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How Will You Measure Your Life? I’ve found myself coming back to this article by Harvard Professor Clayton Christensen time and time again because it perfectly captures a message that I try to point out to all my clients: While we can be focused on all the things that the world wants us to focus on, that’s not what you’re going to be remembered for.

Our society and culture are focused on money and power. From a young age, our educational system teaches us that achievements, awards, and an outstanding resume should be our number one priority, while little or no emphasis is placed on developing character. But while those things are important and oftentimes necessary, we almost universally agree that they are not the most important.

In becoming the consummate leader by attraction, you have to turn your attention to your character. So, how will you measure your life? How does this question impact your leadership? How does it tie in with finding your purpose? Are you proud of what you will be remembered for?

On this episode, Mathew and I look at the impact of society’s prioritization of power and money over relationships, the aspects of your life you should be focused on, what it takes to create a lasting legacy, why it’s easier to talk about our accomplishments than our character, how your decisions reflect your values, and so much more!

We’d also love to hear from you. Share with us how you were measuring your life prior to listening to this episode, and whether you’ve now made some adjustments after reading the articles, books or simply from hearing this discussion between Mathew and me.

Key Topics:

• Why I wanted to dedicate an episode to the topic “How Will You Measure Your Life?” (1:09)
• Mathew’s perspective on measuring the impact of your life (3:05)
• Why Clayton Christensen’s article resonated so much with me (3:51)
• The two types of virtues (5:13)
• The problem with the cultural focus on achievements and accolades (5:55)
• The important insight Clayton Christensen gained from Intel’s Andy Grove (7:02)
• Why leaders should aim to help people find their own solutions (9:10)
• The three questions you need should ask yourself (10:23)
• Why power and money shouldn’t be your sole focus (11:00)
• The reason many people prefer to talk about what they’ve done instead of who they are (12:14)
• Why you should talk about the importance of your values, especially in an interview setting (13:51)
• Mathew shares how his values, priorities, and vision for himself have shifted over the years (15:33)
• Coming to terms with having to sacrifice some of your passions and dreams for yourself (16:30)
• Recognizing how your values are reflected in the decisions you make (19:17)
• Why relationships should be your number one investment (23:02)
• Why you should focus on your family (25:14)
• And much more!

Mentioned in this Episode:

• Clayton M. Christensen’s Harvard Business Review Article | How Will You Measure Your Life?
• Clayton M. Christensen’s Book | How Will You Measure Your Life?
• Dan Schawbel’s summary of the topic | How Will You Measure Your Life?
• David Brooks’ Book | The Road to Character

Click here for a PDF version of the transcript