Mindset First, Strategy Second: Creating Leaders who Lead Effectively

Effective leadership is the key to exponential growth, but saying you want to lead isn’t the same as knowing how to do it. To learn some of the secrets of creating leaders who can lead your company into a limitless future, Meny was joined by Thought Leader, High-Performance Coach, and Life & Business Strategist Vamsi Polimetla for a fascinating and eye-opening conversation.

Listen in as they talk about the difference between management and leadership, why mindset and internal alignment need to come before strategy, the importance of making meetings that are more fun than a vacation (seriously!), practical tips on how to think outside the box, what skills you need to look for when you’re building a team, and much more.

Transcript

[00:01 – 07:30] How to Think Outside the Box and Achieve Genuine Freedom

• Leadership is not just about titles or qualifications; it is about who you are being in the moment

• It is crucial for leaders to have a growth mindset and focus on their own development first before helping others

• 80% of businesses fail within the first five years due to lack of scalability

• True leadership involves taking complete ownership of one’s life

[07:31 – 14:56] Learn How to Become a Great Leader: Strategies for Entrepreneurs

• Leadership is not only about talking the talk but also walking the walk

Leadership can be learned, even for those without prior experience in a leadership role
• The importance of having an open mindset and auditing your progress regularly

• Leaders should remember why they started their business and stay true to that purpose

[14:57 – 23:09] Unlocking the Power of Thinking Out of the Box

• Mindset is only one-fourth of internal communication – also need to consider heart set, health set, and soul set

• Leaders should bring people based on their attitude and problem-solving skills, not just current skills

• Give yourself space and distraction-free time to think out of the box

• Ask yourself: if I’m more courageous/loving, what can I do to create more value?

[23:10 – 30:16] The Power of Open Heart Conversations & Challenging the Status Quo

• Take time to pause and reflect on yourself, your company, and your team

• Have open heart conversations and ask for feedback from everyone

Check out the ego and have genuine conversations
• Play the game to win instead of playing not to lose

[30:17 – 37:25] The Difference Between Management and Leadership

• Bring in the human element into conversations so people feel comfortable speaking up

• Operating principles should be consistent in all scenarios and environments

Have biweekly, monthly, or quarterly check-ins to review progress
• Make meetings meaningful and enjoyable for team members

[30:26 – 40:17] Closing Segment

• Know your team member’s strengths and interests

• Vamsi on the rapid-fire questions

Practical Pointers

Know the difference between management and leadership. While a good manager makes sure that the company is performing well today, a good leader creates a culture and hires the right employees that will enable the company to scale effectively and profitably in the future. Remember: about 80% of businesses fail within five years, even if they’re successful and well-managed; the problem is that they’re not providing effective leadership.

In order to exhibit leadership, you first need to remember the reason that you started the business, and honestly assess how much you’re working on that core. Most people spend 90% of their time on something other than their passionate reason for starting the company; in order to be a true leader, you need to get back and primarily operate from the core that inspired you in the first place.

Recognize that you don’t know everything, you have blind spots like anyone else, and sometimes you’ll need help. Asking for help from a mentor or a guide is often one of the most difficult steps because it hurts our pride - but learning to ask for help when you need it is a crucial step in becoming an effective leader.

When you are putting together a team in order to grow your company exponentially, don’t hire people based on their current skills and aptitude, but emphasize their problem solving skills instead. Knowing how to react to current problems will keep you afloat today, but being able to respond to new challenges that arise will allow you to grow while other companies are stagnating.

If you want an extra practical pointer: (Everyone wants to think outside the box, but “you can’t read the label if you’re inside the jar.” So the first step to thinking outside the box (and not just saying it) is to literally go away. Once you’re outside your environment, you need to turn off your phone, and really give yourself time to think about what is possible for you: if you were more courageous, what would you do? If you were more loving to your team members, what would you do? How can you add more value to the things that you do every day? But if you stay in your normal environment in order to do this thinking, you’ve made it nearly impossible to see what’s outside the box.)

Guest Bio

Vamsi Polimetla

"Unlocking Potential Beyond Comfort Zones: Meet Vamsi K Polimetla

A Thought Leader, High-Performance Coach, and Life & Business Strategist - I'm Vamsi.

Throughout my life, I've relentlessly pursued personal growth and development, believing that true progress lies outside our comfort zones. Taking a leap of faith after 23 years in the corporate IT world, I embarked on a journey to foster growth.

Four years ago, I founded Make More Leaders, driven by a simple mission: empowering individuals to realize their fullest potential, discover new opportunities, and reignite their passion. Along this path, I've helped countless individuals improve their communication, break free from limitations, and achieve genuine freedom.

My life's mission, my purpose, is to help you succeed.

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