The Kris Lindahl Show

“This is about humanity, not business. Now is the time to Be Generous.” Kris delivers an impassioned message about how we all need to step up in this unprecedented time of need. He talks specifics on the actions that he and KLRE have already taken, including hiring Uber drivers to deliver groceries to people and donating existing ad space to organizations who need it more. Priority #1 is to change the way we treat each other personally, change the way we view our businesses, and use our personal platforms for the greater good. We all need to donate our Time, Talents and Treasures as people and business experts like never before. Success isn’t about money, and it never has been. Having integrity and giving back are what’s important right now. So let’s do this! Summary: Kris Lindahl delivers his take on how challenging times require everyone to stay together, step up and Be Generous. We’re all in the businesses helping others. Period.

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Are you hoping that a single secret to success is going to put everything into place for you and change your life? Then you’re probably not thinking about leadership the right way. EideCom and Forever Bride founder Charles Eide talks about what he’s learned about leadership, acknowledging that he still learns something new every day. On this episode of "The Kris Lindahl Show", you’ll hear what Charles and Kris have to say about focus vs. expansion, learning vs. execution, saying yes vs. saying no, skills vs. passion, the heart vs. the mind, accountability vs. blame, and preaching vs. coaching. Bottom line: As someone whose company plans up to 100 massive events a year, Charles still believes in changing the world one event at a time.

When you talk to leaders who are struggling or frustrated, there’s one phrase that crops up often: “You don’t understand.” You don’t understand my industry. You don’t understand how hard it is to get leads. You don’t understand how competitive it is out there. In this One on One episode, Kris talks about the fact that most challenges are the same across all industries and among all human beings. If you find yourself saying “you don’t understand” often (along with its cousin, “if I do that, this is going to happen”), then you might need to take a look in the mirror. Are your challenges really that unique, or are you just afraid to address them?

What’s keeping you from living up to your true potential as a leader? Hint: It has nothing to do with how talented you are, or even how hard you work. — TKLS #27 One on One Have you ever heard or thought something along the lines of, “S/he has a lot of talent, but they’re not living up to their potential”? Maybe you’ve thought the same thing about yourself. In this One on One episode, Kris talks about the single biggest hurdle that keeps so many people from fully realizing their talents. Find out what it is, what you can do right now to position yourself for greater success, and why a quote about wolves says everything you need to know about life and leadership.

Have you ever been in a meeting where nobody’s paying attention? Where the laptops are open, the phone notifications are pouring in, everyone’s interrupting everyone else, and some people are even answering their texts and emails? Now be honest: Have you ever been that person? Most people who want to be great leaders make the mistake of talking too much and not being fully present. In this One on One episode, Kris talks about the power of listening. Yes, talking about listening is a bit ironic, but the message is important: Listening isn’t just “polite.” It’s absolutely critical to good leadership. If you’re not paying attention, you’re constantly distracted or you’re usually the one doing all the talking, then are you the kind of person that people want to follow?

Sometimes the best examples of good leadership come from the most unexpected places. In this one-on-one episode, Kris shares a recent experience with two different Uber drivers who made a huge impact on him on a recent speaking trip. Especially if you work in a highly commoditized industry, what makes you different? How do you stand out? And do you sometimes fall into the trap of asking for validation without trying to earn it first? In work and in life, we have so many chances to make an impact that sometimes we stop seeing the opportunities right in front of us. This episode is a reminder to be creative, not complacent.

If there’s one truism about life, it’s this: Nobody follows a quitter. Good leaders are persistent to the point of being relentless. Their single-mindedness may drive some people crazy, but it drives even more to follow them. In this One on One podcast, Kris shares his own story of persistence (hint: it has to do with being a fan of a certain team that still hasn’t won a Super Bowl) and talks about how sometimes even when you think you’ve reached a dead end, the next breakthrough is right around the corner. Are you willing to outwork everybody around you, and scratch and claw for solutions instead of falling back on excuses? Then maybe, just maybe, you have what it takes to lead.

Would you follow a coach who didn’t think your team could win the championship? How about a general who thought you’d probably lose the war? Confidence is the most important trait in a leader, because people follow passion, period. So as a leader, you need to be 100% confident in what you’re doing and why you’re doing it. In this One on One episode, Kris reveals the secrets of leadership confidence: what it is and what it isn’t, why people gravitate toward confident leaders and avoid wishy-washy ones, and what to do in those moments when your confidence isn’t as high as it could be. Kris also shares why it’s important to strive for respect over likability, and why failure is often confidence’s greatest ally.

Do you experience more loneliness the higher the climb the leadership ladder? Do you feel like the more responsibilities you have, the less people understand what you’re going through? In this One on One episode, Kris opens up about his own struggles with loneliness and offers useful tips on how you can manage it. The first thing to understand is that loneliness is part of leadership and completely normal. In fact, it can actually be a sign that you’re on the right track. As your organization and your responsibilities grow, you can’t always share what’s happening, what’s on your mind or what’s in the works with your organization. But if you feel like loneliness is getting the better of you, there are steps you can take to regain your vital sense of happiness and connection.

What are the special traits that effective leaders share—not the leaders of 20 or 30 years ago, but today’s leaders? From leading his own business and talking to other leaders across all kinds of organizations, Kris has noticed that it comes down to 8 vital traits. Find out what they are and why they’re so important in this special One on One “The Kris Lindahl Show” episode. The list may surprise you …

Are you one of those leaders who constantly thinks, “I could let someone else handle this, but it’ll be easier if I just do it myself”? It’s a common trait among CEOs, especially entrepreneurs who start their businesses from scratch. Recognizing that she was one of those people, Media Bridge founder and CEO Tracy Call did a radical thing: For an entire month, she completely disconnected from her business and traveled with her family. The intent was to empower her team and train her clients not to depend on her. What she didn’t expect was how the experience would dramatically affect her personal life. In this provocative “The Kris Lindahl Show” episode, hear about Tracy’s fascinating business journey and learn about her against-the-grain approaches to hiring, goal-setting, handling client relationships, separating your personal identity from your business identity, being transparent, leading with the heart, and just plain having fun.

