Questions engage people more than statements do. Check out the full conversation Greg and I had on The Craig And Greg Show. I have lots of new content every week, which you can check out on my YouTube channel.
“In America, we have a tendency to worship our work, work at our play, and play at our worship.” —Lenny Esposito
“Young people are told, ‘You’ve got plenty of time, live a little, first,’ as if life ends after the wedding. The truth about marriage, however, is that it is, statistically, the single best predictor of long-term happiness. Making this even more important to understand is that for at least the last 20 years now, Americans have been steadily getting less happy.” Here’s how John Stonestreet shares this report from the University of Chicago.
T.M. Moore shared an interesting component of early-colonial American lawmaking: “Peruse the civil codes of the American colonies and you will discover a curious phenomenon. Frequently, colonial legislators drafted their civil codes by looking to the Old Testament Law of God.”
Dr. Tim Clarey said, “The global Flood also answers why dinosaurs were still alive and flourishing until the end of the Cretaceous. At that moment in the Flood, they were likely trying to stay on the highest ground available as waters encroached closer, week by week. As the dry land rapidly disappeared, many species herded together. This explains why varied types of dinosaurs were buried together at the end of the Cretaceous. The Flood’s tsunami-like waves eventually crashed over the remaining dinosaurs and entombed them in what’s called Upper Cretaceous strata.” Check out more evidence for the Flood that is recorded in the Book of Genesis.
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Automatic habits are an integral part of our everyday lives. From driving a car to the way we tie our shoes, these habits help us all the time with very little thought. Of course, habits aren’t limited to these mundane tasks, we also form them in other areas, like our leadership. As a leader, it’s important to be self-reflective of our habits and make sure they are taking us in the direction we want to go. In this episode, Greg and I discuss how cultivating the right habits will help you flourish as a leader.
[0:19] Aristotle said excellence is a matter of our habits.
[1:27] Our habits are mostly automatic—both the good and the bad habits.
[3:10] How do we keep our habits healthy during chaotic times?
[5:54] What about coping habits—should a leader use them or avoid them?
[7:15] My most beneficial leadership habit.
[9:13] Time-wasters are habits too.
[10:37] When we make changes in our habits, they should be incremental changes.
[12:17] We need to know why we want to make the change in a habit. The “why” determines the “what” and the “how.”
[15:24] How do leaders sustain their healthy habits?
[16:33] How can leaders regain their list momentum of good habits?
[19:27] Leaders need to be aware of the pull of their unintentional habits.
[22:23] How do we get our habits to serve us?
[23:30] I share two vital habits all high-performing leaders need.
[24:56] Leaders need to develop “muscle memory” to keep their healthy habits serving them.
[26:27] Greg shares some important quotes about a leader’s habits.
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.
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If you said, “No,” are you sure? Sometimes micromanagement can come out of good intentions, or as we focus on a project, we as leaders can slide into it without even realizing it. In this episode, Greg and I discuss why micromanagement is bad for your leadership, how to identify if you’ve fallen into this trap, and, most importantly how to free yourself to soar into a place of macro-leadership.
[0:17] Greg and I break into song.
[0:38] Micromanagers stunt the growth of others in the organization.
[1:45] There is a difference between intense focus and micromanagement. How do we find those differences?
[3:44] A definitive quote about the destructive nature of micromanaging.
[6:05] Micromanagers create an unhealthy environment.
[6:47] The Craig And Greg Show audience is exceptionally intelligent!
[8:36] How do we know if we are unconsciously crossing the line into micromanagement?
[9:50] Micromanagement needs to give way to macro-leadership.
[11:16] Two more telltale phrases that micromanagers use.
[12:30] Greg helped a struggling leader break free from his micromanagement trap.
[14:07] The value of an “outsider’s” perspective can be huge!
[15:03] Greg shares some natural consequences for the entire organization of micromanagement.
[17:31] Characteristics of macro-leaders
[19:34] Greg shares two very sad stories of micromanagers who created problems in their company.
[21:50] Some final quotes to bring it home.
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.
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All of us can benefit from having someone wise speak into our lives. That is the message of Sage Advice. Here is part 2 of my interview with the author of Sage Advice. Greg Heeres is my friend of 30+ years and my podcast partner on The Craig And Greg Show.
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Periodically, Greg and I like to revisit the topic of leadership builders and killers. In this episode, you get two leadership killers, as we tackle the two-headed monster of ignorance and arrogance.
[0:25] The two-headed monster that kills leadership potential.
[2:06] We are accepting bribes for our silence 😂
[2:23] Why are leaders held back by their ignorance?
[4:34] What happens when the followers sense that the leader above them is ignorant?
[6:22] What about when the leader admits a need for help?
[7:47] The toxicity of arrogance.
[9:32] Coachability is fed by humility. This is the leader’s litmus test.
[12:01] Our transparent leadership lessons are immensely helpful to our teammates.
[15:24] Greg shares a quote about this two-headed monster.
[17:35] We each share our personal examples of overcoming this monster.
[19:50] Sadly, many people who need the most help won’t seek it for themselves.
[21:07] If leaders are going to kill this two-headed monster, they have to stop talking and start listening.
[22:00] Know-it-alls are hard to cheer for, so successful leaders will have to eat some crow.
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.
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On a recent episode of The Craig and Greg Show, Greg and I discussed the fears that can paralyze leaders. In this short clip, I talk about an acronym I learned years ago that has helped me tremendously in evaluating my fears.
Check out the full Craig And Greg Show episode on fear by clicking here.
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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.
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.
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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.
[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.
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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.
Craig T. Owens 