The Craig And Greg Show: The Leadership Lessons Of “Sage Advice”

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On this episode, we are celebrating Greg! His new book Sage Advice has just been released, and everyone at Maximize Leadership is incredibly excited for you to be able to finally get your hands on the finished product. In this episode, Greg and I discuss the new book, and talk about how each chapter pairs a story from Greg’s childhood with a helpful leadership lesson.

  • [0:50] I encouraged Greg to write this book. 
  • [1:49] Each chapter combines a story from Greg’s life, a helpful leadership lesson, and an interview with a modern-day leader.
  • [3:50] How did Greg find the leadership lessons?
  • [6:00] A chapter that I especially relate to has to do with toilets! (It is another reminder of Plungerman!)
  • [9:06] What if you don’t have parents and grandparents that could give you sage advice? Where would you go to get wisdom?
  • [11:37] There are more people out there that want to invest in both emerging and seasoned leaders than most people think.
  • [13:58] We can really trust mentors who have a “limp.”
  • [15:27] Every chapter in Sage Advice is a stand-alone leadership lesson.
  • [16:08] I share my favorite chapter in this book.
  • [17:09] Greg shares a great tip for all leaders who are readers.
  • [18:02] What does a girl in a red bikini have to do with leadership?
  • [20:10] You can get an autographed copy of Sage Advice here

Check out my totally(!) unbiased book review of Sage Advice here.

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

The Craig And Greg Show: Reframe Your Fear

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Fear is something every leader struggles with, but great leaders learn to reframe that fear into an opportunity to grow. Join Greg and me as we discuss overcoming fear, reframing fear, and helping your team to do the same.

  • [0:23] Good leaders learn how to frame their fear in a different way.
  • [1:09] Greg and I talk about our biggest fears.
  • [2:21] I share about having to overcome fears about making a decision.
  • [3:38] Most of fear is rooted in past experiences, but reframing as a learning experience can help you grow.
  • [6:17] Attempting to use fear as a motivation tool will backfire and restrict your team’s potential.
  • [7:23] Reducing the fears of your team begins with leading from a place of transparent humility.
  • [9:20] Self talk is important in your battle over fear. Lead by example and show your team how to reframe their mentality. 
  • [11:55] Pride is a big stumbling block for leaders, don’t be afraid to include others in the decision making process.
  • [13:50] The top fears that paralyze leaders.
  • [19:55] Good leaders game-plan for future conflict, so when it comes their team is ready.
  • [20:34] Give your team opportunities to battle their fears and grow from them.
  • [22:51] Greg shares a quote from Henry Ford.
  • [24:11] I share a Little League story.
  • [25:03] Greg and I would love to come alongside and help coach you!

Check out this episode and subscribe on YouTube so you can watch all of the upcoming episodes. You can also listen to our podcast on Spotify and Apple.

Interviewing The Author Of “Sage Advice” (part 1)

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I am thrilled to introduce Greg Heeres to you! He’s not only a great friend and my podcast partner on The Craig And Greg Show, but he is also a published author. We chatted recently about why he wrote “Sage Advice” and how it can benefit every reader. 

Check out this episode of The Podcast.

Resources:

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The Power Of Using Names

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It is important for leaders to use the right words to encourage their teammates. The most memorable, motivating, and beautiful word a leader can use is their teammates’ names. 

You can check out this full conversation Greg and I had about taking people up with our words on this episode of The Craig And Greg Show.

And I would also invite you to check out this blog post and this blog post about significant name changes recorded in the Bible.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Links & Quotes

One of the things that contributes to “quiet quitting” is a lack of passion. But when the leader has conveyed a compelling vision for all that the organization is doing, that vision fuels the passion to work excellently. Vision can change a “have to” attitude into a “get to” attitude. Check out the full conversation Greg and I had about quiet quitting on the Craig And Greg Show. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.

“One important key to success is self-confidence. An important key to self-confidence is preparation.” —Arthur Ashe

“Strange as it may seem, the first rule of gracious speech is sincere listening: ‘So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath’ (James 1:19). Being an attentive and sincere listener is like cutting a swath through the jungle. It creates a path along which conversations can develop and people can journey together.” —T.M. Moore

J. Warner Wallace discusses how scientists who were Christians used their biblical worldview to drive their scientific pursuits. As a result, Christian scientists have been awarded more Nobel Prizes than any other group of scientific contributors!

“The devil will not stand by quietly and watch his realm decline and erode. He counterattacks with rage; his onslaught is fierce. One of the tricks he uses is to preoccupy Christian workers with issues that are detrimental to a healthy relationship with Christ. The scenario is all too familiar: a Christian worker gets busy in the ministry and work takes priority over relationship with God. He no longer has the time to sit at Jesus’ feet in quiet solitude and listen to God’s Word. Spiritual emptiness comes unnoticed and with it vulnerability to satan’s sifting (Luke 22:31-34); dishonest handling of monies or power or an illicit relationship is justified, and whoa! immorality has lured and sent such a Christian worker tumbling. He commits what he has preached against. Sin is dangerous. Sin is destructive. Its price is very costly—separation from God, irreversible stigma, damage to family relations, loss of ministry, loss of reputation, a black mark on God’s work, and the list goes on.” —Sobhi Malek

Our Creator gave us an amazing gift of the human brain! I love the fascinating new discoveries that scientists are continuing to make. Like this one: “To be spatially capable creatures, humans need their brains to tell them 1) where things are in relation to themselves and 2) where everything is in relation to everything else—the so-called allocentric map of space. To navigate an environment, the brain seems to generate a mental representation of its surroundings. This is often called a cognitive map.” Read more about our cognitive map here.

