Valorie sees life as an adventure, one that moves through various “seasons,” which she translates roughly as phases we grow into and, eventually, out of. The wisdom lies in understanding when a season has reached its natural endpoint and then asking yourself what you’ve learned and what opportunity or even blessings have arisen during it. “And then to look ahead to new seasons, with an anticipation that there are new lessons,” Valorie said. Her latest season includes features on the Today Show, Dr. Oz, and joining four other distinguished writers and motivational speakers as part of John C. Maxwell’s League of Extraordinary Leaders. Maxwell formed the group to diversify his organization’s voice and guarantee its future vitality.
Over the course of writing her books, the most recent of which is Let Go of the Guilt: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Take Back Your Joy, and running CaPP programs, Valorie has honed what she calls an “optimistic thinking style.” The hallmark of this style is that it confronts challenges without sugar-coating them while reframing them as opportunities that individuals and teams can work through to learn and grow.
It is a style anyone can cultivate, and in the podcast, listeners will learn about some of the practices Valorie uses with clients to develop an optimistic thinking style. These include the 3:1 principle of good to bad news and the ratio is critical to building strong teams. Plus, you will learn how to begin meetings with a “win or a grin” moment.
Valorie says leaders bear responsibility for modeling a positive approach to problem-solving because a leader’s attitude is “contagious” among her team. “The question I put to leaders is this,” she said, “How are others’ lives better because they crossed paths with you?” If you understand your purpose, Valorie continues, it serves as a compass to guide your decisions. “Your ability to start from a positive place, handle setbacks and be resilient reflect how you want the rest of the team to face their setbacks.”
Enjoy this mini-master class with a woman I like to call America’s Life Coach.
You will learn:
"Don is one of the best storytellers I’ve ever met. I’ve known him for a long time and every time we talk I walk away wiser and more inspired. He is the best in the business at teaching you a skill – storytelling – that will last you a lifetime.”
“The ability for athletes to get hired is carried on through you because you are putting out the message that lessons learned from sports are important in life. It is embedded in this podcast, what you’re doing is significant.”
We speak the same language. I am inspired by the stories you tell, the people you have met, and the things you’ve done. Those of us that are competitors like to follow others that have been down that journey, so it is always fun talking to you!”
“Many of the leaders I have worked with were excellent athletes, and I think there is a direct correlation. You’re one of the few people that really has pursued this study, Don. Keep up the great work. What you are doing really makes a difference.”
“Don, you have mastered the skill of interviewing and asking great questions. That is a great skill all leaders need in order to understand their team members’ thought processes.”
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