I had an incredible conversation recently with author Jon Gordon and of course we had to record our talk because I knew how impactful it would be for all of you.
And Jon completely nailed it. For those of you who don't know, Jon is an accomplished, best-selling author with such books, among others, as The Energy Bus and Soup, as well as co-author of You Win in the Locker Room First with former Atlanta Falcons coach Mike Smith.
Jon Gordon's best-selling books and talks have inspired readers and audiences around the world. His principles have been put to the test by numerous NFL, NBA, MLB coaches and teams, Fortune 500 companies, school districts, hospitals and non-profits and now I want to share a small taste of that with you, hoping that you'll be moved to share his work with countless friends and colleagues like I have.
-Brandon
Key Highlights:
On why he wrote The Energy Bus: I was really negative and unhappy with my life. My wife told, "I love you, but I am not going to spend my life with someone that makes me so miserable." A light bulb went off and I wrote the book in three and a half weeks. The character in the story, George, was based on me. I wanted more from life and George goes through those challenges.
On the first thing someone should do to live a more energized life: It doesn't matter what's happening outside of you. I'm the driver of my bus and I'm going to decide the kind of ride its going to be.
Doc Rivers once told me that he gave the book out to his team and one of his players said, "Coach I'm not going to be a vampire anymore. I'm going to stay positive."
Conclusion: Even professional athletes deal with negativity and adversity.
On what he learned from Mike Smith: "I'm going to have bad moments, but I'm not going to allow myself to have bad days." It's a rarity that leaders admit when they screw up. Leadership teams that are not connected at the top crumble at the bottom. As a a leader, make sure you have the right approach, belief and mindset.
On which comes first - purpose or enthusiasm: Purpose is what gives you enthusiasm. We don't get burned by what we do, but why we do it.
On getting people "on-board your bus": Don't focus on building your business. Loving, serving, caring. Do that and your team will follow. Sometimes it's as simple as asking, "What are you working on and how can I help you?"
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Pickup a copy of any of Jon's incredible books here.
