The H2 Leadership Podcast

In this episode, Alan Briggs brings two of his popular Taking Steps video emails to the H2 Leadership Podcast — short, practical teachings he sends to leaders every couple of weeks. Today's focus is space. Not the theoretical kind. The kind you actually have to fight for in a real schedule with real demands pulling on you from every direction. If you're constantly behind, constantly stressed, and never quite present in the moment — Alan has a reframe for you. Space is not a luxury. It is an occupational requirement of leadership. And if you don't fight for it, it is not going to show up on its own. Alan walks through three types of space every leader needs to build into their life, and then zooms in on one of the most powerful practices he's implemented in his own leadership — the quarterly think day. Eight hours, no meetings, no email, just deep thinking on the biggest decisions and opportunities in front of him. The results have been consistently transformative. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why the way most leaders think about time is actively working against them The three types of space every leader must fight for: micro, medium, and macro What micro space looks like in a real day — and why even five minutes matters The Sabbath as a "get-to day" in a world full of have-tos — and why every leader Alan knows who takes it seriously wishes they had started sooner The quarterly think day — what it is, how Alan structures it, and why it costs about ten dollars and returns serious clarity Why leaders who only react are slowly losing their creativity and their purpose What it looks like to go from a full day of deep thinking to presenting clear objectives to your team How macro space — vacations and sabbaticals — isn't just good for you personally, it's essential for your team and your leadership The simple challenge: can you take two, four, or eight hours this quarter to actually think? Reflection Questions: When was the last time you had uninterrupted space to think about where you're actually going — not just what's in front of you right now? Which of the three types of space — micro, medium, or macro — are you most neglecting, and what would it take to fight for it this week? If you blocked a think day this quarter, what are the two or three big topics you'd bring with you? Resources Mentioned: Right Side Up Journal — available on Amazon H2 Leadership Coaching — h2leadership.com Taking Steps — Alan's monthly email and video series for leaders

In this episode, Alan Briggs sits down with Stu Davis, Executive Director of COS I Love You — a Colorado Springs organization that brokers connection between the church, nonprofits, business, and public sector for a candid, practical conversation about what it actually looks like to expand your network without it feeling slimy, transactional, or just plain weird. This one was recorded live in a room full of leaders, and the energy of that conversation comes through. Alan and Stu have both spent years learning, and sometimes failing at the craft of genuine connection, and in this episode they pull back the curtain on how they think about it, how they've had to mature in it, and what separates the connectors who build real trust from the ones who just work a room. If you've ever walked away from a networking event feeling like you needed a shower, this episode is for you. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why networking feels slimy — and the one thing that makes the difference between transactional and transformational connection The "engagement funnel" framework: how relationships move from acquaintance to friend to partner to collaborator to team — and why skipping steps is where things go wrong Why you should always state your agenda upfront — and how doing so actually builds more trust, not less The abundance vs. scarcity mentality in practice — including a story about a colleague who said one thing and did another What the best connectors do that most people don't — and why being only a connector isn't enough Alan's five-part framework for moving from intuitive to intentional connecting: grid, filters, environments, processes, and multiplication The green-light introduction — what it is, when to give it, and why it's one of the highest forms of relational trust Why name-dropping usually backfires — and what to do instead when you need to establish credibility How one dinner unlocked over $110,000 in business for Alan — and the mindset shift that almost made him say no Why "needy is creepy" — and what it looks like to refer someone to a competitor and actually gain trust by doing it The one question to always ask at the end of a meeting: "Is there any way I can serve you?" Reflection Questions: Who in your network do two people you know need to meet — and what's stopping you from making that introduction? Are you operating from an abundance mentality or a scarcity mentality — and would the people around you agree with your answer? Have you moved from intuitive to intentional in how you connect people, or are you still running it all out of your head? Resources Mentioned: COS I Love You: https://cosiloveyou.com/about-us/ Who Not How — Dan Sullivan (referenced by Alan) Right Side Up Journal — available on Amazon H2 Leadership Coaching — h2leadership.com About Stu Davis: Stu Davis is the Executive Director of COS I Love You, an organization in Colorado Springs that sits at the intersection of church and city — brokering relationships and building collaborative opportunities between nonprofits, faith communities, businesses, and public sector leaders. Want more? Visit h2leadership.com for coaching, resources, and tools to help you lead well. Leadership is complex, but it doesn't have to be lonely. Let's get after it.

