Tag Archives: meeting

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FFP 024: Frustration and Overwhelm

Frustration and Overwhelm are Not Okay! Here's what to do about it.

In this episode of The Future Focused Podcast I talk about how and why frustration and overwhelm impacts so many, and more importantly, I talk about what we can do about it.

I have met too many people who talk about frustration and overwhelm with a sense of pride, a badge of honor, and as if it is okay. Why is that?

Frustration and overwhelm are NOT okay.

I’m not here to tell you that you’re doing it wrong. I’m not here to tell you that you’re living life wrong. I’m not here to be the expert. I am here to get you fired-up and to share some helpful ways to confront and conquer frustration and overwhelm. I also want to challenge your thinking and help you out.  

Frustration and overwhelmed or not OK. You should be leaving work proud of all that you did to make a difference. At the end of the day you should be proud of the way you lead your family. You should not go to bed nor wake up with regrets.

 Frustration and overwhelm the deplete us of the energy we need to raise our families, chase and fulfill  our dreams.  Frustration and overwhelm is a thief of our time. It’s a thief of our focus. It can create depression and anxiety if not addressed.

This episode will help you combat frustration overwhelm, level-up your leadership and design a more dynamic life. You will feel better about yourself too.

You will leave this episode feeling better about your day and the work you face. You also will look at your friends, coworkers and family in completely new ways! You are going to love this episode.

Many of you are purchasing Christmas presents this time of year; I also hope you will consider my book Along Came a Leader as a gift for yourself, a colleague, and administrator, and a family member this holiday season. It’s available on Amazon. It was a work of love. I am so proud of it. Level-up your leadership. Discover the 8 core attributes of leadership and how to put them work to impact lives and lead. We need leaders. If you’ve already read it, I hope you will leave a review. 

I also encourage you to follow me on Instagram between now and Christmas Day because I am sharing lots of my artwork. I am drawing a Santa Claus every day and posting the speed-painting video of me drawing it, which is so much fun to watch, alongside the art. You can only find it on my Instagram.

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 

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Conversations and a Gathering of Great Minds

Bag and hands by Alejandro Escamilla

Image by Alejandro Escamilla

I recently had breakfast with an old friend at a restaurant. He told me he meets there with a group of men regularly, and they talk about education, kids, curriculum, and the world. They even had a little brass plaque on wall with their initials engraved on it.  It was early, but the conversation put my mind in the right mode of thinking for the entire day. New perspectives were shared. I saw topics in a new light, and, well, I shared some of my ideas too.

Today, I was listening to a few minutes of a show titled GPS on CNN. I caught it just by chance. Just one of those moments where I was getting a snack when I shouldn’t have, and the TV was on in the kitchen.  What a great show! I’m not sure I am intelligent enough to grasp everything it covered, but I enjoyed the variety and richness of discussion. The show focused on solutions and big ideas.

I was inspired by the host’s guest too, “Homeless Billionaire” Nicolas Berggruen, who has recently  started a ‘think tank” where the top minds of the world will gather and well… think. He is building an institute that focuses on free speech, curiosity, and diversity. Nicholas calls this institute a “secular monestary” where scholars will live, work, host meetings, and talk about a range of topics from technology, philosophy to government, and more! He says he wants to give the world a place where people can have conversations.

These two events, my friend’s gathering at breakfast and the CNN story, are the same concept at different levels. Both groups, one big and one small, are focused on getting great minds together and having a conversation.

Are we doing this? Are we having discussions? This is more than liking pictures and status updates. These are face-to-face conversations in real time. This is setting aside a time to meet in person, spend time together, talk and then collaborate on solutions.

I was fortunate to have been invited to Berlin, Germany this summer to do just that with amazing educators from all around the world at the Apple Distinguished Educator Global Institute 2016. It was amazing and beneficial. This was thinking big on a big scale. This should happen often and so should smaller discussions too, at smaller levels.

How can we do more of this?  How can you or I get a group of thinkers together to talk and collaborate?

I challenge you this week to do just that. Start something. Join something. If you accomplish it online, well, I guess that is okay,  but if you can find a way to meet in person I think you will see many added benefits.

As an English teacher I am reminded of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, and G. K. Chester meeting at a pub regularly for a talk. They called themselves The Inlkings. What came from these “talks” is some of my favorite literature and essays.

On my podcast I recently interviewed two authors about a trip they took home after a conference. They rode together in a car and talked. From this conversation sprang forth the idea for a book which was recently published on a very important topic.

These ‘think tanks’ or conversations are important. While they of course can “just happen” from time to time, imagine the results if we actually planned a few.

Kelly Croy  • Speaker, Artist and Educator • Invite Kelly to speak at your event!
www.KellyCroy.com  •  info@kellycroy.com  •  1-800-831-4825 

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Five Steps to Building Leadership in Your Organization

Fill in the moat KC speaker motivate team

Low productivity and morale can surface within any organization, and it’s really not that difficult to get everyone back on track. Every workplace is different, and there isn’t always a one-method-fixes-all solution. In this post I’m offering five great techniques to implement to get your organization from complaining to leading.

1) Show You Care: If you want to end morale issues in your organization and build leaders, then you need to build a rapport with your team. When you show your team kindness, that you care, and develop a genuine and consistent rapport, morale issues will fade. In its place, you will find team members looking out for one another, representing your agency with pride, and leadership at every transaction. Show you care.

2) Provide Leadership Opportunities: A lot of people read leadership books, watch clips on leadership, and talk about leadership, however, they don’t always put to action what they’ve read, heard, or discussed. If you want your organization to be full of solid leaders, you have to provide team members with leadership opportunities.  That’s right, you have to give them the authority to lead. You can’t expect a perfect outcome either, and I suppose that’s why a lot of people are afraid to let others take the lead on a project, but that is what it takes to build leaders, genuine opportunities and responsibilities. You can always sit a distant second-chair or check-in and let them know you can mentor and counsel, but you have to allow real opportunities with real consequences. You will be happy with the short term results, and you will be elated with the long-term impact on your organization. Provide leadership opportunities.

3) Take Action: The biggest morale buster in any organization is when committees are formed, meetings are held, and surveys are taken and then there is no follow-up or action.  It’s frustrating.  You might as well send a handwritten note to each member saying, “I don’t care what you think.”  Yep, it’s that bad.  If you ask for someone’s feedback, honor it.  Even if you can’t provide what they’ve requested, let them know that the feedback was important and it helped shape the outcome. Let them know they are important. When they offer feedback that you don’t like, don’t go to their supervisor trying to “get to the bottom of it” and smear some make-up over the blemish. Be thankful that they were honest and upfront. Don’t surround yourself with people who only tell you what you want to hear.  Leaders take action.

4) Reward Solutions: You will find what you look for, and when you reward it, it will grow. If you look for team members leading and making solutions to problems you will find them, and when you reward them with praise and recognition you will see this type of behavior grow and spread. Recognizing others is one of the most important actions of a leader, and recognition is also one of the most fun. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to recognize either. A small personal touch can go a long way and screams, “You are awesome! We are so lucky to have you!” Others will notice and lead similarly. Reward solutions.

5) Fill-in the Moat: There cannot be a moat between administration and staff. There is no them. If your organization feels that there is a separation of employees, there will always be complaining and morale issues. Just because you say there is no separation, doesn’t mean there isn’t a separation. Get to know your team. Listen to them. Your organization needs to adopt a team leadership model that clearly outlines what everyone’s job is to benefit the team, not themselves. When everyone understands they are a contributor and feels like they are a contributor, and especially when they are recognized as a contributor, morale begins its upward swing and all areas begin to shine again. Shrink the separation between team members.

When you work with a team, and when you make building leadership a priority, you will see morale improve, productivity rise, and problems decrease. In times of accomplishment, leadership made the difference. In times of strife, a lack of leaders is the culprit. Always work on building a culture of leadership.

Kelly Croy 

Inspirational Speaker & Performance Artist

www.KellyCroy.com 

info@kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825 

 
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Book Launch! You’re Invited!

