WEBVTT 00:00:15.190 --> 00:00:19.690 Second, welcome to Networking Unleashed, Building 00:00:19.690 --> 00:00:22.969 Profitable Connections, the show where we uncover 00:00:22.969 --> 00:00:26.750 how powerful relationships drive powerful results. 00:00:27.190 --> 00:00:30.449 I'm your host, Michael Foreman, and today we're 00:00:30.449 --> 00:00:33.609 diving into the intersection of leadership and 00:00:33.609 --> 00:00:37.829 networking. Two forces, one combined, can transform 00:00:37.829 --> 00:00:42.560 careers and organizations. My guest is an expert 00:00:42.560 --> 00:00:46.859 in leadership styles, leading change, and developing 00:00:46.859 --> 00:00:50.259 the skills that separate good leaders from great 00:00:50.259 --> 00:00:54.119 ones. We'll explore how leadership style shapes 00:00:54.119 --> 00:00:56.780 the way you connect, how to use your network 00:00:56.780 --> 00:00:59.880 to navigate change, and why the best leaders 00:00:59.880 --> 00:01:04.340 are also the best relationship builders. If you've 00:01:04.340 --> 00:01:07.480 ever wanted to expand your influence, guide people 00:01:07.480 --> 00:01:10.659 through transition, and build a network that 00:01:10.659 --> 00:01:13.819 works as hard as you do, this conversation is 00:01:13.819 --> 00:01:17.579 for you. I'd like to introduce to all of my listeners, 00:01:17.819 --> 00:01:21.260 Paul Thornton, and he is the expert that I am 00:01:21.260 --> 00:01:24.019 talking about. Paul, how are you? Welcome to 00:01:24.019 --> 00:01:26.219 the podcast, and give us a little bit about your 00:01:26.219 --> 00:01:29.560 background. Okay, thank you, Michael, first of 00:01:29.560 --> 00:01:32.829 all, for having me on. I have worked roughly 00:01:32.829 --> 00:01:37.250 20 years in a large corporation. I worked in 00:01:37.250 --> 00:01:40.450 a variety of settings. I was on the leadership 00:01:40.450 --> 00:01:44.030 team in several profit centers within this company. 00:01:44.370 --> 00:01:47.709 So I got a firsthand look at the way leaders 00:01:47.709 --> 00:01:52.390 operated and made change happen and built teams 00:01:52.390 --> 00:01:55.569 and managed performance and things like that. 00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:00.200 And I also have about 20 years working as a professor 00:02:00.200 --> 00:02:04.340 at a university or college teaching management 00:02:04.340 --> 00:02:08.080 and leadership. So I have a lot of the theories 00:02:08.080 --> 00:02:11.879 of leadership and also some actual practice being 00:02:11.879 --> 00:02:15.219 a leader. I've had people reporting to me. I 00:02:15.219 --> 00:02:19.259 also coached a hockey team for four years. That 00:02:19.259 --> 00:02:22.039 gave me some real life leadership experience. 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:27.639 And also, I always say being a parent or grandparent 00:02:27.639 --> 00:02:31.520 is also a leadership role. And so that's another 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:34.900 angle to look at it. You're absolutely right. 00:02:35.039 --> 00:02:37.900 Being a grandfather myself, I understand that 00:02:37.900 --> 00:02:41.500 wholeheartedly. And that, of course, adds to 00:02:41.500 --> 00:02:44.439 your practicality of your leadership roles, because 00:02:44.439 --> 00:02:46.500 your leadership roles with your grandchildren 00:02:46.500 --> 00:02:50.120 and corporate may be slightly different, but 00:02:50.120 --> 00:02:54.759 you have to attack it the same way. OK, so how 00:02:54.759 --> 00:02:58.800 does a leader's style influence the way they 00:02:58.800 --> 00:03:01.439 build and sustain professional relationships? 00:03:02.439 --> 00:03:05.740 I think leaders are always looking at two things, 00:03:05.740 --> 00:03:09.699 the task or the work that needs to get done and 00:03:09.699 --> 00:03:12.680 the relationships that they need to build to 00:03:12.680 --> 00:03:16.219 make it happen. So those two things are really 00:03:16.219 --> 00:03:20.889 important. But I think leaders. build strong, 00:03:21.229 --> 00:03:25.469 positive, engaging relationships with people 00:03:25.469 --> 00:03:29.669 to start with. They get a chance to understand 00:03:29.669 --> 00:03:33.710 the person, the goals, their ambitions, their 00:03:33.710 --> 00:03:38.349 wants and needs, and then they manage them or 00:03:38.349 --> 00:03:42.030 lead them in a way that connects to what they 00:03:42.030 --> 00:03:45.009 want to achieve as well as what the company wants 00:03:45.009 --> 00:03:48.219 to achieve. So they try to weave those things 00:03:48.219 --> 00:03:51.939 together and make it happen. I think leaders, 00:03:51.939 --> 00:03:56.520 too, they're always building their network so 00:03:56.520 --> 00:04:00.740 when they have needs and problems that arise 00:04:00.740 --> 00:04:04.919 down the road, they have a group of people they 00:04:04.919 --> 00:04:07.840 can contact and say, I got this problem with 00:04:07.840 --> 00:04:11.349 a... demotivated person, what would you advise 00:04:11.349 --> 00:04:14.569 or what would you do in this situation? So their 00:04:14.569 --> 00:04:18.829 network helps them provide advice and guidance 00:04:18.829 --> 00:04:22.509 and ideas. You might not always agree with someone 00:04:22.509 --> 00:04:25.089 in your network, but you can get some ideas from 00:04:25.089 --> 00:04:29.009 them about, who knows, strategic planning, building 00:04:29.009 --> 00:04:32.990 teams, merging with another company. It depends 00:04:32.990 --> 00:04:36.670 on the situation, obviously. Yeah, that's true. 00:04:36.949 --> 00:04:41.550 You don't want yes men around you. You want somebody 00:04:41.550 --> 00:04:44.870 that can give you actual information and you 00:04:44.870 --> 00:04:47.370 decide, you have to always go with your gut. 00:04:47.649 --> 00:04:50.110 But if you get, oh, you know what? I didn't think 00:04:50.110 --> 00:04:52.850 about that. Or maybe I should attack it like 00:04:52.850 --> 00:04:56.870 this because I found that, or the people that 00:04:56.870 --> 00:05:00.769 I coach, the leaders are really training other 00:05:00.769 --> 00:05:03.069 leaders and they have to teach them to think 00:05:03.069 --> 00:05:05.290 like that because if they can't think on their 00:05:05.290 --> 00:05:07.689 own, then they're really not worth their salt. 00:05:08.160 --> 00:05:12.379 So that's what I think. Okay. So in times of 00:05:12.379 --> 00:05:16.519 change, what role does networking play in helping 00:05:16.519 --> 00:05:20.339 leaders guide their teams and organizations effectively? 