R.G. and Scott Asai discuss Kobe passing Jordan in the all time scoring list, the 3 game winning streak of the Lakers, the direction of the Lakers front office for the rest of this season and the whereabouts of Steve Nash.
Author: Scott Asai
Helping people develop their leadership skills to advance in their career
Winsight Episode 33 – Don’t Follow Your Passion, Follow Your Effort
Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban said, “Don’t follow your passion, follow your effort.” The first time I heard that quote it made me think. Everyone wants to do something they’re passionate about, but are they willing to do the work to turn a dream into reality?
In this episode learn from the following examples:
- The gap between inspiration and action
- The payoff of being disciplined isn’t always money
- Why you can’t always depend on passion
- What trait all successful entrepreneurs share
After hearing this episode how does it change your opinion about passion vs. effort? What are you both passionate about and willing to do the work on?
Winsight Episode #32 – Obsessed w/ Efficiency
I have a confession. I’m obsessed with efficiency. I’ve always been a planner. I think about time constantly and when it comes to doing anything…I want to know how to do it smarter, not harder. I don’t mind working hard, but if I can figure out a way to do it faster and better I will.
In this episode I’ll share time saving techniques in the following areas:
- How your smartphone can put you on auto-pilot
- What system is essential to be a master networker
- The difference between habits and goals
- Why working smarter beats working harder
What do you do efficiently? In what areas can you improve? Share something that saves you time and it might just help someone else!
Winsight Episode 31: #1 Trait for Leaders
What do you think is the most important trait for great leaders? Charisma, honesty, a strong will? Actually it’s self-awareness. From the outset that doesn’t sound vital, but leaders are not cut from the same cloth so what makes them different is what makes them great.
In this episode you’ll learn the following:
– What Steve Jobs & Walt Disney had in common
– Is there a “prototypical leader?” If so, what does he/she look like?
– What to do you if you don’t know what you’re good at
– What your personal responsibility as a leader is
So what are your strengths? How would you define your style as a leader? Share how being self-aware helps your ability as a leader.
Winsight Episode 30: The Next Dinosaur
When referring to dinosaurs thoughts of extinction come to mind. But in this case, the next dinosaur is around, but on life support: it’s communication. I’m not talking about texting, emailing or Facebook messaging, but face-to-face communication. If you don’t believe me, go to the local hangout where teenagers gather and observe them. Most will be in a group, on their smartphones texting, sharing pictures or commenting on someone’s post completely ignoring the fact actual humans are right next to them. If you’re brave enough engage them in a conversation and if you can carry it (without much help from them) for more than 5 minutes, you’ve done well. Of course I’m stereotyping here, but poor communication is a trend that is rapidly growing and will be a thing of the past unless we do our part to reverse it.
In this episode, using Millennials as the subject, we’ll discuss:
What two forms of communication tend to lack in quality
The one thing Millennials need from supervisors in order to improve
How interviews connect to the longevity of an employee
The question one must ask to move forward
What’s been your interaction with Millenials at work? How can you help them moving forward? Please share your thoughts below!
Winsight Episode 29: When Discrimination is a Good Thing
The word discrimination conjures up many negative thoughts and images, especially along the lines of prejudice. But what if I told you discriminating is essential for success both in your personal and professional life? How is that possible? Such a powerful concept is used by you and me daily, but we just don’t label it that. Let me give you a few examples.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- How time is given to us equally, but how we use it determines everything
- Why being treated “fairly” sucks
- What 3 factors reveal your priorities
- How your golf strategy may be hurting you
So after listening, do you consider yourself discriminatory? Why or why not?
Winsight Episode 28: Value-Based Decisions
I admit. I’m not great at making money. Does that mean I’m poor? Not necessarily. Does that mean I’m rich? Depends on how you define rich.
All I know is the most valuable currency to me is my time. The ability to control my schedule is what matters because I can prioritize what I spend my time doing. The other night my wife and I had a great conversation about personal and professional goals. I shared with her when I have talks with others, either the same age as me or older, somewhere in our discussion spending time with your kids while they’re young comes up. I thought about how much time I spend with my daughter who recently turned two and it brings a smile to my face.
In this episode hear my personal story of value-based decisions through the following examples:
Staying home vs. working a 9 – 5
The difference between mission/vision statements and actual behaviors
What “lifestyle” really means and how to pursue it
Plan A & Plan B: which one is really better?
What are your core values? Looking at how you spend your time, what do you really value? Please share a value-based decision you make and how it affects those around you.
