InteractiveLeadershipPlaybook
CardinalPointLeadership
ChrisPoyzer,MSW
ExecutiveCoach
"Rewritethefuture,andoldproblemsdisappear."-SteveZaffron&DaveLogan
Introduction
TheconceptofthedefaultfuturecomesfromTheThreeLawsofPerformancebySteve ZaffronandDaveLogan.Itisthefutureyouarealreadylivingintobasedoncurrenthabits, attitudes,andunexaminedbeliefswhetheryou'vechosenitornot.
Yourdefaultfutureis:
UnconsciousItemergesfromyourexistingwayofbeing.
PredictableItrepeatspastpatterns.
Self-fulfillingYouwillunconsciouslymakechoicestoconfirmit.
WhyThisMatters
Thedefaultfuturehasapowerfulpullitrequiresnoefforttocreate.Thedangerisnotthatit's "bad,"butthatitislessthanwhatyoutrulywant.Ifleftunexamined,itwillquietlydictateyour leadership,yourrelationships,andyourresults.
YourNavigationCheck
Askyourself:
IfIkeepleadingexactlyasIamnow,wherewillIbein12months?
Howwillmyteambeperforming?
WhatopportunitieswillIhavemissed?
WhatwillIregretnothavingaddressed?
TheChallenge:WhyProblemsKeepResurging
Allofushavepersonalororganizationalchallengesthatwecan'tresolve.Aftertryingdifferent solutions,wemayseetemporaryimprovementsonlytohavetheoldproblemsresurfaceor worsen.Thisisderivedfromarangeofscientificandresearchfoundations,includingthe authors'experienceswiththeBarbadosGroup,LandmarkEducation,theVantoGroup,USC,and CultureSync.
TheProblemwithPiecemealFixes
Wetendtosolveproblemsbybreakingthemdown,prioritizingtheissuesandtacklingthemone byone.Suchpiecemealfixesonlyaddressthesymptomsbutnottheunderlyingcausesthat perpetuatetheproblem.Infact,thesolutionforoneproblemoftencreatesotherproblems.For example,toimproveourfinancialperformance,wecutbudgets.Peoplestarttofeelfrustrated anddemoralized;productivitydropsandperformanceworsens.
TheSystem-WidePerspective
Thewaytobreakfreefromthisviciouscycleistoadoptasystem-wideperspectiveandchange thecontextinwhichyouractionsarebeingtaken.
Everyperson/organizationhasa"defaultfuture".Thisiswhatwebelievedeepinourboneswill happen,evenifwecan'tarticulateit.Ourpastexperiencesshapeourassumptions,hopes,fears, andbeliefs.Thesedeterminehowweinterpretsituations,eventsandpeople,whichthenaffects howwerespondtothem.Intheprocess,weunconsciouslycreateourdefaultfuture.Untilwe canseeandchangethisdefaultfuture,noneofourfixesorsolutionswillwork.
TheThreeLawsofPerformancehelpustorecognizeandrewriteourdefaultfuture,thereby addressingallproblemsconcurrentlyandtransformingourresults.
IdentifyYourRecurringChallenges
Whatorganizationalorpersonalchallengekeepscomingbackdespiteyoureffortstofixit?
Whatsolutionshaveyoutried?Whatweretheunintendedconsequences?
Howfrustratedareyouwiththisrecurringproblem?(Rate1-10)
TheThreeLawsofPerformance
Theselawsareuniversalprinciplesthataffectallhumanbeings.Likegravity,theygovernour behaviorsregardlessofwhetherwe'reawareofthemornot.Byunderstandingandapplying theselaws,youcandramaticallyelevateyourpersonal/organizationalperformance.
Law#1:OurPerceptionsShapeOurPerformance
"Howpeopleperformcorrelatestohowsituationsoccurtothem"
Youractionswillperfectlymatchthewayyouseeasituation.Thefactsdon'tmatterasmuchas oursubjectiveinterpretationofthosefacts.
"Ouractionsrelatetohowtheworldoccurstous,nottothewayitactuallyis."
Thislawexplainswhypeoplebehavethewaytheydo,andsetsthefoundationfortheother2 laws.Howasituation"occurs"toyoudependson2keyfactors:
1.Howyouinterpretthepast-Whyyoubelievethingsarethewaytheyarenow
2.Whatyouexpectinthefuture-Theoutcomesyouexpectfromyourcurrentactions
Mostchangeinitiativesbackfirebecausetheydon'taddresspeople'sperceptions.Infact,what youresistwillpersist.Theharderyoufightaproblem,themoreyouamplifyit.Forexample, employeesinCompanyXareunhappybecausetheythinkthecompanyistooprofit-drivenand treatpeopleasmoney-makingtools.Unlessthatperceptionisaltered,anyattemptsattrainingor restructuringwillfailsincetheemployeeswillresistthemasattemptsatmanipulation.
