December 6, 2024 • 20 mins
Ever wondered what truly defines a great leader? Is it a title, or something deeper? Join me, Tara, in this thought-provoking episode of "Plus Fitness with Tara," where we unravel the essence of leadership and living with purpose. Drawing on my MBA insights and personal experiences, I explore how leadership is an evolving process, enriched by interactions and situations.
This year has been a rollercoaster for me, with family health challenges pushing me to take a reflective sabbatical. A Celtic River cruise became my turning point, reigniting my passion and drive. Together, we'll dive into wisdom from Jay Shetty, Deepak Chopra, and Stephen Covey, uncovering traits and habits that foster effective leadership.
I'll also share how networking with Sandra Yancey of eWomen Network has shaped my journey. Join our conversation on social media and let's discover how to lead with purpose, even when life gets tough. 🌈✨
Connect with me: @taracmacdonaldinc | taracmacdonald.com
For more info and helpful tips visit my website at taraCmacdonald.com
Connect with me and my growing community on Facebook and Instagram!
Yours in health,Â
Tara
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Tara MacDonald (00:01):
This is the EWN podcast network.
Hi. I'm Tara from Plus Fitness with Tara. I'm
a curvy, fun body positive coachand personal trainer. I love
business and fitness. You havethe tools you need to be a rock
star in fitness, a healthy loveof yourself, and help from me.
And sifting through health newswill do that. I've got fitness
topics, and, yes, rock starsaren't born. They're bred and
(00:23):
experienced and fired. Let's dothis together.
Hello, and welcome to Plus It Uns with
Tara, the podcast. Today, we'retalking about leadership and a
life on purpose. So let me startoff with in my MBA textbook,
when I did my master of businessadministration during COVID,
through Australian Institute ofBusiness, great school,
(00:45):
fantastic leadership, fantasticexamples of everything you need
to do for business. In theirtextbook, Leadership Enhancing
the Lessons of Experience byHughes, Ginette, and Surfi, they
state that leadership iscomplex, and the first chapter
of that book opens with thisparagraph. And I quote,
leadership is a process, not aposition.
(01:06):
1 is not a leader except perhapsin name only, merely because one
holds a title or position.Leadership involves something
happening as a result of theinteraction between a leader and
followers. The interactionalframework is based on the idea
that leadership involves complexinteractions between the leader,
the followers, and thesituations they are in.
(01:29):
Leadership is a complexphenomenon. So I listen to Jay
Shetty's podcast, Life onPurpose, And I'm curious what
you think makes up a leader.
We've been a bit through thisringer in the year 2024,
politics and religion and wars,including that thought. And
personally, I have struggled somuch I need a sabbatical for my
business and my podcast. Andhonestly, I drowned in it. The
(01:51):
emotion, the overthinking, theanxiety, some depression,
ongoing issues with family. Theemotions were heavy, knowing my
mom would suffer for a long timebefore her passing actually
occurs.
Her diagnosis was in June, andshe still has ongoing issues.
And my uncle also is going moredownhill on his own health
issues as well. Until finally, Itook a chance this year. And
(02:14):
despite my other aunt having astroke literally 2 days before I
left, I went on the Celtic RiverRyan cruise with Ameluzh on the
Ameluzhia River cruise boat. Thecruise is fantastic, and the
food was excellent.
I'll never forget it. It was alife changing experience for me.
It propelled me out of thedepths of despair and threw me
out into the world, especiallyafter Beachbody got rid of its
(02:35):
MLS system, now known as body.Beachbody is now known as body.
I'm still a body affiliate, but,woah, what happened with all
those people and with thatdecision to make that made me
question, what is leadership?
Jay Shetty quotes, leadership isnot a title. Focus on actions
and inspiration, not just aformal position. Student leaders
(02:55):
don't wait for permission tomake a positive change.
Encourage proactive behavior andleadership through personal
actions. True leadership isunderstanding.
Emphasize the importance ofelevating others for overall
success. Every student has thepotential to be a leader.
Leadership aspects exist invarious aspects of life. It's
(03:16):
about embracing opportunities.Leadership is not confined to
age or experience.
Emphasize courage and impactinstead. Where do I look when I
have questions? For, you know,as I pondered this when I had
time on the river cruise anddelves into, you know, you know,
the Growth Day app, I also hitup the Chopper Center on eWomen
(03:38):
Network for inspiration andanswers to questions. I also
looked to the following accountson Instagram, Luke Hanna
Nutrition, Andy Fung, Sohee Fit,Ben Carpenter, Rob Lapham, The
Fitness Chef, Abby Third,eatstrong_ Sophie, Alice Jessica
Fitt, doc Heidi Cook, doctorIds, doctor Adrian Chavez,
(04:01):
doctor Shannon d p t, millieg_fit, doc Jen Fitt, the daily
Kelsey, Venus 2bfab, JuliaGlantz. When your mind and heart
are truly open and abundancewhen your mind and heart are
truly open, abundance will flowto you effortlessly and easily.
