Sheer Clarity

With more divisiveness than ever before, we need to open up our hearts and view the world with empathy and compassion in order to truly understand one another.

Instead of taking a big global approach or national approach to addressing the problem of divisiveness and hatred, we’re taking an inside-out approach by focusing on the human heart.

This is the first of a three-part series around diversity and inclusion. By taking a heart-led approach, you have to dig deep within.

We often think that being a leader means that you have to do it all, but this could not be further from the truth. Your main role as a leader is to connect with your people, and in doing so, you will bring out the best in them.

Today’s conversation is all about the nuances of personhood and leadership, and we couldn’t have a better guest than Brian Hayward, a man with no shortage of beautiful inner complexities.

Mark Scheinberg’s mission to empower others and live a life of service is undeniable. He’s a dear friend I’ve known for over 20 years and in this episode, he shares how he went from a poor childhood to becoming a millionaire by 30 and developing a non-profit college that supports its students like no other.

Where most of my previous guests have been around the halftime of their lives, Chris Bello is still in the first half of the game and looking to the future. I connected with Chris on his podcast and wanted to bring him onto this show so you could share in his insights into self-awareness and generosity

Taking over the reins of a successful generational company as someone without the family name is a prospect most people would find daunting. But for Gareth Vaughan, an obligation to the employees of the company, to the next generation of leadership, and the legacy of the family name is a responsibility he has happily taken on. Gareth’s mentorship from Bruce Higley, combined with his values and commitment, makes him a great example of what it means to be a leader by attraction.

Becoming a leader by attraction means that as a leader, people believe they can trust you and be open and know that there’s no hidden agenda. It also means having an intense commitment to help others to succeed. You get there by having sheer clarity about who you are, why you’re here, and where you’re headed. That’s what emotional intelligence and self-awareness are about.

For over 30 years as an executive coach and facilitator, I’ve been asking CEOs to drop their armor and be vulnerable long before it became popular. I met my guest today, Keith Alper, over 15 years in my work as a YPO facilitator and we're both on a mission to teach and bring this message to the world. He deeply embodies this concept of authenticity and love and believes that is what is at the heart of good leadership.

Today we visit with Rob Follows. Rob is the Chairman and CEO of STS Capital Partners. Rob helps people who are ready to sell their business, giving them the freedom to contribute their time, treasure and talent to make the world a better place. As leaders, we can create success from challenges in life. If we view adversity as a friend and teacher, there’s a potential for significant self-understanding. Listen as Rob shares his stories of adversity and the lessons he learned from it. He also explains how reflection and meditation are keys to self-understanding, the importance of finding a mentor, and putting a life plan in place. Key Topics: • Rob gives us an overview of his company, STS Capital Partners • The two things that led Rob to look for a mentor and the resulting mental exercise that helped him look forward and create a plan for his life • Rob explains how he aligned his life to his end of life objectives • Rob explains how adversity built his inner strength leading him to make decisions to define his happiness • As a leader, Rob explains how he became unafraid to receive honest feedback • How life planning, making a list and putting a 5-year date on it, leads to a focus on self-understanding, improvement, and learning • Kevin shares his sheer moments of clarity from his discussion with Rob • Rob gives advice to his 23-year-old self

Every organization has or should have core values in place. However, just writing them down and displaying them on a poster isn’t enough. The hard part comes in living them. Today, I’m talking with Buddy Teaster, CEO of Soles4Souls. Buddy talks about his organization, what they do and how their core values have been integral to Soles4Souls’ success. We go in depth about what it means as a leader to put your core values into practice and how that benefits not only your organization’s bottom line, but also provides meaning to everyone in the organization. Key Topics: • Buddy Teaster is the CEO of Soles4Souls. His organization collects unwanted shoes and clothing and puts them to good use – providing relief, creating jobs and empowering people to break the cycle of poverty • Buddy is based in Nashville. He speaks to the devastation recent tornadoes left behind and how the community came together to help one another • He also speaks to how recovery efforts are affected and other challenges they’ve faced due to the Coronavirus • Buddy gives actionable advice to leaders when a crisis hits • Meaning and Transparency are two of Sole4Souls core values. Buddy goes in depth about how these values have been so powerful for the organization • How a leader can deal with being riled up due to frustration from constantly defending their position and why that is so important • Buddy discusses his path to becoming the CEO of Sole4Souls • How long it took to reconcile with his father after choosing to take his own path • Kevin goes over his moments of sheer clarity during this episode • Buddy gives his 23-year-old self some advice

In business, it’s important to not only make sure your executives, directors, and managers have the skills to lead, but it’s also crucial to help your employees unlock their own potential. Ryan Niles is the CEO of Niles Industrial Coatings and Niles Plant Services. It’s his purpose to help his employees be the best they can be in all facets of their lives. In this episode, Ryan opens up to Kevin McHugh about his moments of sheer clarity as a leader, the values and characteristics he believes have helped him in his own journey and advice about tackling change and learning to trust. Stay tuned. Key Topics: [2.05] Ryan talks about his two companies and what his focus and purpose is for his employees [3:30] Ryan explains his approach to getting to know each of his employees [5:06] The response from Ryan’s employees when he launched the DISC assessment, what they’ve learned and the benefits they’ve seen [11:06] Ryan talks about the lessons and challenges he had growing up and how he used those to be successful in life [16:25] How encouraging employees to try new things and not be scared to make mistakes has resulted in success for the company [18:58] Steps to take if you feel you have a crappy boss [21:00] Change is hard! How to push through the fear [26:06] Ryan discusses values he learned from his father and uncle [28:14] The biggest people lesson Ryan has learned [31:54] Kevin goes over his moments of sheer clarity during this interview [36:14] Ryan’s advice to his younger self

