Margin isn't a luxury but a critical leadership skill that gives meaning a place to land and protects our presence. Without space in our lives, even good things become burdens, leaving us with full calendars but empty souls.

• The importance of creating margin in your personal and professional life
• Why you can have a full calendar yet an empty soul
• How margin gives meaning a place to land
• Why margin protects your presence and connection with others
• The difference between surviving and truly leading
• How margin invites reflection and intentionality
• Why you need space between things rather than more time

Where in your life do you need more margin, and what's one thing you could release to create it? Leave a message after the beep or send an email to Aaron at growthinstigators.com and let me know what's one thing you can say no to in order to create margin, and what "enough" looks like for you. Visit growthinstigators.com to schedule a discovery call if your team is burning out from lack of space.

Real, lasting growth often happens in quiet moments rather than loud, flashy successes that our culture typically celebrates. Personal transformation begins internally through consistent small choices before becoming visible externally, like roots deepening underground before a tree shows new growth.

• Growth appears when you pause before reacting
• Choosing alignment over attention is powerful growth
• Internal transformation precedes external changes
• Consistency builds strength even when progress isn't visible
• Creating quiet moments without distractions allows for deeper thinking
• Morning silence with coffee provides space to hear your own thoughts

Take a moment today to reflect on how you've grown recently, even if no one saw it. Share one way you've grown that isn't loud or flashy by leaving a message after the beep or emailing Aaron at [email protected]. If your team is chasing visible wins but missing internal growth, visit growthinstigators.com to schedule a discovery call.

Leading when you're not at your best can be your most powerful moment of influence. Some of the most impactful leadership happens not when we're perfect, but when we continue showing up authentically through challenging times.

• The metaphor of a wobbly tire—still functioning despite imperfection
• Leadership isn't about appearing flawless but staying present during difficult times
• Vulnerability builds trust and gives others permission to be authentic
• Being honest about not being 100% can create deeper connections
• Your steadiness during personal challenges becomes someone else's anchor
• Leading through rough patches demonstrates true leadership character

We'd love to hear from you about how you've led well through difficult times and what helps you stay grounded when not at your best. Email Aaron at [email protected]. Visit growthinstigators.com for our free leadership assessment tool, daily email content, and to schedule a free discovery call if your team needs help building a trust-driven culture.

High performers achieve greatness through small, consistent habits rather than occasional massive actions. The compound effect of these tiny efforts creates powerful momentum over time that becomes nearly unstoppable.

• Small habits work by reducing resistance and making daily actions more doable
• They build identity beyond just outcomes - becoming the type of person who does the thing
• Habits stack into momentum - one positive habit naturally leads to another
• Great harvests begin with single seeds - consistent small efforts yield spectacular results
• Five years will pass anyway - choose to look back with pride rather than regret

Email Aaron at [email protected] and share what small habit has helped you grow and what new habit you're ready to build. If your team struggles with consistency, visit growthinstigators.com to schedule a free discovery call to establish sustainable performance rhythms.

Failure can be our greatest teacher when we shift our perspective and use it as fuel for growth instead of letting it define us. Aaron Havens explains why he hopes you fail miserably today and how to transform those failures into stepping stones for success.

• Reframing failure as feedback and small hints for improvement
• Aaron shares his experience of botching public speeches early in his career
• Shift from asking "why did this happen" to "what can it teach me"
• Normalize failure as a natural part of progress, not a sign you're broken
• The difference between success and staying stuck is continuing to show up after failure
• Identify one failure you've been carrying that might actually be trying to grow you
• You don't need a perfect past to build a powerful future

Leave a message after the beep or send an email to [email protected] sharing what failure taught you something valuable and what failure you need to reframe and release this week. Visit Growth Instigators to book Aaron for your next speaking event.

Fulfillment doesn't come from chasing metrics and success numbers but from creating meaningful things that might never appear on a spreadsheet. True satisfaction emerges when we make things with no agenda but joy, recognizing that small doesn't mean insignificant and quiet creations often matter most.

