Lessons & Highlights from the John Maxwell Conference

The Spokesperson

e-newsletter by Michelle Cummings

August 23, 2023 | Wheel of a Deal Wednesday

Quote: "Be the architect of your habits, not the victim."

~ James Clear, Atomic Habits

~ Lessons and Highlights from the Maxwell Leadership Conference ~

Hello!

I had a wonderful opportunity to Keynote a John Maxwell conference last week. It was an incredible honor to get asked by such a giant in the leadership world and also be inspired by other great thought leaders that were also speaking. John himself, along with Juliet Funt, James Clear, Ally Love, and Ryan Leak, were so inspiring. A few of their talking points struck me pretty deeply. I thought I would share a few highlights that really impacted me:

First up, Juliet Funt. Her main message was about creating 'white space' every day. When your packed calendar looks like a set of paint swatches, you need this lesson more than you know. If the filled-in meeting blocks are all touching in your calendar, you don’t have a single minute to reflect on the meeting before, refresh yourself, or plan for the meeting to come. Once you can see white spaces between your appointments, you can stop working like a robot and begin working like a human being whose thoughts, needs, and whims require room for reflection and flexibility. You can take a minute to think. That in itself was inspiring, but then she said something that hit me pretty hard... she said, "If there were a movie made about your life, would a surprising plot twist be that you had a heart attack?" ...

Wow... I think my answer to that question would be no... which is pretty scary. My schedule is always pretty packed, and I work some really long hours to meet the needs of our clients. I don't exercise as I should, and I could keep listing things here that would contribute to poor health. It definitely made me reflect on my daily habits. Little did I know the next speaker was going to talk about daily habits...

Up next was James Clear. I had heard of his book, Atomic Habits, but I have not read it. He spoke about habit tracking and why everyone should do it. He had great stories and examples of people who had achieved their goals because of following these methods. What I loved most about his message was how habit tracking is powerful because it leverages multiple Laws of Behavior Change. It simultaneously makes a behavior obvious, attractive, and satisfying. He also shared that if you started a habit and only spent 15 minutes on it each day, you would be 1% better than you were yesterday. And if you continue to do that 15 minutes each day, in one year, you will be measurably better than you were a year ago. That's the power of habit. I can proudly say I'm 5 days into some new healthy habits, so I'm already better than I was a week ago.

Next was Ryan Leak. I had not heard of Ryan before he stepped on stage, and I am now one of his biggest fans. He is hysterically funny and delivered a fantastic message around Chasing Failure. It was this crazy yet inspiring story of a man who decided to chase a dream that he was sure would end in failure, but he did it anyway. Ryan Leak chased failure and, in doing that, achieved his goal of trying out for an NBA team, the Phoenix Suns. You can see his original documentary here:

After making that documentary, Ryan realized that chasing failure was a concept the world really needed to hear more about. I can't wait to dive into his book and apply his concepts to my own leadership journey.

And Last but not least was Ally Love, Peloton instructor Founder and CEO of her company Love Squad, and Host of Brooklyn Nets. She talked about personal development and making a commitment to enrich your own life. She talked about Truths, not Trends, and how the three P's: Person, Positioning, and Pattern can help leaders achieve their goals.

And last but not least was John Maxwell himself. I think he delivered 6 or more different Keynotes in the three days I was there, so picking just a few points of learning will be extremely difficult, but one thing he said that really resonated with me and the work we do here at Personify Leadership is the difference between Sucess vs Significance. John is a very successful leader and businessman. He's sold over 36 million books, but what drives him more is the significance of the work he does and the ripple effect it has on the world.

I feel like I've always operated with this philosophy. Of course I'd like to make enough money to pay my mortgage and make a living, but what drives me and the work we do at both Training Wheels and Personify Leadership is the significance of the work we do growing leaders and facilitators. Many people describe our trainings, workshops and courses as crash courses in self-awareness and skill development. I have received hundreds, if not thousands, of messages over the last 24 years of Training Wheels and 11 years at Personify Leadership about how our programs positively impacted the lives of leaders, participants and their organizations. That's what drives me to keep getting the word out about both Training Wheels and Personify Leadership and working steadily towards our goal of influencing one million leaders in the next 9 years. The significance is what matters to me.

If you're still with me at the waaaay bottom of this email, then a big Thanks! is in order. If you have gone through Personify Leadership or Experiential Facilitation 101, I'd be curious about what still resonates with you from what you learned in the class. I'd also ask you to think of one of your colleagues or friends that would benefit from going through the course. Forward this message to them, and invite them to register.

