Podcast: Be A Noticer

June 1, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

When was the last time you noticed your team? Not just on a surface level like saying hello in the hallway, but really truly paying attention to what’s going on with your team. Noticing is easy to do, but it does require you to spend time doing it. It’s impossible to see what your team is doing locked inside your office, so get out there and notice!

  • [0:17] Kids on the playground demonstrate an important leadership attribute.
  • [1:43] Leaders sometimes get too engaged in their work—how do we keep this from happening?
  • [3:48] People are dying to be noticed!
  • [6:17] What happens when we do or don’t notice the uniqueness of our teammates?
  • [9:54] Leaders need to know the difference between windows and mirrors.
  • [13:25] How our teams reciprocate for their leaders who notice them.
  • [14:45] There are some huge and lasting benefits when leaders create a culture of curiosity.
  • [17:11] Greg challenges leaders to learn a leadership lesson from Jesus.
  • [19:20] We need to build noticing into our weekly schedules.
  • [21:07] One group that all of should notice and celebrate: Our veterans and the family members of fallen vets.

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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Podcast: Stop Doing Traditional Performance Reviews

May 18, 2023 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

Performance reviews are a great tool to help leaders measure and celebrate the growth of their team, but the standard model of quarterly and yearly reviews is a terrible way to go about it. In this episode, Greg and I suggest a different approach to reviews that relies on frequent coaching and giving your team “the answers to the test” to set them up to succeed.

  • [0:15] We all have “have to” and “get to” leadership tasks in our organization, but we think performance reviews never should be in the have to” category. 
  • [1:29] Performance review times are a great time to unleash potential in our teammates.
  • [2:44] Greg shares how his daughter’s school does this well and how an organization he worked with did this poorly.
  • [4:02] I teach leadership principles to a group of young men called “Guys With Ties,” and I always have them focus on future growth.
  • [5:22] Leaders can only do effective reviews by having regular interactions with their teammates.
  • [7:00] We suggest a better way to give out compliments and corrections.
  • [8:35] Three key elements in performance reviews: (1) honesty, (2) timeliness, (3) looking forward.
  • [10:54] How do we handle situations where the review doesn’t match the projected employee bonus?
  • [12:55] Many of our teammates have probably had a bad experience with a previous performance review, so we need to address that upfront.
  • [13:16] Accountability is a heavy word but it is a vital growth piece.
  • [15:23] What happens when leaders are tired?
  • [17:27] What does it say to our teammates if we’re always too busy to schedule a time for a performance review?
  • [21:13] The culture we need to foster in our organization is an “improvement culture.”

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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Podcast: Motivated Leadership

September 20, 2022 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

On this episode of “The Craig And Greg Show” we talk about: 

  • [0:48] What does the dictionary say about motivation? What do we say about motivation? 
  • [2:03] Motivation comes in “different packages”
  • [3:48] How can we individualize motivation?
  • [5:53] How does coachability mesh with motivation?
  • [7:20] Is 100% self-motivation possible?
  • [7:49] Greg’s story about a leader’s frustration with unmotivated people 
  • [9:44] Does yelling ever motivate people?
  • [12:52] A teammate’s love language can give you insight into how to motivate them.
  • [13:56] How do leaders “call out” what’s in our team members?
  • [16:01] A leader’s self-assessment is key to how well we motivate others.
  • [18:23] Are company-wide benefits demotivating? How can we switch this up?
  • [20:30] Does the carrot-or-stick method of motivation actually work?
  • [21:10] Greg shares a quote about how dreams can help motivation.
  • [22:51] Great leaders don’t assume, but they ask important questions.
  • [23:53] Our coaching huddles can help you individualize your leadership motivational skills and practices.