Deepak Chopra wrote an articleabout the 7 powerful traits of
(04:24):
highly effective leaders withKabirasayagal. They state, being
a good leader means embodyingthe soul and ethos of the people
you lead. The most effectiveleaders reflect the values and
principles that their teams holddear. Indeed, that can be quite
a tall order, especially ifyou're entering the role for the
first time. Here are 7 essentialtraits to always keep in your
back pocket.
(04:45):
1. L is for look and listen.When you're just stepping into a
leadership position, take amoment to look around and notice
your surroundings. What are thepeople on your team prioritizing
and spending their time on? Itmight even help to schedule
individual meetings with eachperson on your team.
This will help you stay informedwhen establishing a vision for
where you want your organizationto be. 2. E is for emotional
(05:09):
bonding. Respected leaders takethe time to build meaningful
relationships with theircolleagues and team. Ask about
the families of those you workwith, but be careful not to
inquire about anything toopersonal.
Know your boundaries. Remembertheir birthdays. Ask them how
their day is going and schedulelunch or all hands on company
meeting to answer questions.Share personal stories from real
life. Let people see you who youare as you really are, not as
(05:34):
some autocrat, but someone whois relatable and of equal value.
3, a is for awareness. As aleader, you must have
situational awareness, whichsimply means being observant of
your immediate surroundings.Being aware will help you obtain
information critical to yoursuccess. You can enhance your
understanding by conversingregularly with your colleagues
(05:55):
through reoccurring meetings,reading about your organization
in the news, and walking thehalls of your company to learn
about what's on people's minds.4.
D is for doing. Leaders mustact. Don't just analyze the
situation as that can result ina paralysis and where no
decision is made. When you takean action, others will notice.
(06:16):
Listening to your colleagues andforming deep emotional bonds
will give you the clarity andconfidence to implement smart
decisions.
When you take an action, otherswill notice. 5. E is for
empowerment. Never let the powerget to your head. Let other
people make decisions forthemselves.
By trusting your team members,you enable them to grow and
(06:37):
determine the right path. Whenpeople achieve for themselves,
they'll feel a sense of personalfulfillment. Many times, you can
set the priority and allow yourteam to make the right
decisions. Let's boost sales by10%. I trust you to come up with
a plan, you might say.
6, r is for responsibility. Thebuck stops with you as a leader.
If something goes wrong, be thefirst to take accountability
(07:00):
before turning the page. Neverbe afraid to say, I made a
mistake. When your organizationsees that you are capable of
admitting fault, you instill amore forgiving culture in which
people are more honest and lessafraid to fail or speak up.
7, s is for synchronicity. Whenyou're related to your soul, you
radiate positive feelings. As aresult, small gifts will come
(07:22):
your way. Maybe a colleague willbe inspired by your vision and
go the extra mile, or yoursuccess as a leader earns you
industry wide recognition. Byplanting seeds, you'll see the
flowering of opportunities.
This is synchronicity, whenunrelated good things start to
happen. So we can't have a listof 7 without looking at what
(07:42):
else is out there, list ofsevens and leaders, without
checking in on the 7 Habits ofHighly Effective People. Based
on this doctor Stephen Covey'sinspirational book, 7 Habits of
Highly Effective People. StephenCovey background information. He
was born in 1932, passed in2012, and he remains a hugely
influential management guru.
Kobi's most famous book, The 7Habits of Highly Effective
(08:04):
People, became a blueprint forpersonal development when it was
published in 1990. Theprinciples may be used for life
in general. They are not limitedto workplaces, management,
leadership alone. Covey'sconcepts can actually help
people to grow, change, and tobecome more effective in really
any other aspect of humanresponse that you might imagine.
The habits seem very simple, andin many ways, they are.
(08:25):
Yet to vary degrees, they mayentail quite serious changes to
thinking and acting.Nevertheless, the 7 Habits are a
remarkable set of inspirationaland aspirational standards for
anyone who seeks to live a full,purposeful, and good life, and
they are applicable today morethan ever as the business world
and life beyond business andwork becomes more tuned to
humanistic concepts. Habitnumber 1, be proactive. This is
(08:50):
the ability to control one'senvironment rather than have it
control you as is so often thecase. Self determination,
choice, and the power to decideresponse to stimulus,
conditions, and circumstances.
Habit 2, begin with the end inmind. Covey calls this the habit
of personal leadership, leadingoneself that is towards what you
consider your aims. Bydeveloping the habit of
(09:10):
concentrating on relevantactivities, you will build a
platform to avoid distractionsand become more productive and
successful. Habit 3, put firstthings first. Covey calls this
the habit of personalmanagement.
This is about organizing andimplementing activities in line
with the aims of selfish andhabit 2. Covey says that habit 2
is the first of our mentalcreation. Habit 3 is the second
(09:33):
or physical creation. Habit 4,think win win. Covey calls this
the habit of interpersonalrelationship, necessary because
achievements are largelydependent on cooperative efforts
with others.
He says that win win is based onthe assumption that there is
plenty for everyone and thatsuccess follows a cooperative
approach more naturally than theconfrontation of win or lose.
