In this episode: Gut check time. Jon Peyton asks whether you, your relationships and your company are growing, stagnating or declining. He explains why getting comfortable is the first step toward decline, how to pull yourself back up, and why asking for help, from a coach, a therapist or the right adviser, is a sign of strength.
Key insights
- Every part of life is growing, stagnating or declining. Regular reflection tells you which.
- Real progress can take longer than you expect. Keep learning and pushing even when the leap hasn’t come yet.
- Comfort is often where stagnation starts, in business and in relationships.
- Bonds with people and a sense of status tend to lift your state of mind more lastingly than quick hits.
- The most successful founders and executives master delegation and aren’t afraid to ask for help.
Episode timeline
- 0:00 Growing, stagnating or declining?
- 1:09 The point of reflection
- 3:21 When you’re spinning your wheels
- 4:53 When learning becomes second nature
- 5:24 Stagnation feels like comfort
- 7:05 Keeping relationships growing
- 9:21 Investing in your team’s lives
- 11:15 From stagnation to decline
- 12:37 The brain chemistry of getting back up
- 15:34 Why leaders struggle to ask for help
- 16:18 Why Jon’s firms exist: delegation
- 18:19 Seeking help isn’t a stigma
- 20:09 When was your last gut check?
The episode in brief
Time for reflection. After the last episode on the lies we tell ourselves, Jon asks for a pause. Are you growing as a person? Is your company growing? Is your family? Sometimes the things we think are moving us forward are just spinning our wheels. What tools, research or people could show you the truth, including people who will call you out?
Progress takes time. Jon remembers waiting for projects to deliver a leap that didn’t come when he expected. It came because he kept reading, learning and surrounding himself with positive people. Things that were new to him years ago now feel like breathing.
Comfort is where stagnation starts. Being comfortable can be fine at certain stages of life. But for Jon, getting comfortable feels like closing up shop, and he has too much left to do. The same applies to relationships. Friendships and partnerships start strong, then reach a point where you either settle into routine or keep the spark alive with new experiences and real conversation.
Invest in people. Jon wants to know his employees and their families and what drives them. When people see you’re invested in their lives, they want to be part of what you’re building. Clients notice the same care in the work done for them.
From stagnation to decline, and back. Stagnation can slide into decline, sometimes after a failure you can’t find your way back from. Jon returns to the brain chemistry from Episode 2. Exercise and small wins help, but bonds with people and a sense of standing among them tend to lift your state of mind more lastingly than quick hits like social media likes.
Ask for help. Founders, executives and many men in particular find it hard to admit they can’t do it all. The most successful people master delegation. Jon’s firms grew from that idea: an advisory firm for those who needed help with finances and investments, and a consultancy for owners stuck working in their business instead of on it. Seeking help from a therapist, coach, trainer, adviser or attorney isn’t a stigma. It’s how you level up and become the best version of yourself for the people around you.
So, when was your last gut check? If you could be in a better spot, what’s stopping you from doing the work?
Key action items
- Rate each area of your life. Mark your business, health, relationships and personal growth as growing, stagnating or declining.
- Pick one stagnant area and add something new. A new skill, a new experience or a deeper conversation can restart growth.
- Find someone who will be honest with you. Name one person, whether a peer, mentor or coach, who will call you out.
- Delegate or get help where you’re stuck. Choose one area where professional help would move you forward, and make the call.
Listen next: Episode 21: Is the Entrepreneur’s Baby Ugly?
Value Creation Consultancy™ has since merged into Founder’s Accounting™. References in this episode to the consultancy reflect the firm at the time of recording.
This episode is educational and isn’t legal, tax or financial advice. Speak with your own attorney and advisers about your situation.