Welcome to the mission-critical leadership podcast! In this episode, we examine what is coaching, as well as several other important coaching topics.
In this episode
What is coaching?
How is coaching different from therapy?
What are the parameters to win at life?
What is unique about the mission-critical system?
How does Justin utilize the Enneagram and DiSC assessments to aid in coaching?
PLUS,
You’re going to get a humorous story about the time a teacher called me a “blob without a personality.” Be sure to tune in to find out what happened (and why I’m okay with it!)
Dr. Justin Hiebert works with mission-critical leaders to accomplish the unimaginable. Realizing that no leader has ever needed more things to do, he works with his clients to get the right things done. His clients rise above burnout, captivate their teams, and transform their communities. By engaging their hearts and minds, his clients unlock their full potential to be, do, and have it all. This affords them the ability to leave a legacy of influence and impact on the world. He is a husband, father, teacher, learner, and champion of joy. He resides in Bakersfield with his wife, four kids, two cats, and one dog. In his free time, he loves exercising, riding motorcycles, and doing anything outdoors.
Every Monday, I spend time in an intentional review process. By asking myself five powerful questions, I can radically transform my intention and direction for the week. These five powerful questions keep me focused and directed on my long-term goals.
The Weekly Review
The weekly review process is one I implemented several years ago when I started using Michael Hyatt’s Full Focus Planner (here’s a link to a video series I did walking through everything). If I’m honest, at first, I found it tedious. Then, I went through a phase of outright rejection. Finally, I committed myself to the process.
Now, it’s something I can’t live without.
Setting aside time every week to track my goals, check in with myself, and stay grounded in what matters most has radically transformed my life.
As a result, I’ve created five powerful questions that help summarize the process of review that I do every week.
5 Powerful Questions
1.) What happened?
I start with what was. What happened last week that I need to be aware of? Was there anything of significance? How did I do on my goals? What targets did I miss, and what tasks did I fail to do?
I don’t spend a lot of time here, but the weeks are so busy and full of stuff that it can be helpful for me to remember what happened as I plan my new week.
2.) What is happening?
Now I start to look forward. What is happening this week? Where are my meetings? Who am I trying to connect with? Is there anything unique or special that I agreed to months ago that I have forgotten about?
As a calendar-driven person, I sometimes make appointments weeks in advance. They get written down when I make the appointment, but it’s common that it slips my mind after that. Spending time every week looking ahead refreshes my memory and allows me to be prepared.
3.) Who do I need to be?
I’m a big believer that we don’t so much chase goals as we chase being the person capable of handling those goals. It’s a subtle difference, but here’s an example:
I want to have a strong, healthy, vibrantmarriage.
This is a goal. I might even attempt to define it better by making it a S.M.A.R.T.E.R goal, but it’s a goal.
Contrast it with the following statement:
I want to be the type of person that can have a strong, healthy, vibrant marriage.
Small difference, but a big change.
One is focused on an end result. Great! I’ve got a good marriage!
The other focuses on the continual growth process. How do I get an even better marriage this week?
By focusing on the type of person I need to be in the world, it keeps me growing and focused on intentionally bettering myself.
4.) Who do I need to help?
I work with mission-critical leaders. These are people that are ultimately living their life in service to others. I want to orient myself in the same way.
Part of my business model is to help others. By setting aside time every week to pass on referrals, extend my network, seek a service opportunity, or look for donation options, I give myself time every week to give back to the community I care about.
5.) What matters most?
This one reminds me of why I do what I do.
What sounds good when I’m hungry? Junk food.
What matters most? Healthy food options are ready when I don’t have willpower.
What sounds fun when I’m tired? Video games.
What really gives me life and energy when I need some? Gardening. Reading. Friends. There are a whole lot more beneficial options for me than video games.
By keeping focused on what matters most, I pre-set my brain to autopilot so I don’t have to make hard choices when I lack discipline, willpower, motivation, or time.
—–
What about you? How do you plan your week for success? Leave tips below!
Welcome to the Mission-Critical leadership Podcast. This is episode 1 and I’m your hose, Justin Hiebert.
In today’s podcast, I give you the overview of the Health and Integrity Pyramid that we use as a framework to create your individual coaching plan. We also talk about the purpose and calling of the mission-critical leader and set the foundation for success.
This podcast is available on all major platforms ( like Apple Podcasts), so please be sure to find it, subscribe, and leave a review.
This podcast is also interactive! I want to answer your burning leadership questions. If you have a question you want answered email me: podcast@justinhiebert.com
About Justin
Dr. Justin Hiebert works with mission-critical leaders to accomplish the unimaginable. Realizing that no leader has ever needed more things to do, he works with his clients to get the right things done. His clients rise above burnout, captivate their teams, and transform their communities. By engaging their hearts and minds, his clients unlock their full potential to be, do, and have it all. This affords them the ability to leave a legacy of influence and impact on the world. He is a husband, father, teacher, learner, and champion of joy. He resides in Bakersfield with his wife, four kids, two cats, and one dog. In his free time, he loves exercising, riding motorcycles, and anything outdoors.
