A blessed father, advocate, philanthropist, entrepreneur, leader, learner, optimist, and Special Forces veteran, Larry has navigated the ups and downs of life's journey towards a life of significance.
I trust weโre all here for a purpose greater than ourselves. Some are able to tap into their purpose early in life, others get intentional and find it through some sort of vision quest, still others (sadly) go to their grave never finding their purpose nor meeting their fullest potential.
Some time ago I realized that pretty much everything you need to know about me you can discern from the contents of my pockets. On any given day thereโs an assortment of practical things โ cash, keys and breath strips โ and then there are the uncommon reminders of history and purpose.
Every day I carry my Special Forces challenge coin to remind me where I came from, my past, my heritage and my eternal tribe. It grounds me. And then thereโs a small pewter globe to remind me of my future, what I want my legacy to be, and the global impact that I can make and am meant to make on the world.
I cherish being a dad. Of all the awards and accolades Iโve been blessed to receive, the achievement Iโm most proud of is being an involved, available and intentional father.
Emily is one of the most self-aware teenagers Iโve ever known. She has a huge heart, fights against social injustice, and is a champion of the oppressed. She possesses a maturity and wisdom beyond her years, and she inspires me with her creativity and compassion.
Ben is heart-centered and deeply caring. He inspires me with his willingness to take action in spite of his fears, and has a tenacity to keep learning, practicing and improving so he can rise up when it matters most. And I can be goofy with himโat least for now.
My kids are literally a daily source of inspiration and awe. They teach me about compassion and patience and how to be the voice of encouragement. They help me be a better leader, mentor and facilitator.
I believe I have a moral obligation to help people reach their fullest potential, to live lives of true significance. I believe we all come to this Earth with certain gifts and talents. And to not use those gifts and talents is sinful and disrespectful of our Creator.
One of my gifts is helping people recognize the talents and greatness in them that they canโt often see for themselves. I strive to speak greatness into people. Sadly, I meet a lot of folks who have never had their own greatness pointed out to them. I think this quality is missing from many mentors and leaders, and their teams and families suffer because of it.
Additionally, I believe too many of us are chasing the wrong things in life (including me, from time to time). The truth is, if we want a life of fortune, influence, affluence, fame, peace and harmony (this all sounds awesome, right?), then we must stop chasing success! Rather, we ought to be striving to live a life of significanceโฆone where we serve our families, friends, co-workers, communities, country, and places of worship. The god-honest truth is, success is the byproduct of living a life of significance.
I value the challenge of leadership. Iโve interviewed dozens of the worldโs top CEOs, presented to the Office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at The Pentagon, consulted at Fortune 50 companies, and even went through the executive program at elite Stanford University. But perhaps the most insightful and lasting lesson on leadership I ever heard came from my Scout Master while in Boy Scouts.
When I was about 14 years old (on the path to becoming an Eagle Scout), I was part of the leadership team for a scouting camp out. When it was time to eat, some of the older boys were cutting in line in front of the younger scouts but my Scout Master spoke up and said, โHey! Leaders eat last.โ
Leaders eat last. That simple phrase has always stuck with me and has become a guiding principle for my leadership style. Leaders ought to be serving, and caring for those in their charge.
I love being a mentor. Years ago my martial arts instructor shared a poem written by a fellow student that described martial artists as mounds of clay, and the black belt instructor as the potter. Thatโs how I feel being a mentor. It feels good to know that Iโm helping leaders and high-achievers do great things by becoming great people.
My friend, singer-song writer, Michael Petersen says, โOne step in the right directionโs worth a wasted mile behind.โ As a mentor I get to point folks in the right direction. I get to be the voice of encouragement, saying, โYes, you can do this.โ Iโm the voice of experience saying, โYeah, I know this sucks right now,โ because Iโve been down the entrepreneurโs path so many times.
We all need someone on the journey with us, reminding us that failure and pain and struggle are all part of success; but as Darrell Fusaro, one of my spiritual mentors, reminded me some time ago, our journey does not need to include the desperate pushing and shoving that most โsuccess gurusโ ascribe. We need someone urging us not to quit a few feet from striking gold, but who can also be the voice of reality and remind us when โenough is enough.โ Itโs always a privilege to see someone come through the pain and uncertainty and taking steps towards success.
I strive to live a life of integrity. Anyone who knows me, has been on my team, or has been mentored by me knows that I do everything I can these days to walk the walk. Sometimes itโs exhausting and feels like Iโm putting one dusty, bloody boot in front of the other, but I strive every day to live my life in integrity.
It hasnโt always been that way โ as the ups and downs of my past demonstrate โ and I bring all of that, all of those lessons learned along the way, to every role in which I serve. Whether itโs being a dad or a commentator on a TV news program or running my hotel company, Iโm the same me everywhere, all the time. Thatโs been one of the hardest and most valuable lessons to learn as a human.
Some days itโs easier than others to practice what I preach. On my best days I bound out of bed because I get to get up, I get to to go into the office and work with people; I get to make breakfast for my kids; I get to speak to this group; I get to serve. Not the โI have to do this or thatโ that so many people wake up with.
And honestly, on other mornings what motivates me to get out of bed is an overwhelming fear of blending into the oblivion of gray mediocrity.
Whatever the motivation, I know that every day when my feet hit the floor I have another chance to go do something significant.
Will you join me?
If any of this resonates with you, Iโd love to connect on one of our social media channels, or just provide us with your email address below and weโll send you valuable tips and insights that you can use right away in your business and life.
Now, do us all a favor and go do something significant today. Go get โem!
A Sampling of Awards and Accolades
- US Army, Special Forces (the Green Berets) ODA 064 & ODA 1275
- Entrepreneur of the Yearยฎ by Ernst and Young
- Vetrepreneurยฎ of the Year by NaVOBA
- Visionary of the Year by Coastline Foundation
- National Business Leader of Integrity by Passkeys Foundation
- HSMAI's 2018 Best of the Best Management Company of the Year
- Hot 500 List by Entrepreneur Magazine
- Amazonโs Number 1 Best-Selling Author
A Sampling of Articles Featuring Larry Broughton
8 Types of People Who Will Assassinate Your Success
When you find the courage to surround yourself with the right people, including those who are bolder and brighter than you, youโll find that youโre much more likely to succeed than not. While itโs true that as the entrepreneur youโre the prime mover and shaker, youโre far from the only person who has influence in [โฆ]
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Read MoreThe launching stages of VICTORY: Operations, Rapid Action, You!
Operations are the support systems that enable your success. They are a necessary part of playing the game in todayโs business world. Many entrepreneurs have no systems in place, or their systems are in their heads where no one else can see them. If youโre like most entrepreneurs, you probably find working on the functional [โฆ]
The post The launching stages of VICTORY: Operations, Rapid Action, You! first appeared on Larry Broughton | Yoogozi | Motivation | Inspiration | Leadership.
Read MoreEntrepreneurship 101: the Huge Danger in Being a Lone Wolf?
Entrepreneurs are often reluctant to ask for help because weโre such a self-reliant bunch. We tend to believe that we โshouldโ be able to figure everything out on our own, and then make it all happen without any outside assistance. We pick up this attitude because, itโs true, we really can take care of many [โฆ]
The post Entrepreneurship 101: the Huge Danger in Being a Lone Wolf? first appeared on Larry Broughton | Yoogozi | Motivation | Inspiration | Leadership.
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