What does it really take to scale your business and leadership while staying true to your culture and values? Cybersecurity expert and CEO of ReachOut Technology, Rick Jordan, joins me, Craig Dowden, to tackle this complex question. Together, we dive deep into Rick's story to understand how a potent mix of leadership, branding and tenacity catapulted his company from a fledgling startup into a publicly traded company without a single penny of outside funding.

The road to success is not a smooth ride. It is filled with setbacks and obstacles, which require more than perseverance to take us through. We must commit to learning the lessons that these experiences provide us. Rick opens up in a very personal way, even to his own surprise, to share some of his most difficult challenges, where he questioned himself and his vision. Rather than let these obstacles defeat him, Rick sees these inevitable moments as ones where we must ‘pay the dummy tax' so we can unlock the invaluable insights gained from those financial or emotional bruises. We also celebrate reframing setbacks into stepping stones, providing a roadmap for listeners to accelerate their growth by understanding and embracing the lessons in their own errors.

We close our conversation with a powerful discussion about how rejection isn't the end of the road; it's just a detour on the path to achievement. The art of turning a 'no' into a 'yes' is something Rick knows very well, as he has done this throughout his entrepreneurial journey, where, through persistence, he has turned an initial refusal into extraordinary opportunity. We explore the necessity of taming one's ego and fostering curiosity in leadership and business to strengthen connections and enhance personal development. This episode is a mix of motivational stories and practical insights, aimed at arming you with the mindset and tools required for overcoming obstacles and cultivating success.

What You’ll Learn:

- Scaling a business with integrity and innovation

- Employee engagement is at the heart of growing a successful company.

- How to make every team member an investor in your shared vision.

- Leveraging the 'dummy tax' we pay to overcome setbacks

- Turning rejections into golden opportunities

Podcast Timestamps:

(00:00) – Introduction and Origin Story – From Start-Up to Publicly Traded Company

(13:52) - Personal Branding and Failure

(24:42) – No Is Not Forever – It Means Not Now

(35:48) - Cultivating Curiosity and Managing our Ego

Key Topics Discussed:

Mindset, Personal Growth, Vulnerability, Successful Founder, Scaling A Business, Leading with Integrity, Tenacity, Entrepreneurial Spirit, Personal Branding, Dealing with Failure/Rejection, Ego, Curiosity, Relationship-Building, Cybersecurity, Ethics, Digital Age, Learning from Mistakes.

More of Rick:

Rick Jordan is a tenacious problem-solver with a passion for hard work and Scotch whiskey. From building his first computer at age 10 to writing Best Buy's B2B sales playbook, Rick's journey is marked by a relentless pursuit of solutions. Raised in the Chicago suburbs, he learned the value of human connection and resilience from his family's struggles. After his father's passing, Rick became the head of the household, working at McDonald's and later at RadioShack, where he earned $30,000 in commissions by spotting system security issues. Today, Rick is the founder of ReachOut, a cybersecurity-focused MSP recognized for its excellence and innovation. As a sought-after speaker and podcast host, Rick continues to inspire and empower entrepreneurs worldwide.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrrickjordan/

More of Do Good to Lead Well:

Website: https://craigdowden.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigdowden/

Do you think that humility is a superpower or kryptonite for executives? If you’re like most people, you likely believe the former; being humble will undermine your effectiveness as people will perceive you as weak.

I had the privilege to speak with Urs Koenig, the bestselling author of Radical Humility: Be A Badass Boss and a Good Human. We explored how humility is not just a feel-good quality for leaders. It is foundational to drive exceptional performance; for themselves and for their teams/organizations.

Based on his extensive experience consulting with global companies, we unpack how humility allows us to grow and expand. Contrary to popular belief, Urs shares how humility takes great strength to practice. We also explore several key strategies we can use at an individual, team, and organizational level.

Key Takeaways:

• Common misconceptions about humility.

• Why humility is such an important skill for our personal and professional lives.

• How feedback is the engine that drives peak performance.

• How to create psychological safety in our conversations.

• How to prime conversations for constructive outcomes, even in conflict

  
  

Timestamps

(0:00) - Introduction

(4:55) - The Inspiration Behind Radical Humility

(7:48) – What is Humility?

(10:23) – Why Are There Successful Jerks?

(14:29) – Asking for Feedback Takes Strength

(24:49) – Failure As A Driver for Success

(47:50) – The Power of Psychological Safety

Topics Mentioned:

Humility, Humble Leadership, Meaningful Connection, Asking Questions, Do Good to Lead Well, Asking for Feedback, Curiosity, Psychological Safety, Leadership Success, 360-Feedback

More of Urs:

Urs Koenig is a distinguished figure with a 35-year career spanning UN peacekeeping, NATO command, bestselling authorship, executive coaching, and academia. His keynote speeches emphasize Radical Humility, a vital yet often overlooked leadership trait, offering actionable strategies to drive engagement, self-awareness, and psychological safety within organizations. Urs's practical approach and rich experiences empower leaders to navigate challenges, foster innovation, and unlock their team's full potential for sustainable success in today's fast-paced world.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/urs-koenig-ab3828/

Mentions: Fail Well by Amy Edmonson

More of Do Good to Lead Well:

Website: https://craigdowden.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigdowden/

Have you ever felt like you’re speaking, but nobody is truly listening? This month on Do Good to Lead Well, I bring you the secrets to amplifying your listening skills, inspired by the wisdom shared in the bestselling book, ‘Crucial Conversations’ by Kerry Patterson and their colleagues. As we wave goodbye to March and gear up to tackle the rest of the year, there’s no better skill to polish than the art of active listening. In this episode, we unpack the AMPP model (yes, that is not a spelling mistake), and how it can transform the way you connect with others, solve problems, and foster positive team dynamics.

In our lives, both personal and professional, the simple yet profound act of listening holds the key to unlocking vast pools of knowledge. I’ll guide you through crafting open-ended questions that invite expansive and enlightening dialogue, steering clear of those that lead to dead-end ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answers.

You’ll also discover the power of mirroring, a simple yet profound technique that reflects understanding and empathy. You have likely seen it work wonders with infants, and I’ll show you how it can have the same impact on adults in any setting. No guests this time around, just you and me exploring the profound impact of deep listening and how it can lead to more meaningful interactions and outcomes. These strategies are not just theoretical—they’re backed by compelling research and real-world application, ready for you to apply in your daily interactions. Join me on this journey to elevate not only how you listen but how you can make the people you care about feel heard.

What You’ll Learn

- Why active listening is so important and why so few of us do it effectively.

- The art of strategic questioning and how it deepens relationships and accesses new insights.

- How to employ mirroring to build rapport and show understanding.

- How paraphrasing is the ultimate fail-safe tool to demonstrate active listening.

- How to prime conversations for constructive outcomes, even in conflict

Podcast Timestamps

(0:00) - Introduction to the Episode

(2:30) - The Importance of Active Listening and an Overview of the AMPP Model

(5:12) – The Power of Asking Open-Ended Questions

(8:57) - Mirroring in Conversations

(14:29) - The Art of Paraphrasing

(19:45) - Priming the Conversation

(21:55) - Conclusion

Key Topics Discussed

Active Listening, Engaging Conversation, Meaningful Connection, Communication, Open-ended Questions, Mirroring, Ask Questions, Managing Relationships, Curiosity, Rapport, Empathy, Emotional Intelligence

More of Do Good to Lead Well:

Website: https://craigdowden.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigdowden/