For those of you who don’t know, I’m a big believer in community, especially when it comes to business leaders. It can be lonely at the top! I say that all the time and the reason I say it is because it’s true. Entrepreneurs, business owners, and leaders of all types feel this. Knowing that the final decision rests with you can be isolating, and it can be overwhelming to know that when no one else can decide, you have to. 

But it really doesn’t have to be that way. For any business leader, it’s important to focus on business growth. You just shouldn’t do it alone. To be honest, it took me a long time to realize that, but now that I know, I try to encourage other business leaders to get in community right away — and that’s because it makes a huge difference.

Personally, I’ve been impacted in a major way by EntreLeadership. Dave Ramsey has built an incredible community for business leaders all over. I can easily say that joining EntreLeadership is one of the best things I’ve ever done. 

Every year, EntreLeadership hosts a summit. It’s a huge three-day conference where business leaders gather in-person to connect and grow together. If you’re a business leader but you’re not part of it, I encourage you to become part of it. It’s a worthy investment you won’t regret.

Just so you have an idea of what the conference is all about, here’s what the schedule looked like this year:

Day 1 Topics:

4 Lies Business Owners Believe 

Shift Happens: How to Lead Through Change and Crisis

The Leadership Edge

Changing How You Think

Game Plan for Success

Day 2 Topics: 

6 Drivers of Business: How to Stop the Chaos

Leading Your Team with the Enneagram

A Conversation on Using the Enneagram with Your Team

A Conversation with Mike Rowe

Experiencing the Art of Possibility

Day 3 Topics: 

Get a Life: Don’t Lose Yourself in the Business You Love

Conversations on Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Q&A With Daymond John

Next Level Leadership: Get Connected and Get Real 

I already shared a little bit about my experience at the EntreLeadership Summit this year. I packed three days’ worth of my experience into a short post. Now, I want to share five key takeaways with you. 

5 Key Takeaways from EntreLeadership Summit 2020

One thing that’s really cool about EntreLeadership Summits is that they include some of the absolute best speakers and teachers anywhere in the world. Everyone who spoke at the conference could easily be a headline keynote speaker at any other event. That being said, I learned so much more than anything I could ever put into a short blog post, but here are five key takeaways I want to share with you. 

1. Don’t believe the lies.

Dave Ramsey shared that there are four common lies that business leaders believe. These lies are as follows:

• Success is evil.

There’s nothing wrong with success, and it’s noble to work hard and be successful. When you’re successful, you can be generous, and that’s the hallmark of a successful life. 

• Money will make you happy. 

Money is a great tool, but money won’t solve all your problems. At the end of the day, money can’t buy the things that really matter, or the things that will truly make you happy. 

• Some work is holier than others.

We all do work that matters, and it’s not what you do that makes you holy — it’s how you do it. 

• Work is drudgery.

You should be excited about your work. Think about your reason, your why. Share it with your team and keep them excited, too. Inspiration can go a long way. 

When you’re told something long enough, eventually you start to believe it. As a business leader, DON’T believe these lies. 

 

2. You can lead well through change and crisis. 

Going crazy when things get hard isn’t a good way to handle things. As a business leader, your job is to care well for your team and keep them employed. That includes during times of change and crisis. Here’s a few things you can do to lead well in times like these:

• Set the tone by being intentional and transparent.
• Expect things to change and roll with it. 
• Find ways to strengthen team morale.  
• Communicate, even when it’s hard. 

3. Enemies will hold you back.

When you mix talent, passion, and mission together, you become a purposeful leader. That’s what you should aspire to be. It can be hard to get there, though, when you’re facing the enemies. These three enemies will hold you back from being the best leader you can be (don’t let them):

• FEAR

Don’t let fear keep you from doing the things you need to do to move forward.

• DOUBT

Don’t let doubt affect your ability to change, implement change, or trust your team. 

• PRIDE

Don’t let pride get in the way of what needs to be done so you can achieve success. 

These things can — and will — hold you back. When you choose to overcome these three enemies, you’ll allow yourself to become the best leader you can be. 

4. Self-awareness is key.

Studies have shown that “the key predictor of success among leaders is self-awareness,” but “only 13% of people test well for self-awareness.” Fortunately, self-awareness can be learned, so for those who may not be self-aware, they can get there. One of the best ways to do that is through the Enneagram, a personality test that helps you learn about yourself and others. Self-awareness goes beyond work, too. It can help you in your marriage, your parenting, your friendships, and so much more.

5. You control your reputation.

A strong, consistent reputation matters. To get that kind of reputation, you first have to know what you want to be known for in your business and your life. Following that, you need to do things that reflect your aspirational reputation because your reputation is determined by the actions and behaviors you’re known for.

As Warren Buffet once said, “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.”

What do you want to be known for in your business and life?

Figure it out, and then get started making sure your actions and behaviors match that so you can build a strong, consistent reputation. In fact, your reputation should be so strong that if someone asks one person for three words to describe you that those same three words come out of the mouth of another person who’s asked the same question a year later.

You’ve Learned It… Now Apply It!

You don’t have to be lonely at the top. EntreLeadership makes business leadership a lot easier, and a lot less lonely. It isn’t just another business community — it’s one that’s filled with like-minded people who want to help each other succeed. Community matters, even in the business community, so get in it!

I hope these five key takeaways are helpful for you. Now that you’ve learned them, be sure to apply them. Inaction won’t get you anywhere. Action will. 

If you didn’t attend EntreLeadership Summit 2020, then you missed out on a major opportunity. Thankfully, it comes around every year, so you can join me (and a bunch of other awesome business leaders) at the conference next year.

If you did attend EntreLeadership Summit 2020, I want to hear from you! What were your five key takeaways from this year’s conference?