No matter how well trained and educated you are, it’s important to remember that who you are as a person can sometimes bring as much value to your team as your qualifications. This rings true for our guest on the show today, Annie Yoder, who is Director of Development at Rea & Associates, a 300+ employee accounting firm with a national footprint. Annie is a trained CPA, CFF, and CPE but significantly she does no accounting work at her firm, having rather moved into a position that is strictly concerned with the interpersonal. In today’s episode, Annie shares the story behind how this happened and gives listeners a few golden nugget tips on the subject of good leadership, trust, and self-reflexivity. She talks about the lessons learned from her mother and her Amish upbringing, the idea that everybody has value and that people who hurt others themselves are hurt. Our conversation moves to the role she plays at Rea & Associates, and she shares some of the ways she leads employees to their growth, and the exercises she takes coworkers through to help them build trust in each other. We also hear from Annie about her growth process, the things that made her take a look in the mirror, and the idea that a person takes themselves everywhere they go. Ultimately, our interactions cause ripple effects in each other which have huge potential to help us be more compassionate humans or trustworthy leaders, so tune in to hear how these have taken effect in and through Annie today. Key Points From This Episode: • What led Annie into accounting: her need for financial stability. • How Annie has transitioned from being a CPA to Director of Development in her firm. • A skillset of connecting dots, or leading people to answers they seek that Annie has. • Coaching, conflict resolution, and ‘home-finding’ duties Annie does during her day job. • Whether it is usual for qualified accountants to move into People Development. • Four pillars that Rea & Associates prioritizes: people, clients, growth, and firm. • The cornerstone at Rea & Associates which is investing in their employees. • How investing in people leads to a feedback loop benefiting everybody. • Ways that Annie’s Amish background and mother’s prioritization of education has shaped her. • Annie’s career path from her MBA to litigation support as a CFE leading to the present. • How her auditing and litigation support ‘dot-connecting’ background helps Annie today. • Transactional vs relational interactions and Annie’s mom’s lesson that all people are valuable. • Dealing with hurt people who hurt you, and whether both parties can grow. • How people can help each other find a sliver in themselves to see the good in everybody. • Ripple effects caused by interactions that lead people toward positive growth. • How conflicts with coworkers, reading, podcasts, and Annie’s husband help her self-reflect. • What Annie’s boss taught her about advocacy and trust by making her feel safe. • Building trust between coworkers Annie uses: encouraging consistent behavior. • The two branches of the trust tree: competency and character, and their offshoots. • Future-focused thinking and other ripple effects of Richard Rea’s legacy in the firm today. • Advice Annie would give to her younger self: stop worrying so much.

Neal Sherman is the Founder and President of TAGeX Brands, a company that liquidates restaurant equipment and other unused assets. Neal formed the company more than 30 years ago after seeing a lot of restaurant operators getting stuck without a paddle when it was time for them to shut down their businesses. Neal not only focuses on liquidation of assets but also the redeployment of assets and keeping equipment, furniture, and fixtures in the food industry out of landfills. He helps keep the world a little greener and he also helps people from the restaurant and food service deal with closures, remodels, and the corresponding equipment that comes into the market. Neal has also built a marketplace called RestaurantEquipment.Bid, which is an auction platform for unused restaurant equipment. In this episode… Whenever a restaurant or any other business in the food industry decides to close shop and shut down it’s business operations, one of the most stressful things for the owners tends to be the disposal of their store equipment. This, on top of the paperwork and letting go of their employees can give anyone a headache. Neal Sherman worked in the food industry more than 30 years ago and it was there that he came to find out about this particular dilemma that restaurant owners often go through when it’s time to close shop. What should they do with all of their unused equipment? He took it upon himself to help these people and thus TAGeX Brands was born. In this episode, Kevin McHugh is joined by Neal Sherman to talk about how he got into the business of liquidating restaurant equipment and what he focuses on in his line of business. Neal also shares his advice for nurturing great relationships and the importance of having inner peace in order to serve others. Stay tuned.

Kevin McHugh is the President of JKM Management Development, a management consulting firm specializing in increasing organizational performance and coaching business leaders to develop emotional awareness, conflict resolution capabilities, and maximize executive effectiveness. Over the past twenty years, Kevin has traveled the world facilitating retreats and off-sites within North America, South Africa, Australia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and Europe. McHugh has also served as an executive coach to hundreds of CEOs, helping them to improve their personal and professional leadership competencies. His clients include: American Funds Distributors, Anthem, Estée Lauder, Parker Hannifin, Sprint-Nextel, The Entrepreneurs’ Organization, CEO Roundtable, and Vistage. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [02:47] Kevin explains what leadership by attraction means [04:14] How to cultivate and develop the ability to practice leadership by attraction [09:07] Kevin talks about the emotional intelligence pyramid and the role it plays in leadership [10:57] What self management or self-regulation means and what it involves [13:35] Why time and curiosity are important for leaders who want to practice in self-management [16:30] Roadblocks that Kevin faces when helping leaders to overcome their insecurities [18:34] How leadership by attraction works and why it’s considered as a lifelong journey In this episode… Some people are natural born leaders and that’s great. But leadership is something that can be cultivated and developed, especially when you’re looking to practice leadership by attraction. And for Kevin McHugh, there are steps that you can take to become the leader that will inspire the people who are set to follow you. In this episode, J. Kevin McHugh is interviewed by John Corcoran of Rise25 where they discuss what leadership by attraction means, how the emotional intelligence pyramid plays a role in leadership, and the challenges that leaders and CEOs face as they try to work on their own brand of leadership. Stay tuned.

