Going Upside with Lisa Marie Platske

The Leadership Hacker Podcast

Lisa Marie Platske is the President and CEO of Upside Thinking, a leadership coach and speaker, she’s also an international best-selling author, In this intimate show we explore some amazing leadership lessons including:

• How being in New York at 9/11 in law enforcement became a turning point in her career
• How self-examination can help with forgiveness
• The 3 steps and 7 pillars to unlock courageous leadership
• How can we remain relevant as leaders in such a dynamic and changing world?

Join our Tribe at https://leadership-hacker.com

Music: " Upbeat Party " by Scott Holmes courtesy of the Free Music Archive FMA

Transcript: Thanks to Jermaine Pinto at JRP Transcribing for being our Partner. Contact Jermaine via LinkedIn or via his site JRP Transcribing Services

Find out more about Lisa below:

Lisa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisamarieplatske/

Upside Thinking Website: https://upsidethinking.com

Lisa on Twitter: https://twitter.com/UpsideThinking

Lisa on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UpsideThinking

Full Transcript Below

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Steve Rush: Some call me Steve, dad, husband or friend. Others might call me boss, coach or mentor. Today you can call me The Leadership Hacker.

Thanks for listening in. I really appreciate it. My job as the leadership hacker is to hack into the minds, experiences, habits and learning of great leaders, C-Suite executives, authors and development experts so that I can assist you developing your understanding and awareness of leadership. I am Steve Rush and I am your host today. I am the author of Leadership Cake. I am a transformation consultant and leadership coach. I cannot wait to start sharing all things leadership with you

Lisa Marie Platske is our special guest on today's show. She's an award-winning leadership expert and number one, international bestselling author of Designing Your Destiny.

The Leadership Hacker News

Steve Rush: In the news today, we explore the notion of the law of attraction or LOA, as it's often known. Simply put, the law of attraction is the ability to attract into our lives, whatever we're focusing on. And it's believed regardless of age, nationality, religious belief, we all susceptible to the laws which govern the universe, including the law of attraction. And it's a law of attraction that uses the power of the mind to translate what is ever in our thoughts and to materialize them into reality. And here's the thing, in basic terms, all thoughts turn into things Eventually. If you focus on negative doom and gloom, you remain and direct cloud and be pretty grumpy and miserable. If you focus on positive thoughts and have goals and ambitions and aim to achieve them, you'll find ways to do so.

The law of attraction is one of life's biggest mysteries. Very few people are fully aware of how much the impact of law of attraction has on their day-to-day life. Whether we're doing it knowingly or unknowingly. Every second of our existence, we are acting as a human magnet, sending out our thoughts and emotions and attracting back more of what we put out. Unfortunately, so many of us are still blind to the potential that is locked deep within us. Consequently, it's all way too easy to leave your thoughts and emotions unchecked. And this sends out the wrong thoughts and attracts more of an unwanted emotion and event into your life. And unfortunately, because it comes with a bit of a stigma because people have this perception that it is pink and fluffy, and it's not particularly real, people often don't pay attention and don't focus on it enough.

The law of attraction stems back to mystical and historical claims haven't been first thought of by the immortal Buddha. It's believed he wanted to be known that what you have become is what you have thought. And this is the belief that's intrinsically deep within the law of attraction. So is the law of attraction pink and fluffy, or is there science behind it? Well, the work of quantum physics during recent years has helped really shine, greater light on the incredible impact and the power of the mind has on our lives and the universe in general, some would argue it's actually just a mindset. As physicists and neuroscientists come to supply us with more and more information regarding our brains. The law of attraction simply becomes more logical and the more we can rejoice in truly liberating impairing the realization that we are, the creators and the controllers of our life and the energy that we give out and attract the more successful we become.

The best description I've heard or seen about the law of attraction is thinking of ourselves as we were artists with a blank canvas, creating pictures of our intended life and making the choices and actions to make that happen. So, what if you don't like the picture? Well, you can change it because life is a blank canvas of possibility. We're in control of what that finished picture could look like. And the law of attraction is just that. And it's just that simple. There's no catches. The laws of nature are completely imperfect and the law of attraction is no different, no matter what you're looking for, what you want to achieve in your life. If you can hold on to an idea and see it for yourself in your mind's eye, then you can make it yours because you'll start to find and look and notice for the opportunity, the natural caring coincidences that help you fulfill that picture in your mind.

