Lead To Win With Michael Hyatt

Leaders all want to achieve. But sometimes it feels like you’re your own worst enemy. Either you’re too perfectionistic, or too much of a people pleaser, or so much of a conflict avoider that you have trouble getting things done. It’s frustrating and discouraging to fall into the same old traps over and over. There’s a better way. We’ve got expert advice on a proven, helpful system for understanding your unique stressors and motivations, and those of the people around you. When you understand yourself, you’ll finally start working with yourself instead of against yourself. You’ll escape that nagging regret of falling prey to your own foibles, and your productivity will skyrocket. In this double episode (listen to Part 2 here) we’re joined by Ian Morgan Cron, author of The Road Back to You and an expert on the Enneagram. Ian shares valuable insights on the essential characteristics of each type. He also shares how they influence productivity both positively and negatively. Best of all, we’ll hear important

To scale yourself, you need to delegate your work to others. But delegating tasks isn’t as easy as it sounds. No matter how hard you try, the results often don’t meet your expectation. It’s frustrating, and it feels like a waste of time. Good news: Delegation is a skill, and you can learn to do it well. Having risen through the ranks in a number of businesses, we’ve learned the secret to delegating like a pro. By communicating four key pieces of information, you’ll get a stellar result every time. You’ll avoid having to re-do tasks. And you’ll gain tons of time to spend on your high-leverage projects. Are you ready to delegate like a pro? Grab a copy of our 5 Levels of Delegation Cheat Sheet and you’ll have all the information you need, right at your fingertips. You can do this! Be the Friend You’d Like to Have We’re betting you have a friend or two who could really benefit from all this great advice on delegation. Drop a link to this episode in your favorite social channel and tag your delegation-challen

“Sure, I’d love to have an executive assistant. But I can’t afford one!” You’ve probably said that before. Or maybe you don’t know where to find one. Or you’ve had a bad experience with an assistant and are reluctant to try again. In the meantime, you’re stuck in multitask-mode, essentially doing the job of two people. There’s got to be an easier way to find and hire an executive assistant, doesn’t there? Yes, there is! We’ve got some simple steps for hiring and onboarding the world-class helper you need. Our own HR manager, Daneille Rogers, joins us on the podcast to empower you to make the most important hire of your career. When we’re through you’ll have the confidence to take your first step toward ending the overwhelm and getting the help you need. Here’s a preview of this episode: Why you’re not done with a hire when you sign the contract. Three strategy choices to make before you hire. Pros and cons of hiring a full-time employee. Why a contract assistant often makes the most sense. When a remo

Every leader needs an assistant to manage low-leverage tasks so they can focus on driving results. A world-class assistant can easily remove 15 or 20 hours’ work from your plate. But it’s not always as easy as it sounds. Many executives aren’t used to the daily rhythm of working with a right-hand person. Others have tried hiring an EA before and had bad experiences. You may wonder if really need an assistant—or feel unsure about how to leverage one fully. Here’s help! If you’re dithering about hiring an EA—or if you have an assistant but don’t feel like you’re getting full value—this episode is for you. My ace executive assistant, Jim Kelly, joins the podcast to talk about how he takes a ton of work off my plate so I can concentrate on growing my business. Honestly, I don’t know how I ever did this without him. By the time we’re through, you’ll be dying to get the help you know you need. And? You’ll have the confidence to begin delegating effectively, right from the start. Here’s what’s inside this ep

Leaders are problem solvers, and that means coming up with the right answers. The problem is that you may have no one to go to with our own inquiries. It’s tough to be the one everybody’s looking to for solutions when you’ve got more questions than answers! The longer we’re in leadership, the more we’re convinced that asking the right questions is far more important than always having an answer in your hip pocket.That’s why we take time out once in awhile to let you ask the questions that are on your mind. That’s what this episode is about. Think of it as a whiteboard session. We’ll tackle some of your most persistent questions and offer the benefit of our experience.Here’s what’s inside this episode:Andy Comer asks how to create meaningful relationship goals in the SMARTER™ format.Jordan Brittley wants to know how to keep track of revenue goals—without becoming a slave to them.Sprout Marketing asks how to maintain a personal connection with employees as your business scales.Tom Tonkin poses a question about

