LEADERSHIP LESSONS FROM SPRING 2024 SPEAKER BROADCASTS
Drive your personal growth and professional success with leadership advice from Super Bowl Champion and sports legend Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders, two-time Emmy® Award-winning journalist and author Tamron Hall, and Wharton School professor and internationally bestselling author Jonah Berger.
Let’s revisit some of the top tips from our Spring 2024 Speaker Broadcasts:
1. The Power of Visualization
Visualization helps you mentally prepare for challenges and builds confidence in your ability to accomplish your goals. Deion Sanders shared the importance of visualizing your success: if you can see it, you can believe it, and then you can achieve it.
“If you can't see it, how can you believe it? If you can't fathom yourself winning at the end of the game, how can you win? If you can't see yourself in a situation where they're counting on you and you must deliver, how can you deliver when they're counting on you?"
2. Build Strong Networks
Tamron Hall highlighted the value of building a strong professional network by recounting how meaningful relationships with colleagues helped her throughout her career. Networking is about finding allies and collaborators, not just competitors.
“Building that network is critical. It allows you to have a soundboard… It allows you to build vulnerability, and there's power in vulnerability. So now you've broken down the wall to be an ally of someone in the building... use that person and that relationship to collaborate on ideas, solutions. And also, honestly, sometimes you just need someone there to say they understand.”
3. Ask for Advice
As Jonah Berger shared, asking for advice not only helps us gather valuable information but also makes us appear more competent to others. It takes advantage of people's natural egocentrism, making them feel valued and appreciated, which in turn makes them view us more positively.
"Why would asking for advice make you seem smarter? It takes advantage of people's natural egocentrism. People love to think that they are smart, that they are important. And so when we come around and we ask them for their advice, they go, 'Wow, out of all the people you could have asked, you asked me.' And so that makes 'em feel good, right? Making them feel good makes them like you as a result and see you more positively."
4. Set Your Own Thermostat
Deion Sanders emphasized the importance of controlling your own emotions and reactions. By setting your own thermostat, you ensure that external factors do not dictate your mood or actions—and don’t get in the way of your goals.
"I'm a firm believer of ‘you can't allow anyone to turn you up, to turn you down, to turn you on, to turn you off, or to get you hot or get you cold.’ You've gotta set your own thermostat. Whenever I walk into my meeting room with my young men, I'm setting the temperature. I'm setting that. I'm not gonna allow them to frustrate me or infuriate me or something that's gonna get me out of my comfort zone and out of character. So I think it's apparent and important that you set your own thermostat."
5. Leadership Through Empathy and Collaboration
Leading a large team through the unknowns of the pandemic was an incredible challenge for Tamron Hall. She learned the importance of being empathetic, explaining decisions thoroughly, and focusing on collaborative efforts. Effective leadership involves supporting your team and prioritizing the well-being of those you lead.
"While thinking of my own personal health and that of my family and this new baby, I had to think about 200 employees who were wondering, ‘Are we going to keep our show going? What's happening? What's going on?’ Those are leadership challenges I couldn't have ever faced or imagined facing, and I wasn't prepared for, to be honest with you.
These learning curves came with painful moments to be honest with you, painful moments and also moments of triumph. There are days that I lead my team and… I see it in their eyes, they see the value in our content, they see the hard work, and they see how we did it together."
6. Harness Self Talk
The way we talk to ourselves, especially in stressful situations, can affect our performance. Jonah Berger shared how using "you" instead of "I" in self-talk can help boost our confidence.
“Using that ‘you’ in self-talk rather than I made people much less anxious and it made them more successful. It made them better presenters, people liked their ideas more, and it had a more positive effect. Because that ‘you’ language distances ourselves from negative outcomes. When we're dealing with tough situations, whether an interview or presentation, we can talk to ourselves in a way that helps distance us from the anxiety. It'll make you more successful overall."
7. Be Consistent and Persistent
Deion Sanders drove home the value of consistency in actions and persistence in the face of challenges. Even when the spotlight is not on you, continuing to make plays and give your best effort will eventually lead to recognition and success.
"You gotta understand I expect great things. I expect to change the game. The light ain't on you, but keep making plays. Nobody's talking about you, but keep making plays. You're not on the leaderboard right now, but baby, keep making plays."
8. Stay True to Your Authentic Self
Tamron Hall shared that some of her biggest growth moments were when she bet on herself and embraced her vulnerability. Authenticity can attract the right opportunities and people.
“It's okay to feel vulnerable. It's okay to feel, you know, out of body and not confident. It's okay sometimes to feel like you want to be a part of the crowd. But always find your lane and just ride it 'til the wheels fall off because other people will run behind you.”
9. The Power of Language
The words we use can have a significant impact on our ability to persuade and influence others. Jonah Berger shared that by choosing the right words, such as turning verbs into nouns (e.g., "be a helper" instead of "help"), we can make our requests more compelling and increase the likelihood of achieving desired outcomes.
“Subtle shifts in the language we use can actually have a big impact. Adding the right word to an appeal or request for someone to do something increases their likelihood of saying yes by about 50%. Rather than saying you like something, saying you recommend that thing can make others about a third more likely to take your recommendation."
Excited for more inspiration from these top leaders? Head to the Members Area to watch their full Speaker Broadcasts!