I hope you have had a chance to see the movie “Sound of Freedom.” Thankfully, this has gotten a lot of people talking about how to eliminate sex trafficking. Fight The New Drug has an excellent post on how you can spot and report human trafficking, and you should also check out Operation Underground Railroad, which was founded by Tim Ballard (whom Jim Caviezel portrays in the movie).

“It will be a comfort to me all my life to know that the scientist and the materialist have not the last word, that Darwin and Spencer, undermining ancestral beliefs, stand themselves on a foundation of sand.” —C.S. Lewis

The Craig And Greg Show: Word Up

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Words are incredibly powerful! With our tongues, we can elevate others to amazing heights, or tear them down completely. In this episode, Greg and I discuss how, as leaders, it is critical that we are mindful of our everyday words so that we ensure we are taking our team in the right direction.

  • [0:20] Sometimes leaders can forget how powerful their words can be. 
  • [1:00] Words need to be used strategically and carefully.
  • [2:05] “Words of affirmation” is one of the love languages, but everyone needs to hear words that affirm and encourage them.
  • [3:40] Some of the most meaningful words are our apologies and requests for forgiveness. When we do this well, it opens up the door for deeper communication.
  • [6:00] Leaders should be able to see a visible and immediate difference in their teammates when they are speaking the correct words to them. If not, we need to quickly adjust our words.
  • [6:50] People don’t care how much their leader knows (or says) until they know how much their leader cares about them.
  • [8:25] Negative words can sour relationships.
  • [9:08] Leaders need to pay close attention to what words work best with each teammate.
  • [10:15] What is the difference between efficient communication and effective communication?
  • [12:40] We share some insights from two noteworthy books: Leadership Jazz by Max DePree and Ten Powerful Phrases for Positive People by Rich DeVos.
  • [15:00] One of the most beautiful words anyone will ever hear a leader speak is their teammate’s name.
  • [19:02] Handwritten notes go the extra mile, but we need to slow down to think about who needs to hear an affirming word from us.
  • [21:20] Greg shares a memorable quote about the long-term results of our words.
  • [22:07] A good coach can give you more impactful insights than someone close to you.

Books referenced in this episode:

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Sage Advice (book review)

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I have to be honest with you right up front: It’s nearly impossible for me to be unbiased in this book review. Sage Advice is written by my longtime friend and podcast partner Greg Heeres, and I couldn’t be any more proud of him! 

In the 30+ years that I have known Greg, he has become one of my closest confidants. Next to my wife, Greg probably knows more about me than anyone else, and the same can be said for how well I know him. Several years ago, during one of our many heart-storming sessions, he shared a story about something his grandma said to him. 

“I love that story,” I told him. “If you’ve got more like that, you should write them down.” 

Thankfully, he did! 

In fact, he wrote down twenty memorable stories from his grandparents and parents. Each story is intertwined with a practical leadership lesson for all of us. The subtitle of the book is: Listen to wisdom or learn the hard way. 

Whether you had parents and grandparents that invested in your life or not, all of us can learn sound wisdom from our elders—from those who have “been there, done that” and care about us enough to share their hard-won wisdom. 

Each chapter not only contains the sage advice from Greg’s elders and his leadership lessons that we can all apply, but he also shares interviews with other leaders who have learned the same lesson that each chapter is presenting. 

Sage Advice is a delightful read. You will enjoy Greg’s storytelling so much that you may not even realize the leadership lessons that are seeping into your mind. You can pick up a copy of Sage Advice by clicking here.

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Leaders Serve By Empathizing

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The gauge of a leader’s level of servant leadership is measured by how that leader interacts with their most difficult teammate. Check out this full conversation from The Craig And Greg Show here.

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Help People Be A Thermostat

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Thermometers are passive, they cannot change a thing. But thermostats can respond to the environment to make change happen. Good coaches help their people learn how to respond. Check out this full conversation from The Craig And Greg Show here.

►► Would you please prayerfully consider supporting this ministry? My Patreon supporters get behind-the-scenes access to exclusive materials. ◀︎◀︎

Links & Quotes

Some of our best lessons are learned in difficult places, so let’s not be too quick to rush in and soften the blow for someone who has taken a tumble. Check out the full conversation I had with my podcast partner Greg. And be sure to check out all of my videos on my YouTube channel.

“A champion is one who gets up when he can’t.” —Jack Dempsey

Once again, archeological finds in Israel confirm the historicity of the biblical accounts of the kings of Judah and Israel. John Stonestreet shares some of the most recent finds. Jewish archeologist Nelson Gluek states, “It may be stated categorically that no archaeological discovery has ever controverted a biblical reference.”

“The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more.” —Jonas Salk

Scott Hubbard writes, “Stepping into leadership means stepping into mistakes, regrets, and many small but stinging failures. And surviving in leadership, I am learning, means stepping upward on those mistakes—owning them, learning from them, and having the stability in Christ to keep leading after them.” Read more about how leaders can fail well.

J. Warner Wallace addresses the claim that all religions are true or are essentially the same.

“The Scriptures represent the Holy Spirit, not only as moving, and occasionally influencing, the saints, but as dwelling in them as His temple, His proper abode, and everlasting dwelling-place. And He is represented as being there so united to the faculties of the soul, that He becomes there a principle or spring of a new nature and life.” —Jonathan Edwards