Fearfully and Wonderfully Me: Become the Leader You are Destined to Be ®

Leaders are challenged to take responsibility - not only for themselves, but also for and to others. However, the challenge many leaders face is not knowing what they don't know. And, perhaps more often, they don't know because they don't have the insight, clarity, or self-awareness.

These five questions will help any leader take their leadership to the next level.

Learn more about the FREE online leadership development course we offer here:

https://bluecollarleadership.com/bclaindividual/

Every year I LOVE sharing the books I read in the past year and what made them impactful! I break down the top five books I read last year - and why they were in my top five!

Have YOU read a great book recently? Do share - I'm always looking for powerful books to learn from. Drop me an email with your suggestion: ria@riastory.com

Trisha's life was forever changed one night and she spent decades healing. Her experience led her to find her passion as she learned to turn pain into purpose. She's My Sister is a non-profit organization serving survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation. Less than 1% of trafficking victims are ever identified and the average age a young girl is first exploited is 14 years old. Learn more: http://shesmysister.org Report suspected trafficking: National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888

It wasn't until he was an adult that Tanner Lyons realized some of the struggles he was having are symptoms of C-PTSD and rooted in the trauma he faced growing up. Tanner shares some of his story here, and how the adversity he faced in life equipped him for the cause he now champions.

Learn more about Tanner's mission: https://missionascendingphoenix.org

Are leaders born or made? One of the questions I am often asked is "Can someone learn to be a leader?" I break down the answer in this video!

Why should you invest in yourself? Bet on yourself? Develop yourself? Good things may happen to those who wait - but great things happen when you don't wait to prepare!

When you are good at making things happen, you are going to get asked to make a lot of things happen. Other people are going to ask you to help make things happen – things that may or may not be on YOUR list of priorities.

And, if you aren’t willing to tell them no, you will find yourself spending more time on other people’s projects or priorities than your own. Here are three critical questions to ask and answer for yourself - and why it's important to do so. This podcast episode is based on a chapter of Ria's book, The Ladder of Influence: 5 Steps for Climbing to the Next Level and Beyond.

Pick up a copy of the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Ladder-Influence-Steps-Climbing-Beyond/dp/B0BW2G3W1L/ref=sr_1_1?crid=10D71ICRGPQRH&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9._J7Sjdgym7VJvb_eVaMSqzDEITmGS15i-txvm46LEMw.aYoRyLKbaYL36vEYZ7VK6kmw1Y4I236rDe03nQP6294&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+ladder+of+influence+ria+story&qid=1719593639&sprefix=the+ladder+of+influence+ria+story%2Caps%2C133&sr=8-1#theladderofinfluence

#keepclimbing #leadershipcoaching #leadershiptraining #influence #success #maximizeyourresults

The biggest frustration in leading change is overcoming resistance to change. Are you leading or communicating change initiatives in your organization? Do you need to increase buy-in? Would you like to be more successful as an individual but fear of change is holding you back? As a leader of change, you are faced with the need to not only manage the change itself, but also the resistance, reactions, fears, and emotions of your team members throughout the change. Fear of change will create roadblocks when it comes to implementing new initiatives. The result: wasted time, increased cost, and decreased productivity. As an individual, when you are resisting change, you are missing out on the opportunities it can bring. Change brings both challenges and opportunities. Change can bring an organization together by uniting the team around a unifying purpose and vision, or it can create chaos. Watch today's podcast episode on the three reasons why people resist change - and how it may be holding you back if you are someone resistant to change. Pick up a copy of the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Change-Happens-Yourself-Effective-Leadership/dp/1535063432/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.syAa870QenXw7uyAUSU4_Xc168H8Zc7ZdOeijxfWKLk.huFwaX0uJZK-mX-zfF2A820w-Eha3jDObtdLM27h9fw&qid=1719592221&sr=8-1 #changehappens #leadershipdevelopment #leadershipspeaker #changemanagement #leadingchange

Achieving your desired result starts with taking ownership of your behaviors, actions, and daily choices. When you take ownership of your choices, you’re also taking ownership of your results.

Join me for my conversation with Stacey Szczepanski as she shares how she was "Catfished" on social media, deceived, and betrayed.

Stacey went on to write "Unlocking Love" to share her experiences and her healing journey as she rebuilt her life. Stacey shares with us some of her experiences and shares with transparency what it's like to be single and in a season of waiting - and learning to live, appreciate, and even enjoy life while in a season of "waiting."

Connect with Stacey: https://staceyszczepanski.com

Find her book: https://a.co/d/eyZP5Wy

In this video, Ria Story and Mack Story (Blue-Collar Leadership®) share how to facilitate a high impact book study. Facilitating book studies is the number one best, and most effective way to help organizational team members grow. This process helps improve culture, break down silos, create teamwork, and helps individuals unleash their potential.