So,thefirststeptowardtransformationistoacknowledgeyourrealityillusion,i.e.realizethat you'renotseeingthingsastheyare,butsimplyastheyappeartoyou.
Law#2:OurLanguageShapesOurPerception
"Howasituationoccurs,arisesinlanguage"
Mostpeopledon'trealizetheprofoundimpactofourlanguageonourthoughts,feelingsand behaviors.Languageismuchmorethanourspoken/writtenwords.Italsoincludesourbody language,toneofvoice,facialexpressions,andotherformsofself-expression(e.g.ourclothes, pictures,drawings,music,andsymbolicactions).Ourlanguageformsthebasisuponwhichwe experienceourworld,e.g.howwethinkofourdreams,goals,plans,pastexperiences,andour future.
"Oncewelearnlanguage,wecanneveragainseetheworldwithoutitsinfluence."
What's"unsaidbutcommunicated"tendstohaveamuchbiggerimpactonourperformancethan ourspokenwords.Ourunspokenassumptions,fears,doubts,hopes,expectations,regrets,etc. affectwhatweconsidertobepossible,important,relevant,orappropriate.
Tochangeyourfuture,youmustfirstchangeyourlanguage.
Law#3:YouCanShiftPerceptionsUsingGenerativeLanguage
"Future-basedlanguagetransformshowsituationsoccurtopeople"
There'sadifferencebetweendescriptivevsgenerativelanguage:
Descriptivelanguagedescribespastevents,issues,dataetc.It'susefulforlooking backwardtospottrendsortoanalyzewhathappened.
Generativelanguage(orfuture-basedlanguage)canbeusedtocraftatotallynewvision thatreplacesthedefaultfuture.
WhenBenjaminFranklininventedtheword"America",heprojectedanewrealitywhere13 warringcolonieswereunitedasasinglenation.MartinLutherKingJr.usedhisspeech"Ihavea dream"topaintacompellingpictureofafuturewithoutracialsegregation.
"Whenwegivesomethingup,forgive,areforgiven,anewspaceopensup."
Youcan'tpaintanewfutureifyourcanvasisalreadyfull.Youneedtocreatespaceandideally startonablankpage.
LeadershipCorollaries
Leaderscanrewritetheirorganizations'futureusing3corollariesthatcorrespondwiththeThree Laws:
The1stcorollarysays:"Leadershaveasay,andgiveothersasay,inhowsituationsoccur."In otherwords,perceptionsaffectperformance,andgreatleadersshapeperceptionstoimprove performance.
The2ndcorollarysays:"Leadersmastertheconversationalenvironment."Greatleaderssee andmanagethenetworkofconversationsintheirorganization.
The3rdcorollarysays:"Leaderslistenforthefutureoftheirorganization."Theycreatethe spaceandprocessessoeveryonecanexplore,debateandco-authorthefuture.
TheBearingsAdjustmentProcess
1.NameYourDefaultFuture
Describeinblunttermsthefutureyou'llarriveatifnothingchanges.
Basedoncurrentpatterns,wherewillyourleadershipbein2years?
Whatwillyourteamdynamicslooklike?
Howwillyoubefeelingaboutyourimpactandeffectiveness?
2.IdentifytheForcesHoldingItinPlace
Listtheassumptions,fears,ornarratives(trueorfalse)thatkeepyouonthispath.
Whatbeliefsaboutleadershiparedrivingyourcurrentapproach?Example:"Iavoidgiving directfeedbackbecauseitwillcauseconflict."
Whatfearsareinfluencingyourdecisions?
Whatstoriesaboutyourpastareshapingyourfuture?
3.SeetheCost
Nametheleadershipcostofstayingthecourseimpactonresults,trust,andyourown credibility.
Whatwillyouloseifyoucontinueonthistrajectory?
Howacceptableisthiscosttoyou?(Rate1-10)
LanguageShift:FromDescriptivetoGenerative
"Whateveryouresist,persists."
Tochangeyourfuture,youmustfirstchangeyourlanguage.Thismeansshiftingfrom descriptivelanguage(whichdescribespasteventsandproblems)togenerativelanguage(which createsnewpossibilities).
LanguageAudit:What'sYourCurrentConversationalEnvironment?
Whatlanguagedoyoucommonlyusewhendescribingyourteam/organization?
[Spaceforyourresponse]
Whatassumptionsareembeddedinyourdailyconversations?
[Spaceforyourresponse]
What'sunsaidbutcommunicatedinyourleadershipstyle?
[Spaceforyourresponse]
Practice:ReframingExercise
Takeonerecurringproblemandpracticeshiftingfromdescriptivetogenerativelanguage:
Descriptive:Howdoyoucurrentlydescribethisproblem?