Lisa Stein is the Founder and CEO of Revolutions Inc. She is a tech entrepreneur from Columbus, Ohio who previously worked in an industrial design firm and Cardinal Health. Lisa also founded a software company that was called ORIS Intelligence which was purchased in July last year by PriceSpider. Here’s a glimpse of what you’ll learn: [01:19] Kevin McHugh introduces his guest, Lisa Stein [02:38] Lisa talks about her company, what she does, and what keeps her focused [06:09] Lisa reminisces on her childhood and her family’s entrepreneurial background [08:29] How growing up with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) child with a supportive family worked to Lisa’s benefit [10:26] Lisa shares what she learned from working for companies and how this helped ignite her entrepreneurial side [11:58] Lisa’s first entrepreneurial venture and her first mentor as a budding entrepreneur [12:51] The value of a mentor and learning from others before embarking on entrepreneurship [15:47] Why the fear of failure will always exist and what you can learn from the inevitable experience with it [19:04] What Lisa has learned about leading people and why there is no downside to transparency and in owning up to your own mistakes [20:12] How being a woman in her 50s has helped Lisa expand her self awareness and her ability to accept her own shortcomings [22:53] Lisa looks back at experiencing being fired and what she was learned from that moment [24:56] Lisa and Kevin talk about receiving negative feedback and how you can see it in a positive note [27:24] The value of having effective and consistent communication when working and managing a remote team [32:45] The importance of institutionalizing the company’s value system and having every person in the team on board [34:31] Kevin and Lisa talk about the imposter syndrome and how it can affect you more than it can affect your team [36:22] How being optimistic about your chances of winning and working with people with collaborative energy is a recipe for success [37:55] Kevin shares his takeaways from the book Good to Great [39:54] Lisa talks about what it’s like running a generational family business [42:47] Kevin's summary of sheer clarity moments from this episode [44:18] Lisa's advice to her younger self: Worry less about what other people think and don’t assume that people’s behavior has anything to do with you [46:05] Where to learn more about Lisa's companies In this episode… Being a leader is a tough job, but learning how to accept that your team might be failing because of you is an even tougher pill to swallow. But this comes with the territory, and learning how you can improve things to make everything work better for everyone is crucial in bringing your company to a pinnacle of success. Lisa Stein is the CEO of Revolutions Inc., the largest retailer of durable medical equipment in the US. She comes from a family of entrepreneurs and she has been exposed to the ups and downs of entrepreneurial life from an early age. And Lisa has so many things to share with budding and established entrepreneurs alike when it comes to business. On this episode of Sheer Clarity, J. Kevin McHugh talks to Lisa about what it was like growing up within such a vibrant entrepreneurial environment, and how this shaped her view of what it means to be an entrepreneur. They also talk about the value of efficient and consistent communication when working with a remote team, why it’s important to remain transparent and open as a leader, and how self-awareness helps you become the best version of yourself. Stay tuned.

Toby LaVigne is the CEO of CleanMark Labels, a multinational label manufacturer headquartered in the pacific northwest. He and his team strive to live the word of God in everything they do in order to succeed not just as a business but to make prosperity possible for everyone involved. Toby feels a deep responsibility to help everyone he can in their hunt for purpose. In this episode… We’ve all been conditioned from when we were kids to learn that the world is about a push to be goal getters and get rewarded. But what we fail to realize early on is that people who have that go ‘get’em’ attitude often exude a repelling force or energy. And for Toby LaVigne, that force stagnates growth and makes it hard for people to be attracted to you at some point. So you have to shift from a push to a pull approach. Toby is the CEO of CleanMark Labels, a multinational label manufacturer headquartered in the pacific northwest. His vision for his role is a deep responsibility to help everyone he can on their hunt for purpose so that together they can make the next American dream possible. In this episode, Toby talks to Kevin McHugh about how making the transition from push to pull requires some serious rewiring of your underlying belief system about what the game is, shifting your old beliefs to new beliefs and eventually changing old behaviors to new ones. Stay tuned.

Dave Maney is a national economic and financial writer and commentator. He's also the executive chair and co-founder of Deke Digital, a digital media company that combines their deep knowledge of industry segments and their understanding of the ever-changing media landscape. Deke Digital uses knowledge and experience of the complex world of digital marketing to create innovative and highly effective marketing programs and solutions. Dave has written a number of publications and columns for national publications, and he’s frequently seen on and is a commentator on Fox Business, as well as on CNBC, Fox News, and CNN. 02:20] Kevin introduces his guest, Dave Maney [03:40] Dave Maney talks about Deke Digital [05:54] Dave talks about his early entrepreneurial experiences that culminated into the beginnings of Deke Digital [11:05] What is the real essence of the mission statement of Dave’s company [15:57] The truth about the value of sharing your knowledge [21:14] Why you need to zero in on the role that you are going to play in your business [23:56] Dave talks about how we all learn best through painful failure [28:41] Dave shares why you cannot fail if you’re doing something that you truly love [32:31] Dave talks about the bridging moment or the risk you take in letting somebody else do a job that you usually do [35:58] Identifying what risk means to you and what you can get from it [40:27] Why knowing yourself can give you the confidence to take the risks that your business needs you to do [46:34] What advice would Dave give to his younger self? In this episode… Are you somebody who already owns a business but feel like it’s time to bring things up a notch? Do you have any idea on where to start? Do you have the guts to do what it takes to take that risk for your business? For Dave Maney, these are the things you need to think of the moment you decide that you’re ready to step up your business A-game and bring things to a whole new level. And this, he says, is where his team can help you best. Dave Maney is the executive chair and co-founder of Deke Digital, a digital marketing company. Their company thrives on the success stories that they have made for their clients who are primarily dynamic financial services and healthcare organizations through their expert media marketing services. In this episode, Kevin talks to Dave about identifying the best role you can play in your own business, recognizing the necessary risks you need to make, and the importance of knowing yourself in order to have the confidence to do what needs to be done. Stay tuned. Resources Mentioned in this episode Deke Digital Dave Maney on LinkedIn Dave Maney on Twitter Sheer Clarity J. Kevin McHugh J. Kevin McHugh on LinkedIn Sponsor for this episode... JKM Management Development was developed by J. Kevin McHugh himself in 1990. They provide executive life and leadership coaching and the development of leadership teams that operate with extreme trust and honesty-based on the Sheer Clarity principles. They work with founding entrepreneurs, Fortune 500 executives, and closely-held family businesses of every size and shape. They have helped these entities develop and integrate trust, honesty, and a certain sense of vulnerability into their organizations.

The Sheer Clarity podcast is getting ready to evolve. Moving forward, episodes of Sheer Clarity are going to feature interviews with business leaders from companies of every shape and size, sharing how they are putting their leadership skills and practices to use in the world. We'll talk about what they have learned as leaders by attraction, what mistakes they have made, and what lessons they want to sheer with you as you strive to become a leader by attraction. Look out for the first new interview episode featuring Dave Maney, CEO of Deke Digital.

If I aspire to be in a leadership role, how can I get there? What should I do to get myself to be identified and placed in such a role? How do I communicate my ambitions and experiences when I’ve taken on leadership responsibilities but don’t have the title to show for it? If you find yourself asking these questions, this is the episode for you. As an ambitious high achiever, you have probably taken on more than your share of responsibilities at work. At first glance, the terms management and leadership may seem synonymous but in fact, each one requires a very different skillset. As we continue on the journey to sheer clarity, it’s important to not only be able to distinguish between the two but to ensure that you are embodying the key traits of a leader and creating value for your organization. In this episode, Mathew and I investigate what it means to be a leader versus a manager. Mathew shares his experiences in his previous corporate career, and we talk about why a title is not as important as you might think, how to demonstrate and communicate your leadership abilities, key characteristics of a leader, what it means to create value, and so much more! Once you’ve learned the differences between managing and leading you might be wondering whether you’re wired for leadership. We’re going deeper into this topic and looking back at your personality assessments as we explore that aspect next week. Until then, let us know: what has your experience been with communicating your leadership ambitions? Do you feel better able to demonstrate them? We look forward to hearing from you! Key Topics: • Mathew’s frustrating experience with having an unofficial leadership role in his corporate career (2:09) • The catch-22 situation you can end up in when you are applying for your first official leadership role (3:05) • One key differentiator between a leader and a task-doer (5:26) • Why it’s so hard to get your first job in a leadership role (7:29) • How Mathew ended up with unofficial supervisory responsibilities (8:15) • The questions you might ask yourself about communicating your leadership abilities (9:06) • The difference between counting value and creating value (10:06) • What you should ask your boss right now to improve your leadership opportunities (11:24) • The essential connection between leadership and influence (12:19) • Distinguishing between a leader and a good manager (12:40) • How to demonstrate your leadership (14:30) • Why you should use the language of leadership (15:07) • An example of how you should talk about your leadership ambition and experience (15:44) • How to go from a task-doer to a leader (17:04) • Being good at your job doesn’t automatically make you a good leader (20:26) • Using coaching as a leadership tool (22:01) • Why initiative is an integral leadership trait (23:00) • And much more!

If someone who works for you is having serious challenges at home, do you believe that they would confide in you? Being compassionate towards your team is one thing but how do you handle a situation where you are the one who is going through personal issues? In becoming the consummate leader by attraction, compassion in crisis is one of the toughest lessons we have to learn. In previous episodes, we’ve spoken about the importance of creating a culture of caring and in difficult situations like these, the tone from the top becomes even more important. As leaders, we have to be able to not only navigate these situations but also to prepare ourselves to walk the fine line between having compassion and the need for productivity. In this episode, Mathew and I talk about what it means to be compassionate as a leader in times of personal crisis. We dive into the importance of compassion for leaders, the significance of good relationships within a team, how you should set the tone at the top, finding the balance between compassion and the need for productivity, and do much more! As always, thank you for listening! To hear more great stories lessons on leadership, life, and compassion for yourself and others in the workplace, join us on next week’s episode. What has your experience been with compassion in the workplace? Are you open with your team? Have you had to handle a situation with a team member whose productivity suffered? Let us know - we love hearing from you. Key Topics: • How you can benefit from learning about compassion in a crisis (2:32) • The significance of good relationships during a crisis (3:44) • Why a culture of caring starts at the top (4:41) • The questions leaders ask themselves as leaders during a personal crisis (6:52) • Mathew’s dilemma as a business owner (8:29) • How to be honest with yourself about your crisis readiness (9:39) • What the military can teach us about leadership at all levels (11:37) • Figuring out whether you have open and honest relationships in the workplace (12:56) • Walking the fine line between compassion and the need for productivity (14:46) • The real cost of compassion (16:27) • Why high performers find it difficult to be vulnerable (18:09) • The incredible compassion I experienced during a significant personal crisis (19:22) • And much more!

