Yesterday was Day 1 of the Spring Leadership conference in Spokane.  It’s also the first function that we as Eagle Leaders get to sit on the floor instead of the bleachers.  Quite a different experience when you are sitting on the floor in a bit more comfy seats so that you can really engage with the speaker.  Being that close its as if the speakers are talking directly to you.  Front row baby!  Team Alberta is all about front row mentality and pretty much all the front row tables and front row bleachers were Team Alberta or people from Canada. 

So John Maxwell was pretty awesome.  He spoke about how everyone communicates yet nobody really connects.  Its really true if you think about it.  He taught 5 connecting principals on how to connect better with people you are communicating with.  I won’t go into detail on them but here are the 5 main points:

1. Increase your influence in every situation. 
2. Connecting is all about others
3. It goes beyond the words
   1. What you say is about 7%
   2. How you say it is 35%
   3. What others see as we say it 59%
4. Requires energy

Those are pretty high level and there are much more notes to go with that but this is just a sampling of some of the teaching.  Can you read this in a book? Sure.  But when someone engages and teaches you about it, it’s qute different then just reading it.

A few of the diamonds spoke about a few other topics but really the biggest thing for me was John Maxwell.  He’s an amazing speaker and how he delivers what he says is so important. 

People pay hundreds of dollars and companies pay thousands of dollars for John to come speak to them.  We get him for a FRACTION of that cost.  That’s pretty sweet.  World Wide Group is one of two companies that John will endorse.  That’s pretty awesome.

Anyway time to get back into line.  Day 2 starts soon!