Own Your Impact #52: Direction Over Destination: Planning Your Thought Leadership Year Ahead
You don't need to see the entire path to start moving. You just need to know your direction. When you have clarity about where you are headed, decisions get simpler. Not easy, but simpler.
In this final episode of 2025, I build on last week's conversation about thought leadership as an infinite game and offer you a practical framework for thinking about the year ahead. I share how I am approaching my own next moves: writing a book, building a certification program, expanding my visibility, and going deeper on the archetypes and the four Es. Not because I have it all figured out, but because I want to model what it looks like to make decisions in real time inside an infinite game. Then I walk you through a three-part framework for your own planning: define your frame, raise your floor, and determine your focus. I also show you how to use the four Es of core resonance as a strategic compass before committing to any focus area.
There has never been a more important time for people with ideas that matter to make their voices heard. The gatekeepers are losing power. The tools to create and distribute your expertise are more accessible than ever. But that means more responsibility falls on you. You have to build something that cuts through the noise, not by being louder, but by being clearer. The deeper you go on who you are, the more you have to share and offer. That is not just a nice idea. It is the physics of resonance.
IMPACT POINTS FROM THIS EPISODE:
⚡ Clarity Creates Momentum, Not Certainty - You do not need a perfect plan or a calendar full of confirmed events. What you need is enough clarity about your direction that you can evaluate opportunities as they arise. Should I say yes to this? Does it move me toward where I am headed? When you know your direction, decisions get simpler.
⚡ Define Your Frame, