I’ve experienced that sensation twice in my life.  The first time was in 2005 when I visited Ground Zero in New York City.  The site where the Twin Towers had come down was in full excavation mode.  Trucks and workers scurried all over the place and yet it was incredibly peaceful there.  As office workers hustled by on their lunch break, their conversations became muted when they passed the site of the biggest terrorist attack on US soil.  If you have visited the site you know that it is impossible to walk away unchanged.

My second experience with hallowed ground came last week in the Simi Valley of California. The lovely Donna and I got a chance to visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.  It is appropriate that it was the first Presidential Library either one of us had ever visited, as Ronald Reagan was the first President I ever voted for.  He didn’t need my vote in 1984.  He won reelection in a landslide.  As a bit of a history buff, I have never thought of my formative years as being part of history.  But as we walked through the exhibits, I was amazed at where the world was in the early 1980s and where we are now.  Perhaps some other day I will take some time to compare and contrast the world as it was then to where we are now.  Today I want to tell you six important leadership lessons I learned in one sacred afternoon.

6 Leadership Lessons From The Reagan Presidential Library

• Overnight success takes a long time. – In 1964 Ronald Reagan gave “The Speech.”  The speech I’m referring to was a campaign speech in support of Barry Goldwater’s presidential campaign. “The Speech” was so successful that the Republican Party of California came hard after Reagan to run for Governor. Reagan was elected twice to that position.  His tenure as Governor set him up as a serious public servant and not just an actor.  The reality is that “The Speech” was something that Reagan had been working on for several years.  In his role as the host of General Electric Theater, he spent 16 weeks a year touring GE plants. He met the line workers and delivered messages of hope and inspiration.  Much of what he said that night in 1964 was material that he knew resonated with working Americans.
• A supportive spouse/partner is critical. – The love that Nancy Davis and Ronald Reagan shared was breathtaking. As I wandered around the exhibits there were numerous love letters and telegrams on display.  President Reagan was a hopeless romantic.  He wasn’t afraid to show the great love of his life how much she meant to him.  In return, Nancy was a very practical, shrewd woman. She protected her husband and really complimented his weaknesses.  Together they were an unstoppable force of nature.  But I get the feeling they would have been just as happy if they had been average working Americans.  As long as they were together.  I need to let my wife know more frequently how important she is to me and how lucky I am to have her in my corner.
• Failure is an option. –  Even though Ronald Reagan won his first bid for Governor, his road to the White House wasn’t nearly as easy.  He lost his run for the presidential nomination in both 1972 and 1976 before finally defeating Jimmy Carter in the general election in 1980. Many times when we see someone at the pinnacle of their career we just see the success.  We don’t see the crushing defeats, the challenges faced, the sleepless nights worrying about paying the bills.
• Take Responsibility When You Screw Up. – I vividly remember the Iran-Contra affair and the scandal that surrounded it in 1986-1987.  As a young man, I was fascinated by Oliver North and the daily allegations that were flying everywhere.  I’m not sure the truth of what President Reagan knew, and when he knew it, will ever come out. But I do remember watching him address the public on March 4, 1987. I remember being incredibly proud of voting for him back then and when I watched that address again last week, I had goosebumps.  The part that was incredibly moving to me was the paragraph below. President Reagan was talking about the Tower Commission Report that had just been released earlier that day.
  • “I’ve studied the Board’s report. Its findings are honest, convincing, and highly critical; and I accept them. And tonight I want to share with you my thoughts on these findings and report to you on the actions I’m taking to implement the Board’s recommendations. First, let me say I take full responsibility for my own actions and for those of my administration. As angry as I may be about activities undertaken without my knowledge, I am still accountable for those activities. As disappointed as I may be in some who served me, I’m still the one who must answer to the American people for this behavior. And as personally distasteful as I find secret bank accounts and diverted funds—well, as the Navy would say, this happened on my watch.”
  • The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library was put together under President Reagan’s watchful eye.  One of the great parts of being the victor is that you get to write the history books.  He could have easily left the whole Iran-Contra affair out of the library.  But unlike modern national leaders, he chose to include it.  To take responsibility for it all over again.  It shows his incredible character.  A full transcript of the address can be found here. 
• Have a sense of humor. – The world is a dangerous, scary place.  Even in the midst of the worst days, President Reagan had a quick mind and a very funny sense of humor.  When he was wheeled into the operating room after being shot by John Hinckley, Jr., he said to the surgeons and staff, “I hope you’re all Republican.”  Later when talking to Nancy in the recovery room he said, “Honey, I forgot to duck.”  It is clear that he took his job very seriously and was a formidable opponent that was very driven.  But he also understood how to use humor to bring humanity into the situation. He used humor to put people at ease quickly so that they would really listen.  There is a reason he was nicknamed “The Great Communicator.”  Humor helped.
• Leaders are dealers in hope. – Napoleon has been credited with saying that first.  Perhaps no modern leader has lived that sentiment to the level that President Reagan did.  Reagan ran for president at a time that America was reeling and feeling overwhelmed by financial crises.  Gas was being rationed.  Runaway inflation and interest rates were strangling the American dream.  To make matter worse we were the laughing stock of Middle Eastern terrorist regimes.  In the midst of all this turmoil, Ronald Reagan looked America in the eye and said, “America’s best days are still to come.”  This message stirred the American public to action and allowed him to defeat Jimmy Carter in the worst landslide ever faced by an incumbent president.  Eight years later when Reagan left the presidency he said, “Whatever else history may say about me when I’m gone, I hope it will record that I appealed to your best hopes, not your worst fears; to your confidence rather than your doubts. My dream is that you will travel the road ahead with liberty’s lamp guiding your steps and opportunity’s arm steadying your way.”