Leaders thrive on getting things done. The problem is that there’s more to be done than any one person can accomplish. That can leave you feeling overwhelmed, even paralyzed. Ever found yourself procrastinating because you couldn’t decide what to do next? There’s a better way. We’ve got a simple plan for any time you feel overwhelmed at work. These four action steps will help you regain your margin and be more productive than ever. If you find yourself feeling dread rather than excitement when you think about work, it’s time for a change. Try it and see! This episode of Lead to Win is brought to you by the new Classic, Executive, and Bold Full Focus Planners. Find out more at leadto.win/planner. *** Here’s what we talk about inside this episode— What’s really making you feel overwhelmed. The real secret to ending overwhelm. How to regain a sense of control in your life. A simple technique for culling your to-do list. How your favorite productivity tool might be contributing to your overwhelm. How to

Leaders like to plan their work and work their plan. The problem is that real-life gets in the way. Interruptions, distractions, and unforeseen problems can make a trainwreck of your week even before it leaves the station. By Friday, you can feel exhausted, overwhelmed, and wonder, “What did I really accomplish?” There’s got to be a better way to plan your week. Well, there is! And we can teach it to you. We’ve seen our share of Monday to Friday chaos, and we’ve developed a simple system that lets you take control of your week and ensure that you stay focused. Try these next-level strategies, and you’ll finally escape the sickening feeling of never getting anything done. You’re going to start loving Mondays again! Don’t miss out on the free download that goes along with this episode, the Perfect Progress Checklist. It’s a simple tool to tuck inside your Full Focus Planner to kick your weekly planning into high gear. Get yours now. Your Friends Need This We’ll bet you have at least one friend who really ne

We're happy to announce our new Michael Hyatt & Co. podcast: Focus on This! It's the most productive podcast on the internet. If you want to achieve your big goals and return toyour most important priorities, focus is the key. Building off of the successful framework of the Full Focus Planner, hosts Courtney Baker and Blake Stratton will providepractical solutions to guide you back to focus. Subscribe now and listen to two brand new episodes of Focus on This. Apple Podcasts: https://focusonthispodcast.com/subscribe-apple Google Podcasts: https://focusonthispodcast.com/subscribe-google Spotify: https://focusonthispodcast.com/subscribe-spotify Stitcher: https://focusonthispodcast.com/subscribe-stitcher Also, don't worry! A brand new episode of Lead to Win will be available tomorrow (9/9).See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As a high-performing leader, we know you love using productivity products like the Full Focus Planner. But any new system can seem overwhelming at first. Honestly, our planner can seem that way at first. With so many features built in, it’s hard to know where to start. You may wonder if you’re actually getting the full value from this amazing product. Not to worry. We’ll give you the inside track on setting up your new planner so you can start using it right away. Here’s the main thing: don’t try to use every feature at once. You don’t have to master the entire Full Focus™ system to get a huge productivity boost from the planner. Follow the nine simple steps in this episode, and you’ll be more productive starting today. It’s really that easy to use. Once you’ve listened to this episode, go ahead and implement step one immediately. Take the other nine steps at your own pace. You’ll be amazed at the results. Also, if you want to introduce the planner to friends or team members, this episode is the perfect i

Leaders are driven to achieve. The problem is that our intense drive can backfire. We sometimes set unrealistic goals or timetables, which are impossible to meet. Not that we don’t kill ourselves trying!  When that happens, it’s easy to feel exhausted and discouraged. Why everybody else seem to make rapid progress? Is there a way to get unstuck?  There is, and it’s simpler than you might think. Our decades of business experience have taught us this simple principle for making steady progress: Consistency beats intensity, nearly every time. Rather than a big breakthrough, maybe all you need is a simple plan that will bring consistent results.  When you begin to think this way, you’ll see dramatic changes in your life and business. You’ll finally escape that feeling that you’re “getting nowhere.” And you’ll begin to see steady, consistent, gains in your business and personal life.  Your Next Step Once you’ve heard this episode, here’s your next step. Download the free Perfect Progress Checklist. Identify one da

