Change Your Mindset

Innovation requires the acceptance of all ideas in order to move forward and be effective. Ego-driven leaders who shoot down ideas from their team stop innovation in its tracks. True creative innovation is fueled by the former, not the latter, approach. How can you and your team begin to change how you innovate, creating a more robust and engaging environment that encourages and rewards risk-taking, respect of others, patience, vulnerability, and giving everyone a say in the process? Start immediately and work on the process. Over time, your team's ability to solve problems will flourish. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What is your definition of success? What is your definition of significance? And what’s the difference between the two? Lauren “The Colonel's Daughter” Schieffer is returning to the show to answer these questions and more. In S4E7, she talked about choosing respect over drama. Most people are programmed to chase success. It’s outwardly focused, with the weighty titles, flashy accomplishments, accolades, and parking spaces. Significance is inwardly focused. It’s about being of service, first, and has nothing to do with how much power or money a person has. True leaders, significant leaders, build people up to be the next generation of significant leaders. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: laurenschieffer.com Lauren’s books: laurenschieffer.com/laurens-book LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laurenannschieffer Instagram: @laurenschieffer Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you think about when you hear the word “empathy?” As a leader do you feel like you are empathetic with your team — or are you sympathetic? And why should you care? The better you treat and understand the people you serve through improv leadership, the more empowered they become. The ability to truly listen to another person and be able to empathize with them is showing gratitude, respect, and support. That costs you nothing but time — and that is time well spent. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: Read: “Humans Are Underrated” Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you think of yourself as a salesperson? Do you subscribe to the notion that we are all in sales? Would you like to become a “rainmaker” for your organization or firm? Ed “The Rainmaker” Robinson has been a business growth advisor and sales trainer for over 30 years. His company provides business growth strategies and leadership skills that transform professionals into rainmakers. He refers to himself as a recovering CPA. In this conversation, he outlines the five step system to creating a balanced business practice. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: edspeaks.com linkedin.com/in/ed-the-rainmaker-robinson-389858 Read: "The Million Dollar Rainmaker" Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are only a few things in life that we are confident of — death, taxes, and change. Do you look at change as an opportunity or something you would rather not experience? Do you expect that the new system installation will go smoothly or that there will be several bumps in the road? How many times have you had to change during this pandemic? As a leader, how do you manage change? Let’s look at the different approaches to change within an organization — designed and imposed change — and how one leader at Xerox turned the company around by doing the unexpected: Listening to her employees. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: “Anne Mulcahy: The Keys to Turnaround at Xerox” Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you been successful in climbing the corporate ladder? What have you sacrificed during your ascension? Dr. Alan Patterson has more than three decades of international consulting experience in change management, leadership development, and executive coaching. In 2006 he formed Mentoré, a consulting practice that focuses on aligning strategy, organizational structure, job responsibilities, and skillsets to major shifts in the business. His expertise has been tapped by many global and national businesses and organizations including Anheuser-Busch, BioGen, Federal Reserve Bank, Johnson & Johnson, Hewlett-Packard, and the US Navy. He believes that the corporate ladder is an outdated model for measuring success and that we need to burn the ladder and come up with a new model that works for more of us. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: mentore.com linkedin.com/in/dralanmpatterson Read: "Leader Evolution" Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media

Have you ever been in a meeting and your boss asks you a question about your ideas on a particular subject? After you share your thoughts, your boss responds with negativity and dismissal. When your boss responds this way, creativity stops and it suppresses the rest of the group's creative thoughts and ideas. No one wants to be humiliated like this in front of others. The traditional corporate culture does not allow you to speak your mind and ask questions without feeling insecure or embarrassed, but good news is that you can create a culture where all ideas have validity, where ideas are accepted and discussed, and where questions are asked without any judgment or the fear of embarrassment. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: "High Performing Teams Need Psychological Safety. Here's How To Create It" "The Five Keys to a Successful Google Team" S4E8. Financial Leadership Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices.

