Uncommon Leader Podcast: Unforgettable Insights and Mantras from 2023's Most Downloaded Episodes

Speaker 1: 0:00

Hey, uncommon leaders, welcome back. This is the uncommon leader podcast and I'm your host, john Gallagher. So this is a very special episode of the uncommon leader podcast. 2023 was filled with incredible moments of growth, transformation and doubling the good for the show. We doubled the number of episodes and the downloads, but I think more importantly, we amplified the impact of our conversations with the uncommon leaders, who shared their time and wisdom on the show. This episode is the first, one of 2024. As we all get started on a brand new year, I want to inspire, encourage and equip you to make 2024 your best year. Yet. What better way to do that than by sharing the profound insights of our most downloaded guests of 2023? As they answered the question, you have a billboard you can place anywhere. What message do you put on the billboard and why? So get ready to be inspired as we listen to these thought-provoking messages. These words have the power to shape our mindset and propel us toward uncommon in our daily lives. Let's get started.

Speaker 2: 1:04

Trust it's going to be okay. Yeah, yeah, that's a chapter in the book. I can't get into that story too much. I start losing it because it's very emotional. But it was an event with my little kids and my ex-wife and I'm in her house and they're dancing and I'm sitting there and it was obvious that the page had turned and the BS was behind me and her and us and my kids and it was a magical moment. I hope nobody has me come in and deliver that topic in a Q&A because I lose it every single time. And they were dancing to Katy Perry Fireworks song. Every time I hear that song I'm a puddle of tears, brother, but it was a very I can see it like it was yesterday and it was a turning point and really what I got from that was I wasted a lot of time, because one of the things we fear is we're afraid of is we can't handle it. We could handle anything, and so one of the things I took from that is I spent a lot of time worrying and stressing and freaking out and not trusting that it was gonna be okay. Those were all things I had to go, those challenges I had to go through to build the muscles, man, to go to the next level, and so I just I wish I would have trusted more. And it's still a challenge today. I just have to be aware of it. I trust more than I ever have, but people don't really trust man. They don't trust it's gonna be okay. They don't trust themselves and it's tough for you to live the life you want if you don't trust.

Speaker 4: 2:50

The biggest thing is I would put raise your hand Along my career. I've raised my hand wanting to do things and wanting to learn. You know, I did it with Oiyama Indian Automotive Fasteners and I had the opportunity, the great opportunity. I was a liberal arts major, political science, liberal arts core, political science, business major. Before my dad passed away he asked me to take some classes in business, but I had the opportunity to learn the Toyota production system because I raised my hand and I said this is the job that I want and I think people need to understand that you have two options right, you can sit back and you can wish for a better future, or you could raise your hand and take risk and ask to learn, and ask to do something. And I think it's been really such a pivotal point along my way. When simpler, you know our history. When simpler, about JWA, I raised my hand. I said hey, I think there's a practice around integrated facility design. I raised my hand again. I saw Dave Keevitt. He and I had a beer in the Milwaukee airport and I raised my hand. I said and Dave's like, hey, how about you come on to bold? And I raised my hand again saying yeah, I want to do that. I want to move from consulting over to this path, and I think that's such an important part.

Speaker 5: 4:20

My billboard would lift up the voices of those who can't speak loud enough for themselves. I would probably write it a little differently. I was taught by my parents that we look out for the little guy and that we speak up for people when they can't speak up. As a physician, that's a lot of what I do. When people are suffering, they often cannot advocate for themselves. The facility-based medical system marginalizes people. That's part of what I do. So that's my billboard, and I think we the news does not cover the amount of caring that is out there and we need to get back in touch with that. So that's something that I feel really, really strongly about.

Speaker 6: 5:14

So I normally say it's never too old and you never too late, but I actually have thought about. Recently I had my own experience with the billboard that changed my life. It was more of a poster or a sign on a bridge and I told you I was having such a difficult time in London on my own and it was dark and I was walking across a big lake or river in one of the royal parks and there's a stone bridge and I was walking of the bridge in the dark and I saw, and I was really at a low point in my life just thinking what am I going to do with myself? And I saw this sign and it said don't quit now. It may be one second too soon. And that just made me realize you, just you, you may always just be one step away from the good happening that you, that you've been working towards. So just that, keeping that one step, because you don't know what is is about to happen and I take that into my day literally every single day.

Speaker 3: 6:13

The gospel story is a love story and it's got your name in it. Read it and live that role. It matters, man. It's in a world of chaos. There's a really beautiful love story and and I'm not a religious man I am a faithful man and and my life's been radically transformed and and the gift is love. The gift is love, and the gift is courage, and the gift is hope. And in today's times, where things to be things seem to be a little less certain than maybe we would all be comfortable with, there's one thing we can be certain of, and that is that love story and the fact that our names written in that book. So that's my billboard, I'm going to put on there.