Leaders create change. The problem is that not everybody wants change. You’ve probably faced the frustration of having your team be less than enthusiastic about a new initiative. That’s when you hear all the familiar lines: “We tried that before.” “It’ll cost too much.” “Why do we need this, anyway?” It’s exhausting. But there is hope! Here’s an easy way to get people onboard with a new initiative. It’s so simple, you’ll wonder you you haven’t thought of it before now. Here it is: When introducing any change, from procedures or policies up to and including new product releases, ask people to think of it as an experiment. Hold on! We know that sounds either simplistic or downright dangerous, but there’s a real logic behind it. And? It really works. We’ve used it dozens of times, both when we find ourselves procrastinating on personal change, and even when we launched one of our most successful products. Try this yourself, and you’ll instantly overcome resistance and gain buy-in for your change initiatives. You

Leaders are achievers. But nobody bats 1.000. We all experience failure eventually. That can be discouraging—even humiliating! That’s why most of us react in one of two ways. Either we globalize our failure by thinking we won’t ever succeed. Or we sweep the loss away quickly and forget it. But what if there was a better way to fail? Failure doesn’t have to be fatal, and it should never be ignored. We know because we’ve been there! Your failures can make you a better leader if you take the time to examine them non-defensively, learn some lessons, and then move on with confidence. Based on years of business experience, including our share of ups and downs, we’ve identified six specific actions you can take to get every bit of value you can from an experience—even failure. Here’s a preview of this episode: The most recent failure we experienced, and what we learned from it. The obvious—and difficult—first step in learning from failure. How ignoring your own failure undermines your confidence. How avoidin

Good leaders want to do the right thing. But sometimes we can be our own worst enemy. Have you ever made a really dumb choice that cost you a relationship or an opportunity? It’s so discouraging to realize you’ve made an avoidable mistake. It can even make you question your decision making ability. But you can recover. When we see people who seem to always make the best decision, it’s tempting to believe that they’re just smarter than we are, or maybe have a unique gift. Not true! Nobody is born wise. The good news is that wisdom is a trait you can acquire. Over a lifetime of practice (and the mistakes to go with it) we’ve distilled our learning into 3 habits that wise leaders consistently practice. Put these habits to work for you, and you’ll begin to see a huge difference. You’ll avoid the regret and disappointment that come with repeated failure. Your decision making will improve, you’ll make better choices, and you’ll become the respected leader you aspire to be. Once you’ve listened to this episo

What do you do when you have a customer you just can’t seem to satisfy? Or a team member who seems resistant to coaching? What about someone in a personal relationship who seems to suck the life out of you? Sometimes it seems like you’re investing all your energy in the wrong people. What can you do about it? Good leaders develop people. The problem is that not all employees or customers are created equal. Some can fail to develop despite hours of time and energy. It’s maddening to pour your resources into a person who provides no return on the investment. But there’s a better way. We’ve identified five steps to ensure that you’re not wasting resources on the wrong people. We can help you multiply your effectiveness by identifying and investing in the people who really want to grow and improve. Finally, you can escape from life-draining clients, customers, and relationships and discover the freedom to work with people who energize you. Does it sound callous to talk about ending unproductive relationshi

As a leader, you probably have a huge goal in mind. It’s the heartbeat of your ambition, the reason you get out of bed in the morning. Chances are good that you’ve thought about it long and hard, and you may even have a timetable and specific objectives for reaching it. The problem is that distractions, interruptions, and “business as usual” cause us to loose sight of our goals. Before long, another month, another quarter, maybe even another year has gone by with no progress. It’s disheartening. We know. We’ve been there. But there’s hope! Over the years, we’ve developed a killer strategy to ensure you keep making progress on your goals. And it works! In this episode, we’ll give you the simple system we call the 3x3 Goal Achievement Strategy. If you’re tired of watching your biggest goals slip through your fingers while you’re busy putting out brush fires, this episode is for you! Here’s the system that will give you laser focus on the things that matter most every day. Here’s what’s coming inside the episo

