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This is the ninth and last installment of an interview between Seth Morgan, Founder, and CEO of MLA Companies, and Stone Payton of Business RadioX Studios. In this section, Seth answers the question, what keeps leaders going?
Are you running out of steam, and need to rediscover your reason to keep going? We’ve been there, and we are committed to helping others be stewards of what God has entrusted to them.
Stone: Like so many entrepreneurs, I’m sure occasionally you run out of steam and need to recharge. You’ve mentioned your faith a few times, and I’m sure that’s part of the answer. What energizes you, and where do you go for inspiration, refreshment, and to recharge?
Seth: I get a real kick out of getting in the mess with our clients, rolling up our sleeves, and not just giving good advice, but actually executing with them. So what keeps me going is the combination of personal challenge and opportunity and very strong faith in how we think about the world. That faith has led us to the place for that today.
A few years ago, I reconnected with a pastor of a church that I had attended, and we spent a lot of time building in some theological background. We really got to the “why” question for us, which we now call our Business Redeemed Process. We think it’s a structured way to work with the created order and to evaluate how people and organizations address challenges.
I still find the work exciting, but it is draining at times. Truthfully, I’m an introvert by nature, and I don’t get energy out of constant people interaction. So what recharges me is a quiet date with my wife or just some quiet time at the house with the kids. Sometimes it’s even a long nap on a day where I should otherwise be working.
I wish it were something more dramatic than that. But the truth is, when I’m really up against the wall, those that know me best would say I’m a pretty determined guy.
The real question might be, “What keeps me going when I don’t want to keep going?” Part of the answer is in how I rest and reflect. But it really comes back to the stewardship question.
When I hit the wall, most often I have to remind myself that I’m not the only person who is frustrated with that thing at the moment. Right when I’m feeling the urge to quit, I remember that there’s a team of people that are part of this and they deserve a CEO who gets off his butt and gets back in the game.
Frankly, I make it personal. So for me, it’s simply about reconnecting with the people I deeply love. And, yes, reconnecting with my faith. But that’s not a mountain top experience.
I’ll give my pastor friend credit again because sometimes I simply need to remind myself of what I believe about God. Sometimes that comes from reading the Bible or reflecting or listening to worship music or a song, or even a sermon, or a speech. I reconnect by returning to the foundational things that I really believe.
This often reopens energy and creativity so I can reengage in that stewardship mandate I have for my team, for my clients, for my family. That energizes my determination that gets sucked dry for all of us sometimes.
Have you hit the wall? Is your frustration making you want to quit? There’s a bigger perspective that can help you find a solution to your problem. We can tell you what keeps leaders going. Contact us to learn more.