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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Podcast: Leaders Need Friends

September 6, 2022 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

On this episode of “The Craig And Greg Show” we talk about: 

  • [0:31] Can a leader have friends at work?
  • [1:22] Can a leader mix work friendship and personal relationships?
  • [2:25] You can’t be friends with everyone.
  • [3:21] How many true friends can you maintain?
  • [4:47] Bringing someone into your confidence can be a challenge.
  • [6:01] Tell people their story, not someone else’s.
  • [7:45] Greg talks about getting naked with your team.
  • [8:58] I explain why you need a Paul and a Barnabas in your life.
  • [10:01] Leaders need play time to recharge and refresh.
  • [11:08] I make the case for “sabbathing” to be a verb in my book Shepherd Leadership.
  • [11:55] We discuss being intentional about how you spend your time.
  • [14:31] I describe the qualities I look for in a strong leadership friend.
  • [16:45] We discuss how a “yes man” isn’t a true friend.
  • [18:12] Leaders need to be careful not to end up on an island.
  • [21:52] How do you navigate friendships through organizational groups and silos?
  • [23:20] I shares a humorous note Greg left me to illustrate the friendship tradeoff.
  • [24:22] Greg says you need a trusted friend to help you monitor your energy level.
  • [25:30] I say it’s important to thank friends for paying attention to you.
  • [26:14] We use Jesus’ relationships with His disciples to model their own friendships.
  • [27:40] We would love to be your leadership friend in our coaching huddles.

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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Podcast: Responsibility Starts At The Top

August 24, 2022 — Craig T. Owens

Listen to the audio-only version of this podcast by clicking on the player below, or scroll down to watch the video.

On this episode of “The Craig And Greg Show” we talk about: 

  • [0:55] What’s one of the biggest attributes that sets leaders apart from their peers? 
  • [1:56] Check out why Stephen Covey’s definition of responsibility is so important in our discussion
  • [3:02] Why do people like to play “the blame game”?
  • [4:18] Accountability must be a partner with healthy responsibility
  • [4:52] Greg learned the blame game early on with his younger sister
  • [5:57] I worked in an unhealthy organization where the senior leader never accepted personal responsibility
  • [8:04] How do leaders “own it” in a healthy way?
  • [9:22] Exemplary leaders demonstrate how to accept consequences in a healthy way
  • [10:34] Responsibility and coachability strengthen a team and unleash greater potential
  • [11:27] Blame is “so dang easy” and makes the blamer a laughingstock
  • [13:27] What things contribute to blaming?
  • [14:14] How Greg handled the compliments and complaints from his clients
  • [15:11] Blaming is a spreading cancer in your organization
  • [15:44] Being a control freak isn’t the same thing as taking responsibility
  • [17:01] There is a balance for leaders so they don’t “fall on their swords”
  • [18:49] Team sports give us a good analogy of what shared responsibility looks like
  • [21:07] What’s on the other side of responsibility and blame?
  • [21:47] Leaders can enhance the benefits of responsibility through self-reflection
  • [23:51] Greg has a memorable and disarming way of helping people accept responsibility
  • [24:27] Our coaching huddles can help you learn to enhance the benefits of responsibility in your personal leadership

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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Podcast: Leaders Are Hope Dealers

October 12, 2021 — Craig T. Owens

On this episode of “The Craig And Greg Show” we talk about: 

  • [0:23] Greg makes a very personal investment in me—a special figurine to remind me, and all of us, about servant leadership. You can get more information on my book by clicking here. 
  • [2:18] Only servant leaders truly know how to breathe hope into the people around them.
  • [3:17] Greg describes how leaders can become hope dealers. 
  • [3:53] I paraphrase a proverb to help leaders see the immense value in dispensing hope. 
  • [5:59] Greg explains how leaders instill hope into themselves. 
  • [7:48] Hope-filled people are still realistic about the present difficulties they are facing. 
  • [8:59] Hope isn’t just about one-time vision casting—we talked about how leaders keep the message of hope consistent. 
  • [12:29] Leaders have to be around people in order to invest hope into them. 
  • [14:00] Greg notices how hope connects faith and love. 
  • [15:32] Greg gives leaders a challenge to grow as hope-fillers. 
  • [17:42] Leaders give their teammates hope for a better future. 

