Ty Hoesgen

Do you ever try to explain something in a meeting,
but it doesn’t come out as clearly as you want it to?

You over-explain.
You're not concise. 
Or you leave the meeting overthinking:

“I should have said that better.”

Most people assume they just need "more practice"
That’s rarely the problem.

It's actually about a lack of structure.
And how your brain responds to pressure. 

That's why I work with professionals who want 
to be seen as more clear, confident, and credible.

(especially in high-stakes situations)

So far, I’ve coached 330+ professionals with a 99% success rate. 

Many are managers, directors, executives, and founders. 
People in positions where clarity matters. 

Our work focuses on 3 things:

1.) Clear, concise speaking on the spot

2.) Confidence and composure under pressure

3.) Executive presence in important situations

Everything is customized and built around 
the real-life meetings, presentations, and 
conversations you'd like to speak better in. 

If crystal clear speaking would be helpful 
for you and your professional life,

DM me “CLEAR" to learn more.

Founder & CEO / Communication Coach

🧠 Advanced Growth Institute is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations from around the world master their communication and people skills. 

🏆 1.) Elite Private Coaching — for individuals who want to gain a positively unfair advantage in their life and career. 

💬 Our Elite Communication Accelerator is a private coaching program for growth-minded individuals who want to:

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✅ ​Get more respect
✅ Earn what they deserve
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✅ ​Live a less stressful life 

📈 AGI works closely with clients on their communication and people skills, helping them overcome unique challenges and accomplish their personal and professional goals. 

⭐ 2.) Custom Corporate Trainings — for organizations who care deeply about their team members and clients, and want to maximize their success in every interaction. 

🎤 Attendees are taught practical, science-backed communication strategies to boost sales, form deeper relationships, build trust and influence, listen with intention, and connect better with clients, co-workers, and customers.

✍️ Our captivating presentations have attendees smiling, laughing, rapidly taking notes, and leaving with a ton of actionable takeaways. 

📖 3.) Other Resources — best-selling books, courses, guides, video trainings

Have you heard about the 7 
deadly sins of speaking? 💀

1. Gossiping
2. Judging
3. Negativity
4. Complaining
5. Excuses
6. Lying
7. Dogmatism

In the video, I added 7 silly 
(& less deadly) examples of each. 

They're all about big arms 😅

This is from Julien Treasure's famous TED talk: 
How to Speak so that People Want to Listen

Which deadly sin are you making?

And if you’re a perfect angel:

Which one do others do that annoys you the most?

Speak clearly and confidently under pressure in 90 days (guaranteed) / World Class Certified Speaking Coach / 3x Bestselling Author / TEDx Speaker / 330+ clients coached

Loud voices get attention.
But calm clarity creates real success.

Today, many professionals want to stand out. 

But they're going about it the wrong way. 

They speak quickly.
They give long answers. 
They don't allow space for silence. 

This urgency can get you attention, 

but it's the wrong kind of attention. 

And it often scrambles your thoughts and weakens your message.

The people who stay calm under pressure 
and speak clearly on the spot...

Are the ones who've learned to balance peace with power. 

What are they doing?

→ Staying composed
→ Controlling their pace 
→ Starting points with clarity
→ Finishing points with authority
→ Listening fully before responding

They don’t treat these as speaking 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘬𝘴.

They treat them as speaking 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴.

And the people around them feel the difference.

Do you think you've learned to balance peace with power?

No one listened to my stories 
UNTIL I started adding this 1 thing: 

Lines of dialogue. 

One of the stories I tell is about a former piano student of mine.

He was struggling playing in front of people
and wanted to quit his lessons. 

Version 1 (before using dialogue):

Andrew came to me after a lesson.
He wanted to quit because he didn’t like playing in front of people.  

Version 2 (using dialogue)

Andrew came to me after a lesson and said:

"I suck at piano. 
I just can’t play good in front of people. 

I'm hopeless, and I wanna quit.” 

Do you see the difference? 

On top of all the clarity and confidence work 
I do with clients, storytelling is another fun 
thing that we'll sometimes add in. 

Tom Gavin
Nabil BA-MOH
Michelle Fritsch, PharmD, BCGP

are 3 awesome clients currently building their stories. 

All amazing people worth checking out!

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Helping leaders & teams communicate with clarity & confidence 🏆 World Class Certified Speaking Coach / 3x Bestselling Author / TEDx Speaker / Trusted by leaders at Amazon, Microsoft, & More

Welcome, I appreciate you being here. Quick question - can you relate to any of these?

