Lead Now is an Excellent Leadership Training Opportunity by Focus 3
I recently had the honor and privilege to participate in an elite leadership training program titled Lead Now by the Focus 3 Team, founded by Tim Kight.
The Lead Now training I participated in was facilitated by Master Training Specialist and veteran of the United States Navy SEAL Teams, Scott Daly. Scott was excellent. He has spent a good portion of his life training people to perform at elite levels and become better leaders. I loved how Scott was able to take his life experiences, combine it with the Lead Now system, and apply it to situations each of us face every day. I found the training beneficial on so many levels. I highly recommend it, and I will share a few highlights from my notes that really helped me.
A prerequisite for the training was the completion of a DISC personality inventory. This was very enlightening. It was helpful for me to see areas to improve upon, how others may view me, and most importantly how to work with and lead other personality types.
Focus 3 helps organizations with culture work in a way that is unlike anything I have ever experienced. It is an elite system used by Fortune 100 Companies, professional and collegiate sports, and some of the top school districts in the world. Tim Kight, the founder of Focus 3, was the Leadership Coach for The Ohio State University Football Team, and the system was used here with Urban Meyer and his teams. It is a system that helps people become better leaders, and trains people to better deal with the events we encounter in life. The program centers around working on your RESPONSE to the events that come at you, so you can help influence a possible, better outcome. Click to Read More
The heart of the training, not mentioned in my notes below, centered around: character, competence, and connection to build trust, and accountability, support, and clarity to achieve results. You cannot achieve elite results however without building trust and you need all six traits. Focus 3 provides excellent training materials.
Here are some of my highlighted takeaways from my notes:
Trust is paramount in leadership. Leaders need to build trust. Trust is a repeated experience of you, over time. How do you build trust with people? You spend time with them. So many leaders fail to do this.
Most people lead as needed and without discipline and intention. Don’t be like that.
Love is free. Give it often. Trust is earned.
Your organization cannot have divisions. Leaders MUST get everyone on the same page. Everyone MUST get together and interact with each other.
Strength in one area of leadership will not make up for a weakness in another.
Talent is a gift. Character is a choice.
Elite leaders don’t rely on motivation, or quotes; they have a system.
Great leaders need to build emotional agility.
Caring is an action, not an emotion.
Your focus, self talk, and how you feel, determines how you behave. You have more control over these than you think. Get intentional about each.
As a leader, you have a responsibility to be clear. Ask others to let you know if you are not being clear.
Leaders take ownership of their organization’s struggles and challenges, and they pass the accomplishments and recognition on to the team.
I loved Scott’s story about how he helped a young SEAL make rank. From a very small conversation about monster trucks, he made an impact and built an incredible level of trust. Have lots of conversations with your team about anything.
You can’t be trained beyond the edge until you discover your limitations. Find new edges to overcome. Grow BEYOND your current level of skill.
Know exactly what you stand for.
The day you think you know it all — get out.
Lead at the next level.
Your beliefs, behaviors and desired outcomes must move from your head to your heart and actions.
How to have an accountability conversation:
1) State the observation.
2) Describe the impact it is having.
3) Ask what they think they can do to fix it.
4) Tell them what you want them to do.
5) How will they respond?
6) How will you respond to their response?
I highly recommend you learn more about Focus 3, R-Factor, and Lead Now on the Focus 3 website and podcast. This is excellent training for businesses, schools and well… everyone. I am very proud and thankful ofPort Clinton City Schools and Pat Adkins for this training.
It’s June. Time to take a hard look at the resolutions and goals you made for the year.
What’s working? What’s not?
Read through them. (You wrote them down! Right? If not, write them down.)
Do you still have the fire, grit, spunk, and resolve you did on the first of January? Or has it waned?
I want you to look at the span of this year of your life a little differently. The past six months is valuable feedback on how you live in comparison to what you want. Look at your year, which still is half full, like you would an artist’s work in single year and ask yourself, “What will I be remembered for this year?” Also, examine the barriers, internally or externally, that have kept you from making progress, or pushed you forward. This first half of the year is feedback. Record it. Reflect on it. Redesign a plan for what needs to be done.
Six months is a tremendous amount of time. You can create a masterpiece in six months. A masterpiece of art, health, finance, or side hustle.
The year is still your’s!
What’s it going to take?
Here are SIX things you can do to reboot your resolutions and see them to completion:
Rebuild your mindset. Get fired up! Make your reason for doing this passionate.
Reflect on the past six months. This is how we learn!
Record what worked well and what didn’t. Write down what worked and any obstacles you discovered.
Redesign your plan. Write down what you are going to do over the next six months.
Remind yourself daily of your why.
Repeat at least one action daily that will take you closer toward that goal.
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Looking for a dynamic speaker for your event? • Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. Want to learn more? Send me an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 121 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook. • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter. • Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram
In this episode of the Future Focused Podcast I caution you to be careful what you label a weakness. Labels don’t help us and most of them are wrong. Labels often program us with incorrect, limiting mindsets.
