Alan Briggs discusses the significance of sabbaticals for leaders, sharing his personal experiences and insights gained from previous sabbaticals. He emphasizes the importance of planning, renewal, and recalibration during this time away from work. The discussion also touches on the challenges of stepping away from work, the need for engagement in everyday life, and the activities he looks forward to during his upcoming sabbatical. Ultimately, the conversation highlights the transformative power of sabbaticals in fostering personal growth and well-being.
 
Takeaways
Sabbaticals help leaders renew their energy and recalibrate their vision.
Personal experiences during sabbaticals can be both delightful and challenging.
Planning for a sabbatical is crucial to ensure a smooth transition.
Engagement in everyday life is more fulfilling than seeking escape through travel.
Rest can take many forms, including physical activity and mental space.
Sabbaticals are an opportunity to reconnect with family and friends.
The importance of modeling healthy rhythms for others as a leader.
Sabbaticals can lead to new insights and creative ideas for the future.
It's essential to prioritize what truly matters during a sabbatical.
Sabbaticals require faith and trust in the process of stepping away from work.
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In this conversation, Alan Briggs shares his journey of self-discovery and leadership, emphasizing the importance of balancing future aspirations with present engagement. He discusses the psychological aspects of leadership, particularly the tension between hope and fear when planning for the future. Through practical tools like the Right Side Up Journal and the Innovation Triangle, he encourages leaders to reflect on their past, assess their current state, and strategically plan for the future. The conversation culminates in a call for self-reflection and the importance of maintaining health and sustainability in leadership roles.
takeaways
Leaders often focus on the future, which can lead to anxiety.
It's essential to balance future planning with present engagement.
Small practices can help leaders stay grounded in the present.
A weekly review can highlight victories often overlooked.
Quarterly audits provide a deeper reflection on goals and achievements.
The Innovation Triangle helps leaders assess their focus areas.
Self-reflection is crucial for personal and professional growth.
Healthy leaders create healthy cultures around them.
Understanding fears about the future can lead to better planning.
Leaders are wired for impact, but must prioritize their well-being.
 
 

In part two of our directions series, Alan shares his transformative experience during a bucket list trip to Scotland, emphasizing the importance of being present in both extraordinary and everyday moments. He discusses the challenges leaders face in maintaining presence amidst distractions and the need for intentional habits to foster engagement with family, friends, and teams. Alan wraps up this episode with practical questions for leaders to enhance their mindfulness and reflection, ultimately aiming for sustainable impact in their lives and communities.
 
takeaways
The trip to Scotland was a bucket list experience.
Staying present is crucial for leaders.
Distractions can steal our attention from loved ones.
Intentional habits help maintain presence.
Reflection is vital for personal growth.
Leaders shape the future but must stay grounded.
The attention economy challenges our focus.
Small disciplines can lead to significant changes.
Engaging in the moment enriches relationships.
Creating healthy cultures starts with being present.

In this first episode of the "Directions Series," leadership coach Alan Briggs invites us to reflect on the past and its impact on our leadership journey. Through personal stories and thought-provoking insights, Alan explores how our memories—both beautiful and painful—can shape us as leaders.
Key Topics Covered:
The Balance of Past, Present, and Future: Learn how the healthiest leaders embrace all three timeframes, without overemphasizing one, to live and lead with impact.
The Power and Pain of Memories: Alan shares a deeply personal story about a memorable road trip with his sons, reflecting on how cherished moments can bring both joy and sadness.
Selective Memory in Leadership: Discover the danger of romanticizing the past and how it can prevent you from embracing new opportunities.
Turning Pain into Purpose: Hear inspiring examples of how deep pain can become a catalyst for meaningful work that impacts others.
Letting Go and Moving Forward: Alan discusses the challenge many leaders face in letting go of past successes, particularly in the post-pandemic world, and why mature leadership requires looking ahead.
Alan also offers reflective questions to help you process the most formative memories from your leadership, friendships, and family over the past decade.
Reflection Questions:
What are the three most formative memories from the last decade of your leadership?
What’s one beautiful and one painful memory from your friendships over the last decade?
What’s one beautiful and one painful memory from your family?
If we can appreciate how the past has shaped us through both beautiful and broken moments, we can leverage it to influence our present and future. Tune in next week as we explore the power of living in the present.

This conversation explores the nuances of effective leadership, emphasizing the importance of creating a positive organizational culture, the balance between efficiency and effectiveness, and the role of communication in leadership. The speakers discuss the internal and external fulfillment that comes from effective leadership and provide insights into recognizing scattered versus grounded leadership. They conclude with reflections on personal experiences and actionable steps for leaders to enhance their effectiveness.
takeaways
Ineffective leaders create a dysfunctional culture around them.
Effective leaders create life and vitality around them.
Work should bring dignity and meaning to us and those we serve.
Effective leaders prioritize and eliminate unnecessary tasks.
Being effective with people is more important than being efficient with tasks.
Leaders need to create and innovate to solve problems.
Clarity in leadership reduces feelings of overwhelm.
Trusting your team allows for better focus on important tasks.
Under promising and over delivering creates a positive impact.
Reflection and assessment are key to personal and organizational growth.
Sound Bites
"Ineffective leaders create a dysfunctional culture."
"Effective leaders create life and vitality around them."
"Work is meant to bring dignity and meaning."
Chapters
00:00The Impact of Leadership on Organizational Culture
03:05Defining Effective Leadership
06:12The Balance of Efficiency and Effectiveness
09:13The Importance of Communication in Leadership
12:06Internal vs External Fulfillment in Leadership
14:59Markers of Grounded vs Scattered Leadership
17:58Lessons from Leadership Experiences
20:58Closing Reflections and Next Steps

In this conversation, Alan Briggs and Jonathan Collier discuss the difference between activity and action, and the importance of being effective rather than just efficient. They emphasize the need for leaders to prioritize and eliminate tasks that are not the most helpful or important. They also highlight the dangers of rushing and the benefits of slow, well-crafted work. The conversation concludes with reflection questions for listeners to consider in their own lives and leadership.
 
Notes
Activity is not the same as action; leaders should focus on effectiveness rather than just efficiency.
Elimination and prioritization are key to being effective; leaders should eliminate tasks that are not the most helpful and prioritize those that are.
Deep work, which requires concentration and focus on a difficult task for a prolonged period of time, is essential for effectiveness.
Clarity and courage are important qualities for effective leadership; leaders should understand and communicate the truth, identify next steps, and have the courage to take action.
Slow, well-crafted work is valuable and rare in a world of cheap and fast; leaders should strive for quality over quantity.
Rushing is detrimental to effectiveness; leaders should avoid rushing and instead focus on thoughtful and intentional work.
Sound Bites
"Activity is not the same as action"
"Slow can be good, fast can be good, rushed is bad"
"People are seeking things that are rare and valuable right now"
Chapters
00:00The Challenge of Delivering on Book Contracts
03:00Activity vs. Action: The Difference and Importance
08:30Elimination and Prioritization: Keys to Effectiveness
12:56The Benefits of Deep Work and the Dangers of Rushing
17:38Clarity and Courage: Essential Qualities for Effective Leadership
22:02The Value of Slow, Well-Crafted Work
25:09Avoiding Rush and Focusing on Thoughtful Work

In this conversation, Alan Briggs and Jonathan Collier discuss the difference between efficiency and effectiveness in leadership. They explore the negative consequences of leading with a hyper-efficient mindset and the importance of shifting towards effectiveness. They highlight the fear, habits, and desire for control that drive people towards efficiency. They also provide a definition of an effective leader, which includes comprehending influence, living healthy, practicing self-awareness, working with the grain of gifting, and moving at a sustainable pace. The conversation ends with reflection questions for listeners to consider.
keywordsefficiency, effectiveness, leadership, fear, habits, control, influence, health, self-awareness, gifting, pace
takeaways
Efficiency is the ability to accomplish a job with minimum time and effort, while effectiveness is doing the right things well.
Fear, habits, and the desire for control often drive people towards efficiency.
An effective leader comprehends their influence, lives healthy, practices self-awareness, works with the grain of their gifting, and moves at a sustainable pace.
Reflect on areas of leadership that need to shift from efficiency to effectiveness and identify areas that require attention in terms of influence, health, self-awareness, gifting, or pace.

In this episode, we dive deep into a conversation that’s more important than ever: manhood. My guest, Jon Tyson, is a pastor, author, and thought leader. His latest book, Fighting Shadows, co-authored with Jefferson Bethke, takes a fresh look at the challenges men face today. Whether you’re a man or love one, this episode is for you.
We discuss the pressure on modern manhood, the influence of faith, and the guidance older generations need to offer Gen Z. John brings in perspectives from popular culture, his personal experiences, and a clear, actionable message of what it looks like to be a man in the way of Jesus.
Plus, we talk about the Primal Path—Jon’s framework for guiding young men through a meaningful rite of passage. If you’re a dad, you’ll want to check this out.
Key Topics Discussed:– The challenges modern culture poses to manhood– How faith plays a role in shaping men today– The struggles Gen Z men face and how older men can support them– Ambition, purpose, and what it means to be a man in the way of Jesus– Jon’s Primal Path program and how it’s helped me guide my own son through a rite of passage