Trina Gray discusses the concept of “heart and armor” in leadership and entrepreneurship. She emphasizes the importance of leading with love and care for others, which can lead to personal and professional growth. Gray shares her experience of building three businesses and the lessons learned from mentoring and leading teams. She highlights the need to balance compassion with the ability to protect oneself from negative experiences. Gray encourages leaders to pour into their teams without expecting loyalty and to handle both positive and negative feedback with grace. She concludes by urging listeners to lead with integrity and resilience.

“Lead with love, but guard your soul—because your heart is your superpower, and your armor is your protection.” – Trina

Topics

Overview of the Heart and Armor Episode

• Trina introduces the theme of the episode, “Heart and Armor,” which is a lesson requested by a fellow business owner.
• She emphasizes the importance of this lesson in both personal and professional life, particularly in leadership and career pursuits.
• Trina plans to spend most of the time discussing how heart and armor apply to work life and careers.
• She thanks listeners who have left reviews, highlighting feedback from Lori and Nancy.

The Concept of Heart and Armor

• Trina recalls coining the phrase “heart and armor” 15 years ago when she was asked to be a guest lecturer at a university.
• She explains that the lesson is about leading with love and care for the people you serve, and holding their goals and dreams in your hands.
• Trina emphasizes the importance of leading with a servant’s heart to be more successful and profitable.
• She discusses the flip side of leading with heart, which is the need to protect oneself from hurt and pain in the workplace.

Examples of Heart and Armor in Professional Life

• Trina shares examples of how heart and armor show up in professional life, particularly in leadership and management roles.
• She talks about the importance of caring about the people you lead beyond metrics and outcomes.
• Trina shares her personal experience of growing her business by caring about her clients and teammates.
• She discusses the impact of pouring belief and energy into other people and how it can lead to personal and professional growth.

Challenges of Leading with Heart

• Trina acknowledges the challenges of leading with an open heart, including the possibility of being hurt or betrayed by those you lead.
• She shares that 80% of her experiences in leadership are positive, but the remaining 20% can be difficult.
• Trina talks about the importance of setting things down with grace and integrity, even when it’s hard.
• She emphasizes the need to pour into people while they are with you without expecting them to stay forever.

The Role of Social Media in Heart and Armor

• Trina discusses the importance of heart and armor when dealing with social media and online reviews.
• She shares that while most reviews are positive, the negative ones can be hurtful.
• Trina emphasizes the need to show up with heart and love on social media, even when faced with criticism.
• She mentions the influence of thought leader Robin Sharma, who teaches the importance of being both a poet and a warrior.

Connect with Trina:

Instagram | LinkedIn | Website