00:05:21.180 --> 00:05:24.079 I think the first thing in leading change is 00:05:24.079 --> 00:05:28.199 you have to diagnose the current situation. What's 00:05:28.199 --> 00:05:31.680 happening? What's working well? What are the 00:05:31.680 --> 00:05:35.259 biggest problems? What do the numbers tell you 00:05:35.259 --> 00:05:39.519 about what's going on? And I think having a network 00:05:39.519 --> 00:05:43.699 or group of people that you go to and get their 00:05:43.699 --> 00:05:47.459 advice and their opinions, it helps you get a 00:05:47.459 --> 00:05:51.259 complete, full picture of what's happening. And 00:05:51.259 --> 00:05:52.920 you're right. Some people surround themselves, 00:05:53.019 --> 00:05:55.420 some leaders surround themselves with yes people. 00:05:55.860 --> 00:05:59.740 And that doesn't help them get a full, complete 00:05:59.740 --> 00:06:03.500 picture of really what's going on. So I think 00:06:03.500 --> 00:06:07.259 it starts there. And sometimes. Some leaders 00:06:07.259 --> 00:06:10.560 I find go to the same one or two people all the 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:13.980 time to get their input. Sometimes you got to 00:06:13.980 --> 00:06:16.480 think about, I need to change it up a bit. I 00:06:16.480 --> 00:06:18.699 need to make sure I'm going to the right people. 00:06:19.300 --> 00:06:22.519 That could mean the right customers, the right 00:06:22.519 --> 00:06:26.680 suppliers, the right employees. Each situation 00:06:26.680 --> 00:06:30.379 is unique, but you got to figure out who can 00:06:30.379 --> 00:06:34.420 give me, who can help me understand the current 00:06:34.420 --> 00:06:38.459 situation. before I even begin the change process. 00:06:39.600 --> 00:06:41.819 The next step, I think, in the change process 00:06:41.819 --> 00:06:45.360 is what idea or what changes are you going to 00:06:45.360 --> 00:06:48.819 pursue? I find leaders always have a laundry 00:06:48.819 --> 00:06:52.300 list of things they'd like to do, and some of 00:06:52.300 --> 00:06:54.920 them try to do way too much. They're doing 18 00:06:54.920 --> 00:06:58.519 different things at once, and it gets confusing, 00:06:58.600 --> 00:07:01.300 and people don't know what the priorities are, 00:07:01.540 --> 00:07:05.120 and it's just too much. What are the one or two 00:07:05.120 --> 00:07:09.480 things I'm going to focus in on and pursue? And 00:07:09.480 --> 00:07:13.540 again, getting advice from your network can help. 00:07:13.620 --> 00:07:16.759 You might not always, you the leader, might not 00:07:16.759 --> 00:07:22.079 always have the clear, precise answer of what 00:07:22.079 --> 00:07:25.180 direction or what idea or what proposal you should 00:07:25.180 --> 00:07:28.199 be pursuing. So getting a little other points 00:07:28.199 --> 00:07:31.579 of view can be helpful. Third point, I think, 00:07:31.579 --> 00:07:34.019 is presenting your message to the right people. 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:38.459 Just like the investor, just like the entrepreneurs 00:07:38.459 --> 00:07:41.199 on Shark Tank, they're presenting their idea 00:07:41.199 --> 00:07:45.560 to the sharks to get them to invest. The leader 00:07:45.560 --> 00:07:49.540 has to present his idea or her idea to the right 00:07:49.540 --> 00:07:53.120 people to get them to buy in. So they got to 00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:56.779 be able to explain it really clearly and succinctly. 00:07:57.389 --> 00:08:00.430 And they have to be able to convince the people 00:08:00.430 --> 00:08:03.889 that this idea is a winner. It's going to help 00:08:03.889 --> 00:08:07.449 me. It's going to improve the team or the organization 00:08:07.449 --> 00:08:11.250 or whatever. So that's important. And then the 00:08:11.250 --> 00:08:14.550 fourth step is plan and implement. Any type of 00:08:14.550 --> 00:08:18.329 change, any type of new thing you're doing, you've 00:08:18.329 --> 00:08:20.550 got to have a plan. And the plan's got to lay 00:08:20.550 --> 00:08:24.129 out all the steps and actions that will be taken 00:08:24.129 --> 00:08:27.430 to... implement what it is you're going to do. 00:08:27.569 --> 00:08:31.589 So that's a quick synopsis. But the theme, I 00:08:31.589 --> 00:08:35.149 think, that runs through all of those is involving 00:08:35.149 --> 00:08:38.870 others, meaning involving your network, getting 00:08:38.870 --> 00:08:43.409 feedback from them at each step in the process 00:08:43.409 --> 00:08:48.450 to help them or their information will help you 00:08:48.450 --> 00:08:52.850 get clearer in your thinking. and the steps that 00:08:52.850 --> 00:08:58.250 you're going to take to achieve your goals. Absolutely. 00:08:58.330 --> 00:09:02.750 And what would you say to, if you're a C -suite 00:09:02.750 --> 00:09:05.669 executive, let's say, and one of your managers 00:09:05.669 --> 00:09:08.929 has a problem with the company or whatever, what 00:09:08.929 --> 00:09:13.529 would you say to them on how they should react 00:09:13.529 --> 00:09:18.230 to their manager or employee with that? Now, 00:09:18.269 --> 00:09:22.419 before you answer, my... My answer was always, 00:09:22.519 --> 00:09:26.559 if you have a problem, bring me a solution. Bring 00:09:26.559 --> 00:09:29.179 me a solution with the problem and we'll discuss 00:09:29.179 --> 00:09:31.519 it. But if you don't have a solution, if you're 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:33.659 just here to complain, I don't want to hear it. 00:09:33.899 --> 00:09:37.480 So how do you feel about that? I was also taught 00:09:37.480 --> 00:09:41.139 that by my manager who said the same thing. Don't 00:09:41.139 --> 00:09:44.659 just bring me problems. And that's true, I think, 00:09:44.679 --> 00:09:48.379 a lot of the time. But I think sometimes you 00:09:48.379 --> 00:09:52.870 legitimately don't. know what the solution or 00:09:52.870 --> 00:09:56.809 possible solutions might be. And you need someone 00:09:56.809 --> 00:10:00.230 to go to who's a little bit more