Help Others Be the Best Version of Themselves
Josh Allan Dykstra, Future Strong Hero, tells us why
Josh Allan Dykstra, Future Strong Hero
Co-CEO, Forte
Author, Igniting the Invisible Tribe
Josh is a work revolutionary who helps companies get un-sucky
Future Strong Hero Series: Insights from top leaders, change
makers and thought leaders who are creating better, bolder tomorrows.
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How do you stay Future Strong? Surrounding myself with great people — people who are actively paying attention to these things, who are personally
trying to be better human beings… We become friends… We put ourselves in
situations where we become the best versions of ourselves. The great part
of being in this space is that we’re constantly meeting people who care
deeply about these issues and have done that self-reflection necessary
to change what needs changing.
How did you get there? For as long as I can remember, I’ve always wanted
to make some dent in the universe — make my mark in some positive way.
For a long time, I thought it would be through music. After a number
of years — after getting fired from a couple jobs! — I figured out that the
lifestyle of being a touring/performing musician just didn’t jibe with my
personality. Around that time I discovered the StrengthsFinder. I realized that
if I could help make workplaces just a little less sucky, that would be a
pretty big dent to leave in the universe!
What do leaders need to do to build Future Strong companies?
The way the world is changing, things that used to feel very safe are now some
of the most dangerous things to do. What if the path that used to feel risky
is now the path to pursue?
So much rises and falls based on leadership — the people who are willing to
stand up and lead, and do something that other people say, “That’s worth
following. I want to go there.”
What those leaders do is they first get to be really good friends with the mirror.
The first place to look whenever something is going on, is always at themselves.
They ask “What the heck did I do? Was I not clear? What’s my part to play in
this?” If you want the world to be different, then you have to be different
yourself.
Successful organizations of the future will be the ones that believe it is a
container for people to become the best versions of themselves. That attract
people by living “We want you to do your best work here! And we exist to
enable that. We’re going to rally around a compelling set of values that
people can align with, so they know what we stand for, they know what’s
expected of them. We’re going to make that inspiring, and not just have a
picture of an eagle on the wall with the word Integrity on it. We’re going
to think differently about our vacation policies, and the hours that we work,
and where people want to work.” All of these things come to be questioned
when we flip our thinking about how we enable people to do their best work.
What’s the role of millennials in all this? They desperately want to do
something meaningful with their lives. The problem is not them, the problem
is so many organizations do not have good enough answers to the questions
they’re asking. Most of our organizations can’t say “Come over here, and we
will help you achieve your dreams. Come over here and I’ll help you be the
best version of you. Come over here and I’ll help you do something great in
the world.” For me, that’s the problem. I view Milliennials not as a
separate category, but as early adopters of the whole shift that’s occurring.
They’re picking up on the necessary changes first.
Dykstra Strongisms
• Strive to be the best version of yourself
• Don’t wait for leaders to “get it.” Hang with people who do
• Millennials are the early adopters of necessary changes
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