My new podcast!
As we begin a new year in 2024, I can’t help but reflect on the incredible conversation I had recently on my new podcast, The Dennis Del Valle Show, which will soon be available on all your favorite podcast platforms as well as YouTube.
This first episode was an opportunity to dive deep into the world of business and leadership, topics that are very close to my heart.
My journey in leadership began quite early, watching my parents start their own business in our living room. It was a humble beginning, in a challenging environment, but they persevered. This experience taught me the realities of family businesses—the struggles, the triumphs, and the unique dynamics involved. It’s these insights that I bring to my coaching, helping others navigate the complexities of business and leadership.
I know many of you are in the midst of setting important meetings and planning for the year ahead. I want to share with you some of the wisdom I’ve gathered over the years. From my 15 years in public education to coaching basketball and now leading successful business owners and executives, I’ve seen various facets of leadership and how it can make or break an organization.
One key aspect I’ve learned is the importance of meetings—a critical tool for any leader. As we discussed on the show, meetings aren’t just about bringing people together. They’re also about fostering engagement, conflict (the good kind!), and creativity. Patrick Lencioni’s insights on meetings have been particularly influential in shaping my understanding. Remember, the way we conduct meetings can transform our teams and businesses.
So, as you plan your meetings and strategies for this year, I encourage you to think about leadership in a holistic way. How do your relationships and emotional intelligence impact your leadership style? How can you ensure your meetings are not just a formality but a breeding ground for innovation and effective decision-making?
I’m looking forward to exploring these topics and many more with you in upcoming episodes of the show. Your journey in leadership and business is unique, and I’m here to support and guide you through it. Feel free to reply about your thoughts on the episode as well as ways to improve and for future topics!
Here’s to a fantastic year ahead, filled with growth, learning, and success.
Dennis
TLP ANNOUNCEMENT
New spots in new TLP groups!
I’m launching a few new TLP groups that still have open spots available if you’re interested.
THOUGHT OF THE MONTH
Growth requires discomfort.
I’ve been reflecting on TLP. I love the transformational space created in TLP: Confession, Vulnerability, Love, Grace, Truth. I love the space, and I also know how painful it is to stay engaged in it. I did a difficult work out with Kimber, my wife, the other day. I was breathing hard, chest hurting, heart pounding—it was extremely uncomfortable. That is the place we need to be physically to keep growing, to keep getting stronger.
In the same exact way, we need spaces that challenge us and push us, spaces where we are uncomfortable emotionally. My father in law used to say, “If it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t help.” He was a two-sport athlete in college and even into his 70s still in great shape. We need pain if we will have any gain. I know this and I resist it. I would have ended the workout early if I hadn’t been doing it with Kimber. It is difficult to push ourselves when we are alone. Once the work out gets difficult, my inclination is to stop. We need coaches and comrades who come alongside us and encourage us to keep going.
Results come slowly, gradually. No one becomes fit over night, and our personal maturing is a long process as well. It’s difficult to see the gains we’ve made because they materialize so slowly. Here’s my prayer as my thoughts have settled: “Draw me, Lord, into the discomfort of being transformed into You.”
I am grateful you have joined me in the uncomfortable, painful at times, space of transformation.
RESOURCES
Death by Meeting
“In his latest page-turning work of business fiction, best-selling author Patrick Lencioni provides readers with another powerful and thought-provoking book, this one centered around a cure for the most painful yet underestimated problem of modern business: bad meetings. And what he suggests is both simple and revolutionary.”
Did someone forward this newsletter? Sign up here.