Open Your Eyes with McKay Christensen

In this week’s episode, McKay’s focus is on change and how there can be little change in the world until we have the courage to change ourselves. He begins by looking at the advancements of artificial intelligence including the story of the development of OpenAI, a nonprofit organization founded in 2015 by tech entrepreneurs such as Elon Musk and Reid Hoffman. McKay notes that, despite the potenti...

In today’s episode, McKay explores the power of knowing and learning through experience.  Recounting a variety of stories and examples, McKay emphasizes the importance of this way of learning and living, and highlights the negative impact of shifting from knowing by experience to knowing by description. Throughout the episode, he encourages listeners to engage with the world around them and p...

This week, McKay turns the spotlight to the power of laughter and humor as a powerful anecdote to the stresses and worries of life.  He examines the skills of those who talk funny and the research behind laughter’s ability to improve our well-being. Throughout the episode, McKay shares some personal experiences with humor and how it has helped him get through difficult times. He also looks at...

This week, McKay introduces the theme of finding purpose in life, sharing insights and tips he has learned over time, and emphasizing that having a purpose can bring powerful health and mental benefits. The episode is inspired by a five-year study conducted by two professors and two medical doctors, which concluded that purpose-driven people were 42% less likely to die in the next five years compa...

In this episode of Open Your Eyes , McKay delves into the theme of taking control of one's life and reaching one's potential, and he does this through the lens of the Boston Marathon. The stories of some Marathon runners, as discussed by McKay, offer insight and encouragement to do the hard things in order to achieve success. The rigorous process of qualifying for the marathon, the dedication and...

In this week’s episode of Open Your Eyes , McKay introduces and explores the topic of getting your life back. He begins with the very recent story of Damar Hamlin, a defensive back for the Buffalo Bills, who collapsed on the field during a game due to cardiac arrest. Christensen highlights the shock and surprise of both players and audience members at the event, and uses it as an example of how ou...

McKay launches today’s episode by introducing the metaphor of sailing a ship and how it relates to your life. In the process, he delves into the importance of taking control of your life as the captain of your own ship and how this can lead to a renewed sense of purpose and direction for the new year. Throughout the episode, McKay relates the stories of some historic incidents at sea as he discuss...

Today’s episode of the Open Your Eyes podcast is all about the journey towards finding purpose in life and the power of perspective in shaping our experiences. To begin, Mckay introduces the story of Eugene, a man who had a script for his life with careers in the police force, Air Force, and as a professional pilot, but was left wondering what he was looking for after a plane crash left him unable...

In this episode of Open Your Eyes, McKay discusses the importance of enjoying the journey as you work towards your goals. He begins with the story of Alfonso Cuarón, the Mexican film director behind hits like A Little Princess, Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban, and Children of Men, to illustrate the idea that sometimes it's the struggles and challenges we face on the way to achieving our g...

McKay’s topic this week centers on the concept of change and why it doesn’t always have to be something worthy of fear.  It’s all about taking advantage of the circumstances, no matter how poor.  Whether you're a Minnesotan ice fisherman floating away on a glacier or a sinking multibillion dollar corporation, the outcome of change relies solely on how you adapt to it– on how well you can...

In this episode of the Open Your Eyes podcast, McKay talks about taking the positive approach in life.  Have you ever known someone who just seems to have a critical nature?  What was it like to be around them?  It’s easy for you, and me, to get in the habit of being critical or negative, and soon we may not even be aware that we are that way.  At the end of the day, we can cho...

Do you ever feel like life is unfair?  While it is true life has its disadvantages, there are also unfair advantages, if we can open our eyes to see them. That’s what McKay talks about on this episode of the Open Your Eyes podcast.  Hurdles, roadblocks, and inequities are inevitable.  But if we look closely, we can see how those inequities can set us up to have an unfair advantage.&...

