John Eades Interview | CEO of LearnLoft and Author
We sit down with John Eades. John is the CEO of LearnLoft a leadership development company which exists to turn managers into leaders. He was named a 2017 LinkedIn Top Voice in Management & Workplace. His weekly leadership column has over 150k subscribers. He is also the author of Building the Best: 8 Proven Leadership Principles to Elevate Other to Success and is the host of the Follow My Lead Podcast. As a motivational speaker, he connects to the hearts and minds of leaders from all industries and experiences.
Buy Building The Best: https://buildingthebestbook.com/
John Eades Page: https://johneades.com/
Questions Asked:
00:16:00 What is your story and tell us about LearnLoft?
03:10:09 Is there born leaders or is it leading something anyone can learn?
04:53:23 Is there a common trait that you would say that all good leaders have?
07:06:01 Do you think in light of the pandemic leadership has changed at all? Is it possible to be a good leader in a 100% remote environment?
08:59:14 How has video helped you out during this pandemic?
10:45:07 What were some of the fundamentals that you used for yourself to execute yourself being a better leader for your team and maybe even yourself?
15:06:17 What do you think is the difference between being a leader or a manager?
16:30:08Do you think leadership is a lonely position because nobody is coming up to you and just being like, "Hey, good job."
18:02:01 Do people in leadership positions get lonely when they can't lead anymore?
22:15:01 Is there anybody that inspires you?
24:54:05 Is there anybody that you want to inspire?
30:09:19What can corporations do to help managers become better leaders when they move up in their position?
35:12:07During the pandemic did you learn any new skills or pick up a hobby or maybe something you learned and you want other people to know?
Bobby Starks:
Thank you again for tuning into Starks Media Podcast. I'm your host, Bobby Starks and today's guest is John Eades. He the CEO of LearnLoft and also an author of the book Building the Best. So instead of wasting any more time, let's get into it. So how about you tell us her story and tell us what LearnLoft is all about.
John Eades:
My story, how far back do you want me to go, Bobby?
John Eades:
No, I'll go from where it really started recently. I got the opportunity to lead a team, we were really struggling. I was about a year into that role of leadership and I let one of my team members go. It couldn't have been John's fault, had to be somebody else's. And she sat in my chair, she didn't know it was about to happen. It was a 45 minute dialogue, a lot of emotion. And at the end of that meeting, she said, "John, I didn't know where we were going, I didn't know what we were doing, And I didn't know how I was helping us get there." It was in that moment that I realized that the problem was not my team, the problem was John and the way I was leading. It showed me the impact and the influence that I had over the people that were in my sphere of influence. And it trickles down way beyond work Bobby, it trickles down to all parts of life.
John Eades:
So it was in that moment when she left my office, I'm a pretty emotional guy, I might cry before the end of this podcast, and she left my office and I put my head in my hands and I cried like a baby. I recognized that the problem was me. And that was a tough thing to realize. There's a guy named Jocko Willink, he says, there are no bad teams, only bad leaders. And I was living proof of it and I hated it. As I got the courage, I was wiping away the tears and I said, "God, I don't know why that just happened, but I'm going to do everything in my power to not let that happen to other people." So the last 10 to 11 years has been all about trying to help managers and executives to lead their best and to lead to the best of their abilities. Not everybody's the same, but to become the best who they can at home, at work, in their personal life. And that's what the journey's been like.
Bobby Starks:
Was that your motivation to start LearnLoft?
John Eades:
It was my motivation to get in the leadership development space. Pain does strange things to people, pain either... I was in pain in that moment. I was in pain that I had failed my team from a leadership perspective, and it bothered me. So when pain happens in your life, whether it's personal or professional, it causes one of two things to happen. It causes you to pause or it creates purpose. For me, it created purpose and it created action behind that purpose that I wanted to do something about it. A lot of people, for whatever reason, that pain causes them to go into a shell, become a much smaller version of what they're ultimately intended to be. For me, it had the different event, and that's what caused me to get in the leadership development space.
Bobby Starks:
So during that story, you were telling me that, the feeling that you're about to cry on, do you think it's born leaders or is it something that anybody could learn to do to become a leader?
