Laedan Professional Services, LLC

05/07/2025

𝗨𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻.
𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦.

As I reflected on my day last night, this thought struck me:

“I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I know what I will bring to tomorrow.”– Alan Mikolaj

That’s the essence of purpose-driven leadership: grounding your presence, your decisions, and your influence in something deeper than today’s chaos or tomorrow’s unknowns.

When leaders get clear about their life mission, leadership philosophy, and core values, they don’t just survive the uncertainty—they bring strength, clarity, and inspiration to it.

That’s also why I encourage the Bookend Your Day ritual: starting and ending with purpose and reflection fuels consistency, courage, and character.

➡️ What are you bringing to tomorrow?

➡️ Want to get clear on it? I’d love to help.

🧭 𝖨'𝗆 𝗈𝗇 𝖺 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗇𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾-𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝖺 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽. 🧭

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆!

🧭 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿: 🧭
📞 Call: 346-291-0216
📧 Email: [email protected]

05/01/2025

𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗧𝗶𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀?
𝘕𝘦𝘶𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘧𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱

Mikolaj's Monthly Maunder | May 2025
By Alan Mikolaj

Leadership begins long before strategic plans are drawn or decisions are made. It begins in a place far less obvious, deep inside the wiring of our brains.

As leaders, we often assume our decisions are made through careful, deliberate thought. Yet, neuroscience paints a different, and humbling, picture. Research shows that 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆...

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: https://www.alanmikolaj.com/mikolajs-monday-maunder/are-you-tied-by-invisible-ropes
🧭 𝖨'𝗆 𝗈𝗇 𝖺 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗇𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾-𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝖺 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽. 🧭

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆!

🧭 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿: 🧭
📞 Call: 346-291-0216
📧 Email: [email protected]

Neuroscience, Beliefs, and Leadership

04/30/2025

𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭—𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞.
𝘎𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘱’𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨.

"The choice for executives is simple: Invest in the future of management or risk the consequences of inaction."—Gallup's 2025 State of the Global Workforce Report

Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report (link to the full report at the end) makes it plain: we are standing on a burning platform—and it’s middle management that’s catching fire first.

Engagement worldwide dropped by 2%, matching the decline we saw at the peak of the pandemic. But here’s the real alarm bell: manager engagement dropped more than any other category—from 30% to 27%. Younger managers? Down 5 points. Women managers? Down 7.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿? Because 70% of team engagement is directly attributable to the manager. When they’re disengaged, so are their teams. The ripple becomes a tsunami—lost productivity, rising stress, and increased turnover. But that’s not all. Gallup estimates that if the global workplace were fully engaged, the world would gain $𝟵.𝟲 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆—equal to 9% of global GDP.

The cost of disengaged management is not just human. It’s profoundly financial.

𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗲 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿: This is not about weak managers. This is about unsupported ones. They’ve been asked to be change agents, culture carriers, AI navigators, mental health first responders, and performance drivers—all at once, and often without the training or support to do it well.

𝗚𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘂𝗽’𝘀 𝗯𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻? “𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘹𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦: 𝘐𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”

If you’re a leader and you're seeing the signs—quiet quitting, low morale, rising stress—don’t wait. You don’t need a new initiative. You need to re-center your strategy around manager development and wellbeing.

This is where I come in. I partner with organizations to re-engage and re-energize their leaders through purpose-driven coaching, training, and strategy.

🧭 𝖨'𝗆 𝗈𝗇 𝖺 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗇𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾-𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝖺 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽. 🧭

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆!

🧭 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿: 🧭
📞 Call: 346-291-0216
📧 Email: [email protected]

Link to Gallup’s 2025 State of the Global Workplace report: https://www.gallup.com/workplace/349484/state-of-the-global-workplace.aspx

04/22/2025

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗻, 𝗵𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀.
𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘴 𝘶𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯.

In a moving moment from his 2024 60 Minutes interview, Pope Francis spoke plainly and prophetically:

“It's indifference. That's what happens when the heart hardens. Please, we have to get our hearts to feel again. We cannot remain indifferent in the face of such human dramas. The globalization of indifference is a very ugly disease. Very ugly.”

His words hit differently this week.

