Many people will have a leadership title at some point in their careers. But what sets managers apart from true, standout leaders? Mark Rucker, former Global VP of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, is here to share his years of wisdom and how you can not just glean it, but apply it.

Mark Rucker is the CEO of The Golden Company, a speaker, and author. In addition to being a former Global VP for Disney, he is also a former SVP for Great Wolf Resorts. Over his 32 year career at Disney, Mark worked in over 15 different roles, spanning from an industrial engineer in parks and resorts to systems, transportation, corporate, and eventually Global Walt Disney.

Leadership is a journey, and leaders aren’t born, they're made, over time and through lessons learned. There is no one specific situation that makes you a leader. There are, however, pivotal moments that set your course. Document those key moments and lessons through a journal or a drop file. This allows you to build a solid foundation along the way for your leadership. The best way to grow your understanding is to seek it out.

Reach out to friends you admire and respected colleagues and ask to grab coffee with them. Don’t be shy about talking to people about things they are experts in. Taking the first step and seeking out wisdom will allow you to gain nuggets over time from others' experiences. And if there is one thing you want as a leader, it is wisdom.

There is a difference between wisdom gleaned and wisdom applied. It isn’t enough to ask and take notes. Standouts take it a step further. They figure out how to apply what they learn to their lives and put it into action.

The biggest lesson you can learn as a leader is that you are not an island. Whether you face a small problem or have a large endeavor, you don't have to do it alone. Those you lead are no different. Whatever stage you are at, you need to have a team around you. Not only mentors. You need a full team – at work and in life. Everyone is completely different, and how we treat each other should be different, unique, and special.

If you want to be a standout leader, you have to have a leadership adoption mindset. Get to know those who you work alongside. Give them care and love and the benefit of the doubt. Make it your goal to help them grow. The greatest joy of a leader is seeing someone you have led move up and flourish. As you grow others, you must also grow yourself. Lead yourself well, and you will lead others well. Treat yourself as the first person you have to lead, develop and grow.

If you can take anything away from Mark and apply it immediately, it is this: You need a board of directors for your life and career. If you take one nugget, it is to start setting up coffee chats and searching for your board of directors.

Rise. Shine. Impact. Learn from others and give back.

Resources

Over Coffee with the Mouse: Life and Leadership Wisdom from 32 Years at Disney and Beyond by Mark Rucker (Preorder)

Connect with Mark

LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-rucker-golden/

Website: http://thegoldencompanyllc.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mark.rucker.golden

Connect with John:

www.standoutmovement.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnwalsh_standout 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrwalshjr 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnwstandout 

As Standouts, it is normal to question what makes a champion. How can I achieve that level? Do I need more skills? More opportunity? Just more dumb luck? Seth Pepper, a high-performance mental coach, is giving us a crash course in how to build mental strength and confidence to help launch a stand-out performance in life.

Seth began his journey to greatness as a kid. At 14, he decided he wanted to be an Olympic swimmer. Seth went from training with 8-year-olds at a YMCA in Oregon to a national champion. It was the study of the power of the conscious and subconscious mind that was his edge, and now he trains athletes, execs, and influential leaders on how they can take what makes them unique and combine it with their audience's need to make a lasting impact in the world.

Everyone has a dream. Often, it can seem far away or unattainable. By making your future accessible and normalizing your success in your mind, you have the ability to open doors and create access to your goal. When you view adversity as an opportunity and failure as data to help you make educated changes, you will be unstoppable.

Too often, we look to the right or left and compare ourselves with those we admire. We see their success as the finish line, and that creates a gap that feels untraversable. When we knock the pedestal out from under them in our minds and see them as real people, their status becomes attainable.

Rather than focusing on the variables outside of your control, focus on what is within your reach. What are the things you can control? Don’t get caught up in other people's stories. Stay neutral. It will allow you to be strategic and keep you from getting caught up with things outside of your reach.

Clarity comes with time. Have a general direction and follow what calls to you and go after it. When you have a purpose, it makes pain bearable. There is never a clear path to success. But as you find your way around and through opposition and stay the course, you will arrive at the success you plan.

If you can take anything away from Seth and apply it immediately, it is this: Spend a little time, each day, by yourself. Get present in your body through quiet time or meditation. Journal. Have a conversation with yourself and allow yourself to get out of your head and be present.

Rise. Shine. Impact. Find your station, find your tribe.

Connect with Seth

Website: http://www.sethpepper.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sethpepper/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sethpepper/?hl=en

Connect with John:

www.standoutmovement.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/johnwalsh_standout 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrwalshjr 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/johnwstandout 

Still, on the topic of currency, we are taking a slightly different direction into the world of social capital. What is that, you might ask? Rika Nakazawa is sharing all about it and why it is important to your future.

Rika understands how much life is a string of chance coming together to form a glorious story. Born to a German mother and a Japanese father, Rika grew up in the middle of inborn multicultural diversity. After growing up in Japan, Rika moved to the US to become a Princeton Tiger. She has worked for many large international corporations, including Sony and American Express. She is an author, speaker, CEO, and founder of Board Seat Meet Inc.

Over the years, just as tech has transitioned from the waterfall methodology to agile, the mindsets of individuals when it comes to their professional future has also evolved. We no longer see work as a linear start to finish culminating in a gold watch at retirement. We now iterate our carriers, learning and growing in short sprints, working to become the best iteration of ourselves. We aren’t looking to put a corvette out as our first iteration. We are ok going from skateboard to bike to beater car to high octane efficiency. With this focus on learning and improving, more doors are opening to those in underrepresented groups.