(09:57):
Habit 5, seek first tounderstand and then to be
understood. One of the greatmaxims of the all modern age,
this is Covey's habit ofcommunication, and it's
extremely powerful. Covey helpsto explain this in the simple
analogy, diagnose before youprescribe. Simple and effective
and essentially for developingand maintaining positive
relations in all aspects oflife.
(10:18):
Habit 6, synergize. Covey saysthis is the habit of creative
cooperation. The principle ofthe whole is greater than the
sum of its parts, whichimplicitly lays down the
challenge to see the good andpotential in the other person's
contribution. Habit 7, sharpenthe saw. This is the habit of
self renewals, says Covey, andit necessarily surrounds all the
other habits, enabling andencouraging them to happen and
(10:40):
grow.
Covey Covey interprets the selfinto 4 part parts, which all
need feeding and developing. 1,the spiritual, 2, the mental, 3,
the physical, 4, the social,emotional. Summary and
conclusion. Stephen Covey'sseven habits are a simple set of
rules for life, interrelated andsynergistic, and yet each one
powerful and worthy of adoptingand following in its own right.
(11:03):
For many people, reading Covey'swork or listening to him speak
literally changes their lives.
Covey's thinking is powerfulstuff indeed, and I highly
recommend it. In his more recentbook, The 8th Habit, Stephen
Covey introduced the 8th Habit,which deals with personal
fulfillment and helping othersto achieve fulfillment too,
which aligns helpfully withMaslow's notions of self
actuation actualization andtranscendence in the hierarchy
(11:25):
of needs model and also with thelater life stages in Erikson's
psychosocial life stage theory.The 8th habit book also focus on
leadership, another distinctaspect of fulfillment through
helping others. So, you know, itcould be a lot to process the 7
habits. I've listed them insummary, and, I redirect you to
(11:45):
the articlewww.businessballs.com, self
management, the 7 Habits ofHighly Effective People, for
more information on thisarticle, which I have just
quoted and read here for you tohelp give you a summary of the
habits that are listed,including a little note towards
the 8th habit that was recentlylisted.
(12:06):
But, you know, another person Ilook at is essentially eWomen
Network. And from an interviewwith Sandra Yancey, cofounder of
eWomen Network, part of thetrifecta of Kim Yancey and
Brianna Day, they're all family.This, you know, interview clip
that I've taken out of theactual article is from the
invisiblementor.com, inspiringstories about successful people,
(12:26):
Sandra Yancey part 2. And Ibrought it up simply because I
felt that this part appealed towhat I'm trying to talk about
with leadership and, lifepurpose. Adele Beckford asks,
Sandra, what big steps did youtake to succeed in your field?
What is one step or action youhave consistently taken that has
contributed the most to yoursuccess? Sandra says, yeah. I
(12:50):
think the answers are the samefor both of those things. So one
of the things that I've learnedis that no one makes it alone,
and everyone who is supersuccessful has a network. So
really making sure that you'redoing what I call people math
and you're understanding that.
You're thinking about and takinginventory of the people that
you're hanging around with. AndI always say you need your
professional 6, I mean, yourpersonal 6, and there should be
(13:12):
a lot of overlap. So you needyour access team. Those are the
people that are flying 50,000feet above you. They're super
successful that you can watch,you can emulate.
And if you don't know thempersonally, you can read about
them. You can see if they'redoing the free webinars. You can
see if they've got a YouTubechannel, and they're sharing
information. You can see ifthey've got books. You can read
about them.
You can do a search to see ifthey've been interviewed, and
(13:34):
you listen to them, so you'regetting access to an access
team. If you want to get to knowthem personally to find out
where they are, and you have togo to them then. You can't
expect for them to come to you.So that's your investment. It's
not an expense.
It's an investment. And WarrenBuffett, one of the most
successful people, the topbillionaire said, and he's a
major investor, the number onething you can do is invest in
yourself. I think that'sabsolutely insatiable. The other
(13:57):
thing that I think isinsatiable, says Sandra, is that
you have to make sure thatyou're stretching your day so
that it's yielding you the bestresults possible from an
entrepreneurial and businessperspective. It's focusing on
the things that make the cashregister ring.
So it's important that weunderstand and begin to be able
to differentiate importantthings from distractions. Making
a list every night. The supersuccessful do not make their to
(14:17):
do list the day of. They make itthe night before. And as you
make your to do list, when yourfeet hit the ground, you want to
know exactly what's the highestproducing activities that you
can possibly do.
When you make your list thenight before, you can just do
chicken scratch the oldfashioned way. Make a t chart,
and on the left side, as you'regoing through your stream of
consciousness, put the thingsthat are important, meaning they
make their cash register ring.On the other side are
(14:39):
distractions, meaning thingsthat don't make the cash
register ring. And then thechallenge for you is being to
say, okay. I'm gonna work on thethings that are important, and
that's essential.