• Success metrics are never-ending—as soon as you hit your target, it just increases
• The most meaningful creations show up as handwritten notes, heartfelt projects, or unposted acts of kindness 
• When feeling burnt out, ask yourself when you last created something with pure meaning and no agenda
• Small doesn't mean insignificant—sometimes things matter more because they're quiet
• Play, art, storytelling and walking aren't distractions but essential fuel for a fulfilling life
• You're wired to make things that matter, even when no one is watching
• It's okay to be silly and not be a professional at something you create
• Challenge yourself to create something this weekend not for success but for joy

Visit growthinstigators.com to schedule a free discovery call if your team is too focused on output and disconnecting from meaning. I help leaders bring purpose back to the process.

Shifting from fixing weaknesses to leveraging strengths creates more sustainable growth and fulfillment. Research shows the greatest performance gains come when we build on existing capabilities rather than trying to repair flaws.

• True strengths aren't just skills but activities that provide sustainable enthusiasm
• Most managers instinctively focus development on struggling employees, but data shows investing in strengths produces better results
• High performers aren't balanced at everything—they're exceptional at specific things
• The difference between good and great is often depth, not breadth
• Well-roundedness is overrated; targeted excellence with complementary teams is more effective
• Identify what energizes you, not just what you're competent at

Pause and ask yourself: What strength have you been underusing, and how can you lean into it with intention this week? What growth efforts might you need to abandon? Visit growthinstigators.com to schedule a call about unlocking your team's strengths and structuring around them.

Have you ever wondered why some teams achieve extraordinary results while others struggle just to function? It's a question that affects every organization, family, and community group. The answer lies not in talent alone, but in intentional leadership.

Teamwork remains our ultimate competitive advantage in a world obsessed with strategy, technology, and financial resources. Drawing from Patrick Lencioni's wisdom and personal experience leading both phenomenal and difficult teams, this episode unpacks the critical elements that transform ordinary groups into high-performing powerhouses. We examine how clarity consistently outperforms charisma, why feedback functions as the oxygen teams need to thrive, and the unexpected importance of celebration and fun in sustaining excellence.

Whether you're leading a corporate department, coaching a sports team, or simply trying to improve your family dynamics, these five essential leadership practices apply universally. The journey from "clunk" to "click" doesn't happen accidentally—it requires deliberate focus on creating environments where trust flourishes and collective achievement becomes possible. If you've experienced the frustration of deadlines missed, uncomfortable silences in meetings, or team members who seem disconnected from your mission, this episode offers practical guidance for transformation. What habit does your team need to strengthen right now, and what would a meaningful win look like this week? Visit growthinstigators.com to schedule a discovery call and learn how your leadership team can move from merely functional to truly exceptional.

Successful long-term goals aren't won by initial enthusiasm but by developing consistent stamina over time. Building endurance requires a different approach than the typical all-out sprint many of us attempt when starting something new.

• Pacing yourself is crucial for sustainable growth rather than pushing too hard at the beginning
• Finding the right balance between starting strong enough to commit and avoiding early burnout
• The paradox of needing to invest enough initially to feel committed (like buying an expensive mountain bike)
• Personal experience of starting a marathon too fast and barely finishing
• Consistency beats sprints in the long-term achievement equation
• Celebrating tiny wins that accumulate before becoming visible major progress
• Anchoring to your "why" when motivation inevitably fades
• The importance of showing up repeatedly when it's inconvenient or boring
• Creating a sustainable rhythm physically, emotionally, and mentally

Call us and share what long-term goal you're currently working toward and one way you can pace yourself better this week, or email Aaron at [email protected]. If your team needs help building stamina for important goals, visit growthinstigators.com to schedule a free discovery call.

Your mindset is shaped by your self-talk, and the voice you believe most is usually the one in your own head. Aaron Havens explores how shifting from negative to constructive internal dialogue can transform everything in your personal and professional life.

• Compare how different self-talk phrases feel—negative versus positive
• How we talk to ourselves will either limit or launch us
• Three steps to master your mindset through better self-talk
• Catch the critic by noticing when you're being negative about yourself
• Rewrite the script with something true and empowering
• Talk to yourself like you would to someone you love
• You are who you are becoming, starting with what you believe about yourself

Leave a message after the beep or send an email to Aaron at growthinstigators.com to share what area of your self-talk needs strengthening. Visit growthinstigators.com to schedule a discovery call if your team is battling fear or discouragement.