seasoned and 00:10:00.230 --> 00:10:03.370 more experienced, and maybe they've had a similar 00:10:03.370 --> 00:10:06.710 problem. Now you can come in, hopefully you can 00:10:06.710 --> 00:10:09.529 come in with at least some ideas you've thought 00:10:09.529 --> 00:10:13.889 about, but you can't quite nail it down in terms 00:10:13.889 --> 00:10:18.210 of what would be the best approach or solution 00:10:18.210 --> 00:10:22.580 to pursue. So that's the way I would advise it. 00:10:22.620 --> 00:10:26.539 Sometimes let the person come in and spill their 00:10:26.539 --> 00:10:29.240 guts and explain the problem they're having and 00:10:29.240 --> 00:10:32.580 probe them a bit. What have they thought about 00:10:32.580 --> 00:10:37.159 and how have they analyzed the different ideas 00:10:37.159 --> 00:10:40.820 they've come up with? Make it a learning opportunity 00:10:40.820 --> 00:10:45.240 for the individual, the manager. So yeah, that's 00:10:45.240 --> 00:10:49.659 what I'd recommend. Okay, good. In times of change, 00:10:49.980 --> 00:10:53.340 what role does networking play in helping leaders 00:10:53.340 --> 00:10:57.000 guide their teams and organizations effectively? 00:10:57.940 --> 00:11:01.259 We all know change is messy, right? It never 00:11:01.259 --> 00:11:05.240 quite goes the way you hoped. We lay out a plan, 00:11:05.440 --> 00:11:08.320 we think it's perfect, and we start implementing 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:12.240 it and things don't always go as... We hope you 00:11:12.240 --> 00:11:15.440 need to be in touch with not only the people 00:11:15.440 --> 00:11:19.940 directly involved in the plan, but also, again, 00:11:20.039 --> 00:11:23.940 your network to give you some advice and guidance 00:11:23.940 --> 00:11:28.039 that we implemented ABC and it's not working 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:30.620 or we've had these problems. And this is what 00:11:30.620 --> 00:11:33.580 I'm thinking of doing. These are the changes 00:11:33.580 --> 00:11:35.840 I'm thinking of making. Does that make sense? 00:11:35.860 --> 00:11:39.200 I'm getting some feedback from them. So again, 00:11:39.299 --> 00:11:44.799 your network can be a great source of ideas and 00:11:44.799 --> 00:11:49.899 feedback to you to consider, am I thinking clearly? 00:11:50.159 --> 00:11:54.320 Am I seeing the picture clearly? Do I need to 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:58.779 make some adjustments that I'm not aware of? 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:03.340 So that can be very helpful to the change leader. 00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:07.899 Absolutely. Absolutely. You rely on your network 00:12:07.899 --> 00:12:11.879 to help you sort things out. Of course, the answer, 00:12:12.000 --> 00:12:14.419 you always have to answer it yourself, right? 00:12:14.460 --> 00:12:16.159 You always have to go with your gut and everything 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:19.379 else. But it's good to hear it from other people. 00:12:19.419 --> 00:12:24.080 Can you share a story where a leader's network 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:27.600 directly helped them navigate a major transition 00:12:27.600 --> 00:12:34.570 or challenge? Let's see. I was involved in a 00:12:34.570 --> 00:12:37.730 pretty major change initiative at the company 00:12:37.730 --> 00:12:42.029 I worked at. We were introducing continuous improvement 00:12:42.029 --> 00:12:46.370 philosophy into the operation. Now, this goes 00:12:46.370 --> 00:12:50.710 back 30, 40 years ago. And there was an outside 00:12:50.710 --> 00:12:55.590 consultant group that was hired to lead the training 00:12:55.590 --> 00:13:04.240 and the actions and what have you. changed throughout 00:13:04.240 --> 00:13:06.940 the company. Now, this is a big company, 20 ,000 00:13:06.940 --> 00:13:11.299 employees, so it wasn't a small deal. And there 00:13:11.299 --> 00:13:14.539 was lots of training going on, lots of new process 00:13:14.539 --> 00:13:17.019 changes were being implemented and what have 00:13:17.019 --> 00:13:22.860 you. And I would say that the efforts to make 00:13:22.860 --> 00:13:27.159 this happen, I would say the change leader did 00:13:27.159 --> 00:13:30.840 a lot of networking and consulting with a variety 00:13:30.840 --> 00:13:34.960 of people. to get their inputs and their ideas 00:13:34.960 --> 00:13:38.679 to understand how's it going? Is it working? 00:13:38.960 --> 00:13:42.279 What metrics? Are we tracking the right metrics? 00:13:42.759 --> 00:13:45.759 What do we need to change to make it even better? 00:13:46.039 --> 00:13:51.100 So there's a lot of outside input. Again, not 00:13:51.100 --> 00:13:54.639 that everything was accepted and taken verbatim. 00:13:54.639 --> 00:13:57.179 Like you said, Michael, you got to trust your 00:13:57.179 --> 00:14:00.940 gut and you got to have a sense of Is this going 00:14:00.940 --> 00:14:05.679 the way I had hoped or wanted? And having the 00:14:05.679 --> 00:14:09.059 right metrics you're tracking to assess are the 00:14:09.059 --> 00:14:12.220 results going good? But that was an example of 00:14:12.220 --> 00:14:17.320 using a broader network to solicit their input 00:14:17.320 --> 00:14:20.779 as well as the people directly involved. I think 00:14:20.779 --> 00:14:24.620 that's really important. I have seen some change 00:14:24.620 --> 00:14:28.980 initiatives where Once the plan gets formalized, 00:14:29.080 --> 00:14:33.539 the senior leader who wants the change to happen 00:14:33.539 --> 00:14:37.960 isn't as active or involved as he should be. 00:14:38.059 --> 00:14:40.379 They disappear and they think it's going to take 00:14:40.379 --> 00:14:42.940 care of itself. And again, it doesn't. There's 00:14:42.940 --> 00:14:45.659 lots of little things that come up and people 00:14:45.659 --> 00:14:48.399 get discouraged. And the other thing is we're 00:14:48.399 --> 00:14:52.899 trying to have people. changed to new ways while 00:14:52.899 --> 00:14:55.899 they're still doing their old ways of working. 00:14:56.039 --> 00:14:59.340 Their plates are already overflowing and we're 00:14:59.340 --> 00:15:02.080 giving them yet one or two or three more tasks 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:05.059 that they have to learn and do. And they're like 00:15:05.059 --> 00:15:07.159 scratching their head like I'm stressed out. 00:15:07.259 --> 00:15:09.860 I can't take on anything else. I just can't do 00:15:09.860 --> 00:15:13.360 it. So the senior leader needs to be aware of 00:15:13.360 --> 00:15:18.009 that and make adjustments. change the plan as 00:15:18.009 --> 00:15:21.309 needed and it's dynamic but they have to stay 00:15:21.309 --> 00:15:23.850 close to the action i guess is what i'm saying 00:15:23.850 --> 00:15:27.769 that that's true they can't forget where they 00:15:27.769 --> 00:15:30.309 came from yeah that's that's the biggest thing 00:15:30.309 --> 00:15:32.549 all of a sudden they get to a position of power 00:15:32.549 --> 00:15:35.129 and they're like this is the way it is and that's 00:15:35.129 --> 00:15:38.070 it and forgetting completely that all of these 00:15:38.070 --> 00:15:42.139 people have jobs and everything is on their plate 00:15:42.139 --> 00:15:45.159 now. So when you're adding to it, what do you 00:15:45.159 --> 00:15:48.220 really do? Are you taking away from the other 00:15:48.220 --> 00:15:51.899 tasks at hand? So you really have to take all 00:15:51.899 --> 00:15:53.759 into consideration. You're absolutely right. 00:15:53.960 --> 00:15:59.460 How can emerging leaders use networking to develop 00:15:59.460 --> 00:16:02.919 the skills they need to lead effectively in the 00:16:02.919 --> 00:16:07.700 future? I think to develop your skills, I think 00:16:07.700 --> 00:16:10.960 it's a lifelong journey. And I think there's 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:13.220 a number of things you can do, but let me mention 00:16:13.220 --> 00:16:18.379 a couple. I think one is you can observe other 00:16:18.379 --> 00:16:21.820 leaders who are really good at a particular skill. 00:16:22.620 --> 00:16:26.159 For example, when I was early in my career, there 00:16:26.159 --> 00:16:29.240 was one particular manager who was outstanding 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:33.519 at running meetings. So every time I went to 00:16:33.519 --> 00:16:35.820 one of his meetings, I would make a point to 00:16:35.820 --> 00:16:40.080 study him, what he did, how he ran it, how he 00:16:40.080 --> 00:16:44.179 facilitated it, when he made decisions, how he 00:16:44.179 --> 00:16:47.600 involved the group. So my point is observing 00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:51.919 other people, other top performers, I should 00:16:51.919 --> 00:16:56.360 say, is one way. to get ideas and techniques 00:16:56.360 --> 00:16:59.740 that work, and you can think about how do I incorporate 00:16:59.740 --> 00:17:04.400 that into my approach. Having a mentor. Now, 00:17:04.500 --> 00:17:09.680 I find if you have a big network, in that network 00:17:09.680 --> 00:17:14.000 you can identify one or two or more people who 00:17:14.000 --> 00:17:17.079 have accomplished what you want to accomplish, 00:17:17.140 --> 00:17:21.140 and you can approach them and ask them to be 00:17:21.140 --> 00:17:25.009 your mentor. and have a one -on -one relationship 00:17:25.009 --> 00:17:28.950 with that person. And again, tap their brain 00:17:28.950 --> 00:17:32.230 and what they've done, and they can give you, 00:17:32.230 --> 00:17:35.970 again, some valuable advice and guidance on how 00:17:35.970 --> 00:17:38.470 to handle different situations and how to be 00:17:38.470 --> 00:17:42.049 more effective and things like that. In general, 00:17:42.130 --> 00:17:46.000 using your network If you have a good network, 00:17:46.140 --> 00:17:49.180 you have some people that have expertise in certain 00:17:49.180 --> 00:17:52.099 areas that maybe you're not as strong as you'd 00:17:52.099 --> 00:17:56.720 like to be. For example, I'm not great in AI. 00:17:56.859 --> 00:18:00.259 It's a new thing coming on. I'm trying to find 00:18:00.259 --> 00:18:03.059 a couple of people who are expert or more expert 00:18:03.059 --> 00:18:06.460 than I am so I can network with them and they 00:18:06.460 --> 00:18:11.890 can give me insights of the. tool and how I can 00:18:11.890 --> 00:18:14.490 use it more effectively in various ways, things 00:18:14.490 --> 00:18:19.930 like that. So using your network to tap into 00:18:19.930 --> 00:18:25.230 the various skill sets that they may have can 00:18:25.230 --> 00:18:29.009 be a plus to develop your skills. Also getting 00:18:29.009 --> 00:18:35.740 feedback. We all need feedback to improve. Asking 00:18:35.740 --> 00:18:38.160 someone in your network, hey, you're coming to 00:18:38.160 --> 00:18:41.599 this presentation I'm making on Tuesday. Would 00:18:41.599 --> 00:18:46.180 you observe me and focus in on how many effective 00:18:46.180 --> 00:18:50.559 questions do I ask during my presentation? Or 00:18:50.559 --> 00:18:54.380 how often do I pause effectively to let the audience 00:18:54.380 --> 00:18:57.480 to consider the point I'm trying to make? So 00:18:57.480 --> 00:19:02.240 give them some things to focus in on, to give 00:19:02.240 --> 00:19:06.059 you feedback on. to help you, again, be a better 00:19:06.059 --> 00:19:09.779 presenter down the road. So that's a few different 00:19:09.779 --> 00:19:13.720 ways you could use your network. That's so true. 00:19:13.940 --> 00:19:16.940 And just going on the point of having a mentor. 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:20.980 is so important. And really, no matter what level 00:19:20.980 --> 00:19:24.740 you're at, if you're at a low level management 00:19:24.740 --> 00:19:28.039 leading, you need a mentor to help you through 00:19:28.039 --> 00:19:30.140 it. If you're a middle management or even a C 00:19:30.140 --> 00:19:32.839 -suite executive, it's always good to have a 00:19:32.839 --> 00:19:35.380 mentor because you need to throw some things 00:19:35.380 --> 00:19:37.920 at him and say, what about this? Did I do this 00:19:37.920 --> 00:19:40.160 right? Or could I do it differently? Or is there 00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:43.480 something that I'm missing? I mentor two people, 00:19:43.579 --> 00:19:48.450 but I also have a mentor because Everybody always 00:19:48.450 --> 00:19:51.789 needs a mentor. Everybody. And the more you can 00:19:51.789 --> 00:19:55.789 get. Now, where AI is concerned, I had no idea, 00:19:55.890 --> 00:19:59.750 but I began writing. I connected with somebody 00:19:59.750 --> 00:20:04.950 who had an AI company, and I'm writing an article 00:20:04.950 --> 00:20:09.390 for him for AI and networking on three different 00:20:09.390 --> 00:20:13.490 platforms. So I do that every week. And I'm finding 00:20:13.490 --> 00:20:18.140 that the more I write for AI, the more... branding 00:20:18.140 --> 00:20:21.559 I'm getting. I'm not necessarily getting a customer 00:20:21.559 --> 00:20:25.099 or a client, but I'm branding myself. I'm using 00:20:25.099 --> 00:20:29.779 AI in that way. But yes, you need that point 00:20:29.779 --> 00:20:33.440 of view that isn't not necessarily like yours, 00:20:33.680 --> 00:20:35.579 but someone who you can throw something like, 00:20:35.700 --> 00:20:38.359 did I do this right? Or can I do this better? 