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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Podcast: Freedom Vs. Liberty

July 27, 2021 — Craig T. Owens

On this episode of “The Craig And Greg Show” we talk about: 

  • how does freedom differ from liberty [0:47]
  • I explain that we cannot have liberty without freedom, but we can have so much freedom that we can lose liberty [1:23] 
  • guardrails are extremely helpful for people to be succcessful [2:27]
  • liberty protects us from things that can be dangerous to a leader and his team [3:35]
  • how do controls and guardrails feel to a leader? how can leaders help their team with these feelings? [4:20]
  • why it is important to moderate our freedoms [6:00]
  • what is the difference between unity and conformity, and how do leaders promote the right thing [7:20]
  • we need to help independent people choose to be interdependent [8:27]
  • we unpack a quote Greg shares about trading doing what we want to do for doing what we ought to do [8:54]
  • we don’t want to be told what to do unless we understand why we need to do it—helping a team grasp this is how leaders get buy-in [10:23]
  • Greg shares a quote from Francis of Assisi about living out what we are talking about [12:00]

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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Podcast: Leaders And Patriotism

July 13, 2021 — Craig T. Owens

On this episode of “The Craig And Greg Show” we talk about: 

  • how does patriotism equate to leadership [0:45]
  • the difference between patriotism and nationalism both in our country and in your organization [1:35] 
  • Greg explains how leaders need to lead inside out [2:42]
  • I share one sure-fire way for leaders to evaluate potential new leaders, and how this relates to citizenship [3:27]
  • leaders can change the culture without having an office or a title [4:25]
  • the value of team building and how it relates to patriotism [5:10]
  • Chuck Colson said politics are downstream from culture, so what happens in your backyard will ultimately affect Washington, D.C. [5:45]
  • how my grandfather changed his business culture [6:43]
  • Greg explains how gratefulness and patriotism are directly related [8:13]
  • wherever you are, you can make a difference—your daily actions have a cumulative effect [12:43]

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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In Such Good Company (book review)

December 1, 2020 — Craig T. Owens

I grew up watching The Carol Burnett Show. The interaction between Carol, her special guests, and regular cast members Harvey Korman, Vicki Lawrence, Lyle Waggoner, and Tim Conway, were always enjoyable. In In Such Good Company, Carol takes us behind the scenes to tell us how the magic happened. 

What goes into such a successful show that won 25 Emmy Awards over its 11-year run? Is it good fortune? Lots of talented people? Hard work? The answer is quite simply: Yes. Of course, those of us enjoying the show week after week were unaware of the hard work and good fortune that was at play. And although we saw several talented actors, musicians, and dancers on stage each week, there were dozens of unseen, talented people that were just as crucial to the show’s success. 

I choose the audiobook version, and I’m glad I did. Carol read her own book, adding a personal touch that I would have otherwise missed by reading it myself. In addition, the audiobook also includes interviews with some of the key personnel that made the show what it was. 

Carol and her team loved what they were doing. They were talented people who continued to work extremely hard to hone their craft. All of us who watched the show were beneficiaries of these talented people. I loved going behind all of the lights and cameras to hear from Carol herself how this all came together. 

If you enjoyed watching The Carol Burnett Show, I’ll bet you will find yourself appreciating it even more after you hear/read Carol’s recollections. 

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Podcast: Winning Teams

October 17, 2020 — Craig T. Owens

On this episode of “The Craig And Greg Show” we talk about: 

  • Greg’s college football experiences  
  • how do teammates get along better?  
  • the 3 Ts that help make teams stronger and more effective  
  • how leaders can help teammates who make a mistake  
  • the strategic importance of “timeouts” 
  • the importance of a leader’s confident humility 
  • the attractiveness of a team’s enthusiasm  
  • an insightful quote from Rich DeVos 

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 iTunes. 

Get more information at Maximize Leadership.

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