So, the leadership lesson is here. How much of our work as leaders is about helping people realize that mind's eye view, helping them articulate, helping them paint that picture and helping them on the journey to attracting the right energy, the right behaviors and people around them to be successful. That's been The Leadership Hacker News. As always, we're delighted when you nudge us comment and share our stories. So please get in touch if there's anything specific you want us to feature on the show.

Start of Podcast

Steve Rush: Our special guest on today's show is Lisa Marie Platske. She is the President and CEO of Upside Thinking. She's a leadership coach and a speaker. She's also the international best-selling author of a number of books. You want to hang on to the end of the show today because there's a special gift that you can get hold of later on, and it is the “Influential Leadership Blueprint” from Lisa. Lisa welcome to The Leadership Hacker Podcast.

Lisa Marie Platske: Thanks Steve. So excited to be here.

Steve Rush: Me too.

Lisa Marie Platske: Thanks for having me.

Steve Rush: So, you had a really fascinating meander to get to where you get to. Started out, your early career in law enforcement, and now leading Upside Thinking, tell us a little bit about how your journey evolved?

Lisa Marie Platske: Well, I can honestly share that I was never looking to be an entrepreneur or run a leadership development organization. I started off in law enforcement because I just loved the work. And back then, when I was looking for career paths after college, there was no internet to go researching. There was a library and lots of little books and file folders, and it sounded really exciting to be working in international trade and travel. And so, I took my criminal justice degree and went into law enforcement. And on that journey, loved leadership, was passionate about leadership and was fortunate to have the opportunity to develop leadership curriculum, both at The Leadership Development Center in Dallas, Texas after 9/11, and also to teach at The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in the United States. So, for me, this was something that I just was loved and I was getting to utilize the leadership pieces. However, I was faced with an opportunity and that opportunity was marriage Steve. So, I couldn't figure out how I could both be good at a 24/7 career and have a husband who also was going to have a 24/7 career in law enforcement and how we could both do this. And so, I just figured I keep doing it and live in a different state and just continue moving forward. And it actually was a friend who said, you know, people who get married, usually live in the same household.

Steve Rush: That’s right, yeah.

Lisa Marie Platske: And I said, all right, so then what will I do? And the love of leadership is one of the reasons why I opened up side thinking was I believe that leadership affects every single decision and every facet of our life. And so, to be able to do this and take what I learned in law enforcement and look at what the world's best leaders do differently has been just such an incredible journey. Although, you know, if you also understand owning a business has its unique pieces to it, for me, has been the greatest personal development journey of a lifetime.

Steve Rush: And I bet it hasn't stopped either?

Lisa Marie Platske: No, No.

Steve Rush: Exactly, and that's the gift that we have, I think in doing the work that we do in terms of coaching and helping leaders on their journey is that every single time I have a conversation with a podcast guest or I learned some new content, I'm just constantly learning.

Lisa Marie Platske: Yes. Yes. And there are more opportunities to be filled up if you're open, I believe on this journey than I could have imagined. And I thought that every day was a new day when I was in law enforcement and truly the entrepreneurial journey is a very unique animal.

Steve Rush: So, an interesting notion I wanted to share with you, and that's while hearing you talk about your career in law enforcement and then leadership in law enforcement. Often people have this perception of those who work in public office or in the military or law enforcement that they can see visibly people's leadership progressions because of the stripes on their shirts or the pips on their shoulders, and they often don't recognize that does come with a completely different set of skills. That is that leadership responsibility. How do you notice the difference between what you learned in law enforcement and what you see externally now?

Lisa Marie Platske: You just said something that I believe is so brilliant. So, I really want to reflect and say, thank you! Is that what I walked away with in law enforcement was understanding human behavior. And when you put on a uniform, there's the expectation that you have certain qualities or characteristics, integrity, is one of them. I remember getting my credentials that said, you know, this officer possesses integrity. And I thought, wow, this is like almost like a seal of approval or a stamp. And it was so interesting, you know, to think about that in terms of how we look at leadership. And if we could only walk into an organization and see somebody's credentials to have that stamp, where were all of their qualities and characteristics were listed. And you know, when I look at human behavior and the little nuances of what I learned then even from micro-expressions or how people show us who they are just by little movements. In business, it's been just critical to take those skills. There's something I'll do at my annual conference. And it's in reflecting back to the use of force continuum and how the use of force continuum started with officer presence and then went to verbal commands, soft techniques, hard techniques, and deadly force. And it's something that no officer ever wishes they're going to ever get to deadly force. And yet in business, it's interesting because those same use of force continuum. And I see forces as really more of a power move.

