on failures, successes, low and high moments of the podcast – and having special guests on the show.

The People's Voice Kevin mentions all of his guests are special, so none of the standard methods of celebratory episodes really resonate with him. That's why he saw it fitting to stay true to the foundation of the Higher Purpose Podcast and apply the three C's: Connection, Conversation and Community - and decided to put together a beautiful 'audio mosaic' for this 100th episode, hearing from fellow listeners just like yourselves from all over the world, about what moved them, inspired and affected them throughout the podcast.

Final Thoughts

Thanks for joining the celebration of our 100th episode milestone. There’s a quotation attributed to Woody Allen, “80% of success is showing up.” Another way to say that is, you never finish anything you don’t start. I remember receiving an email from a friend in January of this year. “79 episodes?  Wow.  I’m inspired by your commitment, by the content itself, and by your positive energy. “It really is amazing what you – and I mean YOU can accomplish once you start something and “keep showing up.” How did we get to 100 episodes? One episode at a time…week after week and thanks to the encouragement of others, I just kept showing up.

Thank you for showing up and joining in to listen to Episode 100. I hope you’re inspired to take the next step on your journey – however small or insignificant it might seem. TAKE IT TODAY…and then take the next one tomorrow…

Carrying on a Legacy

Al is thankful that Harry and Leticia have chosen to carry on and extend the legacy he and his family began generations ago. Alma Coffee - the cafe that Harry and Leticia just opened the week this episode was recorded - and being part of history while forging a new path, is something very exciting for everyone involved. This was a huge departure from the couple’s initial dreams of careers in accounting - despite becoming accountants, and getting jobs in their chosen companies, but making a difference through the family’s business was a stronger draw.

Fulfillment is Everything

As accountants, Leticia and Harry had a secure future but were miserable. The long hours, the stress, the whole environment was making them unhappy - and not filling their need for purpose. In being able to spend time at the family farm, and see the work being done - and the difficulties and challenges associated with it - they came to realize they needed to make a change - and fast! They quit their jobs, and committed fully to the family coffee business, learning how to roast and retail the coffee the family had been growing for generations.

Fixing the Supply Chain

For most coffee producers, all of the steps their product goes to - on its path from the farm to peoples cups - involve getting a smaller and smaller portion of the profits. Harry and Leticia believed they could change that, with their understanding of supply chains, marketing, and accounting. They started connecting the farmers directly to the people selling it - and everyone is better off. By controlling (and improving!) every step in the process, they and their clients have a more personal connection to the drink and understand the impact it can have.

Almadoption

Alma coffee adopts farmers they know personally, and that they’re going to re-invest in the industry and their communities - and they pay double the market rate for coffee. They have “Almadopted” three farmers outside of their family - and one of their measures of success is how many other farmers and families they can help. Success means being involved in the communities at all steps along the supply chain: from the farmer to the barista. 

Making a Difference

Not everyone moves from prioritizing success to prioritizing significance at all - but by seeing Al make that transition while they were quite young, Harry and Leticia were able to see the value and the benefits of aligning your personal and work lives around your purpose. Making a difference through business isn’t always easy - but can be extremely satisfying. People talk to them and talk about how they can make their own major life changes - becoming an entrepreneur and making a difference in the world. Leticia advises people to discover what gives them purpose, and see what career opportunities are there. Success can be a solo endeavor - but significance almost never is.

Try Alma Coffee by visiting them at their location at The Circuit Co-Working space, or ordering online! Use the discount code Higher Purpose to get 15% off your online order.

Alma Coffee | Alma Coffee on Facebook | The Circuit Co-Working Space |The Second Mountain Book Summary // Get the Book

Journey to the United States

Al grew up with coffee trees in his backyard, and it was his grandfather who instilled a love for them. He shares the story of how his grandfather encouraged him to pick and process the beans by hand, then took it a step further by allowing Al to sell the coffee and keep the profits. His father moved to the United States and Al joined him there on the promise of his own bicycle, and he shares the story of what it was like coming to a place with airplanes, electricity, indoor plumbing, and Coca-Cola in a can. He also shares the troubles he faced being ‘different’ in public schools, how he ended up in the military, and the injury that landed him in a factory.

Inspiration for the Future

While working in the factory, Al’s foreman kept telling him, “You have a head on your shoulders. Go to school.” So he did. From junior college to university, Al graduated with an accounting degree. As he waited for his first job interview, he had the crushing feeling that he wasn’t good enough to clean the bathrooms. Despite that, he had a phenomenal career there and moved to Sara Lee, where he really took off. He credits part of his success to growing up ‘on the streets.’