Lori has a passion for quality of life fueled by helping her clients create positive life change through reaching their fitness goals. She is a certified personal Trainer and Virtual Coaching Specialist through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and holds several group fitness certifications including group indoor cycling and strength training. After a 33+ year career in healthcare, Lori founded On Location Fitness and specializes in personalized work out programs for women both in person at their home and virtually. Lori provides a free consultation and fitness assessment with the first work out at no cost to new clients. Connect with her via onlocationfit.com or email her: lorimcguire2020@gmail.com and let Lori help you reach your training goals. Because, Accountability Can Change You!!

She will forever be the “Cherry Pie” girl from the Warrant music video and CD cover of the same name, the ultimate 1980s/90’s rock ‘n’ roll video vixen. She had her identity stolen, but through that, found a new identity with faith in God.

Join me for my conversation with Bobbie about how she lost her identity and found her faith, and her self, in the process.

This podcast episode is based on a profound quote from Tim Elmore!!!

And, we are celebrating 300 Episodes!! Thanks for listening!

What consumes you, controls you. Is there something consuming you in unhealthy ways or controlling you in unhealthly ways? Here is a mindful exercise to consider where you need to let go of something that isn't serving you.

Sometimes life teaches us lessons in unexpected places!

Sometimes we learn something that changes the course of our journey and for me, reading is the best way to learn. Here are a couple of the most impactful books along my life and leadership journey - and why they were profound for me.

Having vision is the key to hope, strategy, priorities, and implementing those priorities in our day to day lives.

You have to have energy to do the things in life you want to do. So, how do we get more of it?

I know it's not always easy to choose to have a positive attitude. But, here are just a few of the benefits a positive attitude brings.

Some of the impactful quotes I've read recently - and thoughts about them.

You can't win the war today - but you can fight one battle. Win enough "battles" and you will win the "war."

Every year, this is one of my FAVORITE podcast episodes to record - the one about the "best" books I read this year. Check out what made my list for 2023!

"Do as I say, not as I do" doesn't increase your influence very much. Neither does saying one thing and doing another. A real life example of how this played out recently.

Why connection is important - and how you can improve it.

Is your fear of failure holding you back?

Change sometimes brings with it fear. Here are some ways we can overcome that and learn to embrace change in a way that increases our influence, options, and opportunities!

There are two ways to respond to change. One way we can respond to change will increase our influence while the other will decrease it. Change is happening - let's make sure we are better off for it!

Have you thought about what influences your thoughts? Consider how these five key areas are influencing your thoughts, which influence your choices, which are influencing and affecting your RESULTS.

So many people ask me for a list of books to kick start their growth journey either personally or professionally, so here are a few of my recommendations!

Specifically, decisions that can IMPROVE the QUALITY of your life! And of course, we all want life to be better.

We all want more influence - but how do we get it? Especially with the people we love? Let's talk about the most important, and first, step to increasing our influence at home.

Focus Creates Value. Value Increases Influence. It's sometimes difficult to do, but as we narrow our focus in our skills and expertise, we can offer more value - and therefore increase our influence professionally.

How can we intentionally increase our influence at work? In our business? With our co-workers or team members?

Mack recently invited me to be a guest on the Blue-Collar Leadership® podcast where he interviewed me about The Ladder of Influence.

How to help others (or yourself) think about solutions to challenges.

It's easy to make excuses but they don't move you forward in life. So, what can we do instead?

Influence principles can be studied but they must be applied to be learned

We all know confidence is important - but how do we get more of it?

Here's a bit of that "leadership truth" Mack and I share sometimes. It's a bit sharp and it might sting, but like a surgeon's scalpel, it's intended to help. 
Everything impacts your influence. 

If you never spend time investing in yourself and your growth, you will not be able to build a lot of influence with someone who does. 
Trying to impress your leader with your potential? Demonstrate it by developing yourself. Don't tell them you are ready for more, show them. What leadership or personal growth books have you read lately? Are you talking about what you've learned and how you apply it? What are you learning? Who are you sharing that with? Growth precedes opportunity. And, increases your influence.

And, where are you taking them? 

I bet we can all look back and see things differently - that's a sign of growth. But, how much differently would life be if we had known then what we know now? 

What are the three fundamentals truths about influence you need to know? Find out on this episode!

When we have more influence with other people, we get more opportunities. When we have more influence, we have more options. When we have more influence, we have more choices.

Life will always be better with more options, more opportunities, and more choices. Introducing The Ladder of Influence: a 5 step framework to help you increase your influence personally and professionally. 

If being successful isn't about being lucky, what is it about? 

How much time did you spent thinking yesterday? Last week? Last month? What's stopping you from using the most powerful muscle in your body - your brain? If we want to get somewhere, we need to think about how to do it.