Steve Rush: Right.

Lisa Marie Platske: And that is how you show up, the words that you speak, the techniques that you use and how you knock somebody out with your presence, your executive presence. It actually translates really quite beautifully.

Steve Rush: There is a lot of parallels, isn’t there?

Lisa Marie Platske: Yes.

Steve Rush: So, remember when we met first, you talked about this kind of quite pivotal moment in your career when you were in law enforcement and 9/11 happened. And not only did it change law enforcement and probably the careers for all of us actually in hindsight, but there was a real kind of big turning point for you at that time. Tell us a little bit about that moment?

Lisa Marie Platske: Well, with law enforcement, I was stationed in New York and over 9/11. And so, I was in the height of, in the midst of everything and working sixteen-hour days, twenty-one days, straight, very little sleep, and just the entire country was on high alert. So, a lot of angst, just the feeling when you walked out of your house, you could feel the heaviness and the stress. And what I realized after sending employees to funeral after funeral, after funeral for honor guard, losing my mentor and sending employees to look for what would be remains at the site. I recognize that there was this level of anger that was growing inside me, and it wasn't good, Steve, like it was not, it was a mixture of tiredness and sadness and grief and frustration and helplessness, just all rolled into one where, you know, the human body, it's made to rest. It needs a certain amount of rest.

Steve Rush: Right.

Lisa Marie Platske: And so, I got to a piece when I recognize what was going to be, what would open that and change that and shift that and keep me from being a really angry person was forgiveness. And so, I went down a journey of learning about forgiveness, what it is, and really being willing to forgive self, forgive others so that I could lead unencumbered without any judgment, without any negativity. And it has been one of the best decisions. And it's been something that in bringing it into organizations in business, recognizing that sometimes there are actions that are holding organizations back in their leaders for years, for decades, because of a lack of forgiveness.

Steve Rush: Definitely, so. And as you speak, you can hear in your voice, by the way that kind of, the resonance that comes with that. So, as you're recalling that moment, I can sense in your tone that it's still real for you. How did you use that as a positive and how did you flip from anger to forgiveness? What was kind of the trigger moment?

Lisa Marie Platske: It's interesting that you can hear it because it's one where I can feel my body be moved to tears, and yet it's been, you know, many decades and yet that lives within you, that moment, that experience still lives inside me. And so, I just really appreciate your acknowledgement of it because it was such a painful time. And, and that, I don't know that going back to that moment, that doesn't go away. The moment that, you know, if I could sum it up in one moment, it was a situation where and perhaps you've experienced this or maybe not. It was a situation where I was going to be spending time with somebody that I actually really liked, okay. It was a friend that I enjoyed spending time with and I was out, you know, its good time. I'm outside having something to eat.

And there was just a small little something that should have been a small upset that I recognized an incredibly irrational reaction of mine. And so, I understood at that moment that I wasn't angry at what was going on. I was just simply angry and that anger was not directed at a person or a place or, you know, not getting my food. That anger was just an internal rage over the injustices that I saw were going on at families, losing loved ones for no reason. The sense of stress that my colleagues were experiencing, just many things, that for me, I no longer had joy being around people that I loved. I no longer had a, you know, a sense of, you know, life is good and the world is a safe place. And recognizing that in that moment, that if I did not do something, that the people that I was with, the people that I was leading at work, you know, that would carry through in every interaction and just simply would poison. The organization would poison the team, would poison my family relationships. So, it wasn't like it was this big aha moment that came down from the sky. It was a simple outing that with an irrational response that had me look at who I was becoming

Steve Rush: Really profound, and what you described is academically dead simple. I just forgive everybody and cleanse myself and it'll be fine. Academically sounds simple, behaviorally though, that comes with a whole set of processes and systems that need learning. So how did you go about that?

