Character-Driven Life & Leadership: Training & Coaching Leadership Growth & Development

Episode 021 - Kindness is Contagious: Observations of Two Companies Leading with Character First

In today's podcats, Coach Dane, shares stories of companies  of two companies (Harkins Theaters and Kwik Trip Stores) that lead with character first and how they are doing that to be successful, but more importantly, significant for their teams and for their customers.  Dane explains how these two companies are leading with character and thereby transforming their business environments which drives their influence in their company cultures for their customers. Highlighting values like kindness and empathy—front spokes of leadership—elevates team performance and customer interactions. Like businesses embedding these traits visibly, executives can foster trust, respect, and loyalty. Prioritize character-driven leadership to inspire excellence and amplify your impact. Lead with character first and Trike On!

Episode 020 - Coaching Excellence and The Tricycle Effect

Discover the power of character-driven leadership in this podcast featuring Dane Deutch, author of "Coachability: The Tricycle Effect." Learn how to balance technical and people skills with a strong character foundation using his unique Tricycle Effect concept. Gain insights on how to cultivate trustworthiness, respect, and empathy, while developing your ability to coach yourself and others. Hear Dane's stories from his Air Force service in Turkey, and his experience coaching gymnastics for over 45 years, highlighting the power of visualization, and how to act instead of react. Learn how to move from success to significance, adding value to others for a more fulfilling life and business.

Want to learn more?  Download the Foreword and Chapter 1 to Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect or FREE here:  https://coach.lmdc.us/coachability-book
C

Epidose 019 - Embrace the Messy Journey

In this podcast, Coach Dane talks about today’s world of curated perfection, versus true leadership which emerges from a Character as the Foundation of Leadership with authenticity and resilience. This podcast challenges executives to expose vulnerabilities, embrace challenges as growth opportunities, and build authentic connections with their teams. Elevate your leadership by focusing on character, not comparisons. Start leading with impact—fail forward and transform challenges into triumphs.

Episode 018 - Teachable vs. Coachable Leadership

Discover the difference between teachability and coachability and why both are essential for growth and leadership success. Learn how being coachable and open to learning and feedback can transform your character and unlock your leadership potential. Start building your coach-ability leadership today! 🚴‍♂️

Episode 017 - 3 Myths of Character Coaching

Blog Post: Busting 3 Myths About Coaching Character as a Skill

When it comes to leadership, *character* is often thought of as something you either have or you don’t. But what if I told you that character can be coached just like any other skill? This may sound surprising, but it’s true! In my book *Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect*, I focus on how developing strong character skills is the foundation of effective leadership. However, there are many myths that prevent people from understanding that character is not just inherent—it can be learned, developed, and refined. In this blog post, we’ll tackle three of the most common myths about coaching character as a skill.

Myth #1: "Character is something you’re born with, not something you can develop."

One of the biggest myths about character is that it’s something fixed at birth—either you have it, or you don’t. While it’s true that certain character traits might come more naturally to some than others, *character* itself is shaped by our experiences, choices, and the effort we put into growth. Just like learning a new language or mastering a musical instrument, character can be developed through intentional practice and feedback. In fact, the core message of *The Tricycle Effect* framework is that character is the front wheel that guides you and drives your success in leadership. Just like you can train to improve your communication or technical skills, you can work on becoming more trustworthy, responsible, and empathetic.

Myth #2: "Character development is too vague and hard to measure."

Some people believe that character is a "fuzzy" concept that’s too subjective to be measured or coached. But just because character isn't measured by numbers like sales or performance stats doesn’t mean it’s not measurable. In *Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect*, I break character down into practical skills like integrity, empathy, courage, and accountability—these are clear, definable traits that can be improved through feedback, coaching, and practice. By focusing on specific character skills and setting tangible goals, you can track progress and see real growth. For example, setting a goal to actively listen to your team’s concerns for a set number of times each week is a measurable way to practice empathy. Just like other skills, the more you practice, the better you become!

Myth #3: "Character development is just about personal growth, not professional success."

Some people think that character only affects your personal life, but it is actually one of the biggest drivers of professional success as well. Building character skills like trustworthiness, fairness, and responsibility directly impacts your ability to lead others effectively. In fact, character is often the “X-factor” that separates good leaders from great leaders. When leaders demonstrate character by making ethical decisions, taking accountability, and showing empathy, they earn trust and loyalty from their team, which leads to a positive work culture and better results. In short, character development is not just a personal endeavor—it’s a professional investment that pays off by building a stronger, more successful team.