00:20:38.640 --> 00:20:41.440 And an ongoing relationship like that. But yes, 00:20:41.480 --> 00:20:44.789 it's very important. Do you see certain leadership 00:20:44.789 --> 00:20:48.410 styles being more effective at building trust 00:20:48.410 --> 00:20:54.089 and influence through networking? I have taught 00:20:54.089 --> 00:20:59.769 over the years basically three leadership styles. 00:21:00.150 --> 00:21:03.690 One is directing, telling people what to do, 00:21:03.730 --> 00:21:06.670 how to do it, when to have it done by. One is 00:21:06.670 --> 00:21:10.890 discussing, asking questions, involving people. 00:21:11.450 --> 00:21:14.509 getting their thoughts and ideas. And the third 00:21:14.509 --> 00:21:18.009 one is delegating. Basically, I think leaders 00:21:18.009 --> 00:21:21.490 use those styles when they're working with their 00:21:21.490 --> 00:21:25.950 direct reports or the people in their organization. 00:21:26.990 --> 00:21:31.450 Now, would you use those styles when you're networking? 00:21:31.549 --> 00:21:34.390 I think when you're networking, basically you're 00:21:34.390 --> 00:21:39.349 discussing. You're asking questions to get... 00:21:39.980 --> 00:21:43.799 thoughts and ideas and approaches they would 00:21:43.799 --> 00:21:49.299 use. If you're a mentor, you might be delegating 00:21:49.299 --> 00:21:53.440 to your mentee, telling them before our next 00:21:53.440 --> 00:21:57.619 meeting, I want you to do ABC and come to the 00:21:57.619 --> 00:22:01.299 meeting and we'll discuss it. Directing not so 00:22:01.299 --> 00:22:08.180 much would be used, but I think trust is something 00:22:08.180 --> 00:22:12.940 that develops over time. And I think it's basically 00:22:12.940 --> 00:22:19.240 being true to your word and doing what you commit 00:22:19.240 --> 00:22:26.099 to do and being present and focused on helping 00:22:26.099 --> 00:22:30.420 the person improve and providing them the best 00:22:30.420 --> 00:22:34.500 advice you can give if you're the person that's 00:22:34.500 --> 00:22:37.730 being asked for that advice. I don't know, that's 00:22:37.730 --> 00:22:41.170 rambling, but those are some thoughts on trust 00:22:41.170 --> 00:22:44.569 and leadership styles. I don't know, what do 00:22:44.569 --> 00:22:47.829 you think? Well, what I think is it really depends 00:22:47.829 --> 00:22:52.049 on your role within the company or your own company. 00:22:52.410 --> 00:22:55.690 But the most important thing is, A, you have 00:22:55.690 --> 00:22:58.430 to be present, you have to be authentic, but 00:22:58.430 --> 00:23:01.289 you have to come through with what you said you 00:23:01.289 --> 00:23:04.529 were going to do. Because once you don't do that, 00:23:05.019 --> 00:23:07.160 You lost all that trust. With the networking, 00:23:07.319 --> 00:23:09.539 it's know you, like you, trust you. They'll do 00:23:09.539 --> 00:23:13.319 business with you. And to know you, everybody 00:23:13.319 --> 00:23:15.920 knows you, like you. You're a very likable guy, 00:23:16.079 --> 00:23:18.859 but that may narrow the scope down just a little 00:23:18.859 --> 00:23:21.980 bit. But that trust factor is so important. And 00:23:21.980 --> 00:23:25.799 how do you attain that trust factor? So you have 00:23:25.799 --> 00:23:27.559 to come through with what you say you're going 00:23:27.559 --> 00:23:30.700 to come through at a minimum. You always over 00:23:30.700 --> 00:23:33.279 deliver. So you always over -deliver, you always 00:23:33.279 --> 00:23:36.019 come up with that at a minimum, but you're always 00:23:36.019 --> 00:23:41.900 a true leader, doesn't just delegate the information, 00:23:41.980 --> 00:23:45.299 just close their eyes to it. There's got to be 00:23:45.299 --> 00:23:48.779 some feedback. And however you deal with the 00:23:48.779 --> 00:23:51.500 feedback, that's up to you. But that's my take. 00:23:51.839 --> 00:23:53.519 Yeah, no, I think that makes a lot of sense. 00:23:53.599 --> 00:23:56.940 And I think consistency is so important. Absolutely. 00:23:57.450 --> 00:24:00.490 You've got to be consistent. You can't do it 00:24:00.490 --> 00:24:03.410 one time, but not the next time. Or you miss 00:24:03.410 --> 00:24:08.069 assignments or dates or you miss meetings. People, 00:24:08.269 --> 00:24:11.769 you lose trust very quickly. You can lose it 00:24:11.769 --> 00:24:14.690 very quickly. Yeah. Yeah. It takes over time 00:24:14.690 --> 00:24:18.769 how to attain that trust value. I was in the 00:24:18.769 --> 00:24:22.470 military and they always told us you get a thousand 00:24:22.470 --> 00:24:24.670 out of boys. You did a great job. You did great. 00:24:24.710 --> 00:24:27.640 It's great. But one or shit, you will screw up 00:24:27.640 --> 00:24:30.579 once and you'll lose all of it. Yeah, yeah. So 00:24:30.579 --> 00:24:33.740 it's so easy to lose, but when you get it, so 00:24:33.740 --> 00:24:37.359 that's the big difference. Yeah, yeah. When leading 00:24:37.359 --> 00:24:41.259 change, how can leaders use their network to 00:24:41.259 --> 00:24:44.740 build buy -in and reduced resistance? Getting 00:24:44.740 --> 00:24:49.779 them involved early on and soliciting their views. 