WEBVTT

1
00:00:04.160 --> 00:00:06.919
<v Speaker 1>Helping leaders motivate their people to a higher level of

2
00:00:06.960 --> 00:00:11.160
<v Speaker 1>performance through strong human relations, team building, and goal achieving.

3
00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:14.919
<v Speaker 1>This is the seven Minute Leadership Podcast with your host

4
00:00:15.240 --> 00:00:18.800
<v Speaker 1>Paul Fellovaledo.

5
00:00:21.399 --> 00:00:25.039
<v Speaker 2>Hello everyone, and welcome to the seven Minute Leadership Podcast.

6
00:00:25.079 --> 00:00:29.920
<v Speaker 2>It's episode four forty eight. Today's episode might sound a

7
00:00:29.960 --> 00:00:33.679
<v Speaker 2>little heavy, but I promise to make it clear, real

8
00:00:34.079 --> 00:00:39.039
<v Speaker 2>and relevant. We're talking about existentialism and how it applies

9
00:00:39.079 --> 00:00:42.439
<v Speaker 2>to leadership, and don't let the word scare you off.

10
00:00:42.479 --> 00:00:45.880
<v Speaker 2>This isn't a college philosophy lecture. This is about how

11
00:00:45.920 --> 00:00:49.200
<v Speaker 2>your choice is, your identity and your responsibility to find

12
00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:52.960
<v Speaker 2>who you are as a leader, and more importantly, how

13
00:00:52.960 --> 00:00:57.359
<v Speaker 2>that affects everyone around you. Let's break it down. What

14
00:00:57.679 --> 00:01:04.200
<v Speaker 2>is existentialism. Existentialism is a philosophical concept that says this,

15
00:01:05.000 --> 00:01:08.120
<v Speaker 2>you are responsible for creating meaning in your life through

16
00:01:08.159 --> 00:01:11.359
<v Speaker 2>your actions. No one is coming to hand it to you.

17
00:01:11.879 --> 00:01:14.959
<v Speaker 2>There's no pre written rule book, there's no magic title

18
00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:18.519
<v Speaker 2>that makes you a leader. It's you and you are

19
00:01:18.560 --> 00:01:23.799
<v Speaker 2>the author. In other words, existentialism is about choice, accountability,

20
00:01:23.840 --> 00:01:29.400
<v Speaker 2>and authenticity. The idea is simple, you exist, You make choices,

21
00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:34.599
<v Speaker 2>and those choices define who you are. Period full stop.

22
00:01:35.519 --> 00:01:38.879
<v Speaker 2>So how does this connect to leadership? Let's talk about that.

23
00:01:39.799 --> 00:01:45.040
<v Speaker 2>You have to remember leadership is a daily choice. You

24
00:01:45.079 --> 00:01:49.079
<v Speaker 2>weren't born a leader, nobody is. You choose to lead

25
00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:52.280
<v Speaker 2>every day. You wake up and decide how you're going

26
00:01:52.319 --> 00:01:54.840
<v Speaker 2>to show up. Are you going to step up or

27
00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:58.239
<v Speaker 2>step back? Are you going to hide behind your title

28
00:01:59.000 --> 00:02:02.879
<v Speaker 2>or are you going going to earn it? In existential terms,

29
00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:07.280
<v Speaker 2>your leadership isn't something you have, it's something you do.

30
00:02:08.039 --> 00:02:12.639
<v Speaker 2>You lead by choosing to take responsibility, by choosing to serve,

31
00:02:12.759 --> 00:02:17.039
<v Speaker 2>by choosing to show up with courage even when it's uncomfortable.

32
00:02:17.759 --> 00:02:21.800
<v Speaker 2>And another thing to remember is the existential leader owns

33
00:02:21.879 --> 00:02:27.000
<v Speaker 2>their impact. An existential leader never says, well that's just

34
00:02:27.080 --> 00:02:31.199
<v Speaker 2>the way I am or that's not my fault. Those

35
00:02:31.319 --> 00:02:36.479
<v Speaker 2>are phrases of avoidance. Existential leadership says, if I made

36
00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:40.120
<v Speaker 2>a mistake, I own it. If something needs to change,

37
00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:43.840
<v Speaker 2>I'll lead the way. If someone is struggling, I'll be

38
00:02:43.919 --> 00:02:47.360
<v Speaker 2>the first to check in. You don't get to blame

39
00:02:47.400 --> 00:02:51.840
<v Speaker 2>the system, the policy, or the people. You are the system.