Speaker 8: 6:59

You have big white billboard, stark black blocky letters you are worthy, period. Because so many people feel unworthy of so much and it creates so much pain and angst. You know people don't believe they're worthy of of love, adoration, of being cared for, being treated respectfully, and that's why I create the photo portraits the way I do is I want people to have a tangible representation that they are. They are worthy of all the good things they have and there's so much power in a photo that can have that. So if I had a billboard I'd put you know just up there and you are worthy. And a sentence.

Speaker 10: 7:41

Okay, wow. So I think, like one, something just pops of mind, like over the past three years especially, like this none do it digital per se, but it is everything to do with humans, and that is like, I think, give grace, just give grace to everyone. Okay, you don't know what these folks are going through. You don't know what your friends, family, loved ones, you don't know what they're going through. Everybody's been through a lot the last three and a half years, right? So I think those are some of the quick snaps that we would make on certain people or emails they would send. Slow down, take a breath, right. Give people grace you know, I think that's probably my biggest billboard, because I see so little grace, compassion, empathy given, you know, and yet we want it right. And that could be anything from political dialogues, it could be social interaction with family members, it could be spiritual conversations, and just remember, everyone's at a different place, you know and so, and we've probably been in those places. So I think, just giving grace a little bit to folks before you start trying to dive in with your opinions, trying to evaluate, convert them, whether it's convert them to Epic or Surner, convert them to this church or that church, or convert them to how to live their life, I don't know, you know. So it's like I think, just in general, if the world just get a little bit more grace, take a deep breath before we do things or say things, I think we're going to be in a better place in the world.

Speaker 12: 9:02

It's the thing that I tell a lot of people that are coming up right now this too shall change and you've got to go through it. If you want to feel confident in yourself, you've got to go through the fire. Remember, this too shall change. When you are down and you feel like you're ready to quit, I promise you it's going to change. And when you're feeling high on top of the world, this too shall change. So just remember you've got to go through it. But the thing that'll help you is just remember it's not forever and you are going to come out so far ahead just because you've done it.

Speaker 13: 9:45

There's several, but I would definitely want someone to read it that's not living their purpose or they're just existing and not living, to realize that the Having faith, having faith over you know, having faith really to me, allows you to overcome the fear of change, because there's so many of us that just are too afraid to change. Your ladder is leaning up against the building you're climbing and then you realize, oh my gosh, that ladder's on the wrong building but they're too afraid to make a change because they're 50 or 60 years old. They're making so much money, there's so many elements. You're in the NHL, You're in the NHL, but you're the most, you're the unhappiest person. So to me, to me I would say that overcoming your fear of change through faith and or a higher power, or seeking something other than just self-help, because to me, when you do that, the results are forever. The results are, they're just absolutely transforming your life.

Speaker 14: 10:53

I have a saying, every single speech that I give, which is be more curious than certain, and that has become very, very difficult for all of us to ask more questions than to give an opinion, and so that's one that has reminded me, and I have the quote hanging in my office where I just want to be curious every day, I want to ask a question before I give an answer and really lean into life in that regard, knowing I don't know it all, I'll never know it all, and I don't want to know it all. I want to die still learning, so that really it gives you great skills and trying to engage with people and have deeper, richer conversations that maybe don't lead to so much division.

Speaker 11: 11:50

So one of the phrases that in the statements that I use, not only on the podcast but throughout the book, is that I believe in you 1,000%, and my goal is that you do too. And so what I hope they walk away from the book with is that they believe they can't. They have the roadmap, they have the tools, they have everything that they need already within them, and the book gives them the actual tactical strategies and approaches to execute and to get it done so that they can live that life. And so I want them not only to believe in themselves, but I want them to be passing that message around to everybody in their world. I want the book to have a ripple effect, because when you can truly embrace that concept that you can do anything that you set your mind to, and then you start sharing that with others, they'll borrow that confidence that you have to be able to help themselves, and that's really what it's about. So, even if you don't believe you can fully get to that end goal, if you can believe in that next step and you can take that step and you can take the next step, you'll build the confidence, you'll build that belief in yourself and you'll be able to accomplish whatever you set your mind to.

Speaker 15: 13:01

So we did this event that I hosted in March and you run four miles every four hours for 48 hours. David Goggins, I think he invented it, but our quote and I've been saying it since then because I love it and I think this would be on the billboard was empty the tank. And I just I mean maybe I too often think about my life and legacy and I mean not to go too deep, but every morning one other thing I do every morning. Some people think it's crazy, but it motivates me. I have a picture of let's see if you think this is nuts I have a picture. Actually I did a podcast on it I have a picture of my tombstone. It's not my actual tombstone, I just Google imaged it and it has my name Matthew Scoletti, 1983 dash, and that's it, and just a reminder that it's going to end at some point. And I think it ties into empty the tank, where every night when I go to bed I want to know that I gave it whatever I had that day. Does that happen every day? Absolutely not, like there's a lot of days it doesn't, but it is a motivator for me to empty the tank. So I think the billboard that's what it would say If it didn't say savage, it would definitely say empty the tank.

