Work Life Harmony with Morgan Tucker

Just like we do as as leaders and owners and visionaries, we spend hours crafting the perfect word coining the perfect phrase, trying to feel the most impact. So our song is constantly playing in our own head.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: All right, tribe. Welcome to awakened greatness with Dr. Cliff Fisher, and special guests, Morgan Tucker, brought to you by Dream leader Institute where we awaken your greatness and give you the tools to find and create your greatest self and raise the consciousness of the planet. And so I'm super excited today to be with Morgan. I know we're gonna talk about like business and the impact that dream DLI has, or Dream Leader Institute in that space, I know, it's helped me clarify a ton of stuff. I know it's helped you clarify a ton of stuff and really be a better leader. So I'd love just to kind of hear your just your initial thoughts. I have a couple of questions. Yeah.

So I think business as a whole, there's really two aspects to it. I don't know, man, if there's multiple, but I think there's really two kind of buckets. And there's one strategic piece. And there's a people piece. And both of them are equally important. And vital to the success of the business.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: Yeah, I love that. I think you're spot on. Because I know when I talk to business owners, they're, like, 90% of the problems are people and 90% of the solutions are in the strategy. Right? Right. Right. So in creating that clarity, which I know, we'll get into that in a second, but, um, so my first question is, you know, what do you think are the key characteristics of a resilient and successful business in today's world?

Yeah, so I'm gonna just, I'm gonna lean really, really heavily into my my company. fillet a lot is a pretty revere company, when it comes to actually both buckets of strategy and people. And so a lot of it becomes who we are, at our core. And so to be, you know, with, from my takeaway as a Chick fil A operator for the past decade, just some of my takeaways for just being a resilient and successful business is having a clear, concise vision, true care for your people, having consistency and excellence, and being relentless, and both of those pursuits, foresight and planning, staying truly humble, and having lots of fun.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: That's what everybody forgets, right?

Me. I do I forget it a lot. I have to be reminded. Thankfully, I have some amazing people on my team that helped me remember.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: Yeah, right. Because we're just like, Okay, next thing, next thing.

Moving forward, but true, it Kathy, our founder, he relied heavily. And he had this amazing statement that says, anything is possible when we come with care, and confidence. And when we have those two things in business, you know, I think it really, if you break that statement down, we really can't do anything when we climb with Karen confidence to you. The care is the people aspect of it and the customer aspect of it. And the confidence is the foresight planning and strategic strategy of knowing where we're going.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: Yeah, makes me think of like what people are looking for in their doctors, like they're looking for three things. They're looking for certainty, passion, and empathy. I think people are probably looking for that for from their leaders as well. Absolutely.

Empathy is is one characteristic that is a rarity. Nowadays in business, especially in a lot of leaders, and as we continue to try to figure it out, and we have this war on talent as we are going through in every industry, finding good help can be hard to find and care and empathy. A lot of times, even especially in economic crisis times, kind of falls to the wayside when it really should be the main focus and priority because when you care for your people, they care for your business.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: Yeah. And the people that come to your business to? Yeah, you can always tell a lot about a company by how that, like the senior managers or owners or CEO, how they take care of their people and how they talk to and treat their people like you can tell a lot about a company. And that's

for sure that she can. Absolutely. And

Dr. Cliff Fisher: then my next question. So I think I just want to just double click on that, so that I think you're spot on on the clarity. Like the clarity is so important. Karen consistency, the foresight, district strategic part, the planning, and then having fun. And so how is your approach to leadership and management evolved, as your business has grown? Because I know, you have some big goals this year, and I know you've grown that from almost nothing, right?

Yeah, yeah. Yes, we did. So, you know, I share what I've been an operator for almost a decade. So I started as an operator in my 20s, in which everybody knows, people in their 20s know absolutely everything, and you can't tell them anything. And I was no different. No different than that. And I'm like, I've got this all thing about, you just sit back and watch. Oh, oh, the, the failures, the glorious, beautiful failures that that created in Fortune I'm gonna make. So you know, that was kind of where I started is, I'm a 20 year old, that knows everything about everything. And, you know, can't tell me nothing too, then. I think a lot of leaders go through this space of, hey, we come in confident, and then, you know, everybody's got a plan until they get punched in the mouth.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: Yeah, right.

And so it almost kind of, I went through a season of stepping back a lot. And maybe even having some of that fear and a little bit of timidness in my leadership style to where am I will second guess a lot of things that I had going on, because I got punched in the mouth a couple.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: Like, dang, I don't want that again, more

often than not guaranteed. But you know, it's it's, I mean, that's just reality. And it's, it's real, and it's vulnerable. But in that space, I figured out how to surround myself with some people and create some trust, with leaning into some other people that were on my team that genuinely wanted to see me in the business succeed. And so I'm leaned during that, that time of timidness, I leaned into to some of those leaders. And so then that kind of helped build my confidence a little more, as a leader, when we started getting these small wins that kind of rolled into these big ones. And I ended up being the kind of leader that, um, was like, hey, you know what, we're just going to try it and see if it sticks, we'll throw it at the wall and see what sticks. So that that works for a season, especially when you kind of get things. But as the leader I am now and where I am in my current space. And I want one of the big things that I want everybody to hear if they don't hear anything else in this is it is okay for you to change your position and to grow as a leader in who you are. And it's okay to change your mind and change your position on lots of things. If you know who you are, and your core values, and you know, what your genius attributes are, everything else is subject to change. And so it's okay for us to be be different. be different in that space. You kind

Dr. Cliff Fisher: of said it on the last one like grit, you know, and I think there's that space. And I remember having a conversation with a buddy of mine, and we talked about grit or quit. Yeah, I feel like our generation asked to do a little bit more quitting. And I think the younger generation needs to do a little bit more gridding you know, like so, you know,

I've learned though now in the season of leadership, where I am to lean into outside experts to make wiser decisions with counsel And I have a clear vision and strategic plan for where I'm going. And then that actually helps me lean more into my team and their creative geniuses, to where they can be the best versions of themselves in our workspace that still accomplishes the goals and the vision that I've cast for the business. And so it's kind of a mess. It's kind of a mesh of the 20s. I know everything to where, you know, now I'm having to rely on some people and, and then flipping into really kind of a beautiful meshing of both to where, hey, I'm confident in who I am as a leader, and where I am, and where my business is going. And I know that I have to have the people around me to be able to do it that I can't do it myself.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: Yeah, so many nuggets on that. Knowing when to lean on the experts, they say, at least in the chiropractic world, it's like zero to a million, just throw it on your back, do it your way, don't ask other people just get to a million dollars a year. And then I think, you know that one to five, then it's like for at least for chiropractic. It's like bringing in the experts getting the coaching and getting coaching before it's fine. But like, I think so often we're like, oh, what's the magic pill that's gonna get us to success. And that first million is truly like, the gridding it just doing the work and figuring it out and taking the beatings getting punched in the mouth? You know,

it is because it even like we said, in our last last episode getting punched in the mouth, it's just those failures that those are the ones we learn from the most. Absolutely. And we really, it's just a huge part of who we are, and it will make or break you one or the other. Yeah,

Dr. Cliff Fisher: absolutely. Right. And it's just getting up one more time, we can be so close to success. But if we don't get up for, you know, a failure, totally on her note. So All right, last question for this. And, you know, we were talking about this before, and I think it's so important that vision and vision casting and, you know, I think so often we're afraid to share a vision because we're like, Oh, I already told him that one time, but like, we only retain I think 7% Of what somebody says. And so we're so concerned that we're going to be repetitive, where they're like, where are we going? What's the vision? Yes, absolutely. And what,

what is so beautiful about vision is the we play it in our heads so well. And so if you'll indulge me in a small game, just to kind of even show kind of even set up for this, so we're gonna play the humming game. All right. I know just like but there's, there's just bear with us because there's, there's outcome to it. So and I'm a terrible plumber. So you know, that's, that's, uh, you're at a disadvantage already. Cliff.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: So, just to explain, because I didn't know what the humming game was until the like the pre show. So the humming game, so she's gonna hum a song and I'm supposed to guess the song. Correct? Correct. So

here we go. Mm hmm.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: I'm gonna go with happy birthday.

Happy birthday. That's right. Okay, here's one more one more. Hmm, I

Dr. Cliff Fisher: feel like it's got to be a Christmas song. But I don't know which one.

It was Jesus loves me. All right. See, see those. That's it because I knew what songs were playing in my head already. And I've spent just like we do as as leaders and owners and visionaries. We spent hours crafting the perfect word coining the perfect phrase, trying to feel the most impact. So we're, we're our song is constantly playing in our own head. But when we tried to take what's in our head and put it into words, it's not always captured the way that we think it should be. And there's this initial letdown and disappointment that we can we can associate but it's not really fair to our team because they're not in our head. Right. So So as we are crafting, and I have had visions from all kinds of where it is three and four sentences long, to where now my, my, my newest, my newest one is just, you know, my one before is courageous was curiously changing the world one caring encounter at a time, which is seems like it's a lot shorter than it was from three sentences. I can't even hardly remember that when it 15 Girls remember Ed, you know, especially the idea there's work in two, three days a week, you know, from how can I how can I expect them to remember that, that when I simplified it enough to be the Chick fil A, that everybody loves? You, it's simple, it's connected, and it's heartfelt. And when we love something, there's a genuine emotion attached to it. And so, when we try to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, especially something that other people love, there's more buy in. Yeah. And so my encouragement to to all leaders that are out there, when you when we are casting vision, make it simple, make it heartfelt, and make it connective. Because people are starving to be a part of something bigger than themselves that they can feel a true connection to at that point. And you just, you repeat it at nauseam. Because eventually, when they see how you act around your vision, and you have to stay totally committed to your vision, whether the words change or not, it's the value behind the vision and the clear points of where you're going. So not only your words, but your actions. They'll catch it, and you keep saying it and you keep doing it, they will see it.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: I always say like to leaders on our team, like we're gonna get tired of our greatest hits way before our team members or patients or, you know, clients or whatever are going

to, absolutely, without a doubt,

Dr. Cliff Fisher: like when you said that, like the three things that every team member is looking for is they're looking for purpose, connection and flexibility. And the vision story truly is that connection, and they need to be able to see themselves in that. So you not only need to have a vision to be able to be a vision caster, where they're like, Oh, I see myself in there. And seeing themselves as the hero in the story because nobody wants to participate in somebody else's story. So they have to really see them in that space. To that and maybe it couldn't happen if they weren't part of it.