40
00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:55.960
<v Speaker 2>You shape the culture. You create the space where people

41
00:02:56.039 --> 00:03:01.719
<v Speaker 2>either thrive or suffer. This isn't pressure fact. And another

42
00:03:01.800 --> 00:03:07.560
<v Speaker 2>existential idea is this. Authenticity is the core. You must

43
00:03:07.639 --> 00:03:11.719
<v Speaker 2>be true to yourself, and that's huge in leadership. You've

44
00:03:11.800 --> 00:03:14.800
<v Speaker 2>probably had bosses who were fake, who wore a mask

45
00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:17.960
<v Speaker 2>at work. Maybe they acted one way in meetings and

46
00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:23.599
<v Speaker 2>another behind closed doors. That's not leadership, that's performance. Real

47
00:03:23.680 --> 00:03:28.199
<v Speaker 2>leadership means bringing your whole, authentic self into the room.

48
00:03:28.840 --> 00:03:32.479
<v Speaker 2>People follow people who are real, people who are grounded

49
00:03:32.520 --> 00:03:35.680
<v Speaker 2>in their values, people who say what they mean and

50
00:03:35.719 --> 00:03:40.319
<v Speaker 2>do what they say. Existential leadership forces you to ask

51
00:03:40.719 --> 00:03:43.400
<v Speaker 2>who am I really? And am I leading in a

52
00:03:43.400 --> 00:03:47.960
<v Speaker 2>way that matches that? And here's another one. Freedom and

53
00:03:48.080 --> 00:03:54.319
<v Speaker 2>responsibility go hand in hand. Existentialists believe in freedom of choice,

54
00:03:54.960 --> 00:03:59.719
<v Speaker 2>but with freedom comes responsibility. As a leader, you have

55
00:03:59.759 --> 00:04:03.000
<v Speaker 2>free them to act, but every choice has a ripple effect.

56
00:04:03.479 --> 00:04:07.000
<v Speaker 2>If you slack off, the team feels it. If you gossip,

57
00:04:07.280 --> 00:04:11.319
<v Speaker 2>it spreads. If you show up late or unprepared, it

58
00:04:11.400 --> 00:04:14.759
<v Speaker 2>becomes the norm. But on the flip side, if you

59
00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:19.920
<v Speaker 2>choose clarity, accountability, and empathy, the team levels up. They

60
00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:24.319
<v Speaker 2>follow your example, not your words. In leadership, you don't

61
00:04:24.360 --> 00:04:28.160
<v Speaker 2>get to control everything, but you do control how you respond.

62
00:04:28.639 --> 00:04:33.399
<v Speaker 2>That's the heartbeat of existential leadership. Let me give you

63
00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:37.120
<v Speaker 2>three questions to take with you from this episode. Use

64
00:04:37.199 --> 00:04:40.920
<v Speaker 2>these in your leadership journal, your morning routine, or your

65
00:04:41.000 --> 00:04:44.279
<v Speaker 2>next self check in. Who am I choosing to be

66
00:04:44.399 --> 00:04:48.399
<v Speaker 2>today as a leader? What actions will I take that

67
00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:52.800
<v Speaker 2>reflect the leader I want to become? And what am

68
00:04:52.839 --> 00:04:55.439
<v Speaker 2>I avoiding? And what would it mean to face it?

69
00:04:56.040 --> 00:05:01.040
<v Speaker 2>These aren't corporate checklists questions. These are human questions. That's

70
00:05:01.079 --> 00:05:05.079
<v Speaker 2>what existential leadership is. It brings the human side of

71
00:05:05.240 --> 00:05:11.199
<v Speaker 2>leadership to the surface. So I've said this dozens of

72
00:05:11.279 --> 00:05:14.959
<v Speaker 2>times in past episodes. You don't need a corner office

73
00:05:15.000 --> 00:05:17.720
<v Speaker 2>to be a leader. You don't need a fancy degree.

74
00:05:18.360 --> 00:05:22.040
<v Speaker 2>You need one thing, the courage to lead yourself first.

75
00:05:22.759 --> 00:05:26.920
<v Speaker 2>That's existentialism. It's not about reading the rule book. It's

76
00:05:26.959 --> 00:05:30.680
<v Speaker 2>about writing it. Not someday, not when you get promoted.

77
00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:31.639
<v Speaker 1>Now.

78
00:05:32.199 --> 00:05:35.120
<v Speaker 2>So here's your challenge. Stop waiting to be told what

79
00:05:35.240 --> 00:05:38.360
<v Speaker 2>to do, Choose who you are, then act like it.

80
00:05:38.879 --> 00:05:42.759
<v Speaker 2>That's the kind of leadership the world remembers. This has

81
00:05:42.839 --> 00:05:45.879
<v Speaker 2>been the seven minute Leadership podcast, and I thank you

82
00:05:45.959 --> 00:05:46.519
<v Speaker 2>for listening.

83
00:05:46.839 --> 00:05:51.519
<v Speaker 1>For more Paul Fell of Alito Podcasts, visit paulfellowalito dot com.