Your Life's Work and Leadership Impact with Illana Burk

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Full Disclosure: The Struggle is Real (and Relatable)

Let’s be honest here, this is the fourth time I’ve started this blog post… And, if I’m being truly transparent, it’s the fourth topic I’ve toyed with—each one as disconnected from the last as a broken Wi-Fi signal. 

Focus? That’s been a mythical creature lately. Sure, I’ve got a decent excuse (being knocked out for 10 days by something that made me feel like a deflated balloon) but still, the frustration is real. The writing is behind schedule, the ideas are like unruly children refusing to line up, and here I am, wondering if maybe I just need a new process.

I’m guessing some of you may know that feeling too—when it seems like everything (emails, decisions, deadlines) demands your attention all at once. If only there were a foolproof system to stay on top of it all, especially when the brain decides to take an unscheduled break. If you’ve got some magical productivity hacks up your sleeve, feel free to hit reply and share the wealth. I’ll take all the help I can get right now! 

Let’s Talk Leadership: A Journey of Imperfection

Now that I’ve managed to stumble into some semblance of coherence, I want to dive into a topic that, while a bit more organized in my mind, I’m not sure I’ve ever fully articulated in writing. It’s something I’ve discussed countless times in coaching sessions, during trainings, and in interviews. But here we are, putting it into pixels for the first time.

Rewind about ten years—yes, it’s been that long since I first jumped onto this entrepreneurial rollercoaster. Back then, I was a little too obsessed with getting everything just right. I spent an embarrassing amount of time tweaking website copy and rethinking marketing strategies because, apparently, perfection was the goal. Spoiler alert: it isn’t. Most of that stuff? Irrelevant now, lost somewhere in the digital abyss.

But amidst all that unnecessary perfectionism, one thing became crystal clear—something that has remained relevant through the years, and something I suspect will resonate with you as well. It’s the distinction between managing and leading.

We Lead People, We Manage Things

Over the last decade or so, much ink has been spilled on the topics of management and leadership. The concept of leadership has evolved far beyond the outdated, patriarchal, command-and-control model. Finally, we’ve got some distinctions that actually make sense. While I’ve flirted with various definitions over the years (depending on the audience or context) I keep circling back to one simple yet profound idea: We lead people, and we manage things.

Let that sink in for a moment. It’s a mantra that has guided me through a myriad of decisions, and I think it’s one worth reflecting on, especially if you’re navigating the complexities of modern leadership.

Leaders don’t need a fancy title or a corner office. They don’t wait for permission or a mandate to lead. They just do it. Whether they have a formal team behind them or not, they lead themselves first and foremost. They lead by example, with conviction, and without hesitation. 

On the flip side, managers typically operate from the confines of a title. Their job is to ensure tasks get done, focusing on the nuts and bolts, the “what” rather than the “how.” Leaders, however, are all about the “how” and the “why.”

The Leadership Challenge: A Nuanced Dance

Why does this distinction matter so much? Because management can be taught. It’s a skillset you can learn, polish, and deploy. There’s a methodology to management, a set of best practices that, with enough training, anyone can apply. Leadership, though? That’s a whole different ballgame. It’s nuanced, person-specific, and much harder to quantify.

That’s likely why, for so long, we’ve been more comfortable living in the language of management. After all, management is about outcomes, deliverables, and checklists. Leadership? It’s messy, often intangible, and difficult to measure in terms of ROI.

But here’s the kicker, in a world where productivity has been the ultimate measure of worth, we’re beginning to see a shift. Slowly but surely, the winds are changing. We’re realizing that humans aren’t just productivity machines. We need rest, we need space, and we need—dare I say it—compassion. And surprise, surprise, it turns out that when people are treated like people, they actually thrive. Creativity blossoms, productivity becomes sustainable, and burnout? Well, it’s not as inevitable as we once thought.

Putting People First: A New Paradigm for Success

When we put people first (truly prioritize their well-being) something magical happens. Products and profits naturally follow. Businesses become more sustainable, opportunities multiply, and most importantly, we create environments where everyone has the chance to shine.

In this new paradigm, we need leaders. Not just a few at the top, but as many as possible, creating spaces where people can be their best selves. Because when people thrive, so do the businesses they support.

So, here’s to embracing leadership in all its messy, human-centered glory. Here’s to ditching perfectionism and focusing on what truly matters—people. Because at the end of the day, it’s not about how much we produce, it’s about how we lead. And the world needs more leaders who get that.

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In this conversation, business mentor and consultant, Illana Burk and I discuss your life's work and leadership impact. 

We get into: 

- what makes true leadership unique

- how crisis illuminates if you were "made for this"

- why "scalability" is broken

- how we weaponize coaching

- the one thing we should ask leaders (but never do)

“Leadership is a tool like a hammer, you can build beautiful things or bludgeon somebody to death with it.”

Join us for a fun conversation about big-picture leadership impact and wrestle with your answers to the questions Illana said were “some of the best she'd ever been asked on a podcast.” 

We need you out there leading because “good leadership and good skills proliferate at any level.”

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Illana Burk has been a business mentor and consultant for more than fifteen years. She specializes in guiding clients from doing good work to leading good work using profitable, proven, values-driven business strategies for making culture changes a reality. 

As host of The Good Business Podcast, Illana makes smart, experienced business learning available to as many people as possible. Illana has an MBA in Sustainable Enterprise and has worked with hundreds of business leaders across a wide range of industries all over the world proving that when good humans learn leadership, the whole world gets better.

You can learn more about Illana and her work at yourlifesworkshop.com or connect with her on social (she’s @illanaburk in all the places).