We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Liesl Hays. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Liesl below.

Liesl, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

I believe life begins once you agree to write your own story. Many of us are living stories that were written for us and not by us. Then, we wonder why our life lacks meaning. We’ve bought into the traditional versions of success and followed the neatly constructed expectations of others (i.e., have a corporate career, get married, have children). While this one-size fits all mold works for some people, it is not for everyone.

True success requires we authentically understand what brings meaning to our lives and align our priorities accordingly. While this is unique to each individual, this self-exploration is imperative to find our life’s true path.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

Liesl Hays is an author, entrepreneur and human resources strategist. For over fifteen years, Liesl has provided strategic direction to small, medium and large businesses on their human capital needs. Most recently, Liesl was a Human Resources Strategist at one of the largest global Healthcare IT companies in the world. After leaving her corporate job in 2016, she opened her own Human Resources Consulting business called Aligned Talent Consulting. In 2021, Liesl released her first book through Morgan James Publishing: Broken, Changed & Rearranged. This self-development book shares her journey of chasing the traditional paths towards success to discover she was woefully unhappy locked inside her 60-hour a week grind. Her inspiring story empowers others to step outside the traditional definitions of success in order to chase what provides them meaning. Liesl runs on coffee, “to do lists,” and the belief that life begins after you agree to write your own story. She lives in Lee’s Summit, Missouri with her husband, Harlen, her children, Mady and Ethan, and their dogs, Lily and Bear.

How do you keep your team’s morale high?

Your team is truly the most important part of your business. So many leaders view management as an “and” and not a job. This is a common mistake so many business owners make. Effectively managing a team requires daring and radical leadership.

Here are the qualities and attributes of radical and daring leadership from my perspective:
-Vision Crafters: Effective leaders can articulate a vivid description of future state. They inspire their team by sharing the vision as well as accurately describing how their teammate’s work fits into it.
-Candor: Leaders always let their team know exactly where they stand. Their mantra is “being clear is kind.” They provide both positive and constructive feedback in real-time. Their expectations are clear and communicated regularly. This feedback is welcome because the entire team knows their leader has their best interest at heart.
-Trust: Exceptional leaders understand that trust is like a marble jar (Brene Brown). They build trust with their team one marble at a time. They do this by asking questions about their team’s personal lives, knowing what motivates each person and understanding their strengths and weaknesses.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to un-learn this: The customer is always right.

The customer is NOT always right. If you are continuously bending over backwards for all of your customers and being everything, they need-you aren’t targeting the right people. As a young entrepreneur I had to learn this very hard truth: Not everyone is your target market. Trying to be everything to everyone is a sure-fire way to be nothing memorable. Plus, you’re running around ragged trying to mold your product or business into what everyone wants.

Remember this: The better you codify your target market the better. You are not for everyone and that is your power. If you believe the book you’re writing is for “all women” or your product is for “all men”, I want to challenge you to dig deeper. Think about your customer and get inside their head: What do they like to read? What social media do they have? What stores do they shop at? What type of life experiences do they have? Who are their biggest idols?

Get into their psyche. Once you identify who this population really is, your product, service or offering will meet their needs naturally. You won’t have to hustle to be all things to all people. Instead, you can be the right thing for a small target market. Plus, you work less and get significantly less resentful this way.

Contact Info:

• Website: lieslhays.com
• Instagram: @liesl.hays
• Facebook: facebook.com/lieslhaysauthor
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liesl-hays-ba5b84196/
• Twitter: N/A
• Other: Life Hack Contributor Page: https://www.lifehack.org/author/lieslhays

Image Credits
Image Credits: Suzanne Fryer Photography (suzannefryerphotography.com)