Hello world!

Welcome to the very first Meaningful Leadership post! This newsletter may have found its way to your inbox for a number of different reasons. Maybe you are (or were) a client, friend, colleague, workshop attendee, social media follower, or random internet acquaintance. Maybe you saw me teach a session at the ARC Conference or heard me on a podcast. Or, maybe you serendipitously stumbled across the web version of this newsletter while searching for ways to grow in your leadership. However it is that you arrived here, I’d love to extend a very warm welcome.

If you don’t know who I am, allow me to briefly introduce myself. My name is Trevor Olesiak and I am an executive coach, keynote speaker, trainer, writer, and pastor. Along with these expressions of what I do, ultimately who I am is a leader. And so are you, by the way ;). But more on that later.

I am feeling a deep sense of anxious anticipation as I type this. You see, I have had all sorts of writing goals for YEARS. I had a book that I quit after completing about 10% of the manuscript. I have experimented with short form writing with varied success. I have set new goals to write books that are in my heart and simply haven’t made any progress.

That all changes RIGHT NOW.

Now is the most important moment in each of our lives. It’s the only period of time that we have any control over. The past is done — dead and buried. The future is beautiful, mysterious, full of potential, and not yet. Right now is what matters most because it’s what is. And in the right now I am committed to adding (hopefully) just a smidge of value to the world through this small little slice of the interwebs.

What is Meaningful Leadership?

There are approximately 1 billion different philosophies about leadership (like most statistics, this one is totally made up). So why add another one to the mix? Well, in short, I believe this message of Meaningful Leadership is for such a time as this. As our post-pandemic world becomes increasingly digital, transactional, hostile, and shallow, there is a missing sense of meaning in our relationships. Between now and whenever a supreme AI decides to wipe humankind off the face of the planet, I believe there is an increasing desire in our world to find and create meaning.

Meaningful moments. Meaningful connections. Meaningful relationships. Meaningful work. A meaningful life.

Who will help usher in the meaning revolution? Well, meaningful leaders, of course.

Meaningful Leadership is absolutely in its infancy as a concept. I’d love to sit here and say I have a clear and simple definition of what it is, what it means, how to create it, where to find it, and how its creating impact. But we’re just not there yet. And that’s ok, because we’ll get to go on this journey of discovery together.

That said, I’ll take a swing. Offer a first draft, if you will. To me, Meaningful Leadership is about purpose. It’s seeks to answer why. It puts the humanity back in our daily interactions. I believe that the best leaders in the world aren’t necessarily the ones that create the greatest results, but the ones that create the greatest impact. My vision for this space is to build a community of people who are committed to the pursuit of meaning in their lives, their work, and their leadership.

What can you expect from the Meaningful Leadership Newsletter?

Again, I would love to say I have a brilliant strategy and strategic plan behind the MLN. But, I don’t. I have a lot of ideas. And in the past, there’s where things would stop for me. When I would try and move an idea into the strategy phase, I would get lost in all of the possibilities, experience the stereotypical analysis paralysis, and get stuck.

So I decided to just start. Go right from ideation to execution, and figure out the strategy along the way. I do know that this space will contain stories, how-to’s, best practices, and leadership principles that we can all use to learn and grow together. Here’s what I promise to you, glorious reader: this newsletter will get 1% better each time. I’m committed to growth and continuous improvement. So I invite you, as you read these, to share your own thoughts, insights, and wisdom.

Read something that is helpful? Let me know!

Disagree? Send me all of your “yeah, but…” thoughts.

Have something you want me to cover? I want to hear about it!

I invite you to contribute. Add value. For yourself and for the community we are building together.

Some of you might read this and say, “yeah this isn’t for me.” Some of you likely didn’t even get this far and already hit “Unsubscribe.” But for those of you who are committed to growing as a leader and creating meaningful moments for those in your charge, I hope you’ll not only stick around, but dive in head first.

So, here’s to creating meaning

I am so excited to go on this journey together with you. Let’s go create more beauty in the world and lead well. Here’s to leading meaningfully.