Welcome to the Potential Leader Lab, and I'm your host, Perry Maughmer. And today on episode 55 part 1,

and I'll get to that

in a minute, we're talking about leading with conviction, the courage to say amen. So as I went through the content in preparation for today, I recognized that there was a lot there, and so I thought I would experiment as we are prone to do here with an idea of doing a part 1 and part 2. And that way, I'm not gonna overload. This won't turn into, like, a, you know, I listen to some podcast, and I listen to them in parts, but I'll listen to some that are 2 hours and 15 minutes long. And I don't wanna kind of bleed into being you know, typically, podcasts I do are typically 35 to 40 minutes, and I don't wanna get that into the hour, hour and 15 minute range. And and quite honestly, we'll see where this one lands. Maybe this one will be a little bit shorter, and we'll have 2 shorter episodes, and we'll see what happens. But, anyway, we're talking about leading with conviction, the courage to say amen, and this is part 1.

So what we're diving into today is what it really means to lead authentically with impact. It because, as we've talked before, leadership isn't just a, it's not a role. It's not a set of tasks. It it's kind of a a ripple effect because every decision you make, every word you speak, every action you take, and no, this is not the police song every because that's what it's starting to sound like. But every decision you make, every word you speak, and every action you take creates echoes that can inspire growth or instill hesitation. And and we have to be cognizant of that. And the question that I wanna ask is, what what kind of echo are you leaving behind? And I think that this is important, for a couple reasons, and, you know, David White, this Irish poet, is great. If you've never read any of his poetry, it's really awesome.

And I heard him on a podcast with Rick Rubin, and he talked about using bigger language. And that's what I wanna talk about today. That's why I'm sure some people cringe a little bit when I said the courage to say amen. We're talking about things like that in in a in what I'll call a non religious manner, but having but using terms like, reverence and amen, and using bigger language to describe both the pursuit and impact that leaders have on people. So in this first part, we'll explore the foundations of leading with conviction. We'll talk about how leadership requires intentional action, the courage to align your core values despite external pressures, and how reverence, which is defined as deep respect for the moment, can transform routine tasks into opportunities for significance. And we'll also dig in to the difference between rituals and routines or habits and how deliberate practices can anchor you amidst the chaos that we often find ourselves. Leadership is about showing up, in my mind, relentlessly, authentically, and intentionally.

So let's get started because the echoes you leave as a leader don't just impact the day, they shape the future for you and those you care deeply about. So leadership. The theme is it's not a role, it's a reverberation. It's a ripple effect of intentional action and authentic presence. And and here's some things to further break this down a little bit. Let's look at leadership beyond influence. Let's look at it as influence beyond position. It isn't confined to titles or roles.

It it is literally how you create presence through actions, words, and decisions, and conversations that send ripples out that affect other people, whether you realize it or not. And that's the key, because oftentimes, we don't think about that. Now I I wanna frame this, I said, beyond position. This is not just about work. Okay? This is about your family. This is about your community. This is about, a place of worship. This is about a nonprofit you belong to.

This is about any time there are people involved. Any time you're interacting with other humans, this is what happens. Your behavior, your words, your actions, even your presence creates ripple effects. Now I'm certain not everybody think we don't think about this a 100% of the time, and we might not even think enough of ourselves to think that we actually do this, that we create ripples, but we do. We create ripples in every interaction that we have. So just think about the power associated with that and the ability to choose what those ripples are. We can't control the outcome, but we can control the intent with which we engage with people. So it so we have the it's beyond position.

Now intentional action. Leaders create meaningful ripples when they act with purpose and clarity, and that's intentionality. We have to think about what we're gonna do, and we have to be intentional and act with clarity. Right? Because that we act we we use purpose. And and often in Dan Pink's book, Drive, and I've referenced this a number of times, the three things that create motivation are autonomy, mastery, and purpose. And so what that does when we act with purpose, it amplifies the impact we're having across the people that we're dealing with, because it's it's something, I'll say, kind of rare today when you can feel someone acting with purpose. You feel their intent. And, also, the the next component

of this is authentic presence shapes culture, and people talk about that all

the time in organizations. Being fully present and true to your values, right, which, by the way, are two components of psychological flexibility that fosters trust, connection, and culture of growth. When you show up authentically, you inspire other people to do the same, which is amplifying and multiplying your influence. Saint Francis of Assisi said, preach the gospel every day and use words when necessary.

