Saying “Yes” as a Leader

A few years ago in Cabo, Mexico, I went parasailing for the first time. I had observed other parasailers from the beach for years and years and on that day, I took the challenge with my children and said, “Yes!”

Once on the boat, there were several options regarding how high we wanted to go… 700-800 feet, 1,000 feet, or a breathtaking 1,200 feet in the air. “Go big or go home” was our family mantra and we all decided to take the challenge of going 1,200 feet high. This was no small feat for me as I have a pretty serious fear of heights and falling from the sky.

By the end of the afternoon, we all had experienced the exhilaration as well as gorgeous views of the water from the sky. There have been far too many ‘no’s’ for me over the years where I’ve missed out of experiences due to fear and uncertainty and on this day, I changed that.

Think about it right now… are you saying ‘no’ or ‘yes’ in your leadership and opportunities? Scarcity and small thinking lives on the other side of ‘no’ because that’s what is safe. Abundance lives on the other side of ‘yes’, meaning you must try something new.

‘No’ Leaders: 

  • Limit themselves and opportunities
  • Take the easy path of certainty
  • Rarely try new experiences
  • Seek out comfort
  • Find comfort in the pack of many
‘Yes’ Leaders:
  • Try new ways and new experiences
  • Embrace challenge and take risks
  • Stretch themselves and get uncomfortable
  • Find new paths rarely traveled
  • Say ‘yes’ in order to find new opportunities
I’d like you to write the following down, “My ‘yeses’ are bringing me more options, more opportunities, and more positive outcomes. I will continue to say ‘yes!'”

Being a ‘yes’ leader doesn’t mean you say yes to everything, it means you stay open, child-like, curious, and abundant in all you do.

I recently had lunch with a successful woman from her 48th-floor tower home. The stunning 360° views were truly breathtaking. She happens to be in her mid-80s and I asked her what she looked forward to most in this phase of her life. As she gazed out the window, she responded, “Steve, all of the brilliant opportunities out in front of us!”

I love ‘yes’ leaders because they remind me of the new opportunities that we are surrounded by.

Here’s to your YES!

– 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.

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“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.