00:24:50.890 --> 00:24:54.890 And helping them become part of the change initiative 00:24:54.890 --> 00:24:59.349 certainly increases buy -in. No one likes to 00:24:59.349 --> 00:25:02.650 be mandated that you need to do X, Y, Z. And 00:25:02.650 --> 00:25:05.589 it's totally first time you're hearing it. It's 00:25:05.589 --> 00:25:08.690 totally new. You've had no input. You're not 00:25:08.690 --> 00:25:12.250 prepared for it. So yeah, getting them involved 00:25:12.250 --> 00:25:18.890 early and often is really important. Absolutely. 00:25:20.109 --> 00:25:22.329 And I've been in this situation all too many 00:25:22.329 --> 00:25:27.809 times. But if you get the people, when you delegate 00:25:27.809 --> 00:25:30.849 or when you give them responsibility and you 00:25:30.849 --> 00:25:33.890 take their feedback, but you actually implement 00:25:33.890 --> 00:25:38.089 some of the items that they suggested, then all 00:25:38.089 --> 00:25:40.769 of a sudden they have a new, renewed feeling 00:25:40.769 --> 00:25:45.009 about the project or changes and they feel more 00:25:45.009 --> 00:25:48.769 of a buy -in and you get a lot more out of them. 00:25:49.069 --> 00:25:53.410 And sometimes explaining why you didn't accept 00:25:53.410 --> 00:25:56.230 maybe one of the points or one of the comments 00:25:56.230 --> 00:25:59.190 they had is also valuable. You know, so they 00:25:59.190 --> 00:26:03.690 understand why you didn't do X, Y, Z that they 00:26:03.690 --> 00:26:06.490 recommended. There may be a very legitimate reason 00:26:06.490 --> 00:26:10.069 for your thinking and why you didn't accept that 00:26:10.069 --> 00:26:15.630 particular idea. Yeah, it's the days of when 00:26:15.630 --> 00:26:20.849 a boss. I have a big distinction between a boss 00:26:20.849 --> 00:26:24.410 and a leader. And a long time ago, it's like 00:26:24.410 --> 00:26:28.049 in the 50s and 60s, even part of the 70s, the 00:26:28.049 --> 00:26:29.950 boss would say, you do it this way because I 00:26:29.950 --> 00:26:34.509 said so. And I said so doesn't fly. It may be 00:26:34.509 --> 00:26:38.529 totally legitimate reasons. You can explain that 00:26:38.529 --> 00:26:41.230 to them and they might say, oh, you know what? 00:26:41.250 --> 00:26:43.529 I never thought about that. You're right. Give 00:26:43.529 --> 00:26:46.519 them that little bit of a buy -in. and have them 00:26:46.519 --> 00:26:49.640 understand what's going on. What's one networking 00:26:49.640 --> 00:26:53.700 mistake leaders make when trying to expand their 00:26:53.700 --> 00:26:57.660 influence? One mistake that they make? Yeah, 00:26:57.759 --> 00:27:02.940 one mistake. I think some networking to me is 00:27:02.940 --> 00:27:07.980 this reciprocity. You have to give to get. It's 00:27:07.980 --> 00:27:12.599 not just one way. Some leaders don't treat it 00:27:12.599 --> 00:27:17.460 that way. It's all take. And just they don't 00:27:17.460 --> 00:27:22.160 provide the support and assistance and advice 00:27:22.160 --> 00:27:25.980 and ideas when they could to people in their 00:27:25.980 --> 00:27:31.099 network. So I think the key is treating networking 00:27:31.099 --> 00:27:36.980 as a reciprocal type arrangement where you can 00:27:36.980 --> 00:27:39.480 help the people in your network. When you can 00:27:39.480 --> 00:27:42.079 help the people in your network, you do. You 00:27:42.079 --> 00:27:45.230 take those steps. It could be a great article 00:27:45.230 --> 00:27:48.390 for them to read or a great seminar or a great 00:27:48.390 --> 00:27:52.250 thought you had about something. But it's providing 00:27:52.250 --> 00:27:56.309 advice and guidance as well as going to them 00:27:56.309 --> 00:28:01.210 for advice and guidance. So it's mutual reciprocity 00:28:01.210 --> 00:28:04.309 is key. Yeah, I'm going to take that one step 00:28:04.309 --> 00:28:09.170 further. OK, you always bring value to the relationship, 00:28:09.410 --> 00:28:13.359 right? When you network. If you have what's called 00:28:13.359 --> 00:28:17.039 a servant's heart, if you look to give and not 00:28:17.039 --> 00:28:20.000 to receive, and you're thinking like, why did 00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:23.160 I come here in the first place if I'm not going 00:28:23.160 --> 00:28:26.680 to sell anything or get any clients, but I'm 00:28:26.680 --> 00:28:29.420 just looking to help anybody who I bump into? 00:28:29.759 --> 00:28:32.480 That's called having a servant's heart. And so 00:28:32.480 --> 00:28:36.819 when you look to give, constantly look to give 00:28:36.819 --> 00:28:39.519 to a person that you're talking to, bring value. 00:28:40.720 --> 00:28:43.140 connect on LinkedIn, but they connect and say 00:28:43.140 --> 00:28:46.140 goodbye. If you want somebody, you want to expand 00:28:46.140 --> 00:28:49.180 your influence, you can connect with a person. 00:28:49.339 --> 00:28:52.740 And as you said, bring an article about something 00:28:52.740 --> 00:28:56.220 that was written and say, look, I found this. 00:28:56.480 --> 00:28:59.839 I feel that you might find it valuable here. 00:28:59.940 --> 00:29:02.980 Take it. That type of thing. And if you're constantly 00:29:02.980 --> 00:29:07.460 giving, it will come around. Bob Berg. speaks 00:29:07.460 --> 00:29:11.019 about this often. He's a very big speaker about 00:29:11.019 --> 00:29:13.680 networking, communication, and everything else. 00:29:14.039 --> 00:29:17.740 It's your giving and not to receive. And you 00:29:17.740 --> 00:29:21.440 will see that you'll get twice as many clients 00:29:21.440 --> 00:29:26.680 by doing that rather than just networking used 00:29:26.680 --> 00:29:31.240 to be transactional. I have a widget. It's $3. 00:29:31.240 --> 00:29:33.720 How many do you want? You'll take it. Okay, good. 00:29:33.859 --> 00:29:36.420 I'll give you an invoice. We're done. That's 00:29:36.420 --> 00:29:39.400 having a customer base. But I really feel that 00:29:39.400 --> 00:29:42.480 ever since the pandemic, we've moved it to a 00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:47.019 relationship base. And it's more of the relationships 00:29:47.019 --> 00:29:50.480 you have, not just customers. So that's a way 00:29:50.480 --> 00:29:54.700 to look at it. Yep. How can leaders intentionally 00:29:54.700 --> 00:29:58.200 create networks that are diverse in perspective, 00:29:58.539 --> 00:30:03.950 not just industry or background? I think on LinkedIn, 00:30:03.970 --> 00:30:09.049 you can build your network through various means, 00:30:09.250 --> 00:30:13.690 but you can broaden it to people outside your 00:30:13.690 --> 00:30:19.509 function or industry and get some people that 00:30:19.509 --> 00:30:22.569 have different orientations or different types 00:30:22.569 --> 00:30:26.650 of jobs in your network. And it's interesting. 