What do you struggle with? It’s a hard question to ask, and sometimes it’s an even harder question to answer. In this One on One podcast, Kris shares his own challenges and offers some advice for leaders on slowing down, truly being in the moment, showing empathy and being generous with recognizing others. He also shares a personal anecdote on how his daughter helps him remember to slow down. Bottom line: Sometimes leaders avoid asking people how they’re doing. Sometimes we feel like we’re always chasing. And sometimes we need to do a better job recognizing the growth and success of the people we’re leading.

Has anyone ever asked you what advice you would give to your younger self? This happened to Kris recently when a friend asked him what he saw clearly now that he wishes he had seen earlier in his life. Kris offers six areas of wisdom that he wishes he had been quicker to realize. The point isn’t to beat yourself up that you didn’t know things sooner; it’s to share your insights to help others on their leadership journeys. Too often leaders think they have it all figured out. This One on One episode is a tangible reminder about the importance of always examining, always remaining a student, and always growing. Hey, by listening to this podcast, you’re already on the right track!

What’s the secret to improving someone’s health and fitness? If you listen to Chuck Runyon, it sounds a lot like the secret to good leadership: listening, empathizing, being generous with your attention, and seeing your job as helping people unlock their full potential. As the co-founder of Self Esteem Brands and the CEO of Anytime Fitness, Chuck makes all of this happen every day. It’s impressive that his company has now opened over 4,000 gyms on all seven continents (they just announced a new gym in Antarctica!). What’s even more impressive is the leadership mantra he writes about in his book “Love Work”: the 4Ps of People, Purpose, Profits and Play. In this wide-ranging interview, you’ll learn how Chuck and his business partner have built an award-winning culture that has changed the lives of his members, employees, franchisees and communities throughout the world.

Do you set huge goals for yourself at the beginning of the year, then find yourself getting increasingly depressed about your inability to meet them? Join the club! Traditional goal-setting is not only ineffective; it actually puts yours farther away from achieving what you want. In this special “One on One” episode of The Kris Lindahl Show, Kris shares his own struggles with goal-setting, then reveals his two secrets to building momentum, feeling good about yourself and actually reaching your goals. Bottom line: The path to achieving your life and career ambitions is smaller, simpler and more doable than you think.

Want proof that phenomenal success starts with finding your true passion? Look no farther than Rachel Mairose. Rachel started a small dog rescue out of her apartment in 2009. Less than a decade later, Secondhand Hounds is the largest animal rescue operation in the Midwest, with over 17,000 animals saved. In this fascinating interview, Rachel talks about why you should “keep going until you find your passion and feel like you don’t think you could live without doing it,” why industry taboos are made to be broken, why storytelling is more important than ever, the importance of constantly communicating your values and expectations, and how you can deal with the trolls and bullies so they don’t derail your mission. Even though Rachel works with animals, she knows that it’s still about people. For every animal her organization has rescued, she has improved—and in some cases saved—countless human lives.

If you’ve ever spent a day at a Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) food-packing center, you know it’s an experience you’ll never forget—remarkably consistent and uplifting for the 1.4 million volunteers across 40 states who participate every year. In this episode, Kris talks to Feed My Starving Children CEO Mark Crea to unearth the secrets on how this once-small organization has grown from 1 site packing 3 million meals for kids in 17 countries annually, to having 8 permanent sites in the Twin Cities, Chicago, Dallas and Phoenix preparing and shipping 365 million meals to kids in 70 countries. No matter what industry you’re in, Mark’s story reveals some incredible insights on leadership, process, culture, partnership, and purpose. If you’re as inspired by this interview as Kris was, we’ve got good news: If you reach out to Kris through thekrislindahlshow.com, he’ll join your group at an FMSC packing session. And for every comment or like that this episode gets, Kris Lindahl Real Estate will donate a dollar to Feed My Starving Children!

How are you feeling about 2019? Better than last year? Worse? About the same? As we enter a new year, it’s time to wipe the slate clean and take a fresh look at where we’re at in our lives and careers. Looking back on 2018, Kris sees both the successes and the challenges in starting and growing a business, and the pitfalls and rewards of trying to do things differently and better. In this one-on-one episode, he shares his four areas of advice for anyone who wants to improve their leadership abilities in the new year. Hint: Even when others try to crush you, you can still crush it!

Are you a successful leader who’s secretly burned out and unhealthy? Is what you’re doing bringing you success but not joy? Are you especially attuned to the leadership challenges that teenagers face today? Then the incredible story of youth worker, speaker, trainer and preacher Cesar Castillejos will definitely resonate with you. Learn about Cesar’s challenges growing up as an of-color kid in a Minnesota suburb, hear the two questions his mentor told him to ask himself, and discover how the answers steered him toward a life of serving vulnerable youth. Cesar’s work with Young Life and the Student Leadership Project is creating the leaders of tomorrow, and we’re pitching in to help. In this podcast, you’ll learn the amazing story of how an experience with one teen inspired Cesar to start a free clothing store for disadvantaged youth. For everyone who listens to this podcast and gives us a like or a comment on The Kris Lindahl Facebook page, we’ll donate to that store!