“Ultimately I believe that people seek agreement.  We all agree on many things.  Life is hard.  Human life is strange.  None of us asked for it, we’re all in it together, and we all want to grow ourselves and others in the process.  We all agree on all of these things, and if you can tap into this empathy you can channel this deep agreement into growth and improvement in so many ways in your life.

How’s your organization?  Is it flowing, with people harmoniously interacting, and acting to realize the better world you all see?

Or is it beset with endless gridlock, inertia, resentment, infighting, frustration, and defensiveness, cynicism, and belligerence?  It’s SO tiring!  There’s a better way.”

“The world didn’t need you.  It still doesn’t.  If (actually when) you leave, the world will continue without you.

It doesn’t need you.  You need it.  And so you will do what it asks, even if you don’t desire to much of the time.

If we resign ourselves to this pattern we die a spiritual death, and this is frustrating.  And growing as a leader often starts with frustration.  Because a leader takes stock of what they see, decides what they don’t like, reframes it to what they desire, and pursues that.

It’s a calling born of desire.

And to get what you desire, what do you need to do?”

“There’s a lot of ways to not like the future, and some of them are deeply paradoxical.  We may feel like failures.  Or we may not like the way that we are successful.  This is ironic, because it is likely some level of success we once craved.  Or we may realize that no success will bring us the happiness and fulfillment we ultimately seek because the human condition is imperfectible.”

“Your path of transformation forges you into a leader of charity, integrity and vision who shows up to shape the world with profound and positive impact at every point of contact.

But it doesn’t happen without growth.

And growth, my friend, is a hero’s journey, in all times and all places.  Look that up if it’s a new concept for you, because it is an incredibly important one.

My quick definition: enduring the very challenges and struggles you fear leads to triumph and creates a story worth telling.

It is heroes who shape the world on all the levels you dream of.  It is heroes who fill the volumes of our histories, myths, legends (even the tragic ones).  We don’t tell stories of ease.  Listen closely.  Doesn’t happen.”

“Every effective leader, without any exception I can name, who has been allowed by the world to continue to work, has awareness of these opposing impulses of ALIENATION and AGREEMENT within each human heart, and comprehends this contradiction with deep empathy.

So, if you wish to build and cultivate a culture of harmony and productivity, full of effortless creation, you must constantly practice the art of overcoming alienation and forming agreement in 100% of your communication.  This will attract the action you seek, and build the culture you envision.”

“We exist, we see, we aspire.

We communicate, we persuade, we create.

That's the game.”

“One of the things that keeps me hooked on conversations with my coaching clients is the feeling of wonder.  It’s reliable that we experience some of that in every session.  And there’s hardly anything better.

Like creativity, I see wonder as one of those qualities that is sadly conditioned out of so many of us.  Aristotle is saying that there is no way to begin to contemplate existence or our place here without the quality of wonder, and that we ought always be working from this understanding as we make our choices.”

“If you are reading this you likely play some significant part in shaping a company culture of some kind.  This audience includes small business owners, CEOs, entrepreneurs, executive directors, professors, department heads, board members, and more.  The fact is, we all have a part to play in developing company culture, and we are all leaders in many spheres of influence.  Todd and my ongoing conversation is designed to help give you insight, perspective, tools, and motivation to help you in that process.

Plus, we have a GREAT TIME!  Todd's friendly, unassuming levity is the perfect foil to my cerebral introspection and we both benefit from the dynamic.  Todd helps me to take myself less seriously (and I need it!) and I help him think more deeply and systematically.  We're a good team, and it never ceases to amaze me how easily and frequently we go back and forth between deep, philosophical speculation and delighted laughter.”

“Our brains are these crazily complex, imperfectly-operating outcome-optimizing organic computers.  And we have self-awareness of all this.  Of course we’re anxious! Absurd.  But magical.  Here we are, against our will, but responsible for our outcomes, and owning it.  That’s why we’re leaders. It can really be as simple as that.”

“Life is absurd.  The past is so full of trauma it makes my heart weep.  People are so beautiful.  And the world is so hard.  Still.  And I honor that.  It makes leadership the most worthwhile challenge.  And the most worthwhile leaders see this trauma, which gives them compassion for the people they guide through each moment.

The rich, complex, traumatic, and awe-inspiring past continues to course through our veins and souls.  We can’t escape it or stop creating it.  Each moment brings a new action.