We don't have to we don't have to think about what we say if we align our actions with what we believe, because that says it for us. That's where this is really simple, but far from easy. Right? This is not complex, but it's hard to do

because we have to be intentional and act with purpose. And then finally, the these things last a lot longer than you would believe. It doesn't end in the moment. It doesn't end with that conversation. It doesn't end with that meaning. It doesn't end with just that day. The ripples you create through your intentionality and presence leave lasting echoes

in the form of empowered individuals, resilient teams, and a legacy of trust and purpose, if done well. It can also lead to the opposite of those things,

because you might have thought it was just one conversation. You'll never know. And I can only speak to myself, and I can only speak for myself to tell you that there have been a number of times I've talked to people that I worked with years ago who told me, oh, you know, back when we were together, you often said this or that, and I've remembered that to this day. Sometimes

that's 15, 20 years ago. Think about it with your children. Think about it with your spouse, with your partner. The things you say matter. The language you use matters. The intent with which you say those things matter. So just choose. That's all.

Just be aware of the power that you have.

I don't it doesn't matter where you work, what you do, what your title is, if you work out from home, if you don't work from home, if you work out of the home. It doesn't matter what you do. What matters is how you do it. And we have the ability to positively impact and build a better world for those we care deeply about every single day. It is an awesome opportunity. It is an awesome responsibility that we should never lose sight of. So I'm gonna frame this question. How can leaders cultivate with an enduring impact in their organizations and communities that aligns with existential authenticity? How can you cultivate an enduring impact that aligns with who you are? Because, by

the way, if you can do that, you don't have to think anymore. You just show up if you're aligning who you are with what you do. Now there's a ton of reasons this is hard to

do. Alright? Now authenticity, in the in the definition we're using, is the degree to which your actions are congruent with your values and desires despite external pressure and social conformity. Now what I've just described to you is is essentially more or less the definition of psychological flexibility. There are 3 components typically to psychological flexibility, and those are as follows. I can be present in the moment, fully present in the interaction, the conversation, the meeting, whatever that might be. I can be open to and welcome in all my thoughts, feelings, and sensations. I don't judge them. I'm not trying to avoid what I'll think are bad ones.

I'm open to all of them. And the 3rd most important component is, I can still act in alignment with my values towards my goal. I don't allow anything to pull me off of who I am and my values. I stay aligned with my values regardless of the situation. I behave in a way that aligns with my values and moves me forward toward my goal. That's psychological flexibility and the foundation of great leaders. They can do this. Now let's let's be honest.

Let's talk about the things that will prevent us from doing it, or the things that will be a hurdle, or there there

are obstacles. Number 1, time constraints. Now these are vastly overrated, and it's a perception issue, but they're real. I I get it. Everything's gotta happen now.

We gotta move. We have a bias to action, as people like

to say. Now nothing wrong

with it. We do have to move. We have to we have to take action, but we also have to build in room for reflection. Because without reflection, we don't learn. So it we are pushed, and when we are pushed to act quickly, we're often acting reactively and not intentionally. We're reacting in that moment, which may not give us the time we need to act in alignment with our values. The second one, we're a little resistant to vulnerability. We think that vulnerability is weakness.

If you don't, you know, if you want more on that, check out anything by Brene Brown. Right? She's gonna she's gonna talk to that and about what vulnerability actually is, and it can create a barrier to being authentic. It can create a barrier for you authentically connecting and building trust with people if you're not willing to be vulnerable, however that might be defined for you.

And, honestly, just vulnerability is just honest. How do you feel? Don't lie. Don't pretend. Don't put a show on. And remember, if you tell anybody it's fine, just remember what fine stands for. Freaked out, insecure, neurotic, and emotional. That's what fine means. So don't say it.

Just tell people how you feel within reason. You always have to be, somewhat judicious as a leader in how you share and what you share.

That's why it's so hard by the way, because it isn't just this, I can just say whatever on my mind. Oh, I can say a 100% of whatever I'm feeling. No. It's not it's not the case. Not what I'm saying. I'm saying you have to use your judgment and wisdom to understand what you can share to what level you can share based on the context the other person has of the conversation. That's what makes this also challenging. There is also the third thing, a pressure to conform.