Do you cringe when you hear the word ‘negotiation?’ Russ Riddle is known as the Anomaly at Law because he’s down to earth, clearly communicates, and lavishes others with levity. He has practiced marriage for 37 years, law for 29, fatherhood for 28, and braved adventures as a juvenile probation officer and professional speaker. His love of levity stems in part from an intellectual property law practice that has served such clients as Barney, Bob the Builder, Thomas the Tank Engine, and the voices of Jimmy Neutron and Larry the Cucumber. We talk about what it takes to be a successful negotiator, what “success” actually means in that context, and how to make the whole process less intimidating. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: russriddle.com Read: "Persuasive vs. Abrasive" Read: "Lawyer Up - The Smart Way" Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is it that CFOs so often struggle to be understood? First, CFOs speak in the foreign language of accounting. If they are not able to translate accounting jargon into English, then the people they work for will not understand the significance of what they are saying. Second, accounting has an image problem for non-accountants. It’s an image full of pages of mind-numbing numbers that make no sense, leading to ‘listener shut-down’ and creating a phenomenon that, in turn, leads to lack of accounting acumen within your organization. What is the antidote to this mind-numbing issue? Leadership. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: S3E30. How to Cut the Right Expenses & Make Your Balance Sheet a Fortress with Ken “Mr. Biz” Wentworth Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Do you want to dump the drama, increase production, and lift morale? Do you want to have more engaged employees or members? How well do you handle conflict within your organization? Are you and your team having respectful communication with each other? Lauren Schieffer can address all of those questions and more. She’s the daughter of an Air Force officer, and she grew up being uprooted and relocated every couple of years. This experience imbued her with profound independence and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances. The lessons she learned from growing up have helped her make smart decisions and overcome adversity with humility and a sense of humor. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: laurenschieffer.com Lauren’s books: laurenschieffer.com/laurens-book LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/laurenannschieffer Instagram: @laurenschieffer Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Stress is part of our everyday lives, and it can come from so many sources: the daily frustrations of life, our jobs, our relationships, or just the ubiquitous challenges of living through a global pandemic. But stress isn’t always bad — it can motivate us into action. And even in those situations that might initially seem like the negative kind of stress, you have the power to turn it into something positive. And I have found that having an improvisor’s mindset can help you take on the stress that comes with your job, family, and just the day-to-day responsibilities of life. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: 10 Reasons Why Humor Is A Key To Success At Work Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Heather Ettinger is the author of “Lumination: Shining a Light on A Woman’s Journey to Financial Wellness.” As a champion for women and girls for over 30 years, Heather is widely recognized for her dedication to helping women build their financial acumen and wealth, culminating in the founding of Luma Wealth Advisors in 2017. She specializes in helping clients align their resources around their family values to create impact in their communities — shattering old-school beliefs about women and finances in the process.  To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: heatherettinger.com lumawealth.com Read: “Lumination: Shining a Light on A Woman’s Journey to Financial Wellness” Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What do you feel when you hear the word, negotiate? Dread, Anxiety, Excitement? Do you believe that negotiation skills can be taught? Do you agree with this statement – “we negotiate all the time?” Have you ever searched Google asking one or more of these questions:  What skill is the most helpful during a negotiation?  How does ego play a role in negotiating?  What role does leverage play during negotiations? I will address all of these questions, and how the world of IMPROV can help make you a much better negotiator, and more, in this episode. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: Read: “The Art of Negotiation: How to Improvise Agreement in a Chaotic World” Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Have you ever taken an accounting course for non-accountants and left the workshop even more confused? Would you agree that accounting has an image problem? Would you be interested in learning the fundamentals of accounting and finance in a way that does not get bogged down in complexity and focuses on simplicity? Adam Wilkinson is a sales partner and corporate educator at Colour Accounting. He advocates that accounting should be a standard form of literacy—just like reading, writing, and arithmetic. He is a chartered accountant and professional development trainer who leads unique and engaging workshops in accounting and financial literacy, and he loves helping people understand how simple accounting can be. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: coloraccounting.com/wilkinson LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/adam-wilkinson-2421843 Read: "The Joy of Accounting" Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone

Let’s have a conversation about that voice in your head. You know the one. The voice that keeps coming back with the warning, “don’t say that idea out loud because people will think you are stupid or crazy.” Or, another favorite, “you have to be kidding me, you know you can’t speak in front of an audience – you will look like a fool.” You know that voice… and it has a lot more to say on any number of things – and none of it is good. This is the voice of your inner critic. And it can be dealt with using the power of improvisation! To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: Good Therapy: Inner Critic Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This has been a wild year for all of us. From a leadership perspective, we have to be cognizant of all of the changes that are occuring—as well as how they are affecting our team. We have to be aware of how we are addressing these roadblocks that come up as we continue to navigate the pandemic for the foreseeable future. We may never go back to normal, but we can adapt and create a life that allows us to continue to thrive in whatever environment we are in. That’s why I brought together a superstar team of past guests and leadership experts: Roxanne Kaufman-Elliott, the founder of Roxanne Leadership, and Brian Comerford and Nick Lozano, co-hosts of the highly successful podcast Lead.EXE. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: Podcast: leadexe.com Learn more at: prolaureate.com Roxanne’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/roxanne-kaufman-elliott-4909571 Brian’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/briancomerford Nick’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nick-lozano-97356621 OBS S

We all have been on a dysfunctional team. And, when we are, we dread driving to work or zooming in; we dread being part of the team meeting because everyone is talking over each other; we dread dealing with members of the team who are disengaged. There is always one person who thinks they are the smartest person in the room, and they continuously tell everyone. Team members are missing deadlines, making excuses, exhibiting negative body language, and are abundantly clear with their “I don’t care” attitude. No one is being held accountable, and everyone is doing what they think is right, despite what they have been asked or told to do.  I’ve previously touched on using powerful improv exercises to build stronger teams, and I want to add on three more exercises you can use with your team: “Beach ball, bouncy ball, frog, and more,” “Emotions,” and “Yes And to solve a problem.” To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: YouTube: Improv Game: Emotions Change Your Mind

Do you have value issues in your professional and personal lives? Do you derive your value from what you do? Do you say yes to everything? Jeff Koziatek is a nationally recognized speaker, certified life coach, author, award-winning entertainer, and mindset catalyst who wants to help people address the above questions in their lives. After 20 years of work in the entertainment industry producing award-winning films, running an event management company, and acting in movies and television, Jeff started Core Authenticity to help people dream big and achieve those dreams. He believes in the inherent value of each person, he’s passionate about helping people find significance in who they are, and he’s here to help us do the same. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: coreauthenticity.com Instagram: @jugglingjeff LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeffkoziatek Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adch

Over the past two years, I’ve been doing research on the topic of improvisational leadership. In the book “Getting to Yes And” by Bob Kulhan, he discusses that effective leaders can answer four questions about themselves: Why this? Why now? What do I have to do? What’s in it for me? Bob discusses these questions as if he was to bring the tenets of improvisation into his firm. So why should you consider bringing improv into your organization? Let’s discuss that now. To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: Read “Getting to Yes And” Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At the age of 27, Rachel Richards quit her job and retired, living off of $15,000 a month in passive income from her 40 residential rental units. She’s the author of “Money Honey” and “Passive Income, Aggressive Retirement,” and she has an online course entitled “Get Your Financial Shit Together.”  To learn more, and for the complete show notes, visit: petermargaritis.com Resources: moneyhoneyrachel.com Instagram: @moneyhoneyrachel Read: “Money Honey” Read: “Passive Income, Aggressive Retirement” Change Your Mindset is a production of Crate Media Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices