Thank you to the 1,400 leaders who’ve generously done the 7 questions!
I hope reading
helps you in your leadership.
Cheers,
Jonno White
7 Questions with Dave Evans
7 Questions with Dave Evans
Name: Dave Evans
Current title: CEO
Current organisation: Real Leadership Consulting
Dave Evans is the founder of RLC Global, RLC Consult®, FireStarter®, Coachpad®, a keynote speaker and author.
Dave founded the businesses in 2008 at the start of the last great global recession and has spent his time, leading, coaching, and inspiring the clients we serve and the team we lead, to prosper no matter what is going on in the world around you.
▶️We spend our time, enabling businesses, teams, people to become, best version businesses®
▶️Our global work is built around training advisors, consultants, and professional services on products and programs, to serve their clients.
1. What have you found most challenging as a leader of a small or medium enterprise?
Recognizing the difference in the attitude of the people who choose to adopt an attitude of working with you, compared to those that see the work as a job and therefore are a small part of the journey you are on.
2. How did you become a leader of an SME? Can you please briefly tell the story?
Through circumstances. I was in a highly paid job in the telecoms world, through a series of small events with huge impact - my direction changed.
I had acquired too many driving license points. I lost my license impacting the business decision meant that couldn’t set a precedent condoning a lost license for someone whose job was to travel even if I employed a driver.
So the contract was terminated, they reluctantly let him go, at that point, I was asked to go back as a consultant, which started the process of being self-employed, and RLC in its first iteration became to be.
3. How do you structure your work days from waking up to going to sleep?
Morning ritual - water with lemon, Coffee, private meditation, Dollar Dream Club, visualization
Workout - core and endurance
Lunch - a period of break and reflection
Afternoon work on the USA side of our business.
4. What's the most recent significant leadership lesson you've learned?
Remaining purpose focussed, mission-centered and working to four key cornerstones in your life and business.
5. What's one book that has had a profound impact on your leadership so far? Can you please briefly tell the story of how that book impacted your leadership?
Mans search for meaning Viktor Frankl
He lays bare from his time in a concentration camp, the layers of our mindset and attitude that define us. We are the sum of our thoughts, our thinking does become our reality.
The special powers of our mindset drive the outcomes in our future, today.
6. How do you build leadership capacity in an SME?
We use our Best Version Business Framework process. Marking out and making sure that we have a framework all people can understand and develop as part of it.
A clear Y-FACTOR
A clear Future View
A robust and active Culture following our process
Values & Behaviors defined and matched to key skills
A 24 month plan
7. What is one meaningful story that comes to mind from your time as a leader of an SME so far?
There was a period in time, where we were short on cash flow and clients.
We were building the business in the EU and the USA and we had to believe in the path we were on. When you are doing the right work, matched by the right level of focus and action, there will be a time where you are asked to stay on the path, when all the intelligence around you will sway you from the path. As the leader, you have to stay committed and see it through. Only a comet size event should veer you off in a different direction.