→ You don't always explain your points clearly and concisely.
→ You sometimes feel nervous when speaking or presenting to groups.
→ You don't feel as confident in difficult situations (or around certain people).
→ You find it hard to organize and articulate your thoughts on the spot. 

If so, I totally get it. 

Even the lifetime overachievers and high performers feel this way sometimes. 

But what if you could make these 3 changes?

1) Learn to speak with unshakeable confidence
2) Master charisma to captivate any audience
3) Learn to organize and articulate your thoughts clearly and concisely 

(Especially on the spot or in high pressure situations)

If you do, you could gain:

— The ability to stay calm under pressure
— The power to own the room when speaking
— Increased respect from everyone you meet 
— A strong reputation in your company and industry 
— Open doors to new career/business opportunities

Now you might be thinking, 

"This all SOUNDS good Ty, but how the heck do you actually get there?" 😅

Great question. That's where coaching comes in! 

There are 3 key parts of my coaching program: 

1.) Personalized 1-on-1 coaching sessions tailored to your needs
2.) Step-by-step weekly plans to ensure constant improvement
3.) Messaging access for additional support and questions throughout the week 

Everything in the program is backed by science (and has been done with hundreds of people)

Because I know everything works, there's a 100% money back guarantee.

And if you're curious, here's a bit more about me:

→ Former shy, awkward farm kid who was a TERRIBLE speaker and loved avoiding people 

→ Today, 330+ professionals coached 1-on-1 across tech, sales, healthcare, finance, and more

→ World-Class Certified Speaking Coach
(Trained by Craig Valentine, former #1 ranked public speaker in the world) 

→ 3x best-selling author on communication skills 

→ TEDx speaker (recent talk given April 2025)

With all that said...

If you're ready to elevate your speaking skills and advance your career...

DM me the word “COMMUNICATION” 

Happy to have a quick chat about how everything works.

***Please mention whether you're interested in:

- 1-on-1 coaching programs
- Corporate group trainings

Book Your Free Strategy Session

Speak Like a Confident Leader in 7 Days

Heart of the City Piano Program (HCPP) is a volunteer-driven non-profit organization that provides music lessons to underprivileged youth.

AI Strategist | Driving Practical AI Adoption in Higher Education & Enterprise | LightLeapAI

CEO @ Asio Services | We build clear ERP systems with Business Central | Clarity before code. Always.

Wellness with Direction. Purpose with Power. Retirement, Reimagined.

Sometimes you have to look back

and remember how far you’ve come…

Even if it’s just passport photos. 😅 

-

P.S. How much do you look
like 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 passport photo?

No alternative text description for this image

One of my clients was a VP leading 200 people.
Sharp guy. Good at his job. 
𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘀...

→ He’d get interrupted sometimes.
→ His ideas wouldn’t always land.

He told me:

“I know I’m great at what I do, but I'm not 
sure if I always come across that way.”

We worked together on structure, pacing, and brevity.

→ It was like putting his communication on a diet.
→ We trimmed the ramble fat and made him lean.

(His speaking now has visible abs)

1 month in, his COO told him:

“You’ve been coming across better in 
meetings lately. People are noticing.”

It’s not about saying more.

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 
𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴.

Because being great at what you do isn’t enough.

You have to be able to communicate it.

Do you agree?

How I removed filler words for good
(and how you can too)

3 Proven Techniques:

1.) Speak in shorter sentences. 

Long, run-on sentences 
= harder to control 
= more filler words 

2.) Slow your speaking pace. 

Faster speech 
= harder to control 
= more filler words 

3.) Proper breathing. 

At the end of your sentence, 
take a breath and inhale.
Then speak as you exhale. 

This forces you to pause more.

Anyone can remove their filler words. 
I've seen it with hundreds of clients over the years. 

That means you can too.

Which filler word do you use the most?

My client saw my post 
about her yesterday and
sent me a message...

When you work with awesome people, 
they always want to give 𝘺𝘰𝘶 a lot of credit. 

And you always want to give 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 a lot of credit.  

Especially when you work with 
kind, genuine humans (like this client)

It's pretty wholesome. 

Now when it comes to confidence, 

Even people like this in senior 
positions can still have challenges. 

I see it daily. 

So if you've ever thought: 

"I'm experienced. I should feel more confident." 

You are not alone.
And you can always get better. 

