LegalShield CEO Bell: Leaders Need To ‘Make The Difficult Simple’

Jeff Bell believes the hardest thing a leader can do is make the complex seem simple, especially when it comes to motivating and managing people. Developing this skill is what sets apart many successful leaders, whether they are football coaches or Fortune 500 executives.

Jeff should know: he was a former All-American player at Kenyon College who has worked with some incredible football coaches. He’s also served in senior leadership roles at companies such as Ford, Chrysler, Microsoft and NBC Universal before taking the reins as CEO of legal services provider LegalShield.

 “Leaders owe it to themselves to devote lots of energy to making the difficult simple,” Bell said, “Because once a process has been simplified and everybody understands it, that’s when you scale.” To illustrate, Bell recounts how his coach, Bob Gregg, turned the “triple option” play into four straight Western Ohio League championships at Centerville High School, and how Ford “brand maven” Jim Schroer introduced him to the concept of the “North Star” as a unifying and simplifying way to show each member of the team how he or she can best support the mission.

In this episode, he offers an abundance of practical tips on vulnerability, dealing with pressure and developing lifelong learning habits essential for leaders seeking to inspire their teams as well as progress in their own careers. And he makes sure each one is simplified for the listener!

YOU WILL LEARN:

(6:00) One way to make your team’s processes more effective.

(10:00) How to teach ownership to your team members.

(11:45) The greatest energy effort in leadership

(19:30) How to perform well under pressure.

(30:00) “Mission” and “vision” are buzz words, learn how to implement it successfully.

Check out the full Corporate Competitor Podcast interview archive and subscribe to new episodes.