Introvert Leader Dispatch #4

Author

Austin Hopkins
March 08, 2024

It took me over 6 years to get my dream job. Around 2017, I decided I wanted to become a Director.

I didn’t care about the title; I wanted the opportunity to positively influence a larger group of people.

As I worked toward my goal, I knew it was gonna take patience. This wouldn’t happen overnight, and the journey could get frustrating.

Man, was I right. The journey was frustrating and long. In fact, while I was pursuing my goal, there were plenty of times when I got in my feelings and started thinking negatively.

I would ask myself questions like: Is this ever gonna happen? Should I pick something else to pursue? Can I even achieve this?

But with most things in life, the time-consuming stuff is usually worth more than the instant stuff. So I decided to stay the course.

After 6 years and a lot of patience, I got the Director role. I was so freaking excited!

Had I gotten the Director gig right away, I don’t know if I would have appreciated the opportunity as much as I should have, and more importantly, I wouldn’t have been ready.

See, the magic is in the journey.

What if I told you that if you have patience in the pursuit of your goal, you would actually be happier and better off? Hear me out.

When we flex our patience muscle it puts stuff into perspective. It allows us to see the value in friction and the process. Anything of value takes time. For many situations, the time needed is what makes it valuable.

The other massive benefit of patience in the journey is that it prepares us for the next big thing. Had I got the Director role right away I truly believe I wouldn’t have been ready. I needed to go through a period of learning, adapting, and growth in order to be ready.

There is probably something big in your life that you are working towards. Maybe it is a fitness, career, or relationship goal.

You have probably figured out that your goal is gonna take some time. But you are human, so you also want it to happen overnight.

When those negative thoughts pop up in your head, just acknowledge them for what they are. Just thoughts.

If you keep your eyes laser-focused on your goal and take daily action to move in the right direction, you will 100% reach it.

Once you reach your goal, you will almost instantly forget about the hard part of the journey. Instead, you will most likely feel an immense sense of pride for sticking with something that took patience.

So this month, embrace the journey, flex your patience muscle, and get ready for the cool stuff coming.

Podcast Episode Breakdown

Episode 28: How To Stand Out At Work

Last month, I talked about standing out at work.

It is ironic that for most of my career, I had zero desire to stand out. I wanted to blend in, fly under the radar, and do my job. I couldn’t tell you if this stemmed from being an introvert or dealing with social anxiety, but either way, I didn’t want the spotlight.

But as I got further in my career, I realized that if I were going to make an impact or reach my goals it would be impossible to blend in. I was going to have to stand out at work.

So began the journey of standing out at work.

I started off small at first, testing the waters of standing out. For example, I would speak up during a meeting and share my unique ideas. Or I would share my leadership perspective with my peers.

At first, not much happened. I was gaining a little reputation for being unique, but nothing crazy. So I kept on the path.

Eventually, I started to figure out what made me unique and then used that style at work. This is when the magic happened.

People started to associate me with something different or unique compared to the average person. I think we can agree that being the same as everyone or staying predictable isn’t going to make you stand out.

To my delight my ability to lean into my uniqueness was paying off in spades. I won awards at work; I was asked to take on new projects, and I even absorbed multiple teams into my department.

My focus on standing out worked very well. From then on out, I knew I never wanted to blend in.

If you want to start standing out at work, start by figuring out what makes you unique. From there, start letting the world see the real, unfiltered you.

Book Club

We all have been given a book recommendation before. But have you received the same recommendation multiple times?

For me, the answer was yes, and the book was Influence by Robert B. Cialdini.

The first time I heard about Robert Cialdini was when I was searching for YouTube content to help my sales team. I stumbled upon his video about getting clients to say yes.

The first day I found the video, I watched it three times. Then, I asked my whole team to watch it as well. We were all blown away by his simple yet clear breakdown of closing the sale.

Fast-forward a few years, and I kept getting the recommendation to read his book. So, last month, I decided to give it a try.