I wish that for America now. We need leaders to step up in every arena.  Perhaps it is your turn to lead.  If so, take a journey to 40 Presidential Drive, Simi Valley, California.  I promise you will learn what true leadership looks like.  Just remember to be respectful.  You are standing on hallowed ground.

I’d love to hear your reflections on President Reagan.  Please hit reply to this email or leave your comment below.

I hate Tom Hopkins! Seriously…. Yes, I’m talking about THAT Tom Hopkins. The same Tom Hopkins who is the renowned sales trainer, author, and motivational speaker. He ruined me for life and I can’t begin to tell you how much it has impacted me and my family.  Every day Tom’s words haunt me and make me do things I don’t want to do. I’m warning you right now: If you continue to read this article, there will be many days in the future that you hate me like I hate Tom.

Are you serious? You are still reading? 

About 17 years ago, someone gave me a set of Tom Hopkins’ sales training tapes. Being new to sales, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. About halfway through listening to his program I heard Tom utter these exact, unrelenting, miserable, utterly convicting words, “I must do the most productive thing possible at every given moment.”  I stopped the tape and felt a disturbance in the force.  Surely I had heard Tom wrong, or he meant it differently than I was understanding him. He didn’t really expect people to actually live like that did he? So quickly I hit rewind to listen again.

This time he sounded like he was taunting me, “I must do the most productive thing possible at every given moment.” I was stunned. I was agitated and confused. Was he suggesting I could no longer watch every inning of every Seattle Mariners game? I mean, I know that wasn’t productive, but I work hard and deserve some downtime…….

For the last 17 years that phrase, “I must do the most productive thing possible at every given moment.” has swirled around my noggin forcing me to make decisions and take actions that I am uncomfortable with. Sitting on my butt, surfing the internet, and setting my fantasy football lineup is much more comfortable than cold calling. Being proactive in leading my team through conflict resolution isn’t comfortable either, but it is productive.

So is Tom Hopkins saying you can’t ever relax? Of course not. Sometimes the most productive thing you can do is engage in true “RE-creation.” Spending quality time with people you love in a relaxing atmosphere can often leave you unbelievably recharged and raring to go! But is watching 4 hours and 13 minutes of television a day helping you reach your goals? (BTW: According to The Wall Street Journal the average American adult spends 4 hours and 13 minutes watching television per day.)

The following is a list of things I do differently today because I heard Tom say, “I must do the most productive thing possible at every given moment.” If you want to join the truly productive crowd, I might suggest you consider making these changes too!

How Tom Hopkins Impacted My Life

• I watch dramatically less TV. Instead of 4 hours a day, I often don’t watch 4 hours a week. And if I do, It is ALL TIVOed. (God invented TIVO so that you don’t have to waste time watching commercials.)
• I read at least an hour per day. This one practice has driven my career further than anything else.
• I don’t hold grudges. Worrying about how someone has hurt you or staying angry at someone else only hurts you and oftentimes the person you are so mad at doesn’t even know that you are mad.
• I don’t do things that I don’t like doing. Life is too short to mow my lawn. I can pay someone else to do it and use the time for something much more productive.
• I have learned to delegate. Some things must be done only by me, but that list is a lot shorter than I would like to admit.
• I don’t worry about the future. My favorite quote about this is, “Worry is like interest paid in advance on a debt that never comes due.”
• I don’t wait for the future. I lost my mom at age 57. She was a history minor who desperately wanted to explore Europe when she retired. She lost her battle to cancer 8 years before she could retire. The bible says that tomorrow is not promised, so my wife and I have made it our policy to “go now!”
• I’ve stopped trying to make everyone happy. John Maxwell says that it’s not your job to make everyone happy. That’s the job of a clown. Full disclosure: I’m still struggling here. Just as an alcoholic is never cured, but is in recovery, I too am a recovering people pleaser. “Hi my name is Tim, and I’m a people pleaser…..”
• I’ve stopped teaching pigs to sing. I can’t begin to tell you the amount of time, energy and effort I have wasted in my life trying to get people to go on a journey they didn’t really want to go on. I’m over it! The reason you can’t drag people to success is exactly the same reason you shouldn’t try to teach a pig to sing: All it does is waste your time, and annoy the pig.

Conclusion: Maybe it’s time to look at those things that are killing your productivity. Remember, time is the only resource you own that can’t be replenished. How you use it is critical to your success.

Question: Do you hate Tom Hopkins as much as I do for making you push yourself? Leave your answer below in the comments section.

If you have been in the Voluntary Benefits arena for any length of time, you know that there are a plethora of reasons for a Decision Maker or Business Owner to implement a Voluntary Benefits program. Below are the top ten.

Top Ten Reasons For A Business To Implement Voluntary Benefits

• There is no direct cost to the business owner to implement a VB program.
• The employees pay the VB premiums if they want the products.
• There is no hard sell to the employees.
• Better benefits help attract better employees.
• Better benefits help keep better employees.
• The employees are thankful to have the opportunity to protect their lifestyle and their family with VB.
• The VB programs are significant in the lives of the employees when they need them most.
• VB programs can lower the employee’s and employer’s payroll taxes.
• VB can lower fraudulent Worker’s Compensation claims.
• VB help keep the business owner out of the loan business.
• VB can cure cancer. (Not really, I just threw that one in to see if you were still paying attention.)

Quick side note here… Do you have these 10 things memorized? Can you say them in your sleep? I might suggest you memorize them before going any further….

So how can the Decision Maker possibly say no to a program that has a list of benefits as long as the one above? How can they possibly shoot you down? Trust me, they figure out a way.

Unless you get the Decision Maker out of their comfort zone, your chances of closing are somewhere between slim and none.  And Slim just left the building. I’m not saying it won’t ever happen. In fact, if you meet with enough Decision Makers, you will close a few cases. If their sister just was diagnosed with breast cancer, they might let you talk to their employees about your cancer program.

