Sometimes you know exactly where you're going to go.
You walk out the door, go to Point A, and Return home.
Other Times?
A Journey Begins that You Were Not Expecting.
It has Ups and Downs.
There are times when you're Unsure You're Going in the Right Direction.
Stressors Strike You from Every Direction.
Suddenly, you have No Idea where you are...
Yet, You Know that You're Exactly Where You Should Be.
The Genesis of Sageship was more like the latter Journey.
I began my Entrepreneurial Journey Over 8 Years Ago.
When I started, I "Knew" that I was going to become a Leadership Coach.
I was Sure of It.
And I Did!
However, I discovered so much more than I ever Imagined.
I was a Podcaster and TV Show Host.
I Developed what I called, "Legendary Leadership".
Eventually, I became a Daily Digital Writer (Now with a Streak Over 700+ Days Straight).
Things really began to come together in 2023 when I Received 20 Nominations and Awards for My Work.
Then, in 2024, when the puzzle pieces began to come together for Sageship, I Received 73 Nominations and Awards for my Work.
Between that and the Engagement I was getting on my Writing, I Knew that Sageship was something Needed in the World.
Especially when people began to say things like...
“I wish ‘Every’ Well-Intentioned Leader in the World Read This.”
“Love the definition of… Sageship…the Next Form Humans Should All Evolve Into.”
“…Among One of the Best Writers…”
“…the Greatest Philosopher of Our Generation!”
“…what I Glean Most is that Companies ‘Must’ have Sages…”
This became the Birth of the "Seeking Sageship: Beyond Leadership" Newsletter.
However, I know that some people may be discovering Sageship for the first time, and others might like a Refresher.
So, I have gone through the 700+ Articles I've Written and pulled together the Foundational Articles that Defined Sageship.
Come along with me on the Journey that is the Genesis of Sageship...
The Broken Leadership Development System That Began My Journey
I began in the World of Leadership Development.
I became a Student of the Godfather of Leadership, John C. Maxwell, and it was through him that I Discovered what Coaching Was.
He Opened My Eyes to a World...
Desperately in Need of Leaders.
I "Had" to be a Part of the Solution.
So, I Did Just That.
I Set Out as an Entrepreneur to make a Difference in the World.
I Set Out to Create the Next Generation of Leaders.
However, the Beginning was Very Bumpy.
Every Entrepreneurial Journey Is.
Luckily, I had a Great Support System and I was able to begin to Help People Have Better Lives, Teams, and Businesses through Coaching.
Despite my Successes, I wanted to become Better.
I wanted to Create a Larger Impact.
The World Needs That.
So, I Kept Digging, Deeper and Deeper.
Until...
I hit some Problems.
I Began to See things that Didn't Make Sense.
I would see Leaders with "All" the Leadership Development Training who Still Horribly Failed.
I also saw Leaders Without "Any" Leadership Development Training who Succeeded at Extremely High Levels.
The Leadership Development Industry was valued at over $350 Billion at its Height (before 2020).
Yet, the Rates of Leadership Success were Dramatically Dropping.
I Really Got Struck when I found a Statistic that Blew My Mind...
80% of Leadership Development "Completely Fails".
The Remaining had "Limited Success".
That is when I Knew...
I Could No Longer Be In The Leadership Development Industry.
As I went Deeper Into What was Happening, I Discovered "Why" This Happened.
First, you had the Problem of "What is Leadership"?
In 1995, there were 850+ Academic Definitions of Leadership.
Not to Mention "Non-Academic" Definitions.
So, when you go into a Leadership Development Program, you discover that Different Definitions are being Utilized by Different Groups.
Some forms of Leadership are Completely Ineffective.
Other forms are At Odds with each Other.
Then, people would spend Hundreds, Thousands, and even Tens of Thousands of Dollars on these Programs that end up Not Working Together.
Which Revealed the Modularity Problem.
People believed (and sometimes still do) that they could Hack and Slash different Programs Together to Create the "Ultimate" Program for their Organization.
But it Doesn't Work.
This is when I began saying that "Cultivation" was Necessary.
You Must See Leaders (and Potential Leaders) like Plants in a Garden.
Different Plants Have Different Needs to Thrive.
If you try to Water All Plants the Same, most of the Plants Will Die.