John Eades:
It's a great question. There's a study done by Leadership quarterly, are leaders born or made. And what they found is that 24% of us, from a leadership perspective, is genetic, something they we're born with. 76% then is learned or developed. So I don't know if you're wired or I'm wired to be one of the greatest leaders ever, I don't know if I have those leadership genetics. I do know that you and I and anyone else that's listening can become a better leader. Because even the very best leader that comes to your mind right now, guess what they've had to do, grow and develop as a leader. And it's something that with experience and effort and confidence grows that you can lead yourself and others to a better place.
John Eades:
I define leadership in Building the Best this way, "Someone whose actions inspire, empower, and serve in order to elevate others." It doesn't take a title to inspire, empower, and serve somebody else, it takes someone with the courage and the willingness to do it. And my experience has been the people that take ownership over themselves and leading right where they are not only are they more fulfilled people in their own life, but they positively elevate those around them. And I don't know if there's a better thing to do in this world.
Bobby Starks:
Just going back to you writing your book, Building the Best, and I know you interviewed hundreds and hundreds of people, is there a common trait that you would say that all good leaders have?
John Eades:
It's funny, I think at the end of the day, there's not only one way to lead, there's a lot of ways to cut a pizza, there's not only one perfect way. The commonalities across all these leaders across the board are that they find a way to inspire people, meaning I'm not going to demand you to do something, but I'm going to inspire you to do it because you want to do it. The word inspire, what it means Bobby is to breathe life into. So just think about all the leaders in your life that you might think of leaders, did they suck the life right out of you a bad manager, you go home, you're just spent, that guy is the worst or that woman is the worst or did they challenge you and help you become the best version of yourself, but at the same time breathe life into you so that you know that they care about you?
John Eades:
So I think if there's one commonality, I think they do really well is they inspire their teams to become the very best version that they can be. And that's not always easy. I was just at lunch with a guy and he was talking about how he's in a position of leadership, he's a phenomenal person, but he really struggles to have the difficult conversation with his team. He knows what he needs to do, but he struggles to do it. He's like, "Who am I to tell them this?"
John Eades:
And I use the example of, if anybody out there has children, if you're just going to allow someone, if you knew they were capable of more, would you just allow your kid to mail it in? Would you allow your kid to give half the effort that you know they're able to? I certainly would hope not. And if you do do it as a parent, it's time to change. Which means that if there's a tough conversation or there's something that needs to be had with someone, breathing life into them, isn't always easy, in fact, it might be a tough conversation. And a lot of people avoid those unfortunately,
Bobby Starks:
Let's just talk about the pandemic and in your realm, do you think in light of the pandemic leadership has changed at all? Is it possible to be a good leader in a 100% remote environment?
John Eades:
Yes, leadership has changed, the fundamentals of leadership have not. And what by the fundamentals, much a golf swing, it's still going to come down to your grip, your posture, your technique, impact. The fundamentals of shooting a basketball or swinging a golf club are the same. But the game of golf has changed because of technology, the game of basketball has changed because of the way people shoot threes. Leadership is the same, the fundamentals remain, but the game of leadership has changed, and I'll explain what I mean. People have had a new found flexibility, they used to go into the office 8:00 to 6:00, certain way, this is how we do things. The idea of a flexible workspace or work wherever you want whenever you want, it was a pipe dream for many people.
John Eades:
And what's happened is that this pandemic, not only has it opened our eyes to how short life is or how short it can be, but it's also opened our eyes to different ways of working, different experiences of flexibility and freedom and our lives in our families, and being able to do multiple things at one time. Which means if I'm leading a team or responsible for leading other people, I then have to adapt my leadership style and the way that I communicate with my teams to the way they want to work. So I do think the fundamentals are the same, but some of the techniques or strategies that a leader might use to meet and reach their team have changed.
Bobby Starks:
I've done some work for you in the past and you seem to know how to navigate getting your word out there. You implemented videos, you send it off to different clients that you had or partners, and I thought that was a pretty good idea. And it seemed after you did it, a lot of people started following suit. So that helped out for me in a way because I'm in the video production company. So I was just helping other people get more video out there. How has video helped you out during this whole?
