[Greatest Hits] You Can Go to the Top 2 Ways with Dean Francis

Welcome to this episode of the Million Dollar Mastermind. I'm Larry Weddell. And before we get started, if you want to know exactly how to win again and again, go to Wydell on winning.com webinar now to watch something I've put together for you. Now let's get going into this episode of Million Dollar Mastermind.

I'm here with Dean Francis and we're going to talk about. We've talked about a lot of things. We could talk about team building right now, getting them on board, keeping them on track, and taking them through that discipline stage. Dean shared previous episodes how basically useless he was in business until he got what he called that forced structure in his life, where he's forced to get structure in his life and then how he kind of realized the transformation and the changes he needed to make and the productivity developed. But also, when you get an organization, you find that organization can. I've always said this, Dean, an organization will be as sorry as you let it be. They will be, you know, like their kid, your kids will be as dumb as you let them be. You know, they will have as rotten a teeth in their mouth as you let them be. Their room will be as nasty as you let it be. And your organization will be as productive as you challenge them to be and train them to be and lead them to be, or as disorganized and unstructured. You know, because really organization is just an extension of human beings, you know, and when you go out there and you build an organization, I know it's, it's one thing is the chart, but the right kind of businesses and teams are organisms. You know, they're, you know, they reproduce, they, they live. They, you know, they, it's not just an organization chart. They adapt, they move forward, they improve, you know, they help live a life, they accomplish things. And so taking and making a business, a live growing being, is a different thing, requires a different kind of leader than someone who just follow the rule book and install this, you know, install the structure thing and enforce the manual and, you know, just try and look for the rule book to answer every situation, you know. You're never going to get big like that, are you?

No, you're not. And I think it, it does start with a decision. I remember many years ago, I had started having some significant success in the investment industry, gaining a lot of clients. And we were doing these seminars and, and I actually had a chance, someone was interested in having me come to work in a different situation. I would be very independent and I'D be working in this CPA firm. And anyway, they had all these wealthy clients and it was very tempting. They were making me feel really good. But I remember distinctly thinking a quote from John Maxwell. He said, in life, you can go to the top one of two ways. You can go by yourself or you can take a lot of people with you. And I never forgot that. And I thought, you know, this particular situation, I'm like, it was great, it was nice. But you know what? I want to go to the top. I want to take a lot of people with me. And so I think it was just another galvanizing decision that I want to build an organization. And then I think some of those keys for me were moments that I would sit there and dream and think, maybe it's some quiet moments to think about what's possible for this team and where I believed it. I think as a leader, you've got to be able to cast vision if you want to build a team, and especially one that's, like you said, an organism. It's alive, it's energetic, it's moving, and you can't fake that. You either need to believe in that vision or not. And I would get myself to that point where I believed something was possible. There's another great quote that says energy is created when people believe something is possible. And as a leader, the first person that's got to believe is yourself. And I would spend time wrapping my mind around maybe a goal or a vision and then getting myself so excited about it that I could then pour that out into those that were around me and get them excited. And it began, that movement, began that journey. And then I think the last part of when I think of the team building is blessed are the flexible, for they will not be bent out of shape. Yes. You know, you taught me many years ago, you might have a system that goes A, B, C, D, E, F, but you better be ready to jump from C to A and back over to F. Because it's just life. I mean, you gotta be flexible. And one more thought on this, by the way, I wanna point out, Larry, over the years, I've met so many great leaders and so many of them. What I found was have the most exceptional people skills. You know, show me somebody who's got a growing organization, a great team building environment. I'll show you a leader who's got exceptional people skills. I found people reading that book, how to Win Friends and Influence People multiple times, really applying it, because you can speak well from a stage, and that's A speech. But how you treat people privately when no one else is there, that takes a lot of time. But over the years, that's like the glue of really growing something great.

Hey, listen, there's a lot of information online, but there aren't a lot of people who have actually done something. In my case, I've actually built a successful business, has accrued over $5 billion in assets under management, and has done well even during trying times. Now, if you want to know exactly how I've done this, go to Whiteellawinning.com webinar Now, I've compressed a decade of learning into five short weeks. Just for those of you who want to give yourself an incredible advantage and are tired of waiting and watching others move up.

Unbelievable. And those lessons are not instinctive. When you're coming up and you start, you know, I think there's a transition we all go through. We think, you know, we have to be the boss, we have to enforce the law and everything. And you realize that's not going to take me very far. I've got to deal with these people individually.

Yes, exactly. Each phone call, each conversation, each text, you know, those moments where people are down, they're depressed or they're angry. How we treat them in those moments are just long term critical.

Absolutely. And being able to treat people when they're at their worst. You know, one of the things, Dean, about developing an organization is like the development you and I have gone through. You know, there have been times of feast and famine and there have been times when, you know, everything's gone down the toilet and the last thing we need is somebody piling on. You know, that's when you need the encourager. You need somebody who sees your long term potential and will give you encouragement, but also the room to maybe throw a couple of ideas at you, but give you the room to work yourself out of it. And you've gone through that yourself individually and you've done it with your team and really nothing is more rewarding. But talk about the dealing with people when they're down and, and bringing them, keeping them, you can't run them off. There's no advantage when you run the suckers off, you know.

Yeah, it's true. I think I, I've tried to look at it as an opportunity to really grow closer with, to that person, knowing that if we can get through whatever it is that's so difficult in that moment that, you know, our relationship's going to be great, they're going to be better off. They need me. I need them. And sometimes it's those moments where that person's really unhappy and, you know, they may be very unhappy with me and just taking that time to listen and to really understand how they feel. You know, not being defensive and just kind of. I would always think about what it's going to. How will things look down the road after we get through this? Once we get through this, what will that mean to this relationship, to that person's life? And, you know, those moments are tough. They can be a little exhausting, but it is true later. It's very satisfying.

Fantastic. Well said, Dean. You know, the way you answer all the questions and the conversation really reveals how much you thought about this and how you have worked through these issues importantly in your mind. Because like I tell people, you know, you can't escape the work. You can't really find shortcuts, but you can sure stack the. You know, there are straight lines and, you know, you can at least choose the right direction, but you can only do that if you thought it through. And when you do that, with each step forward you stack. And again, success is never guaranteed, but you can stack the odds of success in your favor. And that's what, you know, you've been doing on this project. You've done time and time again with your kids, with your family, with your community. And I just want to congratulate you on the impact you're making in business and your family and the community. And it's just fun for me to talk with you and see the impact and all of the stories and great fun that comes out of it. So congratulations, Dean.

Well, yeah, and thanks. This was fun. Thank you again just for believing in me many years ago when I'm that just goofy young kid with no direction and all it took was just you believing in me. It's amazing what a difference that makes. And it is now an honor to turn around and do that for others.

Absolutely. Absolutely. Comes full circle, doesn't it?

It does.

It's. You've learned your lessons well, I'll tell you that. You're taking them to a whole nother. A whole nother dimension. And it's going to be fun to continue to stay in touch and get updates as you're. As you move forward on this thing, because there's no limit to how much we need to learn if we want to keep on growing. So I know you're going to be right at the front of that line, and I can't wait to. I can't wait to talk to you about it.

So let's do it. Likewise.

Say hello to Sarah and the kids for me, and let's talk soon.

Okay, great. Thank you, Larry.

Thank you, Dean.

If you enjoyed what you've heard and are dead serious about finding out for yourself exactly how this works and in the real world, I've taken the most valuable business lessons I've learned over 40 years and put them into something for you to watch. Go to whiteellawinning.com webinar now in order to move up as fast as possible. I'm Larry Wydell, and I run the Million Dollar Mastermind. Go, go, go.