Are you looking for high-quality and high-impact leadership development experiences for you and your team?  Are you ready to launch your leadership skills to new heights? 

The Purpose-Driven Leadership Program
Laedan Professional Services, LLC and Alan Mikolaj are proud to announce that enrollment in The Purpose-Driven Leadership Program is now open. 

Our program isn't just another course; it's a transformational experience!

After engaging in this program, you will be equipped to positively impact key metrics such as employee engagement, productivity, innovation, revenue and financials, wellbeing, retention, and most importantly, your leadership effectiveness!

The Purpose-Driven Leadership Program offers an unparalleled opportunity to skyrocket your leadership impact through two powerful, enriching, empirically-driven, engaging, and self-directed online courses.  In this transformative program, you'll discover and unlock the profound impact of leading with and through meaning and purpose. 

The Leading WITH Meaning & Purpose course
Join Alan Mikolaj in Leading WITH Meaning & Purpose, as he unveils his proven, six-step Staircase to a Leadership Philosophy and Core Values Statement.  Gain access to a toolbox of best practices, strategies, and resources.  Learn to harness your philosophy effectively, fostering a leadership style that resonates. 

Experience the empowerment of leading with profound meaning and purpose.  Unveil your best self, magnify your leadership effectiveness, drive growth and productivity, and cultivate a culture of contribution, fulfillment, and success.

The Leading THROUGH Meaning & Purpose course
Then, in Leading THROUGH Meaning & Purpose, you'll uncover the extraordinary potential of guiding your team with profound meaning and purpose by guiding them in the process of creating a Shared Team Mission & Values statement and a Shared Team Vision statement.  You'll ignite a remarkable journey that aligns individual purpose and values with the collective mission, vision, and values.

Equip yourself with invaluable skills, insights, and tools to cultivate a thriving team culture that resonates with personal and professional purpose.  Watch as your team's connection to their work and shared vision drives unparalleled success, fueling team and organizational growth and impact.

To learn more and download both syllabi, click here:  The Purpose-Driven Leadership Program

The Purpose-Driven Leadership Community
In addition to top-notch materials and a world-class LMS platform, you can also connect with our vibrant, online community of leaders for free--a priceless value!  Network with like-minded leaders, share insights and tools, learn from each other, and build meaningful relationships. 

And that's not all!  Included with the program are once a month live, virtual networking and Q&A events with others enrolled in the program and hosted by your instructor and facilitator, Alan Mikolaj!

Meaning and purpose at work has become a crucial factor for employees, leaders, and organizations like never before.  Seize this opportunity and invest in your leadership and team today!

Unlock the power of togetherness!
Enhance your learning journey with our Learning Pods / Team Discounts!  Embrace a shared experience by enrolling as a group.  Special meeting agendas for small groups are built right into the course!

Learning Pods foster connection, feedback, and collaborative growth. Studies affirm that group learning reinforces knowledge, promotes meaningful insights, and fuels effective actions.  Gain diverse perspectives, share feedback, and multiply your learning potential within your Learning Pod. 

Forge interpersonal bonds that extend beyond the course, creating a network of support and empowerment.

Tailored Discounts!  Invest in collective growth.  Enjoy discounts starting from three enrollments, scaling up with your group size.

There's more!
As a course participant or graduate, you receive 50% off your first purchase of any coaching program with Alan!  Details inside the course.

Still not sure?
Get the free whitepaper, Why Purpose-Driven Leadership is so Critical for Leaders Today!

About your instructor
Professional.  Experienced.  Positive.  Passionate.

Alan Mikolaj is on a mission to partner with like-minded leaders who want to make a positive difference in the world.  With his professional expertise, unwavering positivity, and passion, he serves as a sought-after speaker, expert in leadership and organizational development, change agent, author, and coach. 

Alan holds his Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology from Sam Houston State University and he has been partnering with leaders from the frontline to the C-suite for over 15 years.

He is the author of three books and a contributing author in the 20th edition of The Change: Insights Into Self-Empowerment book series by Jim Lutes and Jim Britt with a forward by Les Brown.

Continuously driven by his quest for knowledge, Alan remains a committed student of psychology, leadership, and personal and professional growth and development.  Together with his wife and their twin boys, he resides in coastal southeast Texas near Houston.