The Second Mountain

Al retired from his CEO position at age 42, having achieved his biggest goal. But he wasn’t finished yet; Al had a new purpose and it had nothing to do with his ego. He found himself being drawn back to his home in Honduras. For 800 years, farmers sold coffee and starved to death; they weren’t the ones making the money. Al decided to change that, and he shares the story of how he created Alma Coffee based on the idea of D2R, or ‘direct to roaster.’ But his holistic approach to helping the farmers goes much deeper.

The Real Deal

Al’s company was built, and he needed to find a roaster. He partnered with PJ’s Coffee in New Orleans after taking them to his farm in Honduras. He showed them that the story of his company, how he treats employees, and the difference it makes in the community was much more than a marketing ploy. It was the real deal because Al puts people first. He shares the three foundational pillars: improving lives, sustainable farming, and exceptional coffee. Al also shares his vision for the future; he wants the farming operation to continue 300 years after he’s gone.

The Definition of Success

Before Alma Coffee, the definition of success was the size of the paycheck. The golden parachute. Flying in private jets. But today, Al measures his success very differently: his farm director being able to buy his own home; his employees always having food, shelter, and community; lifting up the small town where he came from by improving the quality of life; his children wanting to continue the legacy. These things are the new definition of success.

Resources

Alma Coffee | Alma Coffee on Facebook | PJ’s Coffee | “The Second Mountain” by David Brooks

Freedom vs. Fear

Traci and WorldBlu teach people to live, lead, and work in freedom rather than fear. To do that, they tap into a deeper sense of love which results in freedom. In 20-something years of teaching this Traci realized something very important. Sometimes she would hit a brick wall with a company for no discernable reason. Traci discovered that most people have negative voices in their heads which directly affect self-worth, and if a CEO has self-worth issues, then they’re going to be threatened by employees with freedom. She shares one of the best - and worst - moments in her life at a Tony Robbins convention that drove this point home. And she also shares the profound reason why she doesn’t have the negative inner voice.

The Self-Worth Test

This isn’t a complicated test. In fact, you can do it right now. Answer this: On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate your self-worth right now, and why? When Traci was speaking to a room of about 100 CEOs, she asked them this question and asked them to raise their hands if they had an 8 or higher. You’d expect most of them to raise their hands; they’re successful CEOs, after all. But only 3 raised their hands. That’s one thing, but the more interesting part is when they answer the ‘why’ part of the question. Traci shares some of the answers she received when she asked why people ranked themselves lower.

Why You Are a Perfect 10

True self-worth isn’t tied to anything outside of us. Our worth is inviolate and baked into who we are. Traci points out that our worth is separate from wanting to improve and always be better. She shares some of the common characteristics of people who understand their self-worth: joyous, humble, lifting others up, consistent, loving, and more. She shares something very profound: Your PURPOSE is your reason for being. Your MISSION is what you do with it. Traci shares a story about coaching her nieces and nephews the way she does adult CEOs, and the surprising revelation that came from it.

The Ultimate Protective Factor

Kevin and Traci can both agree that purpose is an anchor. It’s what protects you when the world presses in around you. Consider the connection between purpose and self-worth. When we have low self-worth, it’s ‘me’ thinking, whether it’s negative or not. But when our self-worth becomes higher, infused with purpose, the thinking turns outward and we’re committed to serving others. One exercise that Traci recommends is to have a mantra that you say to the ‘gremlins’ - the negative voices - as soon as they appear. She explains how this simple trick works and why it’s so effective.

Final Thoughts

Here’s a question to ask yourself when you’re dealing with negative gremlins and low self-worth. How would you handle the situation if you WEREN’T afraid, if you WEREN’T listening to those gremlins? Second, if you’re at a 4, what would it take to become a 5? Is it internal or external? Finally, if you decided to spend the rest of your day living and acting like a 10, what would that feel like? Traci encourages you to run an experiment for today: live it as a 10.

Resources

WorldBluThe Freedom-Centered Leader CourseLinkedInTwitterFreedom at Work Podcast

Ben’s Path and Inspiration

Ben started work at age 14, and his experiences were on both ends of the spectrum. He points out a very simple way to gauge what kind of experience you’re having as an employee: the way you feel when you walk in the door. Do you feel like you belong, like you’re rewarded for your efforts? Do people ask you how you are? These are some of the basic components of a good experience.

Worldwide Perspective on Work

As we mentioned, Ben has worked as a consultant in over 8 countries, and he’s spent that time observing work across those cultures. He found some striking similarities. That we are all human is obvious, but we also crave the same things regardless of where we are. Ben shares in more detail what those things are, then contrasts how we go about getting those things we crave in different cultures.

How to Observe and Understand

Ben tends to go about observation differently. Where many consultants walk in with a pre-made plan, Ben immerses himself in the culture surrounding him. In other words, experience life as a local, because above all, a sense of community is incredibly important. He shares his experience as a minority in China, and the surprising way people took care of him.

On a deeper level, Ben understood the similarities early in his journey. Humans are very different, but humanity remains the same. We are emotional creatures experiencing the world through our senses. He explains how being ‘human-centric’ has been his driving focus and what he’s seen that trips up otherwise good companies. He launched the World Employee Experience Institute to help solve these issues, and Ben shares the story of how the Institute was born.

The Employer/Employee Contract

The idea of this is simple: a work relationship provides one thing for the employer and a different thing for the employee. But have you considered the psychological contract? This revolves around rewards, being celebrated and appreciated, and growing, learning, and thriving within an organization. It’s a relationship rather than a contract or deal. This is the holistic way to look at employee experience.

The Basic Element of Humanity

Belonging is at the top of the list and that’s why Ben has put community first. When you build something people believe in and unite them within the organization, you achieve that sense of belonging. It’s much deeper than perks and ping pong tables. Ben reveals what creates a real sense of community, and how he can ask one question and learn the state of the community.

The Vital Factors

Ben’s book, called “Employee Experience,” dives into some of the vital factors of creating a great work environment. At the center of a good experience, there is a simple, unwavering belief in what the organization is doing. Partly, it’s about the ‘why,’ the passion, but that’s not enough on its own. You also need the ‘how,’ the mission and values of the organization. Ben calls this the ‘truth’ of an organization, which you’ll find instantly when you walk in the doors. It has nothing to do with marketing gimmicks, and Ben shares how organizations can find their own truth.

Resources

Website | LinkedIn | World Employee Experience Institute | Twitter

Waves and Ripples 

Both waves and ripples are movements of water or liquid in response to a stimulus. The scientific definition of a wave is "a moving disturbance in the level of a body of water" — there is motion there. There is action, there is energy. Both definitions include movement and a response to some type of stimulus: something has to start the movement. 

The distinction is that waves move you in a specific direction, whereas a ripple is a far-flung effect of something. 

Opportunities in action 

Imagine yourself sitting at the edge of the water, watching and listening to the waves. That’s one way to enjoy a wave’s impact. But unless you seize the opportunity, take action, and jump into the wave to have it carry you somewhere — you’re just sitting on the shore. You need deliberate and intentional action. 

Jason Meucci’s waves and ripples 

Jason has not only ridden waves and ripples, but has also created plenty of his own that we can trace through the Higher Purpose Podcast. 

He shares the story of getting to work with Jake Haupert after listening to him on an episode. They’re spreading the word about how transformational travel works to make the world a better and more connected place, a project that has potentially global ripples.

He also shares a story about connecting with Bernadette Jiwa through the podcast, who, within a week, had sent him a box of her books from Australia for him to share. That’s a ripple that has bounced from the podcast in Georgia, to Jason in Washington, to Bernadette in Australia, and back to Washington — and who knows where else!

He talks about meeting and becoming friends with Renee Smith and Tyler Adams through the podcast, and says he can list another ten to a dozen people he’s connected with through the podcast. All of this because he decided to take action, get involved, get to know these people and invest in their relationships. 

More waves and ripples 

The first ever episode with Mark Tim was an introduction through Chris Patten.

The Profile of Purpose Series, made up of conversations with 12 business owners who are in the business of purpose, also came as part of a wave.

My friendship with Marcel Schwantes led to an introduction to Mike Vacanti, which then kicked off the HumansFirst series on the podcast (and the waves and ripples from each of my guests on the series!) and my involvement with the HumansFirst Club — which also led to my hosting the HumansFirst Hangout, which has been another set of waves and ripples all of its own! 

A call to action 

I want to invite you to share your waves and ripples story that is somehow connected to the tsunami effect of the Higher Purpose Podcast. Go to kevindmonroe.com/waves and you’ll find a page and instructions to record a voice message and share your story. 

If you record it by Saturday, June 15, you’ll be able to hear it on our 100th milestone episode airing on June 25.

Spinning plates

As leaders and business owners, we’re keeping a lot of plates spinning — so much so that we end up neglecting employee engagement. But the secret to keeping that employee engagement plate spinning is to realize that it’s not a plate at all. It’s much more foundational, and embedded inside of each plate itself.

Santiago tells the story of the moment he realized he’d dropped the ball on his company’s employee engagement, and what he did to turn things around.