McKay goes all in today as he gives inspiring advice and recalls powerful anecdotes about, well, going all in.  Whether we want to start hitting the gym more, spend more time with our family, start a business, or take that vacation we’ve always been talking about, making changes in our lives requires that we go all in.  Taking a page from Malcolm Gladwell’s book, McKay opens up this epis...

In today’s episode, McKay talks about wrestling with weaknesses, how to overcome them, and why everyone is capable of doing so.  Opening up the podcast with two stories about wrestling, he talks about experiences fighting both literal and figurative bears.  And while most of us have yet to wrestle with a 400 lb grizzly, we do wrestle with daily struggles that make us feel like we’ve been...

Today on the podcast, McKay chats about making tough choices, the Endowment Effect, and why great risks can have great rewards.  Opening up the episode with a story about two men’s dangerous descent down the face of Peru’s Siula Grande, McKay details the hardest decision of one of their lives and what it’s like to work under pressure.  From picking flavors at the ice cream shop to a marr...

Each year, in early March, a little Alaskan town called Nome acts as the finish line for the world’s longest and most spectacular race—the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. The race extends over 938 miles from Anchorage to Nome (more than the length of Texas), with the course record standing at seven days and fourteen hours, including two days of required rest for the dog teams. One of the most famous...

Sometimes, in life, we can forget who we are.  The way of the world, comparisons, circumstances can rob us of our view of our true value and potential.  Often, the world attempts to define who we are or tell us we are something other than who we know we can be. But when we remember who we are, we become empowered.  And the same goes for teams, organizations and families. On today’s...

Do wishes come true?  In many ways our wishes dictate the direction we travel in life.  In this week’s episode, McKay discusses the principle that dreams we grant to others and seek for ourselves have the power to change lives.  It often takes a leader and first class noticer to make someone’s wish come true in the first place.  From Jason McElwain to Cary Elwes, McKay goes on...

Have you ever thought about the person you will be in the future or what your future will look like? Your future is worth your attention.  Because the future you picture or imagine influences your actions today. In this week’s episode, McKay has an important question for you: What is your future worth? To help you envision your future self, he shares an incredibly touching story about a group...

Too often in life, we get to thinking that we are less than capable of doing what we set out to do.  But the truth is:  we are better than we think. So, how do you find the best within you?    In this week’s episode, McKay shares some valuable tips for finding the best within you and discovering your own potential. He talks about the dangers of making excuses, why it’s imp...

You probably know one of the greatest Japanese proverbs of all time that teaches us about the power of resilience - ‘Fall down seven times, rise eight.’  In this week’s episode, McKay talks about the importance of dusting yourself off after a crisis and getting back up. He kicks off the episode by telling us a powerful story about Florence Rogers and how a seemingly normal day turned out to b...

Risk-taking is one of the most critical skills that every strong leader should have. It involves envisioning the future, enhancing your odds of success, and then translating your vision into reality. Risk-taking leaders are self-aware, nimble, and fearless. So, it’s no surprise that employees respond well to risk takers and perceive them as leaders worth following. Taking calculated risks will not...

What’s the most important role in an organization? Despite what you may think, it’s not a CEO, CFO, or CMO. It’s actually CIO - Chief Inspiration Officer. A CIO has a job to inspire others and lead by example. So, how can you become your team’s CIO? You’re about to find out! In this week’s episode, McKay talks about the key characteristics that an inspiring leader must have: credibility and integr...

A constructive leader is someone who builds others, not just themselves. It’s someone who creates ownership in a team to move the organization in the right direction. But a constructive leader is also a mother who lifts her child up, supports them in any way she can, and builds on their creativity. If you think about it, examples of great leaders are everywhere around us; we just need to know what...

We all have greatness within us. And we all navigate through life searching for it, trying to embrace our greatest strengths, and striving to become the best version of ourselves. But life is filled with irony, paradox, and dichotomy. And when we can embrace the dichotomy of greatness, that’s when we’ll be able to live our life to the fullest. The dichotomy of greatness is what leads us to greatne...