00:30:26.910 --> 00:30:30.309 I've written a lot of books about leadership. 00:30:32.640 --> 00:30:37.019 often do is I go to a variety of people to get 00:30:37.019 --> 00:30:39.339 their thoughts and ideas about my leadership 00:30:39.339 --> 00:30:43.720 styles. For example, in my last book, I interviewed 00:30:43.720 --> 00:30:47.819 the local fire chief at the fire department, 00:30:47.900 --> 00:30:52.180 and I asked him about how he used the three styles 00:30:52.180 --> 00:30:56.960 of leading. Now, he wouldn't typically identify 00:30:56.960 --> 00:30:59.779 himself as a leader, or he wouldn't be someone 00:30:59.779 --> 00:31:02.990 I'd typically go to. I'd usually go to people 00:31:02.990 --> 00:31:06.890 in the business world, executives and CEOs and 00:31:06.890 --> 00:31:09.809 what have you, but getting different points of 00:31:09.809 --> 00:31:13.509 view. Another example, I went to the local artist 00:31:13.509 --> 00:31:17.390 in our town. Now, what's an artist have to do 00:31:17.390 --> 00:31:22.390 with leadership? I wanted to see how she approached 00:31:22.390 --> 00:31:26.250 painting. Did she start with the big picture 00:31:26.250 --> 00:31:29.569 idea? Did she start with the background outline? 00:31:30.970 --> 00:31:35.230 How did she think about the vision that she was 00:31:35.230 --> 00:31:38.970 trying to convey? My point is going to different 00:31:38.970 --> 00:31:43.789 people that are not typically in your industry 00:31:43.789 --> 00:31:48.109 or function can be very interesting to see how 00:31:48.109 --> 00:31:52.470 they view the problem or issue or question you 00:31:52.470 --> 00:31:55.529 have. So going, a football coach is going to 00:31:55.529 --> 00:31:58.509 give you a different view than a policeman or 00:31:59.230 --> 00:32:03.869 Someone who's into the arts or a comedian. I 00:32:03.869 --> 00:32:06.690 one time, I taught leadership and I one time 00:32:06.690 --> 00:32:10.789 invited a comedian into my class to talk about 00:32:10.789 --> 00:32:14.289 how does he engage the audience? What does he 00:32:14.289 --> 00:32:18.630 do to connect with people? And again, you get 00:32:18.630 --> 00:32:22.049 some interesting ideas about, oh, I never thought 00:32:22.049 --> 00:32:24.650 of that, or that's interesting that you would 00:32:24.650 --> 00:32:28.289 do that. So I'm rambling again a little bit, 00:32:28.289 --> 00:32:33.230 but. broaden your views and include people outside 00:32:33.230 --> 00:32:38.950 your immediate domain to increase the diversity 00:32:38.950 --> 00:32:43.750 of ideas that you might come up with and might 00:32:43.750 --> 00:32:46.430 help you see it from a different point of view. 00:32:47.599 --> 00:32:50.559 You're absolutely right. And you by you going 00:32:50.559 --> 00:32:54.099 to all these different types of people, different 00:32:54.099 --> 00:32:56.599 types of leaders, because they're leaders in 00:32:56.599 --> 00:32:59.279 their own right. And you're getting the input 00:32:59.279 --> 00:33:02.980 from all these different directions. But I find 00:33:02.980 --> 00:33:07.440 it most the comedian when you brought the comedian 00:33:07.440 --> 00:33:12.319 in and public speaking and comedians have a lot 00:33:12.319 --> 00:33:16.140 in common. Right. We're always. Timing everything. 00:33:16.339 --> 00:33:20.380 We're always waiting for that pause that you 00:33:20.380 --> 00:33:22.980 wait for the audience to respond. That's keeping 00:33:22.980 --> 00:33:27.180 everybody in check. But you get from all these 00:33:27.180 --> 00:33:32.019 different sources, my military background, thinking 00:33:32.019 --> 00:33:36.339 about my leaders from behind, some were like 00:33:36.339 --> 00:33:40.880 strictly military and others were like business 00:33:40.880 --> 00:33:43.680 minded. And they talk about you and everything 00:33:43.680 --> 00:33:46.849 else. Their orders usually, whatever they said, 00:33:46.950 --> 00:33:50.430 that was it. But some explained, some didn't 00:33:50.430 --> 00:33:54.349 explain, some told me what to do, some explained 00:33:54.349 --> 00:33:57.009 what I had to do. Various different people, very 00:33:57.009 --> 00:33:59.950 different ways. You get much more out of it. 00:33:59.990 --> 00:34:03.150 And I understand that 100%. In your experience, 00:34:03.430 --> 00:34:07.170 what daily or weekly networking habits separate 00:34:07.170 --> 00:34:12.920 good leaders from great ones? I think the great 00:34:12.920 --> 00:34:18.139 ones, the quality of their network is different. 00:34:19.019 --> 00:34:24.539 I think they have people who have excelled, some 00:34:24.539 --> 00:34:28.820 people that have excelled in their field. So 00:34:28.820 --> 00:34:36.619 they're getting top information from those outstanding 00:34:36.619 --> 00:34:41.039 individuals, let's say. I think people that have 00:34:41.039 --> 00:34:44.079 a good network but not a great network, they 00:34:44.079 --> 00:34:50.599 have a good variety of people, but they maybe 00:34:50.599 --> 00:34:53.599 could broaden it a little bit more or maybe they 00:34:53.599 --> 00:34:58.579 could include a few outstanding people or a few 00:34:58.579 --> 00:35:00.579 people like we were talking about before that 00:35:00.579 --> 00:35:04.159 have excelled in different domains that would 00:35:04.159 --> 00:35:08.800 be of interest and they'd gain some new ideas 00:35:08.800 --> 00:35:12.280 from so i think that would help i don't know 00:35:12.280 --> 00:35:14.000 if that answers the question but that's what 00:35:14.000 --> 00:35:17.539 i think about it enough okay let's bring this 00:35:17.539 --> 00:35:21.760 podcast full circle if you could give one piece 00:35:21.760 --> 00:35:24.800 of advice to leaders looking to strengthen both 00:35:24.800 --> 00:35:27.360 their leadership and their network at the same 00:35:27.360 --> 00:35:33.440 time what would it be take time to make your 00:35:33.440 --> 00:35:39.949 network a priority think about who is in your 00:35:39.949 --> 00:35:46.289 network who do you