You know, we have pressures to conform, to traditional leadership models. The things that have been ingrained in us through culture and call that, you know, experiences and our way we were brought up and movies and all those things impact the way we see what we'll call leaders.

And understand that that is highly cultural.

We don't have the same view of leaders here in the United States as they have maybe in Sweden, or Finland, or Greenland, or, the Ukraine, or Middle East, or Southern Russia, or Africa, any of

those places. It's all different. So it's it is all relative. And I will, you

know, Nietzsche said, you have your way, I have my way, and for the correct way, the right way, the only way does not exist. That's the key with leading. Leading is highly, highly individualized. There is no one way to lead. There is no right way to lead. The 4th piece of this that makes it hard is balancing short and long term needs. I mean, we all have things we need to get done today. We all have projects we need to get in the day.

We all have things that are time based. Now how do we align that with taking actions that cultivate lasting impact while we're prioritizing or forced to prioritize short term outcomes? Because oftentimes, those short term outcomes undermine efforts to align with existential authenticity. And that's a that's a battle we all face. There's no answer. There's no right way. There's no wrong way, but you have to at least be willing to entertain that you are doing both at the same time, and there will be trade offs. And that's okay. That that's the whole message for this too is there's no right way.

There's no wrong way. And and that means that whatever way you're going about it is the best way you can. And as Maya Angelou said, you know, it you do better when you know better. Do the best you can, but when you know better, do better. That's it. That's all we're trying to do. Do the best you can, but when you know better, do better. And so these are all a series of experiments we're trying.

We just all I ask us to do is slow down enough to contemplate the fact that we're we're balancing short term results and long term results. Short term action, long term action. And how do we balance those things for us and everybody around us to create that better world that we're looking for? And there will be times we will commit to doing something we know is not gonna help us long term, but

it has to be done. It's okay as long as you're doing it intentionally. And then there's also the fear of judgment or failure. You know, you may struggle with, I think we all do at some level, self doubt and fear of criticism. And taking bold actions, aligning with your vision and mission and your values can create failure, and that's okay. That's just an experiment. You have to give yourself permission to fail because that could translate into permission to learn. So, again, reframe it.

We're overcoming isolation.

Leadership's a lonely job. One of

the biggest things I hear from people when they join one of my, Vistage peer advisory groups is, after they've been there about 2 or 3 months, is they didn't realize how lonely they were. You can be surrounded by people and very, very isolated. And that is routinely the number one thing that I hear. The number one thing that people say is, it's so good to sit with other people who understand what I'm going through, and I can share openly and honestly with, because I can't do that every day. The the the other challenge all of this brings up is just sustaining your energy and focus. The mental and emotional demands of being a leader are significant, And it makes it challenging to always show up and be present, because I'm not always taking the right steps for my own renewal, and that requires a lot of energy to take intentional action. The world is a very complex place. We've talked about the acronym VUCA, volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous.

And navigating complexity requires energy and can be very overwhelming, because there's no oftentimes, there's no value in repetition because every every scenario becomes different. There's so much chaos in the world,

so much complexity in the world that we are literally creating new solutions all the time, and that can lead to burnout.

The our own ingrained habits and patterns. I I was listening to, doctor Bruce Lipton, the other day on a podcast, and he was talking about our programs that we run. And I'll put it in the show notes. I'll I'll put the podcast in the show notes. But it's amazing to me because he said, these these programs, as he refers to them, actually run our behavior about 90 to 95 percent of the time, and we're not aware of it. Because anytime we start thinking and go inside our head, our programs kick in, and we just act the way we've been programmed to act since youth. It's just he gives the example if you're driving a car and you're looking out the the windshield, and you're you're intentionally driving. You're not thinking about anything except driving.

You're fine. The minute you start thinking about something about what you have to do later or a meeting or something that happened, any of those things, you've now shifted inside your head. You're no longer focused outside the car, but you don't suddenly careen off the road and wreck because you have programs you've built over 10, 20, 30 years of driving that kick in, and you drive just fine. And you arrive at your destination oftentimes not remembering how you got there. So that's the example of

the program that we're talking about. And that's just one. That's the program for driving. You have programs for everything.

