GLS 2022 – Session 5: Jon Acuff

Introduction

• I am a goal nerd. One year I read 100 books, ran 1,000 miles. I once hired a man to help me to get better at ping pong.
• A goal is the fastest path between where you are today and where you want to be tomorrow.
• Starting is fun but the future belongs to finishers.
• There is a 92% chance that New Year’s resolutions will fail.

Overthinking

• Overthinking wrecks more leaders than anything else. Example: overthinking a text message. 
• Have you ever re-read an email you have already sent? 
• Have you ever edited an idea before you ever even wrote it down?  You know how many ideas we have lost to overthinking. 
• Overthinking is the most expensive thing that companies invest in every year without realizing.
• Overthinking steals time, creativity and productivity
• Overthinking – When what you think gets in the way of what you want.
• Mike Peasley – research of 10,000 people if they struggle with overthinking – More than 99.5% of people said, “yes.” We did the study in 2019 before the pandemic.
• Everything is a “thing.” 
• It’s impossible to turn off your brain. Why would you do that? Just think good thoughts that move you forward.
• Neuroplasticity – change the composition of your brain by changing your thoughts
• If you can worry, you can wonder. If you can doubt, you can dominate. 
• Imagine if we were to renew our minds (wink, wink).

Soundtrack

• A soundtrack is a repetitive thought. 
• Soundtrack changes everything. And you have a soundtrack for every part of your life: every job, every relationship. The more you list to thoughts, they become the soundtrack to your life.
• Culture is a collection of soundtracks playing consistently at a company.
• NYU – 2 groups of college students. Make sentences out of a word bank. In one group, they gave words about aging. Then they had them walk down the hall. The students who had read about being old walked slower. 
• Great thoughts lead to great actions. Great actions lead to great results.

Great leaders retire broken soundtracks.

They replace them with new soundtracks.

They repeat until automatic.

Retire broken soundtracks. 

• That’s not how we do things around here.
• There’s never been a day that turned out the way it was scheduled, so why do we talk about the schedule?
• We never reach our goals, so why do we set them? It’s the soundtrack of apathy.
• Write a goal and then listen to your first thoughts. Every reaction is an education.
• Fear argues both sides of a coin. “You’re too young.” and “You’re too old. You’ve missed your shot.”
• Ask the loudest soundtracks three questions:
  • Is it true? One of the greatest mistakes you can make as a leader is assuming all your thoughts are true. 
  • Is it helpful? When I say this again and again, does it push us forward or does it pull us back? 
  • Is it kind? You’re high performing. Low performing people don’t attend the Global Leadership Summit. You’re voluntarily taking notes, plugging in, working with your team.  
  • Google wondered, “What do our most successful teams have in common?”  They launched Project Aristotle. Spent millions of dollars.  Measured 180 teams. Used 35 models. What did they find?
    • They had psychological safety. You can ask questions. You can suggest new ideas. You can admit you are wrong without being treated unkindly by the team.
    • You only get to fix mistakes that you can admit are wrong.
    • Leaders who cannot be questioned end up doing questionable things.

Replace them with new soundtracks.

• We tend to think thoughts are outside our control. 
• Thoughts come by choice or chance. 
• Great leaders pick thoughts ahead of time and they choose thoughts that are actionable. 
• Where do I want to win this week?
• You have a soundtrack for every person in your life.
• Empathy –  understanding what someone needs and acting on it.  
• If you want to enrage those you lead, let them know you know what they need and don’t do anything about it. 
• Care about what the people you care about, care about. 
• What do the people you care about, care about? 
• Crisis magnifies kindness. The kind things you do are worth so much more than they used to be. 
• Read less minds. Ask more questions. 
• It is much better to meet a need than to invent a need. 
• Bose Band Camp – got in the trenches and listened to the need.
• Bose had a huge lead on headphones but they didn’t listen to people and forgot about Dre.
• When you ask someone what they need, they become visible and valuable.  
• Do you see me? Do I matter?
• Once you discover the power of soundtracks, you’re going to hear them everywhere.
• Individuals have soundtracks. Couples have soundtracks. Families have soundtracks. 
• “Your New Playlist”
• The best leaders turn overthinking from a super problem into a super power. 
• My new soundtrack is: I am a leader.