Embedded within the fabric of the universe, there is a method to overcome difficulties, reframe obstacles as opportunities, and experience life-changing satisfaction no matter the circumstances. It starts, by finding joy in suffering.
Choosing Joy
I’ve written before about the phrase that’s guiding me this year. The idea to Choose Joy has radically reframed my life in the last year. No matter the circumstances, I’ve been able to experience less stress, closer relationships, a more vibrant community, more life satisfaction, and a stronger business.
It all started because I started to see joy in suffering.
That small shift has changed everything about my outlook in life.
Then, this morning, during my journaling time, I discovered the ancient secret that was at work.
Joy in Suffering
Paul, the ancient theologian and church planter, wrote to a group of churches in Rome. In the middle of his letter, he laid out the formula for growing as a leader.
Find Joy in Suffering
Use suffering to build endurance
Implement endurance to develop character
Display character to produce hope.
That’s it. That’s the formula. Four life-transforming steps.
But what I stumbled into a year ago, and realized concretely this morning, was the importance of step number one. You must first find Joy in suffering.
A Wilted Plant
Up until a year ago, I would have started at step two. I could fully admit I was suffering in life. At times it was in business. In other instances, it was personal. A time or two it was physically or mentally. Whatever it was, I could easily identify the suffering I was undergoing.
But far from joyful, I was bitter.
Angry.
Resentful at the fact I had to suffer.
And I became determined to show my endurance, in spite of the odds, to build a character and be a person of hope.
And what I realized, was that if my life were a plant, it was alive, but severely stunted.
I have a pepper plant in my backyard that I planted in a shady spot underneath a tree. For two years, I have tended to that plant by faithfully watering and fertilizing it. So far, in two years, it has produced one small and misshapen pepper.
Why?
It wasn’t getting adequate sunlight. That was the missing component. A few weeks ago, I transplanted the pepper plant, and it is already doing much better. Same soil. Same water. Now with hours of sun every day.
My life in character was the same. Was I alive? Absolutely. Was I producing “fruit”? Some, but not enough, and not fully formed.
What was missing? The sunlight. For me, it was the joy in suffering.
Reframing My Mindset
A couple of years ago, I began this transformation to intentionally alter my mood and perception of life. I was tired of being angry, grumpy, and a disappointment to be around. I knew I was isolating others … and myself … from a fully developed character.
A year ago, that crystalized into the phrase choose joy.
Now, I see what that shift has so profoundly changed my life.
Finding the joy in suffering is what allows us to not just go through the steps, but to be fully developed and thrive. We will all suffer, and we can all utilize it to produce fruit that is beneficial to others.
But the difference between those that look wilted with poor fruit, and those flourishing with a bunch of fruit, is their ability to choose joy in the midst of that suffering.
The ability to have joy in suffering is a life-altering, and world-changing, a realization that benefits you and blesses others.
As a leader, do you find joy in suffering or are you a wilted plant producing weak fruit? The choice is yours.
Every year, I choose a guiding phrase for the year. This year, the phrase is simple: choose joy.
After years of an ongoing pandemic, the damage I’ve seen done to small businesses, my own coaching experience, and the upheaval in the lives of friends and business associates, the choice became easy.
It’s also easy, because I spent years, not choosing joy.
Stuck in my Head
Several years ago, I went through a difficult season of life and business. It culminated in a cross-country move to restart many aspects of my life. Those experiences left me far from feeling joyous. Instead, I was angry, bitter, and resentful. Many times, I didn’t even realize it or see it in myself.
I would have told you I was happy.
Chances are, I would’ve even believed I was happy.
In all sincerity, I was convinced that as bad as those experiences were, “I was fine.”
I was lying to myself.
It took me a year to even realize it.
When I did, I felt overwhelmed. I had suppressed my emotions for so long, I didn’t know how to handle them all. (I’m a good Enneagram 3).
Once I did realize it, I was stuck in my own head. I replayed the situations over and over again, analyzing each detail.
I found myself asking questions, growing angrier, and becoming disillusioned.
Maybe that was a necessary part of my healing journey, but it was here that I learned the importance of choosing joy.
Choose Joy
Sometime along the way, I just started to say the phrase.
When a situation would arise, or a decision needed to be made, I just found myself saying, “Choose joy.”
What’s the joyous response?
What does it look like to be happy?
How do I pick optimism and growth?
Where does my heart find peace?
The more I made those choices, the more reason I found for joy and contentment.
As this year dawned (and hard to believe it’s 1/12th over already!) it became the natural way for me to navigate this year.