When I was young my teacher’s feedback on my work in school focused on two areas that were presented as weaknesses. They would report: “Kelly talks too much. Kelly draws pictures on his paper and during class.” What was once a negative is now my livelihood; I am hired by organizations around the world as a speaker and artist.
We need to be careful of what we allow others to label as a weakness and what we label for ourselves. I often hear people say they have anxiety or attention issues like ADD. I have these, but rather than view them as negatives, I see them as super powers. My anxiety helps me to prepare for possible problems in presentations and consulting work. It allows me to analyze scenarios and issues others cannot even conceive. If you can’t identify potential problems, how can you prepare to stop them before they happen? My anxiety, when managed is a super power. My perceived weakness with attention disorder is also a super power. I come up with the most creative ideas and solutions. Without a busy mind bouncy around thinking of a hundred possibilities my creativity would be severely limited. Yes, my attention issues are a super power.
Listen to this podcast. It will give you a new perspective on your life. You are going to love this episode of The Future Focused Podcast. This episode will help you become even more successful.
Looking for a dynamic speaker for your event? • Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. Want to learn more? Send me an email. • Sign-up for Kelly’s Newsletter. Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 121 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook. • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter. • Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram
I write a lot and talk a lot about how important journaling is in my life. I mention my journal quite a bit. I do this for one primary reason; it has been one of the single most impactful practices I have applied to my life. In short, journaling delivers results.
Ever read a biography of the historical greats? They journaled! Doesn’t matter if they lived thousands of years ago, or are crushing it right now, the greats all have something in common: they wrote down what worked and what didn’t and used it to level-up their life. Quit writing important things down on scraps of paper you will lose or forget about. Invest in yourself. Invest in your future! Get a notebook that is worthy of the life you want to live.
built with plenty of room. (I use about two a year)
the perfect size for portability.
just made so perfectly!
the perfect place to get creative.
a great way to stay organized and recall information I need.
The only drawback is that it does not have a left side margin, so I take a ruler and a purple Pilot pen and create one for every right-sided pages. For some reason the back doesn’t matter to me if it has a left margin or not.
How I use it:
If something is important enough to be written down, it goes in my journal. Period.
I write down phone numbers, names, people I meet, books people mention, podcast episodes, good Netflix shows
I record all of the ideas I have. All. The good, the crazy, and especially the ones I know I won’t be able to start right away.
I record plans for trips, travel, presentations, etc.
I record workouts, things I want to buy, and the books I read.
I write down my successes, my failures, and what I have not taken action on.
I reflect about how to do things better.
I plan my blog posts, podcasts, and upcoming talks and books.
I plot home improvements, magic moments with my families and things I am proud of.
I brainstorm where I want to go professionally and personally
I use it as an accountability partner.
I list all of the books I read in a year.
I write down things I want. (And I notice after writing them down, I want them less.)
and so much more.
This journal costs under $20 and is one of the best investments I make in myself each year. My journal is worth millions to me.
Occasionally, I will go back and review previous entries from this year and journals from long ago. It’s awesome to see how I have improved… or haven’t.
Then bottom line is: if it is important enough to be written down, it goes in my journal. If I plan it, it is more likely to happen, and I won’t forget it.
I fill my journals up. I consume them. The are seriously among my favorite “things” in life.
Should I hire a coach? You can accomplish much with the right coach. I would be honored to work with you. (If you are interested in working with me as your coach this year, or would like to inquire about the process or investment, please send me an email.)
In this episode of The Future Focused Podcast, I explain why consistency is either our greatest skill or our most challenging obstacle to achieving the success we seek.
Consistency is in fact the most significant difference-maker in determining our success in any given area. In this podcast I will show you many powerful ways you can become more consistent in completing what needs to be done to make a difference in your life. I will outline the strategies, techniques, pathways and apps that will help you build lifelong habits to your accomplishments.
Crush that feeling of overwhelm and frustration by getting focused, simplifying, and building consistent habits to level-up your leadership, designing a dynamic life, and executing proven pathways to achievement.
What apps can you use to build better habits and be more consistent? I will tell you.
How can improve my accountability for the actions I know I need to take. I will teach you.
What tools can I employ to accomplish more and get focused? It’s in this episode.
What is the most important action I can take to get results? It’s in here.
The bigger your dream in life, the more you need consistency.
I know you will enjoy and benefit from this podcast. Send me an email and let me know what you think.
My best to you,
Kelly
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Looking for a dynamic speaker for your event? • Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. Want to learn more? Send me an email. • Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 115 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook. • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter. • Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram
Everyone knows breathing is vital to life, but few understand how they can control their breathing to live better and even gain a competitive edge.
Most of our breathing is done with little or no thought. We just do it. Unfortunately, most of us are doing it wrong. Improper or unintentional breathing can lead to fatigue, anxiety, and even poor health. Everyone needs to realize that breathing is a variable in our lives which we can manipulate. With understanding, practice and greater intention, we can actually use our breathing to benefit our lives.
