1. "Leadership is how we move forward—how we advance from where we are today to where we want to go."
2. "If you're looking for leadership, start with a mirror. Leadership starts with self."
3. "Self-confidence, self-awareness, and self-worth—these are the foundations of leadership."

Mike shares practical tips for improving leadership by honing skills like problem-solving, decision-making, communication, and execution. Mike emphasizes that understanding personal values and leading oneself is crucial before successfully leading others.

1. Leadership Begins with Self:

• Leadership starts by looking in the mirror and recognizing your potential.
• Self-awareness is key to personal growth and leadership.
• Building self-confidence and self-worth lays the foundation for effective leadership.

2. Developing Core Leadership Skills:

• Focus on problem-solving to tackle challenges head-on.
• Improve decision-making to drive positive outcomes.
• Strong communication skills are essential for leading yourself and others.

3. Understanding Personal Values:

• Reflect on what you value most in life—time, relationships, or energy.
• Align your values with your actions for authentic leadership.
• Recognize that values change as you grow and evolve.

4. The Power of Thinking:

• Critical thinking helps solve problems and make better decisions.
• Creative thinking opens the door to innovation and new ideas.
• Life, like business, is a thinking process—embrace it.

5. Continuous Self-Improvement:

• Work on yourself first before leading others.
• Build leadership skills through experience and practice.
• Effective leaders are always learning and growing.

• "Leadership is how we move forward. It's about making progress and maintaining momentum."
• "If you give people the tools to lead themselves, you unlock their ability to act and drive results for your business."
• "Leaders fall short when they focus on preference over principle. It's about principles that guide decision-making."

Mike Simmons and Tim Dyck discuss leadership's core components, emphasizing forward momentum and decision-making autonomy. They share personal experiences, analyze leadership failures, and advocate for implementing guiding principles. By empowering people to lead themselves, they argue, organizations can foster better leadership from the ground up.

Find your Catalyst at https://www.findmycatalyst.com/

1. Leadership is Movement Forward

   • Leadership isn't about position; it's about progress.
   • Forward momentum depends on clear direction and decision-making.
   • Leaders help guide teams by offering clarity and purpose.

2. The Power of Guiding Principles

   • Clear principles create a framework for better decision-making.
   • Without them, teams face confusion and inefficiency.
   • Leaders must ensure everyone understands the rules guiding decisions.

3. Empowerment Creates Stronger Leaders

   • Empowering people to make decisions increases their confidence.
   • Autonomy helps people feel valued and trusted.
   • Teams become more proactive when they are given clear guidelines.

4. Fractional Leadership for Long-Term Success

   • Fractional leadership brings expertise without long-term commitments.
   • It can accelerate growth by addressing immediate leadership gaps.
   • Experts can help develop internal capabilities for sustained success.

5. Effective Communication is Key

   • Miscommunication leads to wrong decisions and lost opportunities.
   • Leaders must ensure alignment in language and expectations.
   • Clear, consistent communication strengthens organizational culture.

This episode focuses on how leadership impacts both organizational performance and personal growth, encouraging listeners to reflect on how they lead themselves and others.

In this episode, Mike Simmons breaks down key leadership skills, emphasizing how leaders can move teams forward through guidance, direction, and motivation. He stresses the importance of communication, decision-making, and problem-solving. Leadership starts with leading oneself, and when done effectively, it translates into leading others and organizations successfully.

Mike shares insights on the fundamentals of leadership, pulling from personal experiences and lessons from leaders like Chuck Schluter. He explains how understanding objectives, knowing your current state, and designing a path forward are core to effective leadership.

1. "Leadership is how we move forward—ourselves, our teams, and our organizations."
2. "Leaders provide guidance, direction, and motivation."
3. "Start with a mirror. If you want to find a leader, begin with yourself."

1. Leadership is about Movement

   • Leaders drive progress by setting a clear direction.
   • Achieving results comes from planning with both short-term and long-term goals.
   • To move forward, leaders must know where they stand and where they want to go.

2. Core Skills of Leadership

   • Communication: Clear, effective exchanges drive team success.
   • Problem Solving: Identify problems, evaluate solutions, and make decisions.
   • Decision-Making: Prioritize tasks and take action to advance toward goals.

3. Leadership Starts with Self

   • Begin by developing self-leadership skills.
   • Focus on self-awareness and personal improvement.
   • Once you lead yourself, you earn the right to lead others.

4. Building Leaders Creates More Leaders

   • Leadership isn’t just about personal success; it's about developing others.
   • Strong leaders elevate their teams, organizations, and communities.
   • Effective leaders build a legacy by creating more capable leaders around them.

5. Design and Execution are Essential

   • Know your objectives and create a plan to reach them.
   • Consider both the strategies and the tactics that lead to success.
   • Design for long-term success by aligning actions with broader organizational goals.