84: Do Big Things – Mobilize Hearts and Minds and Make an Epic Impact as a Leader with Craig Ross

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Ep84 Do Big Things Mobilize hearts and minds and make an epic impact as a leader with Craig Ross on the TalentGrow Show with Halelly Azulay

One of the biggest reasons for divisiveness and lack of productivity in the workplace is a lack of true connection within the team. It's not enough to ask questions like "what are we doing, how are we doing it, and who's responsible?"

One of the biggest reasons for divisiveness and lack of productivity in the workplace is a lack of true connection within the team. It’s not enough to ask questions like “what are we doing, how are we doing it, and who’s responsible?” As leaders, we need to be asking the deeper questions that relate to our ultimate purpose and vision if we want to foster true connectedness within our team. In this motivating episode of The TalentGrow Show, author and leadership expert Craig Ross talks about what he means by “bringing humanity to the workplace,” and how we as leaders can bridge the divisiveness within our own teams that may be hindering our productivity. Learn about what Craig calls the Energy Map and discover the six key points of Craig’s leadership framework from his latest book, Do Big Things. And most importantly, find out the questions you should be asking your team today to inspire connectedness and a shared sense of purpose in the workplace!

ABOUT CRAIG ROSS

Craig Ross is the CEO of Verus Global and co-author of Do Big Things: The Simple Steps Teams Can Take to Mobilize Hearts and Minds and Make an Epic Impact. Over the past 20 years, Craig has distinguished himself as a trusted partner to leaders and teams at best-in-class organizations all over the world, such as P&G, Nestle, Cigna, Alcon, Universal and Oceaneering, equipping them with proven processes and tools to immediately increase their capabilities, create stronger work teams, and accelerate business results.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

  • Halelly plays back an audio-snippet from a listener who shared their feedback about The TalentGrow Show! (2:15)
  • One of the most influential ways to affect families is through the workplace (6:20)
  • Craig shares a real-life example of the struggles that arise from a lack of connection between a leader and their team (7:37)
  • Craig encourages leaders to ask not only the boilerplate execution questions, but also higher-class questions related to purpose and vision (8:49)
  • What are some ways for leaders in the “frozen middle” to deal with problems in the workplace? (10:05)
  • Changing behaviors is not an intellectual exercise; it's the business of the heart (11:12)
  • Say what’s important, and say why it’s important (11:45)
  • Craig and Halelly discuss the problem of leaders feeling like they are not in control (12:08)
  • Craig summarizes the six key points of the leadership framework from his book (12:37)
  • What it means to take charge and accept responsibility and accountability as a leader (14:01)
  • Craig describes what he calls the energy map, and what you can do today to help ensure that everyone on your team has a shared reality (17:08)
  • Craig talks about the immense value of the positive psychology movement, but how it is not necessarily the ultimate solution to the problems he is addressing (20:14)
  • What’s new and exciting on Craig’s horizon? (20:59)
  • Halelly shares her own experience with divisiveness, and why she appreciates Craig’s attempts to create more connectedness. But how can we really achieve it? (22:10)
  • One specific action item you can take to bring your leadership effectiveness up a notch (24:06)
  • Halelly and Craig concretize the action-step even further (25:00)

RESOURCES

Transcript:

Episode 84 Craig Ross

TEASER CLIP: Craig: You’ll see a team come in and perhaps an issue has happened – I’ll use just another example, working with another team – they have growth plans for 2018 which are just astronomical. You could predict it, can’t you? You get a third of the team that says, “No way. We’re never going to do this.” You’ve got a third of the team that says, “I need more facts. I need more data.” And you get a third of the team that is typically optimistic, saying, “Let’s go. Let’s do this!” What you’ve got right there in that little meeting, three groups that are not functioning from a shared reality. And so step number six is using something we call the energy map, and I can give you examples of that if you’d like, to ensure that that team has a shared reality.

[MUSIC] Announcer: Welcome to the TalentGrow Show, where you can get actionable results-oriented insight and advice on how to take your leadership, communication and people skills to the next level and become the kind of leader people want to follow. And now, your host and leadership development strategist, Halelly Azulay.

Halelly: TalentGrowers, welcome back. I’m so glad you’re here to listen to episode 84. I’m Halelly Azulay, your leadership development strategist and episode 84 features leadership expert and author Craig Ross. We’re going to talk about how to ask deeper questions as a leader and how to bridge over what you might be feeling some divisiveness on your team, lots of leaders do. He talks about the six key points that are the leadership framework that he describes in his book, and he will describe on the show for us. But before we get into it, I wanted to play for you a very short sound bite that I received from a listener of the show who actually also happens to be a former guest of the show. I’ll let you listen to it because it’s a great way to demonstrate to you what you could do, also, by leaving me a voicemail on my website. There is a little black tab on the right side, whether you’re looking on a mobile device or on your desktop. There is an easy-to-use voice recording way for you to leave me feedback, to ask a question, to make a comment, to make a request, and I would love to hear from you. And, I could play your voice tidbit on a future episode of the TalentGrow Show. So let’s take a quick listen to this message:

Yoram Solomon: Hi Halelly. This is Yoram Solomon. I just wanted to share with you and with your listeners how much I enjoy your TalentGrow Show. You interviewed me there. I listened to a few episodes before, and ever since. Your show is addictive. I really enjoy your style, your interviews and the people that you bring on that show. I don’t listen to radio anymore in my car. I listen to your show. So thanks for doing that. It’s a great show. Keep doing it. It’s really helpful. Thank you.

Halelly: Yoram, thank you very much for taking the time with your busy schedule to leave this generous feedback. I really appreciate it. And everyone, I want to hear from you, okay? As you’re listening, think about what questions do you have for me? What feedback do you have for me? What requests do you have of me? Go ahead and leave me a voicemail, I would love to hear it. Without further ado, let’s get into episode 84.

Welcome back TalentGrowers. This is Halelly Azulay, your leadership development strategist here at TalentGrow, and I am here today with Craig Ross, who is a facilitator, coach, author, speaker and CEO of Verus Global. He works with a lot of different Fortune 100 clients like P&G, Cigna, Nestle, Universal and Ford, and I really look forward to bringing some leadership advice and actionable ideas from Craig. Welcome to the TalentGrow Show Craig.

Craig: Halelly, thank you. I’m excited to be with you.

Halelly: I’m really excited that you’ve come, and before we get into the meat and potatoes of our conversation today, I’d love for you to describe to our audience a little bit about your professional journey. Where did you start and how did you get to here?

Craig: You know, a professional journey is often a life journey, isn’t it? Growing up on a farm in Minnesota with depression-era parents, I learned a lot from my dad about utilizing everything. We never threw anything away. My mother very civic-minded, so every person has value. So I carried that into the workforce with me as I was becoming an adult, and I quickly learned that, one person said, hanging up their humanity. People were setting their humanity aside as they did their work and I remember as a young person thinking, “Do I want to do this?” And so the choice was, leave for the Himalayas and be a poet, and that didn’t seem like it was going to work for me, and so I decided to do something about it and was really fortunate to be introduced to the founder of our organization some 20 years ago. The rest is history, as they say.

Halelly: Oh wow, tell me more about that. I don’t think I knew about this transition. It sounds like you came into an organization that already existed and then become the CEO later?

Craig: You’re right. One of the early jobs I had was as a college basketball coach. That was really my original passion, as an educator of course, in both the high school level, collegiate and so forth. I’ll never forget, Halelly, sitting in a locker room. I know exactly what game it was. I was so upset at our players. I didn’t have the approach. I wasn’t consistent with what I wanted to be as a human being, and I remember functioning the way I’d been coached, and that was trying to … somehow I had learned that if you wanted people to change their behaviors, you had to make them feel bad. If things got bad enough, people would change. Of course that’s not right. I remember at the end of that game, the end of that season, getting fired, losing my job, and I happened to actually lose my marriage at the same time. Really the bottom of my life. Someone introduced me to a book called The 10 Greatest Gifts I Give my Children, which our founder wrote and published and still is published by Simon and Schuster, and it literally transformed how I went about my life and engaging with others. I asked to join and was fortunate enough to be invited to do so.