In this episode, Alan Briggs does something he's never done before — he opens by admitting he was wrong. For years as a leadership coach, Alan over-emphasized habits and healthy rhythms while under-selling the power of big, audacious goals. He watched too many leaders get crushed by massive targets they never hit, and he overcorrected. Now he's setting the record straight. The truth is, direction and destination aren't in competition. They need each other. Habits without a destination drift into maintenance. Big goals without daily rhythms become wishful thinking. The mature leader holds the tension between both — and that tension is exactly what this episode is about. Alan shares the personal story behind his upcoming trip to Machu Picchu — a promise made at his grandfather's memorial — and how that destination is anchoring his daily training and health habits right now. He also walks through what thought leaders like James Clear, Jim Collins, Angela Duckworth, and Benjamin Hardy all say on both sides of this conversation, and why they're ultimately pointing toward the same conclusion. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why Alan swung the pendulum too far toward habits early in his coaching career — and what changed The "both/and" framework: how direction (daily habits) and destination (big stretch goals) work together Alan's Machu Picchu story and why a promise at his grandfather's memorial is driving his health right now What James Clear, Jim Collins, Angela Duckworth, and Benjamin Hardy all agree on Jim Collins' bullets and cannonballs concept and how to apply it to your leadership The "We are going to _____ by _____ because _____" formula for naming your moonshot goal Why measuring lead indicators (not just outcomes) is the key to real progress How the Right Side Up Journal connects big goals to daily habits in one place The boat and oars analogy — and what it costs you when only one oar is in the water Reflection Questions: What big goal have you been avoiding naming because you're not sure you can hit it? Are your current daily habits actually moving you toward a destination — or just maintaining where you are? Where have you been choosing between healthy and high impact, when you could be pursuing both? Resources Mentioned: Atomic Habits — James Clear Grit — Angela Duckworth 10X Is Easier Than 2X — Dr. Benjamin Hardy & Dan Sullivan Good to Great — Jim Collins Right Side Up Journal — available on Amazon Want more? Visit h2leadership.com for coaching, resources, and tools to help you lead well.

Most leaders have heard that coaching is valuable. Fewer have seen what it actually looks like from the inside. In this episode Alan Briggs and Jonathan Collier pull back the curtain on a real coaching relationship, using clips from Alan's conversations with Daryl Smith, gathering pastor at The Journey Church in Newark Delaware, to show what Healthy AND High Impact leadership looks like when someone does the work. Daryl stepped into a bigger role with real weight and made a decision: he was not going to just survive it. What happened next is exactly what H2 Leadership is all about. In this episode: Why stepping into a new role is one of the most common entry points into coaching and what separates leaders who thrive in the transition from those who just endure it The counterintuitive move that changes everything: why slowing down is the most high impact thing a fast-moving leader can do The org chart story: how Daryl went from sitting on an idea for six months to presenting it to his lead team in seven days and why his lead pastor is still referencing it today A full walkthrough of the Start Stop Keep tool and the five questions that helped Daryl step into 2026 with momentum, confidence, and direction What Daryl said about how coaching changed his marriage, his relationship with his kids, and his presence at home The line that will stay with you: Coaching helped Daryl listen to God more clearly, lead people more wisely, and live more honestly. That is Healthy AND High Impact in a single sentence. This episode is for the leader who: Just stepped into a bigger role and is figuring it out as they go Is grinding toward high impact but knows their health is taking the hit Has been thinking about coaching but has not pulled the trigger yet Connect with H2 Leadership: Website: h2leadership.com Leave a review on Apple Podcasts and help other leaders find the show

Sabbatical gets misunderstood, feared, and misused — and most leaders either wait too long to take one or avoid it altogether. In this episode, Alan joins Andrew Estes on the Nexus Church Planting Podcast for a conversation that cuts through the baggage and gets honest about what a sabbatical actually is, why boards resist it, why church planters think they can't afford it, and why the leaders who take it well come back with more vision, more creativity, and more fire than they've had in years. If you've ever thought sabbatical is for someone else, someone further along, someone with a bigger team — this one is for you. What You'll Learn: The difference between micro, medium, and macro rest — and why you need all three to lead sustainably Why sabbatical is not discipline, not a vacation, and not an escape — and what it actually is The abundance vs. scarcity mindset that determines whether a leader can truly rest Why boards and congregations fear sabbaticals — and how to address every one of those fears honestly The surprising truth about sabbatical as a leadership development tool for your entire team Why church planters can't afford to wait — and what to start doing now even if you're only three years in The six R's framework Alan uses to help leaders prepare well and waste nothing "Don't resign, redesign" — what it looks like to come back from sabbatical ready for the next decade Key Insight: You are not as valuable as you think — and that's actually great news. Sabbatical forces the leadership development your team needs, creates the empowerment you've been meaning to build, and reminds you that God was never depending on you to hold it all together in the first place. Reflection Question: What's your honest excuse for not pursuing sabbatical right now — and is it rooted in scarcity thinking or genuine wisdom? This episode originally aired on the Nexus Church Planting Podcast. We're grateful to Andrew and the Nexus team for sharing it with the H2 community. Connect with Nexus: Full episode: https://www.nexus.us/episode/06-alan-briggs--demystifying-sabbaticals Website: https://www.nexus.us Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/nexus-church-planting-podcast/id1838803043 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd5AMLFOOTjdiQ8wiwMW51Q I nstagram: https://www.instagram.com/nexus_church_planting/ Resources Mentioned: The Sabbatical Journey Field Guide — available on Amazon Sabbatical Coaching Group — sabbaticalcoachinggroup.com Lilly Foundation Clergy Renewal Grants — lillyfoundation.org