History is full of people like you and me, making choices in the present, endlessly generating the past.  You CAN'T just leave it there. It’s still here, echoing through each moment.

That’s why I’ll never tell you to leave the past in the past.

Not only is it shallow and short-sighted.  It’s quite impossible.”

“The common theme I see: attention.  All senses of “audience” indicate that we win the precious and scarce commodity of attention in some way, shape or form.  And with attention comes opportunity.  It’s ALWAYS how it starts.  The opportunity to influence or persuade (which is what ALL opportunity is).

All success comes from persuading the right people to take the right actions at the right time.  100% of it.”

“Now I talk ONLY to leaders, within the space of a uniquely intentional, insightful, and inspiring conversation that examines all their frustrations and aspirations, quickly processes them, and delivers highly focused and customized strategic solutions to guide each and every action going forward.

Who is a leader?  Simple.  You are.  If you have a vision for improving the cultures you touch, you’re a leader.  Let’s articulate your vision and get you acting on it.  There is no time like the present, because it’s ALL the present.  The future just became the present, and the present became the past.  Did you catch it?  It just happened again.”

“People have been telling me lately that I have a way of bringing history to life.  I think history is the most mystical of disciplines.  It’s the study of the manner by which the vast expanse of moments that were once the present becomes the past, the narratives we spin, and the patterns we see.  It’s really the whole thing, isn’t it?  Because the present is perpetually becoming the past, and 100% of the meaning we make, as far as I can tell, is spinning those narratives and discerning those patterns in order to optimize our use of the moments yet to come.  I think that’s what wisdom is…”

“The Realm of Purpose is vast, beautiful, rich, and deep. It takes stock of all of human history, trauma, and striving. It asks what it means to be human in every way, and shows what it looks like for you at this entirely irreproducible moment and location in time, space, and the human condition.

It’s the only moment you’ll ever have. Is the action you are currently taking connected to your purpose? Every action creates history. Your story. What story are you telling?”

“Did you know there is only ONE thing you ever create? 

No matter what you THINK you’re creating, it all comes down to this.  And EVERYONE is creating this on multiple levels, whether they realize it or not.

It’s…”

“And then, make the choice to show up as a leader.

It’s simple. Not easy but simple. And it is always a battle with your vulnerabilities, insecurities, and fears. Expect that so it doesn’t catch you off guard.

And then make the decision to show up as a leader.

Here’s what that means…”

“Optimists are always looking for the bright side of things, the opportunities, the positive outcomes, the best case scenario, no matter what’s happening.  This is important.

Pessimists are always anticipating the worst outcomes, spotting the liabilities in people and plans, and looking for the downsides.  This is important.

Realists see what is here now, with less judgment.  The realistic frame proficiently sees things for what they are, free of the baggage we place on them.  This is important.”

“It makes a difference.  When you tell people the strengths you see in them, their state changes.  It inspires peace, confidence, inner vision.  And those states are REAL.  Reconnecting with our strengths truly creates a parallel universe in which you FLY 🦅 instead of crawl 🪱.

Here’s what I think is funny about strengths…”

“Vervaeke created this in 2019, finishing just before the dawn of the year we call 2020.  While many of us were perhaps not aware of a meaning crisis before this, it seems impossible to deny in its wake.  Vervaeke was ahead of his time, and I now see abundant evidence of this.  It comes up in many, many of my conversations in a variety of ways.  The world has become an uncertain and disorienting place.  I can’t tell you how to navigate it for maximum prosperity, impact, and meaning, but I can give you insight, guidance, and the peace that comes from knowing who you are and what you are here to do.  And that is worth a lot.

2019 was already a while ago.  2023 is just around the corner.  What will it bring for you?  Will it bring the motivation that comes from meaning and mental health?  Or will you continue to struggle with the uncertainty of your existence?”

“At the intersection, we find a profound existential wholeness.  It is peace within yourself, clarity to see the world you would like to create, and the strategy to build it one step at a time so that we may continue to approach the ideal that can only be imagined and never attained.

Every conversation I have with clients is oriented toward optimizing these 3 circles.  Finding meaning, starting from a place of peace and fulfillment, and discerning the proper actions to realize the vision that flows from this state.  It looks different for everyone, but that’s the formula for healthy growth in this often confusing, overwhelming, and anxiety-inducing modern world.”