Notes From 4/14 Cincinnati EO Warren Rustand Event

Balancing Community, Government, Business, Health, and Family

In George Carlin’s Last Words, he says put your family first, because business is 1/5 of your life. We are creatures of habit. How you spend your time determines what you will be. Do service, apply new knowledge to your life, and change the way you look at things. Instead of missing opportunities, be proud and do things exactly as you want to do them.

We are what we do repeatedly, but change can affect us. Global tragedy and economic recession are affecting us now. Despite this, we shouldn’t be negative to the people close to us. Greatness comes from striving through the tough times.

We are driven by the vision of our work. Life should not run us: we should run our lives. We need to dream, plan, believe and act without losing the vision of greatness we have for our families and lives.

Achieving Personal Greatness

Achieving personal greatness comes from changing your discipline. Start with a positive mindset and fitness in the morning. Think, read, and write great thoughts. Eat properly and nutritiously. Be with your family: you don’t have to compromise your family time to be a great leader. Have a purpose for everything you do; have personal and family mission statements. Act with intent by having a strategy for your business, a financial strategy for your business, and goals for life. Successful families have strategies just like businesses – interview your child and set a personal goal. Make conscious choices: figure out your core beliefs and values and act towards them. Respect the decisions of your spouse because success in the home is a priority. Read the book Transforming Leadership by James MacGregor Burns to learn about transformational leaders and how to become one.

Conclusions

• Leadership is about balancing listening and speaking. Don’t be cocky.
• First lift and encourage the people around you, your extended family, so that they can be better.
• Act! Do things over and over again and you will become them. Don’t make life too complicated. Answer the call to serve your family, your community, and others. There are areas to serve everywhere and through service we can lift ourselves up.
• Once time has passed, you can’t get it back. You also can’t take back hurting people or missing opportunities.
• Spirituality is always a major part of leadership. Act out your faith.