Misti Burmeister - Provoking Greatness

Provoking Greatness

Unleashing Hidden Potential

By Misti Burmeister

Dedication

This book is dedicated to Mrs. Taylor Mallory Holland, my editor. Your gentle, kind approach has been a guiding light through some of the darkest times in my life. Thank you!

Table of Contents

Why Provoke?

There are leaders, and then there are those who lead. Leaders hold a position of power or authority. But those who lead inspire us. Whether theyre individuals or organizations, we follow those who lead, not because we have to, but because we want to. We follow, not for them, but for ourselves.

Simon Sinek

What wakes people up to the greatness that exists inside of them? What is it that leaves people wanting to see beyond self-imposed limitations and achieve something meaningful, even remarkable? What creates the spark that pushes people into caring about their results? And how can you provokeand harnessall that greatness in your team?

These are the guiding questions behind this book. Whether youre an entrepreneur, a seasoned executive, a mid-level manager, or just starting out on your leadership journey, provoking greatness begins with recognizing the greatness that exists inside of you.

Attracting and retaining good people with positive energy requires more than a fancy title and the promise of a paycheck. It requires leaders with VOICE, who are capable of not only seeing the greatness in others, but also provoking it.

A Long History of Provoking

While the word provoke often has negative connotationsas in to provoke anger or an argumentpositive feelings and events can be provoked just as easily as negative ones. My own life has been shaped by plenty of provokerssome of them helpful and some hazardous.

Whether its for better or for worse, being provoked isnt comfortable. Most of us want to grow into our potential, but the change, learning, and vulnerability that come with the process dont always feel good or safe. Provoking greatness requires a lot of hard heart work, and its also the best thing you can do for yourself and others.

Everyone has greatness inside of them; most of us just need a little help seeing it. Thats why, whether we know it or not, we flock to leaders who can help us discover our natural talents and guide us to challenges that will ultimately put those talents to good use.

In fact, I was provoked into writing this book by a coach named Greg Conderacci in Baltimore, Maryland, who has a special gift for helping others identify and communicate their purpose. Id enlisted his support because I knew it was time for my message to evolve. The generational diversity consulting that launched my coaching career and first book From Boomers to Bloggers was still important to me, but I knew I had more to share. I simply couldnt put my finger on how to package my new message.

In preparation for my third meeting with Greg, I pinned up giant Post-it notes on the walls and outlined the flow of my next speech, complete with stories and points to draw from each anecdote. As I talked him through it, he stopped me when I got to Ms. Caysa story I often tell about the high-school English teacher who unknowingly provoked my greatness.

Ms. Cays was not my favorite teacher. She had all kinds of rules, and I was a teenager with raging hormones, a bad case of laziness, and a talkative nature that drove my teachers nuts. One day I walked into her classroom, late and without the essay I was supposed to turn in. My tardiness and missing homework werent the least bit unusual, but her response on this day was.

When Ms. Cays asked me to see her after class, I knew Id earned myself another detention slip. Instead she just looked at me and said, If I took a wire, inserted it into your mouth, and ran it down your arms to your fingertips, wed have a writer on our hands. Then she turned and walked out the door.

A writer was born that day, I told Greg. No, I didnt begin furiously writing that day, but I did write my next paper. The seed was planted, and 10 years later, I had a bestselling book.

Misti, Greg jumped in, suddenly excited. Teach me how to do that, how to get people to use their natural talents on purpose. Its done unintentionally all the time, but certainly theres a science behind it. Go figure it out and teach it to me.

The VOICE Model

With a keen interest in discovering the secret formula for provoking greatness, I spent the next couple years researching the science behind motivation and studying provocative leaders to learn what they do differently.

While I did not discover a magical formula, I did find five commonalities among those who masterfully provoke greatness in others:

V ision: Painting a clear picture of an ideal future that inspires people into action

O wnership: Accepting full responsibility for results

I ntentions: Being purposeful about intended outcomes

C ommunity: Fostering environments where people feel connected to one another

E nergy: Having passion and unstoppable drive at the highest level within a company

VOICE is the perfect analogy to reflect whats needed to provoke greatness. You must trust and use your voice to take a stand for greatness. If you don't trust your voiceif you dont believe in what you are provokingyou will fail. If Ms. Cays hadn't seen my potential, she would not have provoked my greatness. If I had thought she was trying to manipulate me into doing my homework, or to get me to do something for her good, she would not have provoked my greatness. Ultimately I believed she meant what she saidwhat she voiced .

I have yet to interview a single successful personand Ive interviewed hundreds (dozens for this book alone)who got where they are without the support and encouragement of others. Each of them shared stories about people who saw something in them they could not see at the timeand then VOICED it. As a result, these provokers gave them a new vision of what was possible for their lives.

This book is for leaders at all levels who want to make that kind of difference in the lives of the people they lead. It is for those who are tired of pushing people to perform and would rather create an environment where people want to give their best. No one is perfect in every area of the VOICE model, but in this book, you will learn how to systematically increase your effectiveness in each.

Theres No VOICE Without Vulnerability

First, a word of warning: None of the strategies in these pages will work if youre only leading with your head. VOICE-inspired leadership also requires heart.

Most leaders would rather simply pay employees to push themselves to peak performance. But few people can do that. Just like world-class athletes have coaches, world-class employees need leaders willing and able to provoke them, and to challenge them with meaningful work.

A paycheck is enough to find someone who will put in the bare minimum, but attracting good people with positive energy requires more than a clearly-defined understanding of your product, market, and competitive advantages. It requires a deep understanding of people what inspires them, what excites them, and what they need to be successful.

Its emotional stuff, but its not weak or soft. Its powerful and radical, and it produces hardcore bottom-line results.

Theres plenty of research making the business case for emotional intelligence, much of which I will share throughout this book. Yet far too many leaders ignore its importance. Why? Because it requires vulnerability, which can be uncomfortableespecially in the work environment, where theres a prevailing misperception youre supposed to know everything and be perfect. It is through our imperfections and mistakes that we learn, grow, create, and add value. And it is through vulnerability that we connect with others.