Overtime with Outland is Action Catalyst host Adam Outland's reflections and commentary on discussions with each of his esteemed and accomplished guests. In this segment, Adam dissects Episode 463 with Ron Alford, author, Executive Coach, Certified Trainer, Keynote Speaker, and Senior Partner with Southwestern Consulting.
Welcome back, Action Catalyst listeners. This is Overtime with Outland, and today we'll be talking about episode 463 with Ron Alford, Senior Partner and VP of Recruiting, Executive Coach, and Speaker at Southwestern Consulting. In Ron's episode, we tackle a few anecdotes that were really powerful for me that I want to share with you. Number one, Ron chooses to hold things loosely.
If you grip sand too tightly in your hand, it tends to slip through your fingers. If you cradle it, it's the only way to actually hold it all. People and ideas are the same way. Only worrying about controlling what you can really control. Maybe we think something is really important in a given moment, but hold it loosely and don't get too obsessed with an idea. Number two, be like Switzerland.
Neutrality in the moment is fine. Ron says on certain issues, he has absolute principles and convictions he'd die for. But a lot of things are worth letting go. The ego often makes us think we have to be right, which means others have to be wrong. And someone just as wise across the aisle is saying the same thing about you. But oftentimes there can be truth on both sides. So listen first.
Don't be quick to judge or quick to speak, but slower to ask questions and try to understand. Point number three, Ron discusses diving into the data, but trusting your gut. Data, trends, analytics are all very important and a good start for decision-making, but the pendulum could swing both ways.
You could dig your grave with the amount of data there is to sift through and analyze and interpret that data and unpack it incorrectly. You could be paralyzed by it. So in the end, you still need to trust your gut. And as Ron says, trust your heart. For more on this interview, check out Action Catalyst episode 463 with Ron Alford.