John Eades:
I wish I didn't have a face for radio, that might've been more helpful in getting it out. No, I think communication is at the center of leadership. So video is just a method or a medium of communicating. When the world goes digital and people are working and there's lots of content and lots of things available to them to be distracted by, meeting them where they are is an important thing. So I found early on that it's a medium that people enjoy receiving communication. So I tried to meet people where they are and where they were going, and that's why I chose video.
John Eades:
But then again, not everybody learns the same, not everybody to receive communication the same, which is why different mediums are required. Which is why I still write, which is why I still do video, which is why I still do audio. There's lots of... We're wired to learn different ways. So I think as a leader, you have to be not just about what you want to deliver, but what message are you trying to get across and what's the best medium to reach your peoples' hearts and minds. I think that's where having a multi-pronged approach is important.
Bobby Starks:
So what were some of the fundamentals that you used for yourself to execute yourself being a better leader for your team and maybe even yourself?
John Eades:
I think getting to know yourself becomes critical, really who you are. I think I had to take a real deep look inside about not only who I was in the moment, but who I wanted to become. I think too often people are looking at the immediacy that, give me that drip of dopamine right now, what's this quarter? What's this moment look like?. And what it really taught me in this journey is looking at who do I want to become as a man, as a leader, as a father, as a husband. And that's deep work, and a lot of people that's why they don't want to do it. It's going to the gym, it's not easy to get up and go to the gym every day, it's why people don't do it.
John Eades:
But doing some of that deep work about who you are, what are some of your core values, which the vision that you have for your life or the impact that you want to have. Those are some of the things that I had to dig deep on. It's one thing to teach it, it's nothing to eat your own dog food, and that was tough work for me. Sometimes that stuff's hard to look in the mirror and say, "This isn't who I want to be, this isn't who I want to become."
John Eades:
I was reflecting of a story recently, a dad was really struggling, left his family when they were in high school, he didn't think it was a big deal. Thought they were self-sufficient. In that moment, what was right to him was to leave in that moment. And I've gotten to know one of his children and the impact that that had on her the rest of her life. It's the trickle down effect of that one decision by that one man to leave in that moment about what he needed and how much that's impacted her life, about who she wants to become now.
John Eades:
So I think sometimes when we reflect on, we make these decisions in the moment, we don't often reflect on the impact that it ultimately has another people. I've been thinking about this word a lot lately which is commitment. One of our clients, they celebrate these employees that stay for 10 or 15 years. And they get them up, the whole company sees them, it's a big moment for them. And as I was watching this one recently, is a person that had been there 15 years, I imagined how she didn't feel like that every day for 15 years. In fact, she probably felt like, "Man, this is hard work." Or, "Why am I doing this?" Our commitment in those smaller moments on a daily basis, it adds up whether you know it or not. I tell people all the time, there's a big difference in being interested and being committed.
John Eades:
I had a good friend inviting me to go hunting and I was excited. So I got a gun, I got the gear, got up at 3:30 AM, went out to the deer stand with him, it's 100 degrees. Never shot the gun, never saw a deer, never been hunting again. I was simply interested in hunting. Commitment is much different. Doing the things that you don't feel doing but you know it's the right thing to do and doing that over and over and over again even when no one notices, I promise it'll add up. It might not add up on the scoreboard that you want or that I want in my life, but it's going to add up for those that you get the opportunity to influence. And they're going to recognize like that guy or that woman showed up and did the right thing every single day. And you just hope in those moments that they remember you and they do those right things every day. So I do think there's a big difference in being interested and committed, and I think the best leaders are committed.
Bobby Starks:
What do you think is a different between being a leader or a manager?
John Eades:
Well, there's a big difference. Being a manager is about a role that you have, being a leader is about inspiring and empowering and serving those that you get the opportunity to lead. A manager puts together the spreadsheets or puts together the numbers or runs the payroll, all the critical things in that role that need to get done in the job, but it's far from leadership. And the majority of tasks that managers actually do in their role can be automated, leadership can't be automated. A robot can't lead you, it can't lead me. Software can't lead me, software can't lead you. I can sit across this table right now and I could inspire you to go do something when we leave, I could tell a story that says, man, I want to go help the needy or go to this or call someone I haven't called in a long time just to check in. And that's what leaders do, they breathe life into people, they inspire them to go do more, be more, become more. So there is a dramatic difference and one is essential today one is becoming less essential today.