As a speaker I have learned how to manipulate my voice for greater impact. I have had to learn a great deal about breathing to change my volume, inflection, intensity, tone and more. I’ve even had to learn how to control my breathing to reduce anxiety and stress. (Still working on both, but I am a work in progress.) I know professional entertainers and athletes who also use breathing techniques in similar ways. Professionals face the same concerns and fears everyone has, they just find solutions to solve them. Believe me, breathing is something everyone needs to learn more about and control.
I wanted to learn more about breathing, so I did some research and found the best videos about breathing and ordered the best book I could find on the subject of breathing.
Navy Seal Commander, Mark Devine showed me the importance of breathing and how to get started, in his videos and posts. I recommend you watch this video and read this blog post about breathing. Both helped me immensely and put me on the journey to better breathing. Mark’s SEAL Fit videos and contributions are worth checking out. I follow them on Instagram as well. Great daily reminders. Breathing is important to everyone, especially Navy Seals who repeatedly put themselves in high-stress situations. They don’t just survive, they thrive. Do you think they could teach us something about breathing? Heck, yes! Want to be elite? Breathe elite. It is the starting point of everything.
We can modify our breathing by changing its intensity, duration, depth, and speed. With practice, we can even recall breathing formulas to assist us in certain situations to gain an edge.
Athletes and performers know the importance of breathing, and you should too. Take some time to first become aware of the importance of your breathing. Next, become more intentional with your breathing. Doing nothing else, and learning nothing else, but just taking some time to focus on breathing and breathing deeper from time to time and adjusting your speed and duration, will go a long way.
I recommend reading the short and insightful book, Breathe: The Simple Revolutionary 14 Day Program Improve Your Mental & Physical Healthby Belisa Vranich. This book was extremely helpful to me. Great exercises for real results. I know… I know… it sounds crazy placing such a priority on breathing, but you will be amazed at how your life improves.
I also recommend trying Box Breathing.
Here’s how to employ the Box Breathing technique:
1) Breathe in through your nose slowly, counting to 3. (If possible, close your eyes.)
2) Hold that breath, counting to 3.
3) Exhale that same breath, counting to 3.
4) Repeat the above steps 3 times in a row.
You can graduate to a four second hold once you get some reps in. This is just one of many, many exercises.
Better breathing can lead to better: mental state, digestion, blood pressure, heart function, blood flow, and overall health. Good breathing can also reduce headaches, anxiety, and a host of other ailments.
Learn more about breathing. Practice breathing better.
Here’s one of Mark’s videos that I think will help you out:
Thank you Mark and all who serve in The United States Armed Forces and all who serve in our local emergency services.
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Looking for a dynamic speaker for your event? • Kelly Croy is an author, speaker and educator. Want to learn more? Send me an email. • Listen to Kelly’s other podcast The Wired Educator Podcast with over 115 episodes of interviews and professional development. • Order Kelly’s book, Along Came a Leader for your personal library. • Follow Kelly Croy on Facebook. • Follow Kelly Croy on Twitter. • Follow Kelly Croy on Instagram
Email me if you would like to join my exclusive launch team for my new book, Unthink Before Bed. Big news coming soon!
FFP 015: Why I Started an Investment Club and You Should Too
In this episode I share why I think starting an investment club with your friends might be one of the best decisions you will ever make, and it’s probably not for the reason you think. How it started is an amazing story. I share with you what you’ll need to do, and why it will make a difference. It is a great story.
This episode is jam-packed with great content to help you improve your life and get future focused.
Starting an investment club is fun and you will learn a lot. It is easy and worthwhile. My investment club was started back in 1999 and has provided me with tremendous benefits in my life.
I review my financial advice from previous episodes in a nice concise summary.
I also make a lot of recommendations for you to start applying to better utilize your money.
Recommendation for you and mentions from within the podcast:
Books You need to add to your library regarding finances and start reading:
Make the Most of Your Time with Short Bursts of Action!
In this episode of the Future Focused Podcast, Kelly will focus on how to make the most of your time, by utilizing a strategy called Micro Missions, based on the ancient Japanese Philosophy of the Kaizen Way.
By using short burst of focused action on one centralized activity or outcome, you will make impressive growth, build impressive habits, and open doors to productivity pathways you never knew existed.
The key to productivity may very well be centered around “micro” concepts of action, consumption and time.
If acted upon, the concepts within this short podcast could put you and your future self in the driver’s seat to a new direction and new possibilities.
Hit “play” to get results and focused, future focused.
Kelly
Mentioned in this podcast:
I am still reading Tribe of Mentors by Tim Ferriss and I am loving it! I read about one section every day or every other day.
I am almost finished with the new book from Gary Vaynerchuck Crushing It! and I have to say it is indeed great! I am learning so much! If you want to start a business or side hustle; it is a must.
I recently had the honor and privilege to participate in an elite leadership training program titled Lead Now by the Focus 3 Team, founded by Tim Kight.
Trust is paramount in leadership. Leaders need to build trust. Trust is a repeated experience of you, over time. How do you build trust with people? You spend time with them. So many leaders fail to do this.
n this episode of The Future Focused Podcast, I explain why consistency is either our greatest skill or our most challenging obstacle to achieving the success we seek.