And there's 2 more on this list. One is just a lack of immediate rewards. Let's be honest. If if I wanna do this, if I wanna act authentically, if I wanna act in alignment with what I believe, that's a very long term thing. There may or may not ever be rewards for it externally. So there is no immediate reward. It there I can't I can't measure it and and find out that, oh, I'm getting further ahead. Oh, I'm doing this.

Oh, I'm gaining this. Oh, we got the that won't show up all the time. So that's the other part that's challenging because our mind wants that. Our brain wants that. We want that reward to keep us going. And then you're gonna have all kinds of resistance from an organizational standpoint, from getting everybody else to buy in because of everything we just talked about. Short term, long term, ingrained habits of you and everybody on your leadership team, and everybody in the company. Because let's think about this.

If you have a 100 people in your company, all 100 are running on different programs that were built for them up to the age they were 7. So you're trying to address all of those things to move everything forward. So now, I wanna see if any of the following stuff rings a bell. Because this these are the these these are the things that provide the tension between the modern leadership pressures and the the timeless need for connection, meaning, and renewal. So we're gonna build on this list we just talked about. So I wanna see do any of these sound familiar to you? Because these are the things that create the tension. I I want to acknowledge that there are competing things here. This is not just, oh, I didn't think about that.

I'll do it now. These are the things that are gonna be in front of you each and every day. Metrics versus connections versus human connections. The the emphasis that we have on quantifiable outcome often devalues the intangible of the leadership quality of empathy, trust, and meaningful relationships, because I'm balancing the metrics that people represent and the things that they're striving for. And then on the other hand, is the empathy, the trust, and building a meaningful relationship, and balancing those two things. Which one do I let influence my behavior? And then the second one is just the amount the sheer amount of information that we have come at us versus intentional reflection. We're we spend so much time consuming data, Consuming information. There's so much of it.

I hear it all the time from leadership teams about the number of reports, and the number of metrics, and the KPIs, and the OKRs, and, you know, whatever else you wanna whatever other acronym you wanna throw in there. Whatever other initials you wanna throw in there. Right? So you have this this overwhelming amount of data and information, and we just continue to consume and consume and consume. But when do we think about it? When do we when do we stop and go, okay. I've consumed enough. Now I need to process. Now I need to create. I need to create a way forward for people.

I can't do that if I'm always consuming, because consuming and creation are 2 different activities. And oftentimes, the unfortunately, what we think is that they're the same. That I'm learning if I'm reading lots of reports and taking in lots of data points and understanding metrics and

all of those things, when in fact, that's not the case. Because we have

to have time to reflect and make sense of them. What do they mean? What's the pattern? And that's where wisdom comes in, is understanding what information and data tell you. Because data is not information, information is not knowledge, and knowledge is not wisdom. Those are 4 distinctly different things. There's the real issue of burnout versus sustainability. The expectation nowadays that leaders are always on and available, and that conflicts with the need for rest and renewal. I mean, with technology the way it is now, there's hardly any time you're not accessible. There's role expectations role expectations versus authenticity.

Because the way we think about, you know, modern leadership is demanding this kind of confidence and control and being in charge, which can make it difficult to embrace vulnerability and actually the ability to lead authentically. If we think we need to show up as somebody who is always confident and in control. Because I will tell you, the leaders that I work with are not always confident and in control,

nor should they be. Here's the thing. They don't have to be. I had one I had one leader tell me actually wrote

it down. It was a great quote. He said, I may not always be correct, but I'm always confident. I thought, you know what? There's there's merit to that. Right? Short term wins versus a long term legacy. You know, we talked about that a little bit ago. The pressure for short term wins versus investing, that term is really important, in deeper, more meaningful work that creates lasting impact. Are we investing in those relationships? Because that's what moves the needle with people, our relationships.

People do things for other people, not force things. We do things out of a sense of accountability and responsibility for other people. And then isolation and community. We talked about it for leaders, but what about everybody? Leaders can be isolated, and it makes it harder to foster those deep connections that nourish and sustain a meaningful relationship, and it goes throughout the organization. If everybody is in such a hurry and we're so metric based, are any of us stopping and building relationships that will really sustain and nourish us during those hard times? I mean, I I read a study the other day. They were talking about, as we age, the number one indicator of our ability to be healthy is directly correlated to the number of relationships we have. Because if we're surrounded with a community of people and we have lots of relationships, we will have a tendency to have a fuller, more active, longer life than if we don't.