Generative:Howcouldyoudescribethepossibilitybeyondthisproblem?
Future-based:Whatwouldyoubecreatinginstead?
DesignYourChosenFuture
Remember:Yourdefaultfutureisnotdestiny.Itissimplytheconsequenceofleavingyour currentmindsetandhabitsunchecked.Oncenamed,youcanchoosedifferentlytoday.
4.DesigntheChosenFuture
Whatfuturedoyouactuallywanttoliveinto?Defineitininspiring,tangibleterms.
Whatkindofleaderdoyouwanttobeknownas?
Howwillyourteambeperformingandfeeling?
Whatresultswillyoubeachieving?
Howwillyoufeelaboutyourimpactandlegacy?
Future-BasedLanguageCreation
Nowcreatethegenerativelanguagethatwillsupportthisnewfuture:
Whatdeclarationcouldyoumakeaboutthisfuture?Example:"Iamcreatingateamwhere everypersonfeelsvaluedandempoweredtocontributetheirbestwork"
Whatnewconversationsneedtobegin?
5.CommittoMicro-Shifts
Smallactionsyoucantakethismonththatdisruptthedefaultandstartmovingtowardyour chosenfuture.
Whatisonemicro-shiftI'mwillingtocommittoimmediately?
Whocanholdmeaccountabletothischange?
WhatwillIdodifferentlyinmynextteammeeting/conversation?
WhatlanguagewillIstartusingmoreof?
WhatlanguagewillIstopusing?
MasteringtheGameofPersonalPerformance
YoucanalsousetheThreeLawstorewriteyourpersonalfuture.Asyoumakeyourpersonal transformations,you'llalsocreaterippleeffectsonothersaroundyou.Thisinvolves3parts:
1.Exerciseself-leadershiptotrulytakechargeofallaspectsofyourlife,fromyourlife directiontoyourrelationships.
2.AimtomastertheThreeLaws.Asyoudoso,you'llgothrough4milestonesof personaltransformation.
3.Breaktheperformancebarrierwith7commitmentstosustainedchange.
LeadershipTip
"Somedaynevercomes.Thereisonlynow."
Yourdefaultfutureisnotdestiny.Itissimplytheconsequenceofleavingyourcurrentmindset andhabitsunchecked.Oncenamed,youcanchoosedifferentlytoday.
CoachingReflection
Bringtheseintoyournextsession:
Whatismycurrentdefaultfuture?
Whatisonemicro-shiftI'mwillingtocommittoimmediately?
Whocanholdmeaccountabletothischange?
KeyQuotesforReflection
"Rewritethefuture,andoldproblemsdisappear."
"Youliveintoyourdefaultfuture,unawarethatbydoingsoyouaremakingitcomeabout."
"Ouractionsrelatetohowtheworldoccurstous,nottothewayitactuallyis."
"Whateveryouresist,persists."
"Whenwegivesomethingup,forgive,areforgiven,anewspaceopensup."
"Somedaynevercomes.Thereisonlynow."
"Oncewelearnlanguage,wecanneveragainseetheworldwithoutitsinfluence."
ReadytoGoDeeper?
Ifyou'dlovetounpackyourtakeawaysorinsightsfromthistopic,I'dbehonoredtoexplore themwithyou.Sometimesthemostpowerfulshiftshappenwhenwegivevoicetowhatwe're discoveringaboutourselves.
Scheduleaconversation:https://calendly.com/chrispoyzer/cardinal-point-leadership-session
Let'stalkaboutwhat"adjustingyourbearings"lookslikeinyourleadershipjourney.
AboutChrisPoyzer
ChrisPoyzerisanExecutiveCoachandfounderofCardinalPointLeadership.WithhisMaster's inSocialWorkandyearsofexperienceworkingwithleadersatalllevels,Chrisbringsboth professionalinsightandrawauthenticitytothecoachingconversation.
Chrisspecializesinhelpingleadersreconnectwiththeirauthenticselves,cutthroughthenoise, andleadfromaplaceofclarityandtruthratherthanperformance.Hisapproachisdirect,honest, andgroundedintheunderstandingthatsustainableleadershipstartswithcominghometowho youreallyare.
Whenhe'snotcoaching,you'llfindChriscookingagreatsteak,makingupridiculoussongswith hisgirls,orperfectinghiscartoonvoicesallpartofstayingconnectedtotheversionofhimself thatleadsbest.
©2025CardinalPointLeadership-ChrisPoyzer,MSW,ExecutiveCoach
Whoshouldreadthis:
Businessleaders,managersandconsultants
Anyonewhowishestoimproveyourperformance,leadershipandcommunicationsskills