Picture this: You know how valuable it is for people to care about each other, so you organized a team-building retreat. The retreat is a success but within a few weeks of returning to work it all fades away and it’s back to the status quo. What happened? Most work environments are completely counter to this idea of peace, patience, and kindness. The incredibly fast-paced nature of the corporate world has us focused on productivity and performance metrics and in all likelihood, there is no time being carved out for reconnection. So how can you make the shift towards compassion and support? In this episode, Mathew and I explore why you should create a culture of caring. We discuss how most corporate environments inherently displace kindness and caring, our biases about spending time connecting, why leaders should care about their teams, how you can start to walk the talk and lead your team into openness, and so much more! Thanks for listening! Check out the YouTube page for full episodes and our new Moments of Sheer Clarity directly from me to give you that extra boost of sheer clarity between our weekly episodes. Remember to share your experiences, feedback, and questions with us - we love hearing from you. Key Topics: • Why being in touch with yourself is critical for leaders (3:15) • How your workplace culture counteracts the progress you make on retreats (6:31) • The effect of the super-fast corporate pace on kindness and sensitivity (8:38) • The problem with our approach to time-wasting (9:33) • How you can implement reconnection time in your organization (11:34) • Why should you make time to care? (13:12) • Mathew’s experience with developing personal relationships with his team (14:45) • What happens to leaders who fundamentally do not care (17:21) • The steps you can take to foster a culture of caring (18:25) • Your role as a leader in normalizing vulnerability (20:21) • Why you need to nurture relationships of caring (21:00) • And much more!

If you’re using retreats as a catch-all for everything you want to get done in your company, then this episode is for you. As leaders, we have to have a long-term focus but that same focus can cause us to skip over the essentials which need to be in place before strategic planning can happen. Without connection, your team is just a workgroup that is not equipped to adapt and succeed when plans go awry. To build that connection, team building should be your priority. To help with that I’m sharing the critical elements you need to incorporate into your retreats – and no, we’re not talking about trust falls. In this episode, Mathew and I talk about the right way to plan a retreat. We discuss where most retreats go wrong, what it means to be a team, why you should prioritize relationships, how to structure your retreats, why you can’t tackle several issues in one retreat, the importance of a leader’s vision, and so much more! If you’re tuning in for the first time, I highly recommend going back and listening to our early episodes about trust, honesty and appropriate vulnerability. These elements are the foundation for becoming a leader by attraction and play a key role on the path to sheer clarity. As always, thank you for listening and please continue to share your feedback, questions, and experiences - we love hearing from you! Key Topics: • Why we’re talking about retreats today (0:44) • Where a lot of companies go wrong with their retreats (3:45) • The importance of the meeting before the meeting (4:34) • Why team building should be your primary focus (5:46) • Building trust within a team (6:22) • What every seasoned executive does in their first six months (8:17) • The elements that make a team more than a workgroup (10:38) • How a team responds to unexpected challenges (14:46) • Why I hate trust falls (15:56) • Planning a retreat that encourages honesty, vulnerability, and disclosure (17:14) • Questions you can ask to help team members get to know each other (19:54) • The significance of the leader’s vision in closely-held businesses (23:42) • Figuring out the long-term vision for your company (24:19) • How you should approach planning your retreat (26:36) • The benefits from a recent retreat focused on building a connection (27:53) • And much more!

Happy New Year! Around this time of year you’re bound to be getting a lot of countdowns and “Best of” lists so we thought, let's join the party. Following the conventions, we’re giving you the top five themes of Sheer Clarity in 2019. As a bonus, we’re also sharing a sneak peek at how the show is going to evolve in 2020 and the exciting changes we have in store for you. In this episode, Mathew and I share the most popular themes from the show in 2019 and discuss our takeaways. We talk about how to go beyond a simple apology, using the 24-hour rule for handling tension, the connection between self-honesty and self-reflection, the importance of quiet time, how vulnerability can help you in the battle with imposter syndrome, the New Year’s resolutions you need to make, and so much more! Thank you so much to everybody who is taking part in this adventure with us of Sheer Clarity. We would love your feedback on what we've been doing and what you'd like to hear from us in 2020. All of your support and feedback so far has been phenomenal and we know we can't do without you. Key Topics: • Exciting changes in store for the podcast in 2020 (1:28) • A sneak peek at the first guest who will be interviewed on the show (1:45) • Top Theme #5: Appropriate vulnerability (4:01) • Hitting the ceiling as an entrepreneur (6:01) • The signature moment from a vulnerability session I recently led (6:18) • How to go beyond simply saying you’re sorry (7:07) • Using the 24-hour rule for handling tension in an important relationship (7:45) • How Mathew benefitted from using the 24-hour rule (9:16) • The additional step you can use to gain clarity before talking to the other party (9:48) • Top Theme #4: Honesty (11:44) • The connection between self-honesty and self-reflection (12:12) • How a lack of self-honesty can contribute to conflicts with your team (14:28) • The significance of sitting in silence (15:33) • Top Theme #3: How Will You Measure Your Life? (17:23) • Finding a work-life balance (18:41) • Why I have people deliver their eulogy from three perspectives (21:15) • Top Theme #2: Battling Imposter Syndrome (22:33) • Why CEOs of closely-held businesses are so susceptible to imposter syndrome (23:30) • Embracing the doubt with humility (24:41) • How vulnerability can help you in the battle with imposter syndrome (25:06) • Mathew’s experience with overcoming his imposter syndrome (27:01) • My experience with imposter syndrome as a board member (28:17) • Top Theme #1: Trust (30:35) • The difference between a workgroup and a team (31:45) • The hard truth about how to resolve the issue of team members who can’t trust each other (33:40) • The New Year’s resolutions that will help you start strong in 2020 (36:51) • And much more! Mentioned in this Episode: • Our series on appropriate vulnerability: o Sheer Clarity Episode 7 | Appropriate Vulnerability Part 1: What is It? o Sheer Clarity Episode 8 | Appropriate Vulnerability Part 2: How to be Appropriately Vulnerable as a Leader o Sheer Clarity Episode 9 | Appropriate Vulnerability Part 3: Encouraging it in Others • The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) • Gino Wickman’s Book | Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business • Our series on honesty: o Sheer Clarity Episode 4 | Honesty Part 1: Deep Self-Reflection o Sheer Clarity Episode 5 | Honesty Part 2: Being Honest with Other People o Sheer Clarity Episode 6 | Honesty Part 3: Knowing When Others Are Honest With You • Honesty with Others Pre-Flight Checklist • Sheer Clarity Episode 11 | How Will You Measure Your Life? • Clayton M. Christensen’s Harvard Business Review Article | How Will You Measure Your Life? • Sheer Clarity Episode 10 | Battling Imposter Syndrome • Our series on trust: o Sheer Clarity Episode 2 | Trust Part 1: Characteristics of a Trusting Relationship o Sheer Clarity Episode 3 | Trust Part 2: The Character to Command Trust • My Trust Chart • My LinkedIn Article | How To Become a Better Leader By Building and Gaining Trust • New Year’s Resolutions Checklist: o I will be more vulnerable o I will be more open o I will be more honest with myself o I will actually look at my work-life balance and do a better job with it o I will battle any imposter syndrome symptoms o I will not try to fake it, I will at least be honest o I will work on trust and if I’ve got a trust problem, I will go and make every effort to address it. • Our series on feedback: o Sheer Clarity Episode 17 | The Philosophy of Feedback o Sheer Clarity Episode 18 | The Positive Side of Feedback o Sheer Clarity Episode 19 | Navigating Negative Feedback • My LinkedIn Article | How To Deliver Effective Feedback

Happy Holidays! Whatever it is that you celebrate at this time of year, as long as you do it with love and kindness, we hope that you are having a great celebration. In this season of gift-giving, we want to highlight the gifts we’ve received from you, our listeners and give you some things to think about as you're getting ready to start 2020 with a bang. In this episode, Mathew and I review your feedback and answer questions from our listener mailbag. We talk about being thankful for the gifts we received this year, what some listeners have shared about how the show has impacted them and their team, how to have an honest conversation with a defensive boss, the what and why of introducing vulnerability into the workplace, and so much more! Thank you to everybody who has provided feedback, support, and encouragement so far. If you haven't reached out yet, we still want to hear from you! Share the experiences you’ve had on your journey to becoming the consummate leader by attraction and let us know how we can help you even more. Again, thank you for allowing us to be a part of your journey. Key Topics: • Why we’re thankful for the gifts we’ve been given (0:56) • A look at some of the feedback we’ve received for the show (3:20) • Why your light is important as a leader by attraction (4:33) • The impact of considering your motive on the feedback process (7:56) • How to be honest with a defensive boss (11:06) • Why you should prioritize your team members (12:30) • My step-by-step approach for communicating your concerns about your relationship with your boss (13:19) • When to avoid having an honest conversation with your boss (17:35) • The right way to introduce vulnerability into the workplace (20:00) • The deeper meaning of vulnerability (21:10) • What to do when you find yourself in a position beyond your experience (21:30) • Why should you care about vulnerability in the workplace (23:36) • The power of storytelling and connection (24:09) • My four power questions about storytelling (25:10) • And much more! Mentioned in this Episode: • Our series on feedback: o Sheer Clarity Episode 17 | The Philosophy of Feedback o Sheer Clarity Episode 18 | The Positive Side of Feedback o Sheer Clarity Episode 19 | Navigating Negative Feedback • Our series on appropriate vulnerability: o Sheer Clarity Episode 7 | Appropriate Vulnerability Part 1: What is It? o Sheer Clarity Episode 8 | Appropriate Vulnerability Part 2: How to be Appropriately Vulnerable as a Leader o Sheer Clarity Episode 9 | Appropriate Vulnerability Part 3: Encouraging it in Others • Sheer Clarity Episode 10 | Battling Imposter Syndrome • The Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) • My four power questions about storytelling: o Share a memory of a happy time or a happy event that you have in your life as a child. o Tell a story about one of your life's most challenging times or situations. o Tell a lesson that you have learned from the challenges you faced because those are the ones that tend to teach us and how it has affected the way you treat other people. o Tell us one thing going on in your life that gives you joy and one thing that makes you sad.