So we just covered

our first piece of this. Right? Now we're gonna talk about reverence as leadership. Reverence as a leadership principle, which means we're gonna elevate moments of meaning. Now I'm gonna talk about reverence, not in a religious method. Right? Not as a religious devotion, but as a deep respect for the moment. Reverence is a deep respect for what I do. I have reverence for it. Feeling of deep respect

or awe. Now I wanna define this in context of leadership. So what does it mean

to have reverence for what you're doing? Intentionality and respect rather than routine or transactional. And this is this is we're gonna get into this talk about routine and transactions and reverence. So the so let's talk about the power of presence. If you're present, you're staying fully engaged in the moment, and then you allow other people to see this to recognize the significance of their actions and decisions. And we also acknowledge the human element. We can we can recognize that inherent dignity and potential in each team member. And I know this this the the choice of language I'm using may be off putting to some people, reverence and dignity, but these are human things. And we can talk all we want about business, but this is

a human endeavor. That's what leaders do. They acknowledge that human element. And we have

to have reverence for our decision making, because we're making big decisions that have potentially long term impact on other people. And so are we are we taking are we are we looking at those with reverence? Are we rushing to be expedient, to get outcomes? Balancing confidence and humility. You know, we have to be we have to balance the need to lead with humility and listen and learn with results. Both those things have to happen. And then are we can we ritualize any of these leadership moments? Are there practical ways that leaders can build rituals or practices that remind them to approach things with reverence? And then the impact on culture. If we if we address things, if we if we approach things with some kind of awe or respect or reverence, other people will see that and understand it. Now, we're gonna tie this into a little bit of another concept, with existentialism. Because reverence naturally transitions into the search for meaning in in the mundane, in the everyday, and the courage to be fully present by reframing everyday leadership moments as opportunity for significance and growth.

And here's how that flow works. So we're seeing the extraordinary and the ordinary. We have to be care be careful that everything doesn't become routine. And then we see presence as a prerequisite for meaning. The the act of being fully present is a form of reverence. When we fully engage in the here and now, it creates space to uncover meanings that might be hidden otherwise or overlooked. The courage to take a pause. If you have reverence, you're gonna slow down and confront those deeper truths of your leadership journey.

And it re it does require the courage to resist the pull of urgency and distractions. And these last 2 are really important. Finding purpose and service. Reverence for leadership moment highlights how seemingly small acts, like listening actively or expressing gratitude or making even a thoughtful decision can contribute to a larger sense of purpose and meaning for both the leader and those that you influence. You're setting an example. And then finally, just the ability to overcome existential dread. I mean, we're all trying to find meaning in a chaotic world. And if we can ground ourselves in the value of our present actions, no matter how small they might seem, it helps us do that.

We have to know we're acting on purpose, and I mean that in a couple different ways, intentionally and on our own purpose. And I see this a lot when people it it means something. I had a I had a, a gentleman that works. I have the opportunity to work with a couple different companies at multiple levels within the organization. And I was working with a person that was a project manager in one of the companies, and he reports directly to the owner. They have, they have interactions from time to time. And he pulled me aside. This person pulled me aside in a meeting.

It was just it was his meeting. It was he was in a group of mine. And he said, hey. I wanna tell you something that the owner did. I'm like, oh, okay. What happened? He goes, well, they formed this team, and I wasn't selected for the team. But this was really interesting. He goes, I don't know if this is because the the, you know, the leaders working with you or influence from some other way.

But they formed the team, and I wasn't on it. But then he called me into his office and took just 10 minutes and explained to me how he made his selections and why I wasn't on it. And I perfectly understood. And it was so great because it wouldn't have happened that way a year ago. I would never have been told why I wasn't on the team or what happened or how the decision was made, and it would have led me to think less of myself that I did something wrong, that I I didn't have status in the organization. And he said in that 5 to 10 minutes that he shared that with me, I felt so much better and relieved and understood what

was going on in the company. And I and I just wanted to tell you because it was an amazing thing. Now if I ask that leader about that conversation, they probably wouldn't remember it. It.

