The document discusses how finding meaning and purpose can improve well-being and performance, noting that prisoners who had meaningful goals enjoyed better psychological and physical health. It also emphasizes that lasting change requires altering underlying character rather than just behaviors. Developing large, deeply meaningful goals and seeing ordinary events as special can help people find purpose and meaning in their lives and work.

1. Depth leadership ensues from a commitment
to personal refinement, it cannot be pursued.
“Those are only happy who have their minds
fixed on some object other than happiness.
Aiming thus at something else, they find
happiness along the way. Ask yourself
Daniel Crosby, Ph.D. whether you are happy, and you cease to be
www.doctordanielcrosby.com so.” – John Stuart Mill
(256) 683-5551
“Most men pursue It is insufficient to address behavioral
pleasure with such problems with behavioral solutions. Lasting
breathless haste change requires a change in underlying
that they hurry past character.
it.” “The significant problems we have cannot be
-Soren Kierkegaard
Soren solved at the same level of thinking with
which we created them.”
-Albert Einstein
Albert

2. Collins- person in whom “genuine humility”
and “intense professional will” coexist
Doing the right things for the wrong reasons
can be more empty than being an
authentically bad leader
It is impossible to teach all of the behaviors
necessary for deep leadership
Work life is not scripted
Avoid the “leadership treadmill”-Dry Drunk
Step 1.) Preparing the Soil
Step 2.) Planting the Seed
Step 3.) Care and Maintenance

3. Define the gap – Who are you? Who would you
like to be?
Prepare for pushback – from yourself and
others. Why might you and others resist
change?
Determine strengths – examine historical
successes. What has facilitated past wins?

4. Prisoners possessed of a deeply-felt reason
for being enjoyed psychological and
physical benefits not afforded those who
lacked such meaning.
This meaning took the shape of large goals,
rooted in deeply-held personal beliefs, as
well as viewing seemingly un-extraordinary
events as special.
“Ever more people today have the “He who has a why
means to live, but no meaning to live to live can bear with
for.” how.”
almost any how.”
– Friedrich Nietzsche
“Ultimately, man should not ask what
the meaning of his life is, but rather
he must recognize that it is he who is
asked.”

5. “I believe the most important “How different our lives are
attribute for a leader is being when we really know what is
principle-centered. Centering on deeply important to us, and,
principles that are universal and keeping that picture in mind,
timeless provides a foundation
and compass to guide every we manage ourselves each day
decision and every act..” –Stephen to be and do what really
R. Covey - matters most.” –Stephen R.
Covey -
Gladwell suggests that passion, not genius, “The thematic goal is not a number,
is what differentiates the Beatles and Bill and it is not even specifically
Gates from their contemporaries measurable. It is a general statement
of a desired accomplishment. It
Without viewing our work as meaningful, requires a verb, because it rallies
Gladwell states, we will never put in the people to do something. Improve,
necessary time and effort to become an increase, reduce, grow, change,
outlier establish, eliminate, accelerate.”
-Patrick Lencioni, Silos, Politics and
Turf Wars

6. Flow – the mental state of operation in which “Creating meaning involves bringing
the person is fully immersed in what he or order to the contents of the mind by
she is doing by a feeling of energized focus, integrating one’s actions into a unified
full involvement, and success in the process flow experience…People who find
of the activity. their lives meaningful usually have a
Colloquialisms for the mental state include goal that is challenging enough to
being “in the zone”, “on the ball”, or “in the take up all of their energies, a goal
groove.” that can give significance to their
Flow is the study of the psychology of optimal lives.” – Flow, p.217
performance.
“If you talk to me five What is the most meaningful thing you have
minutes, four minutes ever done? What made it so meaningful?
are going to be about
my faith and my family,
Reflect on a “boundary experience”. What
and for one minute, if
you wanna talk about
insights did you have in that moment?
baseball we can talk
about baseball.”
Motto: Some things are
bigger than the game.
On PFF Night – Watch
out!

7. Who here would like to be a letter carrier?
“Going Postal” – boredom, repetitiveness, exposure
to elements, irritable customers
“I don’t just deliver mail. I see myself helping to
connect people to other people. I help build the
community. Besides, people depend on me and I
don’t want to let them down.”
Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night stays
these couriers from the swift completion of their
appointed rounds. – Herodotus, Greek historian, 1st
Century B.C.
Pick your least-preferred work task. Meaning is a critical common factor
that is ignored at the peril of the
How can you view this task in a more individual or organization.
meaningful way? Overarching meaning increases
performance, structures our goals and
What tasks do you reduce to meaninglessness our time, and gives unity of purpose
that actually serve a higher purpose? to our endeavors.
Finding meaning in the mundane
What positive aspects of your work are you makes work more enjoyable and
rushing past? opens our eyes to possibilities.

8. Sounds nice, right? Belief that is “just how I am”
Failing to adapt leadership style
If it’s so great why do we give it up so Choosing tradition over excellence
frequently? How do we? Relying on others; vilifying them
Not making decisions
Freedom is a gift with a price. Remaining in unsatisfying careers
Blaming mistakes on externalities (e.g.,
The price of freedom is responsibility. genes, family, co-workers, boss)
Waiting for others to change before risking it

9. People often value Situation = Behavior
comfort over
greatness. Situation + Chosen Response = Behavior
Impedes personal
development. More difficult, riskier, but ultimately more
Impedes rewarding.
organizational
development. You are the author of your own story!
Change begins with
YOU.
“Everything can be
taken from a man
or a woman but one
thing: the last of
human freedoms to
choose one's
attitude in any
given set of
circumstances, to
choose one's own
way.” – Viktor
Frankl

10. “Happiness is not something that Locus of control-refers to an individual’s
generalized expectations concerning where
happens… (it) is a condition that control over events resides. In simple terms,
must be prepared for, cultivated, who or what is responsible for what happens.
and defended privately by each
person. People who learn to Internal LOC – responsibility rests with us
control inner experience will be
External LOC – responsibility rests with the
able to determine the quality of environment
their lives.” – Flow, pg.2 -
Group 1 – placed in Boone (1996) et al. reported the CEO locus of
cages with escape control was significantly associated with
profitability in small business
Group 2 – no
effective escape
7% of small businesses with Internal LOC
behavior CEO’s failed
Time 2 – “why try”
attitude for those in 45% of small business with External LOC
Group 2 CEO’s failed
We make our own
cages

11. List five personal External LOC is linked to poor executive
and/or professional performance, helplessness, and inaction
opportunities that You cannot help but decide
have emerged as a Every exploiter needs an exploitee
result of the Adversity can redirect, enlighten, and
recession. strengthen us
Accepting personal responsibility does not
guarantee success but shirking it does
guarantee mediocrity
Reexamine your “Why” – should never be
attainable but should always be relevant.
Give and Receive Support – avoid the
satisfaction of social approval.
Note positive changes – review successes
holistically. Note improvements in
performance and wellbeing.

12. Thousands of hours
of experience
Commitment to a
model of lasting
change
Nice guy
doctordanielcrosby.
com