Lisa Marie Platske: You're you are so right. Like it's not just well, we had the awareness and then the next day everything was wonderful. One of the pieces on the journey was extending grace. And so, I say that the forgiveness had to start with myself because oftentimes when leaders will see themselves or see a response, they will, you know, be angry. Like why did I respond that way? And that doesn't help the situation. So there had to be self-forgiveness. And so, I began identifying not just in this situation, but what were the times when my responses were not ideal and began doing a journey of self-examination. And so, to dive into various principles, I went into the process in emotional intelligence and the research that was there around, you know, self-examination.

And I took myself on retreat. I went and was quiet and reflective. I began researching instead of reading books that were on law enforcement or on criminal behavior. I began reading books that were more about the mind and human behavior in the sense of empathy and compassionate leadership and changed what it is that I was putting into my mind, into my body. And I also focused on my health. And one of the things that I recognized is that when you're angry and then when you're stressed and even if you want to be in forgiveness, it's really hard to do so. So, taking better care of me, allowed me to then better care for others around me, whether that was the guys that I worked with, or whether it was family members that I went to visit. And it was a journey, it was a journey of forgiveness. Forgiving me first, and then forgiving others for perhaps their own limited views or their own paradigms in the world versus being angry.

Steve Rush: I love the way you considered the whole approach by the way, because it does start with self-assessment. It starts with the self-actualization; and again, it's one of those things it's dead easy to say, but putting yourself first can often be seen as quite selfish or self-centered, but in my experience, if you don't do that, then everybody else suffers, right?

Lisa Marie Platske: Yes. Yes. It's interesting. When I opened my business sixteen years ago, that was one of my, you know, core pieces that I would teach is, self-first, family second and work third. And when I would go into organizations, they would say, you can't teach that. And I said, if you really want employees that are going to perform and research shows that you don't get the best out of your employees, the best you get is 80%. And if you, and that's like the best of the best. So, on average, you're getting between 40 to 60% output on an employee. And if you really want that to increase so that your bottom line increases and your operational effectiveness increases, then you will invest in your employees the way that you invest in your innovation and new ideas, because they are the ones that are going to implement.

That doesn't mean that you're not looking at. It's not important to just give people whatever they want. That's not what it's about. It's about understanding that we're humans in this experience, in this leadership experience, and as human beings, we require different things in order to have optimal results to produce, to thrive. And so, you know, I had focused so much in the past on the human doing this, that I forgot the human beingness part and getting back to the being it's really difficult when you're in the doing, and that's your sole focus to enter into the forgiveness journey, but the health part and sort of the putting self-first piece and all of the people who said that was, you know, crazy or frivolous or selfish, you know, it's what led me.

You know, now I have seven pillars of leadership that I've researched over the years. And in pillar, number four, there are seven areas of wellbeing and wellbeing is simply a word for wealth. And what I found in those seven areas of wellbeing is that too often individual leaders and top contributors would tell themselves that once I do well at work, then I'll be able to take care of my physical health or that's when I'll be able to take care of my financial health. That's when things will fall into place. And I found that that's not true, that you've got to start with the physical, you've got to start with you in that area and your emotional wellbeing and your intellectual wellbeing and your spiritual wellbeing and your relational wellbeing before you can truly thrive and be wealthy at work.

Steve Rush: A hundred percent agree with that, a hundred percent. You've taken to writing, you've written three books. Connection, Design Your Destiny, Turn Possibilities into Realities. What was it that drove you to put pen to paper and share some of your stories and learnings?

Lisa Marie Platske: Like I said, with the entrepreneurial journey, so much of it has been this, you know, well, what's put in front of me and that's why I say it's somewhat accidental. There's intention in it, and there's also sort of surprise. And so, my first book in 2007, the reason why I wrote it was not because I had this idea that it was going to be great to write a book. It was because I was going into organizations and Steve, I would ask three questions. Who are you? What do you want? And why does it matter? So, I would be in these coaching sessions and these trainings and ask those questions and get this blank stare. And I found it fascinating because the answer of who I am was generally titles. And what do I want was generally, well, I'm supposed to want the next promotion or the next opportunity. And when I would really dive in and say, why does that matter? And like, what do you really want? What I found was that the overwhelming majority. Over the 80th percentile truly didn't want what the next opportunity was that was in front of them. And if they could have had it all their way, they would have been doing something different. And that for me was just so mind-boggling.

Steve Rush: Yeah, right.

Lisa Marie Platske: How could this be?

Steve Rush: And what did you find the answers were?