I'm rooting for you.

Once I stopped making this communication mistake, 
everybody started listening to me more. 

What was it? 

Using complicated/fancy words. 

Here’s why:

Studies show people consider messages 
more honest and trustworthy when a person 
uses simple instead of complicated words. 

This means if you use simpler language:

There’s a greater chance people will believe you. 

And buy into what you're saying. 

It also takes less brain power for your listeners to understand you.

So you’re doing everyone a favour by 
making it easier to absorb your message. 

I give an example of complicated vs. simple in the video. 

If you think you should be using big words
and developing a complex vocabulary...

There are better ways to spend your time. 

You’d be better off using that time learning 
to explain things in a simple, clear way. 

Have you ever thought "I need a bigger vocabulary?"

This 1 thing I learned makes me 
immediately sound more credible
any time I speak.

(Especially in high pressure situations)

It’s strategic pausing. Which is: 

1.) Pausing to gather your thoughts
2.) Pausing after saying something important. 

But I used to be TERRIBLE at this.

One day after giving an update in a team meeting,
my boss looked at me with a dead stare and said:

“Ty, slow down. You don’t get any prizes for finishing quickly.” 

I was incredibly embarrassed, but he was right. 

I needed to slow down and pause more. 

A well-timed pause does 3 things:

1.) Shows a high level of composure. 
2.) Gives your listeners time to absorb what you’re saying.
3.) Makes your words land with more weight. 

Silence is not weakness. It’s emphasis. 

It reminds me of a quote from Mozart: 

"The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between."

Agree?

(Embarrassing) When I was 8 years old, I used 
to climb trees to avoid talking to people.

Not for fun. To hide.

I was painfully shy.

Afraid of conversations.
Afraid of speaking up.
Afraid of being seen.

Fast forward a few years…

I was throwing up before meetings at my first corporate job.

Until 1 moment changed everything.

I learned something that would 
genuinely change my life forever. 

It's how I went from being AFRAID to speak...

To TEACHING people to speak for a living. 

I share the full story in this video.

If you’ve ever felt nervous speaking.
If you’ve ever replayed conversations in your head.
If you’ve ever asked yourself "Why am I like this?"

This will hit close to home.

"How do you help me build my confidence?"
There's a reason this is on my FAQ page. 

Think of your brain like a computer. 

Over time, different 'programs' get installed in your brain…

that cause you to think, feel, and speak a certain way. 

So if you’re confident in certain situations
but less confident in others, there are programs 
in your brain that are causing this. 

(Same goes with overthinking, doubt, etc.)

Most people think they can fix this by:

1.) Getting a ton of tips and tricks 

2.) Just practicing a lot

Most coaches will teach you that way as well.

But the problem is:

It’s like trying to add new software to a computer 
when you haven’t removed the bugs. 

That's why we need to:

1.) Uninstall the programs that are holding you back.

2.) Install new ones that help you feel more confident. 

We do this using neuroscience-backed techniques to reprogram your subconscious mind. (that fun nerdy stuff)

Which is kind of like reprogramming 
your system so it runs smoothly.

This is what allows you to overcome 

the nerves, doubt, overthinking...

And feel more

confident, calm, and in control when you speak. 

Have you ever thought of your brain like a computer?

Day 1: Terrible workplace environment. 
Stressed, overwhelmed.
Unclear communication. 

Day 60: Landed new job. 
Optimistic, excited. 
Clear, structured communication. 

Some of the changes we've seen:

→ Enhanced clarity when explaining points
→ Stronger, more confident nonverbal presence 
→ Large reduction in filler words and softeners 
→ Less doubt and overthinking about what to say 
→ Long answers are now tight and concise 

There's still some work to be done, 

But this client has made a lot of progress. 

Enough progress to rock those tough 
interviews and land the job she wanted. 

Can you remember the last time you wanted 
a fresh start and were applying for jobs?

And then you finally got the role you were hoping for?

I learned this weird thing about head 

position that changes how people see you.

If your head is straight,
you'll be seen as more firm. 

But if your head is titled, 
you'll be seen as more empathetic. 

If you're a communication nerd like me, there are studies published in journals like 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 and 𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘚𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 that dive more into this. 

Tilting the head lowers perceived dominance.

And significantly increases ratings of: 

- Warmth
- Trustworthiness 
- Empathy

A lot of empathetic people do this tilt without realizing. 

Do you think you're one of them?

