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To listen to a replay of the “How to be a Fred and Deliver EXTRAordinary Results Teleseminar” that was recorded LIVE on May 16, 2013, click play below. You can also download the audio as an MP3 file (Right Click download link and select “Save Target As” to download).

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Share What You Learn:

Feel free to also share any quote, insights, etc. that you resonate with most during the call. Leave a comment on this page or share on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.

A few quotes that others have shared:

• Review-Rethink-Reinvent #BeAFred [Tweet That]
• C.A.R.E. = Create A Rare Experience (How to Be EXTRAordinary via @Mark_Sanborn) [Tweet That]
• To renew your resolve ask yourself what you stopped doing that you need to start doing again. #BeAFred [Tweet That]
• “Decide to be Happy, it’s a choice!” – @Mark_Sanborn [Tweet That]
• “Be a positive example. Don’t expect others to do what you’re not willing to do.” @Mark_Sanborn [Tweet That]
• “Don’t confuse what you need to do, with what you want to do.” @Mark_Sanborn [Tweet That]
• “Emulate to learn, Innovate to earn.” @Mark_Sanborn [Tweet That]

About This Teleseminar:

How to be a Fred and Deliver EXTRAordinary Results

Today, delivering extraordinary results is more important than ever to not only obtain a competitive advantage but also to thrive personally and professionally. During this 1-hour teleseminar replay (recorded LIVE on May 16, 2013) I will share multiple strategies to help you be a Fred and keep delivering EXTRAordinary results. It doesn’t matter if you are on the front line, in sales, customer service or a leader… this call is for you. I’ll equip you with proven, effective principles that, when applied, will make a difference.

During this call you’ll learn:

• What it means to be a Fred.
• 8 Reasons Why Being a Fred Will Improve Your Life and Career.
• How to find your passion at work.
• Strategies to Aim Higher and Achieve the EXTRAordinary for yourself, your organization, your team and those around you.
• Why knowing YOUR difference is a critical component to success.
• 4 Ways to Elevate your customers experience.
• What effective leaders do to bring about EXTRAordinary results in those they lead.
• How to renew your resolve and sustain success
• And more!

I recently got schooled in leadership by my 5-year old son. It’s a bit surprising because I’m a so-called leadership “expert.”

For over two decades I’ve been a contributor to the leadership complexification business. It started way back in graduate school when I wrote my thesis on—take a deep breath—the efficacy of the initiation of psychological structure through the use of directive leadership styles as a negative correlate of role ambiguity and positive correlate of employee satisfaction in workplaces that have undergone a recent reduction in force. Whew!

As a senior ranking officer in the Legion of Leadership Complexifiers (LLC), I can confidently say that leadership is the most overanalyzed, thoroughly dissected, and utterly confused topic in business. The challenge is, we leadership experts have made the topic of leadership far more complex than it needs to be, which causes people to opt out of the chance to lead. The checklist that we’ve constructed gets longer, more idealized, and more complicated with every passing year. We expect leaders to be bold and calculated, passionate and reasonable, rational and emotional, confident and humble, driven and patient, strategic and tactical, competitive and cooperative, principled and flexible. Of course, it is possible to be all of those things…if you walk on water!

It took my five-year old son, Ian, to bring me back to what matters most about leadership. Ian is a pre-schooler at The Asheville Montessori School in Asheville, North Carolina, where we live. Each Monday his teachers pick one person to be the “Class Leader” for the day. One sunny afternoon Ian came bounding up the stairs proclaiming, “Guess what, Daddy? I got to be the Class Leader today!”

“Really? Class Leader? That’s a big deal, little buddy. What did you get to do as the class leader?”

Ian’s answer was simple, funny, and in its own way, profound.

“I got to open doors for people!”

With seven simple words, Ian cut through two decades of studying and researching about leadership. Leaders are simply creators of opportunity for others: they open doors for people.

Think for a moment about a leader whom you greatly admire. Pick someone who has actually led you. What do you admire about him or her? Did he open a door to an opportunity where you could grow your skills, such as asking you to lead a high-profile project? Did she give you candid feedback that caused you to see yourself in a different and more honest way? Did he build your confidence by asking for your perspective, input, and ideas? What doors did he open for you?

My bet is that the leaders you most admire are the ones who left you better off than they found you by creating opportunities that helped you grow. How?

• By being open to you, valuing your input and perspective.
• By being open with you, telling you the truth even if the truth is difficult to hear.
• By helping you be receptive to new possibilities and experiences, and new ways of perceiving and thinking.

Ian seems to have discovered a new, less complex, leadership model: Open Door Leadership. Leaders advance the growth and development of those they lead when they provide opportunities that challenge, stretch, and better people. Cut through all the clutter that we “experts” put around the concept of leadership, and opening doors for others is what matters most.