If you haven't yet taken either class, then I would encourage you to sign up for our upcoming September 12-13 Personify Leadership dates in Littleton, CO. We have 5 seats left, and I'd love to see you in one of them! Our next Experiential Facilitation 101 course is October 10-12 in Littleton, CO.

Upcoming Workshops:

Personify Leadership

September 12-13 - Open Enrollment

September 12-15 - Certification in Personify Leadership

NEW Special Workshop:

New Games Workshop with Dale LeFevre!

September 25, 2023

Experiential Facilitation101: (register soon!)

October 10-13 ~ Open Enrollment

October 10-14 ~ Certification in EF101

Special Workshop Opportunity!

If you've been in the teambuilding game for more than a few decades, then chances are you probably read The New Games book early in your career. Dale Le Fevre is one of the originators of New Games and has been a New Games teacher since 1975, teaching over 1000 courses in 34 countries. He is the author of 3 New Games books and lots of supporting materials.

Dale has decided to do one last United States workshop tour, and we are excited to host one of his workshops here in Colorado. So mark your calendars and find yourself in Littleton, CO on September 25, 2023! The registration fee is $115. I'm looking forward to connecting with and learning from this sage facilitator and teacher. I hope you'll join us!

Dale LeFevre with New Games

Have Fun Out There,

Michelle Cummings

Founder / Facilitator / Big Wheel

Training Wheels

www.Training-Wheels.com

Co-Founder, CEO & Chief Creative Officer

Personify Leadership

www.PersonifyLeadership.com

Author of The Reel Sisters

Training Wheels Resources

Season 4 Podcast:

Episode 78: Tips for Training Team Builders

Listen Here!

Experiential Facilitation 101

Course

Upcoming Dates:

October 10-13

in Littleton, CO

Open Enrollment

Certification to Deliver this Course

Online Course

READY AND ACTIVE!

This subscription-based Online Game Database houses over 500 experiential teambuilding games, each designed to equip facilitators with the right game for the right group. Individual and group rates available. Sign up today!

Upcoming Personify Leadership Course

My next Personify Leadership class is September 12-13 for the Open Enrollment, and September 12-15 for the Train the Trainer. Click here to learn more or to register.

Wheel of a Deal: On Sale This Week...

Metaphors Be With You

Stickers!

Regular: $1.99

On Sale: $0.00

Free with any physical product purchase from the Online Store

Did you know that Luke Skywalker was a team-building facilitator? He was always heard saying, "Metaphors Be With You!"

OK, so we know our jokes aren't funny, but they are punny!

One free 'Metaphors Be With You' Sticker will be included in every order for physical product that gets placed from our Online Store. If you like them so much you want to purchase ones for your friends and neighbors, then you may purchase them individually as well. Enjoy!

Ultimate Kit

Regular: $3999.99

On Sale: $3699.99

The Ultimate Kit is a hearty kit that will keep you equipped for many types of program with the ultimate selection of activities

Chiji Guidebook

Regular: $18.99

On Sale: $14.99

This book is an instructional guide describing some of the different ways Chiji Cards can be used to facilitate key moments during group experiences. This guidebook gives a simple, straightforward explanation of the processing theory that coincides with the original use of Chiji Cards, and it provides a rationale for when to use one processing technique over another.

Where in the World is Training Wheels?

Have Bag, Will Travel!

Michelle and her team are usually in 3-4 different locations each month. We often lead Open Enrollment workshops so you can find a training near you to attend! Or you could piggyback onto one of our existing trips and have us come and facilitate a training for your group. View our full Event Calendar.

August 2023 locations:

August 9, Teacher In-Service Training, Minneapolis, KS
August 11, Michelle's brother's Promotion Ceremony to the rank of Colonel in the Army Reserve, Topeka, KS (so proud!)
August 15, Teacher In-Service Training, Anchorage, AK
August 13-16, John Maxwell Leadership Conference, Michelle keynoting and presenting
August 25, Client Program, Missouri
August 28-31, Personify Leadership Certification, University of Arkansas

September 2023 locations:

September 12, Michelle Keynoting a Conference in Colorado Springs, CO
September 12-15, Personify Leadership, Littleton, CO. Kristin Salada and Jody Witmer facilitating
September 18-20, Private EF101, New Mexico
September 21, Private client program, Phoenix, AZ
September 25, New Games Training with Dale Le Fevre, Littleton, CO

TRAINING WHEELS | www.Training-Wheels.com