#247: How Clarity of Vision, Certainty of Intent and Powerful Values Impact Leadership and Personal Greatness

Today, we’ll be talking with Warren Rustand who has a lengthy career giving advice and running, growing and selling companies. Not only has he helped small, private businesses and taken multi-billion dollar companies public, but he has also worked alongside President Ford. Having successfully survived everything the market and life has thrown at him over decades, Warren drives home the importance of leading yourself before you lead your team. We’ll dive into ways to manage the difficult balance—and sometimes tradeoffs—we make out of our professional and personal lives.

“One’s success is relevant only when measured against one’s own potential.”

What You Will Learn In Today's Podcast Interview

The value of being prescriptive at all levels, in business and at home
What leadership qualities Warren learned from his father, a corporate exec-turned farmer who took over the family business unexpectedly
As long as you stay on the road to your vision, you will achieve that vision, no matter how many times we have to swerve left and right
Five qualities of a great leader
How your achievement stories tell more about you than you think and why you should look at what you count as your achievements
Why you need to look at this day if you want to achieve your dreams someday
How clarity of vision, certainty of intent and powerful values impact goal setting
The incredible benefits of putting a weekly thinking session into your official schedule
How to design your life and make hard decisions before they happen
When leaders should communicate alignment with their staff and how often they should reinforce the message
The five principles of personal greatness: Commit to personal discipline; Live with purpose, every day; Act with intent; Make conscious choices; Have a cause greater than yourself
What value journaling brings to your life
Why you need to find people who are willing to have difficult conversations with you to help keep you on track and accountable
What advocacy versus
What advocacy versus inquiry has to do with your listening skills
The difference between creating leaders and creating employees
How being transparent kept him working alongside a President of the United States at 29
Why you should make a family mission statement and shared vision

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About the Guest:

Warren Rustand has created, led, and grown many successful private, public, and not-for-profit entities. Having worked for President Ford, Warren is familiar with high-pressure decisions and has devoted his career to exploring vision, strategy, executive leadership and achievement. After a legacy of strong companies, Warren managed to put all of his experience and hard-earned wisdom into his book, The Leader Within Us. He has also been recognized with many honors and awards, such as: The Visionary Leadership Award, The Distinguished Citizens Award, The 25th Year Achievement Award, The Sports Hall of Fame, The Robbie Award, and Father of the Year Award. Warren is passionate about family, entrepreneurship, public policy and community.

Quotes:

07:27 - “All of us lead in different ways.” – Warren Rustand

14:21 - “If you’re not taking the time to think, the chance of you getting to that clarity of vision, the chances of you getting to what you want to become, are greatly reduced.” – Warren Rustand

17:15 - “There are three days in our lives: yesterday, today and tomorrow.” – Warren Rustand

17:52 - “What do I have to get done this day to make someday possible?” – Warren Rustand

21:10 - “I think the first great quality of a leader is humility, it’s not self-promotion.” – Warren Rustand

21:55 - “I think we’re all called to a higher purpose. And I think that part of the reason why we want to have great strategic thinking every day is to discover that higher purpose. That needs to be our clarity of vision.” – Warren Rustand

24:46 - “Some leaders are rigid, very disciplined, and some of them are more relaxed. And that’s just the nature of their personality and all that’s okay.” – Warren Rustand

39:47 - “Sometimes we need to be vulnerable, honest, and transparent. And we have to be that all the time to gain the trust of people around us.” – Warren Rustand

42:50 - “We need to be leaders in four parts of our lives: Family, business, community and self.” – Warren Rustand

46:18 “We have to predetermine what’s most important in our lives. We can’t wait for the moment and then decide at that moment.” – Warren Rustand