Eye of Power

This week's episode is a departure. Tom shares a PowerPoint presentation from his talk entitled Mentoring as a Strategic Asset. The thesis of this talk is that organizations of the future, in order to thrive, perhaps even survive, must feature a mentoring culture. This means the people in the organization effectively act as both mentor and mentee to be, in ways that matter personally to them, bett...

In this last installment of the Frustration to Fulfillment series, the rubber meets the road. We look at some of the ways to take action that nourishes individuals and organizational culture through systematically increasing fulfillment in the workplace. It's not just a hot term or a fad - it is a recognition of the deeper aspects of human nature, and rising to the responsibility to take actions t...

In this installment of our continued review of our white paper Frustration to Fulfillment, we take a look at the workplace of the 21st century through a psychological lens. Specifically, we utilize the findings of Abraham Maslow, Victor Frankl, and Martin Seligman to apply positive psychological precepts to improve our individual level of fulfillment and our organizational culture. If you would li...

Engagement is a hot word - many organizations do what they can to build engagement. Yet, frustration is widespread: It shows up as fatigue, disengagement, or quiet dissatisfaction, even among competent and engaged employees. The problem is Engagement ≠ Fulfillment: Engagement keeps people interested for a while, but only fulfillment sustains them long-term. Fulfillment = Alignment: It emerges when...

In this second installment of a series in which we explore the contents of our white paper entitled Frustration to Fulfillment: Contemporary Challenges and Effective Strategies in Building and Sustaining an Engaged Workforce and Thriving Organizations, we contrast the ideas of engagement in our work with fulfillment at work. The research is clear - engagement follows fulfillment, and leaders of 21...

Today's episode is the beginning of a series based upon a newly available white paper entitled Frustration to Fulfillment: Contemporary Challenges and Effective Strategies in Building and Sustaining an Engaged Workforce and Thriving Organizations, which presents the latest research regarding how organizations gain and lose productivity via the ways they foster, or degrade, engagement and fulfillme...

Tom reviews his experience going solo on the On the Blue cruise, where he enjoyed many great conversations and made many new friends. He noticed some of the ways great conversations are born (and stifled.) In this week's show, Tom reviews seven things that you can use to improve the quality of your conversations, and by extension, the quality of your relationships, and thus, your life experience....

In this final installment of the review of the Eye of Power model, Tom walks us through the Purpose Quadrant. This is where we sharpen our efforts to find meaning in our work and in our lives. As in all the quadrants, there are four elements - two that keep us in place, two that move us forward - that we address to build our sense that what we do is important and matters in the world. This is a cr...

In this third installment of our overview of the Eye of Power model itself, Tom talks about the People Quadrant - defined by the attitudes we have toward others. We learn about the dynamics in each of the four layers - Corrosion, Quest, Traps, and Capacity - as it relates to the way we frame our thoughts in each and every relationship we have. We look at the two forces that limit our power - Conde...

In the second installment of the review of the Eye of Power model, Tom focuses on the area of our agency that has to do with our self-perception, defined by our attitude we have about ourselves. He outlines two forces that restrict our personal power, and two that free us to become more fully expressed versions of ourselves. To grow in this way, we must reduce our confusion and systematically gain...

This week begins a multi-part series that provides a detailed explanation of the Eye of Power model. It functions as a map, flashlight, and compass to help us identify the ways we gain and lose our personal power - our agency. In this installment, Tom walks us through the Pain Quadrant - the parts of ourselves having to do with the actions we take on our own behalf. The primary lesson in the Pain...

Tom welcomes his friend Nevin Beyer to the podcast. Nevin is an experienced Surety Bond expert. He shares his story when his previous company was acquired by a private investment firm who ingnobly treated the staff for a short-term payoff. Nevin shares lessons learned from this experience, enhanced by a that of a long and successful career in financial services. He stresses the importance of align...

