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Ep 93 - Sunday Reset with Steven | 28 Sept 2025 The Corners You Cut Today Become…
Episode 93
Sunday, September 28, 2025 • Duration 04:09
Sunday Reset with Steven | 28 Sept 2025 The Corners You Cut Today Become the Cracks You Live With Tomorrow
Episode 92- Sunday Reset With Steven | 21 Sep 2025- Ordinary Is What Builds Extraordinary
Episode 92
Sunday, September 21, 2025 • Duration 04:30
🎥 Sunday Reset With Steven | 21 Sep 2025 🌻 Comparing Yourself Kills Progress - Because Ordinary Is What Builds Extraordinary
The other week, I caught myself slipping into comparison. Scrolling. Seeing promotions, milestones, “big wins.” And for a moment, I thought: “I’m behind.”
But then I remembered: In nature, no two flowers bloom at the same time. Even in the same garden - roses open one by one, while sunflowers stand tall weeks later. Each follows its own rhythm. And none is late.
Theodore Roosevelt said it best: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”
Their season has nothing to do with mine. And yours has nothing to do with anyone else’s.
A reminder on the Sunday Reset. During the week, I work with boards and leaders at the intersection of AI, governance, and transformation. But these Sunday resets? They’re about stripping back the noise and focusing on what’s real.
Here is why I’m fired up about this:
In a meeting last week, a team’s progress was brushed aside because it “wasn’t extraordinary enough.” Late nights. Solid results. Real effort. Dismissed because it didn’t look like a unicorn headline. Imagine that!
I’ll be honest- it hit me. Because this is the trap we all fall into: We discount the ordinary. We trample steady effort. We forget that without the ordinary, the extraordinary never comes.
Serena Williams didn’t become the GOAT by hitting extraordinary shots every day. She hit thousands of ordinary forehands in practice.
In business: Great boards don’t transform because of one flashy decision. They become extraordinary through the ordinary rhythm of governance done well.
Your reset this week:
1️⃣ Celebrate ordinary progress that compounds. 2️⃣ Resist comparing your chapter to someone else’s. 3️⃣ Remember: today’s ordinary is tomorrow’s extraordinary.
📚 If you want to dive deeper: ▫️Act Like a Leader, Think Like a Leader - Herminia Ibarra. About stepping in before you feel ready. ▫️Advocates & Enemies - Colin Gautrey. A practical guide to navigating influence and stakeholders.
Both tie back to this: Being yourself in your lane. Ordinary choices. Ordinary actions. Extraordinary results.
Make the ordinary come alive - and the extraordinary will take care of itself.
Keep growing. Keep leading. Until next Sunday. Let’s get it!
Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD Reshaping boards and CEOs to lead decisively - your boardroom compass for bold, trusted decisions at the intersection of AI, governance, and transformation.
📳 Let’s start the conversation - I invite you to connect. ♻️ Share this forward, and follow for more insights. Powered by GovernanceAI
Episode 91 - Sunday Reset with Steven | 14 Sept 2025 Excellence Isn’t Always the Goal…
Episode 91
Sunday, September 14, 2025 • Duration 03:11
🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven | 14 Sept 2025 Excellence Isn’t Always the Goal… We are taught from childhood to chase excellence.
Top marks. Perfect scores. 100%. Get everything right. Be perfect.
(Exhausting!)
And in some places, that is indeed non-negotiable. Of course, I want my pilot, surgeon, scientist or bridge engineer aiming for 100%!
But here is the uncomfortable truth: In life, entrepreneurship. In leadership. In transformation. Excellence can kill momentum.
In case you are new to these Sunday resets… They are about stripping back to what matters- growth, reflection, and action.
At a private session a couple of weeks ago, an entrepreneur put it bluntly:
“Education teaches excellence. Entrepreneurship thrives on speed.”
Startups or even companies with that mindset, don’t wait for flawless. They hit 65–70%, but three times faster than everyone else.
Because speed lets you test, adjust, and learn. Perfection waits. Hesitates. And misses the window.