Winsight Episode 27: Gumby
He was once a little green ball of clay…if you’re too young to recognize that line that’s ok. In fact when I was a kid, Gumby was an old show and we watched reruns of it and it still looked outdated. Gumby was a green character formed out of clay that had adventures with other friends. The reason I bring Gumby up in this episode is because it has leadership implications for you and me.
In this episode you’ll learn the following:
- What golf and Gumby have in common
- The balance between listening and overriding
- The difference between vision and buy-in
- The leadership model Gumby really exemplifies
How would you rate your leadership ability? How flexible are you when it comes to implementing your vision? Please share your thoughts with us below!
Winsight Episode 26: Leading the Current Generation
Millennials. A single word can conjure up varying descriptions and emotions. Some of the stereotypes about this generation are true, yet others are not. Instead of sitting here and complaining about the shortcomings of this group, I prefer to point out how to lead them effectively.
In this episode the following points will be discussed:
- Why teaching isn’t about being the “best in your field
- How body language is a warning sign for motivation
- The two types of vision that need to align
- What Baby Boomers and Millennials have in common
Does this change your thoughts on Millennials? What adjustments will you make dealing with Millennials going forward?
An Interview w/ @TheNoLookPass
If you know me or listened to any of my podcasts I have a deep love for sports, basketball in particular. In addition to starting Lakers Fans Unite, Twitter has given me the unique opportunity to meet some sports bloggers/media and get a first-hand perspective of covering athletes for a living. I admire how these professionals both view their role and have built their personal brand/following. A little over a month ago, I met Rey Moralde a.k.a. The No Look Pass for coffee and we chatted it up about basketball. I asked him if I could interview him for my “How to Build Your Personal Brand Series” and he graciously agreed. I hope you enjoy his story and can learn from him how to build your personal brand the right way.
1) How did you get into sports blogging as a career?
I just kind of stumbled onto it. I used to be obsessed with playing ball years ago before I rolled my ankle severely. While on the shelf, my friend suggested I write and blog about the NBA. After a couple of weeks, my little writings somehow caught the eye of an old sports blogging network called Most Valuable Network. It went from there and here I am, still writing and blogging nearly six years later.
2) What do you consider your biggest strength as a writer?
I don’t think I’m the best technical writer, far from it. I don’t think I’m the best basketball tactician, either, and I’m definitely far from that. But I do think that basketball is fun and writing about it should be fun. I like keeping it lighthearted and, at the end of the day, we use basketball (and any form of entertainment) to escape from the real world. People get so invested over sports that it turns into something we get angry over and that’s just unhealthy. I like to keep it fun and I’m glad that people have recognized that. So I would say “not taking it too seriously” is my biggest strength as a writer, if anything.
3) What’s been the biggest challenge you’ve faced?
Trying to avoid burnout. You need breaks every once in a while and I get obsessed, sometimes, over this entire thing. While I do say that not taking it too seriously is my strength, I also feel you’re “only as good as your next write-up.” And it can be a marathon; the NBA pretty much goes every day for eight months (playoffs included). I’m going into my 7th season and I think about quitting every summer, believe it or not. It becomes more of a relief than an accomplishment after the final game is over. But when the summer goes too long, I clamor for the NBA to come back. Figure that out. I’m hoping to pace myself better this season. But, yeah, avoiding burnout is my biggest challenge.
4) How would you describe your style/personal brand?
Fun. Silly. And it should be. I’m not sure if I’m a universally funny guy but I do like to make people laugh. You can see that attempted poor humor on my Twitter feed and in my blog entries. I think my style does stand out because I have no problem integrating things like 90s music, video games, teen dramas, wrestling, and my dating experiences into my NBA talk. Besides, having everyone do the same ol’ thing gets boring, anyway, right?
5) What advice would you give to other bloggers trying to build their audience/brand?
Be yourself and don’t give up. Never apologize for being yourself. That’s definitely helped me along the way. If you’re a serious guy, then be serious. If you’re silly, then be silly. Stay in your lane. And blogging about a sport takes a lot of time. Not only do we have to write but we also have to watch a lot so that we know what we’re talking about. What we do isn’t easy; we don’t snap our fingers and produce a blog entry over 45 minutes. We honed our craft over the years when it comes to writing and being a student of the game. People can definitely do it; if I made something out of it, I don’t see why others can’t.
Oh, and don’t burn any bridges. Because you never know if you’re actually going to need that person’s help down the line.
Growing Forward 