Because as you make the cashregister ring, now you're
generating revenue that you canhire the people to do the things
that are abstractions, but muststill get done. If you're not in
that situation where you havethe money right now and you
can't hire people, then we'vegot to get really creative. I
(15:02):
mean, that's just it, sister.You've got to do what I did. You
got to clean out your closet andturn things in that are just
taking out space, creating anopportunity for you to be able
to buy a coaching session or buya book or buy a workshop or hire
somebody to do something foryou.
You know, if it doesn't makesense to you to develop the
expertise yourself, you have tobarter. If you got a skill that
you can barter with somebodyelse that has the skill that you
(15:23):
need to handle one of yourdistractions and you do that,
you know, you need to make surethat you're calling us some
favors. I mean, allow agirlfriend to be the kind of
girlfriend that you've been tothem. Allow them to be that kind
of girlfriend to you. Don't beso afraid to not ask for help.
But when you get that help, theycan't get caught up in another
distraction or you won't makeprogress. So be clear of what's
important, I think, isabsolutely essential. And Sandra
(15:45):
wraps up by saying, andunderstanding quite honestly,
ultimately, your goal is to doonly the things that you can do.
All my coaching students, thevery first time we launch, every
time I start a session, that'sthe first thing that I have them
do because it's all aboutmindset. And I make them not
only write it down.
They can write it on a board.They can type it and create
something, but they have to takea picture of it and put it in
their private Facebook pagebecause I want that in front of
(16:07):
them at all times. Your goalultimately as a CEO is to do the
things that only you can do. Ittakes a while to get there. It's
not overnight, but it doeshappen if you focus on it.
Because what you think about iswhat you bring about, and where
your energy goes is what grows.And what you give power to has
power over you. So begin withthe end in mind. I think you can
(16:28):
hear the commonality themes inthe people that I've talked
about today in that you beginwith the ends in mind. It's
almost like a Christmas trip,and you start from, you know,
the star, the end to the basewhere you put the regular
ornaments.
Or maybe you put some reallynice ornaments later on. But you
do a foundation, technically,first. But in this point, what
(16:52):
all these leaders are trying totell you is you begin with a
star. What is the most importantthing that you need to do to
make that cash register ring?And if you're working on
leadership, who do you need totalk to to ensure that your
company or organization orcommunity group, whatever you're
doing as a leader, has the mostsuccess it can bring with
(17:13):
everyone?
You are the leader. You arelooking for different types of
leadership exists, but you arelooking for followers to
interact with, and it's complexas we talked about. So, also,
what goes into that is also yourlife purpose. Are you doing
things as a leader that isalignment with what your life
purpose is? What do you want toget out of what you're doing?
(17:34):
What is the star? So that's alot to think about, a lot to
chew on. If you wanna hit me upon social media, find me at
terris t mcdonald inc onInstagram and Facebook. Send me
a note. Let me know.
And then, of course, I have mywebsite, teracymcdonald.com, and
you can, you know, send me amessage through there. Talk to
me on the blogs and check me outthere. But I just wanted to let
(17:56):
you know that this Christmasseason, it's more important than
ever. I know from my ownexperience with the health
issues that have been happeningsince just before June, straight
on. I mean, my mother's been inthe hospital 6 or 7 times now,
and it is ongoing.
And what I know now is after Itook this trip for the river
cruise, I am propelling myselfout of the pit of despair into
(18:20):
action, and I'm working ontrying to figure out what my
next star is. As anentrepreneur, you may laugh
because I'm sure you heard theword next in there. But as an
entrepreneur, we don't alwaysknow when our bread is gonna be
buttered. So we're constantlylooking for the next thing to
keep going, to to get going, toget that star. And I have to
tell you, I've been workingforward so much on business and
(18:40):
helping people in fitness andstress relief and energy levels
and better sleep.
And that's why I'm part ofSuperPatch and why I'm still a
body affiliate because I likethe products and the exercises
and the workouts. But I have totell you, I hired a coach for my
business, Michelle Pfeil. She'sgreat. And I hired a coach for
personal training, Andrew Fung.He's fantastic.
And I'm looking forward to whatI can develop over the next few
(19:04):
weeks as to what my star is.Yes. My PhD is in there. It is
what I wanna do, but I almostdon't wanna think about it until
I get the note back that I havebeen approved. I have few months
before I would have to start,and that's plenty of time for me
As an entrepreneur, we're flyingsometimes, you know, daily busy
all the time.
But that's plenty enough timefor me to figure out, you know,
once my proposal is accepted,you know, how to fit that into
(19:27):
my life and how to make that thestar. But I also love helping
people, so I'm gonna have to dosome journaling and some
figuring out and reflecting andtalking to people and seeing
where I go with this. And asalways, thank you for listening.
And, you know, find me onsocial, teracemmcdonaldinc, if
you wanna chat. I'm there.
I answer my own DMs. I am not abot. So I hope this has been
(19:49):
helpful for you that, you know,even in our darkest time, we can
find nuggets if we look for itfrom leaders like Jay Shetty,
Steven Covey, Sandra and KimYancey and Brianna Day. You
know, we can really find what weneed. It it's right it can be
right in front of you, andsomeone can tell you about it as
much as they want.