Lisa Marie Platske: Well, it was more giving people permission, permission to be in that conversation. I remember a woman who was chief counsel in an organization and her saying to me, and I believe at the time she was forty-two years old and she said, no one has ever asked me that question. What do I want? I was sad. I was sad. I thought, how could this be? And so, here's someone who has a family and children and people that are watching you and role model, and you've got a position and the position is something that's well-respected and you had to go to school and operate in choice, and you're ending up here. And now we're having this conversation. And you tell me that no one has ever asked you that in four plus decades of your life, like, it was just heartbreaking.

Steve Rush: I bet, yeah.

Lisa Marie Platske: I thought, so if I could write a book that would give people permission to ask that question and to sit down and have some thought and intention around what that would be, wouldn't that make the world a little bit better?

Steve Rush: Yeah, it sure would.

Lisa Marie Platske: And so that was the impetus, you know, for that, and for the last fourteen years, I've done an annual three-day conference called, the same name as the book, Design Your Destiny Live, or similar name, we go through my seven pillars of leadership. And in the end, it's about, like who are you? What do you want? And why does it matter? Because I believe everyone's got something. I mean, that's one of the things I loved about your story, Steve, you know, you're someone who went, well, like, who am I? And like, what am I doing here? Like this isn't what I'm called to do. This is not what I'm hardwired for. Like, I could stay here and, you know, I'm probably being paid pretty well. However, I making a contribution? Am I a force for good on the planet? And you know, from our conversation, it was, you know, it's what really inspired me to want to be in deeper conversation with you.

Steve Rush: Sure, I appreciate That. Thank you. So, of your three books, do you have a favorite child?

Lisa Marie Platske: Do I have a favorite? I actually can say that every book, every article, everything that I've ever written, there's no favorite. They're just a series of lessons learned that allow me to relive them.

Steve Rush: Said like a true parent and any custodian of work!

Lisa Marie Platske: Yes, yes.

Steve Rush: Brilliant.

Lisa Marie Platske: Like, oh yeah. I remember that.

Steve Rush: So, your seven pillars then. You have three steps and seven pillars, and I wondered if it would be worthwhile, if we could just spin through them?

Lisa Marie Platske: Sure, sure. So, the seven pillars came from research. So, I wanted a shortcut, you know, here I am, I'm a criminal justice major. I had my career in law enforcement. I loved it. And now I'm opening up a leadership development company. And so, it's like, well, what do leaders do? The best ones? What do they do differently? So, I just began interviewing people and I got seven themes and the seven themes are. I had them all magically start with a P isn't that great?

Steve Rush: That’s very innovative!

Lisa Marie Platske: So, and then they have phrases. So, the number one is plan. And it's start with a written plan. Begin with the end in mind. I found that all the leaders I researched did that. Number two was understand your personality, be clear who you're not and who you are. And I found the best leaders really understood their strengths and delegated the rest. Number three is partnerships, create partnerships, create powerful partnerships. And this was all around the essence of connection. They had networks and really understood that you could make life easier by being deeply connected to others. And they weren't formal partnerships. And then number four is priority, not priorities. And it was understanding what matters most. So, live your priority. And regardless of whether or not other people look at it, and it makes sense to them. That's where those seven areas of wellbeing live.

And it's where that idea of putting yourself first lives too. And then number five is all about presence, creating a meaningful and memorable presence in three areas. By what people see, by what you say, and by being in the moment. And so, there's gratitude. There's positioning that is all in this element. It's a very, very robust pillar. And then number six is progress, and this is evaluate your progress. It's also the pillar of profit. With this pillar I find that in organizations, sometimes people will talk about the annual performance review and performance is something to be evaluated daily. It's to be evaluated moment by moment. What do you want? You're either moving further away or closer to it by every action and every word that you speak. So, I'm in self-examination and reflection daily and evaluating my progress, whether I'm on track. That was a hard one for me, Steve, because I was really hard for me to get rid of ideas that I created.

Steve Rush: It's unlearning some of the stuff that you'd learned, right?

Lisa Marie Platske: Right, yeah. Exactly, exactly. So, that's just so true. And then number, number seven is professional development and personal development. And that's investing in personal and professional development. And I found that the leaders I spoke to who really were just so far ahead and the best of the best, they took time off. They had these circles, mastermind circles and peer connections and coaches and people they learned from. And so, it was amazing how intentional there were about where they went and how they were some were industry specific and some were that had nothing to do with their industry. And just who was the next person for me to learn from.