Bobby Starks:
Do you think leadership is a lonely position because nobody is coming up to you and just being like, "Hey, good job."
John Eades:
There's an old quote out there that says it's lonely at the top, is the quote about leadership. I fundamentally disagree. Is leading hard? Absolutely. Do you always get the credit that it deserves? No, you do not. It's far from lonely. It's only lonely when you're not leading people, we don't have people around you and you don't build a team. You go ask any basketball coach or football coach that are great leaders if they feel lonely, there's not a chance. Surrounded by people all the time.
John Eades:
I think there is a tendency for leaders to not get so used to pouring into other people and looking out for others people's best interests that they forget to do that for themselves. That's when it could get a little lonely. Meaning you don't recognize that I haven't taken care of my health or my finances or my marriage or the relationship with my kids. I could see where then those people that felt I'm not getting taken care of by this person and they're giving all their energy to this team or this job or these people that's where it could get lonely. But I don't think leadership is lonely at all.
Bobby Starks:
I'm going to take it back to where you said, "You're lonely as long as you're not leading." So you haven't made it to this point yet, you're not retired, and I only know a few retired people. So do you think it's harder for somebody that's maybe in that leadership position like CEOs or big executive people and that time comes around where maybe they're forced to retire or they're just at that age to retire, do you think it's harder for them to come up with that or not come up with anything, but to accept that then somebody maybe that was just working in finance or accounting and at the time of their 20 years and they're done?
John Eades:
I don't know. I don't know. I do know that we all have a finite amount of time that we're in a position. Every role in the world runs out of time, somebody else is going to have it at some point. The Pope, somebody else is going to be the Pope, the president of the United States, someone else is going to be the president of the United States, CEO of Bank of America, someone else is going to be that. So when you start thinking of leadership in that way, that you only get the roles or these responsibilities, these opportunities, you could call them, for a finite amount of time, wouldn't you want to give your very best while you have them? So there's a last day for all of us at some point, whether you're the CEO. It doesn't matter if you've been wealthy or poor or rich or an ass or the nicest guy in the world, there's an end time for all of us.
John Eades:
So come from the perspective, and I think when I've studied every great leader that I've interviewed, they relish those opportunities while they have them. They know that they're not going to be the CEO forever, so as long as they're in that seat, they're going to give it everything they have. I think that's an incredible lesson for all of us right now. Your families, those relationships aren't guaranteed forever. Relationship with a parent, relationship with a child. It's a humbling thought really to think about, "Am I attached to my phone or distracted by something else when I have this person sitting right in front of me that I might not sit down with again?" It's humbling.
John Eades:
And we don't think that, we think about what's buzzing in our pocket, and it's really unfortunate. But I'm a positive and optimistic thinker and I think there's going to be some inverse effect of social media and technology. Meaning it's not going away, it's a part of our lives forever and it will be. I do think there will be a time where people are going to say, "Does this even really matter, how many followers I have? Does it even matter how many people this picture or this video?" Versus the person that they're sitting across being like, "Guess what, if my funeral was tomorrow, I know they would be there."
Bobby Starks:
That's good to think about actually. And you're right, social media is part of our lives and sometimes I even get wrapped up into it like why isn't this one getting as many followings or likes than maybe something I posted a month ago. And I've put so much more time and effort into something and it's just barely getting any traction. I even think about that and I try not to let it bother me but-
John Eades:
It's hard.
Bobby Starks:
It is hard.
John Eades:
It's hard. And I'm not knocking social media or technology, I'm not. It's great way to communicate, it's great way to grow a business, it's great way to inspire people. But there is a dark side to it, and comparison is that dark side.
Bobby Starks:
Is there anybody that inspires you?
John Eades:
Yeah, there's a lot of people that inspire me. C.S. Lewis, he's passed away a long time ago. As I've gotten older, I try to read more, I read a lot and I listen a lot. C.S. Lewis, speaking of comparison, C.S. Lewis is a Christian writer that wrote about a lot of deep topics as it relates to our human nature and our soul. And he famously said, "Comparison is the thief of joy." So social media, why is this picture? And I'm not saying don't look for new strategies to do and try to improve, but if it's to compare yourself against somebody else or to prop yourself up to make you feel better, then you're doing it for the wrong reasons. So C.S. Lewis is one. I'm thinking of... Ryan Holiday has become someone that I respect a great deal. His writing, I've always enjoyed reading his stuff.
