Raise Your Game with Alan Stein Jr.
“I believe the key to being happy and successful is the intersection of something you’re good at and something you naturally enjoy.” says Alan Stein Jr. I remember the first time I heard Alan Stein Jr. speak in the summer of 2017. He was perfecting his craft, and beginning to gain traction in his career as a motivational coach and speaker. Reflecting back on that time Stein recalls, “My ultimate goal is to say something valuable in a compelling way. Something sticky to increase the chance of my audience remembering and implementing the lessons taught through storytelling.” Alan reached his goals which led him to speaking engagements with fortune 500 companies throughout the world.
Stein recalls a friend sharing with him that, “our emotions are designed to inform us not direct us.” He believes this to be true and that a large part of leadership is the ability to regulate our emotions and recognize the need to acknowledge them, and understand the root. He notes we all need to be softer with ourselves and recognizes the most important things we ever say are the words we say to ourselves. One of Alan’s lessons that has stuck with me is “Be the thermometer not the thermostat.” We can not change anyone else, but we can influence our own behavior, which in turn will impact those around us. “You need to be the quality that you want to attract.” says Stein.
Being a father has helped his leadership and vice versa. Stein acknowledges that a major trait in leadership is to better those that work for you. Empowering your people is as important as challenging them and having a positive impact on others is something all leaders should strive towards. Stein draws parallels between being a leader and a parent. If one's home life is going well, you tend to perform better at work and if work life is going well, you tend to be happier at home. Home and work have become seamless with the absence of boundaries that are naturally created by traveling to an office for work. Throughout the pandemic, Stein has been clear that when times are most adverse that's when you prove yourself as a leader. “I myself have been trying to help my clients. I’ve offered free engagements to help those in need during tough times. Supporting them and being a leader by example. Do the best you can with what you have, where you are.”
One of the more powerful tools during tough times is to eliminate blaming, complaining and making excuses. These habits undermine accountability and tough times are the easiest time to find something to complain about, blame others, and make excuses. Stein points out it’s important to remember these behaviors will never improve your situation or your life. It only sets a negative mindset and drags everyone in the team or family down. Attracting people with like-minded energy can minimize the negativity. As a parent, Stein recommends using these moments as a tool to demonstrate to our children that blaming and complaining will never improve any situation.
As far as coping with the state of the world these days, Stein recommends being in the present moment. It’s easy to look into the future or the past, which can lead to anxiety or depression. It’s very hard to stay present, but most of the time, in the present moment things are actually ok and coping can be easier. He also suggests that combating emotional suffering requires an understanding that it’s ok to not be ok. It’s to say, things suck right now and that acknowledgment will allow you to move through the moment. Looking into 2021, Alan recommends not to postpone happiness and avoid phrases like “I’ll be happy when…..I get that promotion….when pandemic is over… fill in the blank with what your happiness is hinging on and take the opportunity and choose to be happy now.” Alan has been working towards the future during the pandemic. “Better to be prepared for an opportunity that never arises than unprepared for an opportunity that does.” He is planting seeds now so when the world opens up he is ready to hit the ground running.
In his pursuit to help individuals and businesses improve their performance, Alan launched his podcast, Raise Your Game, seven seasons ago. “I’m always asking my listeners what they want to hear?” Recent interests have centered around improving team performance, leadership and culture. Next season Stein will branch out his podcast format adding a roundtable discussion confronting the accuracy of cliches and quotes. In other exciting news, Alan Stein Jr’s new book will be released by the end of 2021 or early 2022. Keep your eye out.
The strategies from Alan’s book, Raise Your Game: High-Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best, are implemented by corporate teams and sports teams around the world.
Raise Your Game Podcast with Alan Stein Jr.
IF YOU’RE OPEN-MINDED TO HIRING ALAN TO DELIVER A CUSTOMIZED KEYNOTE, WORKSHOP, OR TRAINING TO HELP YOU BUILD A STRONGER TEAM (EITHER VIRTUAL OR IN-PERSON), PLEASE VISIT ALANSTEINJR.COM OR CALL MICHELLE JOYCE (ALAN’S DIRECTOR OF EVENTS) AT 704-965-2339.