Passion Vista always strives to present the virtuous careers of the most influential personalities whose long list of accomplishments has been a stepping stone for the rest. This time also, Passion Vista has successfully showcased such individuals whose alacrity, amelioration, and affability will be remembered for years to come. The “Global Icons 2022” issue is one of the most noteworthy editions that features the profiles of their professional journeys, highlighting the challenges they faced and the perseverance and passion that led them to their current positions of prominence.
The most recurring question addressed to Andre Young is – How did he become an International Speaker, Author and Leadership Trainer? His answer – “Through the pain and privilege of being on both sides of a lot of things.”
The equivalent of the world’s best employee at one point, Andre has also been burnt-out at a job and been the worst employee at another; he’s been promoted to the position of manager without knowing how to lead; and has been a leader, who played sports at every level, and been a Mental Health Therapist for 19 years. The blending of all these life experiences has allowed the multi-faceted Andre to be of value and impact for organizations, their leaders, employees, and teams; leading to an unbridled professional and personal evolution.
Recalling the moment his life changed as he lay dying on the floor on February 13, 2013, he says, “While drifting in and out of consciousness, there were only two thoughts in my mind – Does my wife know how much I love her? and, Did I teach my kids enough that if I die right now and they’d be OK? Sad, but OK. If that’s what I was thinking in death, then that is how I must live daily after surviving a perforated ulcer!”
Blessed with a free-thinking creative spirit, what Andre really desired was the freedom ‘not to do’ what everyone else was doing… and to be able to make an impact on the world, in businesses, and in the lives of leaders, employees, and people overall. After working as a mental health specialist for more than a decade, he took a courageous plunge and founded – You Evolving Now (YEN), LLC, in September 2011.
The BIG idea behind YEN is to enhance Leadership and Work-Life Harmony for leaders, employees, teams, and organizations. “Work affects home and vice versa… it’s true now more than ever, with the increased amount of hybrid and remote work. I break leadership into two parts – Personal Leadership: how we choose to show up at work, our lives, and our relationships, in a way that makes others want to follow us; and second: Daily Leadership Skills it takes to effectively lead a team.”
Regarding Work-Life Harmony, he suggests ‘balance’ is overrated: “Even if you could obtain perfect balance… it’s impossible to maintain! However, we can all have harmony in all the roles we play by knowing what you need, what you want to give, and being curious about what those receiving your effort truly need most from you right now; and marrying the two within reason. Being consistent in this regard leads to enhanced Leadership and Work-Life Harmony.”
Through the global reach of YEN, Andre has taken his popular programs – The Leader’s 7, Evolve & Lead Program, his podcast, and 1-on-1 growth sessions – to millions of people with great success. His passion for connection and impact helps him forge a powerful bond in seconds.
Taking the discussion deeper and sharing how Leaders vs Followers is a great conversation, he sums up: “It’s best when a leader creates both, leaders and followers. The truth is, everyone can be a leader when they choose to apply the definition I shared above. However, not everyone wants to be, and those employees or individuals will greatly benefit from having a leader to follow. Therefore, a leader can be recognized for creating other leaders that either help him/her lead and evolve the mission or branch off to create their own. A leader can also be recognized for creating awesome followers that maintain the vision, the day-to-day consistency, and the proactive processes it takes to achieve the set mission.” To know more about Andre, check www.passionvista.com or to nominate email, [email protected]