Whether you are Catholic, spiritual-but-not-religious, or simply someone trying to live a life of compassion, this message transcends doctrine. It speaks to the very core of what it means to be human.

Pope Francis wasn’t speaking only about policy, or theology, or institutions. He was pleading with us on a deeply human level. The loss of empathy. The numbing of our hearts. The normalization of suffering. These are the symptoms of a world losing its soul. And yet his message reminds us: it's not too late. We can soften. We can feel again.

I was raised in the Catholic tradition and even spent two years in the seminary before my journey led me to emergency medical service, education, leadership, and a broader spiritual path. My mother remains a devoted Catholic to this day, offering her time and heart to her parish week after week.

This moment, this message—it stirs something deep.

The world needs less indifference, and more tenderness.

This shepherd of souls reminded us: love must not grow cold.

04/16/2025

𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗴𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁.
𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘣𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘦𝘭𝘴𝘦’𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯.

"I’m not dismissing the value of focused action. But without connection to who you really are, all that action can just be noise. You can climb the mountain, only to realize it wasn’t your mountain."—Justin Brown

In a world obsessed with hustle and productivity, it’s easy to fall into the trap of action for action’s sake. You push forward, hit your goals, and maybe even collect a few accolades—only to look up and wonder, “Was this even the life I wanted?”

As Justin Brown puts it: “You can climb the mountain, only to realize it wasn’t your mountain.”

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀, 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗶𝘁?

In my work with leaders—from frontline managers to C-suite executives—this theme comes up over and over. People are achieving, striving, driving… but too often, without a deep connection to their own why. And when that internal compass isn’t guiding the journey, even the most “successful” outcomes feel hollow.

That’s where purpose-driven leadership comes in.

Through coaching, leadership development programs, and tools like the LPI360, I help leaders realign with who they truly are—so their actions aren’t just productive, but profoundly fulfilling.

It’s not about working harder. It’s about working 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦.

If something about this post stirred something in you, maybe it’s time to stop climbing and make sure it’s your mountain.

🧭 🌄 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗯𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻? 🌄🧭

𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲.

I partner with purpose-driven leaders ready to realign, refocus, and rise.

𝗟𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻:
📞 346-291-0216
📧 [email protected]
🧭 Or just shoot me a DM!

04/09/2025

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺.
𝘐𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘳𝘥 𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴.

"An investment in knowledge pays the best dividends."—Benjamin Franklin

This week, I had the joy of speaking to a group of third graders at their annual STAAR Camp—part pep rally, part boot camp, part think tank. For those of you not in the great state of Texas, the STAAR is the annual State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness—and it can be stressful on everyone: students, teachers, and parents.

I brought along my passion for facilitating workshops and created a tabletop activity called the All-STAAR Basketball Game, where teams defended or challenged the statement: "Minecraft is the best video game."

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽. It was about teaching critical thinking, civil discourse, structured writing, and yes—courage. I witnessed young minds come alive as they organized their thoughts, defended their ideas, and celebrated each other's perspectives.

These kids aren’t just preparing for a test; they’re practicing skills that many adults still struggle with in the workplace.

Great citizenship and great leadership don’t happen in a vacuum—they're cultivated through experiences that challenge, inspire, and support growth at every level. Whether you’re leading a classroom, a department, or a city, the same principles apply: purpose, role and goal clarity, engagement, teamwork, follow-through, and reward and recognition.

𝗔 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲! After the students presented their arguments, something beautiful (and very human) happened: They kept debating who was right.

It opened the door for an impromptu leadership and life lesson—one about the power of perspective and preferences. I reminded them that while some decisions in life have clear right or wrong answers, many others—like favorite games—don’t. What matters more is how we treat each other when we disagree.

We talked about respect, preference, and unity—how even in a game with two sides, they were still one class, one team.

These kids aren’t just preparing for a test; they’re practicing skills many adults still wrestle with: differing perspectives, clear communication, empathy, and collaborative thinking.

Leadership doesn’t begin in the boardroom. It begins in moments like this.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨.

🧭 𝖨'𝗆 𝗈𝗇 𝖺 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗇𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾-𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝖺 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽. 🧭

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆!

🧭 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿: 🧭
📞 Call: 346-291-0216
📧 Email: [email protected]

04/02/2025

🔍 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐛𝐞.
🫨 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳.

