BTL…

I could post this everyday and it would not be enough. There is nothing more important than understanding the purpose of your work and the purpose of those you work with. I hope this rant helps you understand why BTL exists and why we’re distinct and deeply connected with a few. Enjoy.

During one on one practice with a really cool client of BTL’s, we talked about the why behind our business. My client told me he was just beginning to get the why behind our name, BTL. I asked him to tell me more. Here’s a taste of our talk. My client had focused on the purpose of BTL being leadership training, and focusing on the end state of becoming a leader. He missed the emphasis on building and on the depth of this particular building process. Building humans is a lot different than building a house. It’s universal, transcendent, and informative, my client had concluded. He’s right.

The aim is to build individuals, teams, and leaders. It’s an intrinsic process. The name BTL and the visual of two people on a climb are more than our brand image, it’s who we are and who we’re becoming. BTL is not leadership training, it’s a process for building individuals, teams, and leaders. We focus on participation in the process, not the end state. People are naturally focused on the end game – the finished product. The focus in BTL is on the process of building a “second nature,” a more virtuous version of you. It is incremental, accumulative, and transformational. There is no end. This is why “keep working,” is one of my mantras. Make sense?

I told my client that I’ve got to get better at connecting people to this name and why it matters. I reminded him of the BTL purpose. “Together we Awaken, Challenge, and Transform a few individuals, teams, and leaders from a lone toward all one – One L of a difference. ONE, distinct and deeply connected, becoming BTL. Together we transform. Always together.”  We talked for a great while about each of these words and why they matter. I had never explained to him the reason behind the words awaken, challenge, and transform being capitalized. It’s because of the emphasis on those three first letters A,C,T, translating to the simple, powerful word – Act! BTL is all about action, specifically, building more and more productive action. I could see his brain light up on this one. Very cool.

There is no end state.

We are builders. We never stop incrementally growing. We believe you and your system follow the laws that govern open systems – grow or die; there is no static state, at least not for long. Our aim is to keep building, keep pushing, keep focusing on the process. We love building and getting better. We love our family, friends, and clients. We love each other enough to model the way, embrace pain and suffering, and try to embody truth in love. We have not arrived and have much to learn. We are simply committed to “keep working.”

We find the melody line, then a thousand nuances and then a thousand more. This is not because we want to string the process and our clients along. Just the opposite. This is the only way home, the only way ‘round, and simply the way the universe works. The name BUILT TO LEAD is more than a catchy name for our company, it’s emphasis is on the hard and forever work of building. Building ourselves. Building our family, friends, and clients. Building individuals, teams, and leaders. Building strong cores both literal and figurative. Building an authentic opus in work and in life. Building humility and courage alongside discipline. Building our minds and bodies. Building souls on fire, filled with passion and purpose. Building relationships where we become more, not less. ONE, distinct and deeply connecting, becoming BTL. Together we transform. This is why we’re here.

The 12 8 4, powered by 2, is our framework. 12 Essentials of Personal Excellence. Start here. 8 Essentials of Leading Teams. Go beyond self to the privilege of leading others. And the 4 Essentials of Leading Leaders. Legacy lives in the leaders you’ve built who are inspired to build it even better. Powered by 2. This is the lynchpin to the framework. You and your Builders. Together we transform. Always together. Want to become one of the damn few? Slow down. Reflect. Write.

It looks like a great day for a long, hard, joy filled climb. A vast mountain range of beautiful obstacles awaits. God willing, we’re gonna be here awhile. You interested in getting tired together? LFG. This is why we’re here. Beginning to make more sense? Good.

Live hard. Love harder…