Why the hell did I wait so long!?

I could not put his book down, seriously. It was packed with incredible value from cover to cover.

In the book, he breaks down his 6 principles of influence.

  1. Reciprocity

  2. Commitment and Consistency

  3. Social Proof

  4. Authority

  5. Liking

  6. Scarcity

Each of these principles is backed by human psychology fundamentals, but most importantly, they really work.

As I read through each principle, I considered how I could apply them in my own business. As I continue to build my podcast and LinkedIn audience, I am looking for ways to package my ideas in a way that resonates with folks.

Influence was exactly what I needed.

Although I think my content is solid overall, a few small tweaks could help me take it to the next level. For example, I post frequently on LinkedIn about my career journey. But I haven’t made it a point to highlight my authority/expertise in the space.

This is something I plan to start experimenting with over the next few months.

If you haven’t read this book, you are missing out on incredibly valuable insights that can help anyone in any situation.

  • Want to get your kids to do what you want? Read Influence

  • Want your boss to say yes to your next big idea? Read Influence

  • Want your work presentation to blow people away? Read Influence

  • Want to get people to buy what you are selling? Read Influence

I cant remember reading a more simple yet powerful book and know you will feel the same.

Next Month’s Book: Outliers: The Story Of Success

Download the audiobook or grab a physical copy of the book. Get ready to learn what makes high achievers different!

Music

Music or Lyrics

Do you listen to the lyrics or music when listening to a song? I have had this debate with my friends and family for years!

Research shows that it’s nearly split 50/50, with half of the folks primarily listening to lyrics while the other half listening to the music.

Personally, I listen to the music and almost never pay attention to the lyrics. My wife is the exact opposite. She loves to listen to the lyrics and connect with the message in the song.

I think I focus on the music because I grew up around instruments. At 7 years old, I started taking drum lessons, played at school and church, and spent the next two decades playing drums as often as I could.

I got to see musicians up close as they created beautiful sounds, and this experience has stayed with me to this day.

One of my favorite games when listening to music is to try to identify all the different layers within any given song. Whether it's piano, drums, guitar, sound effects, or background vocals, our music is stacked with different layers that, when added together, make something special.

This week, pick a song and see if you can pick out all the different layers. You will be surprised at how intricate our music really is.

Coffee

Ground Coffee vs. Whole Bean Coffee

Should you be buying pre-ground coffee or whole-bean coffee?

It depends. Do you want to have a better, fresher, and more tasty cup of coffee? If so, grinding your own beans is, hands down, the best way to improve your coffee.

When you buy pre-ground coffee, a couple of negative things happen.

First, the coffee is ground to a universal grind size that isn’t optimal for all brewing types. For example, ground coffee that works in a drip machine won't taste good in a French Press. Every brewing method and machine is different, and in turn, the grind size needs to be different as well. You wouldn’t put diesel in your gas engine. The same goes for coffee.

Second and maybe most important pre-ground coffee isn’t fresh. When you buy your coffee pre-ground, you are buying coffee that has lost most of its flavor. As coffee gets exposed to air, it immediately starts to lose its essential oils. Keeping the beans intact preserves oils, flavor, and freshness.

I haven’t always bought whole-bean coffee. In fact, growing up, we always bought pre-ground coffee. We had a little drip coffee machine and used the good old Costco Kirkland Signature ground coffee. This coffee was ok but left much to be desired.

About 5 years ago, my wife bought me a high-quality manual grinder, and I haven’t looked back.

One of my favorite parts of my morning is the smell of grinding fresh coffee. If you thought the smell of pre-ground coffee was good, just wait till you grind the beans up fresh.

Can you say game changer?

STS Career Coaching

Do you want to make more money? Stand out amongst your peers? Get promoted faster? Or use your unique strengths to navigate your career?

Book a free career clarity call https://calendly.com/stscareercoaching/30min

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