Speaker 7: 14:21

I would, without question put on, since it's a billboard recognized, you know, if they're my myself, of those days of analyzing and stuff in my hospital days, I would put up community, and the reason I say that is that right now, in this world, in our workplaces, we all need community, and for me, that's what leadership should truly be about. And so I'd put up the word community and then I would, you know, have a link to find out more, for inspiration, you know type of thing, go here. And because I think everybody, everybody wants it, we all want a sense of belonging, and it's not about you know, it's not about you know I'm this, you're this, it's truly about we all are here, you know, working to do the same thing, and so that's what I would do.

Speaker 16: 15:15

The growth journey for me is daily and I get new ideas and new things pop up in front of me. I'm always looking for different opportunities at work and you know, my current bosses know that I love interacting with people and having as much of an impact on others to understand their, their potential impact and how they can develop others. So I'm always looking for opportunities to maybe expand there. But yeah, I don't know exactly where I'm going to end up. I just know that every day I'm going to work on making myself better and I have kind of this philosophy that I want to have as much impact as possible as I can positively on others that I interact with personally or the ones that see me on social media or just see me out somewhere. So I just keep that in my head, in front of me, and just know that as I continue to grow, I'm setting an example, hopefully, and somebody's going to see it and somebody's going to be impacted by it. But you know, john, this this is all about surrounding yourself with those kind of people as well. Right, you know, and we can do that through reading, we can do through podcasts. We have our accountability group with your spouse. You know I look at what like, for example, you know Susan. You've known Susan for almost as long as I have, probably within minutes. You know she's a great influence on me as well because she, I say, be bold. She's the brave bold one in our family believe it or not, right, that is so willing to put herself out there and do things like that. I just watch her and tell her almost every day how courageous she is and she's like what do you mean? And I'm like you just don't understand how much you are influencing me, because you are bold and courageous in ways that I'm not right. You know what I'm. She will talk to people that I would never talk to, or say something to somebody who I wouldn't say that you know. So we all have our strengths and weaknesses and we have to balance it and then understand where we can learn how to grow. And when you watch someone else be bold, it makes it so much easier to be bold yourself, right, and kind of go hey, they didn't, they didn't worry about what that person thought and they just did it and it happened. And then boom, it's done. It's fantastic, right.

Speaker 7: 17:20

So, but you got to do it.

Speaker 16: 17:21

You got to take action. Listen One word listen.

Speaker 9: 17:28

You know you're asking me, john, before about leadership and I think the most powerful leaders bar none not just in healthcare but across the board this is what I've witnessed is just our incredible listeners and they hear not just the story but the story behind the story, and they hear the soul behind the story behind the story and they hear the spirit of it. And you know, I think listening is the thing we need to do. In fact, in that story I was telling you about contextual care, there was a great quote which I'm going to really mess up now. But you know, to really help someone ask a question right, to really help someone just ask a question, it's such a profound, it was taught by one clinician to another clinician. You know, I think actually it's more like you know to really show you care about someone, ask them a question, and you know, not a biased question, not a predetermined question, but a real question. And and I heard something else, even this week I was talking to another phenomenal beyond the walls, leader, and he quoted something around you know, instead of being experts with answers and this goes to your leadership question instead of being experts with answers, why don't we become catalysts with questions. Don't you love that? I do, I know right, instead of being experts with answers, let's become catalysts with questions. And so you do that. You show people you care for them by asking open questions and real questions to inquire and learn and appreciate about them. I tell you, if we did that, it would change the world.

Speaker 1: 19:09

So, before I end this episode, I want to share my own personal message with you, my fellow uncommon leaders. As I reflect on the stories of the incredible journeys of my guests, and also reflect on how things went in 2023, I'm reminded of the importance of the intentional pursuit of excellence. So on my billboard you would find the words excellence only happens on purpose. As leaders, it's critical that we make a conscious decision to passionately pursue perfection in our work and in our daily lives. But while we acknowledge that true perfection may be unattainable, we can strive for excellence by implementing intentional habits and disciplines. It's not easy, though. Your path to uncommon is paved by the decision to choose the discomfort of change over the displeasure of remaining the same. By committing ourselves to the pursuit of excellence, we have the power to create a lasting and eternal impact. And that brings us to the end of this special episode of the Uncommon Leader Podcast. I hope you found these stories and insights as inspiring as I did. As I finish, I wanna take a moment to express my sincere gratitude to each and every one of you, the listeners of the podcast. Thank you for joining me week after week, for embracing the journey of personal and professional growth and for being a part of this community of uncommon leaders. If you found value in today's episode, I invite you to share it with someone else who needs to hear it. To stay connected and never miss an episode, be sure to subscribe to the Uncommon Leader Podcast on your favorite podcast platform that you listen in on. And finally, if you have a moment, I would greatly appreciate it if you would leave a rating and review for the podcast. Your feedback not only helps me to become a better host, but it also helps others discover the show. Until next time, let's go and grow champions.