(20:09):
But until you're ready to lookat it, you know, it has to it
has to it has to be there. Ithas to be not looked at. And so
that's what happened with thetrip by Bodyhead shut down their
team building site. I was forcedto propel into something
different, which is why I choseSuperPatch. And now I am just
looking at how I can propel mybusiness into helping more
(20:30):
people and changing lives.
Thanks for listening. Yours inhealth, Tara.
This is the EWN podcast network.
Hi. I'm Tara from Plus Fitness with Tara. I'm
a curvy, fun body positive coachand personal trainer. I love
business and fitness. You havethe tools you need to be a rock
star in fitness, a healthy loveof yourself, and help from me.
And sifting through health newswill do that. I've got fitness
topics, and, yes, rock starsaren't born. They're bred and
(00:23):
experienced and fired. Let's dothis together.
Hello, and welcome to Plus It Uns with
Tara, the podcast. Today, we'retalking about leadership and a
life on purpose. So let me startoff with in my MBA textbook,
when I did my master of businessadministration during COVID,
through Australian Institute ofBusiness, great school,
(00:45):
fantastic leadership, fantasticexamples of everything you need
to do for business. In theirtextbook, Leadership Enhancing
the Lessons of Experience byHughes, Ginette, and Surfi, they
state that leadership iscomplex, and the first chapter
of that book opens with thisparagraph. And I quote,
leadership is a process, not aposition.
(01:06):
1 is not a leader except perhapsin name only, merely because one
holds a title or position.Leadership involves something
happening as a result of theinteraction between a leader and
followers. The interactionalframework is based on the idea
that leadership involves complexinteractions between the leader,
the followers, and thesituations they are in.
(01:29):
Leadership is a complexphenomenon. So I listen to Jay
Shetty's podcast, Life onPurpose, And I'm curious what
you think makes up a leader.
We've been a bit through thisringer in the year 2024,
politics and religion and wars,including that thought. And
personally, I have struggled somuch I need a sabbatical for my
business and my podcast. Andhonestly, I drowned in it. The
(01:51):
emotion, the overthinking, theanxiety, some depression,
ongoing issues with family. Theemotions were heavy, knowing my
mom would suffer for a long timebefore her passing actually
occurs.
Her diagnosis was in June, andshe still has ongoing issues.
And my uncle also is going moredownhill on his own health
issues as well. Until finally, Itook a chance this year. And
(02:14):
despite my other aunt having astroke literally 2 days before I
left, I went on the Celtic RiverRyan cruise with Ameluzh on the
Ameluzhia River cruise boat. Thecruise is fantastic, and the
food was excellent.
I'll never forget it. It was alife changing experience for me.
It propelled me out of thedepths of despair and threw me
out into the world, especiallyafter Beachbody got rid of its
(02:35):
MLS system, now known as body.Beachbody is now known as body.
I'm still a body affiliate, but,woah, what happened with all
those people and with thatdecision to make that made me
question, what is leadership?
Jay Shetty quotes, leadership isnot a title. Focus on actions
and inspiration, not just aformal position. Student leaders
(02:55):
don't wait for permission tomake a positive change.
Encourage proactive behavior andleadership through personal
actions. True leadership isunderstanding.
Emphasize the importance ofelevating others for overall
success. Every student has thepotential to be a leader.
Leadership aspects exist invarious aspects of life. It's
(03:16):
about embracing opportunities.Leadership is not confined to
age or experience.
Emphasize courage and impactinstead. Where do I look when I
have questions? For, you know,as I pondered this when I had
time on the river cruise anddelves into, you know, you know,
the Growth Day app, I also hitup the Chopper Center on eWomen
(03:38):
Network for inspiration andanswers to questions. I also
looked to the following accountson Instagram, Luke Hanna
Nutrition, Andy Fung, Sohee Fit,Ben Carpenter, Rob Lapham, The
Fitness Chef, Abby Third,eatstrong_ Sophie, Alice Jessica
Fitt, doc Heidi Cook, doctorIds, doctor Adrian Chavez,
(04:01):
doctor Shannon d p t, millieg_fit, doc Jen Fitt, the daily
Kelsey, Venus 2bfab, JuliaGlantz. When your mind and heart
are truly open and abundancewhen your mind and heart are
truly open, abundance will flowto you effortlessly and easily.
Deepak Chopra wrote an articleabout the 7 powerful traits of
(04:24):
highly effective leaders withKabirasayagal. They state, being
a good leader means embodyingthe soul and ethos of the people
you lead. The most effectiveleaders reflect the values and
principles that their teams holddear. Indeed, that can be quite
a tall order, especially ifyou're entering the role for the
first time. Here are 7 essentialtraits to always keep in your
back pocket.
(04:45):
1. L is for look and listen.When you're just stepping into a
leadership position, take amoment to look around and notice
your surroundings. What are thepeople on your team prioritizing
and spending their time on? Itmight even help to schedule
individual meetings with eachperson on your team.
This will help you stay informedwhen establishing a vision for
where you want your organizationto be. 2. E is for emotional
(05:09):
bonding. Respected leaders takethe time to build meaningful
relationships with theircolleagues and team. Ask about
the families of those you workwith, but be careful not to
inquire about anything toopersonal.
Know your boundaries. Remembertheir birthdays. Ask them how
their day is going and schedulelunch or all hands on company
meeting to answer questions.Share personal stories from real
life. Let people see you who youare as you really are, not as
(05:34):
some autocrat, but someone whois relatable and of equal value.
3, a is for awareness. As aleader, you must have
situational awareness, whichsimply means being observant of
your immediate surroundings.Being aware will help you obtain
information critical to yoursuccess. You can enhance your
understanding by conversingregularly with your colleagues
(05:55):
through reoccurring meetings,reading about your organization
in the news, and walking thehalls of your company to learn
about what's on people's minds.4.
D is for doing. Leaders mustact. Don't just analyze the
situation as that can result ina paralysis and where no
decision is made. When you takean action, others will notice.
(06:16):
Listening to your colleagues andforming deep emotional bonds
will give you the clarity andconfidence to implement smart
decisions.
When you take an action, otherswill notice. 5. E is for
empowerment. Never let the powerget to your head. Let other
people make decisions forthemselves.
By trusting your team members,you enable them to grow and
(06:37):
determine the right path. Whenpeople achieve for themselves,
they'll feel a sense of personalfulfillment. Many times, you can
set the priority and allow yourteam to make the right
decisions. Let's boost sales by10%. I trust you to come up with
a plan, you might say.
6, r is for responsibility. Thebuck stops with you as a leader.
If something goes wrong, be thefirst to take accountability
(07:00):
before turning the page. Neverbe afraid to say, I made a
mistake. When your organizationsees that you are capable of
admitting fault, you instill amore forgiving culture in which
people are more honest and lessafraid to fail or speak up.
7, s is for synchronicity. Whenyou're related to your soul, you
radiate positive feelings. As aresult, small gifts will come
(07:22):
your way. Maybe a colleague willbe inspired by your vision and
go the extra mile, or yoursuccess as a leader earns you
industry wide recognition. Byplanting seeds, you'll see the
flowering of opportunities.
This is synchronicity, whenunrelated good things start to
happen. So we can't have a listof 7 without looking at what
(07:42):
else is out there, list ofsevens and leaders, without
checking in on the 7 Habits ofHighly Effective People. Based
on this doctor Stephen Covey'sinspirational book, 7 Habits of
Highly Effective People. StephenCovey background information. He
was born in 1932, passed in2012, and he remains a hugely
influential management guru.
Kobi's most famous book, The 7Habits of Highly Effective
(08:04):
People, became a blueprint forpersonal development when it was
published in 1990. Theprinciples may be used for life
in general. They are not limitedto workplaces, management,
leadership alone. Covey'sconcepts can actually help
people to grow, change, and tobecome more effective in really
any other aspect of humanresponse that you might imagine.
The habits seem very simple, andin many ways, they are.
(08:25):
Yet to vary degrees, they mayentail quite serious changes to
thinking and acting.Nevertheless, the 7 Habits are a
remarkable set of inspirationaland aspirational standards for
anyone who seeks to live a full,purposeful, and good life, and
they are applicable today morethan ever as the business world
and life beyond business andwork becomes more tuned to
humanistic concepts. Habitnumber 1, be proactive. This is
(08:50):
the ability to control one'senvironment rather than have it
control you as is so often thecase. Self determination,
choice, and the power to decideresponse to stimulus,
conditions, and circumstances.
Habit 2, begin with the end inmind. Covey calls this the habit
of personal leadership, leadingoneself that is towards what you
consider your aims. Bydeveloping the habit of
(09:10):
concentrating on relevantactivities, you will build a
platform to avoid distractionsand become more productive and
successful. Habit 3, put firstthings first. Covey calls this
the habit of personalmanagement.
This is about organizing andimplementing activities in line
with the aims of selfish andhabit 2. Covey says that habit 2
is the first of our mentalcreation. Habit 3 is the second
(09:33):
or physical creation. Habit 4,think win win. Covey calls this
the habit of interpersonalrelationship, necessary because
achievements are largelydependent on cooperative efforts
with others.
He says that win win is based onthe assumption that there is
plenty for everyone and thatsuccess follows a cooperative
approach more naturally than theconfrontation of win or lose.
(09:57):
Habit 5, seek first tounderstand and then to be
understood. One of the greatmaxims of the all modern age,
this is Covey's habit ofcommunication, and it's
extremely powerful. Covey helpsto explain this in the simple
analogy, diagnose before youprescribe. Simple and effective
and essentially for developingand maintaining positive
relations in all aspects oflife.
