Overcoming Self-Imposed Limits
I mentioned earlier how difficult it’s been to establish appropriate cost structures for the services we provide, especially as we first got started. Although we were building a level of confidence in our area of strength, coming to terms with our worth - even after reflecting on guidance from our closest peers and mentors - has proved to be nearly as hard as creating the hundreds of hours of proprietary curriculum. Part of why that’s been such a struggle ties back to more than two decades of seeing various consultants and coaches - most of which were charlatans, at best - put more energy into embedding themselves in their clients’ cost structure, large global companies and small family businesses alike, than they put into ensuring those clients captured a measurable return on investment. We’ll take a close look at the significant difference between being certified to offer a service and being truly qualified to deliver results soon. Seeing so many with a basic certification, and I even use that designation loosely because I know all too well how little oversight most certification processes have, pillaging their clients this way served as the primary reason we started our business to begin with. I wasn’t OK with seeing organizations I cared about being treated that way. I wanted to provide them real-world experience they could apply right away to achieve the results they desperately needed, all at a price point that was well below what those other clowns had been milking them for. Interestingly enough, building that desire into the proposal I submitted to the petroleum company I mentioned earlier was the same thing that caused me to not be considered.
If I’m being completely honest, with you and myself, just as much of that low pricing was tied to my self-imposed limits as it was to my desire to help someone “save” money. Since starting our business, I’ve been very intentional about scanning the landscape for similar offers, setting our prices in the same ballpark, then doing everything within my power to deliver exponentially more value. We’ve even done a ton of work - be that through in-person training or other resources we’ve created - at no cost whatsoever. While there have been a few individuals and organizations who have genuinely appreciated this, the low-to-no cost resources we’ve provided have done more to devalue what we offer than to earn new business. In so many cases, that’s led to being taken for granted; think back to what I referenced before about how even Jesus wasn’t appreciated in his hometown…
Through all that, though, we had some wonderful opportunities - even locally where my self-imposed limits impacted how some of our potential clients viewed what we offered. Less than a year after blowing my chance to work on the offshore drilling platform, we had our first meeting with a large manufacturing company’s local executive team and made a proposal for delivering our Emerging Leader Development course to around two dozen of the supervisors and managers at that location. From the bottom of my heart, that was something I never expected. Having worked for a large organization like that for so long, I was all too familiar with global supply chain relationships and how corporate contracts are king. I couldn’t imagine competing in that space, but there we were. When we mapped out the service we hoped to provide and shared the total investment we’d need from them to make it happen, the decision maker accepted immediately without batting an eye. Having learned from the previous experience, the price tag was a bit higher (even without traveling internationally and being required to complete the helicopter crash simulation) but his quick response told me that we were still well below what he expected.
Over the next few years, we provided the Emerging Leader Development course and others we developed afterward for several large companies like that. We adjusted our price point slightly over time but we also built far more value into what we offered as we did. After delivering multiple sessions for one organization at various sites across the country, I had lunch with the initial plant manager who brought us in a few weeks after he retired. Since he was no longer there, I asked for his honest opinion on what we charged compared to the value he received. He said that our proposal was around half of what he anticipated and the level of service we provided dwarfed anything he had experienced.
Please know that I share none of this to boast, but to stress how overcoming self-imposed limits through relationships unlocks our true potential. I could list a dozen more examples detailing similar feedback we’ve received from clients and business associates who have challenged us to place more value on what we offer; courses, events, speaking engagements, etc. But I certainly don’t have the self-imposed limitation market cornered. I have similar conversations with friends in just about every other sector of business, and I’d bet you deal with it at some level too - at least occasionally. Before we look at how critical it will be to maintain modesty even after we shed some of those limitations, I’ll challenge you to initiate a conversation with a trusted mentor so you can identify and work to remove some of your own. If you don’t have someone you can reach out to about that right away, I’m not hard to find…
Finding Strength in Modesty
Cindy and I recently adopted two (more) rescue dogs. We’ve had dogs since we got married, all of which have been rescues for the last fifteen years. The one that has been our most heartwarming success story to date had been dealing with several health issues and we had to put him down. As tough as that always is, we were incredibly thankful for the life we were able to provide for him over the seven years since rescuing him from a puppy mill. While I knew we’d be getting another dog soon, I asked Cindy to hold off until after our first LeadershipLegacy Experience as that was the largest event we had ever hosted and it required a ton of time. Soon after, though, she found another dog to rescue - and one more for good measure. Both had been bounced around, with families taking them then bringing them back to their respective shelters just days later. They needed us, and we needed them (but that’s another story for another time).
Teddy was listed as a three year-old poodle mix. Although there appears to be a bit of poodle in the mix, there’s a lot of other stuff in there too; Pug, Terrier, and God knows what else. There’s no way he’s three years old, he’s maybe 18 months and the most playful dog we’ve ever had. Oh, and we’re pretty sure he had never been groomed. He was a hell of a looking thing. With his exaggerated Pug under-bite and that wild hair, I thought he looked like a hyena. He chewed on everything within reach, including us, but we’ve since reeled that in.