Crave dynamic workshops?  Bring Alan directly to your team for an immersive experience that resonates.  You still get access to the complete online course along with the added power of two half-day workshops, virtually or in-person.  Unleash your team's potential with a learning experience that fits your needs!  Ready for the ultimate learning journey?  Get in touch for tailored details (contact information below).

Contact information
Schedule a free, one-hour session by clicking here:  
Discovery Conversation with Alan

Or call:  346-291-0216

Email:  [email protected]

These timeless words from Benjamin Franklin resonate with our quest for self-empowerment and success.  As a small group recently gathered with world-renowned experts Jim Lutes and Jim Britt, a singular insight emerged that has left me pondering throughout the week that is also connected to our opening quote.  But before delving into this treasure trove of wisdom, let's briefly introduce these luminaries.

Jim Lutes is a world-renowned human performance expert, motivational speaker, human mind expert, and persuasion influence expert. 

Jim Britt is an international best-selling author, one of the world’s top 20 success coaches, former business partner with the late, great, Jim Rohn, where Tony Robbins worked under his direction for his seminal years in the seminar business. 

So you as you can imagine, we were all ears.

Self-aware versus Self-observant
Jim Britt emphasized a subtle yet powerful distinction between two fundamental states of being: Self-awareness and self-observance.

Self-awareness is akin to recognizing that you have a problem, while self-observance takes it a step further.  It empowers you to see yourself within that situation and evaluate whether it's propelling you closer to your goals or pulling you away.  This seemingly subtle shift in perspective can have profound implications for achieving success.

"Being self-aware," he said, "let's you know you have a problem.  Being self-observant let's you see yourself in that situation and answer whether it's taking you where you want to go or away from it." 

"That can be uncomfortable, but success is that simple," he concluded.

For example, I might be aware that my team's engagement scores are less than ideal.  I'm being self-observant when I pause and analyze my mindset, what I've done, and haven't done since the last engagement survey.  While it may be uncomfortable, as Britt said, but now, I can own what I control and be more motivated to take effective action.

Groundhog Day
The movie, Groundhog Day, vividly illustrates the concept of stagnant growth.  Like the protagonist played by Bill Murray in the film, some individuals may find themselves stuck in an endless loop, reliving the same year of their lives.

Leaders, too, can fall into this pattern, where the initial year of experience becomes a comfortable rut.  But herein lies the question:  Are you truly evolving as a leader year by year, or are you merely replaying the same chapter?

How would you know? 
Asking yourself whether your actions and environment align with your aspirations assumes several critical factors.  It presumes that you've defined your vision of success, articulated why it matters to you and those around you, and established values and principles to guide your journey.  Furthermore, it presupposes that you've set clear goals, creating a roadmap to bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be.

This introspective lens reveals a compelling parallel between organizational and leadership effectiveness.  Just as organizations meticulously define success, values, and goals, leaders too can benefit from adopting a similar approach in their personal and professional development.

What you can lose.
If you haven't done this kind of deep, introspective work and committed to live and lead by it—if you're not getting stronger year over year—then it's only a matter of time until this begins to impact key aspects of your leadership.

Those who do not live and lead with purpose, values, and clearly defined goals and who don't leverage those with their team, risk losing or not achieving key metrics such as employee engagement, productivity, innovation, revenue and financials, wellbeing, retention, and most importantly, leadership effectiveness!

Where to start.
If you're eager to embark on a transformative leadership journey, my forthcoming program, The Purpose-Driven Leadership Program, is designed to help you unlock the profound impact of leading with and through meaning and purpose. 

By cultivating a thriving team culture rooted in shared mission, vision, and values, you can elevate your leadership effectiveness to new heights.

To learn more and secure pre-release discounts, feel free to reach out today!

Just click here:  Contact Alan

BetterUp Labs, Gallup, Great Place to Work, Korn Ferry, Psychology Today, and a host of neuroscientists, psychologists, and leadership and personal growth experts (including yours truly) have been touting the power of purpose.

Now, AARP Studios is premiering it's latest documentary, The Hidden Power of Purpose, on October 8 at the Heartland International Film Festival—about the same time as my new leadership development program, The Purpose-Driven Leadership Program and my new book, The Change: Insights Into Self -Empowerment will be released.  Coincidence?  Synchronicity of the Universe? 

