There’s this myth in the world of business that, if you’re tough enough, practiced enough, and motivated enough, you can push hard, 24-7, for months, quarters, years even and endure all manner of obstacles, stressors, adversity, circumstances and cycles without the need to ease off, step back, recover and refuel along the way. That capacity, we’re told, is somewhere between the expectation and the aspiration. It’s where the magic happens, the big triumphs, the legendary careers.

Except, it’s not. It’s a total fantasy. We, as humans, don’t work like that. There is literally no domain in work and life that requires high-level performance that works like that either. And, when we hold ourselves to the impossible standard of constant, elite-level performance, especially on the back of 3 years of brutalizing upheaval, isolation, overwork, overwhelm, and burnout, it’s a recipe for personal and professional disaster. And, as leaders, it’s also a recipe for wildly-dysfunctional workplace culture, unrealistic expectations, exploitation and disintegration.

So as we emerge from 3 years of turmoil and seemingly head straight into yet another season of uncertainty, how do we acknowledge the human experience in the middle of it? How we lead during these times will be mission critical in not just meeting our goals, but also preserving our humanity. 

That’s where we’re heading in today's Sparked Hot Take with Brainstrust member, strategic advisor, executive coach, founder of the Productive Flourishing consultancy, and author of the multi-award-winning book, Start Finishing, Charlie Gilkey. 

Charlie and I examine the reality that we're now in, where we’re being tasked to show up, often in extreme circumstances with great limitation of resources, and perform as if everything is fabulous, we’re all well-rested, chilled-out, mentally and physically on-point and ready to roll persistently at the highest levels. 

Charlie draws some powerful parallels between his experience as a leader in the military, building his own organization, coaching senior leaders in companies of all sizes, and other domains where elite, high-stakes performance is demanded in environments defined by high-stress and endless uncertainty. And we explore a set of powerful insights and reframes to help leaders and team members not just survive this moment, but thrive in it.

So, if you're ready to learn how to manage stress, lead with compassion, and boost innovation, join us for this insightful episode. And remember, it's time to prioritize recovery time for both individual well-being and overall societal health.

In today’s episode we’re in conversation with:

SPARKED BRAINTRUST ADVISOR: Charlie Gilkey | Website

Charlie is a strategic advisor and executive coach, founder of the Productive Flourishing consultancy, and author of the multi-award-winning book, Start Finishing.

YOUR HOST: Jonathan Fields

Jonathan is a dad, husband, award-winning author, multi-time founder, executive producer and host of the Good Life Project podcast, and co-host of SPARKED, too! He’s also the creator of an unusual tool that’s helped more than 650,000 people discover what kind of work makes them come alive - the Sparketype® Assessment, and author of the bestselling book, SPARKED.

So what is your Sparketype? Turns out, we all have a unique imprint for work that makes us come alive, this is your Sparketype. When you discover yours, everything, your entire work-life- and even parts of your personal life and relationships - begins to make sense. Until you know yours, you’re kind of fumbling in the dark. 

How to submit your question for the SPARKED Braintrust: Wisdom-seeker submissions

More on Sparketypes at: Discover You Sparketype | The Book | The Website

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