Absolutely and, and for us being you know, being the Chick fil A that everybody loves. Every guest that walks through that door is an opportunity to create a moment of care and a moment of magic for that for that customer. And for us as a leadership team. Every time a team member walks in the door, we have an opportunity to show them love and care to make Chick fil A a place. They love coming to work. So it's a two fold. They love coming to work there. And guess love coming to eat there. Yeah.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: And it's you know, when you're saying that, just you know, we can tell everybody everything, but they don't do what you say they do what you do. So they're just like kids, you know?

Oh, all too well.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: So let's see. Well, all right. So I think for me on this one, Morgan, my biggest takeaway is getting super clear on what your takeaway is. And I always think of the vision story, it's like a trailer to a movie that makes you want to go see that movie and if it doesn't make if it doesn't inspire somebody to lean in and probably need to work on the story.

Absolutely. Between that and your vision and knowing where you want to go who you are and know your core values.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: So yeah,

those are so you cannot have a business without those things. You're just gonna flounder around. Because what you don't do is going to It's gonna make it for you. So if you don't set them ahead of time, if you don't cast the vision, if you don't set the core values, your culture is gonna set it for you. And it may or not be what you want. Yeah.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: So I think getting I know, my personal core values and my business, core values are different. There's one, that's the same, but but they are all aligned. And so making sure that everything's aligned. And, you know, so funny because we make a business, and then we write a mission statement versus here's my mission, and then I'm going to create a business to support my mission. And so and I really think that's where do I actually, you know, on the front end of that, you know, ours was to raise the consciousness of the planet, and to do it one person at a time. And we're really congruent with that, especially as you get into, again, shy and caring, like those are, you know, to the top core values for TLI. And so just how important that is. Yes, absolutely.

And I think, as you continue to prioritize those things with your core values, you're right, there's so many things in business that we do backwards. And it's, you know, even when it comes down to our hiring practices, you know, when we, when we really aligned, what we're looking for, most of it comes between attributes and attitude. But the majority of us are hiring first skill and knowledge is a very small part of our business. So that is one reason it is so important for you to know where you're going and your vision and set your eyes they are because when your eyes waver so does your business. And so if you stay completely honed in and focused, and as with anything in life, just to me, if you think about even driving a car, if you're looking at a wreck over here, guess where your car is naturally going, oh, yeah, ever to where you're growing. So if they say, I've never personally taking a surfing lesson, but you know, I'm actually from the coasts. So I know a lot of people that have, I just don't do surfing. But they say once you're up on the board, you have to keep your eyes where you're, like, look to see where you want to go, because the board will go where your eyes are. And so when we keep our eyes focused on what our core values and our priorities are, the business will just naturally fall.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: Yeah, no DLI, we have some forms for that to help you guys, you know, figure out your core values. They're easy. I don't know if they're easy. I'm gonna say they're simple to do, but they're also simple not to do and I think a lot of people are like, it doesn't matter. But the more and more laps and as you start to get really solid on your core values, it starts to help you make decisions and so if you're not making decisions through your core values, and you probably don't have them yet yeah, absolutely

in the election, they will make them for you. Yeah, because people in the whirlwind of business people will ultimately do what's in their best interest. And if they don't have core values or know the core values of the business, they're just naturally going to look out for themselves which may not may or may not serve

Dr. Cliff Fisher: Yeah, or even create their own and that's not what you know. Like I always tell my team members this is I put my arm around him and I'm like, These are core values that we hire and fire on and promote on and and so if that's the truth, then that's the way to run it. But before it was like, Oh, these are our core values. They're pretty they're what the world wants to hear. So I would just go deep and really look at truly truly and I know this isn't a core values conversation but truly spend the time of not who you aspire to be but who you are.

Yes, you are at your core. Why characteristics about you? Do you want to say in your business, what are your maker breaks? What are your boundaries? All of those things are so important and yet you're you're so right cliff when you said that I'm like, he's so right. And they're so easy to just say I'll just do that another time because they don't feel as important as as meshing out a numbers goal. We're going to get this many cars to the drive thru. I'm going to hire this many people. I'm going to have an NPS score of 70 like it doesn't they don't seem that way because they're kind of squishy. Yeah, yes. And people have a hard time measuring squishy. Yep. But they are foundational. Yeah. He's facing the business and the lens that you should be making every business decision.

Dr. Cliff Fisher: All right, there we go. So that's business in a nutshell. Thanks so much for that Morgan. Next time we're going to be talking about mom guilt. I'm super excited to get in on this one tune in next time but it'll be really interesting anyways, Has mom guilt has a loved one that has mom guilt, like, tune into the next episode. So um, thanks so much, Morgan. I really appreciate you and I'll see you on the next episode.

Always a pleasure cliff. Thank you