Everyone wants to be successful, but what does success really mean? Is that definition the same for everyone? And can you be fulfilled without recognition? In today's episode, we'll talk with the CEO of David Novak Leadership, former COO of StoryBrand, and author of “The Secret Society of Success,” Tim Schurrer. We’ll discuss what success really means, how leaders can address their biggest challenge, and how to find contentment in service to others.
About Tim Schurrer
Tim is the author of "The Secret Society of Success" and host of the Build a Winning Team podcast, where he challenges people to let helping others succeed drive their decision-making process. He is the CEO of David Novak Leadership. He also spent ten years with Donald Miller developing his businesses StoryBrand and Business Made Simple.
How did failing in your music career help you find success?
The world tells us that you have to climb the ladder to be successful. You have to be the best and the most visible. When I was chasing my music career, I felt like I had to be the next John Mayer. But when I finally shifted my career and found a job working in a less visible role, I found myself feeling more fulfilled than I ever did as a musician.
What was it like working with Donald Miller on StoryBrand and Business Made Simple?
When I first started, it was just me and Don. He had written a book and did a lot of speaking engagements. It was my job to ensure he was free to do what he did best: writing. I took over much of the strategy and tried to make his life easier. We were both new to growing a business; we had a lot of humility and empathy that helped us through the decision-making processes. Over time, that developed into a formal COO role, and I ended up hiring all of our employees and growing the company to a 16.5 million dollar business over ten years. It was a lot of fun.
What policies helped the company grow?
I’m very independent and entrepreneurial, so as long as things were growing, there was no need to have anything formal. However, we realized that not all people are like that, and it would feel unfair if there were no consistent standards. We developed a simple, one-page performance review that we would go over quarterly. We would evaluate the five priorities we had agreed on and see how they were doing there. It was a chance to have a conversation and keep people on track.
What made StoryBrand a good fit?
We helped businesses clarify their marketing. That’s not something I’m necessarily passionate about, but I loved supporting Don in whatever he was passionate about. I love creating strategy and helping people win.
Who helped you on your journey?
David Novak, who was the CEO of Yum Brands, which includes KFC and Taco Bell. He is an incredible leader. He was good at valuing everyone’s contribution. He went out and studied other successful businesses and codified their best practices to develop systems for Yum. The number one differentiator of successful businesses is that they build a culture of recognition where everyone counts. He owned this practice by recognizing as many people as possible, giving them a private award, and hanging a picture of them at Yum headquarters so everyone who visited would see their achievement.
What would you say to leaders who think recognition will make them look weak or fluffy?
David would say It’s the soft stuff that drives the complex results. You might be able to motivate people by fear, but if you show someone you appreciate and value them, they’ll do anything for you. I don’t know how many people you’ll impact in your life, but I know there’s at least one person in your life that you can impact. True success is helping people because you want to help them, not for what you hope is on the other side.
What is the way of the secret society?
The way of the secret society is to give without expecting anything in return. You show up and help and serve people because it is the right thing to do. It’s not about being right or getting credit; it’s about helping others win.
What is the biggest leadership challenge you’re seeing today?
Leaders are struggling against time. They want to be better leaders, but they don’t know how to make time for self-improvement. We want to challenge leaders to remember that they aren’t taking the time to learn; they are investing that time. That’s why we created an app that gives leaders a quick 2-minute video of leadership inspiration every day. We’ve even had leaders use these clips to prompt discussion groups in their businesses.
Resources Referenced
Application Activities:
As soon as you’re done listening to this show, do what Tim suggested. Pull out your phone and send a message of appreciation to someone. It doesn’t have to be long or complicated. Just thank them from your heart and share something you appreciate.
Consider what it would mean to be content with serving other people. What would it look like to take yourself out of the equation? Is this something you struggle with? What practice could help you get better at this? (Therapy, gratitude journaling, etc.) What could you do to serve someone without expecting something in return?
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