If you hate leaving meetings thinking 
"I should've said that better"...

Do something about it. 

Learn to: 

➙ Organize your thoughts
➙ Articulate them clearly 
➙ Stay calm under pressure

No reason to keep replaying conversations in your head.

You can change how you speak.  

These are learnable skills. 

So if you hate second guessing or overthinking 
about what to say or how to say it

Do something about it.

You don’t have to struggle with 
something you can improve.

Agree?

If you overthink what to say 
in meetings or presentations,
this can change everything.

Before you speak, ask yourself:

What’s the one idea I want people to walk away with?

Start with that. Expand as needed. 

—> You’ll ramble less.
—> You’ll speak more clearly.
—> You’ll feel more in control.

A lot of people struggle when speaking on the spot because they’re trying to say too much at once.

They’re trying to sound smart.

Instead of being understood.

And they’re worrying way too much 
about what others think of them. 

(That used to be me too)

Here’s what I wish I knew earlier: 

When you simplify your thoughts,
People don’t see you as “less intelligent”

They actually see you as more credible.

—> You don’t need to overexplain.
—> You don’t need to impress anyone.

You just need to make your 
ideas easy to understand.

You got this.

Many professionals ruin their points when speaking. 
Are you one of them?

If you ever catch yourself using 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀
you might be in this group. 

(I definitely was)

It's not that you need more knowledge. 

You just need a particular set of skills. 

The skills of organizing your thoughts quickly
and then explaining them clearly and concisely.

Because if you can't get to the point quickly...

People will assume you have none.

They'll stop listening and zone out. 
(especially with attention spans these days 😅)

So if you want to sound more credible, trim the fat.

Make your messages lean. 

After all, why spend 3 minutes delivering a point 
that could have been made in 30 seconds?

If you're not super skilled at this 𝘺𝘦𝘵, it's all good. 

It's a skill that can be learned just like anything else. 

You got this.

If you want to command 
a room like the world's top leaders
(or simply want to land higher-level roles)

Master these 3 speaking skills.

1.) Crystal clarity

Deliver your message concisely
using the fewest words possible.

No extra fluff.

2.) Storytelling.

Share stories that people can relate to.

They make your messages
more memorable and persuasive.

3.) Strategic Silence

Get comfortable with those pauses,
especially after important points.

They give people a moment to think.
And allow your words to really sink in.

These are a lot of fun to work on with clients. 

But then again, as a communication nerd...

Everything we teach in the program is fun. 

Which of these 3 skills could you improve on?

Most communication tips are a waste of time.

There, I said it. 

You've heard it all before:

Speak clearly.
Make eye contact.
Project confidence.

The same tips get repeated everywhere.

But here's the truth:

If all you needed was tips, everyone would 
be an exceptional communicator, right?

The real problem isn't knowing 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 to do.

It's knowing 𝘩𝘰𝘸 to actually do it when it matters.

Habits don't change just because 
you read a list or watched a video.

If you want something practical:

The single most effective way to speak clearly on the spot is to train your brain to use frameworks.

Then you can organize and articulate 
your thoughts in a way that makes sense. 

A way that people actually understand and resonate with.

I put together my Top 3 in a doc.

Comment or message the word “FRAME” and it’s yours.

It also includes examples of how and when to use them.

You’re in a meeting at work
and have something useful to say...

But you either:

1.) Hesitate 
or 
2.) Jump in too fast

If you hesitate, the moment passes.
You think "I should have said something" 

If you jump in too fast, your thoughts rush out. 
You think "I should have said that better"

In both cases:

- You're overthinking
- Your thoughts aren't clear
- The right words just aren't coming 

You might even feel a little annoyed or frustrated with yourself. 

Most people think “That’s just how my brain works”

True. 

But your brain works that way because you
haven't trained it to do anything differently. 

Remember - your brain is like a computer.

We can uninstall old programs 
that are causing these things. 

And install new ones that help 
you think and speak better. 

If this resonates, happy to walk you through how it works.

“I’d speak better if I had time to prepare,
but I’ve got back-to-back meetings all day...”

This is true. 

But if the only time you communicate well 
is when you’ve had time to prepare...

You’re going to struggle in most situations. 

Why?

Because you don't HAVE time to prepare for everything.

So the problem isn’t your schedule.

It’s that no one ever showed you how to:

1.) Organize your thoughts 
2.) Get to the point fast 
3.) Articulate yourself clearly

And how to do it on the spot. 

