“Responsibility is the most important ability that an athlete can possess.”

–Don Matthews, my football coach

Founder of Chick-fil-A Truett Cathy, often says “If it’s to be, it’s up to me”.

Remember leaders:
A victim mindset causes people to focus on what they cannot do instead of what they can do. That is a recipe for continued failure.
Recipe for success:
Create your “Definite Dozen: 12 Things You Should Try Each Week” to ensure success, sustainability, and momentum. Here are 12 things I do each week. They have become fixed-in, practices that create forward motion.
  1. Read daily.
    • I’m currently reading The High Five Habit by Mel Robbins. Follow her on Twitter @melrobbins.
  2. Build an inner circle.
    • Cultivate, nurture, and develop 3-5 close friends who will inspire, push, and support your efforts in life and leadership.
  3. Visualize success.
    • There are two types of visualization: first, mental creations in our mind; second, the physical reality that we build. Leaders take time weekly to visualize success in vivid color.
  4. Forgive and move on.
    • Forgive small ad large offenses. I choose not to poison my soul with unforgiveness. I have been granted grace and choose to forgive others and move on.
  5. Laugh daily.
    • I choose to smile and laugh at life and most importantly, myself. I laugh often for I know it’s medicine for my soul.
  6. Think one size bigger.
    • My good friend CEO Jonathan Shroyer often says if we are going to think, let’s “think BIGGER!”. I have a little sign in my office that reads “no small thinking allowed!”.
  7. Be present.
    • The great gift I give my family, friends, coaching clients, and business partners is my 100% attention. Whoever I’m with be it a grandchild, spouse, friend, colleague– “you are the most important person to me at this moment!”.
  8. Don’t eat past 8pm.
    • This has become a favorite habit I started implementing on my birthday. It may seem small but for me, it’s a daily discipline that has led to weight loss and a reminder to curb, control, and contain my appetite.
  9. Go for a walk.
    • I’ve walked for years but during Covid, it became my go-to form of physical exercise and mental health relief. Daily walks are also a sanctuary for gratitude, prayer, and purposeful thinking time.
  10. Pray for wisdom.
    • WQ stands for Wisdom Quotient. Even though I speak a lot and coach around EQ (Emotional Quotient), the #1 attribute I seek is wisdom. It might seem simple but I do pray daily for wisdom to be a better man, a leader, and a coach led by wisdom.
  11. Be a goal-getter.
    • Goal-setting? Yes. Documenting goals? Yes. But goal-getting makes a world of difference!
  12. GIVE!
    • I grew up in a family that’s generous with time, treasures, and talents. As a result, I became a giver and not just a receiver.

Here’s to your definite dozen!
–Steve

As a master storyteller, Steve has unparalleled ability to communicate dynamic business and leadership truths through stories, anecdotes and humor. Harness the power of the “number one” predictor of professional success, impact, leadership, high performance and sustainable relationships in business and life. Steve’s highest rated keynote presentation.

To book Steve today, contact Michelle Joyce!
(For information on keynote presentations, team workshops, and one on one coaching.)

“The purpose of Leadership Quest is to help professionals develop their personal leadership, vision and emotional intelligence. Everyday I strive to help leaders and teams achieve their desired goals in sales productivity, leadership, time maximization, and life-balance. ”

About the Author

Steve Gutzler is the President of Leadership Quest, a Seattle-based leadership development company. Steve is a dynamic, highly-sought-after speaker who has delivered more than 2,500 presentations to a list of clients including Microsoft, Starbucks, the Seattle Seahawks, Pandora Radio, Boeing, Cisco, Starwood Corporation, the Ritz Carlton group, and the U.S. Social Security Administration. He recently was voted #1 by the readership of Huffington Post as the Most Inspirational Leader on Social Media.

A published author on leadership and emotional intelligence, Steve resides near Seattle with his wife Julie where they enjoy time with their three adult children and six grandchildren.