Category: Blog

One of the key pieces of advice I give to professionals is to “go where you are celebrated, not just tolerated.”

[bctt tweet=”Go where you are celebrated, not just tolerated.” username=”jonsrennie”]

This advice came from my good friend, Coach John Brubaker who wrote the foreword to my first book. It means that instead of staying in a job or organization where you feel undervalued or unappreciated, you should actively seek out opportunities where your unique skills and talents are recognized and valued.

When you are celebrated in your work, you are more likely to feel fulfilled and motivated in your job, which can lead to greater productivity, creativity, and job satisfaction. Additionally, when you feel valued in your work, you are more likely to stay with a company for the long-term, which can lead to greater career advancement and stability.

However, it is important to note that this does not mean that you should be constantly looking for the next best thing or jumping from job to job. Rather, it means that you should be mindful of your current situation and actively seek out opportunities where you can feel fulfilled and valued in your work.

One way to do this is to take a step back and assess your current job and organization. 

• Are you being given opportunities to grow and develop your skills? 
• Are your contributions and ideas being recognized and valued? 
• Are you being compensated fairly for your work? 

If the answer to these questions is no, then it may be time to start looking for new opportunities.

Another way to find a place where you are celebrated is to focus on your strengths and passions. Think about what you are naturally good at and what you truly enjoy doing. Identify the type of work that aligns with your strengths and passions and seek out opportunities in those areas.

It’s also important to remember that being celebrated doesn’t mean that everything is going to be perfect all the time. Sometimes you will have to deal with difficult challenges and people, but if overall you feel like you have a chance to grow, be recognized, and achieve success, that’s a great sign that you are in a place where you are celebrated.

In summary, “go where you are celebrated, not just tolerated” is all about finding work that aligns with your strengths, passions, and values, and in an environment that recognizes, values, and rewards your contributions.

Remember that you deserve to work somewhere where you are truly valued, respected and celebrated, not just an average employee.

 

—————————

If you want to become a better leader, order my latest book You Have the Watch: A Guided Journal to Become a Leader Worth Following.

This guided journal provides daily leadership guidance and reflection for an entire year. Each week, you will learn a new leadership skill. Each day, you will explore a new facet of that skill. As you do the work and put in the reps as a leader, this journal will be your constant companion. By the end of the year, you will master fifty of the most important leadership skills.

 

 

Leadership is a People Business.

That’s the philosophy of the Deep Leadership Podcast, where I bring you real-world, actionable advice from me and my expert guests. In each episode, we explore a different aspect of leadership and how it pertains to your business. We talk about what works and what doesn’t work, so you can learn from our successes and mistakes.

You won’t have to wade through theory lectures or complicated jargon—just listen in as we share our experiences and then try out some new ideas for yourself!

It’s been an exciting year for the Deep Leadership Podcast, and I’m excited to share my 10 most popular podcast episodes of 2022 with you. Take a moment to check out these episodes and see if you can find one or two treasures to put to good use and move one step closer to becoming a Leader Worth Following.

10. Episode #141: Giving Back as a Leader with David Nordel

In this episode, David and I talked about how leaders can use their position to make a positive impact on the world. We talked about the idea of “giving back” and why it’s so important for leaders to do so—and how they can do so in ways that align with their values, inspire others, and improve their business.
Listen Here

09. Episode #0111: Leading in the Great Resignation with Bill Berman

In this episode, Bill discussed talent management and employee retention. These are now critically important subjects given what’s happening with the Great Resignation.
Listen Here

08. Episode #0107: Promotions are so Yesterday with Julie Winkle Giulioni

In this episode, Julie gave us alternatives to promotions that will help employees thrive AND, unlike promotions, are completely within a manager’s and employee’s control.
Listen Here

07. Episode #0112:  Leading with Grit with Jerry Adams

In this episode, Jerry, the founder of Men Of Grit, talked about how grit and perseverance can help us all become better leaders.
Listen Here

06. Episode #0126: Becoming Fireproof with David Hollenbach

In this episode, David and I talked about overcoming one’s limiting beliefs and achieving one’s life’s goals even after a failure.
Listen Here

05. Episode #0105: Influential Words with Rob Ashton

In this episode, Rob, a writer, entrepreneur, and former scientist discussed the importance of the written word in leadership.
Listen Here

04. Episode #0103: Called to Serve with Marjorie K. Eastman

Our guest in this episode is Marjorie Eastman. She served in the U.S. Army from 2002 to 2012. Marjorie and I met when she and I were active in the military entrepreneur community here in Raleigh. I’ve always enjoyed her approach to service and leadership.
Listen Here

03. Episode #0100: Leadership for Everyday Life with John VanDusen

In this episode, John shared his experiences from the classroom, the locker room, and the battlefield and shapes them into leadership lessons that can be used in every part of your life.
Listen Here

02. Episode #0102: Simple Truths of Leadership with Ken Blanchard & Randy Conley

In this episode, I’m honored to have Ken Blanchard and Randy Conley. They talked about their new book, Simple Truths of Leadership: 52 Ways to Be a Servant Leader and Build Trust.
Listen Here

01: Episode #0101: Lead like a Submarine Captain with Ryan Ramsey

Ryan is the former Captain of the Royal Navy submarine HMS TURBULENT. If you want to know how to lead like you are all in the same boat, this is your episode.
Listen Here

I hope you enjoyed this list of the top 10 episodes of 2022! Let me know what you think in the comments, and we’ll be sure to share some exciting things for 2023 in the coming months.

You can find Deep Leadership Podcast on YouTube, iTunes, Spotify, iHeart Radio and Google Podcast. You can subscribe to the show in any of those places.

 

—————————

If you want to become a better leader, order my latest book You Have the Watch: A Guided Journal to Become a Leader Worth Following.

This guided journal provides daily leadership guidance and reflection for an entire year. Each week, you will learn a new leadership skill. Each day, you will explore a new facet of that skill. As you do the work and put in the reps as a leader, this journal will be your constant companion. By the end of the year, you will master fifty of the most important leadership skills.

 

 

 

After serving seven patrols as a young Naval Officer on the nuclear submarine, USS Tennessee, I can tell you that being deployed over Christmas and New Year’s Eve was not a lot of fun. It was tough to be away from the things that brought me comfort: my home, my friends, my family, my favorite foods, and the holiday traditions I love.

My time in the Navy was spent outside my comfort zone.

It was the nature of the job. Months away from home, days without sleep, cramped quarters, tough technical issues—these were just part of my daily routine.

But here’s the thing: I wouldn’t trade those years for anything. In fact, the experience I gained in those tough times made me the leader I am today. The reason? 

[bctt tweet=”Getting outside your comfort zone is the best way to grow as a leader.” username=”jonsrennie”]

“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” ― William G.T. Shedd

I think the quote from William Shedd should be rewritten to say,

“A leader is safe in his comfort zone, but that’s not what leaders are for.”

As we approach the time of year when we start to think about goals and resolutions for 2023, we should challenge ourselves to think about how we can depart our comfort zone in the new year.

Here are 3 simple steps to plan your escape from your comfort zone:

 

1. Define your comfort zone.
   

   Based on your time usage in 2022, what is your comfort zone? Which employees or departments do you spend the most time with? Who do you go to lunch with regularly? Which customers or vendors do you visit the most? What strategies did you deploy most often? Which peers do you interact with most often? What technologies did you study the most? What management blogs or websites did you visit most often? What meetings do you regularly attend?

2. Define where you are uncomfortable.
   

   Evaluate the areas where you feel you have the most to learn or that you are least familiar with. Which departments or employees are you less familiar with? Who are your toughest customers or vendors that you may have been avoiding? What are the big strategies you have been uncomfortable implementing? What technologies or industry trends are you the least familiar with? What’s happening in your business that scares you the most as a leader?
   

3. Develop a plan to spend more time outside your comfort zone in 2022

   Spending time in unfamiliar situations is a valuable way to grow, learn and expand your worldview. To make this shift, write down what you are going to do differently. List the activities that you will consciously spend less time on in the new year and list the areas where you will spend more time outside of your comfort zone. Make this combined list a part of your goals and resolutions for 2022.

Get out of your comfort zone!

I know, I know—it sounds scary. And it can be. But getting outside your comfort zone is one of the best ways to grow as a leader and experience new things.

You’ll learn how to handle new challenges, develop faster, and be more confident in who you are and what you’re capable of. You’ll also get to do some really fun stuff and make some amazing memories with friends.

The best way to depart the comfort zone is by creating a plan and sticking to it. You might feel uncomfortable at first, but the personal and professional growth will be well worth the effort.

 

As a special gift to all my subscribers:

I’ll be sending a free PDF guidebook to your inbox that will help you get out of your comfort zone.
If you also want a copy, simply subscribe here and I’ll send you the PDF as well!