Sometimes people assume their leaders have all the answers, at least, until they become the leader. Then they realize that there is a lot of fear, uncertainty, and doubt that can go along with being the person in charge. Marc Pitman puts a unique twist on that doubt that can often plague leaders, business people, and entrepreneurs. He actually believes that we can use the gift of doubt and uncertainty to step into the role of the leader that we are meant to be.
Marc is the author of Ask Without Fear and The Surprising Gift of Doubt. In this conversation, we explore some of the concepts that support Marc’s insights behind the gift of doubt. We explore how doubt can be a catalyst that forces us to find and create our own answers. We explore the four quadrants that take us through this process. We also talk about the significance of personality assessments, stories and sources of motivation.
He is an executive coach and speaker, and the founder of The Concord Leadership Group where he has been leading organizations and teams for decades. He’s been studying leadership for over 30 years. Marc has a Masters in Organizational Leadership and is certified as a Franklin Covey coach. His passion, knowledge, and wit shine through in this lively interview.
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Marc Pitman thank you so much for being here!
Remember, you might be in business FOR yourself but you are not in business BY yourself.
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Highlights –
[02:10] Marc is really excited about having more space, agility and flexibility. He's been responding with more abundance.
[03:04] Doubt can invite you to create your own answers.
[07:31] Doubt means that we're on the edge of greatness. When we start out with the leader's journey, we may fail trying to copy others and eventually discover our own answers.
[10:30] In Marc's book, The Gift of Doubt, he talks about the four quadrants.
[11:47] Quadrant one is the confident external quadrant. This is where you model people who you've seen do what you are trying to do.
[12:56] Quadrant two is where you start to experiment. A lot of people get stuck in this quadrant, because they don't want to look for internal answers.
[15:25] Many people have the answers they need, they just discredit themselves too easily.
[17:42] Quadrant three includes some level of vulnerability when realizing where you must go. This is when you step beyond your doubt. Anchoring in.
[23:39] Doubt is more self-referential where uncertainty can be externally focused. Leaders know the non-negotiables.
[26:39] Quadrant four is where you take internal and external cues and learn to guide people. You have a view of the whole map, and you're able to navigate to where you want to go.
[31:38] The influence of personality assessments depends on where you are in your journey.
[34:38] Know the strengths of your motivation.
[36:41] The stories that you tell yourself and the stories that you feel attracted to can be another angle of motivation for you.
[40:20] We learn why writing down our goals, dreams, and desires is a step that we all must take and more in the Rapid Round.
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Host Jeffrey Shaw is a Small Business Consultant, Brand Management Consultant, Business Coach for Entrepreneurs, Keynote Speaker, TEDx Speaker and author of LINGO and The Self Employed Life (May 2021). Supporting self-employed business owners with business and personal development strategies they need to create sustainable success.