John Eades:
There's a man that I'll give a lot of credit to, his name is John Gordon. John Gordon wrote a book called The Energy Bus and the Power of Positive Leadership. And I had to spend a ton of time with John, but I'll tell this quick story. When I figured out that I wanted to write books and speak about leadership, I had read John's book, The Energy Bus he made it, it's a fable story, and it hit me what I needed at that time. What most people they say, writing hits you right when you need it. I didn't want to meet him at a conference, so I reached out to him and I knew his daughter was going to Clemson. And I said, "I'd love to meet you at a Clemson football game a weekend that you're going to go see your daughter." I figured I'd do that if I was a dad. He's like, "Yeah, I'm going to go to this game, do you want to meet then?"
John Eades:
And he came over to the tailgate and he spent 45 minutes to an hour with, at the time, a 32 year old guy that he didn't know from Adam. And it made a big impression on me. So when I get LinkedIn messages or notes about interviews or spending time with college kids or someone that needs help, I'm eager to do it because of people John Gordon. So he might not even remember that. And that's the beauty of life, is that he took the time to do that in that moment, and I try to give back because someone did it for me. So John Gordon, give him some credit.
Bobby Starks:
In that case, is there anybody that you want to inspire? I'm sure you inspire a lot of people all the time, but is there a specific?
John Eades:
I've been thinking there's not one person specifically or one type of audience. But I will say I would more people, regardless of their age or their gender, to do things that get their emotions involved. When you feel something about the work that you do or you feel something about being involved in something, you feel alive, you're more engaged at work. And I'm not saying there aren't things about your job that you might not like and you have to do, work is not always meant to be easy. But I would like more people to do things that even if they fail they'll feel alive, even if they struggle, even if they post that picture and nobody likes it, they feel alive when they're posting it or they feel alive when they did this interview. I would prefer that versus going through life acting they like don't matter.
John Eades:
There's an old quote that a guy told me, a mentor of mine, he said, "Failure is not final, failure is feedback." And it's always stuck with me because even these moments when I fail at work or this article doesn't do well or the book doesn't do as well as you want or that speaking engagement doesn't go as well as I want, boy, did I feel alive doing it or boy, did I feel alive when I was creating it. More people doing things that get that emotion going in them, it'll inspire your kids to do the same, it will inspire those around you to do the same. So I want more emotion to the surface in people, I think it would help them.
John Eades:
I'll tell one really quick story. I got the opportunity to speak at a conference in New York, and it was the most intimidating speaking engagement I've ever done. It was for an association in New York that they're security guards in jails, not the easiest people to get under their skin, to get to their heart. They've created a skin over themselves and their heart because of what they see every day. And here this, at the time, a 36 year old white guy is in a room of a hundred hard working people in jails all over the state of New York, and I bombed, I really did. It was one of the worst hours and a half I've ever had in my life. I'll never forget I got off that stage and I just was like, "Maybe I'm not good enough to do this." It was in that moment that I remembered failure is not final, failure is feedback. I took out a notebook and I wrote down everything that I learned that I would need to do better from that talk.
John Eades:
I kid you not, nine months go by my phone rings, same association invites me back to speak the next year. I'm like, "Were they not at the first one?" I went back up, same crowd, did 10 times better the second time. I tell that story only because if you're willing to give up after one time, you're never going to reach your full potential. And getting better at anything, building confidence, it comes from consistent daily repetition, and it's steeped in the work. I'm far from a finished product just you're far from a finished product. But that attitude, that today is an opportunity to get better. And no matter what it is that you're doing in life is the right attitude to have. And I think it's what the best leaders do. They're constantly looking for ways to improve, their marriage, their job, the way they interact with their people, the way they... It's I'm never going to settle for average mentality. And I appreciate that in people.
Bobby Starks:
So you mentioned something earlier and I just want to bring it up in a corporate setting. And I've been part of it too, say somebody is in corporate life, they're working finance, and I've been there for five years and they worked really hard into it. And they got to this certain position because they worked hard for five years. All of a sudden they have a promotion, now they need a lead somebody else that they were good at or multiple teams. What can corporations do to be better to help maybe these individuals that get that promotion to start helping them lead instead of being micromanager at that point. Because I think that's what happens, is you get really good at a role, and then you want to micromanage everybody because you were really good at that role. So again, my question is, what can corporations do better to help those people move forward and be better leaders instead of just management?
John Eades:
The first thing they can do is to promote people that have a heart for leadership, that have a heart for people, not just as a retention tool, that's the first thing they can do. Is to evaluate whether that person has a heart for inspiring and empowering and serving people, that is the first thing. After that, that by itself isn't enough, go back to are leaders born or made? They're made and they're developed through a lot of hard work and experience and dedication and training. You have to provide them opportunities to grow their leadership skills in a safe environment. I'm not saying they're going to be leading, they are going to be running meetings, they're going to be having one-on-ones, those are experiences that they're going to have. You also have to create a safe space for them to fail where it's not going to negatively impact somebody else or someone that they're getting the opportunity to lead. They're going to probably do that anyways, leadership is hard.
John Eades:
But create safe spaces, training environments, pairing them with mentors, putting them in situations where they can work and develop their skills so they feel equipped and they build that confidence that they can do it. So number one, promote the right people that have a heart for leadership. And number two, provide them opportunities to learn and grow and develop their skills. It takes time. Everybody wants it right now like the microwave generation. Guess what? That's not the way leadership works. You're a better leader today than you were when you started this organization.
Bobby Starks:
True.
John Eades:
I'm a better leader than I was when I started leading a team 10 years ago. It takes time. People just don't want to wait, they want it right now, so we'll go hire somebody else immediately, terrible, terrible strategy. And in this world we're living in right now and this great resignation where I had a client leave an organization for $5,000 raise, and it wasn't about the money. She left because she wasn't known and felt she belonged with her manager. Now, just think about that. They've spent 2, 3, 3 years developing, molding, paying this person a lot of money, she had a team. But because her manager didn't know how to lead, she left for $5,000 more. You know how much it's going to cost that organization to rehire someone as good as her?
Bobby Starks:
And time and resources.
John Eades:
It's 2X her salary. So if she's making 150 grand, it's going to cost her $300,000 in time, money, development to get someone to speed. And she left for five. Tell me organizations and HR and executives don't play a big role, you've lost your mind. And more HR leaders or learning and development leaders or executives to have that mindset, that one of my number one responsibilities is to retain my people. It's a big one, it's a big one.
Bobby Starks:
That is big. It's crazy how much it... Is it usually-
John Eades:
We'll multiply that by 25 people leaving. Now you're talking about a $295,000 difference times 25, not one, most organizations can withstand one high performer leaving and $295,000 over two years. But when you times that by 25 or by 50 or a turnover rate that's 35%, now all of a sudden you got to bring in a lot of revenue to cover that. So those are my two big takeaways. I'm passionate about that one.
Bobby Starks:
I see it. So during the pandemic did you learn any new skills or pick up a hobby or maybe something you learned and you want other people to know?
John Eades:
I rededicated myself to something.
Bobby Starks:
Oh yeah.
John Eades:
Yeah.
Bobby Starks:
What is that?
John Eades:
I rededicated myself to the game of golf. I have a good friend for those of you that don't know, I played college golf at the University of Maryland on a scholarship. And then I played a couple of years professionally afterwards before I got into professional world. It's always been a big part of my life really since I was five years old, football and golf. And you hit a point where you near 40 and you're like, "I'm either going to not play anymore because I'm used to playing at a certain level or I'm going to rededicate myself to the game." And during COVID, with everything closed, the only thing that was open was my golf club. So I rededicated myself to the game. I got a new golf teacher, took some lessons. I went to work on improving my game, my physical fitness, I went all in.
Bobby Starks:
Oh, wow. But you were already really good.
John Eades:
I'm pretty good, I can hold my own. But it's just... So that's something that I've rededicated myself to, just knowing that I only have a certain window of age where I... I'm not Tom Brady or something. So I rededicated myself to that craft and trying to work at it. That's one thing I definitely rededicated myself to.
Bobby Starks:
Nice.
John Eades:
One other thing.
Bobby Starks:
Yeah.