Halelly: Wow. And what a journey it’s been. For how long have you been a part of Verus?

Craig: It’s been just about 20 years now, and started off as a parenting organization because it was the vision of our founder, we wanted to influence families and children. And it was very quickly in that process, we were working with a group of parents and one of these individuals said, “Hey, these are really human interaction skills you’re teaching us. Would you please come speak to my team?” That was actually forward. And so we did. We followed that introduction and again, the rest is history, because we found that one of the most influential ways to affect families is through the workplace. We’ve been very, very fortunate to do it that way.

Halelly: Interesting. So you are an author, and you have a new book that’s just recently come out called Do Big Things. Cool title. In your book you say that a lot of leaders and teams suffer from what you call DSD, and that stands for distracted, stressed and disconnected. I’d love for you to share a little bit more about that and a couple of actionable ideas that I hope listeners will go read your book. But in case they can do something right away, without having read it yet, what do you think is going to help them learn about how to help their teams get results without killing themselves in the process?

Craig: Thank you for bringing this up, Halelly, because I mean, literally just on the East Coast earlier this week, and in an engagement, during a break, speaking with a woman named Cindy, a leader in this organization, and she’s presenting herself as professional. There’s good vibes, she’s a good person. She’s a director, so I think she had a team of seven or eight folks, direct reports. As we’re talking and I’m checking in on how things are going, her voice cracks and I ask another question. Basically it was worded differently, but seriously, how are you doing? It turns out she’s working 70-plus hours a week. She’s not sure her team is going to hit target, probably not by the end of the year. Then she looks at me and says this last piece. She says, “ Essentially, Craig, I’m going home and I’m giving my family my leftovers.” So Cindy is not getting a chance to be the leader she wants to be, she’s not getting a chance to be the person she wants to be, the mother, the spouse she wants to be. Ultimately, through the assessment process and a few more questions, it’s because she and her team are not connected to their purpose. They’re not feeling connected to one another. Obviously it’s difficult to deliver any sort of performance at that point.

One of the things I coached Cindy on, and it’s really within all of us, is we know that questions, when we ask the right questions, we all know that it triggers hearts and minds. The Dalai Lama said it first. He said if we’re going to activate the mind, you have to first activate the heart. Now, I’m not quoting him, that’s the way we say it. We really encourage leaders, and those that are listening, they can do this in their very next meeting. We have to ask the boilerplate execution questions – those are the ones everybody gets every meeting. They sound like this: “When are we going to do this? How are we going to do this? Who is responsible? How will we measure results?” Boilerplate. As human beings, we want to be inspired. We actually want to think at a higher level. So let’s ask what we call a higher class of questions. Let’s ask the purpose questions.

I asked Cindy, I coached her, I asked this question. As we round out the year, how will we ensure we are delivering on our personal and professional purpose every step of the way? Also coached her and asked a vision question. That vision question, another higher-level class question, and that simply is what does success look like as a team, but also as people? As we round out this difficult year? There are more, but those are two that I would absolutely encourage leaders to be asking.

Halelly: How do you help leaders that a lot of times, they feel sandwiched in the middle? I think a lot of listeners experience this, where they’re not totally in charge of what’s going on, but they are in charge of a team and they have to guide them and lead them. So sometimes it’s very challenging to receive orders from above that feel almost impossible. Impossible deadlines, do more with less, that guide them to have to work so many hours and so forth. So, when asking these kinds of questions, and not being the one that determines the ultimate answer, I guess, what are some ways for these leaders to deal with that?

