In today's episode of the Potential Leader Lab Podcast, I challenge you with a question proposed by a great leader—Abraham Lincoln: How do you personally differentiate between what you want most and what you want now?
Together, we'll explore the powerful concept of balancing what we want most versus what we want now. As 2025 begins, many of us are considering our future goals and the choices we need to make to achieve them. I'll share how our decisions can have a ripple effect, impacting not just ourselves but also those we care deeply about.
Throughout this episode, we'll unpack how and why our lives are the sum total of our past decisions. To shape a different future, we must make intentional decisions now that align with our deep intrinsic values and the shared vision we create with loved ones. I differentiate between immediate gratification and long-term fulfillment, highlighting how making decisions based on what we want now can undermine our shared goals and relationships.
I introduce the concepts of collaboration and co-creation, defining how they differ and how each plays a vital role in effective leadership. Co-creation involves deeper involvement in shaping vision and goals, while collaboration is more task-oriented.
We'll also discuss the importance of clearly defining what matters most, and how to co-create this vision with those around us. Nature abhors a vacuum, so if we don’t define our path, external influences will always fill the gap. Our decisions should honor the shared vision of our future, and the language we choose to use plays a crucial role in this process. Choosing our words carefully can carry significant emotional weight and drive different results.
As always, we'll relate these ideas to my framework of exploration, experimentation, and evolution, recognizing that our vision and priorities can and likely will change over time.
Finally, I urge you to engage in meaningful conversations with those you care about deeply, continually revisiting and co-creating their shared vision to ensure it evolves as they do.
Let’s get started...
Top Takeaways from this Week's Leadership Podcast
- Align Actions with Shared Vision: Leadership requires aligning your actions with a shared vision of what matters most, co-created with those you care deeply about. Prioritizing what you want most over immediate gratification demonstrates conviction and purpose.
- Acknowledge the Ripple Effect: Every decision you make either honors or dishonors a shared vision. Recognizing the ripple effects of your choices builds trust and strengthens relationships with those around you.
- Foster Connection Through Co-Creation: Co-creation is about shaping goals and outcomes together, fostering connection and innovation. Unlike collaboration, which focuses on tasks, co-creation emphasizes shared ownership and evolving visions.
- Build Momentum with Micro-Decisions: Small, intentional choices compound into meaningful change. Whether it’s committing to a daily practice or prioritizing quality time, these micro-decisions build momentum toward what matters most.
- Embrace Leadership as Evolution: Leadership is a journey of growth and adaptation. Revisiting shared goals, fostering open communication, and embracing change help leaders create environments where relationships and visions grow together.
- Create Positive Ripples: Your decisions create ripples that impact others. Leaders must be intentional, ensuring their actions contribute positively to the shared vision, even as that vision evolves over time.
Key Moments in this Week's Leadership Podcast
- 06:11 Choose language wisely; align decisions with goals.
- 07:37 Choose quality over quantity in daily decisions.
- 12:40 Fear is imagined; boldness and task real.
- 15:54 Open communication, collaboration, and phenomenology are essential.
- 18:48 Choices affect shared vision; explore and evolve.
Take Home Resources
- The Myth of Sisyphus - by Albert Camus
- Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln - by Doris Kearns Goodwin
- The Emerging Leader Toolkit - by Perry Maughmer
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