go to on a regular basis and 00:35:46.289 --> 00:35:49.070 maybe how do you need to change it up a little 00:35:49.070 --> 00:35:54.010 bit who should you or who could you include in 00:35:54.010 --> 00:35:58.130 your network that would give you valuable candid 00:35:58.130 --> 00:36:03.469 honest feedback or advice so in what ways can 00:36:03.469 --> 00:36:07.099 you enhance your network. I guess that's a good 00:36:07.099 --> 00:36:09.719 way of thinking about it. And that's something 00:36:09.719 --> 00:36:12.500 we probably all need to be thinking about on 00:36:12.500 --> 00:36:17.760 a regular basis. And if you do that, you're broadening 00:36:17.760 --> 00:36:23.079 your source of information, source of ideas, 00:36:23.260 --> 00:36:28.539 and source of feedback on things that you've 00:36:28.539 --> 00:36:31.260 attempted to do or want to do and that type of 00:36:31.260 --> 00:36:34.320 thing. That's really good. I want you to think 00:36:34.320 --> 00:36:38.480 about one additional thing that I don't want 00:36:38.480 --> 00:36:42.179 you to think about your network, right? You think 00:36:42.179 --> 00:36:45.500 about how expansive, how broad your network is, 00:36:45.639 --> 00:36:49.440 but that's really not your network. You have 00:36:49.440 --> 00:36:54.079 to think about whose network are you in? So if 00:36:54.079 --> 00:36:57.099 you change that way of thinking, say, okay, look, 00:36:57.219 --> 00:36:58.920 they're in my network. I connected with them 00:36:58.920 --> 00:37:03.489 and everything else, but who am I? Am I in whose 00:37:03.489 --> 00:37:07.489 network? And that will really give you the best 00:37:07.489 --> 00:37:10.150 answer. Paul, I have to tell you, this was great. 00:37:10.409 --> 00:37:14.090 We had a great conversation. You had so many 00:37:14.090 --> 00:37:17.769 points to remember of leadership and all the 00:37:17.769 --> 00:37:21.429 different aspects of it. It was great. If somebody 00:37:21.429 --> 00:37:24.010 wants to get hold of you, what's the best way? 00:37:24.829 --> 00:37:28.250 I'm pretty active on LinkedIn. I try to write 00:37:28.250 --> 00:37:32.239 something there two to three times a week. I've 00:37:32.239 --> 00:37:37.260 written 28 books on leadership. They're all available 00:37:37.260 --> 00:37:41.800 on Amazon. The ones that I highly recommend are 00:37:41.800 --> 00:37:44.659 Leadership Styles. I think that's a really great 00:37:44.659 --> 00:37:48.320 book. The Leadership Process is another good 00:37:48.320 --> 00:37:52.440 book. And the one I most recently wrote was Add 00:37:52.440 --> 00:37:58.179 Value, Improve the Status Quo. So my books are 00:37:58.179 --> 00:38:01.840 good sources to do expand on some of these ideas 00:38:01.840 --> 00:38:05.119 and see what you think. And they're all inexpensive. 00:38:05.579 --> 00:38:08.199 They're not going to break your bank. They're 00:38:08.199 --> 00:38:12.079 like $4 .99. So they're inexpensive and they're 00:38:12.079 --> 00:38:14.780 a quick read. I'm a big believer in getting your 00:38:14.780 --> 00:38:20.699 big idea out there succinctly. My books are typically 00:38:20.699 --> 00:38:26.210 50 to 70 pages long. So it's not a... 300 -page 00:38:26.210 --> 00:38:28.869 manual you got to get through. And I think the 00:38:28.869 --> 00:38:33.809 ideas, the feedback I get, the ideas are practical 00:38:33.809 --> 00:38:38.449 and usable and help people be more effective 00:38:38.449 --> 00:38:41.690 leaders and add value, make a difference. So 00:38:41.690 --> 00:38:44.809 that's what I would say. Paul, thank you very 00:38:44.809 --> 00:38:47.449 much for coming on the podcast. It was great 00:38:47.449 --> 00:38:50.309 having you. And I look to speak with you again. 00:38:50.800 --> 00:38:53.219 Thank you, Michael. I appreciate being on, and 00:38:53.219 --> 00:38:56.019 let's do it again and down the road a few months. 00:38:56.380 --> 00:39:03.360 Sure. Well, hold on, folks. Don't go anywhere. 00:39:03.679 --> 00:39:07.019 Let's hear from our sponsors. David Neal, co 00:39:07.019 --> 00:39:10.659 -founder, Revved Up Kids. Revved Up Kids is on 00:39:10.659 --> 00:39:13.639 a mission to protect children and teens from 00:39:13.639 --> 00:39:16.619 sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking. 00:39:16.900 --> 00:39:20.099 They provide prevention training programs for 00:39:20.099 --> 00:39:23.639 children, teens, and adults. To learn more, go 00:39:23.639 --> 00:39:28.019 to revvedupkids .org. Henry Kaplan, Century 21. 00:39:28.510 --> 00:39:30.730 When it comes to making the biggest financial 00:39:30.730 --> 00:39:33.710 decision of your life, leave it in the hands 00:39:33.710 --> 00:39:37.030 of a proven professional, Henry Kaplan. Henry 00:39:37.030 --> 00:39:40.190 is a global real estate agent with Century 21, 00:39:40.389 --> 00:39:44.369 celebrating his 41st year in business. No matter 00:39:44.369 --> 00:39:47.050 where you're moving, Henry has the right connections 00:39:47.050 --> 00:39:54.070 for you. You can contact Henry at 561 -427 -4888. 00:39:54.750 --> 00:39:57.769 A huge thank you to our guests for sharing such... 00:39:58.190 --> 00:40:01.469 insights today. And of course, a big shout out 00:40:01.469 --> 00:40:04.789 to you, our amazing listeners, for tuning in 00:40:04.789 --> 00:40:07.710 and spending your time with us. If you're interested 00:40:07.710 --> 00:40:11.050 in my digital courses, being coached or having 00:40:11.050 --> 00:40:14.170 me come and talk to your company, just go to 00:40:14.170 --> 00:40:17.389 Michael and fill out the request form. Remember, 00:40:17.730 --> 00:40:21.050 networking isn't about being perfect. It's about 00:40:21.050 --> 00:40:23.969 being present. So take what you've learned today, 00:40:24.150 --> 00:40:26.769 get out there and make some meaningful connections. 00:40:27.500 --> 00:40:30.420 If you've enjoyed this episode, please don't 00:40:30.420 --> 00:40:33.739 forget to subscribe. Leave us a review and share 00:40:33.739 --> 00:40:35.960 it with someone who could use a little networking 00:40:35.960 --> 00:40:38.960 inspiration. Let's keep the conversation going. 00:40:39.139 --> 00:40:43.639 You can find me on Apple, Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, 00:40:43.820 --> 00:40:48.500 or my website, foreman .com slash podcasts.