Fancy is a beautiful standard Poodle (who happened to have purple hair when we brought her home). She’s absolutely majestic and without a doubt the most reserved dog I’ve ever been around. She warmed up to Cindy in just the first few days she was with us but it’s taken longer for her to get used to me, leading us to believe that a man had been mean to her at some point; there’s a special place in Hell for people who mistreat animals, but that’s a story for another time too.
Soon after Teddy and Fancy joined our family, I shared the details of both with a friend. Teddy being wide open and rough looking. Fancy being so pretty yet so quiet. His immediate response was: “Oh, just like you and Cindy!” and he was spot-on!
I share that because it sets up the best example of finding strength in modesty that I’ve ever seen. Not only has Cindy been instrumental in helping me overcome so many of my self-imposed limits, she’s been my benchmark for what a modest, yet confident and strong leader looks like. After delivering an Emerging Leader Development course for a group of supervisors and managers with a large manufacturing company a few years ago, a lifelong friend who reported to one of those supervisors shared a comment they made to him. His supervisor mentioned how much he enjoyed the time with us both, then went on to say how genuine and classy Cindy seemed. I absolutely loved it! I felt like my interaction with his supervisor was great, but I was thrilled that he felt how warm, sincere, and approachable Cindy truly is - all while maintaining a kind confidence like I’ve rarely seen in anyone else. Because she recognized her worth well before I saw my own, she was quicker to embrace her distinct voice - effectively balancing confidence and humility like we worked through earlier - and she has certainly worked extremely hard to do all that.
Interestingly enough, I’ve seen more than a few weak and insecure people who have relied solely on the power of their positional authority do everything they possibly could to avoid interacting with Cindy; not because she said or did anything that put them off, but because her kind but confident posture absolutely intimidated them. To put it into perspective, and to be as transparent as I’m capable of being, I have a long way to go to model that same kind of modesty. I love earning strong connections with the great people we get to speak with and provide training for, but I still find a little bit of joy in stepping on someone’s toes if they’re willing to be mean to others around them - especially if that’s based on the power they think they have because of a title.
All said, seeing how Cindy has found so much strength in that modesty, and how the confidence she’s built fosters respectful connections stretches me everyday. As we each build those connections, it allows us to begin measuring the impact we’re having and serves as validation for the hidden strengths we’ve uncovered along the way. Before we look more at that, I’ll challenge you to consider how you can work to exemplify modesty in your own role while maintaining a healthy balance of confidence and humility.
Measuring Impact as Validation
I frequently share how, through all the years I worked indirectly for Rod (Kevin was my immediate supervisor and Rod was his), there was always an expectation for me to focus on how any action I took would impact productivity in each business unit we supported. While safety and human resources are generally focused on cost avoidance, Rod challenged me to implement steps from any course I took or conference I attended that would lead to a direct increase in productivity. Candidly, that was incredibly hard and I couldn’t always produce the results he expected. That did, however, teach me the importance of measuring the impact that even things viewed as “soft” or “intangible” had on that ever-so-important productivity number our facility was measured by. Truth be told, that experience was a key driver for me to write What’s KILLING Your Profitability? (It ALL Boils Down to Leadership!) a few years ago. Productivity and profitability are both critical, but our daily behaviors as leaders have an immediate impact; I just haven’t seen many people measure that impact effectively.
While I’ve always attempted to show humility, albeit more based on self-doubt than I care to admit, my DRIVEN behavior style rarely allows that to show up in the same fashion as the genuine modesty I see Cindy display consistently. Tracking the direct impact I had on manufacturing processes became a natural part of what I did. We measured everything in that environment so quantifying the effectiveness of a procedural change was generally a simple math equation. For leaders, learning to measure our impact on those around us to validate our effectiveness isn’t as common. My goal with What’s KILLING Your Profitability? was to outline a practical approach for doing just that while providing comprehensive data to support it. Still yet, execution is unlikely without overcoming self-imposed limits.
As we worked through steps for fostering a mentorship culture, I mentioned feeling a heavy obligation to pass along the lessons I’ve been blessed to learn from folks like Terry, Kevin, Rod, and so many others. I’m also very intentional about routinely reaching out to those mentors to thank them for all they’ve invested into me. Nearly every time, they blow it off as not being that big of a deal or just being part of their jobs. I know that’s partly based on modesty, but I’m convinced it’s just as tied to them not measuring the impact as validation for how critical their mentorship has been - and I’m just as guilty.
Today, Cindy and I routinely receive feedback from leaders who have completed our courses or have been part of our Strategic Leadership Coaching process, detailing how much value they gained. We’re always adamant that any positive results they’ve achieved are directly tied to the action steps they identified and put in place. Through everything we do, we challenge each client to quantify how the steps they implement impact the productivity and profitability within their area of responsibility. While we do this so they can measure their results, it’s also (indirectly) measuring the impact we’re having and serves as validation for the value we’ve provided - even though we seldom take credit for it.
Far too often, regardless of the specific role we’re in or service we provide, we brush off the impact we’re making on those around us. While we may view it as modesty, it’s usually because we haven’t come to terms with our worth. But once we’ve learned to embrace our distinct voice, in whatever role we fill, our worth begins to shine through the positive impact we create for others. As we begin to measure that impact as validation, albeit through a spirit of genuine humility, we can assert that value with courage - and we’ll pick up there soon.