Howdy, Zack here.

In my coaching practice, Top Teams, I teach a simple concept called the 7 Circles of Impact.

It goes a little something like this...

If you commit to a path of personal and professional growth, you will positively impact:

Your Life and Your Family • the center of the circle. And you'll impact:

1. Your Teams | your professional teams and departments
2. Your Company | your entire company/organization
3. Your Partners | those you interact with professionally outside of your company
4. Your Customers | those you serve with your products and services
5. Your Community | surrounding communities impacted by your work
6. Our World | positively influencing our world / setting the bar for your industry
7. The Future | the gift of your hard-fought learnings and efforts that wouldn’t have existed w/o you

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Do you create Small Ripples or BIG Waves?

Small or No Ripples are created by those who:

• stir the pot vs. stir up passion
• show up for work and feel like they're owed something
• default to a glass-is-half-empty attitude
• do it all themselves vs. work well as a team
• can’t enjoy the day-to-day because they only care about the prize
• feel they are the only ones with the correct answer
• can’t accept the truth of the situation and spins the truth to fit them
• plays politics that are always in their favor (not the company's)
• don’t bring new ideas to the table - it’s not worth their time
• aren’t willing to engage in courageous conversations
• and so forth. You know the type.

Although these small-ripple-creating folks may be exceptionally talented and able to produce solid results, their impact starts and ends very close to their inner circle, and in the worse cases, they have a negative impact that causes negative ripples outward. They can be so damaging that they tear apart teams and companies and cause more adverse effects than you'd imagine.

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BIG Waves are created by those who:

• consider their actions in a deeper and more strategic sense
• create and execute their plans with a greater purpose
• are steadfast to weather the storms ahead
• work to solve real customer ‘Jobs to the Done’
• passionately pour themselves into their work
• care about the outcomes of their efforts
• know that the prize is the journey
• focus on excellence instead of a ‘good enough’ attitude
• continually learn and improve
• have grace for themselves and others in the process
• lead others by example and dedicated service
• are open to new possibilities
• consistently focus on positive growth
• are aware that what got you here won’t get you there
• are open to healthy conflict
• are accountable and trustworthy
• and so forth. This is what Top Leaders and Teams strive to do well.

None of us are perfect. Sometimes we do create small negative ripples. We need solid teams, great leaders, and a healthy culture around us because our progress comes from consistency, teamwork, and a willingness to show up with a positive and open attitude each day. And, when we mess up, we ask for forgiveness, and a healthy team gives us grace. But, we’ve gained that trust through our consistent actions working to improve 1% each day in a healthy way vs. the negative actions that create ripples in the wrong direction.

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Teams that change the world for the better create BIG Waves.

They are never perfect. None of us are. But they are always willing to learn. They don’t assume to have all the answers. Instead, they have a passion for doing truly great work. They love to deliver exceptional results. And they are driven to leave a legacy that inspires others to do the same.

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​Here are 3 Ways You Can Increase Your Circle of Impact:

3 WAYS

• Prioritize People Care.
  ​Invest in your team's well-being, growth, and development, as they are the cornerstone of your endeavors.
• Cultivate Trust through Better Communication.
  ​Champion open, honest, healthy, and courageous communication at all levels of your organization.
• Strengthen Your Company's Operating System.
  ​Take your OS from unintentional and uninspired to a fully integrated Operating System.

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3 FAVES

1. ​Toby — Tame your tab madness in Chrome.
2. ​Scalenut — AI for your SEO content strategy.
3. ​The Bear — I can’t stop watching Carmy and his crew.
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Until next Wednesday, consider how far you want your impact to reach!