While Jeff poses that very question at a later point in today’s conversation, first Jeff and Laura explore one of the more common threads of discussion around leadership, which starts with the fundamental question: What’s the difference between management and leadership? Today’s conversation dives in with this and an insightful discussion about the activities, tasks, nuances, and expectations for leaders unfolds as Jeff and Laura explore and share their ideas and experiences.
As Jeff has depth of expertise and experience working with CEOs in Healthcare start-ups, the two also dig into the struggles many entrepreneurs face, and both work through with their respective clients – the truth that sometimes the creative genius that conceives and idea for a product, service, or enterprise is not the person who is actually best equipped to carry that idea forward and build a solid, thriving business around.
It’s important to recognize one’s unique gifts, strengths, and contributions… to do the work only you can do in whatever enterprise you’re engaged in, and know that sometimes the best next thing you can do is hand it off to someone else to manage the day to day, or do the marketing and promotion that will allow your creation to shine in the marketplace. This is a tough realization for many, and others understand it intuitively.
Jeff shares some of the questions he asks his clients to allow them to work through their own thinking with greater clarity about what roles they play, how they want to show up in those roles, what others need or want from them. Truly, this is the fundamental work for all of us, and crucial to effective, powerful leadership.
Laura and Jeff discuss life, work, authenticity, Lego, stress-relieving practices, and much more on today’s episode.
Jeff’s Bio
Before becoming a full-time coach and consultant, Jeff spent over 25 years working for some of the most innovative organizations in health care, financial services and employee benefits as both a lawyer and executive. He started out as a hard-charging law firm lawyer and chronic overachiever who had to be the smartest and most accomplished person in the room.
Jeff recognized he needed to change when a series of panic attacks threatened to derail him. In the mid-90s, he began to practice meditation, and later yoga, as a way to cope more effectively with his high stress career. As his practices began to take root, he began a path of deep psychospiritual study that continues to this day.
Jeff discovered to his great surprise that his stress nearly vanished as he got more present.
He also saw that as he let go of his need to be the smartest person in the room, the people he led somehow became more responsive and capable! As he continued to work on his own development, he dedicated himself to learning to teach others the leadership skills that he had considered innate (and at one point, beyond him). His Creating Extraordinary Futures process
is the culmination of his learning thus far.
Jeff has worked personally with internationally known spiritual teachers and coaches such as Peter Fenner, Jack Pransky, Rich Litvin, and Doug Silsbee. He is a Certified Presence-BasedTM Coach and has been awarded ACC certification with the International Coach Federation.
After 13 years in Chicago and almost two decades in Washington, DC, Jeff now lives near Aspen, CO, with his wife and family.
Connect with Jeff and Other Resources:
Understand Your Builder Profile
Connect with Laura to Understand Your Builder Profile!
The Art of the Brick – Nathan Sawaya