How to be a Fred and Deliver EXTRAordinary Results

Free, LIVE Teleseminar with Mark Sanborn

Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 8pm Eastern (7pm Central, 6pm Mountain, 5pm Pacific)

Today, delivering extraordinary results is more important than ever to not only obtain a competitive advantage but also to thrive personally and professionally. During this LIVE, 1-hour teleseminar I will share multiple strategies to help you be a Fred and keep delivering EXTRAordinary results. It doesn’t matter if you are on the front line, in sales, customer service or a leader… this call is for you. I’ll equip you with proven, effective principles that, when applied, will make a difference.

We’ll also answer question LIVE from listeners during the call.

Sign Up Here and Invite Your Collages and Friends to Join You!

During this call you’ll learn:

• What it means to be a Fred.
• 8 Reasons Why Being a Fred Will Improve Your Life and Career.
• How to find your passion at work.
• Strategies to Aim Higher and Achieve the EXTRAordinary for yourself, your organization, your team and those around you.
• Why knowing YOUR difference is a critical component to success.
• 4 Ways to Elevate your customers experience.
• What effective leaders do to bring about EXTRAordinary results in those they lead.
• How to renew your resolve and sustain success
• And more!

Sign Up Now!

Teleseminar FAQ:

Q: What is a teleseminar?
A: Think of it as a giant conference call. You dial in (or listen via streaming web audio), along with others and listen while I share and answer questions.

Q: How much does this cost?
A: It’s free. If you choose to access the LIVE call via phone, you may incur standard long-distance charges if you choose a dial-in number that is not local to you (there are multiple dial-in number options). Other than that, no fee at all.

Q: What is the date and time?
A: The LIVE call will take place on Thursday, May 16, 2013 at 8pm Eastern (7pm Central, 6pm Mountain, 5pm Pacific).

Q: How can I access the LIVE call?
A: You’ll have two options. Our call capacity is 3000 total. Five hundred can access the call via phone, the rest via streaming web audio (listening via your computer). Access is on a first-come, first-served based on registration and which access option you chose. We will notify you prior to the call with the specific phone number and web address.

Q: I can’t make the LIVE call. Will there be a recording?
A: Yes, I will make a recording available after the LIVE call. You are welcome to listen to that recording and share it with others. You’ll have the option to listen to a replay online or download the MP3 file.

Q: How do I ask a question for you to answer during the call?
A: When you register there will be an option for you to submit a question and, time permitting, we will take question LIVE during the call as well.

Q: Do I need any special equipment?
A: No, nothing special needed. You won’t need to download anything to access the call. If you use the dial-in access then you simply make a phone call. If you use the streaming web access then you simply open a web browser, click play, and listen.

“Easier said than done,” as I’ve heard it and even used it, is offered as an excuse; it is a “get out of jail free” card.

After all, you can easily say it but doing it? Well, that’s far more difficult

“Easier said than done” is nonsensical. After all, what isn’t easier to say than to do? Think about it. Brushing your teeth in the morning is easier said than done.

(By the way, Easier Said Than Done was a song released in 1963 by The Essex.)

“Easier said than done” is a reflection of human nature: anything that requires effort is likely to be resisted. But anything worth doing requires some effort, and the important things require much effort.

Life is easier said than lived, but what would be the point.

We’ve got to quit talking about it and get to doing it.

It’s not necessarily a new idea but it’s a one that is becoming more and more important to leaders of today and especially leaders of tomorrow.

Brad Lomenick is a voice that is leading the way, showing how we can tap into this “Change Maker” mentality and apply it to how we lead, and lead better as a result. After thirteen years of gathering, influencing, and inspiring hundreds of thousands of young leaders through cutting-edge experiential events, conferences, and resources, Brad understands leadership and what being a “Change Maker” is all about.

I was able to catch up with Brad and asked him to define what a “Change Maker” means to him. Here is what he said,

“Being a change maker I believe is a new term for being a leader. Ultimately being a Catalyst Leader. A leader who wants to make a difference. To make your life’s work count. To leave the world better than you found it. A change maker is someone who leverages his or her influence for the betterment of the world, to collective good of others, and the greater glory of God. And living out the 8 essentials of a Catalyst Leader is crucial for a leader to be a change maker.”

If becoming a change maker is something you aspire to, which I hope you do, I’d suggest you pick up a copy of Brad’s new book… “The Catalyst Leader: 8 Essentials for Becoming a Change Maker.” It’s available where books are sold and at http://catalystleader.com/

No one wants to spend money for a car or other product that is defective or doesn’t meet expected standards. And no one likes to be disappointed on what they get for the money they spend.

What if there were lemon laws for disappointing workplace performance?