John Eades:
I've just thought about this. I'm 279 days into listening to the Bible every single day. There's a Catholic priest named... He's a great man, he's a phenomenal man. And they started a podcast at the beginning of this year called Bible in a Year, real catchy marketing title. And I've read over the years the Bible and all the stories in it, but never in a year or through the entire old Testament. And I thought, I learn best audibly, so I'll create a habit where I listen to 20 minutes a day of him reading the Bible and then giving commentary. And I've stuck with it throughout the whole year.
Bobby Starks:
You got to do it for 365?
John Eades:
I'm not stopping now. Now it's just a test. But it's been a great discipline in my life. Some days I don't feel it, some days I don't get a lot from it, but it's the discipline of showing up and doing it and letting it seep in however way it's working. Think about the confidence that it provides, if I can do something for 365 straight days, what else can I do?
Bobby Starks:
How does that fall on your routine though, do you do it in the morning, do you do it at night before you go to bed?
John Eades:
I do it in the morning, typically on the way to the office, I'll listen to it. If I don't finish, I'll finish it on the way home. And then other nights I'll do it. If I don't get it in the morning, I'll do it in bed, I put the AirPods in and listened to it. Hopefully I don't fall asleep. But no, it's been a really great gift that I picked up through this. His name is father Mike Schmitz. But the only reason I why say that is it's a test, Bobby. Sticking with something, committing to I'm going to listen to the Bible in a year is a commitment that I'm making. And then it's a test like, can I create the habits every single day to let me to continue to do this?
John Eades:
And I tell people in leadership workshops and in keynotes all the time, only leaders who are tested become great, that old adage of iron sharpens iron. If you can survive that test, you're going to come out on the other side better off. This goes way beyond a habit of listening to a podcasts every day, it's life. So I'm really encouraged, I'm proud of myself actually, I really am.
Bobby Starks:
That's awesome. That's always cool. I got to hear about the 365 I'm going to text you back, I'm like, "Hey, man."
John Eades:
Now I got an accountability partner.
Bobby Starks:
I'm like, "Hey, it's 365 days, are you still listening?"
John Eades:
Hey, you know what? There's a there's an author that I liked, his name is James Clear. And he wrote a book about habits and he said something in it that really stood out to me. He goes, "You've got to give yourself the grace to know that you're human and you're not going to do it every single day, whatever the habit is. Just human nature. You're going to be sick, tired, don't feel like it, whatever. But can you not miss two days?" Because once two days, and then three days, then four days, all of a sudden you got a new habit, and it's not the habit that you want. So I think about that often, that lesson is I don't expect myself to be perfect, if I miss a day, I'm okay. I just can't miss two days. And that's the adage I've taken. And some days I've had to listen two or whatever. But that mentality that if you're going to... I'll close with this.
John Eades:
There's a lesson in Building the Best, and this is what it says, it's called the route to results, "Standards, produce behaviors, behaviors become habits, habits become your results. All a standard is is defining what good looks like. That's all that it means. Great leaders don't define what good looks, they define what great looks like." So what does great look from a standard perspective? That is going to then turn my behavior or the behaviors of people that I'm leading to meet that standard. All a behavior is, is a conscious decision that you have to make to do something. When you do it for 33 to 66 straight days, that behavior becomes a habit. Something that you do so often it becomes the very essence of your being, that's what a habit is. You don't even think about it, you just do it. And when you get the right behaviors to become the right habits, you're going to get what? Great results.
John Eades:
So when you think about leadership or life or anything, the route to results, what are my standards, defining what great looks, that's going to produce behaviors out of you. When you do it 33 to 66 straight times, it's going to become a habit. Those habits become your results. And it's powerful for leaders, it's powerful for you, it's powerful for me, the route to results.
Bobby Starks:
I don't think you could end a podcast any better than that.
John Eades:
Thanks for having me.
Bobby Starks:
I loved it, man. Hey, if anybody is interested in buying Building the Best, I'll link the links on Amazon. I'll find it on your website. I'll get all the links in the description and I'll put your website on there too.
John Eades:
That'd be great.
Bobby Starks:
Thanks.
John Eades:
Thanks for having me.
Bobby Starks:
Peace.
Bobby Starks:
(singing)