In today’s episode, I explore a question that emerged while watching the World Cup: What happens when we know more about public figures, athletes, and strangers online than we do about the people living and working beside us?

The question became harder to ignore after encountering two statistics. Only 26% of Americans know their next-door neighbour by name. Only 20% of employees are engaged at work. While these numbers describe different environments, they may point to the same underlying challenge.

As loneliness, social division, and disengagement continue to rise, leaders are increasingly being asked to do more than drive performance. They are being asked to create environments where people feel seen, valued, and connected to something larger than themselves.

This episode explores what workplace engagement, community belonging, and leadership presence have in common, and why one of the most important responsibilities of leadership may be helping people remember that they matter.

Join me as I explore:

• What the 26% and 20% statistics may reveal about modern life
• Why loneliness and disengagement are increasingly connected
• The role managers play in shaping workplace engagement
• What Mr. Rogers understood about human connection
• Why presence may matter more than many leadership frameworks
• How organizations are becoming places of social connection and repair

Key Takeaways:

• People are longing for genuine connection more than many leaders realize
• Engagement is often a reflection of the quality of human relationships
• Managers have a profound influence on how people experience work
• Presence, curiosity, and attention are leadership skills
• Making people feel that they matter creates trust and belonging
• Leadership begins with the person directly in front of us

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#Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #EmployeeEngagement #WorkplaceCulture #Trust #Management #HumanCenteredLeadership

Steven Morris, CEO of Matter Consulting is an ever-curious life-seeker, brand and culture building expert, advisor, author, and speaker.

With over 27 years of entrepreneurial experience, he has served as a trusted advisor to over 3,000 business leaders and evolved more than 250 brands and cultures, including Google, Habitat for Humanity, Samsung, and Disney.

His best-selling book, "The Beautiful Business," and his widely read Insights blog are a testament to his consulting expertise in creating unignorable, magnetic, and sustainable companies.

His diverse interests, including meditation, fine art painting, surfing, and beekeeping, infuse his work with creativity, soul, and a deep understanding of the human experience.

You can find more podcasts and join 30,000+ other brilliant and soulful readers of his weekly INSIGHTS blog at MatterCo.

In today’s episode, I explore two of the most common phrases people use when they find themselves at a crossroads in life:

"I'm stuck."

"I'm lost."

Whether it appears in our work, relationships, leadership, or sense of identity, there are seasons when the old way no longer fits and the new way forward remains unclear. Our instinct is often to treat this uncertainty as a problem to solve as quickly as possible.

But what if it isn't?

Drawing on the work of William Bridges, Chip Conley, James Hollis, and David Whyte, I reflect on what Bridges called the "neutral zone"—the space between an ending and a beginning. A space that can feel disorienting, yet often contains the very growth we're seeking.

Through stories of travel, personal transformation, and Ernest Shackleton's remarkable Antarctic expedition, I consider how our orientation toward uncertainty may matter more than the uncertainty itself.

Join me as I explore:

• Why transitions begin with endings, not beginnings
• The value of the often-overlooked "messy middle"
• How language shapes our experience of change
• What Shackleton's leadership can teach us about navigating uncertainty
• Why feeling lost may be a sign of growth rather than failure

Key Takeaways:

• Feeling stuck and feeling lost are often natural parts of transition
• Growth frequently occurs before clarity arrives
• The space between stories can be uncomfortable, but necessary
• Our perspective shapes how we experience uncertainty
• Some of life's most important changes cannot be rushed

If this reflection resonates, consider sharing it with someone navigating a season of change.

Subscribe for more reflections on leadership, growth, meaning, and the practice of living thoughtfully.

#Leadership #LeadershipDevelopment #PersonalGrowth #SelfLeadership #Growth

Steven Morris, CEO of Matter Consulting is an ever-curious life-seeker, brand and culture building expert, advisor, author, and speaker.

With over 27 years of entrepreneurial experience, he has served as a trusted advisor to over 3,000 business leaders and evolved more than 250 brands and cultures, including Google, Habitat for Humanity, Samsung, and Disney.

His best-selling book, "The Beautiful Business," and his widely read Insights blog are a testament to his consulting expertise in creating unignorable, magnetic, and sustainable companies.

His diverse interests, including meditation, fine art painting, surfing, and beekeeping, infuse his work with creativity, soul, and a deep understanding of the human experience.

You can find more podcasts and join 30,000+ other brilliant and soulful readers of his weekly INSIGHTS blog at MatterCo.

In today’s episode, I reflect on a deceptively simple question that sits beneath many of the most important leadership decisions: good for what?

The question emerged from a conversation with a CEO who walked away from an acquisition that, by every conventional measure, appeared to make sense. The market fit was strong. The capabilities were complementary. The board was supportive. Yet something about the decision felt wrong.

That experience led me to a question Nietzsche often used when examining moral claims. Rather than asking whether something was right, he asked: good for what? It is a question that moves beneath the obvious arguments and forces us to examine the framework we are using to evaluate a decision in the first place.

Many leaders spend significant time analysing options but very little time questioning the assumptions that shape their analysis. Growth, scale, efficiency, and consensus are often treated as unquestioned goods. Yet some of the most significant strategic mistakes occur when those assumptions go unchallenged.

Drawing on insights from both Nietzsche and Jung, I explore why leadership often requires more than data and logic alone. Sometimes the most valuable signal is the one that arrives early, quietly, and without a fully formed explanation. The challenge is learning when that signal deserves our attention.

Join me as I explore:

• Why "good for what?" may be one of the most important questions a leader can ask

• How unexamined assumptions shape strategic decisions

• The difference between growth and meaningful progress

• What Jung's perspective on responsibility can teach leaders

• Why some opportunities become distractions despite looking attractive on paper

Key Takeaways:

• Strategic mistakes often begin with an unquestioned definition of what is "good"

• Growth and scale are not always aligned with long-term success

• Effective leaders examine the assumptions behind their decisions

• Genuine inner guidance tends to increase responsibility rather than reduce it

• The best decisions are often the ones that survive the hardest questions

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe, share it with a colleague, and leave a review. Your support helps more leaders discover these conversations.

#Leadership #DecisionMaking #Strategy #ExecutiveLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #BusinessLeadership

Steven Morris, CEO of Matter Consulting is an ever-curious life-seeker, brand and culture building expert, advisor, author, and speaker.

With over 27 years of entrepreneurial experience, he has served as a trusted advisor to over 3,000 business leaders and evolved more than 250 brands and cultures, including Google, Habitat for Humanity, Samsung, and Disney.

His best-selling book, "The Beautiful Business," and his widely read Insights blog are a testament to his consulting expertise in creating unignorable, magnetic, and sustainable companies.

His diverse interests, including meditation, fine art painting, surfing, and beekeeping, infuse his work with creativity, soul, and a deep understanding of the human experience.

You can find more podcasts and join 30,000+ other brilliant and soulful readers of his weekly INSIGHTS blog at MatterCo.