My coach, Dianna Kokoszka, and me before the #KWYP webinar
Everything she says is magic! Dianna Kokoszka, CEO of MAPS Coaching, is well, magic. Her commitment to transforming lives is steadfast and her willingness to share her time and knowledge with growing professionals is a testament to who she is, someone who is always coming from contribution and abundance. The KW Young Professionals Division (#KWYP) kicked the week off right with a Monday morning webinar featuring Dianna discussing the mindset of a leader.
Dianna is my coach. I have shadowed her all year and I am currently taking the transformative class BOLD, which she wrote based on entries in her journal. I never get enough of her and always depart our meetings with life-altering aha’s. Today was no different.
I think of her as the Queen of Questions and in true Dianna form, we distributed a list of questions to webinar participants that she asks herself at the end of each year. “Are you living your life intentionally?” she asked. “Are you structuring day like a great leader, a great business leader?” Dianna explained that great leaders live intentionally, tracking where they are today in relation to significance. The questions she provided are great tools for our #KWYP members to assess where they are in relation to where they want to go.
Habits of a Great Leader
She then discussed the habits of great leaders. While she shared great examples, for the sake of blog brevity, here’s a basic summary:
1. Great leaders are always stretching and living outside of their comfort zone.
2. They are seldom sick. Their positive energy and attitude keep them well.
3. A great leader values opportunity over security.
4. A speed bump or slap is just what it is. A great leader does not dwell on a setback but is focused on moving forward and learning from those “opportunities.” It sounds a lot like Gary Keller’s favorite word, #Onward.
5. Great leaders stay creative when others quit.
6. One can only get as good as their coach or mentor. Are they stretching you and taking you to the next level?
7. Words matter. Choose wisely.
8. Ask questions. (I told you, the Queen of Questions.) Have questions for the people you want to know, you never know when you might bump into them and you want to be ready to seize the opportunity. Interview a leader you admire each month.
9. Leaders love to learn. They are constantly taking classes, reading books, asking questions, and seeking new experiences. They have a growth plan.
10. Great leaders get up early and keep going throughout the day. They start early and start fast. They implement right away. You know who flew the first plane. But do you know who flew the second plane higher, faster, and better? Probably not.
11. A great leader works hard and outworks the rest.
12. There is a strong need to win, a sense of competition. The competition is not with others, it is to be the best.
13. Energy attracts like energy. A great leader is also a great follower, studying others to become great. She cited one of my favorite “Kellerisms,” Be. Do. Have. Be who you want to be, do as they do, then you will have what they have.
13. A true leader is thirsting for feedback. Feedback is an opportunity to get better and to learn. Just like a problem is a challenge to beat.
A strong leader loves a problem!
This was great advice! A strong leader loves a problem. A problem is the reason you exist, to accept the challenge to solve the problem. Here’s the way she breaks down the meaning of a problem:
Predictor of what is to come and where you will be. The way you handle a problem is a testament to your leadership.
Reminds that life is a challenge.
Opportunity to make a difference.
Blessings, even when one door closes, another opens.
Learning, a problem ensures we are learning.
Everywhere, problems are everywhere.
Message, there is a message in every problem.
Solvable!
Questions
The audience must have listened because they had great questions for the Queen of Questions.
What are your daily habits?
DK: Exercise, pray, meditate, thinking time, reading, and journal
What is the best business investment you have made?
“The best investment I have ever made is in myself!”
Besides the Millionaire Real Estate Agent and The ONE Thing, what books do you recommend?
DK: Think and Grow Rich, The Aladdin Factor, Man’s Search for Meaning, anything by John Maxwell
What do people often leave off their growth plan that you wish they would add?
DK: Recruit-Select-Train-Lead-Motivate; MAPS Coaching, Coaching Skills Camp, Recharge
What is the best business decision you have ever made?
“The best business decision I ever made was coming to Keller Williams. It is a company full of opportunities.”
I’ve read Fierce Conversations, what else should I do to learn to choose my words wisely?
DK: Take Fierce Conversations and the Language of Sales.
Important!
Dianna closed with a story from her childhood. In the 9th grade, her father told her that everyone wears a sign around their neck and that to be successful, she needed to figure out what it said. Periodically, he would ask if she had figured it out. One night, she was at the counter waiting for a friend at the soda fountain and had a conversation with a stranger. When her friend arrived and she said goodbye to the stranger, the stranger thanked her for taking time to visit with her. A lightbulb went off, Dianna realized that the sign is that everyone wants to feel important. She reminded the young professionals that business will thrive if they make others feel important.
Want to listen to the audio from this webinar? Join the KW Young Professionals Division at kwyp.org. The members-only page provides access to this webinar plus many other resources to help grow the future leaders of Keller Williams Realty.
Tags: coaching, Dianna Kokoszka, Keller Williams Realty, KW Young Professionals Division, leader, Leadership, MAPS Coaching, Mindset, training