Tom welcomes back Dr. Ryan Williamson to today's podcast. Tom and Ryan discuss the ways our brains function, the challenges poised to our brain's health in the modern world, and what we might do to optimize our neurological health. To find out more check out:transcendhealthgroup.comRyan's Bio:Dr. Ryan Williamson, M.D. is a board-certified neurologist, proud Navy veteran, and the owner and founder...

“It's hard to find good people.” You've heard it. Maybe you've said it. But what if the real issue isn’t a talent shortage—it’s a development failure? In this episode of The Eye of Power, we challenge the prevailing narrative around hiring and retention. Using the four quadrants of the Eye of Power model—Pain, Perception, People, and Purpose—we examine how leaders may unknowingly contribute to the...

We’re swimming in self-improvement—books, podcasts, journaling prompts, coaching programs. But what if the very tools meant to help us grow are becoming obstacles? In this episode of The Eye of Power, we confront the subtle and widespread illusion of growth: when we mistake consumption for transformation, and image for integrity. Through the lens of the Eye of Power model, we explore the Four Quad...

Do you ever feel invisible? It's not a good feeling, is it? How about the flip side? How does it feel in those special moments when you feel like another human being sees you for who you are - not what you can do for them, but as an end to yourself? Pretty terrific, right? Now, imagine the culture in your organization. How much do the people there feel truly seen? What might it be like if everyone...

Have you ever been amazed by how smart people do dumb things? Maybe you're a smart person who has done a silly thing once or twice! In this week's episode, we take a look at seven traps that can turn our very intelligence against us. If you'd like to harness more of that intellect to make wiser decisions and manifest a higher quality life experience, it's a good idea to apply the solutions for the...

I happened upon the Netflix series Sirens knowing nothing about it. Well, I was drawn in by the sophistication of the story, along with the acting and production. The story is a modern myth, complete with the lessons that mythology offers. To get a good look at some of those lessons, we use the Eye of Power model to analyze the story's elements and distill some wisdom nuggets. When we keep these i...

The shortest, and hardest path to a better life - meaning better relationships, better associations, better work conditions, and more peace of mind and fulfillment - is to be impeccable with our word. Don Miguel Ruiz teaches this in his seminal book The Four Agreements. In this episode, we look at what this means both psychologically and in practice. We identify ways to be more impeccable with our...

This week Tom is joined by career guru Donovin Lindsay. Donovin helps those preparing to begin a career with educational choices, career path guidance, resume preparation, interview coaching, and job search strategy. He is also a dynamic speaker who can inspire young people to strive to fulfill their potential. Tom and Donovin talk about his path and discuss some of the ways people can improve the...

It's hazardous to talk politics these days. It shouldn't be this way. Not and continue with representative self-governance. What are we supposed to do to avoid the vitriol? In this episode, Tom explores the things that go wrong, and right, in political discourse. It's a powerful episode that many should hear and heed! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tom welcomes Dr. Philip Mann to the show. Dr. Mann has extensive experience in the fields of Aviation, Project Management, and Leadership. They discuss his views on how leaders can be more effective and Dr. Mann shares important takeaways for anyone who wants to improve their team'x experience and performance. Here is more about Dr. Mann:Dynamic learning & development professional with nearly 30 y...

This week, we turn topical as we look at the recent historic NFL draft. Highly rated University of Colorado Quarterback Shedeur Sanders was widely anticipated to be a high draft pick. As the draft unfolded, he fell all the way to the fifth round. This has been met with a wide array of reaction, and many people have a take about what exactly happened. Whatever the dynamics that caused his fall in p...

One of the most important books in my life has been The Four Agreements, by Don Miguel Ruiz. For decades, it has helped move ever more towards becoming a better, more self-possessed, peaceful, and loving person. As with much wisdom, the four agreements are easy to remember, but difficult to embody. They are aspirational - the more we embody them, the better our lives become. They have helped me na...

In this episode, time shares about his experience aboard the 2025 Cruise to the Edge, noting that the disconnect from the constant distractions of modern life had some dramatic and powerful effects. Specifically, Tom noticed his ability to be present and engaged with whatever was in front of him, whether a person or performance, increased substantially and resulted in more engagement, more enjoyme...