Why are we winning right now? I've sat with several leaders recently who are honestly asking that question. Not bragging. Not saying they're crushing it. Just genuinely trying to understand why the flywheel is finally spinning — why the fruit is finally showing up. The answer is almost always the same. They've been tending the grove for a long time. They just couldn't see it yet. In this episode, I'm talking about the difference between the grove and the grocery store — and why so many leaders are frustrated not because they're failing, but because their expectations are off. We want grocery store results on a grove timeline. And that gap is where discouragement lives. What You'll Learn: Why the leaders who are winning right now have had things growing below the surface for a long time — and what that means for where you are today The grove vs. the grocery store: two images that will change how you think about growth, results, and timing Why winter seasons in your organization aren't a sign of failure — they're when the roots grow deepest How pruning, dormancy, and rest prepare you for the next season of fruit Why expectations around speed are the real killer for most leaders — not what they're producing or not producing The crucible: what to do in the in-between season when you've left Egypt but haven't reached the promised land Why internal cultivation — your heart, your maturity, your self-awareness — matters as much as what you're building externally The reminder every leader needs: you are cultivating, but you are also being cultivated Key Insight: The grocery store is an illusion. It hides all the work — the soil preparation, the transportation, the years of tending before a single piece of fruit made it to the shelf. When we build our expectations around the grocery store, we miss the beauty and the necessity of the grove. Reflection Questions: Are you longing for grocery store results when you're actually in a grove season — and what would it look like to tend that grove well right now? What crucible season has shaped you most, and how is that work showing up in what you're building today? Want More? For coaching, resources, and tools to help you lead as a Healthy + High Impact leader, visit h2leadership.com.

We are leading in one of the most anxious moments in recent history. The attention economy, the age of outrage, nonstop news cycles, and the pressure to have an answer for everything — it's a lot. And most leaders are moving from confusion straight to action without ever stopping to get clarity. In this episode, Alan Briggs shares five necessary skills he believes every leader needs right now. Not hacks. Not productivity tips. These are the deeper practices that keep you grounded, tethered, and leading with conviction instead of anxiety, even when everything around you feels like it's spinning. This is fresh teaching from Alan. He describes it as something that was crystallizing for him in real time. And if you've been feeling the weight of these anxious times in your leadership, this one is for you. What You'll Learn: Why the antidote to overwhelm is not certainty — it's clarity, and how fighting for even 5% of it shifts everything What it really means to listen to understand — and why this skill matters most when change is highest The gift of Sabbath and micro-rest that most leaders have left unwrapped for years How to discern when and how to respond to crisis — and why you are not a PR firm required to comment on everything Why you need to audit who and what you're listening to — and what to do when your inputs are producing bad fruit The most counterintuitive leadership shift Alan has seen in a decade: trading winning for faithfulness What changes when you lead from conviction and Spirit-guided wisdom instead of pressure and anxiety Key Insight: When overwhelm is high, the antidote is not certainty — it is clarity. And when you fight for even a small amount of clarity, overwhelm and clarity have an inverse relationship. One goes up, the other comes down. Reflection Questions: What would change if you led from conviction and Spirit-guided wisdom instead of pressure or anxiety? Of these five skills, which one do you most need to lean into right now — and what's one step you can take this week? Resources Mentioned: Right Side Up Journal — coaching companion tool (available on Amazon) Want More? For coaching, resources, and tools to help you lead as a Healthy + High Impact leader, visit www.h2leadership.com.