As an employee who is paid by an employer to perform, what might get you disqualified as a “lemon”?

In the workplace, they’re not called “lemon laws.” They are called dismissal and termination. And they’re bad for both the employer and the employee.

If you like your job, you don’t want to be replaced for being defective in the results you deliver. Here are three ways to make sure your work won’t invoke the spirit of the lemon law:

1.    Know what is expected

Every employer has expectations when they do business with you. Unfortunately some employees don’t find out what those expectations are until after they’re not met.

Meet with your manager to clarify your own job expectations. That includes where you should focus your attention, what gets priority and what skills you need to develop or improve.

Priorities change, so regularly schedule a brief meeting for feedback on your performance to make sure you’re focused on doing the right things.

2. Meet standards and, if possible exceed them

The most valued employees are those who know how to add value to their work. To earn more, contribute more. The worst thing you can do, for an employer or a customer, is to over-promise and under-deliver. That’s a guaranteed strategy for disappointment.

Consider these questions:

What are you doing to exceed expectations? Are you willing and able to do a little more than expected?

Are you unique in a way that your company values, or are you interchangeable with anyone else who could do the job?

3. Commit to excellence

Excellence begins with a mindset. It is the commitment to focus your attention and skills to create something worthy of you, valued by your employer and worthwhile to your customer.

Those who only do “just enough” often get by but they never get ahead. Employers appreciate not just the work that is done, but the attitude of the person doing the work.

There is an old and familiar saying: “If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” That’s great advice for dealing with adversity and setbacks. But if you want to be a valued employee and move ahead in your career, make sure that your work doesn’t qualify for any lemon laws of low performance. Instead, strive to be a positive example of superior performance.

4. Seek feedback

One way to assure your performance is as expected or better is to ask for ongoing feedback. Don’t just inquire about how you’re doing; specifically ask about what you could do different or better to improve your work. A rational employer will appreciate your efforts to assure quality and get better at what you do.

If there were lemon laws for workplace performance, neither you nor I would want to invoke them with substandard work. Aim to meet expectations, continually improve performance and become an encore performer in your organization.

While his ideas are always based on his extensive bar and restaurant acumen, owners and managers don’t always embrace them. When they don’t–surprise!–those who asked for help still flop.

On one episode a particularly arrogant chef was called on preparing food that tasted bad. He was told that any good chef tastes the food to make sure it tastes good.

His response was nonsensical: “Why do I need to taste the food when I know it looks good!”

Too bad Homer Simpson didn’t magically appear to say, “DUH!”

While you may find that comment laughable, it is a sign of the times: many think if they product or service looks good it is good. And like a restaurant, this is delusional thinking.

We need to understand the products, services and experiences we create for others thoroughly and completely, and that can only be done by using what we provide. Regular real-word engagement and use of your products and services–and testing your support systems like your online ordering process or phone systems–are the only way you can be sure that your deliverables are as good as they appear to you.

Which leader is respected more: the captain of a ship who commands others to row harder while he or she lounges on deck or the captain that motivates the others by rowing with them?

In my opinion, the latter is more respected but not necessarily effective.

Team members respect hard work that is smart work. If the leader is rowing along side, who is in charge of navigation? The leader should work hard at leading, not at doing jobs others on the team can and should do.

It is a fallacy to think that a good leader has to do everything a team member does. Not only may they not be qualified for every job on the team, it is more than often a misuse of leadership time. A good coach doesn’t take to the court or field during a game.

This means knowing your team members, their strengths, and weaknesses, and being able to make sure they are doing their best work and having their greatest impact.

You don’t have to do the same work as your team members, but you need to work as hard or harder than they do to gain their respect.

Help by teaching, not by doing

Sometimes, especially when trying something new, team members need assistance. Get acitvely involved not in doing the work of the team member but in teaching them how to do it.

Encourage Always

A good team member and a good team leader is known by the encouragement and support they offer others.

Ask for input

Dictatorial team leaders command; effective team leaders seek input. Demonstrate your respect for team members by asking for their input and suggestions, and then using their best ideas.

Lead by Example.

Be the kind of team member you want everyone on your team to be. Show–don’t just tell–team members what you aspire to for them.

It was eight paragraphs long.

If there were truth in titling, the writer of this article would be doing life in prison.

You can get a good idea or two in eight paragraphs. You can expand you knowledge in that much space.

What you can’t do is learn anything substantive enough to help you build a tiny hut much less an empire.

Customers, readers, followers and most people in general are tired of hyperbole and exaggeration. You have to be clever to get attention, but don’t stoop to arousing needs you can’t fulfill.

It goes back to the familiar but often unpracticed adage: Say what you’ll do and do what you’ll say.

Even if you only have eight paragraphs to do it.