Think of a musician rehearsing. They don’t lock themselves away until every note is flawless. They step into the rhythm, play with others, and refine in motion. The music comes alive not because it’s perfect, but because they dared to play before they were ready.
I have had to unlearn this myself.
In boardrooms and programmes, I was wired to chase flawless execution. (And those documents and PowerPoints - trying to make it perfect!)
But the biggest wins came when I moved fast with “good enough”… and refined later.
Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn’s founder, said it best:
Episode 90 - Sunday Reset with Steven – 7 Sept 2025 Why Borrowed Conviction Is the Most Dangerous Leadership Habit
Episode 90
Sunday, September 7, 2025 • Duration 05:28
🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven – 7 Sept 2025 Why Borrowed Conviction Is the Most Dangerous Leadership Habit In the rain at Monza - or in the boardroom - your own grip is what carries you through.
Ever noticed how one strong voice can swing an entire room?
A boardroom, an exec meeting, even a friendship group.
When that person speaks with absolute certainty, everyone nods along. But the moment they waver, the whole group shifts like sand.
That’s borrowed conviction.
And it’s fragile.
As you know, during the week, I work with boards and leaders on the toughest challenges at the intersection of AI, governance, and transformation. But every Sunday, I strip it back to something human, growth oriented, to apply in life and work.
This week, it’s about where we stand when the noise gets loud.
The Stoics had a word for it: autarkeia or self-sufficiency.
Marcus Aurelius wrote: “You have power over your mind, not outside events.”
Conviction isn’t something you rent from others. It has to be owned.
And if you’re watching the Italian Grand Prix today, here’s your metaphor: When the rain hits Monza, the pack usually dives into the pits for new tyres.
But sometimes, one driver stays out. They trust their grip, their feel of the track, their judgment, not the herd.
Sometimes it costs them. But sometimes, that single act of conviction wins the race.
Because in Formula 1- like in leadership- the slipstream might keep you safe, but it will never make you a champion.
So How Do You Build Your Own Conviction (not borrow it)?:3 steps.
Episode 89 - Sunday Reset With Steven | August 31 The hidden tax you wish you dealt with.
Episode 89
Sunday, August 31, 2025 • Duration 03:57
🎥 Sunday Reset With Steven | August 31
The hidden tax you wish you dealt with.
It’s not financial.
It’s not legal.
It’s decision debt.
Every choice you delay, every option you leave hanging, accrues interest.
And you pay it in momentum.
Last week, I was invited to a private roundtable with board leaders shaping how governance must evolve in the age of AI.
Behind closed doors, one truth became clear:
Decisions don’t stall for lack of data. They stall because of fear.
Fear of being wrong.
Fear of losing face.
Fear of moving without certainty.
But here’s the paradox:
Waiting doesn’t protect you; it costs you.
Ray Dalio says:
“He who lives by the crystal ball will eat shattered glass.”
Clarity isn’t found in predicting every outcome. It’s built through principled decisions, tested and adapted in motion.
Episode 88 - Sunday Reset | 24 Aug 2025 | Why the Smartest Leaders Stop Swinging the Axe
Episode 88
Sunday, August 24, 2025 • Duration 03:23
🎥 Sunday Reset | 24 Aug 2025 What Serena Williams and Lewis Hamilton Know That Most Leaders Forget It’s not their skill. It’s not their resources. It’s this: They sharpen before they swing.
Simon Sinek tells a story I can’t get out of my head. Two lumberjacks. One swings his axe non-stop, all day. The other? He takes breaks. Pauses. Sharpens his axe.
Guess who cuts more wood? The one who stepped back.
That’s today’s reset. Because in leadership, and in life, the pause isn’t wasted time. It’s an investment.
And if you don’t know by know, during the week, I work with boards and leaders on some of the toughest challenges around AI, governance, and transformation. But right now? I’m by the coast with my boy Rocky - we just spent 8am to 11am walking and running by the coast. Now we have brunch and write this as wait for our delicious meal.
See, all of this isn’t theory for me. This reset matters. It clears my head. Resets my energy. And reminds me of a truth most leaders forget:
When you step back, you come back sharper.
And while we’re here, let’s talk about the ONE principle every champion say from Serena Williams to Lewis Hamilton -shares:
Self-belief.
Not hype. Not blind optimism. The quiet conviction that: ✅ I can figure this out. ✅ I deserve this win. ✅ I am the kind of person who makes it happen.
“Victory begins in the mind long before the battle is seen.” -Stoic Principle
As Maya Raichoora puts it, self-belief rests on three traits: 1. Self-efficacy: Believing you can do it. Or you’ll figure it out. 2. Self-worth: Knowing you deserve the good stuff: success, joy, big wins.3. Self-identity: Not hoping, but knowing you’re built for this.
Episode 87 - Sunday Reset with Steven | 17 Aug 2025 | The 5-Second Rule and the 2-Word Reset
Episode 87
Sunday, August 17, 2025 • Duration 03:51
🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven | 17 Aug 2025
⚡ The 5-Second Rule and the 2-Word Reset
The best leaders I know don’t wait for courage They count down to it. And when frustration rises? They don’t fight harder. They simply let them.
As you by now know I advise boards and senior leaders navigating AI, governance, and transformation. And a reminder: That on Sundays, I share these resets - grounded, personal, and human. Use it in life and workplace.
In this week’s Sunday Reset video, I break down two tiny but powerful tools from Mel Robbins that I’ve been testing myself:
➡️ The 5-Second Rule: When hesitation strikes, count down 5-4-3-2-1 and move.
➡️ The “Let Them” Theory: When others don’t act how you want, release the grip. Let them. And reclaim your peace.
They sound almost too simple. Yet they’ve shifted how I lead, how I work, and even how I handle tough personal moments.
Here’s why they are not theory. They’re lived.
🟦 This week, I was staring at a draft email. Tough message. High stakes (it was to the chair of board, giving not good news, although written well). My brain? Doing what it does best: spiralling with “what ifs.”
Instead of sinking into that mind mode, I counted back: 5-4-3-2-1… send.
The world didn’t end. In fact, the decision opened a door I’d been hesitating on for weeks.
🟦 Another moment: in a personal relationship. Someone dear to me chose a path I didn’t agree with.
Every instinct in me wanted to jump in, explain, persuade, fix.
But then I caught myself: let them.
Let them reveal their truth. Let them walk their road.
Episode 86 - Sunday Reset with Steven | 10Aug 2025
Episode 86
Saturday, August 9, 2025 • Duration 05:21
🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven | 10Aug 2025
The Storm You Didn’t See Coming
Oprah once said:
“True forgiveness is when you can say, ‘Thank you for that experience.’”
Richard Branson swears by calling first when tensions rise-because a voice reveals what words on a screen hide.
And one of my favourite CEOs once told me:
“Nine times out of ten, the thing you’re angry about isn’t actually what’s happening.”
A CEO I know lived this perfectly.
She was mid-draft on a blistering email to a partner who’d just missed a huge deadline. Every line sharpened with frustration.
Then she stopped. Picked up the phone.
On the other end? A full systems meltdown. Two days offline. No malice. No negligence. Just a storm they hadn’t seen coming.
Before you assume intent, check the facts. Before you hit send, make the call.
It’s not about being soft-it’s about being smart. It preserves trust. It keeps decisions clean. And it frees your head from carrying unnecessary battles.
This weekend, I was in Birmingham with Dr Karl George,MBE. We were working on GovernAI for Boards. It’s a innovative and ultimate compass to help boards lead AI with clarity and confidence before the technology leads them. Look out for the launch in a few weeks. (I will share further in due course)
That work reminded me of another concept: Locus of Control-first defined by Julian Rotter in 1954.
▫️External locus: “This is happening to me.” ▫️Internal locus: “This is my move to make.”
Episode 85- Sunday Reset Aug 03 2025 | When Logic Fails, Trust the Compass Within
Episode 85
Sunday, August 3, 2025 • Duration 06:02
🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven | 3 Aug 2025 “Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, defeated warriors go to war first then seek to win. —Sun Tzu
Steve Jobs called intuition “more powerful than intellect.” Oprah built an empire on instinct. Elon Musk says real breakthroughs come from first principles, not just borrowed models.
