Chris Craft reminds you, the future leaders of our government, of the connection between your personal brand and your career success. We will use the O.P.E.N. framework to show you how O (Opportunity), P (Passion), E (Education), and N (Networking) are used in concert to help you stay informed, motivated, inspired, and on the right side of your relationships while on your journey to leadership excellence.

1. Chris Craft Presents
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Chris Craft
DFSC – July 10, 2014
Forest Park, GA

2. A little about me
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Believer
Proud Husband and Father
Chief Visionary at Nao Media
Author
Texan (in Georgia)
Tiger & Yellow Jacket

3. The O.P.E.N. Framework
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Components for achieving
leadership excellence:
OPPORTUNITY
PASSION
EDUCATION
NETWORKING

4. What are today’s objectives?
O.P.E.N. Leadership
1. Describe the different flavors of opportunity
2. Help you find and leverage your passion so you
can remain motivated at every stage of your
career
3. Show you the power of educating others while
you learn and grow
4. Explain how networking activates, supports,
and feeds the other framework components

5. Component 1: Opportunity
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Opportunity: (an awesome noun) a set
of circumstances that makes it possible
to do something

6. Types of Opportunities
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Wild Cards: Random
Opportunities
and…
Snowball
Opportunities: Tiny
Opportunities That
Grow Into Large
Opportunities

7. Types of Opportunities
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Snowball
Opportunities:
Often start off as Wild
Card opportunities.
I’m here as an
example of a
snowballing
opportunity.

8. Snowball Opportunities
O.P.E.N. Leadership
How One Opportunity Leads To
Another:
1. Being 100% Present
2. Overcoming Shyness
3. Possess Skills of Value
4. Learn More Skills
5. Move (Network)
6. Share Your Knowledge
7. Remain Humble

9. Component 2: Passion
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Passion: (a lovely noun) an object of
desire or deep interest

10. Your Passion
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Passion is the glue of the
O.P.E.N. Framework
Connect your career to
your passion
Passion must shine through
your work in order for you to
achieve authentic career
excellence.

11. Finding Your Passion
O.P.E.N. Leadership
What do you enjoy within and outside the scope of your
current job?
You know you’ve found your passion when…
-Work doesn’t feel like work
-Resistance doesn’t stop you
-Resistance actually becomes the way to excellence
-Learning curves flatten
-Networking opportunities increase

12. Passion: Fighting Monotony
O.P.E.N. Leadership
How do you keep your passion alive?
Do non-work activities with colleagues.
Add new wrinkles to your understanding.
Gamification: turn work into a fun challenge or game.
Embrace change.

13. Passion: Take A.C.T.I.O.N.
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Active Change That Ignites Our Now
There’s more work to do!
Go beyond knowing your passion. Get out
there and make it happen!
A.C.T.I.O.N. is deliberate practice.
You can’t leave much up for chance.

14. A.C.T.I.O.N.
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Active Change That Ignites Our Now
Opportunity is the engine.
Passion is the fuel.

15. Component 3: Education
(Beyond Degrees)
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Link Your Education and Your Passion
(which is linked to your career).
1. It’s more enjoyable.
2. It’s less stressful.
3. It increases your focus.

16. Component 3: Education
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Listen: How can you learn if you’re
too busy talking?
Listening Techniques:
-Maintain eye contact
-Don’t think about your answer
-Visualize the speaker’s words
-Be empathetic
-Note non-verbal cues
-Let the speaker finish talking

17. L.E.A.R.N.
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Listen: A mark of wisdom is being able to learn from others.
Engage: Consider new sources for learning new things.
Acquire: Collect information from your learning sources.
Reflect: Imagine what you can do with your knowledge.
Nurture: Share your knowledge with others.

18. Nurture:
The Learning-Teaching Cycle
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Nurture: Invest time in refining your
knowledge and educating others
Embrace the Cycle: Learn then teach
others and fortify your learning in the
process!
If you teach something useful and
valuable to someone, you
contribute something to their life
that can’t be taken away.
Plants use what we put
out and we use what
they put out.
Nothing is wasted.

