In this episode, we are joined by Dave Blanchard, the CEO of the Og Mandino Leadership Institute, who is also an author, speaker and coach.
With a background in the real estate industry, he was deeply affected by the downturn in 1989, and began to pursue other career options, including writing and working with film and television commercials. This path eventually connected Dave with an opportunity to work with source material written by Og Mandino, “The Greatest Salesman in the World”, which led to the development of the Og Mandino Leadership Institute.
During our chat, Dave shared his perspectives on leadership, personal growth and self-development. Topics he covered included:
- Healing, self-esteem and equanimity - How to build a business or a career with key principles. These are discussed within his books, inspired by Og Mandino’s work, and applied to the institute’s leadership training courses.
- Entrepreneurship is as a visionary journey, where the individuals will encounter struggles along the way. Entrepreneurs must learn to adapt to their environments to inspire action, not to avoid obstacles (which is impossible).
- Understanding that leaders do not have to have all the answers or know everything, and it’s important to listen to team input. Rather than dismissing ideas, leaders should work to understand and engage with employee ideas so that they keep bringing them forward. Not all ideas will be great, but some will – it’s important for to foster self-esteem in their team members to keep ideas flowing.
- If leaders inspire their people to do their best, they will often be more motivated to do their work and propel the company forward. A good place to start is to strive to be people-focused (to genuinely care) and to be authentic with those around you.
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Interested in learning more about Dave's work? You can find his books below:
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