Take Action: Build Your Character Skills

Now that we’ve busted these myths, I challenge you to take action! Remember, character isn’t something you’re stuck with—it’s something you can develop and grow, just like any other skill. Start by identifying one character skill you want to improve, and then create a plan to practice it daily. If you’re ready to take your leadership to the next level, I invite you to explore *Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect*, where I dive deeper into the steps you can take to build character as the foundation of your leadership.

Ready to start building your character skills?

Stay connected for more insights and tips on developing character-first leadership!

Get the Book:  https://coach.lmdc.us/coachable_book

Get the Course:  https://www.lmdc.academy/pages/the-tricycle-effect-course

Episode 016 - Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect Book is Launched!

Leadership Coach and Trainer, Dane Deutsch, Launches Best Selling Book!

Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect – written by Dane Deutsch,
has just concluded a successful book launch on Amazon, ranking it as a #1 Best Seller.
The modern leader’s greatest challenge is not just achieving success but earning trust, making ethical
decisions, and inspiring lasting change. Today, teams and organizations crave leaders who lead with
integrity and put character first.

Are you prepared to meet that demand? In Coach-Ability and the Tricycle Effect, Coach Dane Deutsch presents a groundbreaking framework to
develop your leadership from the inside out. Based on the concept of The Tricycle Effect, this book dives deep into the art of self-coaching, coaching others, and embracing feedback to become a truly coach-
able leader.

With compelling real-life stories and actionable insights, Coach Deutsch equips leaders at every stage to grow from mere success to meaningful significance through character-based leadership.
Inside, you’ll discover how to: Lead with Character First.

Strengthen key character skills like humility, empathy, and trust. Master the three dimensions of coach-ability: self-coaching, coaching others, and being coached by others. Balance technical skills with people skills, even in tough ethical dilemmas.

Build a lasting legacy of leadership that influences others right now. Ready to lead with character first? This book is your road map to not only achieve success but to build a legacy of significance that adds true value to the lives of others.

For more information about Dane as well as the book Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect  go to https://www.thetricycleeffect.com.

Episode 015 - Coach-Ability Book - Can Character Be Coached?

In this podcast episode, the two hosts explore the question of whether character can be coached and dive into the insights from the book Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect. They discuss testimonials from readers who found the book valuable not only for professional coaching but also for personal growth and leadership in different areas of life. The central theme is that character is not a fixed trait but a skill that can be developed and strengthened over time. The metaphor of the tricycle is introduced, where the front wheel represents character skills like integrity and empathy, which guide everything else. The discussion also highlights how these skills can be practiced and improved through daily choices, much like learning a language or an instrument. The podcast emphasizes that character is the foundation to leadership, and working on character skills can have a significant impact on personal, professional, and team dynamics.  Trike On!

Note:  This episode was generated with AI Assistance, and the content was not AI created.  All content was derived from authentic and genuine sources that included the Coach-Ability and The Tricycle Effect book, The Ararat Connection Blog, and/or text that was created by the Author, Dane Deutsch.

Episode 014 - Host Will Lukang and Dane Deutsch - The Tricycle Effect in Live and Lead with Character First

Shared with Permission from Will Lukang.

Sharing IWillAim podcast latest episode on Why Tricycles Have One Big Wheel And Two Small Wheels with Dane Deutsch

Dane Deutsch, author of The Tricycle Effect, shares his journey and the pivotal moment that inspired him to explore character-based leadership. He emphasizes the importance of love as a foundational character trait and discusses the top character traits essential for effective leadership. Dane narrates a real-life scenario where he observed remarkable character-based leadership and its positive outcome. He also discusses the common challenges leaders face in embodying strong character traits and how to overcome them. Dane explains how practicing character-based leadership influences team dynamics, collaboration, and overall organizational performance. He concludes by sharing his current projects and how listeners can engage with him.

https://lnkd.in/e5gvNhQA

Episode_013 - Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of CommerceConference - Success to Significance Presentation

Episode_013 Wisconsin Veterans Chamber of CommerceConference - Success to Significance Presentation

Episode 012 - Are You The Weakest Link When It Comes To The Human Factor in Cyber Security? (3 of 3)

This is the third of 3 Podcast episodes, the final episode focused on discussing The Weakest Link in Cyber Security: The Human Factor. In this episode, we discuss and share what tools you can use to educate and allow your users to learn to operate so they are using cybersecurity best practices.  The key is to make sure we are giving our team and users the tools they need, so they are not the weakest security link.  I along with my Guest Art Gross, who is the CEO of Breach Secure Now, have hosted 3 Podcast Episodes on The Human Factor.  So, sit back relax and enjoy Episode #3 of the Human Factor which is all about the tools we need to make sure YOU and I are not the weakest link on the Internet!  This episode is focused on making sure we all become a stronger link on the Internet and in cyberspace through education and TOOLS!

Also visit Dane's Blog on this Episode