19. Component 4: Networking
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Gives legs to the
previous components
Networking = New Career
Opportunities
Networking = More
Opportunities to Find and
Express Your Passion
Networking = More
Opportunities to Learn and
Teach Others (Education)

20. Thank You!
O.P.E.N. Leadership

21. Let’s Connect!
O.P.E.N. Leadership
Chris Craft
NaoMedia.co
chris@naomedia.co
@ChrisQueso
Enjoy the book!
openroutine.com

22. Recap from Session #1
O.P.E.N. Leadership – Part 2
Opportunities can come in many ways,
shapes, and forms
Passion is the glue of the O.P.E.N.
Framework
Education is more than what you learn
to obtain your degree(s). Keep going!
Networking gives legs to Opportunity,
Passion, and Education

23. What are today’s objectives?
O.P.E.N. Leadership – Part 2
1. Show you the importance of EVERY opportunity
2. Show you how to prepare for life-changing
opportunities
3. Explain how networking and investing in
relationships can increase your influence and
improve your legacy

24. Wild Card Opportunities
O.P.E.N. Leadership – Part 2
Wild Cards: Random
Opportunities
that turned into…
Snowball
Opportunities: Tiny
Opportunities That
Grow Into Large
Opportunities

25. Snowball Opportunities
O.P.E.N. Leadership – Part 2
Every Opportunity is Important
Allow time to let small
opportunities mature into larger
ones!
Therefore:
1. Know what fits for you
2. Always do a good job!
3. Pass along what doesn’t fit
4. Know your end game

26. My Wild Card That Snowballed
O.P.E.N. Leadership – Part 2
Responding to one
tweet resulted in:
-Being quoted in ROI
-Guest blogging
-Speaking
-More business
-A mentor for life

27. Another Wild Card That
Snowballed
O.P.E.N. Leadership – Part 2
A good relationship with a
former colleague resulted
in:
-Writing the script for an
upcoming Piggly Wiggly
television commercial
-Writing and voice work for
an adventure sports promo
video

28. Passion Meets Opportunity
O.P.E.N. Leadership – Part 2
Leverage passion to seize opportunities by:
1. Find and embrace your passion
2. Confidently, respectfully push through being told “no”
3. Humbly display what you know during the opportunity
4. Network like crazy while the opportunity is still present!

29. Component 4: Networking
O.P.E.N. Leadership – Part 2
Networking improves your chances
of landing opportunities
Next:
-Learning and Teaching while
Networking
-Finding (and Keeping) a Mentor
-Becoming a Mentor

30. Learning and Teaching
while Networking
O.P.E.N. Leadership – Part 2
What happens when you learn and teach while networking?
Amazing happens.
Organizational silos are opened for collaboration.
You learn new skills.
You give/gain respect to/from new people.

31. Finding (and Keeping) a Mentor
O.P.E.N. Leadership – Part 2
Think about your ideal mentor
Ask your colleagues about helpful superiors
Ask HR about mentoring programs at your job
Look outside of work
Don’t discount mentors who are younger than you!
Listen and deliver on their advice

32. Becoming a Mentor
O.P.E.N. Leadership – Part 2
As you continue to learn, gain wisdom, and
move up, you will have opportunities to
become a mentor.
Prepare others for greatness by:
-Dedicating time for 1-on-1 mentoring
-Not holding back useful knowledge
-Introducing them to your network
-Helping them in good and bad times
-Learning from your mentee!

33. Becoming a Great Mentor
O.P.E.N. Leadership – Part 2
If you’re truly a great mentor, your mentee
will eventually be greater than you.
This is great news!
As a leader, your legacy is determined by the
number of great people you’ve nurtured and
built up.
This is the spirit of the O.P.E.N. Framework.

34. Thank You!
Any Questions?
O.P.E.N. Leadership – Part 2

35. Let’s Connect!
O.P.E.N. Leadership – Part 2
Chris Craft
NaoMedia.co
chris@naomedia.co
@ChrisQueso
Enjoy the book!
openroutine.com