Steve Rush: I love those, they’re really succinct. And if people are listening to this for the first time, just having those seven pillars to go through is a great blueprint to kind of set you up for success. So, thank you for sharing them.

Lisa Marie Platske: You’re welcome. You’re welcome. I want everybody to dive in and I share that, you know, sometimes it's just a small tweak. You might do really well in five of them or six of them. And there might be a small tweak that can just make a huge, huge difference. So, they're important. And those three elements came from, well, what are the seven pillars rest on? Like, what's the foundation for them? And the three elements are really all about courageous leadership. And those three elements are vision, vulnerability and voice. And vision is having that clear vision, the key or the hidden key that unlocks it is clarity. Vulnerability is not a marketing tactic. It's a way of being, and it's how you live out your vision and the hidden key to unlock that is forgiveness. You can't be vulnerable and have it really be authentic and transparent unless you've done your own forgiveness work

Steve Rush: Wow that’s really quite powerful. Yet, I've not actually thought of it in that way, but your so, so accurate in the that you reflect that because vulnerability means that he can't be carrying any baggage, can you?

Lisa Marie Platske: Exactly.

Steve Rush: In order to be vulnerable, you have to get rid of that.

Lisa Marie Platske: Otherwise, it comes out really weird and that's when it sounds judgmental.

Steve Rush: Yeah.

Lisa Marie Platske: And you go, huh? I can't figure that out. Like, what is it? It seems like they're being vulnerable, but something not right there.

Steve Rush: And we're built intuitively, and you would have been taught this in your law enforcement days, to spot that disingenuous behavior. We're trained unconsciously to notice when it doesn't feel and look right.

Lisa Marie Platske: Exactly, that's is so true, which is the reason why you and I can be an ocean away and still, you can feel what I felt when we were talking about 9/11. Like as if you were looking at me as if you were, absolutely.

Steve Rush: Yeah. So we've been in a bit of a crazy world in the last couple of years, and you know, as every decade goes on, there are events that come and shape the way that we work and the way that we live. And certainly, the pandemic is one of those. How do we as leaders keep and remain relevant when the world is changing such a lot?

Lisa Marie Platske: You know, when I look at how the world has changed, there for me is, I go back to a story and an experience that I had, and that is a business coach who said to me several years ago, Lisa you're one disaster from going out of business. And I said, how could this be? Like, I have, you know, all of these clients and all of this. And he said, yes. And he laid out, you know, the vulnerabilities in my business. And so, I went on this journey to, I didn't know at the time, but to pandemic proof my business in the sense of who, is it that has all of the information in the organization, what are the activities that I'm doing? Who is it that I'm investing my time with? What's my most precious commodity? And, you know, when you speak about how the world has changed and how do you remain relevant? As humans, we're often creatures of habit and being comfortable for many people is a high value and comfort doesn't change the world, vulnerability really opens doors.

And so, it goes back to what you and I have had many conversations, have brought up in conversation many times is the idea of the self-reflection. Remaining relevant means looking in the mirror and asking the question over and over again about where have I gotten comfortable? Where have I gotten stagnant? Where have I gotten, dare I say lazy? And where have I gotten entitled? And when I looked at my business several years ago and was really honest with myself, I had a mentor at the time that I had a conversation with. And he said to me, you know, Lisa, here's what happens when there's too much sizzle and not enough stake. And I understood what he meant, right? And so sometimes when things are looking good or things are running smoothly, even if someone has fared really well like myself through the pandemic, there's still the need for examination, examination, examination in order to remain relevant. And when you're busy or there's additional work that's coming in, I find that organizations and leaders often put that on the back burner. They take care of what's urgent and self-examination and organizational analysis and assessment falls under that important category and important in the long run is always more valuable than urgent.

Steve Rush: Yeah, definitely. Love that, thank you. So, this part of the show is where we're going to turn the lens and we're going to focus on your leadership career and over all of the experiences I'm going to ask you to try and distill them into your top three leadership hacks or tools or tips that you would like to share. What would be your top three?

Lisa Marie Platske: Top three hacks to share. One schedule, schedule, schedule yourself in your calendar, put yourself in there as the most important meeting of the week and just get quiet. That's so important because there will always be people and situations pulling at you. And if you don't do that, it's not possible for you to truly be in the vision, vulnerability and voice courageous leadership conversation. Number two hack would be invest in what you do best and network the rest.