Because once you can do that, your speaking 
skills don't depend on your calendar anymore.

So if you’re tired of going into meetings
‘hoping it’ll go well’

This might be something worth looking into. 

What do you think?

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I'm a serial entrepreneur and founder of SPARK6, a software and product innovation agency focused on helping companies implement AI-powered solutions that create effective organizations and products people love. 

After a decade of working in robotics, I’ve started and sold several companies in both CPG and software. 

I post daily on how AI can be a force-multiplier for leadership, business leverage, and personal productivity - for you, your team, and your customers. 

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Sound like something you're exploring?  Send me a message. Just don’t open with a pitch-slap. And if you're a bot, I'm looking forward to that dad joke 😉 

Let’s build something amazing. 

- Elijah

Elijah Szasz

Starting something new can be terrifying. 

And I think that's the point.

Here's what I've learned about fear:

It's a terrible measure of readiness.

Most high performers misread the signal.

They feel uncertainty and conclude:
"I'm not ready."
"I don't have what it takes."
"The timing isn't right."

None of that is true.

Fear doesn't measure your capability.

It measures the distance between
what you know
and what's next.

That distance is supposed to exist.

If you could step into the next chapter
without any discomfort,
it probably wasn't much of a chapter.

The anxiety you feel at the edge
of a new decision isn't a warning.

It's a compass.

It's telling you:
"You care about this."
"This one actually matters."
"You're not just going through the motions."

Here's the reframe that changed how I operate:

Your nervous system wasn't built
to distinguish between danger
and growth.

Both feel like threat.

The job is to get better at telling them apart.

Danger says: "Turn back."

Growth says: "You've never been here before."

One of those is worth listening to.
The other is worth walking through.

The hardest system to debug
is your own perception.

Because when anxiety sits in the analyst chair,
every piece of data looks like a stop sign.

So before you let hesitation
make the decision for you:

→ Ask if this fear is protecting you
  from harm, or from newness.

→ Ask what you'd tell a friend
  who was exactly where you are.

→ Ask what you'd regret more:
  trying, or not trying.

Fear isn't the enemy of good decisions.

Mistaking it for certainty is.

♻️ Repost to help your network.
🔔 Follow Elijah Szasz for tips on staying grounded in the age of AI.

Founder | Follow to leverage AI in Products & Leadership

You likely already know what you need to do.

You're just waiting for permission to admit it.

I see this pattern often:
The leader who's been "evaluating" 
the same underperformer for six months.

The founder who's "exploring options" 
for a pivot they've already mentally committed to.

The executive who's "gathering more data" 
on a decision their gut made weeks ago.

We call it due diligence.
We call it being thorough.
We call it "making sure we have all the information."

But here's what's actually happening:
We're outsourcing our clarity to external validation.
Because if we wait long enough, 
maybe the market will decide for us.

Maybe the data will become so overwhelming 
that the choice becomes obvious.
Maybe someone else will give us permission 
to trust what we already know.

The problem?
Confusion is expensive.
Every week you spend "figuring it out" 
is a week you're not acting on what you've already figured out.

Every conversation where you rehash the same concerns 
is just another lap around a decision you've already made.

I'm not saying you need certainty.
Certainty is a luxury most important decisions don't offer.
But clarity?
That's different.
Clarity doesn't require knowing the outcome.
It requires honesty about the input.

You don't need to know if the new direction will work.
You need to know if the current direction has already stopped working.
And most of us already know.
We're just negotiating with ourselves 
about whether we're allowed to say it out loud.

So if you're "still thinking about it," ask yourself:
Am I actually confused about what to do?
Or am I just uncomfortable doing it?

Because the leap is hard.
But pretending you haven't already decided?
That's harder.

♻️ Repost to help your network.
🔔 Follow Elijah Szasz for actionable insights on AI, systems, and strategy.

You think your team has a performance problem.

They have a safety problem.

There's a version of leadership that looks strong
from the outside.

Tight systems.
High standards.
No excuses.

And underneath it all:

A team that's terrified to tell you the truth.

Here's what nobody tells you about scaling:

Your stress is not private.

It leaks into every meeting.
Every Slack message.
Every two-second pause before you respond.

Your team isn't reading your strategy deck.
They're reading you.

And if what they read is:
"This person cannot handle bad news,"

they will stop giving you bad news.

That's not a loyalty problem.
That's not a communication problem.

That's a signal problem.