Craig: You know, it’s so painful, speaking with different executive teams that we work with. People don’t want to refer to this, you’re referencing this middle level of leadership and management. And just on the phone the other day, this person said, “I hate to say it, but it’s the frozen middle.” We all know people, we were all in the middle, right? And the frozen middle, why are we frozen? Often times it’s because of the pressures from above, the pressures from below, and of course what we have to do. One of the steps in the Do Big Things framework is ensuring that we’re focusing on what matters. Changing behaviors is not an intellectual exercise. It’s the business of the heart. And so we always encourage leaders to ensure that we’re connecting who we are in terms of how we’re showing up individually and how we’re activating the best in others, and our daily interactions. One of the ways we can do this – and again, we can do this as soon as we get off the call, is we can actually say that as leaders. Such as this, it’s two steps. Say what’s important, and say why it’s important to us. So it could sound like this. In my next meeting I’d say, “You know what’s really, really important? That we are focused on being at our best, as people. Despite all these pressures we’re facing, so that we can focus on what we can control.” And then a beautiful follow-up question is, what can we control right now?

Halelly: What are usually the answers? Do people feel like they have a lot of control?

Craig: You know, that’s an important point and important question, because the higher the level of DST – distracted, overly stressed and disconnected – the less they feel like they have control. So we’re talking basic psychology here, aren’t we? It’s equipping people to give back to that space of being in control and we do that by building the awareness and then equipping them to act on that awareness.

Halelly: Tell us the framework real quick. I’d love to just kind of run down the framework that you present in the book.

Craig: You’ve got it. The first one is commit to the human imperative. It’s just a fact. If people are going to go beyond average or mediocre performance, and quite frankly go beyond what’s typically called high performance, they have to care about one another. We love asking teams this – do you care enough about high performance and delivering great performance to care about each other as teammates? We can stop playing this game of delivering great performance if we’re not going to do that first.

Number two is embodying success. That means actually identifying what it feels like and looks like to be a success first, so that we function with that certainty. Then of course three is identifying how the decisions that we’re making is choosing to make that contributor decision, to bring my best, choosing to of course bring out the best in others. That’s the activator decision. Choosing to partner across the business. Those are choices that we know successful teams are making. Fourth step is addressing barriers. We all have the authority to respond to what’s happening to us in our experience and our world, and with our teams. Every team has a choice and leaders at every level need to ensure that the team is exercising their authority in breaking those barriers in their response.

Halelly: What’s an example of that? I know you’re going to continue to tell us about the rest of them, but I’d love to hear an example. What would be a way for a leader to help people feel, I guess it sounds like accountability, what you’re describing, and taking ownership of doing something about the barriers they perceive?

Craig: You just nailed it. Let’s continue to reference the work I just did this week. This is a client that was in jeopardy of losing a pretty significant account, and of course as they round out the year and think about the new year, it’s a really, really big deal for any team. What the team was beginning to experience is the defense of postures. So the leader of this team is seeing two or three individuals who were responsible for that account saying, “Not me. It’s because of this. It’s because of things that are outside of my control. So again, through using these tools and what we’re going to focus on for the purpose of simplicity, asking higher-level questions, ensuring that the individuals are seizing and acting upon their authority to say, “Wait a minute. What’s my responsibility here and how do I demonstrate my authority to response in – I’ll just say it – an emotionally intelligent manner?” Because of course, as soon as we do that, other people will join us. People want to be great. It really does bring out the best in others then.

Halelly: Nice. Okay, thank you for that. So, I think that was the fourth, right?

Craig: You’ve got it. Thank you, jump in, because I wouldn’t stop, I could go on for quite a while on each one. Step number five is focusing on what matters most. A lot of people will believe that what matters most, a lot of teams, they believe it’s the performance, the outcome. It’s what we can see in the spreadsheet. One of the things that I think leaders, especially at the director level, supervisors, if they want to differentiate themselves, one of the quickest ways they can do that is build capacity in their team. How do you do that? By focusing on how people are interacting with each other. It’s the human connection component. Persuasive, rhetorical techniques aren’t going to get there. In other words, chanting, “Hey, we are one team,” is just a bit of the equation. One of the things we can do, whether through feedback or saying what’s important to us or asking higher classes of questions, we can reinforce what matters most to the performance we have to deliver. That’s step number five.

