Week 22.12 It's About Agency

I love names especially when they have layers of meaning, both intentional and imbued. Since we officially launched the 100 Coaches Agency a month ago, I have been getting many questions about the name and how the name seems not to align with what we are. Are there 100 Coaches? What about the speakers and leadership experts that make up a significant proportion of the people you represent? Am I concerned that the word "agency" seems old-fashioned and has negative connotations? Some might ask, "what's in a name after all?"

While initially, the 100 may have been about the number of coaches, it quickly became apparent that we would exceed that number. During the design process of the logo (thank you, Doublespace), the 100 became a mark of quality, not quantity as in "Top 100" or "100 Best". In addition, the logo is the number 1 and the infinity sign, representing the idea that from one leader comes limitless potential. "Coaching" is a mindset in addition to practice, the ability to coax the potential from another; it is about putting another ahead of yourself. And "Agency," our newest word, is about what the coaching mindset does - it helps people have the power to make choices and have authorship of their life and leadership. The 100 Coaches Agency is where the best leaders find the world's top coaches and leadership experts.

This work has all been inspired by Marshall, who leads by example to elevate collective wisdom and demonstrate generosity in assembling one of the most significant communities. The meta-message of the 100 Coaches Agency is that it supports the best leaders with coaches and experts who help them take control of their lives to create success for themselves and those they love. The community is great because of its talent, its willingness to give, and because we believe in the value of the total project, not simply our part.

In life and leadership, we have many choices we have to make. Some options are a privilege, some a responsibility, some a burden. At its core, leadership is about agency, the ability to make the decisions to put yourself behind others so that the team can thrive. It is about growing talent so the best of your team goes on to lead others. It is about treating your existing people so well they attract the talent you want. It is making the choice not to speak, even when you believe you have the answer, and it is the choice to mistakes as an opportunity to develop people, your team, and yourself.

Alan Mulally once told me that he thought the 100 Coaches could be one of Marshall's greatest lasting legacies. During our first seven years, we have created a culture committed to paying it forward by helping each other and helping others succeed. We are committed to supporting leaders to be the most successful they can be. We curate the process of connecting them with coaching and access to experts to make the best decisions, grow in their role, and know when to make room for someone else. The 100 Coaches Agency is a living workshop to explore these ideas, share best practices, and share them so they can be put to use.

Last weekend was Marshall's birthday. You may have heard that his new book is called The Earned Life. Hearing Marshall speak about it, The Earned Life comes from the satisfaction of using our agency to make the best choices we can with the facts we have to live the life we choose to live. It is about accepting the risk of those choices and putting in the maximum effort. The Earned Life is about accepting that life is not fair, and the trophy is not the prize. It is about earning each day, taking responsibility. It's about Agency.

Click Here to Get a Signed Copy of The Earned Life

It’s often been said that people on their deathbed regret the choices not made. But at that point – and, frankly, at any other point – this doesn’t change the outcome. You chose every single moment of every single day. You live, you have lived – you are what you do, even if you don’t think you’ve done enough. As Marshall looked back on his own career, the work he's done and the experiences he's had with others, and their accounts of their own lives and leadership experiences, he observed that it is appropriate now to tackle the challenge of regret. It’s true that no one wants to be lying on their deathbed thinking of regrets. The important thing is to address it head-on and see how you can overcome it right now. I've read an advance copy of The Earned Life and it is as meaningful and valuable as any of Marshall's best sellers. For a limited time, you can pre-order a signed copy here or get a fresh copy here. Get the signed copy :)

Disrupt Yourself with Whitney Johnson: Amanda Ripley: How to Break the Cycle of Destructive Conflict

Navigating conflict is part of everything: Family, relationships, business. Productive disagreement can lead to innovation, compromise, and inclusion. But investigative journalist Amanda Ripley has spent much of her career studying what she calls “high conflict.” This is where disagreements get so entrenched that they become identities and a cycle of blame. People are quickly sucked into a tribal mentality: “It's Us versus Them.” This is what has become of our politics, our online discourse, and actual warfare, as we've sadly seen in recent weeks. But there's hope. After covering disasters, warzones, and local politics for years, Amanda has identified specific signals that turn good conflict into high conflict. And there are tactics we can use to break the cycles of tribalism. Through this lens, Amanda and Whitney discuss ways to address intractable conflict at any scale: Marriages, co-workers, neighborhoods, government, and even the Russian invasion of Ukraine. For Podcast Click Here

Overcoming Overwhelm - the spiral method by Morag Barrett

Having a healthy passion for work is one thing. However, it's a fine line between having a passion and a full-blown obsession. If you’re someone who has to be surgically removed from your smartphone or computer, works through lunch and dinner, can’t remember the last weekend where you just kicked back and did nothing, have enough vacation days to last a lifetime, and constantly thinks about (even dream about) your job, then you too may be obsessed with work. Learn to identify the 6 warning signs that you may need to slow down and the Five Steps to making it happen. The bonus tip - if you need a pep talk - Peptoc from West Side Elementary in California. When you call Peptoc at 707-998-8410 you'll be greeted with this wonderful message... and be supporting the kindergarten students in their art project. Read on LinkedIN

Quote of the week from George Bernard Shaw:

“A life making mistakes is not only more honorable, but more useful than a life spent doing nothing at all.”

With love and gratitude,

Scott