Leaders must motivate people. The problem is that everybody’s different, so what inspires one team member may demotivate another. It can be confusing to lead a diverse team.  But personality is not an unsolvable puzzle. And we’ve got three powerful tools to help you put it all together.  We’ve identified three personality assessments that give you a clear understanding of how your team members think, feel, and work. Use these in your business, and you’ll never wonder how to motivate your team again. You’ll gain an engaged, focused workforce that will bring their best energy to work.   Here’s a peek this episode: We reveal our own journey with using personality assessments. Why we use personality assessments in our business.  Why it’s more productive to focus on strengths than weaknesses.  How it affects a team member to be free to focus on strengths. We reveal our top five strengths.  How knowing a teammate’s strengths helps your working relationship.  A clear, concise description of the Enneagram. How knowi

Every leader is motivated by a compelling vision for the future. There’s something you want to achieve. You know where you’re headed. The problem is that it’s hard to keep that vision real for your team. They’re busy and easily distracted. Before long, another quarter has slipped by and you haven’t made real progress on the big outcome you’re after. How discouraging!  But there’s hope! We’ve got a compelling formula for communicating your vision to every single member of your team.  Based on decades of corporate experience, we’ve distilled vision casting into a series of four steps. Follow them, and you’ll see your team transformed. They’ll go from being mired in the busy work of Monday to Friday and become motivated partners in helping make your vision a reality. This really works! Shout-out! Here’s a shout-out to listeners BenJoeM2, who left this review of the podcast on iTunes: “Been listening since day one and have loved it! Really is great advice for any leader in work, home, or church." Thanks friend. W

Do you ever have enough hours in the day to do all you need to do? If we’re honest, most of us would say no. Work, family, friends, rest, exercise, reading, relationships—something’s got to give. For most of us, that something is self-care. The result? We give more and more to work and others, and less and less to ourselves. It’s a recipe for burnout. But you deserve more than life on a treadmill. And there’s no need for you to throttle back your dreams. You can have the double win: win at work and succeed at life! In this episode, you’ll hear the three key benefits of prioritizing self-care. And? We’ll give you tips for how to do that. This episode of Lead to Win is brought to you by The Focused Leader 1-Day Intensive. To focus your leadership, claim your ticket to our November 12 intensive before July 15, when our early-bird pricing expires. Find out more at leadto.win/intensive.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-inf

Here’s the situation: one of your most lucrative clients has admitted to unethical behavior and is entirely unwilling to change. Do you keep the account and tie your name to their misdealings? Or do you terminate the relationship and lose over a million dollars in sunk cost? What about this: your top salesman is accused of inappropriate behavior toward team members of the opposite sex. You believe the complaints, but the top-performer denies them. Do you fire the salesman and lose your “rainmaker”? Or do you tolerate the behavior regardless of the effect on morale? In this episode, we’ll give you five steps for dealing with a high-performing but bad-behaving employee. Those weren’t just case studies. They were real workplace dilemmas we’ve faced. You may have a tough personnel decision sitting on your desk right now. That produces a lot of stress and anxiety. You may feel like you’re forced to choose between your integrity and the future of your business. But you don’t have to. We believe you can run a highly

Has this ever happened to you? You get in the car and pull out of the driveway, just like you do every day. Then it dawns on you: “This is Saturday!” You’re halfway to the office when you realize you were headed to the store. Oops. It’s easy to drift along in the wrong direction. That happens in life. And it happens in business. That phenomenon is called the drift. Just like the current in a river, life has unseen forces that pull you along in a given direction. Lifestage, busyness, culture, obligations —all of that forms a draft that pulls you forward, whether you realize it or not. If you’re not careful, you can wake up to find that your business and personal life have drifted to a destination you never intended. We’ll show you how to avoid that by living your life with intention. We share three simple, powerful questions that will help you avoid the drift and navigate against the subtle forces of busyness and distraction. You can live your life on purpose if you pause long enough to answer these three prof