Trust people in success, and more importantly, in failure. That is Tom O’Neill’s greatest advice when it comes to working and developing highly effective teams. Download this episode. (right click or tap the link)
Failure is where you learn how a person handles themselves when things go wrong. You find out what they are made of and learn about the person’s character. Strengths and limitations emerge as well as opportunities for growth.
Tune in for our second mentoring conversation to learn how new customers are addressed at The Nerdery. You will be surprised to know technology solutions are not what is discussed first. How is design thinking used? What is their methodology when innovating inside their business? What is important in putting together annual financial projections?Core values resurfaced in our conversation too. Why? Because they are that important in a focused, passionate to succeed, driven culture where smart and innovative people depend on each other to collaborate and problem solve in teams. Core values are discussed in annual reviews and when hiring. Core values are revisited daily to make tough decisions and analyze success and failures. Core values are the glue in every culture. Core values help you connect to purposeful work.
Without naming, owning, and living by core values, you become a ship without a rudder. A hotbed for dysfunctional thinking to flourish. Core values kept dormant are like shame that grows in darkness and secrecy. Over time shame becomes all consuming. In business, when disconnected from living and leading with core values, you can notice lawsuits on the rise. Secrets, deceptive practices, detachment, emotional sabotage, and alternate facts become the cultural norm which is severely dysfunctional.
There are lots of exercises available to identify your core values. These are values you live by when your world goes dark. Your core values are the light at the end of the tunnel. Mine are authenticity and wholehearted living (connected, courageous, compassionate). Knowing my values inform my daily behavior and decisions I make like the core values do at The Nerdery.
Once you name and claim your core values, bridge the gap between professing and practicing those core values every day. You will be surprised how quickly you can get back on track and over time, how solid you feel when your core values are integrated in how you lead and mentor others.
Mentoring Tips
- Answer the following questions after listening:
- The Nerdery core values are – Constantly Push Boundaries, Integrity In All Circumstances, Be Humble, Win By Empowering People, and Solve Problems Pragmatically. How does Tom keep their core values alive every day at The Nerdery?
- What was the catalyst for everyone at The Nerdery to commit to working together and push through to be successful?
- How do they address new clients and how do they work with them?
- How many Nerds are on a user-team? What kind of thinking are they steeped in?
- How does Tom approach innovation within The Nerdery?
- How do they build annual financial projections? What are the key elements in planning?
- Name, claim, and engage your core values today. Instead of just professing them. Live by them. When you get off track, reignite them, and start again.
Our LABS help you integrate your mind, your heart, your body, and your leadership practices into a way that works for you. We can help you become a more effective leader through mindfulness yoga, design thinking, focused planning, and leadership development that combined, leads to revolutionary change. Learn coping strategies, stress management skills, a brave leadership process, and design thinking to innovate your life and your business! Respond today!
What Happens When You Trust People Amidst Failure? Episode 70 www.nerdery.com
Next Monday’s Mentoring Conversation
Mickey Mikeworth of Mikeworth Consulting is in the studio. “Mickey Mikeworth is a riot! She has great energy, connects with her audience and expertly empowers them to take charge of their lives. She has a passion for helping others create and realize prosperity, which comes through loud and clear. And she’s a great storyteller, with the unique ability to make people laugh heartily and think deeply during her presentations.” ~ Liv Lane, Radio Host
www.mickeymikeworth.com http://richchicks.org/
Resources
- Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make The Leap… And Others Don’t by Jim Collins.
- https://youtu.be/ViLmmHJxnVQ What Tom has learned from co-founders.
- https://www.nngroup.com/articles/design-thinking/
- Connect with me today, nancy@wementor.com. A new WeMentor Entrepreneurial Leadership and Mentoring LAB for solopreneurs (those in a solo practice) is starting on May 18th.
Podcast Guest Mentor
Tom O’Neill. The Nerdery is a custom software design and development company built on the belief that passionate nerds are the driving force behind business breakthroughs, redefining what’s possible through technology. Headquartered in Bloomington, Minnesota, The Nerdery has offices in Chicago, Kansas City, and Phoenix.
Founded by Mike Derheim, Mike Schmidt, and the late-Luke Bucklin, programming pioneers, in 2003, Tom O’Neill became CEO in 2016. Tom has been instrumental in growing with The Nerdery founders. He joined The Nerdery in 2004 as a programmer. He launched their Chicago branch as VP of Software Development returning to Minneapolis as Chief Operations Officer. In 2014, Tom became President. Then, CEO. At The Nerdery, they build more than software, they craft products, services, and experiences that better people’s lives. www.nerdery.com
Episode 70: What Happens When You Trust People Amidst Failure?
Author: Nancy Meyer, MA
Nancy Meyer, M.A., an entrenovation mentor, author, podcaster, and founder of WeMentor, inc. Nancy has invested more than three decades guiding entrenovators and creative leaders in developing the self-leadership, clarity, and resilience required to bring meaningful ideas to life. Her work blends strategic thinking with mindful practice, helping clients evolve themselves as they redesign their businesses. A former entrepreneurship and small business finance professor at two private universities, Nancy has shaped curriculum and leadership programs that integrate research, innovation, and emotional intelligence. She is known for uniting practical business insight with relational literacy and a deep respect for the creative process. Raised on a Minnesota dairy farm, she learned early that work can be both contribution and calling—a lesson that informs everything she teaches. Nancy lives in Minnesota with her husband, Matthew, and their miniature schnauzer, Letty, and delights in the unfolding adult life of their daughter, Olivia. Nancy founded WeMentor, inc. in 1992 to transform the leadership in our country by providing experiential mentoring to entrenovators - where innovative thinking dances with entrepreneurial action. She has mentored thousands and is eager to work with you! Assert self-leadership and get started today! Clients say, “Nancy is a compelling, engaging, and...