Leaders are No Different.
You must "Cultivate" Each Leader, based on Their Current Needs, which must be Immediately Applicable.
When you Try the Modular Approach, you have an 80% Failure Rate, with "Limited" Success the Remainder, with Near-Perfect Conditions.
When I used the Cultivation Approach in a 10-Month Pilot Study, I Achieved an 80% Success Rate, with Near-Disasterous Conditions to the Program: Extreme Alterations, Limitations, and Challenges "All" Against My Recommendations.
That is the Difference between a Modular and Cultivation Approach.
But there was another Problem that became Glaring over this Period.
Burnout.
I began to see it become the #1 Problem of Leaders.
It has Spread to 80%+ of People.
Based on the Research, our Productivity Potential Drops to 5%.
The Vast Majority of People are working at 5% of their Potential.
This highlighted a Major Problem of Leadership Development.
Skills Versus Psychophysiology.
Leadership Development followed the Work of Management Training.
They Essentially used the Same Base.
It Believed that if you Gave People the "Right Skills" they would Succeed.
Where Management Training Failed to See Employees as Humans...
Leadership Development Has Failed to See How Humans' Psychophysiology Impacts Their Potential.
This led me to the Realization that Psychophysiology Created a Baseline of Human Potential.
Why did EQ Training Fail Frequently?
Psychophysiology.
Why did Skills Not Get Utilized When They Were Necessary?
Psychophysiology.
If your Psychophysiology is Wrong, Everything Goes Wrong.
If your Psychophysiology is Right, Everything Becomes Possible.
This began my Research into Psychophysiology...
Here are some of the Original Articles that Led to these Insights:
What Is More Important Than Both IQ And EQ? The Focus On VQ
In the past, people believed that IQ was a Major Determinant of Success.
That was Proven Extremely Wrong because it was based on the Ideas of Genetic Determinism...
Which itself has also been Proven Wrong by Epigenetics.
When Leadership Development began to Rise in Popularity, we also saw the Rise of EQ or Emotional Intelligence.
This makes sense because Leadership Development, Correctly, Realized that Humans were Not Cogs in a Machine.
We have Emotional Needs.
Most of our Communication Occurs through things like Tone and Frequency of Voice and Body Language.
Emotional Intelligence began to See People as Humans and Looked for How to Best Understand those Emotions and Work with those Emotions.
It had Great Success and was Incredibly More Valuable than IQ.
However, Emotional Intelligence began to Fail to Get Results.
But Why?
I Discovered that our Psychophysiology Deeply Impacted our "Ability" to Engage in Emotional Intelligence.
This led me to Develop a Theory of VQ, which you could call Vitality Intelligence.
Admittedly, Human Psychophysiology is "Extremely" Complex, and this is "Still" a Developing Theory as I Dive into Deeper Secrets.
But, this is what I Discovered with Clients and in My Own Life...
If your VQ is Low, so is Your EQ "And" IQ.
If your VQ is High, so is Your EQ "And" IQ.
Both EQ and IQ are "Directly" Impacted by VQ.
Period.
Interestingly, VQ Impacts Us Down to the Level of Our DNA.
Yes, DNA will Change based on Our VQ.
Scientists currently Estimate that 80%+ of our DNA Changes throughout our Lives.
Some Changes take Months.
Others Hours.
But some DNA can Change in Minutes based on VQ Factors.
"That" is the Power of VQ.
This has led me to Seek Out the Best Minds in Different Psychophysiological Research and get Certified with them at the Highest Available Levels.
As I began to Understand these Factors More Deeply, I was able to Develop the Foundational Ideas in the Creation of Sageship.
Here are some of the Original Articles that Led to these Insights:
The Foundational Ideas in The Creation Of Sageship
As I went Deeper and Deeper into these Different Areas of Research, there were 3 Foundational Ideas that Really Stuck Out and Continue to Impact Everything in Sageship.
The first came from the VQ Research.
It became what I call The 4 Brain Systems.
When I say "Neurons" what do you think?
Most people think of the Brain!
This is True...
But, we actually have Neurons Throughout our Entire Bodies.
These come together to Form 4 "Brain Systems".
Each System has a Different Way of Thinking.
Each System can Override the Others under Certain Circumstances.
