Timeless Leadership Insights with Simon Sinek
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Back in 2017, I had the immense pleasure of interviewing author and speaker Simon Sinek about how to be an effective leader. It’s a topic that many people talk about but few can agree on.
During the interview, I asked Simon to define what it means to be a leader. Rather than give me a simple statement, he chose to tell a story that I’ll never forget.
During his stay at the Four Seasons hotel in Las Vegas, Simon met a charming and enthusiastic barista named Noah. Noah’s energy was so infectious that Simon felt compelled to ask him whether he liked his job.
Noah’s response was, “No—I love my job.”
He went on to explain that at the Four Seasons, his supervisors didn’t make an appearance just to tell him what to do or to try to catch him making mistakes—like his other job at another well-known Las Vegas hotel (and reminiscent of many people’s experience at work).
Instead, his managers checked in with him frequently to ask how he was doing and what they could do to make his job easier. This not only made Noah enjoy his work more, but it also gave him the support he needed to do his job better.
Powerful stuff, right?
Simon’s point in telling this story was to demonstrate what true leadership looks like, which is to take care of people.
Because when you look out for the needs of your team, you don’t need to micromanage, discipline, or fix problems. Your compassion and guidance alone give them the tools they need to be successful.
In this week’s podcast episode, I’m re-sharing my interview with Simon Sinek because it’s a powerful conversation about leadership that I want to make sure you all hear.
Join us for a conversation about:
- How to create an environment like Noah’s at the Four Seasons
- What it means to be a leader
- Which questions to ask yourself to uncover your why
- How you can be a student of leadership
- And so much more!
Resources and links mentioned in this episode:
This episode dives into the true essence of leadership and touches on so many core concepts that we talk about with our members. If you like what you hear and want more opportunities to receive guidance and support that can transform your leadership, I encourage you to apply for our Owner’s HQ and Director’s Inner Circle membership programs. As a member, you’ll gain access to tools, resources, coaching, and community that will help you as you work toward building a school of excellence.
Inspired by what you’ve heard in this episode and want to help take your team’s leadership to the next level? Inquire about a Leadership Day Intensive for your center. You’ll get a full day of on-demand, in-school training with me, plus various accountability check-ins to help you and your team work through existing obstacles and build a stronger, healthier center.
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More about the show:
If you are an Early Childhood director or owner, prepare to transform your school and life with the Schools of Excellence podcast. Tune in each week to learn from Chanie Wilschanski, the founder and host of the Schools of Excellence Podcast and a mom of 4 little kids. Each episode will be packed with tools and strategies – equipping you to build schools with higher staff retention, teacher motivation, parent partnership, collaborative culture, and beautiful quality of life.
Every week, Chanie shares the truth about the journey to excellence, the strategies that are working TODAY, and the mindset about the critical decisions and choices that you make every day which impact yourself, your teachers, parents, family, and children who you serve every day.
In addition to weekly solo episodes, she’ll also be inviting industry leaders and the changing makers of the landscape of education to give listeners the inside knowledge of what it takes to sustain excellence.
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