Transfiguring the Business World through Empowerment with John Saunders
Change might be hard to embrace but it’s inevitable and necessary. One of the great differences anyone can make in this world is helping and empowering others to grow and embrace change. In these changing tides, Great leaders must open new doors of opportunities - a place to enable people to grow and think bigger as individuals. In this episode of Fifth Dimensional Leadership, I interview John Saunders. Driven by his passion for helping others grow, John Saunders founded his consulting firm, Forward Advisory Solutions. He has spent over two decades as a Wall Street Senior Vice President, sales team leader, and award-winning sales executive. And he authored the book The Optimizer, Building and Leading a Team of Serial Innovators. John is a lifelong learner and believes in the necessary change needed in today’s business world, where we can contribute by empowering others. In addition to writing, mentoring, and coaching, he enjoys spending time with his family. John has a BS from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Georgetown. And he's a member of the Georgetown McDonough MBA Alumni Advisory Council, an active angel investor, and a formal executive MBA mentor. In our conversation, John tells us how we can embrace the change in the business world by empowering people and enabling their growth. Things you will also learn: People empowerment is a necessary change in the business world Why we should celebrate mistakes and learn from failures Vulnerability breeds vulnerability What a Serial Innovation Mindset is How can leaders build and lead a team of serial optimizers The importance of feedback and what we can benefit from it Extending leadership in the hybrid work environment Quotes “We can all rise together. If I win, you don’t have to lose.” - John Saunders “Celebrate mistakes. Talk about the twists and turns you took, and don’t be afraid to let people see what didn’t work.” - John Saunders “Vulnerability doesn’t come naturally to people.” - John Saunders “Vulnerability breeds vulnerability; somebody has to extend that olive branch, but not everybody wants to do it.” - John Saunders “Some people see vulnerability as a weakness; I would argue it’s a strength.” - John Saunders “When you see that moment of a whole new idea evolving, growing, and reaching an advanced stage, that's when you know it's working.” - John Saunders “When your people start coming up with new ideas without provocation or prompting by you, this is a good sign.” - John Saunders “If you want to see change and help people out, create an opportunity for someone.” - John Saunders