Which makes sense.
Most of Leadership Development was Focused on Skills and the Brain.
But Why does Leadership Development Fail so Frequently?
Well, the Brain is Frequently Overridden by Other Brain Systems.
Especially in Today's World that is Filled with Burnout.
So, what are the 4 Brain Systems?
-
Brain
-
Nervous System
-
Neurocardiology (Heart-Brain)
-
Neurogastroenterology (Gut-Brain)
Each one has a Different Way of Thinking and Focuses on Different Factors.
Under Conditions of Burnout, Essentially 3 of the Systems are in Dis-Stress.
Can you guess which 3?
All of those Systems work Against the Brain when we are in Burnout.
So, if you want to Overcome Burnout?
You must Fix The Brain Systems.
This led me to Another Foundational Idea.
We Frequently Hear of the Importance of Our "Mindset".
It is Important...
But the Problem?
Mindset is Focused Only on the Brain.
This made me Realize that Our Mindset Will Not Save Us.
We Needed Something "More".
This became what I call our Wayset.
A Way of Being.
Our Wayset must Align "All" of Our Brain Systems.
In the Scientific Research, they call this "Coherence".
Our Wayset Determines Our Future.
As I Continued on this Journey, I Discovered Another Problem.
In the World of Business, Leaders were More Focused on Profit than what Business "Should" be About.
Humans.
All Businesses "Should" be for the Benefit of Humans.
Improving Our Lives.
But in the Pursuit of Profit Above All, we have Watched Humans Suffer.
It is an Unsustainable Business Model.
We are Watching it Crumble Around Us.
Then, I read the Work of Robin Wall Kimmerer who said something profound...
"All Flourishing is Mutual."
I began to see that Our Current Business Models Failed to Create Flourishing.
Employees are Suffering.
Customers are Suffering.
Suppliers are Suffering.
Leaders are Suffering.
The World is Suffering.
It was Simple.
As long as One Part of the Business Ecosystem is Suffering, the Entire Ecosystem Suffers.
This began my Transition to a New Business Model.
Regenerative Legacy Design.
I am So Dedicated to this that I created a New Position for Myself as a Leadership Model.
Chief Regenerative Design Officer.
I also began Impact Projects in Efforts to Improve the World.
This work is Continued through the "Seeking Sageship: Beyond Leadership" Newsletter.
"At Least" 20% of Revenue Generated from Paid Subscribers of the Newsletter goes "Directly" to Regenerative Projects around the World.
I'm Dedicated to Improving the World.
This is what the World Needs.
Here are some of the Original Articles that Led to these Insights:
The 4 Brains Of Wellness And Leadership - What They Mean For Legendary Leadership
Designing A Regenerative Legacy - The Differential Leaders Need To Stand Out
Why Your Mindset Will Not Save You - Beyond A Positive Mindset
The Role Of CEO Is Dead - Understanding The Future Of Leadership, AI, And Work
The Final Pieces For The Genesis Of Sageship
There was One More Piece to the Puzzle that I needed.
Leadership is Important.
But there was Something that "Leadership" itself was Missing.
Something that had to be More Fully Encompassing of what the World Needed.
The first hint of this came from an Article I Wrote...
The 8 Stages to a Quality Career.
Something that I did, perhaps Subconsciously, was "Not" use Leader in Any of the Stages.
I Ended Up Realizing that "Leadership" is Not a Required Step in a Quality Career.
When you look at Different Industries, some of the Greatest and Defining Minds did not have "Leadership" Positions in the Sense that We Think Today.
I also Realized that "Legendary Leadership", what I dedicated myself to prior to this point, Could Not be Accomplished Until Death.
Most People are Not Interested in Something they are Unable to Attain in Life.
So, I needed something We could Strive For "In" Life, but was also "Beyond" Leadership.
This Article Revealed the Base.
Sage.
We needed Humans who Defined their Industries.
Who we "Beyond" Mastery.
There was a Need for a Path to become "That" type of Human.
As I thought about this More Deeply, I eventually came to the term...
Sageship.
Almost Immediately it Landed with Readers.
Before I Knew it, the Category became Award-Winning.
People began asking about Sageship, and I knew.
"This" is what I had been Searching for My Entire Entrepreneurial Career.
Which brings us to Now.
