Strive to be Stupid!

Many (bad) leaders strive to look really smart all the time.

They feel compelled to appear intelligent to their team in fear of being looked down upon as not a “fearless leader.”

Guess what?  Most successful leaders aim to be the dumbest person in the room. While this sounds silly, it’s actually an insightful and mature goal.

Great leaders are secure enough to surround themselves with wickedly smart people who are much smarter than themselves. That is the only way your organization will grow!

If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in BIG trouble.


Good leaders keep their ego in their back pocket and listen to the smart people they surround themselves with much more than they talk.

And you know what? Your team will love you for it. They will not think you are dumb, but actually respect you more because you’ll appear humble and open.


The huge benefit is that this will inspire them to be engaged and offer feedback knowing that you’re receptive.


Don’t be afraid to be dumb. Get excited about being the most stupid person in the room and get ready to have your team scale the business up!

Plus, it’s just darn easier if YOU don’t have to think of everything.

What is your Super Power?

(Video link)

For those of you who saw the movie City Slickers you may remember the scene when Jack Palance gives Billy Crystal the secret to the meaning of life.

This is arguably one of the best movie scenes. Cowboy Curly (played by Palance) nails the definition of the meaning of life by holding up one finger.

Crystal looks confused and asks “Your finger?”

“One thing” answers Palance, “Just one thing. You stick to that and everything else don’t mean shit.” 

Crystal then asks, “…but what’s the one thing?”

Palance answers “That’s what you gotta figure out.”

BAM!

With one finger, the meaning of life is defined…. (Watch the scene here.) 

I love this life lesson and wanted to see how it relates to not only someone’s personal life but also a business lesson.

This is what I came up with — what is YOUR one thing YOU should be doing to maximize your business’s success?

Now of course our business mission should be super hyper-focused on one brand promise. But what about you?

WHAT IS YOUR SUPER POWER?

What do you do best?

For me, it’s sales. I love sales. When I am passionate about a product nobody can outsell me.

I don’t even feel like I am selling something because I love my product so much, and I’m super pumped to sincerely help people solve their problems.

When my business is humming on all eight cylinders, I'm spending 95 percent of my time selling. There is a direct correlation to my business’s success and how much time I spend selling.

So, take a moment and ask yourself, “What do I do best?”

What is that ONE thing that just comes natural to you? That one thing that everyone says you are a rock star at? That one thing that when you are doing it, you are in the zone of kicking ass and nobody can stop you?

You know what it is.

It’s ONE THING.

Now, stop everything else and just do it.

And there’s the secret to a happy business life.

Challenge yourself to have an amazing April

For me, the month of March was overwhelming to say the least.

I had huge milestones for my business, I helped a local charity reach their fundraising goals, and I learned a lot about limitations.

Did you get any ideas for what you can do to make April one of your best months ever?

Share your ideas with me in the comments section, or send me an email at David@NextStepU.com. I'd love to hear about your progress!

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4 basic needs we all could benefit from

It is easier than you think to maximize your life. Do you feel good? Are you energized every day? Are you excited in the morning when you wake up? 

Odds are you could probably improve in any of those areas.

Watch this quick video to get the four key elements you should be putting into your day — and your life! It is really a whole lot easier than you thought.

 

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Be generous with your love all year long

The spirit of Valentine's Day should be celebrated each day — and that love expanded to all of our connections and not just our significant others.

Here are some moments in my life where I felt that love beyond the holiday.

 

Where are the moments in your life where you can share that love with others?

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Confuse yourself in order to grow

Did you know that your muscles need confusion in order to grow? It's true — if you do the same thing every day, over time, your body will not see a change. You'll plateau.

Watch this quick video about how I'm changing things up in order to grow:

So, did you get any great ideas? What do you think you'll confuse in order to grow? I would love to hear your ideas. Leave a comment or share with me on social media.

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17 of the best books to read in 2014

Do you have a favorite book? How about a book you read each year?

I do. And I want to share them with you…

Watch this quick video for reasons why I think each book is a must-read.

Now that you've watched the video, here is the list of books I mentioned in case you want to get a copy for yourself:

• 101 Things You Can Do to Become an Outstanding Young Adult by David Mammano

• Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand

• Break Out by Joel Osteen

• Building a Great Business by Ari Weinzweig

• Business Brilliant by Lewis Schiff

• David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell

• Focus by Daniel Goleman

• Half Time by Bob Buford

• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

• Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk

• Linchpin by Seth Godin

• Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

• Screw It, Let's Do It by Richard Branson 

• Small Giants by Bo Burlingham

• Stairway to Success by Nido R. Qubein

• The Leadership Fables of Patrick Lencioni — Five Temptations, Four Obsessions, Five Dysfunctions

• Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Are there any books you would add to the list? Are there some great ones I forgot to mention that you think I should read? 

Leave a comment or share it with me on social media!

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This bad habit is worse than smoking pot at work

There is one thing you may be doing at work that is worse than if you work smoking pot on the job. It's hard to believe, but it's true.

And you'll never guess what this distraction is…

So... did you guess the distraction? Give it some thought before you take your next phone call.

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Tips for making the most of your holiday!

Wishing you all the best for an enjoying holiday season full of love, gratitude, rest and recovery!

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The #1 thing you can do for your health!

The weekly challenge is here! And this time it's for your health. 

I've learned the #1 thing you can do for health and vitality from Dr. James Rouse, Founder of Optimum Health.

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A huge challenge for you awaits!

Before I started my blog, I recorded two videos. Here is the first one.

It is a personal challenge that is SO tough. But if you can do it for one week, it will improve your health, attitude and overall well being. Plus it will make people around you feel better too.

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Turn those negatives into positives

Have you ever let a negative person ruin your day?  Of course you have — we all have!

It just happened to me. But, instead of stewing about it, I decided to “get back” at the person by turning it into something positive.

Invest the next two minutes to see how I did it…

What are your resolutions for 2014?

Is it too early to think about resolutions for 2014?  I was challenged to start thinking already.

Most people say lose weight, exercise more, more time with family…and by February 1^st, they are back to their normal habits. 

So, I challenged myself to do something SO easy, yet SO powerful, that I fully believe it will create my best year ever.  And it’s only going to take ONE Minute a day!

Check out this video for ideas on how you can also have the one-minute-a-day resolution!