You trained them, without knowing it,
to protect you from reality.

So the SOPs don't get followed.
The real blockers stay hidden.
And you're making decisions
on information that's been
quietly curated for your comfort.

The fix isn't another system.

It's learning to signal:
"You can bring me the hard thing.
I won't punish the messenger."

Calm is a leadership output.
Not a personality trait.

The leader who stays regulated
when everything is on fire
creates a team that runs toward problems,
not away from them.

That's how you actually scale.

Not by gripping tighter.
By making it safe to be honest.

Ask yourself:

→ When did someone last tell you
  something you didn't want to hear?

→ How did you respond?

→ What did that response teach them?

Your answers tell you everything
about the culture you've actually built.

♻️ Repost to help your network.
🔔 Follow Elijah Szasz for tips on staying grounded in the age of AI.

Experience doesn't make you a leader.
 
How you leave people feeling does.
 
I've watched high-performers with decades of experience
miss this completely.
 
Not because they lacked skill.
Because pressure exposed their defaults.
 
When stress arrives,
respect is usually the first thing to exit.
 
It even has a clinical diagnosis:
Maladaptive Overcontrol.
 
The rigidity that looks like high standards
from the outside,
but quietly signals to your team:
"Your safety is conditional here."
 
And conditional safety
is the fastest way to kill honest feedback.
 
People stop bringing the real stuff.
Silence becomes the culture.
 
The cost isn't emotional.
It's operational.
 
Here's what regulated leadership
actually looks like in practice:
 
1. You are predictable
Not in outcomes.
In demeanor.
No one should scan your mood
before deciding to speak.
 
2. You give feedback without cutting
Direct words.
Clear expectations.
No public corrections disguised as standards.
 
3. You share the spotlight
You name the work.
You name the person.
Credit isn't a resource to hoard.
 
4. You protect honest signals
If bad news gets punished,
bad news stops arriving.
By then, it's too late.
 
5. You respect shared time
Prepared. On time. Finished when you said.
Keeping people waiting
is a signal, not a schedule.
 
6. You repair quickly
No speeches.
No spin.
Just ownership.
 
7. You act the same when you need nothing
Your team is always watching for this one.
They will find the answer.
 
The biology is real:
your nervous system is contagious.
 
When you're regulated,
your team can think.
When you're dysregulated,
they're just managing you.
 
That's not leadership.
That's a tax on your organization.
 
People will forgive mistakes.
 
They rarely forgive a leader
who made them feel like a variable.
 
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You don't lose people overnight.
 
You lose them slowly.
 
It starts when effort goes unnoticed.
 
When consistency is expected,
but appreciation is optional.
 
Most leaders focus on replacement math.
 
Hiring speed.
Salary bands.
Ramp time.
 
That's the obvious cost.
 
The real cost shows up earlier.
 
→ When trust erodes quietly
→ When motivation turns into compliance
→ When commitment becomes transactional
→ When people stop bringing their best
 
Once loyalty breaks, everything gets expensive.
 
Time.
Energy.
Focus.
Reputation.
 
Perks don't prevent this.
 
Neither do slogans.
 
What actually works:
 
→ Treating people with baseline respect
↳ Not as a reward, but as a standard
 
→ Paying attention before performance dips
↳ Disengagement is loud if you're listening
 
→ Valuing contribution while it's happening
↳ Not only during exit interviews
 
→ Creating stability people don't want to escape
↳ Safety fuels performance
 
→ Remembering that consistency is earned
↳ Not assumed
 
Most departures aren't caused by better offers.
 
They're caused by accumulated disregard.
 
If you want people to stay,
make staying feel sensible.
 
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The worst leaders I've worked with

had one thing in common.

They confused control with power.

They ran tight ships.
Had every metric dialed.
Never missed a deadline.

And their best people kept leaving.

Here's what took me years to learn:

Control is a grip.
Power is a lift.

The leaders who actually move markets
aren't the ones white-knuckling
every decision and outcome.

They're the ones who make people
feel safe enough to tell the truth,
free enough to take real risks,
and seen enough to stay.

Your team doesn't need a warden.
They need someone who creates
the conditions for them to be dangerous.

Not dangerous to themselves.
Dangerous to the competition.

That requires you to loosen the grip.

→ Stop hoarding information
→ Stop reacting to mistakes with heat
→ Stop confusing compliance with loyalty

The most powerful person in the room
is rarely the loudest.

They're the one who made everyone else
feel safe enough to speak.