Three icons. Three different worlds. One truth:
Your inner alignment isn’t a luxury-it’s the engine of your impact. This week? That truth hit me (in many ways!)
On Sundays, I share these resets-grounded, personal, and human. No slides. Just enabling clarity. I learn, and and invite you to learn with me.
🧭 When Logic Fails, Trust the Compass Within.
This week, I ignored my gut. Followed advice that looked right on paper-but felt off. The result? Misalignment. Wasted time. That dull inner ache of “I knew better.”
So I reset-and leaned into two powerful frameworks:
🔹 1. Ikigai – Your Inner Compass From Japan, Ikigai means “your reason for being.” It’s the intersection of: → What you love → What you’re good at → What the world needs → And what you can be paid for
Pro tip: Instead of asking “What’s my purpose?” Try: “What energises me -even when I’m exhausted?”
(📌 I’ve shared a downloadable Ikigai template + my own reflection in the comments.)
🔹 2. The Law of Preparation – Brian Tracy
“Effective performance is preceded by painstaking preparation.”
This week, I found myself rushing. Skipping steps. Then I remembered Lincoln’s words:
“I shall study and prepare myself, and someday my chance will come.”
Sunday Reset July 27 2025 | Stuck in First Gear? Don’t Push Harder -Shift Smarter.
Episode 84
Sunday, July 27, 2025 • Duration 06:40
🎥 Sunday Reset with Steven – 27 July 2025 A journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. — Lao Tzu
McConaughey once disappeared to the desert because fame left him empty. Lewis Hamilton? He still talks about needing solitude to reset his mind between races.
🚦 Stuck in First Gear? Don’t Push Harder -Shift Smarter.
You know the feeling. Your rhythm’s on point. Morning routine clicks. Focus is dialled in. Then suddenly - nothing.
You are dragging. The basics feel heavy. You're not broken… but you're not accelerating either.
Welcome to first gear - that strange space between burnout and flow. And yes, I’ve been there too -this week, in fact.
Hey there again - I am Steven. I work with boards and senior leaders around the world, helping them navigate AI business transformation and change, unlock clarity, and lead in a fast-changing AI landscape. But every Sunday, I pause the strategy decks and tune in here -with you -for something more personal:
A reset for the human behind the leader. And you are a leader.
This week, I leaned on a simple 3-step playbook to climb out of my fog. It’s still there, but I can see better:
🛑 Step 1: Hit the Brakes
I love this one (because it’s common with all of us)
“If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.” — Warren Buffett
When things stall, we tend to grind harder. But clarity rarely comes through force. Real rest isn’t just sleep. It’s emotional, sensory, and social recalibration. Ditch the self-judgement. Let the system cool.
🔁 Step 2: Reset the Direction. Or Redirect Ask yourself:
→ Is my current environment feeding growth-or fatigue?→ Am I operating from my future self-or yesterday’s script?
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“If you are not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you’ve launched too late.”
Here’s your reset this week:
Pick one task, decision, or project you’ve been stalling on, because you’re waiting for “perfect.”
Commit to moving forward at 70%. Ship it. Share it. Start it.
Because progress will beat perfection -every time.
Keep growing. Keep leading. Until next Sunday Let’s get it!
Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD - Reshaping boards and CEOs to lead decisively: Your boardroom compass for bold, trusted AI decisions and governance. 📳 Let me show you how. I invite you to connect with me ♻️ Share forward, follow for more
Powered by Freshriver and GovernanceAI.
1️⃣ Define your WHY. Ask why it matters to you, not just to the group or the trend. 2️⃣ Borrow maps, not conviction. Take in perspectives- but redraw your own route. Les Brown says it well. 3️⃣ Practice ownership in small things. This week, make one decision without polling five people first.
📚 Want to go deeper? Here’s your 7-day challenge: Pick up 2 books: 1. The Effective Board Member -Dr. Karl George, MBE book on anchoring decisions in governance, not groupthink.