Step number six is energizing around a shared reality. It is not uncommon for us to observe a team that hasn’t been equipped with this methodology or doesn’t have this awareness. You’ll see a team come in and perhaps an issue has happened and I’ll use another example. Working with another team, they have growth plans for 2018 which are just astronomical. You could predict it, can’t you? You get a third of the team that says, “No way. We’re never going to do this.” You’ve got a third of the team that says, “I need more facts. I need more data.” And you get a third of the team that is typically optimistic, saying, “Let’s go. Let’s do this!” What you’ve got right there in that little meeting, three groups that are not functioning from a shared reality. And so step number six is using something we call the energy map, and I can give you examples of that if you’d like, to ensure that that team has a shared reality.

Halelly: Please!

Craig: The energy map is real simple. I’d like for your listeners to imagine a circle in front of them, and then it’s a bit like a pie. Imagine right in the middle of the circle is a smaller circle. Just put “event” right there. For the team I was just talking about, imagine that event is represented with that incredible growth plan. And then there’s the backside, the left side of this circle, which is where we focus on all the reasons why it won’t work. We focus on the problems we’re facing. We focus on what we don’t like about each other. This is emotional energy, and of course Daniel Goleman has taught us that our emotional energy determines what we focus on. Right in the middle of the energy map is just neutral. Shakespeare said it best: nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so. It’s just neutral energy. And of course in the front side is the focus on solutions. It’s a focus on what are we learning? It’s a focus on what we do like and respect about each other. What your listeners can do, again, in their very next meeting, is with that circle in mind, actually first begin on the backside of the energy map, and ask a question that draws out and allows people to process why they don’t think we’re going to make this growth plan or deliver on this growth plan. It could sound like this: “What are you concerned with about the plan we’re discussing?” If you really want to be candid, “What scares you?” Or, “How?” You’re really taking and creating a shared reality where people are actually there in the backside of the energy map. Of course we can’t stay there, or we’ll go out of business.

So then you go to the second part, the middle part, the natural part of the energy map. And you ask a neutral question. “What do we know for certain right now? What’s our current state? What assets do we have?” And then of course after we’ve discussed current state, now we’re going to finish the meeting on that front side of the energy map with, “Okay, what’s our first step forward? What momentum do we have that we can leverage? What do we learn from past, whether it’s acquisitions, whether it’s product innovations? What did we learn in the past that gives us confidence we can succeed here? What will be necessary? It’s a three-step process that we can work literally in every interaction.

Halelly: That’s nice, because I can see how it allows, first of all, it allows everyone to be acknowledged. That their perspective is discussed and acknowledged, so the naysayers have their chance to say the nay. And the people that are optimistic about the future have a chance to also talk about what they see and so totally get how you say that creates a shared reality. I also like that, in a way, it’s not like you’re sort of being Pollyanna-ish and glossing over the possibilities, but you’re not staying there. You’re not wallowing in that pit. You’re visiting it to pull out of it any kind of insights, but moving forward toward a better future. It seems like a really good cycle to go through and in a good order.

Craig: Halelly, I love, love, love what you’re saying, because this is not about … and by the way, before I even say this, with all do respect, the positive psychology movement is so valuable. There’s so much research there that is so true around our health as human beings and effectiveness as teams, and I want to add, what you just said is so true. This is not an approach about being positive. When a team is facing severe pressures, for the leader of that team to say, “Hey, guys, let’s just be positive,” you and I know we’re not going to get invited to the next meeting if we say that. Because it irritates people. This is about actually facilitating a focus and based around how the brain works, so that we can create positive outcomes. Big difference.

Halelly: Cool. I love it. Well, I’d love for you to share a specific action, but before that, what is something that’s new and exciting on your horizon? What’s got your attention these days?