In our last episode, we started to explore how our brains talk to us through our inner voices. Now we’re shifting gears and looking at the practical side of things and what you can do to manage your headspace as a leader. To be a super leader by attraction, you have to exhibit a level of calm and control that causes people to have confidence in you. And that outward expression of being present and engaged only comes from emotional intelligence developed through reflection and self-awareness. By doing the inner work to understand yourself, you can work on your weaknesses and ultimately become a stronger leader overall. In this episode, Mathew and I discuss how to develop your awareness of your primary and disowned selves. We talk about why managing your headspace is a necessary leadership skill, how our fast-paced lives conflict with the need for quiet reflection, the consequences of not exploring your inner voices, how our sub-personalities are developed, and so much more! If these discussions have triggered something inside of you, we want to know. We'd love for you to share your experiences with us and let us know how you manage your head space. Did you try the exercises we shared in this episode? Have you discovered anything about yourself that you weren’t aware of? We look forward to hearing from you. Key Topics: • Why leaders need a high level of self-awareness (1:01) • Mathew’s key takeaways from our first episode about the inner voices (5:21) • How the fast pace of our lives makes it hard to be reflective (6:37) • The surprising impact of 5 minutes of quiet time (9:16) • Why you should make an appointment with yourself this week (10:00) • The consequences of not exploring your inner voices (11:52) • Giving yourself and others the gift of quiet time (13:13) • The fundamental function of our primary selves (14:19) • How your childhood impacted the development of your primary self system (14:56) • Where disowned selves arise from (16:43) • What you can learn from being aware of your disowned energy (18:03) • How to identify your disowned self (19:34) • The exercise you should do to connect with your inner voices (20:55) • And much more! Mentioned in this Episode: • Voice Dialogue

Today we’re talking about the voices in your head. Right now, they’re probably speaking to you, saying what on earth is he talking about. Doing work on my inner voices has been transformational for me and after listening to this episode, I want you to at least start to be conscious of yours. Your brain speaks to you through your thoughts. For humans, these thoughts go so many layers deep that sometimes you might not even be aware that they’re there. Do you want to be more in control of your situation and to have the opportunity not to react at the first sign of trouble? As a leader, I want to challenge you to do a better job of listening to those underlying thought streams. In this episode, Matt and I explore our inner voices and thought streams. We talk about the art of hearing yourself, the Voice Dialogue model, where these inner voices come from, how you can respond to them, why this awareness is important as a leader, why you need to figure out your natural energy patterns, the problem with being unaware of your primary selves, and so much more! We’re going to continue talking about listening to the inner voice on our next episode. Until then, let us know what discussions you had with your inner voices while listening to this episode. Will it change how you lead and interact with people on a daily basis? What questions did this raise for you? We look forward to hearing from you. Key Topics: • What the voices in Mathew’s head are saying about his personality assessment (2:15) • How your brain speaks to you (3:57) • Mathew’s thought streams as we’re recording the show (5:27) • The changes to Mathew’s thought streams since receiving his personality assessment (6:02) • Developing the art of hearing yourself (7:34) • Why you might not even be fully aware of all your thoughts (8:33) • How I became familiar with the Voice Dialogue model (9:30) • The Voice Dialogue methodology (10:24) • The role that your primary selves fulfill (12:34) • Having a conversation with yourself about external situations (14:02) • The connection between selves and energy (15:42) • How our selves are developed (16:38) • Measuring preferences through a personality profile (18:03) • The two primary sets of voices (19:35) • Why primary energies can be so tiring (20:16) • Figuring out your natural energy patterns (20:39) • The problem with being unaware of your natural energy patterns (21:19) • Balancing your opposing selves (22:52) • And much more! Mentioned in this Episode: • Frequently Asked Questions • Voice Dialogue Models • Hal and Sidra Stone, founders of Voice Dialogue

Whenever a group of people comes together, conflict can occur. Whether it’s a squabble over misplaced Tupperware or a fundamental disagreement about how to handle a client’s account, the result tends to be two people being angry simultaneously with each other. Regardless of how it all started, someone has to make the first move toward resolution. Many people hold on tightly to their anger, thinking that the offense committed against them cannot be excused, however, forgiveness doesn't mean you have to let go of the fact that a transgression was committed. Forgiveness means letting go for your own sake, with no requirement for positive feelings towards the other person. But what do you do when the person you need to forgive is yourself? With interpersonal forgiveness, no reconciliation is needed but in self-forgiveness it’s essential. So how do you navigate these negative thoughts and feelings? And why should you even take on this task that’s often easier said than done? In this episode, Mathew and I break down what it means to forgive. We talk about how conflicts can arise at home and in the workplace, why you don’t need to forgive and forget, the consequences of letting resentment fester, how grace is different from forgiveness, why it’s so difficult to forgive yourself, and so much more! We would love to hear from you about your experiences with getting and granting forgiveness, the lessons you have learned and the struggles you have had with it. Email Kevin at kevin@sheerclarity.com or share your comments and feedback through the form on our home page. Tune in next week as you continue on the path to becoming a successful leader by attraction. Key Topics: Our Thanksgiving experiences (0:44) Defining forgiveness (2:51) Why letting go is an essential element of forgiveness (3:30) How to forgive while disengaging from a negative situation (4:30) Separating forgiveness from reconciliation (6:31) What it takes to be able to forgive and let go (7:10) How grace differs from forgiveness (7:35) Why forgiveness is important for the forgiver (9:15) How anger and resentment can show up in the workplace (9:43) Detaching forgiveness from having positive feelings towards the offender (12:24) Recognizing when you need to forgive yourself (13:20) Why it’s so hard to forgive yourself (15:11) Navigating self-forgiveness (16:42) And much more! Mentioned in this Episode: Brené Brown, Researcher and Storyteller

This week, in the spirit of this Thanksgiving holiday, we’re taking a closer look at gratitude and what it means for the consummate leader by attraction.