2. It Worked for Me - in life and leadership, by General Colin Powell - a masterclass in turning principles into conviction, even under fire.
Read one, skim the other. By next Sunday, share one takeaway with your team.
Because here’s the truth: Borrowed conviction might carry you into the room. But only your own will keep you standing when the room goes quiet.
Keep growing. Keep leading. Until next Sunday. Let’s get it!
Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD – Reshaping boards and CEOs to lead decisively: Your boardroom compass for bold, trusted AI decisions and governance. 📳 Let me show you how. I invite you to connect with me. ♻️ Share forward, follow for moreBorrowed Conviction Is the Most Dangerous Leadership Habit In the rain at Monza - or in the boardroom - your own grip is what carries you through.
Ever noticed how one strong voice can swing an entire room?
A boardroom, an exec meeting, even a friendship group.
When that person speaks with absolute certainty, everyone nods along. But the moment they waver, the whole group shifts like sand.
That’s borrowed conviction.
And it’s fragile.
As you know, during the week, I work with boards and leaders on the toughest challenges at the intersection of AI, governance, and transformation. But every Sunday, I strip it back to something human, growth oriented, to apply in life and work.
This week, it’s about where we stand when the noise gets loud.
The Stoics had a word for it: autarkeia or self-sufficiency.
Marcus Aurelius wrote: “You have power over your mind, not outside events.”
Conviction isn’t something you rent from others. It has to be owned.
And if you’re watching the Italian Grand Prix today, here’s your metaphor: When the rain hits Monza, the pack usually dives into the pits for new tyres.
But sometimes, one driver stays out. They trust their grip, their feel of the track, their judgment, not the herd.
Sometimes it costs them. But sometimes, that single act of conviction wins the race.
Because in Formula 1- like in leadership- the slipstream might keep you safe, but it will never make you a champion.
So How Do You Build Your Own Conviction (not borrow it)?:3 steps.
1️⃣ Define your WHY. Ask why it matters to you, not just to the group or the trend. 2️⃣ Borrow maps, not conviction. Take in perspectives- but redraw your own route. Les Brown says it well. 3️⃣ Practice ownership in small things. This week, make one decision without polling five people first.
📚 Want to go deeper? Here’s your 7-day challenge: Pick up 2 books: 1. The Effective Board Member -Dr. Karl George, MBE book on anchoring decisions in governance, not groupthink.
2. It Worked for Me - in life and leadership, by General Colin Powell - a masterclass in turning principles into conviction, even under fire.
Read one, skim the other. By next Sunday, share one takeaway with your team.
Because here’s the truth: Borrowed conviction might carry you into the room. But only your own will keep you standing when the room goes quiet.
Keep growing. Keep leading. Until next Sunday. Let’s get it!
Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD – Reshaping boards and CEOs to lead decisively: Your boardroom compass for bold, trusted AI decisions and governance. 📳 Let me show you how. I invite you to connect with me. ♻️ Share forward, follow for more
And Mel Robbins puts it even sharper:
“Hesitation kills momentum. The gap between thought and action is where fear lives.”
I Learnt This:
3 Ways to Cut Decision Debt:
1️⃣ Time-box your choices. Five seconds, five minutes, five days. Just decide!
2️⃣ Default to principles, not perfection. Dalio reminds us: principles > predictions.
3️⃣ Take the first reversible step. Jeff Bezos calls them “two-way doors.” If it’s not permanent, move!
Here’s the truth:
The longer you wait, the heavier the debt.
But the moment you act, you reclaim momentum.
📚 Two books that shaped how I decide:
1. How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie - gifted to me by my brother Joe on my 18th birthday (a few decades ago!)
2. Managing Up and Across, by HBR. It’s a practical guide to influence when decisions stall.
Clarity doesn’t come from waiting.
It comes from movement.
So this week, make the call.
Clear the debt.
Step lighter.
Keep growing. Keep leading.
Until next Sunday.
Let’s get it!
Steven
Without it? You stall. You sabotage. With it? You lead with calm confidence, even when the stakes are high.