The film follows the stories of four Americans over the age of 50 who have overcome tremendous challenges to pursue their passion for service.

From the AARP site about the film, "Included in the documentary are top researchers and leading scientists from the University of Michigan, Cornell, UCLA, Johns Hopkins and George Mason University.  Also featured are Deepak Chopra, world-renowned leader in the fields of holistic health and human potential, and CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta (love this guy!) who shares insights on the correlation between brain health and living a meaningful life."

What's really amazing is that AARP has been celebrating older people who have found their purpose and are pursuing their passion to make a positive difference in the world (sound familiar?) for seven years! 

Called the AARP Purpose Prize, this annual award illuminates older people using their purpose to create social change and takes into consideration the impact of their work, their innovative approaches  to helping others, and the power of their personal stories.  The top prize-winner receives a $50,000 award towards their organization (they're all nonprofits). 

After the awards, the public then gets to vote on which of the five winners inspires them the most.  That person will be awarded the AARP Inspire Award and an additional $10,000 for their organization.

AARP said that celebrating the power of purpose in the lives of older people is part of their mission to reframe how society looks at aging and give all Americans the freedom to choose how they live as they age.

AARP, you rock!

Confucius' timeless wisdom about choosing a job you love is a concept most of us aspire to. However, could there be more to it than just the act of selection?  In this article, we'll delve into an intriguing connection between Robert Sternberg's triangular theory of love and the profound impact it has on job satisfaction and overall happiness, as revealed by the research of Dr. E. Kevin Kelloway and his colleagues.

Exploring Sternberg's Triangular Theory of Love
For those familiar with psychology, Robert Sternberg's triangular theory of love is no stranger.  It posits that love can be broken down into three key components, forming a triangle: intimacy, passion, and decision/commitment.

Here's an overview of what Dr. Kelloway and his colleagues have uncovered regarding loving one's job:

Passion for Work
The first vertex of loving one's job is a genuine passion for the work.  This isn't just about being satisfied with your job; it's about experiencing excitement, enthusiasm, and personal fulfillment from the tasks you perform.  When passion infuses your work, it takes on a deeper meaning, and you approach it with eagerness and a sense of purpose. 

Healthy Work Relationships
The second vertex, intimacy, is characterized by fostering healthy, high-quality relationships within the workplace.  Intimacy in this context goes beyond camaraderie; it involves a sincere desire to enhance the well-being of your colleagues.  This shared commitment leads to trust, partnership, and teamwork, all of which contribute to a positive work environment.  As a leader, you play a pivotal role in setting the tone and fostering these valuable relationships.

Affective Commitment
Affective commitment involves an emotional attachment to and identification with the organization.  It's a feeling of wanting to be at work rather than feeling obligated to be there.  Employees with affective commitment believe they belong to the organization, feel like integral team members, and see the value they bring.  As a result, they willingly dedicate themselves to achieving organizational goals, making them highly valuable assets.

The Rewards of Loving Your Work
When all three vertices align, you experience genuine love for your job.  Notably, this love extends to your employees and can yield significant dividends for both individuals and organizations alike.

Here are some of the key benefits:

• Reduced Turnover: Employees who love their jobs are more likely to stay, reducing turnover rates and the costs associated with hiring and training new staff.
• Increased Group Cohesion: Healthy relationships at work foster a sense of unity and collaboration among team members, enhancing group cohesion.
• Positive Workplace Behaviors: Loving your job translates into positive behaviors, including increased cooperation, support, and a willingness to go the extra mile for colleagues and the organization.
• Better Attendance: When you love your job, you're more motivated to show up consistently and contribute your best effort.
• Greater Job Performance: Employees who are passionate and committed tend to perform better, leading to improved overall job performance.
• Boosted Productivity: Job satisfaction and passion often correlate with higher productivity levels, benefiting both individual employees and the organization.
• Higher Well-being/Happiness: Perhaps the most significant reward of all is an increased sense of well-being and happiness among employees, contributing to a healthier and more vibrant workplace.

As we celebrate Labor Day, let's reflect on the profound connection between loving one's job, the positive impact it has on individuals and organizations, and how we can all strive to create workplaces where this kind of love can flourish.  After all, as Confucius wisely noted, choosing a job you love can truly transform the way you experience work and life.