No matter the group we belong to, we all have a default station hardwired in us. Our job is to learn what we can uniquely tune into and find others on the same frequency. We discover this by being exposed to others and their experiences. Our ability to sympathize or empathize with someone else has the potential to connect us, both personally and professionally. As we uncover our story and the tribe we are best able to share it with, we find that our arc, our journey, can inspire those around us and pave the way for others.

As a leader, you are expanding your connections and your influence, understanding the importance of social capital can help pave the road for your journey and those who will follow after you. The professional relationships that you reinforce socially allow you to grow a network of advocates and those you can advocate for. In the digital age, new avenues for cultivating social capital are springing up. To stand out, you have to know what makes you different and what you have to offer in any setting, personally or professionally. When you have the opportunity to be heard, take it. Self-expression is key. It doesn’t have to be perfect – each opportunity is a new chance to iterate and become who you are going to be.

If you can take anything away from Rika and apply it immediately, it is this: Practice is important. Think of a person who has been an idol in your life, maybe a leader or an author. Find them on LinkedIn and request to connect. Be specific in why you want to connect and how you are already connected to them. Practice reaching out to stand out.

Rise. Shine. Impact. Find your station, find your tribe.

Resources

Board Seat Meet
Dear Chairwomam,: Letters from Today’s Trailblazing Women Board Leaders to the Fearless Directors of Tomorrow By Rika Nakazawa

Connect with Rika

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rikanakazawa/

Email: rika@boardseatmeet.com

Connect with John:

www.standoutmovement.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnwalsh_standout 

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrwalshjr 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/johnwstandout 

We are talking about money again. In the last episode, we took a look at our relationship with money. Today, Brook Tomasetti is helping us take a strategic look at how we handle the money we have. 

Brooke grew up in a typical middle-class family, with a dual-income family. Her parents provided well for Brooke and her sisters, but they also instilled a strong work ethic. Brooke started investing by 18 and worked her way through college, finishing with minimal debt. In addition to her “normal” job, Brook also works in her passion, helping you get organized with your money.

People are often trying to live out the values of others, rather than discovering and building a life around what is truly important to them. How you spend your life and your time is 100% your responsibility. When you know what is important to you, it is easier to keep yourself focused on those things. 

When it comes to managing money, there are six steps that every individual needs to know and embrace.

1. Take control. Understand you are in control of what you do with your time and your money.
2. Know your values. You will spend your money and your time on what you value. Take some time to discover what you value. Journal. Dream of your ideal life and write that down. Get specific. 
3. Discover your purpose. Don’t feel pressured to put yourself in a box. Purpose helps to eliminate the noise so you can focus on what matters.
4. Adjust your money mindset. Recognize “wealth” for what it is and make the connection between finances and freedom. Being Rich is simply being able to spend your time on what matters to you with the people that matter to you.
5. Get real with your numbers and make a plan. Don’t just hope and pray – know where you are and where you want to go.
6. Have the discipline to walk it out. Make the trade-off and the necessary sacrifices to accomplish what matters to you.

If you take these six steps, utilize a budget, and pay yourself first, you can experience a full and satisfying life. 

If you can take anything away from Brooke and apply it immediately, it is this: Sometimes you just have to try things. Don’t be afraid to explore, especially as you are finding your values.

Rise. Shine. Impact. Relax and follow your value.

Resources

Free Expense Tracker
Work with Brook

Connect with Brooke

Website: Moneylifementor.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moneylifementor/

Connect with John:

www.standoutmovement.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnwalsh_standout 

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrwalshjr 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/johnwstandout 

There is a topic that no one can escape. Money. Whether you are an employee, an entrepreneur, or are independently wealthy, we all have thoughts and mindsets surrounding money. Sarah McCrum joins us to unpack the difference between our mindset and our relationship with money.

Sarah grew up in Great Britain, in a culture that avoided talking about money, no matter the cost. After finding traditional studies void of the answers she sought, Sarah trained in energy under two different masters, exploring the interconnecting vibrations that connect us all. In that study, she found herself channeling money and learning what it truly is. That led to a deeper understanding of the nature of our relationship with money. Sarah now lives in Australia and is putting her own energy into the world, helping others come to a place of peace with money.

Sarah’s book, Love Money, Money Loves You is literally a book from money to you. It explores the true purpose of money and how our energy intertwines with our lives. Money is about value; how we use it is a reflection of how we invest our most valuable assets. Our time. Our energy. Our money. As we better understand our relationship with money, we can then tap into the infinite possibility that it is, rather than view it as a limited, transactional resource.

Those who have a good relationship with money appreciate what they are doing; they are present with where they are and are not striving for more. They recognize that spending money is reallocating value and do not view it intrinsically as a loss. They understand that releasing money in one area is bringing value to themselves in another form; by making room for more money to come in.

Those who have a bad relationship with money operate in a state of discomfort, as they strive for the next thing and feel a constant pressure to prove and assert themselves. No matter how much they earn, they have no confidence in where they are, fearing the potential loss just on the horizon.

You don’t shift your money mindset by doing what you are doing now – that is only going to get you what you already have. View money as an opportunity for more rather than a lack of enough. Money is not a linear resource. Putting money out is not taking away, but opening you to receive more. It isn’t in and out but attracting and creating space for more. The daily transactions may be linear, but overall, it is dynamic and not scarcity.

If you can take anything away from Sarah and apply it immediately, it is this: Relax about money. It’s ok. Just relax.

Rise. Shine. Impact. Relax and follow your value.

Resources

Money Score Card
Love Money Money Loves You by Sarah McCrum

Connect with Sarah

Website: https://sarahmccrum.com

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmccrum/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SarahMcCrum1/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sarah_mccrum_blog

Connect with John:

www.standoutmovement.com

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/johnwalsh_standout 

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrwalshjr 

Twitter - https://twitter.com/johnwstandout