So how do we get Decision Makers to “feel the pain” of staying at their status quo? How do we help them to see that it is critical for the health of their organization that they offer Voluntary Benefits? The answer to both questions is that we have to knock them off their comfortable perch. We have to disturb them. The best way I have found to do this is by asking them disturbing questions.

Disturbing questions get the Decision Maker to stop for just a second and realize that perhaps there is something that they hadn’t considered. Perhaps it would be important to offer these types of benefits to their employees.

Conclusion: Sometimes you have to disturb the business owner to get them out of their comfort zone.

Question: Are you willing to challenge the Decision Maker, risk upsetting them, and possibly get a no? Or would you prefer a bunch of maybes….

If you paid attention during history in school, you have undoubtedly heard of the Spanish Conquistador, Hernan Cortes. Cortes is credited with being one of the most influential explorers of his time. What many people don’t realize is that he was in an almost constant feud with the King of Spain. He often had to battle the indigenous people of the land he was claiming for the Spanish Crown and the troops that Spain sent to stop Cortes. It’s not my place to judge Cortes on his character or excuse the apparent atrocities that he inflicted while defeating both the Aztecs and Mayans. History has been both kind and brutal to Cortes as he is seen as either the conquering hero or the symbol of colonization gone wrong.

Instead of worrying about his place in history, I want to let you know about what he did when he first landed in what in the new world. In July of 1519 Cortes landed at Veracruz with the intention of conquering the interior of what is now Mexico for the Spanish throne. He faced fierce opposition from both the Mayans and the Aztecs. Cortes was so adamant that there be no possibility of retreat, he ordered his men to scuttle (destroy and sink) the fleet of ships they used to travel there. Ultimately he not only defeated the Mayans and Aztecs, but he also held off a much larger army sent by Diego Velazquez, the Governor of Cuba (appointed by the King of Spain) to stop him.

Many historians have looked at how Cortes and his men were able to overcome such insurmountable odds. Almost to a person they mention the scuttling of the ships as a major factor in the success of Cortes. If he and his men were unsuccessful they were probably going to die. They had no place to retreat to. There was no middle ground. Cortes had no plan B. Do you?

Over the last 17 years, I have recruited and trained over 2,000 Voluntary Benefit insurance agents. At just about every interview I have said something like, “A career in Voluntary Benefits is a horrible six-month experiment. You are going to find it is an incredible amount of work that oftentimes doesn’t pay off until weeks, months or sometimes even years after you first approach a business. I can’t have you dipping your big toe in this pool to see if you think you might want to go swimming. If you want to come on board, I need you to cannonball off the high dive.” What I am really saying to the potential new recruit is, “You can’t have a plan B.”  The following are signs you have a plan B. They are also signs that you probably aren’t going to join the 11% of new agents that survive their first two years.

 Signs You Have a Plan B

• Your resume is still active on careerbuilder.com.
• You have decided to take a part-time job to pay some bills.
• You aren’t reading at least one book on sales every month.
• You are spending time in the middle of the day working on non-sales activities.
• You are waiting to approach your friends and best leads until you are more polished/knowledgable.
• You don’t wake up each day with a plan on how you are going to attack the day.
• You aren’t spending evening hours studying your products.
• You are waiting for your manager to train you. (Read Your Manager Sucks at Training.)
• You believe that success is dependent on anything other than your hard work.
• You have blamed anyone or anything other than yourself for your lack of results.
• You believe that somehow next month will be better just because time has passed.
• Your spouse or significant other has mentioned to you recently that you need to go get a real job and you didn’t have a way to defend yourself.

Conclusion: Until you fully commit to this being your LAST career, you have no chance for success. Are you involved in your Voluntary Benefits career or are you committed. Think of this way: When it comes to breakfast, the chicken was involved in making breakfast. The pig was committed.

Question: How committed are you to this being your LAST career? Draw a line in the sand today. Leave a pledge to yourself and the world by commenting in the box below!