That's that's how much your impact that's how much your actions have on other people. Now the challenge is, how can you pause long enough to notice the sacred opportunities within your daily grind? You must be conscious and not allow those subconscious programs to run on autopilot because we have to we cannot allow things to be moved from the conscious to the subconscious and allow them become routine because leading must never be routine. So we can't offload those to habits or whatever you wanna call them. So the final part we're gonna talk about today, we're just gonna kinda touch on resilience through rituals, and these are leadership practices that can anchor and energize you. Now we have rituals and routines. So I'm gonna give I'm gonna quickly run through, like, some highlights of what's a ritual versus what's a

root what's a routine. Because rituals are not rote habits. Right? They're deliberate acts that provide structure and purpose in

a chaotic environment. So here's here's some things that define a ritual. They're purposeful and symbiotic. K. They're imbued with meaning. They mean something. They're intentional and reflective. There's deliberate focus and attention put on them.

There's emotional engagement. It evokes an emotional resonance with people when you do it, helps people feel aligned and centered and inspired even. And then finally, they're transformative in many ways. They have a psychological or emotional impact, and it helps people transition between states of mind or it reinforces that sense of purpose. Alright? So they're purposeful and symbolic. They're intentional and reflective. They're emotional. They generate emotional engagement, and also they're transformative.

Now let's look at the other side of this, which is a routine. Now routines are functional and practical. They're they're designed to achieve a specific outcome with little thought or emotion. They're and flowing from that, they're automatic and habitual. They're task oriented, and they're they're what I'll call maintenance focused. They're they sustain order and consistency. They're not transformative. So again, functional and practical, automatic and habitual, task oriented, maintenance focused.

That's what routines are. So here's here's how how you can use this. Right? So the key distinctions between these things, rituals elevate actions by embedding them with intention, meaning, and emotional engagement. They're not designed for efficiency. And a ritual can be performed. A ritual can be routine if performed mindlessly. So again, we have to guard against that. We can't offload something from our conscious to our subconscious.

Once it goes there, it becomes a routine or a habit, not a ritual. So in the leadership context, a routine might be a weekly team meeting. A ritual is transforming that meeting into a moment of connection by sharing a personal story, reflecting on our collective successes, reinforcing shared values. So we can take routines and turn them into ritual moments, which is the job that a leader possesses. Because we want that purposeful and symbolic, intentional and reflective, emotional engagement, and transformation. Because if we can infuse our daily practices by cultivating these rituals, it creates meaning and fosters a deeper sense of purpose and connection, which turns into much greater work on the downside. Now the goal here isn't to have either or. The goal is to think about your activities as you do them now, and how do they fall and hit on that spectrum.

If we have ritual on one side and routine on the other, you're gonna move up and down that spectrum all the time. You just can't stay on one side or the other. So your question the question you can ask yourself becomes, right, if I'm do if I look at my daily calendar, if I look at my weekly calendar, my monthly calendar, and all my activities, do which ones are these? Right? If you put check marks beside purposeful and symbolic, intentional and reflective, emotional engagement, transformative versus functional and practical, automatic and habitual, task oriented and maintenance focused. Which which one do they fall into? Some of them are going to be routines, and that's fine. You need routines. But where can you find those moments to develop rituals? To make something purposeful and symbolic, to build in reflection and intentionality, to create emotional engagement, and to create transformation for people. So as we wrap up part 1 of leading with conviction, the courage to say amen, we've explored some powerful concepts that redefine what it means to lead. It isn't a role or a title.

It's the echoes of your actions, the ripples of your presence, and the clarity of your intention. It's about showing up authentically and recognizing the significance of each of those moments and then embracing the courage to say amen

when it matters most. We've looked at

the tension created from kind of modern pressures and these, what I'll call, timeless principles and how it shapes leadership today. The transformative power of reverence for the leadership moment, but there's much more to the journey. In part 2, we'll dive deeper into the cycles of renewal, exploring how leaders can embrace growth and change without losing their grounding, and we'll discuss amplifying leadership impact with the echoes you leave behind and the ultimate challenge of saying amen with conviction and closure. These are the moments where you'll see your leadership truly take flight. Make sure you join us for part 2, where we'll continue to push the boundaries of what it means to lead authentically, relentlessly, and with impact. And until then, keep reflecting, keep evolving, and never stop asking yourself, what kind of echoes am I leaving behind?

See you next time.