Most leaders believe they are self-aware. Research says otherwise.

In a massive study spanning 5,000 people, 800 scientific studies, and 50 deep-dive interviews, Dr. Tasha Eurich and her colleagues found something shocking: While nearly everyone thinks they're self-aware, only 10-15% actually are.

And the consequences are massive.

Self-awareness isn’t just a “nice-to-have” trait—it directly impacts leadership effectiveness. Leaders with high 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 (knowing their values, emotions, and behaviors) tend to have higher job satisfaction, are happier, and are more in control than those who aren't.

Those with high 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 (understanding how others perceive them) are more skilled at empathy, build stronger relationships, and are seen as more effective by their teams—and those team members feel more satisfied with their leader, too!

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗿: There’s no correlation between the two. You can be deeply introspective and still be blind to how others experience you. Or, you can be highly attuned to others yet lack self-understanding. Either way, this gap creates blind spots—blind spots that cost leaders credibility, engagement, and influence.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁: Have you ever worked with a leader who was sure they were great but had no idea how much their team struggled under them? Or one who had deep personal insight but failed to inspire those around them?

Leadership isn’t about thinking you’re self-aware. It’s about 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 self-aware. That’s where coaching, the LPI360, and the Purpose-Driven Leadership Program come in—and I've got a program that bundles all three of them together saving you thousands of dollars.

Through structured feedback, deep reflection, and proven methodologies, I help leaders uncover hidden blind spots, align their intentions with their impact, and elevate their effectiveness.

The best leaders don’t just trust their instincts. They test them.

Wondering where your leadership blind spots are? Let’s talk.

🧭 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿: 🧭
📞 Call: 346-291-0216
📧 Email: [email protected]

04/01/2025

𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗜𝘀 𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺—𝙇𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮
𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘌𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘭𝘦

If you’re a leader who dreams of a smooth, problem-free path to success, I have some news for you: That’s not leadership—that’s retirement. And even then, I hear golf scores can be a real problem.

The reality? Success isn’t found in avoiding problems. It’s forged in facing them head-on. M. Scott Peck, MD, put it perfectly: "𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘥𝘰𝘮; 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘥𝘰𝘮." If that’s the case, then congratulations! Every issue you’re dealing with right now is a...

𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: https://www.alanmikolaj.com/mikolajs-monday-maunder/success-is-a-problem-literally

🧭 𝖨'𝗆 𝗈𝗇 𝖺 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗇𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾-𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝖺 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽. 🧭

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆!

🧭 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿: 🧭
📞 Call: 346-291-0216
📧 Email: [email protected]

Why Great Leaders Embrace the Struggle

03/28/2025

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐨𝐦 𝐋𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐤𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐣
Hosted by Ryan Herpin

Watch this excerpt from the premiere episode of 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘦 as host Ryan Herpin and Alan Mikolaj explore what self-awareness and purpose-driven leadership are and the connections between them.

It was an honor and privilege to be a part of Ryan's premiere recording of this amazing new show on NowMedia Television & NowMedia Radio. Thank you to you both!

Watch this excerpt from the premiere episode of 'The Bottom Line' as host Ryan Herpin and Alan Mikolaj explore what self-awareness and purpose-driven leaders...

03/26/2025

𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐚𝐢𝐥𝐬—𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐖𝐡𝐲.
𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦-𝘥𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘬.

"Purpose-driven leadership is a multi-leveled tapping and leveraging of the power of meaning and purpose."—Alan Mikolaj

Most leadership training focuses on tactics: communication skills, decision-making frameworks, and performance metrics. But true leadership isn’t just about execution—it’s about meaning and purpose.

If you’ve ever felt like:

🔹 You’re driving results 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘵...

🔹 Your metrics aren't bad, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳...

🔹 Your team's engagement is 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘵...

🔹 Your team doesn't seem 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥...

🔹 You’re leading the best you can, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨...

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗲. Research shows that organizations and leaders who leverage purpose-driven leadership outperform those who don't on so many key metrics, like:

🔹 Revenue and financials

🔹 Employee engagement

🔹 Innovation

🔹 Retention

🔹 Productivity

🔹 Wellbeing

🔹 Leadership effectiveness

Want proof? Message me for my free whitepaper, 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘗𝘶𝘳𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦-𝘋𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘪𝘴 𝘚𝘰 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘛𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺.

𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗽𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲?

Because traditional leadership training focuses on skills, not belief systems, strategies, best-practices, and tools to leverage purpose-driven leadership. Purpose-driven leadership is a multi-leveled approach that taps into something deeper—aligning personal, team, and organizational purpose to create unstoppable momentum.

🗝️ 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺? 🗝️

Let’s talk. Whether it’s through coaching, my Purpose-Driven Leadership Program, or the LPI360, I help leaders go beyond managing to truly inspiring leadership.

🧭 𝙇𝙚𝙩’𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚. 𝙈𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬. 🧭

You can also call or email:
📞 Call: 346-291-0216
📧 Email: [email protected]

03/19/2025

𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿.
𝘈𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘵𝘩.

"Inspiration, without action, is merely entertainment. Act on your inspiration today!"—Mary Morrissey

Ever left a conference, TEDTalk, or workshop feeling like you could take on the world—only to do absolutely nothing differently the next day?

Yeah, me too.

That’s because inspiration is an illusion until you act on it. Leadership isn’t about collecting feel-good moments; it’s about converting them into meaningful action. Research from Harvard Business Review confirms that vision plus execution—not just vision—is what separates high-impact leaders from the rest.

𝗦𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲: That idea you’ve been sitting on? That change you know would make a difference? Take one step today. It doesn’t have to be perfect—it just has to happen.

Because if inspiration without action is entertainment, leadership without action won’t take you—or your team—anywhere.

🧭 𝖨'𝗆 𝗈𝗇 𝖺 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗇𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾-𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝖺 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽. 🧭

I offer professional leadership coaching, LPI360 leadership assessments, and leadership development experiences—that when coupled with 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯—truly make a lasting impact.

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆!

🧭 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿: 🧭
📞 Call: 346-291-0216
📧 Email: [email protected]

03/12/2025

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆, 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.
𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

𝗣𝗼𝗽 𝗤𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: When was the last time you said 'thank you'?

It's sad, but Gallup found that only 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲 employees strongly agree that in the last week they have received recognition or praise for doing good work.

You’d think appreciation would be second nature for leaders. After all, great work deserves recognition, right?

Yet, too many leaders either forget, assume employees “just know” they’re valued, or worse, believe that a paycheck is appreciation enough.

𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁: 𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗲𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗲𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Research by Great Place To Work US found that the number one driver of great work isn’t money, promotions, or training—it’s recognition.* In fact, 37% of employees said being recognized is what motivates them most.

And here’s where it gets even more interesting: The top three drivers of great work are:

1️⃣ Recognition

2️⃣ Self-motivation

3️⃣ Inspiration

And they are deeply connected.

One of the primary tools of purpose-driven leadership is leveraging team and organizational mission, a project's purpose and/or vision, and an employee's personal meaning and purpose through—you guessed it—𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙜𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.

You tap into inspiration and someone's self-motivation with recognition. Employees who see how their work contributes to something bigger are more engaged, self-driven, innovative, and productive.

Leaders who fail to recognize their people don’t just risk losing talent—they risk losing the passion and purpose that fuels high performance.

𝗦𝗼, 𝗜’𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝘀𝗸 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻: When did you last say ‘thank you’? If the answer isn’t today, there’s no better time to start.

*Graph recreated with data from Great Place to Work & O.C. Tanner. See comments for source link.

🧭 𝖨'𝗆 𝗈𝗇 𝖺 𝗆𝗂𝗌𝗌𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗈 𝗉𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗇𝖾𝗋 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝗅𝗂𝗄𝖾-𝗆𝗂𝗇𝖽𝖾𝖽 𝗅𝖾𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗐𝗁𝗈 𝗐𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗍𝗈 𝗆𝖺𝗄𝖾 𝖺 𝗉𝗈𝗌𝗂𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖽𝗂𝖿𝖿𝖾𝗋𝖾𝗇𝖼𝖾 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗐𝗈𝗋𝗅𝖽. 🧭

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆!

🧭 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗿: 🧭
📞 Call: 346-291-0216
📧 Email: [email protected]