Craig: Thanks for asking, because as a creative, I’m certainly, and I’m responsible in the CEO role I have for this team, I am phenomenally blessed with an amazing team as we execute and deliver to folks around the world. It enables me to take that next step. One of the things that we’re really fascinated by what’s happening in our world right now is incredible divisiveness, isolation, the antithesis of a one-team approach, if you will. This is despite the fact that most everyone wants to do good things. And so when you think about connectedness, human connectedness, there’s some great research out there and so as I begin to prepare for our next book, it’s around what it means to successfully work together. Everybody knows the value of that. Yet we want to take that next step, beyond doing things in our current book, and equipping leaders to do that more effectively and quicker so we have more fulfilling work experiences.

Halelly: Interesting. On my darker days, I guess, I do feel like we’re becoming more divided. I feel like the social media has given everyone a voice and also immediate access to both facts and opinions and to me, on some days, it feels like we’re working ourselves up into a froth along the divide. So I like that you’re working toward more connectedness, and I do sometimes – listeners of the podcast know I bring out my devil’s advocate hat – yes, it sounds nice, and it’s getting harder and harder. So, saying it is fine, but how do we actually … I know you’re going to write your book about it, but how do we actually do that?

Craig: Well, first of all, I hear you. And I feel your pain. And I share that same pain. And with that, we’ve met before and I know your work, I know that you and those that follow you and listen to these podcasts, we must maintain our great faith in humanity. We’ve been through difficult times before, and so we will choose to agonize and participate or we will choose to model a different way. But the first step, if I were to use the energy map again, is to validate the pain, acknowledge it on the backside of the energy map, because it hurts. Number two, assess current state. Just accept where it is, understand where it is, and then number three, ask ourselves and others that incredible question – what can we do now, together, right now? What can we just do now? The three-step process really does become valuable, at least in terms of keeping my sanity!

Halelly: That was awesome, and we didn’t stage that guys, but Craig just used his energy map on me. Perfect, perfect! What’s one specific action that listeners can take today, this week, to move their own leadership effectiveness up a notch?

Craig: It’s this. I’m grateful you’re asking for this, and it’s simply ask ourselves, an action item that’s reflective, ask ourselves, “Am I tolerating? Am I lowering my standards and expectations for a team that actually cares for one another? That can do big things? That can be called on.” We say they have the whole heart in it. Or am I part of a heart attack team? There’s a big difference. What we see time and time again, Halelly, is that people are actually, they begin to stop believing that it’s possible. So my request and response to your question is take that self assessment, ask yourself, “Am I tolerating something?” And then next is of course identify your action plan to strengthen the team moving forward. Do it quickly.

Halelly: That’s awesome. Let’s concretize it even further. Let’s imagine, listeners, we’re going to reflect on this, they’re driving home from work right now, listening to you and they’re going to do an assessment. Let’s say they decide there’s something they should do. What might be a couple of suggestions of things that they could do, based on that assessment?

Craig: Certainly the items, the tools that you prompted – the action items that we’ve prompted in this podcast – will work. I know that for a fact. Based on the brain research in our 20 years experience. Number two of course, our book. I would recommend that or similar resources. You can find those on our website, VerusGlobal.com. They can reach out to me, Craig@VerusGlobal.com. Happy to supply or provide resources per their request. Here’s also something they can do, is be more intentional on networking. Networking is such a big, scary word that everybody talks about, and we think it’s outside our control. Actually identify the people, your peers, within your current workforce, or within your neighborhood, and be more purposeful and deliberate, and work together to find resolutions. We are not alone in facing what we’re facing with our teams and with our community and our world. It’s about coming together and being more purposeful and taking action on it.

Halelly: That’s a great idea. I love it, because for example, I can think of how if let’s say you’re a manager of a team and you feel isolated in your challenges, if you come together with other people who are also managing teams – even within your organization – and form some kind of a brain trust or a mastermind or a support group or peer networking kind of group of people who are in similar kinds of roles but in different parts of the organization, there are certainly ways you can help each other, teach each other things that have worked for you that they could try, and kind of shorten the learning cycle for everyone. But also have other people to work through these challenges with so that you don’t feel so isolated. That probably by itself will fortify you to move forward. I like that.