Steve Rush: Nice.

Lisa Marie Platske: Spend time using your gifts and do not, do not invest time in learning something that's just not yours to learn. Time is your most precious commodity. And number three, the third leadership Hack. Steve, I can't say enough about the who versus the how. Focus on the who on your journey, not the how. There have been so many things that have happened that I have no idea how they've happened. How many doors in organizations? I have no idea how they open. And it always came from who was in my circle and who I invested time with and the who always matters more than the how.

Steve Rush: Yeah, very powerful. Like it a lot, thank you. So, the next part of the show, we call it Hack to Attack. So, this is typically where something in your life and work hasn't particularly worked out as you'd planned, but as a result of that experience, you now use it as a positive in your life. So, what would be your Hack to Attack Lisa?

Lisa Marie Platske: When you talk about things that didn't work out, it's like that is, I have learned to become friends with failure. Like that's truly like a superpower.

Steve Rush: In fact, I've become so friendly with failure. I actually just now call them learning.

Lisa Marie Platske: Oh, there you go. There you go. Yes, it's just one where I go, you know, I didn't see that. And so, one of the pieces to share with this is I trusted somebody. It's a good example. I just trusted somebody, ended up hiring, actually it was more of an investment. An opportunity that someone was having an event. And the person took my money and it was ten thousand dollars, and they said, sorry, I'm not giving it back. And I'm not honoring the commitment either and your choices to come after me or, you know, or not, but I'm not honoring the commitment. I'm not honoring the contract and I'm not giving you your money.

Steve Rush: Wow.

Lisa Marie Platske: So, it was one of those pieces where at first, I was really embarrassed and really like, how could you not have known better, Lisa? How did you not do all the research? You know, you were, how could you trust this person? Just a thousand and one things. And then there was this part of me that was like, okay, so what's going to come out of this because I could take lots of money and lots of, excuse me, lots of time and chase after this. And I could go after this person or I could see what else to create. And what ended up happening was my decision to forgive and let go. And just say, there must have been a reason that this showed up me. And as you said, it's not a failure, it's a lesson learned. What happened was over the next six months. My business literally quadrupled. I'm sorry, not quadrupled, tripled. It was three times. Had I invested energy and chasing after an air quotes, missed opportunity, I would have failed to have put the time and energy into what was right in front of me and what was for me all along.

Steve Rush: Yeah, really powerful stuff. And you know, what goes around, comes around. Doesn't it?

Lisa Marie Platske: Absolutely, and I'm not tracking it.

Steve Rush: Yeah, I'm fairly certain karma, call it what you will, it catches people up eventually.

Lisa Marie Platske: Yes, yes, yes.

Steve Rush: So, the last part of the show, Lisa, is we get a chance to do some time travel. You get to bump into Lisa at twenty-one and give her some advice. What would be your words of wisdom to her then?

Lisa Marie Platske: Everything happens in divine right timing. Everything happens in divine, right timing. Trust the journey and enjoy it.

Steve Rush: Yeah, very powerful stuff. I wish we had some more time to talk, but unfortunately, we're coming to the of top of our show. And I just want to say, thank you. I really loved talking with you. I get a real sense of some commonalities and some shared passions that we both have. So, I think that helps in extract some great conversation. So, our learners and our listeners can be connected to you. Where is the best place for us to send them?

Lisa Marie Platske: My website is upsidethinking.com, U-P-S-I-D-E, and the word thinking T- H-I-N-K-I-N-G.com. And if you do “backslash” stay-dash-connected, you'll get access to my influential leadership blueprint as well as I have an upside thought, which speaks about lots of lessons learned and one action to take each week,

Steve Rush: Brilliant stuff. We'll make sure that we'll put the links in so that people can get hold of the influential leadership blueprint, as well as all your social media and other links as well. So, we can continue the journey beyond today.

Lisa Marie Platske: Thank you. Thanks so much, Steve. You pulled things out of me that I've never shared, and I just feel as if we've known each other for a very long time.

Steve Rush: Yeah, feelings mutual. And Lisa, thank you for being part of the community and we'll have to do this again sometime.

Lisa Marie Platske: I would welcome that. Thank you. It's been an honor.

Steve Rush: Thanks Lisa.

Closing

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