Mastering the Basics -Dean Karrel
These are my takeaways from Dean’s Karrel’s Mastering the Basics book- Simple Lessons for Achieving Success in Business
I’ll start by sharing his Philosophy
- Be Good to People
- Smile and Say Hello
- Have a Good Work Ethic
- Send Thank You Notes
- Always Be Learning -Lifelong Learning
- Confidence- Believe in Yourself
- Integrity and Character
- Be Authentic, Be Genuine
- Planning and Preparation
- Know Your Priorities, Family Comes First, and Focus on What Really Matters
The being authentic chapter resonated with me because I have spent a ton of time trying to figure out my own voice and have been thinking about what my personal mission statement is.
What I came up with this weekend was “To empower others through vulnerable sharing creating possibility leading by example creating a community of healthy, mindful, professionals aiming to leave the world better than what we came in to it through giving back, being of service, and by living a healthy lifestyle through meditation, thoughtfulness, and appreciation of life itself”
These were my favorite passages from his book.
On P. 41″I’m here to tell you that you don’t need to change your style or your personality. What you need to be is yourself, be real and be authentic, because that’s who you are. We can all improve our qualities and skills but, deep down, we really can’t change who we are without risking being a phony. For me, being authentic boils down to three qualities- vulnerability, character, and transparency.
Being authentic means you’re just being who you are and not trying to change yourself based on your colleagues or with whom you’re meeting. It’s showing your positive skills, while at the same time, not being afraid of letting others see your weaknesses, areas where you may need to improve and even exhibiting a dose of vulnerability.”
Be Fair
“When you’re fair, you show respect, understanding, thoughtfulness, and treat people equally. I also feel that truly listening to others plays into this, along with being a role model and a leader to all and not showing favorites.” (p.45)
“However, developing your confidence is more than just improving your surroundings; it’s how you assess yourself and how you feel deep down about your work, your personal life, and “you” in general.
For me, I’ve found that every so often I try to take a step back and evaluate how I think things are progressing with my work, my career, and my personal life. I do this in an informal way and don’t try to overanalyze things and I review things in small pieces. I used to be very hard on myself in the middle stages of my career and then, as I studied confidence more, I realized that its okay to not be perfect. Maybe I could have done things differently but I’m happy and I feel good about myself.” (p.93)
Don’t be afraid to say No
“Throughout our lives, we often experience pressure to participate, show support, and say yes, that can join a meeting, be in that task force, or help support some local cause. We all want to help and be there to lend a hand or be that positive voice for our manager or a co-worker. However, how many times have you said to yourself,Why did I say yes and agree to do this?
We say Yes, and then we find ourselves struggling to fulfill our commitment. Our other work suffers and we also end up not doing a great job with the task we agreed to help out on. We need to respect our time, realize we can’t do everything, and not feel guilty when we say, No. It comes downs to being honest with yourself and realistic to the person asking you. It’s much better to be upfront right from the beginning rather then backtracking later on. So, don’t be afraid to say No.” P.101
Don’t be afraid to say I don’t Know
“We behave like this because we’re afraid of appearing ignorant or feeling like we’re the only one who doesn’t know the answer. It’s actually human nature. I was like that for years and then, at breaks or at the end of the meetings. I’d research the notes that I didn’t comprehend. It’s pretty silly, isn’t it. It’s actually a sign of confidence and good leadership if you do raise your hand, ask that question, and not be shy.” P. 102
Don’t burn bridges
“By the way, we ended up working on a number of projects together over the next few years. I realized that I was probably a part of the problem at my old job and I ended up telling him this story. We laughed as he admitted his management skills were a bit lacking back then too. If I had burned that bridge, it would have cost me in many ways.” P.105
“He was very clear in his approach, since he didn’t want us to ever forget the real objective of our jobs and get derailed with the dozens of items we may have had on our to do list.” (p.107)
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Purpose: I create an empowering context for curious and hungry people looking for fulfillment, experiences, and creativity. We do this by developing their growth mindset, introducing self-love, and powerful group experiences. It results in people with strong boundaries, resilient mental health, and practical life skills
People leave with the ability to land their dream job, have autonomy and flexibility with their lifestyle, travel the world, and create from their heart and soul.
Why:
Davidson was once broke, insecure, low-confidence, and frustrated by doing all the wrong activities. Addicted to drugs, validation, and wallowing in self-pity. No relationship to family, and at the mercy of other people’s suggestions and opinions.
It was hell.
After spending $100k hiring different coaches, traveling the world doing workshops around the world, reading>1000 books, and through curiosity, have created the most effective system to remove people from that situation. My life’s work is to bring joy and abundance to people who as on a similar path as I was and bring back the joy and abundance of their life.
Through shared experiences and storytelling, I inspire and model behaviors that lead to a richer, more fulfilled life full of joy, experiences, passion, and ecstasy from the richness of relationships and being able to experience the depths of the human experience.