Unlocking your potential

Emplify uses data to help business leaders make better decisions and create better and more engaging work environments, with the purpose of helping all people unlock their full potential at work. How do we create an environment that allows you to become a better version of yourself?

We spend half our waking lives at work, and that very much impacts our lives. It’s really difficult for somebody to live a fulfilled and meaningful life when much of their time is spent with an energy-sucking force. This impacts friends and family, and from that, the impact ripples out into society. So one of the ways we can influence the world is by creating better, more human work environments.

Good for business

Santiago shares the story of a manufacturing business that would turn over 100% of their team every single year. Those are massive costs. When they interviewed their employees, their employees revealed that their backs hurt from moving heavy metal sheets every day to get them ready for welding, instead of spending their time welding. One $60,000 investment into a forklift later, the team went from being the lowest engaged in the company to the second most engaged team, they produced more, and helped the company earn an extra 3.8 million dollars every year with the same exact labor costs.

The magic of employee engagement is that it’s not just the right thing to do because it’s good for people. It’s also better for business. If done right, it can be very profitable.

Defining engagement

It’s head, heart, and hands: an employee’s intellectual and emotional connection with their work that causes them to strive with their hands after the company’s goals and mission. If their head and heart are all in, then they want to pursue what the company is about with their full and best self.

Have you ever seen someone innovate in a company who’s had their mind and heart checked out? People have to care deeply to come up with new solutions.

Employee engagement vs employee satisfaction

The goal isn’t employee satisfaction. It’s employee engagement. Engaged employees lean in and put their full hearts and minds into the job. Satisfied employees lean back, and do the bare minimum to keep reaping the benefits and rewards of the job.

It’s not about leadership catering to every whim of their employees. It’s about finding what actions we can take to make people’s lives better and help the business win. And to find that solution, you have to carefully diagnose the problem: a problem well-defined is a problem half-solved.

Resources for Santiago Jaramillo

LinkedIn | Twitter | Email: santiago@emplify.com

EmplifyGut + Science

HumansFirst is about actively bringing more humanity into the workplace to elevate people, help them mentally and physically heal, and then advance and evolve the workplace. And HumansFirst is not just about work — it spills into all areas of life, because we bring all areas of life into our work.

At HumansFirst Club Events:

Each event is about the participants, so there is no “prepackaged roadshow” that the HumansFirst Club takes on tour. Volunteers come in to share and infuse ideas, topics, and ways forward, and that gets the juices flowing so people can participate. And it’s that participation from the people in the room that makes each event unique.

But though the events aren’t designed the same way every time, some common themes do emerge about what’s broken and what can be repaired, which tells us that experiences are very similar across the country.

On the horizon:

The Playground is launching May 21, aligned with a live event taking place in Charlotte, to better serve an audience that is fast becoming global. It’s a virtual place with opportunities for people to come together and continue to experiment and meet other light-hearted people, and start to create what the future looks like.

As for the HumansFirst Club meetings, they will continue, but based on the feedback, people are looking to go deeper on the topics. Extended time will be important, as well as an opportunity to get a larger group of people together, so it may evolve into a one-day event with more time, scope, and scale. Less frequent events but bigger and more engaging.

Where the rubber meets the road:

How can you bring the takeaways from the HumansFirst Club experience back to your organization and your daily work life? That’s where it feels like there is a barrier, or no entry point. That’s why Winning Conversations was designed.

This program focuses on open dialogue, very much like during the HumansFirst Club events, and teaches businesses how to have these structured conversations to unleash the brilliance that’s already in your organization. Because it’s interactive and engaging, it drives adoption, accelerates initiatives, and ties multiple initiatives across your company together.

Do we know what’s going on? Do we know what’s going to happen during the day? How do all the pieces fit together? Winning Conversations helps pull all of that into alignment, and builds this whole process into your organizational rhythms. It’s a very different approach to a highly believed and known problem.

When we get people together, stretch them out of their comfort zones, and align to the reality that’s going on, all of a sudden you’ll see the company values come through, the vision becomes clear, and the people attach themselves to it.

We love being busy, but now we can be purposeful. Given the opportunity, people will amaze you.

Resources for Mike Vacanti: LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Website | HumansFirst Club

Other resources: X-Factor Consulting | Episode 77: Putting Humans First with Mike Vacanti

The Careercation

Burnt out by his own startup, David uprooted his family and bought one-way tickets to New Zealand. During this vacation, he had two main goals: to unplug and connect with his family, and to figure out what was next.

So he conducted a series of interviews with CEOs about their pain points, and from these interviews, a common theme emerged: the haunting feeling when someone would give them their two weeks’ notice out of the blue.