Craig: Halelly, one of the things you’re reinforcing is something I always emphasize to younger leaders. It’s something I wish I would have known, much, much clearer, and that is there are solutions available. I think earlier in my career, I was looking for the silver bullet, as they say. I saw all the books, I heard about mastermind groups, I heard about networking, I heard all that. But I think I kept waiting for, “Yeah, but I want it to be easy. Just tell me the one thing I need to do.” Guess what? It actually is easy. All you need to do is apply what we know. Find your source and trust your instincts and take action.

Halelly: Exactly. And it won’t be perfect, and it won’t be everything, but it’ll be something, and it moves you forward.

Craig: It’ll be the something that takes you to the next thing.

Halelly: That’s exactly right. It’s such a challenge sometimes. I have a perfectionist tendency, so sometimes I am completely incapacitated because I don’t move forward because it’s not perfect yet and we have to just make the baby steps towards some things that are imperfect but better than nothing. This has been a fun conversation, Craig, and I really appreciate you sharing your insights with the TalentGrowers. How can, you gave us your website and we’re going to link to everything in the show notes. What are some other ways that people can stay connected with you? Are you active in social media? Are you putting out content in any way that they can …

Craig: Yes, so I love to connect on LinkedIn. You’ll find me there. Of course have the Twitter account @RossBestEver. That’s one of our tools, by the way. I’m not claiming to be the best ever, it’s one of our tools. Of course look for our book in the bookstores the next time, any bookstore, or even in the airport. We’re in most airports as well. Very honored to be so. So we’re definitely out there and happy to engage in that way.

Halelly: Very good. And like I said, we’re going to have the links in the show notes, everyone, so that you can go and grab that book. Because I think it’s going to help you move your team towards greater satisfaction, fulfillment, success, connection. Craig, thanks so much for spending time with us today on the TalentGrow Show.

Craig: Halelly, it’s an honor. Thank you so much.

Halelly: My pleasure. Yes, take action TalentGrowers! Take action and I enjoyed that suggestion of you’re not alone. You don’t have to go it alone. This is such a cool reminder. Here’s the thing – you can have a community of other people who are on a likeminded path, who are working on developing themselves, who are working on developing their leadership skills, and do you know where that can be? On our Facebook group. That is exactly why I created it. I thought it would be an opportunity for you to find other people who are on a similar path, and to compare notes, to share insights, to help support each other. I hope that you will come and join us on that group, because it’s a free place that is welcoming to anyone who is a listener of the TalentGrow Show. But it’s a private group, so it’s not visible by anybody who is not a member of the group. And it’s a great place for us to build a community of likeminded people working together. So, I hope that you will take advantage of that resource. It’s completely free and all you have to do is come on Facebook, search for TalentGrowers community and ask to join. I will accept you and bring you on. That could be how you take action.

Remember at the beginning I played you that nice little snippet from Dr. Yoram Solomon and he was actually doubly kind. Not only did he leave me a voicemail message, but he also left an iTunes review – now it’s called Apple Podcasts, I’ll use the proper term – Apple Podcasts review, which I encourage everyone to do also. What he said on there, the title of the review was, “Addictive.” And here’s how it goes. It starts, “Disclaimer, I was interviewed on this podcast, episode 72. Right before being interviewed, I listened to some of the previous episodes and I got hooked. Now I don’t listen to music when I drive anymore. Halelly not only brings great guests to her show, but has unique qualities when interviewing them that bring the best advice to the listener. Advice that is simple to digest and actionable today. Warning, content may be addictive.” I love that. So, thank you again, Yoram, and thank you to you for listening and I hope for taking an example from Yoram and also leaving me a voicemail or an Apple Podcasts/iTunes review, or just getting in touch and letting me know something else about how I can serve you. Thank you for listening to the TalentGrow Show. I’m Halelly Azulay, your leadership development strategist here at TalentGrow. And until the next time, make today great.

Announcer: Thanks for listening to the TalentGrow Show, where we help you develop your talent to become the kind of leader that people want to follow. For more information, visit TalentGrow.com.

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Intro/outro music: "Why-Y" by Esta