Calm is contagious.
So is fear.
You get to choose which one you spread.

P.S. Who was the leader that made you
feel powerful, not small?

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The busiest person on your team shouldn't be you. 

That's not leadership. That's a trap.

That line should make leaders uncomfortable.
Because it exposes a quiet truth.

If progress depends on your presence,
you didn’t build capability.
You built dependency.

Most bottlenecks don’t look like problems.
They look like dedication.

→ Always available
→ Always fixing
→ Always stepping in


It feels responsible.
It feels supportive.
It feels like leadership.

Until you step away.
And things stall.

That’s the signal.

Not of commitment,
but of control.

Managing keeps things moving today.
Leading ensures they move tomorrow.

When everything routes through you:
↳ Decisions slow
↳ Confidence erodes
↳ Initiative fades
↳ Growth caps out

The issue isn’t effort.
It’s architecture.

Leadership is a system,
not a performance.

Three reframes that unlock real leadership:

1. Design for absence
↳ If you vanished for a week, what breaks?

2. Transfer judgment, not tasks
↳ Ownership beats instructions every time

3. Measure outcomes, not activity
↳ Motion hides fragility, results reveal it

If your team can’t move without you,
they’re not empowered.
They’re waiting.

Strong leaders don’t disappear.
They become unnecessary.

That’s not neglect.
That’s success.

Look at your week.
What still needs you there to work?
That’s your next leadership problem to solve.

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The most dangerous lie high-achievers tell themselves:

"I need to be more disciplined."

When what we actually need is to be more honest.
High performers do this constantly:
They set the goal. 
They build the plan. 
They white-knuckle their way through execution.

And when it doesn't stick?
They assume the problem is willpower.

But I've noticed something different after watching so many people 
(including myself) try to change:
The issue isn't lack of control.
It's too much of the wrong kind.

We grip harder on strategies that aren't working. 
We force ourselves into identities that don't fit. 
We reject feedback from our own lives because it threatens the story we're protecting.

Here's the shift:
Don't compress what you want to fit who you've been.
Expand who you're becoming to claim what you want.

That expansion requires something most of us avoid:
Loosening your grip on being "right" about who you are.

Getting curious about why your current approach keeps failing.
Being radically honest about the gap between your stated goals and your actual behavior.

The people who transform?
They don't muscle through resistance.
They get interested in it.

They ask: "What if the obstacle isn't my lack of discipline...
but my refusal to question the approach itself?"

Your past shaped you. 
But staying overly loyal to it will limit you.
The identity that got you here won't be the identity that gets you there.
And that's not failure.
it's growth.

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Your best people aren't burning out.

They're checking out.

Most companies don’t fail on strategy
They fail on leadership behaviors under pressure

1. Values are enforced, not posters on walls
↳ What gets rewarded and punished defines reality

2. Behavior beats talent when pressure is high
↳ Stress reveals who actually leads

3. Leaders model standards before demanding them
↳ Example travels faster than expectation

4. Psychological safety enables speed, trust, innovation
↳ Fear slows everything down

5. Promotion decisions broadcast real cultural priorities
↳ Titles teach louder than memos

6. Accountability replaces blame, excuses, and politics
↳ Ownership beats finger-pointing

7. Clarity prevents conflict more than charisma
↳ Ambiguity creates friction

8. Feedback flows upward without fear or penalty
↳ Silence is a warning sign

9. Fairness must be consistent, visible, and boring
↳ Drama signals inconsistency

10. Trust erodes slowly, collapses suddenly, always
↳ Small breaches compound

11. Meetings exist to decide, not perform
↳ Action is the output

12. Leaders grow people, not dependent heroes
↳ Scale comes from capability, not control

13. Candor delivered respectfully strengthens relationships
↳ Long-term trust beats short-term comfort

14. Problems ignored early return bigger later
↳ Delay multiplies cost

15. Results matter, but values decide trust
↳ How you win determines if you can repeat it

16. Recognition is specific, timely, and earned
↳ Vague praise weakens standards

17. Culture is what leaders tolerate daily
↳ What slides becomes normal

18. Transparency beats certainty during change periods
↳ Context calms teams

19. Consistency builds credibility faster than inspiration
↳ Predictability creates safety

20. Everyone shapes culture, leaders protect it
↳ Ownership is shared, accountability is not

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Many don't fail because they lack discipline.  

They fail because their system is flawed.

