The Live It Forward Show with Kent Julian

When facing a difficult challenge, leaders can be tempted to make quick decisions. But the leaders who navigate crises best usually do something different: they ask better questions before making decisions. Here are five questions every leader should ask when facing a crisis. They won't just lead to better answers-they'll help you and your team grow wiser along the way. 5 Questions to Ask When Facing a Crisis 1. What's the Real Problem?

GOAL GETTING Video Coaching Program Ready to stop DREAMING and start DOING more? Wouldn't it be nice to discover a simple goal-setting and goal-getting approach that will empower you to invest in the people and things that matter most to you?

I speak and write extensively about success. In fact, an entire chapter in my latest book is dedicated to the topic. Not surfacey success like power, prestige, prosperity, or position, but real success-success in our personal character, success in serving others, success in our work ethic, and success in relationships. I often refer to this concept as experiencing success in what truly matters.

If you want to improve faster, stop staying where you feel most comfortable—play up. In sports, to “play up” means competing at a higher level than you normally do. As a swim coach, I occasionally asked younger swimmers to “swim up” for relay races. For example, if I asked a 14-year-old to be part of a 15-to-18-year-old relay team, the goal wasn’t just to fill a spot—it was to expose them to stronger, faster, more experienced competitors.

“Half of the things you do, you might as well turn over to me, and I will do them quickly and correctly.” The quote above is attributed to an unknown author, but we all know who—or what—said it. AI. Artificial Intelligence. But wait a second. Did AI really say that? Putting Things Into Context Let’s put this quote in context. As you read the poem below, you’ll find that line about one-third of the way down. I am your constant companion. I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden.

“A pessimist complains about the room temperature. An optimist hopes it will change. A realist adjusts the thermostat.” Classics Are Classics for a Reason You’ve probably heard this comparison before. You might even think it’s outdated and a bit cheesy. But classics are classics for a reason, so don’t dismiss this one too quickly.

“Life is like a Simon Says game. It’s designed to get you out!” —Kent Julian ______________________________________________________________________________ At the time of this writing, if you Google “the world’s greatest Simon Says leader,” the internet has an opinion—and it’s split between two people. The first is considered the “Master of Simon Says” and is a “full-time PROFESSIONAL Simon Sez (Simon Says) Caller.” The second? Yours truly.

Notice the heading isn't “Tasks VS Outcomes.” It's “Tasks AND Outcomes.” Both are needed. Both are good. The key is to think about them in the right order. It's easy to spend an entire day working on tasks while ignoring the fact that those tasks might not help you achieve the outcomes you want. That's why it's important to consider the outcomes you want first. Once you get clarity on your desired outcomes, you can then get to work on the tasks that you believe will help you achieve those results.

I'm privileged to speak and train on E+R=O all across North America, exploring its applications with audiences in both their personal lives and leadership roles. Even though this mindset is robust and multifaceted (for instance, it serves as the foundation for success, provides a clear picture of how the real world works best, and is the muscle behind grit), at its most basic level, it's simple to understand and apply.

When our three kiddos were young, they loved using our electric pencil sharpener. Their goal? To make their pencil points perfectly sharp. One by one, our three little kiddos would push their pencil into the sharpener for five to 10 seconds. When they pulled it out, if the tip wasn’t flawlessly pointed, they would jam the pencil back into the sharpener. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. Buzz. When I couldn’t take it anymore, I’d snap.