Let's get straight to the point. Something's broken in the world of business. Why are so many people feeling burned out, stressed and deep-down, not all that happy with how things are going?
I know that's a bit dramatic and not a super encouraging way to start - but honestly, I get this question all the time.
The conversation about all things AI and the future of work is dominated by one uncomfortable undercurrent - a dominant narrative, if you will.
Simply put, we want to know: why does everything feel so hard?
I was chatting with a very senior exec recently who said, with heavy exasperation, "I've never seen anything like this in 30 years!"
And what, exactly, are we talking about here?
There's much to be said, but in my experience coaching senior leaders and working with enterprises for decades, there's a feeling life is out of control.
Events outside our immediate control seem to be constantly conspiring against us.
Rounds of global layoffs. Economic uncertainty. And the big one: AI is inevitable - a narrative we'll unpack later.
Are we in control?
Of course, you're familiar with Stephen Covey's famous Circles of Control model.
In the middle of three concentric circles is the Circle of Control. These are all the things in your life that you can directly control. What you wear, what you eat, and what you really think about that meeting which should have been an email.
Moving out, we've got the Circle of Influence. This is a way of talking about the people and situations you can influence.
You can speak well, lead well, and act in ways that inspire and influence those around you in powerful ways. When we're at our best, it can feel like your team really is with you on this journey.
Then we've got the Circle of Concern - or as I call it, the Circle of No Control. Wars, politics, climate change, and people who have forgotten how to use an indicator when changing lanes.
Here's the important point.
When things feel like they're out of control, we're experiencing a type of existential overwhelm.
All those big things out there in the world over which you have no control are crowding out your ability to lead well and positively influence people. It's tempting to think even those small, daily things within your control are diminished and ineffective.
The experience has another word
Burnout is not a disease, thankfully. But it is a powerful psychological experience that overwhelms your heart, mind and soul.
Heavy feet. A sense that nothing matters or is worth fighting for. Loss of energy and hope for good things to come.
Sorry - we're still in the unhappy place, but stay with me.
Codebreakers is a way of thinking about people like you and me who want to crack the code on this existential, and deeply personal, experience we call working life.
It's based on the work I've done over many years as a journalist, entrepreneur, author and executive coach - culminating in my book, The Story Code.
As some of you will know, the book unpacks how you can rewrite the stories you tell yourself. How you can crack the code on the personal story that shapes how you think, how you lead, and how you influence the world.
Still with me?
If you've got this far, thanks. Attention spans are short these days.
Let me reward your attention with this closing point.
Any feeling of burnout, stress or existential overwhelm that you're experiencing right now won't last. This too shall pass.
In fact, it gets way better.
I've been through my own dark nights of the soul and come back a happier, healthier person. The dip into darkness doesn't have to be the end. In fact, it's most often the catalyst for a new season.
Every hero in every story ever told has faced this moment. Go forward or give up and retreat.
We know they choose to go forward with courage and a tinge of fear - which is why I love to say, Onwards!
In this moment of recommitment to the path ahead, heroes like Frodo in Lord of the Rings discover what Joseph Campbell teaches us in his seminal storytelling model, The Hero's Journey.
They experience a personal revelation - who they are, and who they are supposed to be. And they go through a reckoning that Campbell calls "atonement." Letting go of old attachments and discovering what it means to become "at one" with their destiny.
It's heavy stuff but ironically feels liberating when you discover this bigger picture. Been there, done that, and I still carry the battle scars.
What's next?
If you know me, you'll know I'm passionate about a few things.
Storytelling, learning, and encouraging people to be their best selves. I'm fascinated by the impact stories and overarching narratives have on leaders and how they change the world.
We're going to be talking a lot about the concept of narrative intelligence in this newsletter.
Narrative intelligence, in its simplest definition, is your ability to connect the dots and intentionally tell stories that influence others.
For an old journo like me, it's something we do almost instinctively. Pattern recognition, trend-spotting, and then writing stories that shine new light on familiar ideas.
And all this, my friends, is where this story circles back to the problems of burnout, stress and feeling out of control.
Many of us don't like the narratives unfolding around us. The good news is that if they're stories, they can be rewritten.
Popular narratives are always crafted by storytellers with an agenda. And it turns out those narratives can be rewritten by other storytellers - like you - who have a different, hope-filled agenda.
So here's to your story. Welcome, codebreaker.
Onwards!
