Zenith Blog

First, this year’s Association of Water Technologies (AWT) Conference was a blast! Both Chris Yee and I were able to gain a ton of valuable knowledge, network with the best of the best in the industry, and learn through important discussions on everything from leadership to water treatment.

While I won’t bore you with a journal-like recap from our experience, I will share with you some golden nuggets I learned from one of the guest speakers at AWT:

When we arrived, we got the chance to listen to internationally acclaimed leadership speaker, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Drew Dudley. Drew has a different take on what leadership really is.

• Each of us influence (lead) people everyday
• Our actions impact (lead) people whether we are conscious of it or not
• LEADERS are not just people who run countries or companies. They are everyday people

He also spoke in detail on how we should celebrate leadership as the everyday act of improving each others lives. Which Drew calls a “Lollipop Moment.”

• Lollipop Moment- A moment where someone said something or did something that made your life better
• Drew challenged the room to try for a Lollipop Moment everyday. Could be as simple as saying thank you to someone or holding the door open for someone. What we do not realize right then is how that simple act could change the whole course of the day for that individual for the better.

Another topic Drew discussed was about Value

• Value- Value is only a value if it is used as criteria for decision making
• Too many times Value is an overused term. Companies have it on their website and throw in other buzz words stating their commitment to “accountability”, “integrity”, and “excellence”
• If someone came up to you and asked to complete this sentence “Integrity is a commitment to…” Could you do it?
• These words sound great, but rarely impact our decision-making in that moment.

This was a very informative talk that really had the room thinking, do I actually live out my values in my everyday life (business and professionally)? Or are they just words that are not followed through on. True leaders use will live and make decisions through their values.

I know from talking with a few clients of ours especially individuals who were present for this speaker, it really has them re thinking their values, and how they can take what they learned and make better leadership decisions, and create more Lollipop moments moving forward.

Here is what Chris had to say:

I attended the AWT conference in Vancouver last month and the keynote speaker was Drew Dudley. He is an exceptional speaker (and QUITE entertaining!) who is passionate about leadership, culture and values. I took about three pages of notes and here’s one of them. He talked about a “personal leadership philosophy” which sounds complicated but really isn’t.

To him, a person’s leadership philosophy starts and ends with a simple question…..”what would the person I want to become do in this situation?” That’s it!! The answers to this one question will ultimately lay out a clear set of beliefs a person that can articulate to others and those answers will drive your actions, decisions and strategies.  It’s a powerful question.

I’ve asked that question a lot these last few weeks since returning from the Conference – both at work and at home. For me, it helps me focus on a future me that’s often more focused and more effective than the current me. It’s a little unsettling, but it’s pretty cool.

So…..what do YOU think about asking this one simple question to yourself in the hustle and bustle of everyday life?