So here’s your challenge this week: Take 10 minutes. Or two hours. Pause. Breathe. Sharpen your axe. Then ask yourself: “What would it look like if I believed I was built for this?”
Because chances are, you are!
Ease isn’t weakness. It’s power. And it might just be the edge that gets you 10x results in the boardroom, the exec session, or that tense project meeting.
So this week: sharpen your axe, trust your alignment, and move forward with clarity.
🎥 I break it all down in this week’s Sunday Reset video. Watch it. Take it in. Share it with someone who needs the reminder (because I was reminded..)
I’m Steven. Keep growing. Keep leading. Until next Sunday Let’s get it!!
And the weight I was carrying? Gone in seconds.
That’s the point: ➡️ The 5-4-3-2-1 countdown gets you moving when fear freezes you. ➡️ The two words “let them” release you when control grips you.
One propels action. The other protects peace.
Together, they create a balance most leaders. And most humans, well they are desperate for: momentum without burnout, clarity without control.
So here is the challenge I leave you with this week:
Where do you need a countdown to courage? Where do you need a release into freedom?
Sometimes, the reset you need is just 5 seconds. Or 2 words.
Keep growing. Keep leading. Until next Sunday. Let’s get it.
Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD - Reshaping boards and CEOs to lead decisively: Your boardroom compass for bold, trusted AI decisions and governance. 📳 Let me show you how. I invite you to connect with me ♻️ Share forward, follow for more Powered by GovernanceAI.
The best leaders I know-CEOs, athletes, creators-default to internal. When the market slows, they ask, What’s our play? When a plan stalls, they ask, Where’s the pivot?
The moment you outsource responsibility for your outcomes, you hand away the power to change them.
Your reset for this week:
When I returned to prep, clarity followed. Because preparation isn’t a delay tactic. It’s a discipline that protects your focus and flow
Yeah - the Stoic’s knew it, said it and practiced too. The warriors, well they had it in them!
You are a leader in your own right. You can too.
🏎️ From the Track to the Boardroom At the Hungarian Grand Prix qualifiers, Ferrari brought upgrades. Mercedes? They reverted to an older setup-just to understand what wasn’t working.
Sometimes, progress requires stepping back to recalibrate. And Hamilton?
“We were nowhere.” Zero excuses. Just ownership. That’s high-performance leadership.
Watch the race today…
Your prompt for the week: Where are you outsourcing your judgment? What decision are you delaying-while waiting for proof you don’t need?
This week. Yes this week. Trust yourself. → Reflect through Ikigai. → Prepare with intention. → Act from alignment.
I’m Steven. Keep growing. Keep leading. Until next Sunday Let’s get it. 🏁
Intro music credit: Pina Colada /EnjoyMusic
Steven PAUL, CDir FIoD Reshaping boards and CEOs to lead decisively – with AI transformation and strategic corporate governance at the core. ♻️ Share forward, follow for more and let's connect.
Sometimes progress starts with changing the room, the rhythm, or the internal radio.
⚙️ Step 3: Create Just Enough Motion
“The key is not to prioritise what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” — Stephen Covey
Waiting to feel ready? That’s the trap. Start tiny: → 15-minute walk → Open the doc → Send one message to potential client → One clear, clean step. Because motion builds momentum-not motivation.
Ok another one. 📚 Still planning endlessly? You might be stuck in research loop mode-another way resistance shows up.
Try the Feynman Technique: (brilliant physicist, Nobel Prize winner) He shared: → Write your idea. → Teach it simply. (Like to 5 year old) hi → Find what’s the grey area. → Refine. Act.
Clarity leads. Confidence follows.
🏁 Belgian Grand Prix: Sprint Weekend Less time. More pressure. Fast decisions. Like life, there’s no perfect prep- just bold starts and mid-race adjustments.
My prompt to you: What are you “almost ready” to start-but still haven’t? What would shift if you just began-without certainty, without polish?
Start small. Start messy. Just start.
This is your #SundayReset. I’m Steven. Keep growing. Keep leading. Until next Sunday. Let’s get it!