You are Reading this because You are Seeking Sageship.
Maybe You Did Not have a "Word" for It.
I Did Not for a Long Time.
But "Now" You Do.
"Now" You have the Goal.
It is time to Seek Sageship.
(But Wait, There's More!)
Here are some of the Original Articles that Led to these Insights:
Supporting Concepts: Cycles of Leadership
When you Look at the World, you Begin to See Cycles.
Things Feed Into Each Other.
Cycles Repeat.
Over.
And Over.
It can become Painfully Obvious.
I have Watched People Fall into Cycles Again and Again.
It makes it Easy to Predict Likely Outcomes, which is Valuable as a Certified Behavioral Analysis Consultant.
But, over time I saw Another Way to See Cycles...
They Could Become Beneficial.
There are Two Types of Cycles.
-
Vicious Cycles
-
Virtuous Cycles
The First Time I Presented this Concept, I Received a "Lot" of Questions.
Eventually, I Expanded this into a Series.
When you Understand these Cycles, you can Decide What Cycles You Want in Your Life.
Do you want to Live in Vicious Cycles?
Or would you prefer Virtuous Cycles?
The Choice is Yours.
Here are some of the Original Articles that Led to these Insights:
Supporting Concepts: Chaining
As I began to See Burnout as the Defining Problem of Today's Businesses, I began to Understand Something.
All Stress Adds.
But there is another Important Key in this...
Some Stressors "Cause" More Stressors.
When I looked at Scientific Research, I began to see a Common Problem...
Scientists Frequently Chased End-Result Stressors.
Imagine it like this...
There is a First Stressor, that Causes a Second Stressor, which Causes a Third Stressor, which Ends in a Fourth Stressor.
This is what I call a Stress Chain.
The Problem?
Scientists Frequently Fight the Fourth Stressor.
But Nothing Is Solved because the "Real" Problem is the First Stressor of the Chain.
Which led to a Realization...
If you Target the First Stressor, the Remaining Stressors "Also" Disappear.
I have Used this in My Own Life.
I have Also Helped Others Escape Burnout through this Realization.
But Not All Chains are Bad.
We can also Create Growth Chains as well as Success Chains.
You Chain One Growth or Success Event to Another, then to Another.
This Allows You to Multiply Your Growth and Success!
Often with Considerably "Less" Energy than Most People Use.
Once my Clients have Reduced their Dis-Stress (because they usually Begin in Burnout), I help them Create Growth and Success Chains.
Here are some of the Original Articles that Led to these Insights:
Other Personal Favorites
When you Write Articles Daily for 2 Years Straight, there is a "Lot" You Write.
Some Ideas Land Really Well.
Others Completely Flop.
Then, there are Some that "You" Personally Enjoy.
So, I picked a Couple that may not fit "Directly" into the Genesis of Sageship, but which "I" Really Enjoyed Writing.
The first is a Saying that I Run my Life By.
Percusus Resurgo, Invictus, Amor Fati.
Stricken I Rise, Unconquerable, with a Love of Fate.
This has been a Huge Part of what has allowed me to Continue Through the Difficult Parts of Life.
I have had Plenty of Downs along the Way.
I'm Certain I Will Have Plenty More.
This Saying has helped me Build Resilience.
Then, as I saw the Rise of AI, I began to see a Problem.
What is AI Really?
It is the Final Product of the Knowledge Economy.
However, AI thus far has Proven Deeply Flawed.
It is Not AI's Fault Though.
The Problem is the Knowledge Economy Itself.
The Knowledge Economy grew based on the Belief that as Knowledge Spread, it would Solve the World's Problems.
But it Really Has Not.
Debatably, the Spread of Knowledge has Caused More Problems than it Solved.
See, there is a Problem with Knowledge.
By Itself, Knowledge is Useless.
There are Plenty of Humans Who "Know" What They Need to Live Better...
To Succeed...
To Be Happier...
Yet, Knowledge Alone Solves Nothing.
This is Why We Need a New Form of Economy in the Future.
The Wisdom Economy.
Here are some of the Original Articles that Led to these Insights:
Are You Ready to Go Beyond Leadership?
Tired of Broken Algorithms and AI Slop?
Excited to Dive Deeper into Psychophysiological Mastery?
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