How To Take Ownership In Leadership To Better Success With Anthony Flynn

What separates the most successful leaders from the rest? Ownership. In this episode, I sit down with Anthony Flynn, a trusted advisor to Fortune 100 executives and high-performing CEOs, to uncover the mindset and habits that drive leadership excellence. Anthony shares his powerful journey—from overcoming poverty to leading multimillion-dollar ventures—and the lessons he learned about resilience, self-leadership, and adding value.

We dive into the concept of being the CEO of your own life, why servant leadership always outperforms transactional leadership, and how to maintain relentless curiosity and discipline to keep growing. Whether you're a seasoned executive or just starting your leadership journey, this conversation will challenge you to take full ownership of your growth, influence, and impact.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how to lead at a higher level and become the kind of leader that others want to follow. Plus, hear Anthony’s top book recommendations and daily habits for success. Tune in now!

Connect with Anthony Flynn:

If you’re ready to take ownership of your leadership journey and grow into the best version of yourself, connect with Anthony Flynn. Follow him on LinkedIn for powerful insights or visit AmazingCEO.com to learn how he equips CEOs and executives for long-term success.

Books Ment

Right now, you can get an extra 20% off your ticket for the Scale with Stability Summit with my exclusive code CATALYTIC20 at checkout.

Visit scalewithstability.com to grab your ticket—I hope to see you there!

Right now, you can get an extra 20% off your ticket for the Scale with Stability Summit with my exclusive code CATALYTIC20 at checkout.

Visit scalewithstability.com to grab your ticket—I hope to see you there!

Right now, you can get an extra 20% off your ticket for the Scale with Stability Summit with my exclusive code CATALYTIC20 at checkout.

Visit scalewithstability.com to grab your ticket—I hope to see you there!

Chapters

• 0:00 The Power of Ownership in Leadership
• 5:08 From Adversity to Influence
• 10:53 Leadership is a Responsibility, Not a Title
• 18:46 Adding Value Over Transactions
• 26:31 The Relentless Pursuit of Growth
• 32:36 How to Lead at a Higher Level

Transcript

Dr. William Attaway: 0:37

It is an incredible honor today to have Anthony Flynn on the podcast. Anthony is a highly sought-after advisor to CEOs, key executives and their companies. His extensive experience includes leadership roles with numerous Fortune 100 giants like Kraft Foods, rj Reynolds and 3M, as well as pivotal executive positions in several multi-million dollar-dollar nonprofit ventures. As a respected authority in his field, anthony has been a featured speaker at institutions and events including Harvard University, emory University, georgia Tech and the University of Memphis. His insights have been broadcast on platforms including the Wall Street Journal syndicated radio show, biz 1190, tedx and the Q Conference. Anthony, I'm so glad you're here. Thanks for being on the show.

Anthony Flynn: 1:28

Man, william, it's such an honor. Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate you. I appreciate the platform you have shared and extended to your audience and beyond, and it's such a delight and honor to join you here today.

Dr. William Attaway: 1:40

I'm looking forward to a fantastic conversation, so am I. Let's jump in.

Intro/Outro: 1:46

Welcome to Catalytic Leadership, the podcast designed to help leaders intentionally grow and thrive. Here is your host author and leadership and executive coach, dr William Attaway.

Dr. William Attaway: 2:03

Here's where I'd like to start. I would love for you to share some of your story with our listeners, particularly around your journey and your development as a leader. How'd you get started?

Anthony Flynn: 2:13

Yeah. So you know, I don't know how many people you've had on, but they may not go back as far as I am on this. And I'm going to go all the way back to the very beginning of my childhood, and it's relevant because my mother was a teenage mother, so she was 16 years old when she got pregnant with me. She actually had me the summer before her senior year of high school, and that's relevant because we essentially had to navigate life on our own. We had not much support. She was a single mom, she and my biological father, who did graduate high school together, but I was with them their entire senior year. They eventually moved in together, but that relationship did not work out and so my mom and I were left to essentially fend for ourselves. Eventually she met a man. Fend for ourselves. Eventually she met a man many years later that eventually became my stepfather.

Anthony Flynn: 3:11

But I learned a lot, william, in hindsight at an early age in terms of having to become more independent, how to navigate life, understanding that life can punch you in the mouth and there are times you've just got to get back up and fight. And so, frankly, the leadership in me I like to tell people that the CEO in me was birthed in those early years because I had to become the CEO of me. I had to become the CEO of my own life and really understand that if things were going to happen in life, I had to get up myself and actually fight for the things that I wanted in my life. Now I'll pause because you had a moment there, so let me not keep rambling. Did you have something you wanted?

Dr. William Attaway: 3:46

to throw in. No, that's really good. I think that type of ownership and that type of intentionality is one of the things that I hear most often among successful people, and I just want to call that out so our listeners hear that you know, I chose to be the CEO of my life. Yes, you get to choose. I just I want to call that out. I love that.

Anthony Flynn: 4:09

Yeah, and you know you bring up a great point, William, because, oddly enough, just before the recording of this podcast, I was speaking to a leader who has gone through a lot of trauma and military background, gone through a lot of trauma and still struggles with taking ownership of their life. The trauma has overwhelmed them so much that it's been a challenge and a struggle to rebalance and to regain traction, and so I was literally just having this conversation about being the CEO of your life and that you have the power and the authority within you to actually to actually push yourself forward, or pull yourself forward, however you want to look at it. Granted, you need to lean on and rely on other resources around you. So I'm, I'm I'm not the I'm not the person who just assumes that you can make it all by yourself. In fact, quite the complete contrary.

Anthony Flynn: 5:00

So many came into my life, william, in my early years, my primary years, my high school years, my early career, who made such an impact in my life, who helped breathe life into me, who helped show me the ropes and show me things I never would have learned outside of being in a context with people who had favorable knowledge and wisdom in those areas, and so I do highly encourage that those who are listening that, as you think about this concept of becoming the CEO of your life, look at ways you can lean on resources and people around you, but understand that the ownership of that comes from within. It starts with you.

Dr. William Attaway: 5:40

That's so good. You know, as you say, that I'm thinking about. You know, when I was 15 years old, I had a teacher in high school invite me to attend my first leadership conference. I'd never, ever really thought about leadership as a discipline or a field of study or anything, but he saw something in me I didn't see in myself. Yeah, and here, some 40 years later, I'm still a student of leadership and now helping others, and it's so exactly what you're saying the people around us have such an incredible impact. I love that you brought that out too.

Anthony Flynn: 6:13

Yeah, so I'll share that. My first encounter with I mean, I had at least my first realization of an encounter with leadership. I was actually in fifth grade and it was my fifth grade teacher. Her name was Angela Atkins and I went to elementary school in Memphis, Tennessee, in the inner city, in a very rough community, all the orange mountain community, and so actually, William, speaking of my background, my leadership moment came out of something negative.

Anthony Flynn: 6:41

I got into a fight with one of my good friends in my classroom Actually, Kendrick is no longer with us, unfortunately, due to a drug deal gone bad. So I really do come from some rough terrain and a challenging background, knowledge and background. But Kendrick and I got into a little fight and Angela Atkins Miss Atkins is what we affectionately called her, obviously at that time she came into the room and the class was loud and kids were yelling and she was down the hall and she pulled me aside. This was game changing for me. She pulled me aside and she said Anthony, I was actually going to allow you to go on the trip to Huntsville, Alabama, to visit the space center. However, I'm only willing to take classroom leaders with me on that trip.

Anthony Flynn: 7:31

And that was the first time in my life that so I had the grades right, I was a straight A student, but my conduct frankly, admittedly to your audience, was terrible because of all the emotional challenges and trauma. But, william, that was the first time in my life that I understood the importance of how behavior and performance can influence the climate of success or the lack thereof. And that was when the framing of leadership really became a thing for me. It's like oh, if I stand out as a leader and if I handle my business, I get rewarded, I get compensated for that behavior, and so on. A dime man, everything shifted for me.

Anthony Flynn: 8:14

And, by the way, I went on that trip as a fifth grader. She took myself and one other kid in the classroom and so we were the two students. So she had her eye on me and up to that point, no teacher had ever really chosen to wrap their arms around me, metaphorically, right, and say you know what? I see potential in this kid, even though he has a challenged background, even though his conduct isn't great, I'm going to call him forward, I'm going to call the leadership forward out of him. Angela was the first person to deliver that for me, my goodness.

Dr. William Attaway: 8:47

And now what we get to do is to see the potential in other people, absolutely, and we get to call that out and we get to work with them to see what they can't see, because you can't see the whole picture when you're in the frame.

Anthony Flynn: 8:59

I love it.

Dr. William Attaway: 9:00

I love it Absolutely see the whole picture when you're in the frame. I love it. I love it Absolutely. So how do you get from the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center to now working with Fortune 100 companies?

Anthony Flynn: 9:12

Yep, yep, yep. So again, in that moment as crazy as it may sound to people, it does connect in that, again I saw, frankly, that you know we live in America, right, william? So capitalism, the construct of capitalism, free enterprise, and so I saw in that moment that how I perform, how I behave, et cetera, influenced the trajectory of my life. I didn't have to put it into words at that time, trajectory of my life. I didn't have put it into words at that time. But I, but I was able to see that, okay, anthony, if you man up and if you humble your business, you get rewarded for that. If you don't, you get penalized, you get punished for that. And in the system that I was in, right school system, right, the school system, the structure of that school and the structure of that system rewarded me or punished me based on that behavior. I began to govern my life, William, with that in mind. That, ok, going forward, anthony, if you do the right things, the right way, and you do it at the highest level, society, culture and people around you will honor that and reward you in return. If you don't bring your A game, if you don't perform at the highest level, guess what? You can get rewarded, but the reward doesn't come at the same magnitude that it does when you really honor your craft, honor your gift, honor who you are, bring the best of you to the game every day. And so that is how it evolved into high school, you know, middle school, to high school, where you know graduated, you know one of the top students in my class and you know act on the football field. I ended up signing a full scholarship and so you name it. But that really became the governing tool of my life that that I was competing with me and not with everyone around me and that I had to every day make me better. That I had to, that I had to move the finish line for myself and continue to really climb new heights for myself. And, of course, william.

Anthony Flynn: 11:11

Out of that, what really led to me developing other leaders was I started to get. Angela Atkins was the first educator to call on me. But fast forward to my high school, my junior year, when my head football coach called me in and said Anthony, we've got some guys on the team that are not doing well the drug usage and a number of other things. We want you to talk to the football team and I'm going, man, I'm one of the guys, I'm just as I'm who. They are right. But the coaches, because of my character, because of how I carried myself, because of my performance in the classroom, my effort on the football field, they saw the leadership in me and they asked me to then in fact, influence others around me. And so, william, it became organic that I was that guy you know, from middle school to high school to college, my internships and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Anthony Flynn: 12:03

And so, fast forward, I became officially a CEO, if you will, technically executive director. I started a community development corporation. We planted a church in Memphis, tennessee, which is where I'm from. We planted a church in the neighborhood, in the hood, if you will that I grew up in, that my mom still lives in, by the way, and that church we started with 60 people, 60 volunteers, myself and the lead pastor, and we grew that church to over 10,000 members in four years and that is not an exaggeration. We moved five times in four years because of explosive growth and we were on Outreach Magazine's fastest growing churches top 23 years in a row. I mean it just it was crazy. The growth right.

Anthony Flynn: 12:45

So out of that was really when the entrepreneur in me was awakened in a way that I never realized. And so, at the age and then five, I started our community development corporation and began to blend my passion for ministry and faith with the context of community engagement and business development. And so it was in the church, actually for me, william, that I started to develop leaders and realize that I had the influence, if you will, to really pour into people and develop people. And then that community development corporation became a community based expression of that, by the way, that what started as an idea now has five charter schools, an entrepreneurial institute, a public apartment community, a health clinic and a number of other things that really I conceptualized.

Anthony Flynn: 13:37

But my successor came in and really, because I relocated from Memphis to California and my successor came in and really took what I conceptualize and started with the board and everything and really took that thing to the next level and it's flourishing to this day. So 20 years later, they're having, oddly enough, literally the 20 year celebration is next week. Oh, my goodness, yeah, literally, as we record, as we record is next week from this recording. So, yeah, yeah, 20 years. So that I saw the opportunity to pour into people and to develop people, and that I, as a leader, could have influence in the lives of other people, william, who didn't have access to the same resources, and both human capital, financial capital whatever you want to call it in that community is where it began for me now I often teach that there is no such thing as a wasted experience in your life right, that even the, even the, the highest highs and the lowest lows have contributed to make you and I who we are, and we would not be the same person without them.

Dr. William Attaway: 15:52

And that we have a choice you and I. We can choose to be a reservoir of all that experience and all the insight that comes along with it, trying to hold it all in just for us, or we can be a conduit of that and we can share that open-handedly, freely, with the people around us for their benefit. As I listen to your story and what you created and how that has impacted and blessed so many other people in so many different areas, that's what I think about. I think about that whole conduit concept. Does that resonate?

Anthony Flynn: 16:27

Oh, 100%. You know, look, I hope you don't mind me sharing biblically but it's more blessed to give than to receive, and I have literally found that to be true in my life. I always tease when I speak and I'm speaking to high school students to say, hey, how many of you would love somebody to give you a thousand bucks? Of course, speaking at a high school, everybody's. I said but what if you're in a position where you're able to be the one to give that, meaning you're in such a great position that you're the person writing the check for the $1,000. And guess what? Everything you need is covered, and even many of the things you want, and of course they go. Oh my gosh, I'd really love to be that person, knowing that my needs and some of my wants are met. So, really, to that end, I realized that I had a calling on my life and a day, if you will, to really share. You know, william, this may sound crazy to some people, but but I believe this at the fiber of every element of my being.

Anthony Flynn: 17:36

Being born in poverty and in one of the most gang infested, crime infested communities in the country was a gift to me. And you said it, I'm saying it and I'm saying what you just said in a different way, in that Think about the life skills that I got and the spirit of long suffering, the resilience, the longitudinal outlook on life. There is so much gifting in the struggle Right outlook on life. There is so much gifting in the struggle, right, in fact, way more gifting in the struggle, if you will, than in the progress. Don't get me wrong, progress is a gift as well, because it keeps your motor going. But I'm saying what I learned in some of the deepest, darkest moments of my life has been the fuel and the ammunition to look at frankly some of the problems that people around me and I say this very respectfully I go, man, that's nothing you know, and I say that respectfully. I don't mean to minimize, I'm not trying to minimize anyone's pain, but I'm saying that.

Anthony Flynn: 18:38

So I'm like, for example, work. I'm like in my mind, I'm like man, if you knew what I was, work isn't, I love work. I'm like, yes, so okay. So somebody missed an appointment or somebody you didn't sign a contract. You're crying over that. Like, go get another one, that's right. That's right Really, you know. So part of my life's experiences, in my trauma, rejection and and hearing no, and not landing a contract here or not, you know, not complete, not successfully. It's like, bro, like get over it. That is so compared to what you went through. That's the thing. Oh my gosh, you'll get over that. And that, in my mind, was the gift that my conditions and my circumstances and the trauma that I face as a child, that was the gift that it gave me.

Dr. William Attaway: 19:43

And that is my wife and I were just last night talking about how going through difficult, challenging, traumatic experiences Changes the way you look at life, changes the way you look at opportunities and the challenges, and it puts things into a different, a different layer of perspective. You know, we, we, we had a struggle with our older daughter where she was diagnosed with a very rare form of cancer when she was 14. Let me tell you what she's doing. Great Praise God. She's doing, great Praise God. But I'll tell you what that'll change your perspective. Oh, absolutely Right. It completely shifts the way you look at the difficult things. Somebody didn't sign a contract.

Dr. William Attaway: 20:20

You know what, if that's the worst thing, that happens all week.

Anthony Flynn: 20:23

That's a pretty good week.

Dr. William Attaway: 20:24

I'm going to be good. So so, so true. So now you take what you have learned, these insights and this wisdom, and you share this with CEOs, with senior executives, with leaders. So many different places, so many different contexts, absolutely All around the world.

Anthony Flynn: 20:40

Yeah, yeah, absolutely. In fact, my wife and I again at the time of this recording, just last week, we were in California with a retired Fortune 200 CEO and one of the greatest compliments and we spent the whole week at his place in California in San Clemente, and one of the greatest compliments that I've ever been paid was having this CEO make the statement that, upon his transition to the eternal life, he wants me to have the honor to eulogize him. Oh, my goodness what a gift.

Anthony Flynn: 21:14

What a tremendous gift and an honor. So, to that end, I spend a lot of time around highly influential, highly powerful people. And so why did I brought that up? Because so, as we talk about your influence, right, so this is one of the most powerful people in the world. You know, I can't, I could never, ever write him a check. I mean, you know he he's way beyond my years, so I will never catch up to him financially, right? So hey, I may make a lot of money, but I won't catch him because he's way out. That's right, he's got years on me, but I say that to say.

Anthony Flynn: 21:51

But showing up as a leader and looking for ways to add value in his life and in the lives of those around him has been a game changer. And so, from the position where I sit, in terms of the work I do every day, william, that is one of the secret sauces, if you will, that a lot of people will walk into a room full of CEOs and key executives are highly powerful people and they're intimidated Right by the concept of it. My approach has always been every single person on earth, everyone, if you're listening, hear what I'm about to say I've never met a wealthy person that did not have a problem that their money could not solve. Let me say it again Wow, let me say it again Every wealthy and powerful person I know has a problem that their money cannot solve. Yes, right, yes. So if you are equipped, or however you are equipped right each of us are equipped differently Think about ways, as you walk into rooms of powerful people and as you're looking to do the work that you do on a daily basis, a daily basis, think about ways you can add value to people based on your skill set, your background, your experiences, in a way that's different from what they he or she brings to the table. Right, and that's essentially been the baseline of my formula With this person that I'm interacting with, how can I add value in a way that, up to this point, value hasn't been added, the way I can add it to them?

Anthony Flynn: 23:24

That comes in context of business, and I have a whole formulaic process, proprietary framework that I use in context with the CEOs and key executives I coach. I have a business model that I use in context of helping their actual companies, and so we can talk business all day, and the five primary pillars of business management operations, marketing, finance technology. I can get into the seat, we can talk business language all day, but ultimately, what we're doing every day is we're adding value to people in a way where value hasn't yet been added. It's not that value hasn't been added, it's that you're coming in with a unique perspective and a unique way to add value, maybe in a way that hasn't been added in that context before, and so that's really my baseline. You know, I don't know if that helps.

Dr. William Attaway: 24:11

Oh, 100%. And I think that is to come at it from that angle and to come at it with that open-handed generosity and say how can I add value here? I think that's the perspective that, again, I see among people who are the most successful leaders. It's not about them, it's not about what they're going to get, it's about other people.

Anthony Flynn: 24:36

You know you break a right, so. So, for example, I tell people I'm unapologetic about offering my services, offer my products, because in my mind, I'm not selling, I'm serving. That's it Right, that's exactly right.

Anthony Flynn: 24:49

So if, if you, if this, if you're uncomfortable, odds are, you probably are more in sales mode than serve mode because, if you think about it, if the person that I'm engaging or encountering doesn't need me, william, then I'm going to offer them another solution. That may not be a solution I provide, but if I'm genuinely serving that person, I care that they get the resolution to their problem. I don't care if I'm the one who gives it to them.

Dr. William Attaway: 25:16

Yes.

Anthony Flynn: 25:17

Yes, I hope that I'm the one who can give it to them Right. Yes, yes, I hope that I'm the one who can give it to them Right. But if I'm not, because I'm in servant mode and not sales mode hey, you know what? I'm not the guy to help you, but based on what you share, I actually know someone else who can. I care more about you succeeding than I do about getting a contract from.

Intro/Outro: 25:38

Yes.

Dr. William Attaway: 25:39

Yes, this is leadership we win when you win.

Anthony Flynn: 25:43

Yes, now, william is so basic and so fundamental. You had so many people miss it, and I guess that's why you have this podcast.

Dr. William Attaway: 25:51

Well, and my hope is that, through stories like yours and insights like what you're sharing here today, that people will hear something that will make them pause, that will make them say I never thought of it like that and maybe, just maybe, they take a step towards the best version of themselves.

Anthony Flynn: 26:10

Again, man leaning into. So oftentimes again, people run from their pain points as a point of leadership. My entire leadership mantle is based on my, my pain and trauma, for example. Entire leadership mantle is based on my pain and trauma, for example, like so, using poverty as the example, it taught me how to go in and appreciate people as people and not look at them as transactions. So I go in with seeing them as the human being they are first and not seeing them as a checkbook or as a dollar sign. Right, because of how I grew up, and so it allows me to not feel the pressure to pressure them to do a deal, to sign a contract, to write a check.

Anthony Flynn: 26:53

Hey, obviously as a by-product, if I offer something that's going to be beneficial to you and or your business, of course as a byproduct, guess what? They're going to likely pay me for my services, but that is so secondary, if not tertiary, absolutely, from me, and I want to do everything in my power to equip them and give them what they need to be successful in a way that they haven't been able to be successful before. And if I lead with that spirit and that cognition in mind, william, I've been so blessed up to this point to have referral after referral after referral. I really haven't had a ton of extra energy. I put energy into growing my business, but I'm not panicking every day trying to figure out how I'm going to eat, because people will refer me, because they say you know what this guy? He cares about me as a human and he cares about me as a leader, and he's not after me for a paycheck or for a dollar sign.

Anthony Flynn: 27:58

So, a very important principle of leadership for all of us, regardless of what type of role you're in, whether you're in corporate America or nonprofit, or education or government. Regardless of the case, lead with a heart to serve and be an example of servanthood for others and in my experience, it will always help promote you faster than you being transactional in your approach to our people.

Dr. William Attaway: 28:27

So well said, and you have to lead at a higher level today than you did five years ago. Your team, your business, your clients they need you to lead at a higher level, and the same thing is going to be true five years from now. How do you continue to level up your game? How do you continue to sharpen your saw so that you will be able to lead at the level that your team, your business and your clients need in the years to come?

Anthony Flynn: 28:47

Yeah, yeah, yeah, man, that's a tremendous question and thank you for asking. So once again, I go back to leaning into my adversity. What I learned early on was that, because of my story and background being born to a teenage and I'm answering your question, by the way, being born in poverty You're not using it as a crutch, hear me out, yeah, but actually using it as fuel and ammunition. I learned early on that, anthony, you don't get to sleep in when other people do. You don't get to take, you can take breaks, but you know, if everybody else takes 30 minutes, you get 25, right, you get 20. And that's a metaphor for how I live my life, with an urgency to keep learning, growing and transforming. So I have found it really is. It's like everything that I've accomplished has been accomplished through my willingness to adopt, adapt and transform. Right, so so, ok, anthony, so you want to go to college, but nobody in your family has ever gone to college. Ok, so find people around you that have been to college, adopt some of the things that they share with you and behaviors or habits they have, adopt them, adapt to them and then let that transform you. And so, in my mind, at every stage, william, I'm constantly reaching for transformation, but in order to do that, I got to keep growing, learning, leaning into podcasts, books, you know, et cetera resources and tools and people that help me move to the next level. And so I get up very practically everyone listening. I get up every morning between 3 am and 4 o'clock am like clockwork, including this morning, you know and I do my Bible study first, and then, typically, I'm going to the gym immediately after, as I did this morning, and I spend the first literally few hours of every day with me. Because my approach is this, william, think about it my story and background did not equip me to be who I am and do what I do, so the only way I could get here is through the learning, learning again, adoption, adapting and transforming, right. So, and so I. I literally don't give myself permission to stop adopting, adapting and transforming, learning, growing, et cetera.

Anthony Flynn: 31:09

There's a book on me 100% of the time, you know. I mean obviously not when I'm in the gym, but meaning if I've got my bag, which is right beside me. There's a book right next to me right time. I mean obviously not when I'm in the gym, but meaning if I've got my bag, which is right beside me. There's a book right next to me Right now. I'm reading Hidden Talent by Adam Grant, by the way, great, great book. Adam's a professor at the Wharton School of Business Great book. But I'm constantly reading. I listen to podcasts regularly. Of course, I've written a few books myself, I'm constantly researching, et cetera.

Anthony Flynn: 31:36

So it's been the man, the great among other gifts, right, one of the one. One more great gift that I think God has given me is the gift of curiosity. Because so, anthony, how did you make it? So many other people from your community didn't? Because I was curious. If I saw it on TV but didn't see it in my neighborhood, in my apartment community, I'd go wait. How do they live in a place like that? And there's no places like this around me? What do I need to do to learn where they live and how they got there? And that curiosity has always driven me. That's so good. Yeah, I live with that urgency of curiosity every single day, and it's a relentless urgency to keep growing, keep learning, keep stretching so that I never fall behind and, respectfully, fall back into the trap of poverty and or the trap of the community. And so it's a healthy push, it's not a Right Again, I'm not leaning on it as a crutch. I'm going. I have a healthy perspective on an urgency to grow and learn and to be curious.

Dr. William Attaway: 32:48

Well, I think that drive and that hunger is what separates you know, it's what separates the most successful people from those who are satisfied with mediocrity. Yeah, I firmly believe mediocrity never inspired anyone Absolutely. Excellence. Excellence honors God and inspires people. Mediocrity does neither. And that's what I hear in your answer there. I hear that drive for excellence, that hunger for excellence, and if it's going to take three o'clock in the morning, then it's going to take three o'clock in the morning. Yeah, yeah, whatever it takes, yeah.

Anthony Flynn: 33:12

Yeah, yeah. And, by the way, for the people out there, don't feel pressure to get up at three in the morning because I said I do it more. Feel the pressure to do what you need to do in order to be successful for you. So, in other words, the pressure should be what is my formula? Anthony has his formula that keeps him driven and keeps an urgency for him. What is my formula that will keep me driven and keep an urgency for him? What is my formula that will keep me driven and keep an urgency for me?

Dr. William Attaway: 33:39

That's so good. So, as a continual learner, as one who's always reading, is there a book that has made a big difference in your journey that you would recommend to the leaders who are listening?

Anthony Flynn: 33:49

Yeah, man, I read so many books. So when you, you know, I can think of so many, read so many books, so when you, you know, I can think of so many. But one that just pops out I don't know why it hit me is a guy named Todd Rose and he wrote a book called the end of average. Todd was a professor at Harvard. He has a very powerful story Also grew up poor, was on you know, food stamps and and and welfare, government assistance and and bottom line, ended up going to college and eventually made his way to Harvard as a professor. The end of average. The reason I'm recommending it is because what he's suggesting is that most of the times, as leaders, we are comparing ourselves to what the average leader, who the average leader is, and it's like okay.

Anthony Flynn: 34:35

The challenge with average is that average may not be a fit for you. So like, for example, anthony's context, I can't look at the average leader because I was born to a teenage mother in poverty in Memphis, in a gang infested, crime infested community. Important for me to grow are going to be different from the average person who maybe was born in, say, a suburban community or who had resources in their home, who had a mom and dad who went to college, who comes from a progeny of wealth. So, anthony, you can't look at their situation and say you know what, based on averages, I'm going to become them. No, you're not. That's right, because you have a totally different situation that you need to look at and assess and size up. And so Todd really helps, walk you through a perspective of man. I got to stop looking at what the average person around me does and think about it from my personal perspective about it from my personal perspective.

Dr. William Attaway: 35:39

That's so healthy, anthony, every time we talk, I feel like I could talk to you for another hour, because there's just so much that God has done in your life and he is doing through you, and I'm so grateful for your time today and your generosity in sharing so much of the insight and wisdom that you have. Thank you for that.

Anthony Flynn: 35:56

Man. It's been a tremendous honor and you are one of my favorite people on earth, william. I know we haven't spent a ton of time together, but I just love your spirit and your heart for service and the way you care about those your audience and your clients is just. You mentioned excellence, brother. You represented at the highest level and for everybody out there. Please encourage your peer group, your colleagues, listen in on this podcast. You know and follow William as much as possible. I wish there were more leaders like you in our world, brother, and I hope that your listeners would continue to follow you and encourage others around them to follow you as well.

Dr. William Attaway: 36:34

Well, that is incredibly kind. I know people are going to want to stay connected to you and continue to learn more about what you're doing and how they can keep learning from you. What is the best way for them to do that, Anthony?

Anthony Flynn: 36:46

Sure thing, they can follow me on LinkedIn. Just Anthony Flynn, if you find me on LinkedIn, I'm pretty active on LinkedIn. I give a lot of free content on LinkedIn that keeps people's engines going forward. So all the basic platforms and, of course, my website, amazingceocom. By the way, that's not a statement that I'm amazing, as much as I want to help other CEOs and key executives become amazing. So yeah, amazingceocom is our website. So yeah, amazingceocom is our website.

Dr. William Attaway: 37:16

Well, listeners, if you haven't picked up on it yet, Anthony's the real deal. Check him out, Get connected, Learn more about what he's doing and figure out ways you can make that learning a regular part of your life. Anthony, thank you again for being here. Thank you, brother, for having me. Thanks for joining me for this episode today.

Dr. William Attaway: 37:38

As we wrap up, I'd love for you to do two things. First, subscribe to this podcast so you don't miss an episode, and if you find value here, I'd love it if you would rate it and review it. That really does make a difference in helping other people to discover this podcast. Second, if you don't have a copy of my newest book, Catalytic Leadership, I'd love to put a copy in your hands. If you go to catalyticleadershipbookcom, you can get a copy for free. Just pay the shipping so I can get it to you and we'll get one right out.

Dr. William Attaway: 38:11

My goal is to put this into the hands of as many leaders as possible. This book captures principles that I've learned in 20 plus years of coaching leaders in the entrepreneurial space, in business, government, nonprofits, education and the local church. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn to keep up with what I'm currently learning and thinking about If you're ready to take a next step with a coach to help you intentionally grow and thrive as a leader. I'd be honored to help you. Just go to catalyticleadershipnet to book a call with me. Stay tuned for our next episode next week. Until then, as always, leaders choose to be catalytic.

Intro/Outro: 38:55

Thanks for listening to Catalytic Leadership with Dr William Attaway. Be sure to subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts so you don't miss the next episode. Want more? Go to catalyticleadershipnet.