In today’s episode, Mathew becomes the subject of a tried-and-tested behavioral assessment facilitated by Kevin. The subject of Mathew coming under public scrutiny is met with nervous laughter initially. However, we come to realize that such a thing as a “good” or “bad” reading doesn’t exist: the assessment is not a value judgment. This is because a perceived strength can always translate into a shortcoming, with the reverse being true as well. Kevin’s years of coaching experience become clear as he guides the audience through the structure of the test, all the while divulging the reading it gave Mathew at each stage. Kevin makes some lucid observations about how certain personalities just aren’t cut out for particular work environments, and how the test can help prevent this through its predictions. Finally, Mathew gets a chance to speak about whether the assessment’s observations hold any truth. Tune in to engage in this fascinating passageway into the human personality, and to find out why Kevin is grateful to have somebody with Mathew’s personality-type as a co-worker.

This episode of Sheer Clarity is all about personality assessments, inventories, and how you can utilize them to expand your understanding of yourself and those around you. For most of us, our natural personality and behaviors are solidified by our mid-twenties, and once we know how we operate, we can use that information to play to our strengths and our weaknesses, rather than fight them. When we are more self-aware, we can communicate better with those around us, and be more efficient in the workplace. In this episode, we discuss the components that make up your personality, how personality assessments work under the DiSC system, and how to use personality tests to become a great leader. Here, we talk about the dominance construct and what this can reveal about us, as well as the importance of leading with your vulnerability and staying in-tune.   Key Points from This Episode: •    Discover how personality assessments were commonly conducted in the past. •    How the influence of digital automation has changed the face of personality assessments today. •    Learn more about the disk system of dominance, influence, steadiness, and complaints. •    Using products like Target Training International (TTI) for a deep analysis of the data. •    When it comes to self-assessment, how accurate are personality assessments really? •    Why the dominance construct is used as a personality measurement and what it reveals. •    From genetics to thought patterns: discover the components that make up your personality. •    Your natural personality won’t change much over time, but your approach to it can. •    How leaders can use personality information to improve themselves and team dynamics. •    Getting in tune with your natural style and knowing how it has created problems for you. •    The importance of leading with your vulnerability, what that looks like, and how to do it. •    And much more! Mentioned in Today’s Episode: Target Training International (TTI)

This episode of Sheer Clarity is all about power in the workplace and how it is exerted by different levels of leadership. Whether it is the CEO or a low-level manager, power plays out in relationships and interactions all the time. There is such an array of ways that it can manifest and the main assertion of this discussion is that when we exercise power in the right kind of ways, in aid of those affected by it, it can make a colossal difference compared to when we are negligent, ignorant and abusive. We have all probably been on both sides of this dynamic and while the feeling of being dominated and ignored is not something easy to forget, we need to keep this mind whenever interacting and dealing with power. There is a natural dimension to how power is directed down the chain of command and its diminishing distribution but there is also a universal and cultural aspect to how an organization is led and how it influences all aspects through this. We want to remind you of the positive and enabling dimension to power and encourage you to foster more honey than vinegar in your approach, the results will speak for themselves! For all and a bunch more, be sure to check this episode out!

In this episode, we explore the power of vulnerability for leaders in business

Using the issues clearing model to re-open channels of communication which have broken down completely.

In this episode, we look at how to break through the barriers associated with negative feedback.

This week we’re back with Part 2 on the topic of feedback. Now that we’ve gotten clear on the philosophy of feedback, we’re drilling down into the first of the two dimensions of feedback: positive feedback.

Feedback is a topic with which I have an ongoing love-hate relationship. It’s extremely common in business settings and for many people, it brings up painful memories of tedious annual performance reviews which never resulted in any progress. But done right, feedback is at the core of every successful team.

The 20 questions you should ask yourself today, how self-reflection about the halftime can help you to become a better leader, the effects of a midlife crisis on leadership, why significance is more important than success, how you can benefit from the self-reflection of halftime even if you’re not yet at that age, and so much more!

What is halftime and how does it work? When is the halftime of life? What questions will you ask yourself?

What is a worldview and why you need to get clear on it.

Help you develop the virtue of humility in yourself as you continue on the path to sheer clarity.

To help you on the path to sheer clarity, today we’re unpacking humility and the misconceptions that often surround it.

While we can be focused on all the things that the world wants us to focus on, that’s not what you're going to be remembered for.

How do you deal with imposter syndrome, how can it get in the way, and how do you manage it appropriately

How to encourage people in the workplace to be vulnerable with you and key techniques you can use to encourage that vulnerability.

How to approach vulnerability as a leader and how to put yourself in a vulnerable position that’s appropriate

What is appropriate vulnerability, what it means in a corporate setting, and why do you need it as a business leader.

Creating an environment that supports honest feedback

The pre-honesty checklist, which covers the most important steps you should work through before being honest with others

What self-honesty means in the context of work and how it relates to your development as a leader

Assessing someone’s character and the sub-conscious judgements that we make as a result.

Breaking down trust to its core components and a deep dive into the first leg of the trust tree, competence.

An introduction to Sheer Clarity

Hi, I'm J.Kevin McHugh, and this podcast is your chance to get more than 25 years worth of business leadership coaching and strategies that are aimed at helping C-Suite Executives and other leaders like you develop trusting, honest, and healthy relationships at work. This is Sheer Clarity. Learn more and subscribe today at SheerClarity.com