Dean Newlund: Leadership & The Importance Of Follow Through

In this episode, I talk to Dean Newlund about leadership and the importance of follow through. Ready to dive into some transformative insights?

Guest Introduction:

Now, let me introduce you to Dean Newlund. With over 30 years of experience, he’s the powerhouse behind a niche training and development company, Mission Facilitators International. Dean specializes in propelling leaders, teams, and organizations not just towards growth, but in executing strategies with surgical precision. Think strategic planning, culture change, executive coaching – the whole shebang.

MFI has over a dozen professional consultants, coaches, trainers, and strategic planning facilitators. Unlike most other firms where consultants work alone with their clients, MFI members often work as a team to facilitate growth for leaders and organizations. 

Today, Mission Facilitators is a respected company, having worked with scores of Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, educational institutions, and family-owned companies nationally and in 19 countries.  Grounded in age-old wisdom, modern-day learning models, neuroscience, business acumen, organizational development, and consulting, their approach has helped companies increase sales and engagement, create high-performing teams, cultivate leaders and improve company cultures.  

Dean is a skilled consultant, facilitator, coach, trainer, speaker, and author. For years he had a weekly column on leadership at the Arizona Republic Newspaper.  He’s authored dozens of articles and white papers and has presented on the TEDX stage in Bend, Oregon, in 2019. And he also has a popular podcast called The Business of Intuition. 

Dean wants to change the world grounded in these beliefs: that when we understand our purpose, acknowledge our truth, honor our intuition, and forge genuine connections with others, we all have the power to transform our lives and the workplace. And as each person cultivates new mindsets and new skills, the fabric of our society is gradually repaired.

Leadership & The Importance Of Follow Through: Key Takeaways:

Strategic Planning and Execution:

• We’re starting with the nuts and bolts of strategic planning. Dean stresses that it’s more than just the plan – execution is the real game-changer.
• Stay vigilant on follow-ups, dashboards, and measurements for execution that truly packs a punch.

Slowing Down to Speed Up:

• Dean imparts the wisdom of slowing down to speed up. Connect the dots between strategic planning and stepping off the hustle treadmill. It’s about finding clarity in the chaos.

Decision-Making in Execution:

• Let’s delve into decision-making during execution. Dean spills the beans on defining roles and responsibilities and throws in a savvy trick – a 1 to 5 scale for team decisions. Brilliant, right?

New Ways of Being:

• Dean introduces the concept of “new ways of being” in executing a strategic plan. It’s not just about ticking off tasks; it’s aligning your culture with the grand plan for that sweet success.

Culture vs. Strategy:

• We’re tackling the evergreen debate of culture vs. strategy. Dean emphasizes you can’t have one cannibalizing the other. Aligning your organizational culture with your strategic plan is the secret sauce.

Continuous Learning and Adaptation:

• In a world changing faster than you can say “coaching,” Dean advocates for being structured for learning. He spills the beans on learning from mistakes during execution – because who said learning has to be all rainbows?

Key Quotes:

• “Execution is as important, if not more important, than the plan itself.”
• “If you’re feeling the grind, you need to slow down to speed up.”
• “Decision-making is a key part of execution; decisions either help you or hurt you.”

Resources Mentioned:

• Dean’s website: www.mfileadership.com
• Connect with Dean on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deannewlund
• Dean’s Facebook business page: https://www.facebook.com/MissionFacilitators
• Watch the trailer for my debut in Netflix’s latest reality show, “The Trust” 

Conclusion:

A massive thank-you to Dean Newlund for sharing these powerful tips and strategies. Now, it’s action time – infuse these concepts into your business.