Most people optimize for motivation and vibes.  
Goals require structure, feedback, and iteration.

1. Set vague goals without deadlines  
↳ Define clear goals with timelines  
↳ Ambiguity kills follow-through

2. Chase outcomes you can’t control  
↳ Focus on controllable daily actions  
↳ Inputs beat wishes

3. Set goals based on others  
↳ Align goals with personal values  
↳ Borrowed goals rarely stick

4. Create too many goals simultaneously  
↳ Limit goals to one priority  
↳ Focus compounds effort

5. Ignore why the goal matters  
↳ Anchor goals to meaningful reasons  
↳ Purpose sustains momentum

6. Set goals without clear measurement  
↳ Track progress with simple metrics  
↳ What’s visible improves

7. Rely on motivation alone consistently  
↳ Build systems that survive moods  
↳ Systems beat willpower

8. Expect fast results immediately always  
↳ Think long-term and compound progress  
↳ Time is the real leverage

9. Avoid revisiting or adjusting goals  
↳ Review goals regularly and iterate  
↳ Adaptation is strength

10. Tie self-worth to goal outcomes  
↳ Separate identity from performance  
↳ You are not the metric

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Your inner circle is your competitive advantage.

Guard it like your most important asset.

Most people treat their network
like a numbers game.

More connections, more reach, more noise.

But the people closest to you
are shaping your ceiling every single day.

The curious ones keep you sharp.

The driven ones raise the bar.

The grateful ones keep you grounded.

The real ones tell you what you need to hear,
not what you want to hear.

The ones still growing
are proof that growth never stops.

That's the tribe worth protecting.

Not the loudest people in the room.
Not the ones with the most followers.
Not the ones who only show up
when things are going well.

Here's the law:

You will become the average
of the five people you protect most.

Choose deliberately.
Audit often.
Prune without guilt.

Your business can survive a bad quarter.

It can't survive the wrong people
in your inner circle.

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Screens are rooms now.

And most founders are ignoring that.

In-person will always matter.

But attention is the real currency.

A screen holds attention.

A podcast.
An Instagram feed.
A blog post.
A YouTube clip.

If someone is spending 10 minutes with you,
that’s a room.

The difference?

You can’t clone yourself for conferences.

But you can replicate yourself on camera.

That’s leverage.

Look at any high-output founder.

They don’t just “post content.”
They build distribution machines.

→ Production
↳ Cameras, editors, studios

→ Distribution
↳ Multi-platform clipping
↳ Team-run accounts
↳ Paid amplification

→ Repetition
↳ You see them everywhere
↳ Because it’s intentional

And here’s the part most people ignore:

Scale costs money.

Serious production isn’t free.
Distribution isn’t free.
Consistency at volume isn’t free.

You can talk in a room for 50 people.

Or invest in systems
that put you in 50,000 feeds.

AI makes this even more interesting.

Because now:

→ Scripts can be drafted faster
→ Clips can be generated automatically
→ Personas can extend your voice
→ Workflows can publish while you sleep

The Renaissance of in-person is coming.

But the founders who win
will understand both rooms.

The physical one.
And the digital one.

Build rapport.

Then build systems.

One scales.
One compounds.

Use both.

I had a great time recording this week's "AI at Work" with Kevin Williams. Listen to the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Link is in the first comment. 

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You don’t need a perfect plan.  

You need a first move.

Progress isn’t built  
in polished moments.

It’s built in messy starts.

Most people delay action  
because they want certainty.

They want the full roadmap.  
The flawless strategy.  
The guarantee it will work.

That’s not leadership.

That’s fear disguised as preparation.

Every meaningful thing I’ve built  
started incomplete.

→ The first version was rough.  
→ The first conversation was awkward.  
→ The first hire was uncertain.  

But action clarified what thinking never could.

Here’s the shift:

1. Clarity follows motion.  
You don’t think your way into confidence.  
You act your way into it.

2. Imperfect reps create real capability.  
You can’t optimize what doesn’t exist.  
Ship first. Refine second.

3. Waiting feels safe.  
But it quietly erodes momentum.  
Small steps compound. Hesitation does too.

Perfection is a moving target.

Progress is a decision.

The first draft.  
The first pitch.  
The first uncomfortable ask.

That’s where momentum lives.

You don’t need everything figured out.

You need enough courage  
to begin.

What’s one step you could take today  
without having it all solved?

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The Battle

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Ty Hoesgen's LinkedIn Performance

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