178: Michael O'Brien: Shift - Creating Better Tomorrows

What do you do when life knocks you down?

Michael O’Brien was a successful sales professional and Marketing Director, responsible for a $4 billion business unit. Happily married with a young family, life seemed to be perfect, yet there was something missing for Michael. A life-threatening cycling accident would reveal the answer and life would never be the same.

After surviving his last bad day, Michael knew things would be different. His recovery was the catalyst to the seminal shift that changed his perspective, mindset, and actions. It put him on a path to create better tomorrows at work and in life. Today, Michael is an Executive Coach and Founder of Peloton Coaching. He is an active advocate for women in leadership and all the proceeds from his book, Shift: Creating Better Tomorrows are donated to World Bicycle Relief – a non-profit organization that provides bicycles to women in developing countries so they can access the education and opportunities needed to elevate their economic situation.

During our conversation with Michael, he shares his cycling accident, the struggle he faced during recovery and what the experience taught him about life, work, priorities, and creating better tomorrows. We explore the true source of happiness and success, the daily habit that helped lift Michael up out of the depths of despair, and the mindset necessary to overcome life’s greatest challenges.

We finish our conversation discussing the power of effective conversations in the workplace, finding your tribe, Michael’s view on the #metoo movement, and why men need to sponsor and support women in taking on leadership roles. An inspiring and insightful dialogue packed full of wisdom and encouragement, this is a must listen for anyone looking to create better tomorrows today.

Key Takeaways

1. Stop pursuing happiness in external success – create a life where you have complete success and are as happy on the inside as you are on the outside. If you try to chase happiness, all you get is despair. If you try to chase wisdom, you get joy.
2. You don’t have to be defined by the challenges life sends your way, but you will be defined by how you respond to them.
3. Conversation is the start of everything. Healthy relationships have healthy conversations. We first have to address the conversation we’re having with ourselves, and then we can look at having better conversations with others.
4. Like-mindedness and diversity in a tribe is a powerful combination.
5. Men and women in the workplace need to have the conversation. How do we work together? What do you need from me, and here’s what I need from you. Be curious. Listen to connect and understand.
6. Men, instead of pushing women down, it’s time to get better at what you do. You have to have game to succeed in today’s marketplace.
7. The fastest way to get faster on a bike is to ride with stronger people. Similarly in the workplace, the stronger the lead team, the more successful the company will be. So have an attitude of abundance – elevate the best people regardless of gender.

Episode Show Notes: https://leadersoftransformation.com/podcast/mindset/178-michael-obrien-shift-creating-better-tomorrows 

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