What if the finish line wasn’t the end of a journey, but the peace you could enjoy before it ends? In this episode, we share Drew’s recent “red dot” talk, titled ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’, where he shares the vulnerable story of how he learned not to chase potential beyond his health and happiness. We unpack some key insights from his talk, including his relationship with potential, what it looks like to accept the changes that life brings, and how to recognize and nurture healthy ambition. Our conversation also explores whether you can truly be both ambitious and happy and how to evaluate your goals based on what truly matters to you and your team. Tune in to gain practical tools and perspective shifts that can help you pursue success without losing yourself along the way!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Personal takes on ambition, work, and mental health behind this episode. [0:00:30]

• Drew’s “red dot” talk: how a health scare prompted a re-evaluation of his goals. [0:05:13]

• What your understanding of striving for potential can do to shape your life’s journey. [0:14:18]

• Reflections on the talk and Drew’s perspective on his delivery. [0:19:09]

• Unpacking the metaphor of the mind as an operating system. [0:25:04]

• Factors that led to Drew accepting the benefits of his new capacity. [0:33:00]

• Questions to ask to differentiate healthy ambition from unhealthy ambition. [0:44:10]

• Exploring whether you can be ambitious and happy at the same time. [0:50:00]

• Determining if a new goal is worth striving for (for you and your team). [01:01:05]

Quotes:

“The people in your life who love you, they don’t love you because of what you might be one day. They’re not in your life because they bought you low as a stock and they’re hoping to stick around until you finally pay off.” — Drew Dudley [0:09:40]

“Potential is the word other people use to describe how much money they think you should make.” — Drew Dudley [0:14:23]

“Finish lines are not the end of a journey. The finish line is the peace that you get to enjoy before the end of the journey.” — Drew Dudley [0:16:34]

“Do not chase your potential past your health and past your happiness.” — Drew Dudley [0:17:42]

“[Ask yourself:] whatever the things the people who love me the most value the most in me, how prevalent are those things in my workplace?” — Drew Dudley [0:41:41]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Field of Dreams

Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership

Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership

It's another development day and "team building" activities are on the agenda...are you jazzed and ready to take on your co-workers or are you coming up with every excuse for why you're going to be sick that day? Regardless of which side you're on, anyone can admit there is a love/hate response when it comes to "team development." In this episode of Good Company, join Drew Dudley and Brett Elmgren as they discuss their own takes on what makes Team Building effective and how to optimize them from team cohesion. Drew and Brett even take you through a few of their favourite activities for you to use at your next team event. Tune in to learn when team building is effective, when it is a waste of time, and how to know the difference.

What’s the real difference between a toxic workplace and a dysfunctional one? In this season opener of The Good Company Podcast, hosts Drew Dudley and Brett Elmgren delve into the grey areas of workplace culture. In their conversation, Drew and Brett discuss what makes a culture toxic, how to tell if it’s permanently broken or just temporarily off-track, and how leaders can respond accordingly. They explore the difference between temporary dysfunction and baked-in toxicity, and why too many leaders jump to extreme language without naming what’s going on. They unpack how cultures drift into dysfunction “gradually and then suddenly,” the danger of normalizing poor behavior, and why personal values are the ultimate litmus test for when it’s time to walk away. Drew and Brett also uncover their three-level model of workplace culture and share what it takes to move teams up that ladder. Join in for leadership insight that will challenge how you think about hope, emotional honesty, and the lies we tell ourselves to get through the day. Tune in now!

Key Points From This Episode:

• Introduction and outline of what listeners can expect from the episode. [0:00:00]

• They reflect on season one and the most common feedback from listeners. [0:01:20]

• Explore the difference between a dysfunctional culture and a toxic culture. [0:03:18]

• Brett’s three-tiered culture model: dysfunctional, transactional, legendary. [0:06:38]

• Drew’s definition of toxic and why tracking emotional well-being is important. [0:14:00]

• Broader implications of toxicity and the common lies managers tell themselves. [0:20:00]

• Managers chasing professional acclaim versus managers who are people pleasers. [0:27:42]

• Learn practical tips for delivering hard feedback while maintaining care and intent. [0:35:52]

• Find out what is needed to transform a toxic culture into a positive one. [0:40:06]

• Final takeaways: track trends, have hard conversations, and refocus on purpose. [0:49:15]

Quotes:

“Dysfunction can be temporary. Toxicity is baked right [into workplace culture].” — Drew Dudley [0:05:56]

“A toxic culture would be defined by an environment that forces you to violate your personal values in order to survive within it.” — Brett Elmgren [0:07:10]

“It is easier to survive financial bankruptcy than emotional bankruptcy.” — Drew Dudley [0:20:58]

“The path to toxicity is often paved with the best intentions.” — Drew Dudley [0:34:22]

“Great leaders don’t manage processes and systems – great leaders manage energy.” — Brett Elmgren [0:45:38]

Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:

Radical Candor

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team

Drew Dudley | Everyday Leadership

Brett Elmgren | Axom Leadership