This became the inspiration for TINYpulse. What if we could take the pulse of our employees - in the moment - so leaders could get on top of issues ahead of time and resolve them collaboratively before they spin out of control?

Think tiny

Instead of one huge survey once a year, what about asking people one simple question at a time? For management, it’s much easier to get a picture of what’s going on as there’s much less noise than if you had asked 30 questions. It’s also easier to find themes and actually do something about it.

Characteristics of companies that flourish

One is the importance of recognition. Whether you use TINYpulse or something else, make sure that there are multiple avenues of giving each other recognition, and that it’s very easy to do.

The second thing is the perception of management transparency. One of the biggest drivers of how happy employees say they are is how transparent they believe management is. So David challenges leaders: given your role, how can you be more transparent?

Cheers for Peers

This TINYpulse feature allows colleagues to appreciate one another in real time. Recognition isn’t just a high five, it’s (1) What am I giving you recognition for, specifically? (2) What is the significance or impact of what you did? (3) How did it make me feel? Not only does this boost engagement and morale and build a culture of recognition, but a manager can also check the cheer scanners and see what’s going on. In TINYpulse offices, these cheers are publicly shared and visibly celebrated.

Values

You’ll know if a set of values are your values if it allows the people you want in your company to flourish and the people you don’t want in your company to self-select out. You should be able to make decisions by these values and hire and fire by them.

Here are TINYpulse’s:

Delight customers. This includes internal customers because if you can’t delight each other internally, you can’t delight customers externally.

Spread positivity. When you walk in the door, you can be positive, negative, or neutral. It’s a free choice.

Lead with solutions and embrace change. If you have something to complain about, offer suggestions on how to solve it.

Improve communications by being direct and transparent.

Go the extra mile with passion. It’s super hard but very rewarding.

Hold yourself accountable. You don’t need to be policed. You have the freedom, but you also have the accountability. Balance it.

Treasure the culture of freedom we have. Everyone who comes after you will take their cue on how to act from you.

Resources

David Niu (LinkedIn) | Careercation | TINYpulse | TINYcon

The format of the Higher Purpose Podcast

For this podcast, I just wanted to find people — whoever they are, wherever they’re at, and regardless of title — who are doing amazing things and integrating purpose into their work. And I’ve been blessed to meet and connect with an amazing community of people from around the world. 

I also decided I didn’t want to have interviews, I wanted to host conversations. That was a significant shift. I wanted to have unique conversations with my guests that they won’t have with any other podcast host, or that you won’t hear on any other podcast. 

The Humans First Movement 

The movement began for me through relationships. Marcel Schwantes and I were already connected, and he asked if I knew Mike Vacanti. I said I didn’t, Marcel made the introduction, and what was supposed to be a 30-minute conversation with Mike lasted for two and a half hours.

For some reason, Humans First is a label that just connects like crazy with people. I like to think of Humans First as a multifaceted diamond. You can look at it from different perspectives, and each person will see something unique in the diamond — but we’re all still looking at this same multifaceted gem. 

The Humans First Series on the Higher Purpose Podcast 

There was no plan of doing a Humans First series on the podcast, but then I began to have conversation after conversation with people, and every time, there was this lift. There was energy. It was fun.

And the guests weren’t showing up to say, I have the answer. No: it was to say, here’s my contribution. And I want to sample what other people are offering. Let’s have a conversation. To me, that’s the single biggest difference that I see characterizing Humans First. 

On community 

I’ve identified my zone of genius as Create, Connect, Converse, and so to me, podcasting is a conversation that connects people in the community. 

I don’t know the scale or the scope, but I’m going to begin hosting some in-person gatherings because we need to get in the room together. These are going to be unique meetings that aren’t going to be built around presentation — they’re going to be transformational conversations with like-minded people from around the world. 

Emergence 

Rather than trying to make things happen, for me, it’s all about the flow. The flow of energy, the flow of creativity. When you follow the flow, amazing things happen. 

Last week, I sent out an email to all the folks that have been in this Humans First series of conversations and I said, here’s an idea. And in a few hours, everybody said they were in. We’re in the process now of planning a series where we’ll have four or five people on the podcast at once, and have an unscripted and unplanned conversation that takes a topic and dives into it. That’s what we’re doing very soon! 

I’m electrified, ecstatic, and energized. I’m pretty excited about the things we’re talking about and I’m just thinking, wow, what’s next? What is possible? 

HumansFirst Leaders Connect

Join me for the HumansFirst Book Club, where we do a deep dive into a book a month and often engage the authors in conversation.