Thanks to those who joined us for our Ask the Expert conversation with Dan Pontefract as we dove into his latest (and in my opinion, greatest) book, Lead. Care. Win.: How to Become a Leader Who Matters. You can watch the talk here. As always, Dan brought his trademark wit and wisdom to the conversation as well as his generosity. Here are my top 3 takeaways from our conversation:
1) Authenticity is a Journey
What I loved about my conversation with Dan was hearing his own continued journey into self-insight and finding his voice in his post-corporate life. With this fourth book, Dan shared that he was able to pull away from the “corporate speak” of his earlier books and find out who he wanted to be as an author. It made me think that “authenticity” has many evolving layers and that, if we’re open to it, we can continually grow into who we are and deepen our impact.
2) Love Not Fear
Much of what we know about leadership in our organizations today is based on the military model of command and control. Love, trust and vulnerability are not words that get bandied around with high degrees of comfort in the majority of organizations. And yet, it is caring — not scaring — that will bring us into the future of workplaces. When I asked Dan if there was one thing he didn’t write about in the book that he wished he had, he shared that it was on the topic of “courage.” As I reflected on my conversation with Dan, I thought of how much we need courageous leaders to really bring us to the next evolution in our organizations. Dan’s got a book in the works. Can’t wait.
3) Stay Curious and Be Generous
Dan is one of those guys who’s always into something new. Whether that’s beta testing a new Zoom background or interviewing people he respects to gain a new view of a situation, Dan leveraged his curiosity during the early days of the pandemic to support colleagues whose keynote speaking businesses had evaporated. By listening to the challenges, he saw an opportunity to help others (enter “be generous”). He organized an online speaker showcase that not only profiled great speakers but also raised money for charity. It’s easy in difficult times to move into self-preservation mode. Dan reminded me of how important it is to stay connected to community and that, when things are bleak, we gain the most by reaching out and helping others. In the months ahead, this is going to be as important now as it was back in the early stages of the pandemic.
You can buy Dan’s book here and, if you send a proof-of-purchase screenshot to leadcarewin@danpontefract.com Dan will enrol you in one course of your choosing from the program’s nine lessons.
See you next time for Ask the Expert on December 8th when I’ll be joined by Dr. Vince Molinaro, New York Times best-selling author and incredibly generous thought leader. We’ll be diving into his latest book, Accountable Leaders. Look forward to having you join me there.
Thanks again for joining us and be sure to reach out if we can:
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