What does a rock legend who's been performing for 50+ years have to teach us about leadership? More than you'd think. Andy Freed has been to 95 Bruce Springsteen concerts. And somewhere along the way, he realized there's a reason they call him "the Boss"—and it's not just because he can put on a three-hour show at age 75. It's because Bruce Springsteen understands something most leaders miss: communication is leadership. And the way you communicate—your preparation, your energy, your intentionality—determines whether people follow you or just show up for the paycheck. Andy is the founder and CEO of Virtual, a company that works with some of the biggest organizations in the world (Google, Meta, Microsoft, Visa, MasterCard) to help them solve multi-company collaboration challenges. And what he's discovered is that even the biggest companies struggle with the same thing: bad meetings, ineffective communication, and leaders who don't realize that every moment is a performance. In this conversation, Andy breaks down his Think, Feel, Do framework for effective communication, explains why most meetings are "business karaoke," and shares what leaders can learn from the way Bruce Springsteen prepares for a show, energizes an audience, and makes every band member feel like the most important musician on earth. What You'll Learn: Why communication is leadership—and why you can't be an effective leader without the ability to communicate well The Think, Feel, Do framework: how to prepare for any communication by asking what you want your audience to think, feel, and do by the end Why most leaders communicate thinking about themselves, not their audience—and how to flip that script The efficiency vs. effectiveness trap in meetings: why leaders focus on doing all things fast instead of doing the right things well Why bad meetings happen (hint: it starts with bad preparation)—and how to make meetings actually useful The "business karaoke" problem: why PowerPoint has become the karaoke track of corporate America and how to use it more effectively What Bruce Springsteen does at the end of every show that creates loyalty and longevity in his band (and why leaders need to do the same) William James's insight: the deepest human need is the need to be appreciated—deeper than hunger, sex, or money How to inspire loyalty and retention: making people feel seen and appreciated in small, consistent ways Why technology makes communication easier but worse—and how to be more intentional despite the ease of Zoom, Teams, and PowerPoint The AI revolution: why it's bigger than the internet was, and how leaders need to engage with it (hint: just play with it for an hour or two every day) Why getting people back to the office matters for building trust and relationships—and what's lost when the only interaction is ineffective Zoom meetings The "crowd at chow time" principle: how people learn the unwritten rules of business by being in proximity to others Why every moment is a performance for leaders: if you're looking at your phone in a meeting, you haven't said anything—and yet you've said everything The difference between good leaders and exceptional ones: exceptional leaders think about the audience first and focus on creating more leaders, not protecting their fiefdom Why energy is vital in leadership: if you want your team at 95%, you better show up at 100%—because they'll never exceed your energy level The "Born to Run" lesson: Bruce has played it 1,878 times and gives it his all every time—because you need to hear a message seven times to remember it, but most leaders lose interest after two or three How intentional leadership compounds: when you're deliberate about where you invest your energy, every moment counts Key Insight: Nobody cares about the information you're presenting more than you do. If you come in at 70% energy and expect your team to respond at 95%, you're setting yourself up for failure. Great leaders understand that communication isn't just about what you say—it's about how you prepare, how you show up, and whether you're thinking about what your audience needs to hear (not just what you want to say). And here's the truth: the concepts in this conversation aren't complicated. The ways to go from good to great on communication are within your grasp. You just have to want it, value it, and be intentional about it. It won't happen by accident. Reflection Questions: When you communicate, are you thinking about yourself or your audience? What do you want people to think, feel, and do at the end of your next meeting or presentation? Are you showing up with the energy you expect from your team? Are you creating more leaders, or protecting your leadership fiefdom? What would you prioritize if you had to be more intentional with your leadership energy? Resources Mentioned: Lead Like the Boss: Leadership Lessons from Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band Virtual (Andy's company): helping organizations build multi-company con

You're not behind. You're just running too fast. Most leaders think the answer to overwhelm is speed—more efficiency, tighter schedules, faster execution. But what if the real problem isn't that you're doing too little? What if it's that you're running at an unsustainable pace that's hurting you, your family, your work, and your team? In this final episode of our Five Spheres of an H2 Leader series, we're tackling pace, how fast you're running, why you're running that fast, and what it's costing you. Most leaders execute from anxiety and shame, not focus and clarity. They're running FROM something instead of running TO something. And when you run too fast for too long, everything suffers—your health, your relationships, your creativity, and your team's culture. Alan breaks down the difference between personal activation (how fast you're running) and communal activation (how fast you're driving your team to run). And he introduces the concept that changes everything: effectiveness over efficiency. What You'll Learn: Why most leaders execute from anxiety and shame instead of focus and clarity—and how to shift from running FROM something to running TO something Personal activation vs. communal activation: how your pace directly impacts everyone around you (whether you realize it or not) The efficiency trap: why focusing on "doing all the things as fast as possible" kills creativity, presence, and quality Peter Drucker's definition of effectiveness: doing the right things well—not all the things quickly How to identify if you're running at a sustainable pace: the 1-10 self-assessment and why most leaders overestimate their capacity Four things that suffer when you run too fast: your health (cardiac issues, stress, sleep), those you love (presence, connection), your work (creativity, quality, enjoyment), and your team (culture, morale, burnout) The seasonal awareness principle: why some sprint seasons are okay—but only if you know they're seasons with a beginning and an end Why hurry is literally killing you: the science on how chronic rushing impacts everything from heart health to weight to sleep quality The communal cost of your pace: how your speed becomes your team's speed—and why your anxiety cascades down the org chart Sabbath as the killer app: one day a week where you get to just be human, not a leader—and why this weekly rhythm recalibrates your entire pace The scarcity mentality test: if you find yourself saying "there's never enough time to ___," you're running from scarcity, not toward clarity How to move from efficiency (doing all things fast) to effectiveness (doing the right things well) Why you're probably not behind: the lie that you need to run faster, and the truth that you need to run smarter The Right Side Up Journal: a 10-minute daily practice to focus your day, prioritize what matters, and remember that your son's basketball game tonight is more important than your task list Key Insight: You have way more influence than you think. The people around you are watching how you run, feeling your anxiety, and absorbing your pace. When you slow down, you give your team permission to breathe. When you focus on effectiveness over efficiency, you create space for creativity, presence, and quality. When you Sabbath weekly, you remind yourself—and your team—that the world runs just fine without you grinding 24/7. Reflection Questions: How sustainable is the pace you're running at right now? (1-10) What would your family say about your pace? What would your team say about the pace you're setting? Are you running FROM something (anxiety, shame, scarcity) or TO something (purpose, clarity, mission)? What are the 3-4 right things you should be doing right now—and are you doing them well, or just fast? Series Context: This is the fifth and final episode in our Five Spheres of an H2 Leader series. The five spheres are: Influence - How you wield your relational and positional power Health - How you live integrated and aligned to values and needs Self-Awareness - How your emotions, assets, and liabilities impact others Design - How you maximize your talents and abilities Pace - How you move and drive others to move If you haven't listened to the full series, go back and start with Episode 1. These five spheres work together as a tapestry—below-the-surface aspects of leadership that won't show up on scorecards or P&L statements, but deeply affect you, your family, your team, and your organization. Resources Mentioned: Right Side Up Journal (available on Amazon) - 10-minute daily planning tool, 90-day process, 4th edition coming soon Peter Drucker's work on effectiveness vs. efficiency The Five Spheres Recap: This series has been about things below the surface—aspects of leadership that don't show up on websites or win columns, but shape everything. The higher you are on the org chart, the more these spheres impact the people around you. We've covered influence (your power), health (your integration), self