ACAL invitation

Thank you to my talented friend Sean Junkins for creating this awesome invite!You are invited to celebrate with me this Thursday, July 30th from 5 PM to 8PM as I launch my very first book, Along Came a Leader. There are several ways you can join in on the book launch.  First, you can attend the book launch party at the Rocky Point Winery in Marblehead, Ohio.  You can order a softcover or a digital copy from Amazon.com, or you can order a personalized signed copy from www.AlongCameaLeader.com and have it shipped to your house. I will also be sharing some of the book launch event on the Periscope App, using my @WiredEducator user name.

I am really pleased with how well the book turned out and I believe it has the potential to impact organizations both big and small. Leadership is very important and something we teach and nurture.

Hope you join me in celebrating the launch of Along Came a Leader.

Kelly Croy is a professional speaker and speed artist. 

He entertains and amazes audiences across the nation

with his art and words. The art is brought to life with computer animation.

 Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.KellyCroy.com

1-800-831-4825

info@kellycroy.com

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Becoming an Authentic Leader

Kelly Croy Speaker Leadership

If you assembled all of the people you know, together in one room, would they describe the same person?

Authenticity isn’t about being perfect, but it has everything to do with integrity and reliability. Living an authentic life is paramount to maintaing your credibility as a leader and leaving a lasting impact on others. We trust and admire those who live authentic lives. Leaders are people who live by a set of core values regardless of the circumstances, and regardless who is around. 

We can’t follow someone who is hypocritical or a charlatan. 

Authenticity is about who you say you are, who people say you are, and who you really are. Tell me what you truly value, not what you say you value, or pretend you value, and I’ll tell you what kind of person you will become. 

Authenticity is the glue that holds leadership together. Without authenticity a leader falls apart. Nothing will weaken your impact more, or destroy your accomplishments faster than a breach of trust or a lapse in your integrity. 

Be quick to correct a lapse in authenticity.  Do not assume others didn’t notice.  Don’t think you can cover it up. You aren’t correcting it for them anyway, you are correcting it for yourself. 

A friend of mine graduated from the Naval Academy, where authenticity is ingrained into each and every graduate. We went out to eat with some friends once and he was given the incorrect change. He was calculating the error as we were leaving the restaurant. He told us he had to go back in and fix the error. A buddy of ours pointed out that the error was in his favor. He was given too much money back! He replied, “I know! I have to get back in there.” The overpayment was for thirty cents, but he explained that someone at some point was going to have to account for that thirty cents and that doing the right thing, every time, is without equal. 

A person with integrity doesn’t do the right once in awhile, not most of the time, and not just when others see it. The authentic leader does the right thing every single time. Sure, he will make mistakes, but once he knows he has, he will immediately move to correct it.

During my college football practices the team had to run warm-up laps around the field. While running those laps a few of the guys would round off the corners of the field. They didn’t go all the way around the corner, and shaved off a few feet and some time and energy. They didn’t stay outside the white line like we were told. It was easier to round the corner off.

Well, our line coach would yell. “Hey! You cheat on these laps and you’ll cheat on your wife! You cheat on these laps and you’ll cheat your whole life.” It had a nice rhyme and by midway through camp we’d all repeat it once he started and no one ever rounded a corner again.

I still remember that lesson today. There is a lot of truth to it. To cheat in life you have to start somewhere. I’m pretty certain that the guy with a gun robbing a bank probably started smaller, and this isn’t his first time. Did he take a nickel off his brother’s dresser when he was little? Did he steal a paperclip from a teacher’s desk growing up? Graduate to taking classmates’ lunch money? It had to start somewhere!

You aren’t born with integrity. Sure we’re innocent enough when we are little. Integrity, trustworthiness, and loyalty are qualities you build upon your entire life. They’re like bank accounts. Every time you keep your word, and do the right thing you make a deposit. When you lie and cheat, well… you make withdraws from your authenticity and you put yourself at risk to become potentially bankrupt in authenticity. Work at being authentic.

Leaders don’t just look the part; they live it. 

Kelly Croy is a professional speaker and speed artist.

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation

with his art and words. 

 Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.KellyCroy.com

1-800-831-4825

 

 

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Why You Must Build a Leadership Factory

Leadership Factory

The journey toward wisdom is an essential quality of leadership, and a big part of acquiring wisdom is surrounding yourself with quality people each and every day. Some of you may have a choice in who will be part of your team or inner circle, so make your decisions carefully. Others will not have a choice of whom they will work closely with and lead. Regardless, wisdom is gained by not only making good choices, but nurturing everyone you work with into becoming world-class leaders. Grow the realm of your wisdom and invest in cultivating leadership. Create a leadership factory within your organization and produce leaders.

Help others become leaders by giving them leadership roles or responsibilities. Let them know they are leading and give them a framework to work within.   Tell them, “You will be

 leading our organization on this area.  I know you can do it. I want to give you plenty of freedom on this, but I do need a report or update on where you are at at close of each day and we certainly want to have this project completed by this date.” I know so many micromanagers that need to control too much of the organization that they never give anyone the opportunity to lead, to fail, to grow. Then they wonder why they have no leadership. You have to grow leaders and nurture them.

Offer those around you mentors to help them become better leaders, and by all means be an excellent and available role model yourself. Surround them with books, audio recordings, video, and other resources to help them become leaders. Make all of these resources easily available.  Send them to conferences, invite speakers, leave them notes of encouragement and helpful tips to follow. I have spoken at many workshops and provided leadership training and the comments are always the same, “I wish we would have done this sooner.” Leadership is something you have to manufacture. Start your leadership factory today.

Invite those you lead to reflect on leadership by writing an article for the newsletter or blog. Consider asking the promising leader to organize and lead a presentation on something they are all doing well. Ask their opinion about leadership topics and books they are reading on the topic. Engaging in this dialogue will highlight the importance of the qualities you want.

By all means, recognize those who lead. This will encourage everyone. Make leadership important and something that is identified and recognized. When recognition is implemented correctly it can increase retention, decrease absence, raise production, improve quality, change attitudes, and in general create a momentum of success and positive energy.

What ideas do you have about building a leadership factory within your organization? How will you prepare, train, equip, and acknowledge leaders? How will you design and build your leadership factory?

Leave your ideas in the comments below.

Kelly Croy is a professional speaker and artist.

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation

with his art and words. 

Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.KellyCroy.com

1-800-831-4825

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Before Booking Your Next Speaker…

So you want to be a professional speaker

I share my art and words with dozens of organizations each year as a professional speaker.  I help meeting planners make their events, one everyone will remember. I have had the honor of working alongside some of the top event planners in the nation, as well as some big names in the speaking and entertainment industry. I know first hand how important it is to make a good decision when booking a speaker.

I believe there are some key areas to focus on, and important questions to ask when booking a speaker:

Presentation

  • Will the speaker customize the presentation? If so, to what degree, and how?
  • Is the speaker entertaining as well as informative?
  • How will the speaker’s presentation be unique from those we have had in the past?
  • Is the speaker appropriate for our audience?
  • Where in our program will the speaker be most effective? At the beginning? Before a meal?

Lasting Impact

  • Will the speaker’s words and presentation be remembered?
  • What will our audience take away after the presentation?
  • Does the speaker leave anything behind, or when he walks out the door, is that it?
  • Will the speaker be accessible before or after the presentation to the audience, and if so, to what degree?

Business Matters

  • Does the speaker or his office respond quickly to emails and calls?
  • Does the speaker’s fee fit within our organization’s budget?
  • Will the speaker offer any products to our audience?
  • Does the speaker have a press kit, contract, and other materials to help us in the decision making process?
  • What travel fees and other expenses will we need to cover?
  • What will our responsibility be after booking the speaker?
  • Can the speaker provide samples and testimonials?

These are questions to discuss with your speaker before booking him or her for your event. The process should be a discussion.  If the speaker or his staff is difficult to work with during this preliminary stage, then it is a good bet he isn’t right for your event.

I am proud of the presentations I have created and shared over the years, and my clients are happy to share their praise.