(10:18):
Habit 6, synergize. Covey saysthis is the habit of creative
cooperation. The principle ofthe whole is greater than the
sum of its parts, whichimplicitly lays down the
challenge to see the good andpotential in the other person's
contribution. Habit 7, sharpenthe saw. This is the habit of
self renewals, says Covey, andit necessarily surrounds all the
other habits, enabling andencouraging them to happen and
(10:40):
grow.
Covey Covey interprets the selfinto 4 part parts, which all
need feeding and developing. 1,the spiritual, 2, the mental, 3,
the physical, 4, the social,emotional. Summary and
conclusion. Stephen Covey'sseven habits are a simple set of
rules for life, interrelated andsynergistic, and yet each one
powerful and worthy of adoptingand following in its own right.
(11:03):
For many people, reading Covey'swork or listening to him speak
literally changes their lives.
Covey's thinking is powerfulstuff indeed, and I highly
recommend it. In his more recentbook, The 8th Habit, Stephen
Covey introduced the 8th Habit,which deals with personal
fulfillment and helping othersto achieve fulfillment too,
which aligns helpfully withMaslow's notions of self
actuation actualization andtranscendence in the hierarchy
(11:25):
of needs model and also with thelater life stages in Erikson's
psychosocial life stage theory.The 8th habit book also focus on
leadership, another distinctaspect of fulfillment through
helping others. So, you know, itcould be a lot to process the 7
habits. I've listed them insummary, and, I redirect you to
(11:45):
the articlewww.businessballs.com, self
management, the 7 Habits ofHighly Effective People, for
more information on thisarticle, which I have just
quoted and read here for you tohelp give you a summary of the
habits that are listed,including a little note towards
the 8th habit that was recentlylisted.
(12:06):
But, you know, another person Ilook at is essentially eWomen
Network. And from an interviewwith Sandra Yancey, cofounder of
eWomen Network, part of thetrifecta of Kim Yancey and
Brianna Day, they're all family.This, you know, interview clip
that I've taken out of theactual article is from the
invisiblementor.com, inspiringstories about successful people,
(12:26):
Sandra Yancey part 2. And Ibrought it up simply because I
felt that this part appealed towhat I'm trying to talk about
with leadership and, lifepurpose. Adele Beckford asks,
Sandra, what big steps did youtake to succeed in your field?
What is one step or action youhave consistently taken that has
contributed the most to yoursuccess? Sandra says, yeah. I
(12:50):
think the answers are the samefor both of those things. So one
of the things that I've learnedis that no one makes it alone,
and everyone who is supersuccessful has a network. So
really making sure that you'redoing what I call people math
and you're understanding that.
You're thinking about and takinginventory of the people that
you're hanging around with. AndI always say you need your
professional 6, I mean, yourpersonal 6, and there should be
(13:12):
a lot of overlap. So you needyour access team. Those are the
people that are flying 50,000feet above you. They're super
successful that you can watch,you can emulate.
And if you don't know thempersonally, you can read about
them. You can see if they'redoing the free webinars. You can
see if they've got a YouTubechannel, and they're sharing
information. You can see ifthey've got books. You can read
about them.
You can do a search to see ifthey've been interviewed, and
(13:34):
you listen to them, so you'regetting access to an access
team. If you want to get to knowthem personally to find out
where they are, and you have togo to them then. You can't
expect for them to come to you.So that's your investment. It's
not an expense.
It's an investment. And WarrenBuffett, one of the most
successful people, the topbillionaire said, and he's a
major investor, the number onething you can do is invest in
yourself. I think that'sabsolutely insatiable. The other
(13:57):
thing that I think isinsatiable, says Sandra, is that
you have to make sure thatyou're stretching your day so
that it's yielding you the bestresults possible from an
entrepreneurial and businessperspective. It's focusing on
the things that make the cashregister ring.
So it's important that weunderstand and begin to be able
to differentiate importantthings from distractions. Making
a list every night. The supersuccessful do not make their to
(14:17):
do list the day of. They make itthe night before. And as you
make your to do list, when yourfeet hit the ground, you want to
know exactly what's the highestproducing activities that you
can possibly do.
When you make your list thenight before, you can just do
chicken scratch the oldfashioned way. Make a t chart,
and on the left side, as you'regoing through your stream of
consciousness, put the thingsthat are important, meaning they
make their cash register ring.On the other side are
(14:39):
distractions, meaning thingsthat don't make the cash
register ring. And then thechallenge for you is being to
say, okay. I'm gonna work on thethings that are important, and
that's essential.
Because as you make the cashregister ring, now you're
generating revenue that you canhire the people to do the things
that are abstractions, but muststill get done. If you're not in
that situation where you havethe money right now and you
can't hire people, then we'vegot to get really creative. I
(15:02):
mean, that's just it, sister.You've got to do what I did. You
got to clean out your closet andturn things in that are just
taking out space, creating anopportunity for you to be able
to buy a coaching session or buya book or buy a workshop or hire
somebody to do something foryou.
