I Love It Here

If you’ve ever led a successful company in the business world or special events industry, you know that the members of your team ultimately deserve the credit for the end result.In his new book., “I Love It Here, How Great Leaders Create Organizations Their People Never Want To Leave,” my Emmy award winning friend and fellow speaker, Clint Pulver, does us all a big favor and breaks down the anatomy of a ‘dream team’ and how to strengthen your organization’s foundation so that the core vibe of everyone’s “attitude, behavior, and character” are solid.These were a few of my favorite excerpts:"I've seen organizations spend valuable time and money trying to fix issues that are actually just symptoms, while the real problem goes unidentified."Like most challenges that arise in life, people focus on short-term fixes instead of diving a little deeper to get to the root cause. This is unfortunately true for our country as well. When it comes to healthcare, billions of dollars are spent each year to “fix” people’s illnesses and ailments with medication and drugs as opposed to simply investing in better lifestyle choices which would prevent most diseases from occurring in the first place and the subsequent ‘side effects’ they are trying to manage on a daily basis."You don't have to love hard work. You just have to crave the end result so much that the hard work becomes irrelevant." - Tim Grover (Relentless)I love that Clint included Tim’s quote in his book. Every time I read it I get amped up. This quote pretty much sums up how my wife and I approach everything we do. By the way, if you haven’t read Relentless yet, it’s a fantastic source of inspiration. I reviewed it a few years ago. Bottom line, keep your eye on the prize and it’s all worth it.“In contrast to a traditional leader, a Mentor Manager takes the time for one-on-one coaching, focusing on personal growth as well professional growth.”Sometimes things are so obvious they become hard to see. How many times have you felt like you were doing everything you were supposed to be doing as a leader but things weren’t firing on all cylinders with your team? Usually, it’s because of one of two things. You’re either ignoring a problem or you’re not asking your team enough questions. When you actually take the time to find out that a team member is going through a personal challenge at home it allows for what Clint refers to as “fearless, empathetic honesty” to occur in a conversation. If you’re able to achieve this level of mutual trust, you’ll be able identify what might be preventing your team member from performing at their full potential and adjust accordingly. Let’s face it, we all need a little help or flexibility from others with whom we interact from time to time. While not always the easiest thing to pull off, the Mentor Manager relationship is rich with win-win scenarios. Warning: don’t be shocked that when you dive into something, you as the leader might be the root cause of a reoccurring problem."Instead of creating a "to do" list" like many of us do, …. ‘be intentional about clarifying the things you won't do with your time on a given day,’ or even a standing rule."Clint knows the power of prioritization. He suggests making a “to don’t” list. Ha! This is great. It reminds me of simple rules we have here at home like “no phones at the dinner table” or “ no dessert unless we’ve gotten some exercise during the day.” In a business setting, it’s really more of a time management concept. No social media scrolling until all office-related tasks are complete for the day. No sitting down at your desks for more than 45 minutes without a stretch break. No complaining about a problem or issue without being prepared to offer up at least one solution. The point is-addition by subtraction. If you’ve ever said that you don’t have enough time to implement the cool ideas you read about in a book, then I guarantee that you are probably wasting precious time watching tv , messing around on social media, or hanging out with unproductive people.."When a leader delegates to her team, she doesn't abdicate all responsibility. There is still oversight, guidance, and accountability that needs to take place. It's possible to give your people both, while not feeling like you're losing control."As a leader and Mentor Manager, balance is key. This holds true for delegation purposes. My friend, Jeff Siber, taught me a powerful phrase and concept many years ago, "Delegate or suffocate." It’s true. At some point, like a nervous parent on the first day of pre-school, you need to let go and ask for help. Clint recognizes that many leaders are type A personalities and want to do everything themselves because they know the job is going to get done right or they know that no one else cares about the business as much as they do (present company included). However, he reassures us that with proper set up and supervision (that doesn’t feel like dictatorial micromanagement) you can empower your team AND still hang on to enough “control” so you don’t unnecessarily stress out.If you want to be one of the greats, then hang out with the greats. Do what it takes to associate with the people who are the best at doing what you want to do."Right on. Keep good company! This is a mantra that works at home, at the office, or anywhere you roam. Clint talks about the importance of attending conventions, tradeshows, reading books, or even just following inspirational people online if that’s what your budget and current schedule allows. When I met Clint it was at The National Speakers Conference. It was because I was hanging out with my good friend and mentor, the fabulous Neen James. Neen has been at the top of the leadership and speaking game for many years and was kind enough to guide me both personally and professionally over the years. It wasn’t surprising to me that while at a dinner she organized one evening, I was surrounded by some of the best talent and nicest humans in the country. I happened to sit next to Clint and remember saying to myself, this guy is on point. It’s been a joy to watch him grow as a performer, educator, husband, father, and inspiration to thousands."It's not about being the best in the world; it's about being the best for the world."What a great reminder to not only do the best you can with what you’ve been given, but to look at the bigger picture. Trophies, awards, and accolades are nice, but having a positive impact on your family, your team, the environment, the next generation, or a worthy cause is how genuine pride can be attained.Thank you, Clint, for sharing your research and knowledge with the world. I wish you continued health, happiness, and fulfillment.Cheers!-m

Clint's book on leadership and culture, "I Love It Here", is backed by much research and his powerful work as the Undercover Millennial where he has interviewed 10,000+ about their jobs and what keeps them happy in that job. The stories here are rich, fun, inspiring, I especially loved Lee the Bell Captain, and of course the epic Mr. Jensen story once again comes to life, if you haven't seen the inspiring viral video of this as well you should find it. Clint Pulver is a force in the industry as a Keynote Speaker for corporate leadership, one of the most engaging and entertaining you'll see LIVE, and his book will empower leaders to become the mentors they need to be in order to lead those in the workforce. Get this book for your peers, employees, friends, and family. Well done Clint, and your whole family, on a work worth reading.

I’ve read dozens of books on managing teams and growing companies. This is not a good one. A millennial myself, I felt as if the author was constantly talking down to the reader about all the boomers and how they need to get on board with an emerging world.After 100 pages I allowed myself to put it down. Read Laszlo Bock’s ‘Work Rules,’ or Julie Zhou’s ‘Making of a Manager.’ You’ll find great content there!

I have previously been a Team Leader/Mentor and Director over Support and Quality at a Software Company for many years, so as I’ve read this book I can see the value of the research and I would have DIED to have this book in my hands while working for the company to implement this stuff! It’s golden! The company I worked for already did much of what was recommended in this book (which is rare). I know many of the employees felt valued and loved working for them so I can attest that it works as well from experience! I would have loved to implement even more of it though.That being said, I am now a stay-at-home mom and I still find great insight in applying these principles in my own family life. “I Love It Here” is a way of living and an attitude to adopt. It is a way of treating people and yourself. It is the higher way of living and giving back. Forget yourself and serve others! Perspective change! Lead by example to inspire those around to follow. This book is profound and everyone should read it!!

The twelve chapters of Clint Pulver's book, "I Love It Here", could very well be liken to the twelve apostles of curating a culture that people won't ever want to leave. The practical approach that Pulver takes isn't just words, but is based on field work performed by Pulver himself.Through his grassroots campaign of the Undercover Millennial, he has amassed information that has helped his structure practical steps outlined in these chapters. His findings are addressed as twelve individual elements to a whole.Read this book and your mind will surely shift to that of one who wants to create a thriving culture of purpose and teamwork. If you're in a leadership role within your organization, then this is the book your employees would want you to read. If you're aspiring to a leadership position, then this will provide a solid framework for you to start something amazing!