If you are considering me for your event, rest assured that:

  • my words, artwork, and computer animation will be customized for you!
  • my presentations are fun and inspiring for everyone in the room.
  • I will work with you to make your event one everyone will be talking about years later.
  • my assistant and I will respond to your inquires quickly and thoroughly.
  • I will leave behind a HUGE six foot by eight foot signed original piece of art, and customized art print for everyone!
  • you will enjoy working with me, and you will be provided with the materials needed to make an informed decision.

Here are just a few of the ways my presentations are used:

  • conference keynote presentations.
  • corporate leadership meetings.
  • award and recognition dinners.
  • annual meetings and banquets.
  • leadership events.
  • anywhere inspiration and entertainment are needed.

Kelly Croy is a professional speaker and artist.

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation

with his art and words. 

Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825

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Escaping the Gravitational Pull of Stress

Shuttle 752344

Escape velocity is described as the speed an object needs to be traveling in order break free of a planet’s gravitational force. On Earth, escape velocity is seven miles a second, or 25,000 miles an hour.  That’s fast. The good news is, that once an object reaches escape velocity it no longer requires further propulsion. If the object fails to reach this speed, consequently, it is pulled back.

For a long time the science community believed escape velocity was unobtainable. That nothing would ever leave Earth’s atmosphere. Now, you and I benefit from the thousands of man-made satellites orbiting our earth. They allow us to communicate, prepare for weather, direct our course and more.  Escape velocity achieved. Benefits obtained.

Right now you are sitting with a cold-blooded killer with a similar hold on you. Stress.

It’s real. It’s dangerous. It’s been identified as the number one killer of all Americans. At times, stress has a gravitational pull on our lives that is seemingly unescapable. Flares of panic. Pangs of anxiety. Stress drives some to madness, addiction, and others, sadly, even worse.

If you are having difficulty escaping your stress you are damaging both mind and body, your relationship, and your employment, but fortunately there is much we can do to obtain the ever-so-needed escape velocity over our stress and move forward with our lives.

The key to our overcoming the consequences of stress, however, is the identical solution of a rocket seeking to escape the planet’s strong gravitational pull.  Both require an incredible amount of explosive commitment to achieving the result. We are talking sheer brute force and power.  We can’t try; we must commit. We can dabble at it. We must go all in. Buckle-up buttercup, it’s time for liftoff.

Here are 12 stress-busting tips to help you achieve escape velocity:

1) Know in your heart and mind that “this too shall pass.” Faith and affirmation are your bodyguards.

2) Commit to some intense aerobic physical activity. Workout kids! Get the body moving.

3) Confide in a close friend or journal. Get it out of your system. Don’t bottle it up.

4) Prayer. Best anti-anxiety drug ever made. Find a private place to quiet yourself. Tell the Big Guy what’s on your mind. Then listen.

5) Laugh. It’s time for some ‘Three Stooges’ or some great comedy. Laughter is awesome medicine.

6) Face your fear. Go ahead and describe the worse-case scenario. Look your enemy in the eye. It will instantly shrink before your eyes.

7) To the War Room! Start developing a plan of attack if your worse fears were to come true. You will find comfort.  You’ll also find that there is always a solution. When one door closes, another opens.

8) Fellowship. Surround yourself with family, activities, and others. You need your tribe. Your tribe needs you.

9) Get away! Ever notice your problems shrink as you drive out of town? Put some miles between you and the location of your worry. (You will have to come back. Hawaii is not an option.)

10) Music. I have my stress-busting playlist ready.  How about you?

11) Comparison. You have stress. So does everyone.  Pick up a newspaper or go to CNN. Seeing the problems of the world tends to shrink our own. Can’t find anyone with a bigger problem? Turn to the obituaries. Oh, and count your blessings.

12) The Size of the Hero Depends on The Size of the Problem. Wanna be a hero? Conquer BIG problems. No one ever got a medal for tying their shoe.

In order to reach escape velocity you’ll need to apply all of these with passion and intensity. Doing one of them won’t work.

Hoping to see you in a stress free orbit soon.

Kelly Croy is a chalk artist and keynote speaker.

He has entertained and amazed audiences across the nation

including corporations, schools, churches, conferences,

and anywhere people come together to be entertained and inspired.

Please consider booking Kelly for your next event.

www.kellycroy.com

1-800-831-4825