You know, if it doesn't makesense to you to develop the
expertise yourself, you have tobarter. If you got a skill that
you can barter with somebodyelse that has the skill that you
(15:23):
need to handle one of yourdistractions and you do that,
you know, you need to make surethat you're calling us some
favors. I mean, allow agirlfriend to be the kind of
girlfriend that you've been tothem. Allow them to be that kind
of girlfriend to you. Don't beso afraid to not ask for help.
But when you get that help, theycan't get caught up in another
distraction or you won't makeprogress. So be clear of what's
important, I think, isabsolutely essential. And Sandra
(15:45):
wraps up by saying, andunderstanding quite honestly,
ultimately, your goal is to doonly the things that you can do.
All my coaching students, thevery first time we launch, every
time I start a session, that'sthe first thing that I have them
do because it's all aboutmindset. And I make them not
only write it down.
They can write it on a board.They can type it and create
something, but they have to takea picture of it and put it in
their private Facebook pagebecause I want that in front of
(16:07):
them at all times. Your goalultimately as a CEO is to do the
things that only you can do. Ittakes a while to get there. It's
not overnight, but it doeshappen if you focus on it.
Because what you think about iswhat you bring about, and where
your energy goes is what grows.And what you give power to has
power over you. So begin withthe end in mind. I think you can
(16:28):
hear the commonality themes inthe people that I've talked
about today in that you beginwith the ends in mind. It's
almost like a Christmas trip,and you start from, you know,
the star, the end to the basewhere you put the regular
ornaments.
Or maybe you put some reallynice ornaments later on. But you
do a foundation, technically,first. But in this point, what
(16:52):
all these leaders are trying totell you is you begin with a
star. What is the most importantthing that you need to do to
make that cash register ring?And if you're working on
leadership, who do you need totalk to to ensure that your
company or organization orcommunity group, whatever you're
doing as a leader, has the mostsuccess it can bring with
(17:13):
everyone?
You are the leader. You arelooking for different types of
leadership exists, but you arelooking for followers to
interact with, and it's complexas we talked about. So, also,
what goes into that is also yourlife purpose. Are you doing
things as a leader that isalignment with what your life
purpose is? What do you want toget out of what you're doing?
(17:34):
What is the star? So that's alot to think about, a lot to
chew on. If you wanna hit me upon social media, find me at
terris t mcdonald inc onInstagram and Facebook. Send me
a note. Let me know.
And then, of course, I have mywebsite, teracymcdonald.com, and
you can, you know, send me amessage through there. Talk to
me on the blogs and check me outthere. But I just wanted to let
(17:56):
you know that this Christmasseason, it's more important than
ever. I know from my ownexperience with the health
issues that have been happeningsince just before June, straight
on. I mean, my mother's been inthe hospital 6 or 7 times now,
and it is ongoing.
And what I know now is after Itook this trip for the river
cruise, I am propelling myselfout of the pit of despair into
(18:20):
action, and I'm working ontrying to figure out what my
next star is. As anentrepreneur, you may laugh
because I'm sure you heard theword next in there. But as an
entrepreneur, we don't alwaysknow when our bread is gonna be
buttered. So we're constantlylooking for the next thing to
keep going, to to get going, toget that star. And I have to
tell you, I've been workingforward so much on business and
(18:40):
helping people in fitness andstress relief and energy levels
and better sleep.
And that's why I'm part ofSuperPatch and why I'm still a
body affiliate because I likethe products and the exercises
and the workouts. But I have totell you, I hired a coach for my
business, Michelle Pfeil. She'sgreat. And I hired a coach for
personal training, Andrew Fung.He's fantastic.
And I'm looking forward to whatI can develop over the next few
(19:04):
weeks as to what my star is.Yes. My PhD is in there. It is
what I wanna do, but I almostdon't wanna think about it until
I get the note back that I havebeen approved. I have few months
before I would have to start,and that's plenty of time for me
As an entrepreneur, we're flyingsometimes, you know, daily busy
all the time.
But that's plenty enough timefor me to figure out, you know,
once my proposal is accepted,you know, how to fit that into
(19:27):
my life and how to make that thestar. But I also love helping
people, so I'm gonna have to dosome journaling and some
figuring out and reflecting andtalking to people and seeing
where I go with this. And asalways, thank you for listening.
And, you know, find me onsocial, teracemmcdonaldinc, if
you wanna chat. I'm there.
I answer my own DMs. I am not abot. So I hope this has been
(19:49):
helpful for you that, you know,even in our darkest time, we can
find nuggets if we look for itfrom leaders like Jay Shetty,
Steven Covey, Sandra and KimYancey and Brianna Day. You
know, we can really find what weneed. It it's right it can be
right in front of you, andsomeone can tell you about it as
much as they want.
(20:09):
But until you're ready to lookat it, you know, it has to it
has to it has to be there. Ithas to be not looked at. And so
that's what happened with thetrip by Bodyhead shut down their
team building site. I was forcedto propel into something
different, which is why I choseSuperPatch. And now I am just
looking at how I can propel mybusiness into helping more
(20:30):
people and changing lives.
Thanks for listening. Yours inhealth, Tara.
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