You can never be them. They can never be you. So stop trying. In a culture obsessed with comparison and counterfeits, most leaders spend their entire lives trying to become someone else. They look at other leaders and think, "How do they do that?" They scroll through feeds, compare themselves to the competition, and slowly lose sight of the one thing that makes them irreplaceable: their unique design. Here's the truth: God put you on this earth with a unique spiritual, practical, relational, and emotional fingerprint. You are uniquely designed for impact. But if you don't understand your design, you'll spend your life getting lived by your circumstances instead of actively living with purpose and agency. In this episode, we're diving into the fourth sphere of an H2 Leader: Design. This is about how you maximize your talents and abilities—not by copying someone else's playbook, but by discovering and unleashing what you're uniquely wired to do. What You'll Learn: Why most people are getting lived by their lives instead of actively living them—and the main reason they don't have agency The difference between form (spark, beauty, passion) and function (usefulness, practicality, value) Why focusing only on passion is incomplete—and why we need to talk more about purpose and usefulness The IKEA principle: how form without function (or function without form) leads to unfulfilling work How to design your life like a designer by balancing what energizes you with what serves others The power of asking "How can I be of value?" instead of "Here's what I'm bringing" Why understanding your design is the key to preventing burnout (not just working less) How to identify the environments where you thrive—and why this matters more than you think The myth that you'll figure this out at 22—and why design clarity comes over time as form and function converge Real stories: the leader doing world-changing work who was intimidated by a simple board retreat (because it's not his design) Why one organization has a literal waiting list of people wanting to join their team—and what that says about leadership below the surface The connection between self-awareness (last week's episode) and design—you can't understand your design without self-awareness first Key Insight: Most leaders don't know their design, so they try to live someone else's. But when you understand your unique design—your strengths, your environments, your spark and your function—you stop wasting energy trying to be someone you're not. You unleash what only you can bring to the world. Design isn't just about doing what you love. It's about the convergence of what energizes you (form/spark) and what serves others (function/usefulness). When those two come together, you become irreplaceable. The Form + Function Framework: Form (Spark): What makes you come alive? What environments fire you up? What work do you wake up wanting to do? Function (Usefulness): How can you be valuable? What needs do you uniquely meet? Where can you serve? When form and function overlap—that's your design. That's where you thrive. Reflection Questions: In what area of your life or leadership have you lost the spark—and what would it look like to tweak some things so you could recover it? In what area can you be more valuable to the team you serve? What is your ideal day at work? What is your absolute non-ideal day? (The gap reveals your design.) What environments do you absolutely love walking into—where you think, "I can't believe I get to do this"? Practical Exercise: Map out your ideal day at work. Then map out your ideal Sabbath day (rest and replenishment). Then map out your absolute worst day—what drains you and feels like a beat down. The patterns you see will reveal your design. Do an audit at the end of each day for a week: Rate the day 1-10 and ask why. You'll start to see what energizes you versus what drains you. Resources Mentioned: Anti-Burnout by Alan Briggs (design principles threaded throughout) H2 Leadership Coaching (three-day intensive experiences to uncover your unique design) Want More? A major reason people burn out is they don't understand their design—they're living counter to how they're wired. If you want to go deeper on this, check out Alan's book Anti-Burnout and explore coaching at h2leadership.com. For leaders who know there's more—the "more" isn't out there. It's right here. Once you have clarity on your unique design, you can take courageous next steps to actually live in it.

We're so busy watching everyone else—scrolling feeds, comparing ourselves to other leaders, checking what the competition is doing—that we've become incredibly others-aware and dangerously self-unaware. Self-awareness isn't a buzzword. It's the difference between walking into a meeting grounded or bringing your frustration, anxiety, and chaos with you—and watching it cascade to everyone around you. Here's the truth: as goes the leader, so goes the team. Your mood changes rooms. Your anxiety creates anxiety. Your groundedness brings clarity. In this episode, we're diving into the third sphere of leadership that most people ignore: how your emotions, your wiring, and your weaknesses are impacting the people you lead. Whether you realize it or not. Since Daniel Goleman published his work on emotional intelligence, self-awareness has been everywhere. It's in every leadership book, every conference, every corporate training. But here's the irony: we're at an all-time high for talking about self-awareness and an all-time low for actually practicing it. Why? Because we're too busy being others-aware. Always looking at what everyone else is doing. Always comparing. Always feeling behind. This episode cuts through the noise and gives you three practical aspects of self-awareness that will change how you lead: What You'll Learn: Why being "others-aware" is making you dangerously self-unaware—and how to fix it Social contagion: the psychological reality that your mood spreads to your team whether you want it to or not The space between stimulus and response—and why mastering this one thing prevents unnecessary blowups How to identify your emotional triggers before they derail your day (and a real story of how this saved a family evening) Why context determines the course: how your energy and encouragement levels shape every conversation Your assets vs. your liabilities: understanding what work energizes you and what work drains you Patrick Lencioni's Working Genius framework and why it's a game-changer for understanding your wiring The six types: geniuses, frustrations, and competencies—and how to identify yours Why it's not the amount of work burning you out, it's the type of work (and what to do about it) Drains and fills: how to design your days around what gives you energy Why some leaders love conferences and others absolutely hate them (it's all about wiring) How to build a team that complements your strengths and covers your weaknesses Key Insight: Most leaders think they're burned out because they're doing too much work. The reality? You're doing the wrong type of work for your wiring. If you spent eight hours a day doing spreadsheets when you're wired for ideation, you'd be burned out in weeks. If you're wired for details and you're forced to brainstorm all day, same result. Self-awareness means knowing your drains and your fills—and designing your role around both. The Three Aspects of Self-Awareness: Emotions - How my emotions impact others Assets - What energizes and fulfills me (my wiring, my geniuses) Liabilities - What drains me (my frustrations, my weaknesses) Reflection Questions: What is one situation that brings you emotions that are unhealthy or unfair to the people around you? What are a few assets or parts of your wiring that you need to be utilizing more in your role? What are some liabilities you need to name to your team—and how can you do less of those things? A self-aware leader can serve others well with full awareness of who they are and who they're not. This is identity work. You cannot be all things. You are not good at all things. And you cannot compare off somebody else's paper and expect to lead like them. Resources Mentioned: Patrick Lencioni - The Six Types of Working Genius (book and assessment available at workinggenius.com) Right Side Up Journal - Coaching companion tool (available on Amazon) Daniel Goleman - Work on emotional intelligence Want to go deeper? We offer Working Genius training sessions for teams. If you're interested in bringing this framework to your organization, reach out to us at h2leadership.com. For coaching, consulting, and resources to help you lead as a Healthy + High Impact leader, visit h2leadership.com. Leadership is complex, but it doesn't have to be lonely. Let's get after it.

Most leaders understand the importance of health—but few actually live it out consistently. In this episode, we're continuing our series on The Five Spheres of an H2 Leader with a focus on the second sphere: Health. This isn't just about eating better or working out more. It's about living integrated and aligned to your values and needs. Here's what we unpack: The Definition of a Healthy Leader A healthy leader lives integrated and aligned to their values and needs. Integrated means what you say matches what you do. Aligned means nothing is wearing down in the background—no misalignment that causes pain elsewhere in your life or leadership. Aspirational vs. Actual Values Most organizations have values on the website. But are they aspirational (who we want to be) or actual (who we really are)? If you say you value rest but never take a day off, that's an aspirational value—not an actual one. This episode challenges you to audit the gap between what you say and what you do. Understanding Your Needs: Heart, Soul, Mind, Body Leaders have needs. You're not a machine. You're a human with limitations. Using the framework of heart, soul, mind, and body, we explore what drains you, what fills you, and where you're neglecting recovery. High-octane leaders need high-quality fuel and recovery—just like world-class athletes. The Cost of Ignoring Health When leaders don't take care of their needs, there are always consequences. You might feel the pain in a different area—like a misaligned car that wears down the tread. Burnout, decision fatigue, and lost trust are just a few of the costs. The Benefits of Getting Healthy When you increase your health, you increase trust. Trust increases speed and momentum in your organization. You decrease decision fatigue. You build rhythms that feel natural instead of forced. And you become the kind of leader people want to follow—not because you demand it, but because you model it. Reflection Questions: • What values in your life and leadership are aspirational but not actual? • What personal needs do you have that you're not meeting? • Where are you disintegrated—saying one thing but doing another? If you're ready to lead healthy and high-impact in 2026, this episode is your wake-up call. Listen now and take your next right step toward becoming an H2 leader. For coaching, consulting, and resources to help you lead as a Healthy + High Impact leader, visit www.h2leadership.com.

Leader, welcome back to 2026. We're going straight at it. Instead of starting the year with goal setting alone, we're going beneath the surface to who you are as a leader. Because here's the reality: you have way more influence than you think — and how you wield that leadership influence shapes everything around you. This episode kicks off our new series on The Five Spheres of an H2 Leader, starting with Influence. Over the next five episodes, we'll unpack the foundational areas every Healthy + High Impact leader must pay attention to: Influence, Health, Self-Awareness, Design, and Space. Today, we're tackling the first sphere: how to use your influence to build empowering cultures instead of toxic leadership environments. The Tale of Two Leaders One leader I coach lives under the shadow of an insecure boss who constantly needs attention and affirmation. This sharp, competent leader has been slowly diminished over time — beaten down by someone who doesn't comprehend their own influence. The other leader I coach does the exact opposite. They're constantly asking, "How can I raise my team up? How can I get them to shine?" They form a protective line so their people — especially young leaders — can succeed. Beat down or lift up. That's the question. Do the people around you feel diminished by your presence, or empowered by it? What You'll Learn About Leadership Influence: Why your mood and emotional presence change the atmosphere of every room you enter The difference between wielding influence to diminish vs. multiply team effectiveness How unexamined leadership authority wounds people (even when you don't mean to) Why creating empowering cultures requires regular rhythms, not one-off gestures Practical ways to delegate effectively and raise others up without losing organizational effectiveness How to prevent leadership burnout by building trust-based team dynamics The 70% rule for when to hand off responsibilities and empower team members Three Steps to Healthy Leadership Influence: Comprehend the power you have — Ask your team how your leadership impacts them (both positively and negatively) Find tangible ways to raise others up — Give credit, take blame, empower decisions, delegate authority Stay grounded with a posture of service — Regularly, not just once a year. This is how sustainable leadership works. Signs You're Using Influence Poorly: Your team hesitates to bring you problems or bad news People wait for you to make every decision (no empowerment) You walk into meetings grumpy and the whole room shuts down Team members don't feel trusted until they've "earned it" High turnover or quiet quitting in your organization How to Build an Empowering Culture: Start with trust instead of making people earn it (Stephen Covey's "Speed of Trust" principle) Use the 70% rule: If someone can do it 70% as well as you with upward momentum, hand it off Give credit publicly, take blame privately Bring others with you to high-visibility opportunities Create decision-making frameworks so your team can act without you Reflection Questions for Leaders: Who are you actively empowering right now? How are you specifically doing that? Do people around you feel lifted up or beat down by your leadership? What would your team say about your emotional presence? Memorable Quote: "The leader who does not comprehend their influence is bound to wound the people around them." What's Next in This Series: Next week, we dive into Sphere 2: Health — why leaders who don't take care of themselves can't sustain impact. If you want to lead with clarity instead of chaos in 2026, this series is your foundation. Take Your Next Right Step: Visit h2leadership.com for leadership coaching, team consulting, and resources to help you lead as a Healthy + High Impact leader. If this episode served you: Rate and review the podcast Share it with another leader dealing with team dynamics or leadership burnout Subscribe so you don't miss the rest of the series on sustainable leadership Leadership is complex, but it doesn't have to be lonely. Let's get after it.

January is loud. Everywhere you look, leaders are being told to set bigger goals, move faster, and start strong. But what if the reason you feel stuck, unclear, or overwhelmed right now isn’t a motivation problem or a discipline problem? What if it’s a season problem? In this New Year–focused episode, Alan Briggs helps leaders slow down just enough to ask a better question before setting goals for 2026: What season of leadership am I actually in right now? Because when goals don’t match seasons, leaders burn out, teams get frustrated, and momentum stalls. This conversation reframes New Year goal-setting through the lens of leadership awareness, helping you name where you’ve been, where you are, and what kinds of actions actually make sense in this season of life and leadership. And stay to the end — Jonathan tees up a brand new series launching next week: The Five Spheres of an H2 Leader, designed to help you lead with both health and high impact in 2026. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why January goal-setting often creates pressure instead of clarity How to identify the season of leadership you’re currently in Why the question “What time is it for you?” matters more than resolutions How leadership seasons show up across work, family, health, and relationships Why ignoring seasons is one of the fastest paths to burnout How to pair the right actions with the season you’re actually living in Reflection Questions (for early January clarity) Don’t rush these. These questions are meant to ground your New Year, not hype it. What season of leadership are you coming out of? When did (or will) that season end? What season are you in right now — or clearly heading into? What should you say yes to in this season? What should you say no to in this season? What feels uncertain, scary, or disorienting about this transition? These are powerful to work through alone — and even more powerful with a spouse, trusted friend, or leadership team. What’s Coming Next Next week, we launch a new series walking through The Five Spheres of an H2 Leader — how to identify them, strengthen them, and lead in a way that’s both sustainable and impactful. If you’re starting this year wanting clarity instead of chaos, you’re in the right place. Call to Action For more leadership resources, coaching, and tools to help you lead with health and high impact, visit www.h2leadership.com. If this episode helped reframe your New Year: Follow or subscribe to the podcast Leave a rating and review Share this episode with a leader who feels pressure to “get it right” this year

Feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or like everyone needs you all the time? You're not actually stuck, you just need a way out. Alan Briggs shares 4 practical pathways to break free and lead with clarity in 2026. Happy New Year—and welcome to Episode 500! When we started this podcast, it was just a wild idea. 500 episodes later, we're more convinced than ever: leadership doesn't have to cost you everything. You can lead well and live well. To kick off 2026, Alan tackles something most leaders are feeling but few are naming: leadership claustrophobia—that squeezed, stuck sensation where everyone needs you all the time and there's no way out. Here's the truth: You feel stuck. But you're not actually stuck. Alan walks through the four feelings that keep leaders trapped—overwhelmed, myopic, exhausted, and behind—and gives you a clear, practical pathway out of each one. This isn't theory. It's the same framework Alan uses with the leaders he coaches every day. If you're heading into 2026 saying "everyone needs me all the time," this episode is your reset. What You'll Learn The 4 Leadership Traps + Their Pathways Out: → Overwhelmed? You're lacking creativity. The pathway out is space—build gaps into your calendar so your brain can think again. → Myopic (stuck in the weeds)? You're lacking perspective. The pathway out is vantage—schedule a Think Day and lift above your leadership. → Exhausted? You're lacking freshness. The pathway out is recovery—Sabbath and vacation aren't luxuries, they're necessities. → Behind? You're lacking urgency. The pathway out is constraints—small deadlines create the momentum big goals never will. Key Takeaways "You feel stuck, but you are not actually stuck. You have options. You can change things." The shift from victim to designer: stop reacting and start creating pathways out. When clarity goes up, overwhelm goes down. Think Days: a quarterly rhythm to get above your leadership and solve the big problems you keep kicking down the road. Sabbath and vacation are always important, never urgent—you won't feel like you need them until you should have had them three months ago. Constraints create urgency. Without deadlines, we procrastinate. Without sub-goals, we drift. Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome to 2026 + Celebrating 500 Episodes 01:30 — What is Leadership Claustrophobia? 02:45 — The lie: "Everyone needs me all the time" 03:30 — From Victim to Designer 04:15 — The 4 Feelings That Keep Leaders Stuck 04:45 — Overwhelmed → Space 07:00 — Myopic → Vantage (Think Days) 10:00 — Exhausted → Recovery (Sabbath + Vacation) 13:30 — Behind → Constraints (Deadlines + Tracking) 17:00 — Recap: Which trap are you in? What's your next step? 18:30 — What's coming in 2026 Reflection Questions Which of the four traps are you most stuck in right now: overwhelmed, myopic, exhausted, or behind? What's one practical change you can make this week to create space, vantage, recovery, or constraints? When was the last time you took a full day just to think? What would it take to put a Think Day on your calendar this quarter? Resources Mentioned Anti-Burnout by Alan Briggs: Amazon Link Right Side Up Journal: Alan's tool for weekly reflection—looking backward, inward, and forward. Connect With H2 Leadership Website: www.h2leadership.com Coaching: Ready to break out of leadership claustrophobia? Book a Breakthrough Session Podcast: www.h2leadershippodcast.com Help Us Reach More Leaders If this episode helped you, take 30 seconds to rate, review, and share the podcast. It's the best way to help other leaders discover H2. Happy 2026. Let's keep climbing. The H2 Leadership Podcast is your practical resource for becoming a healthy and high-impact leader. New episodes every Thursday.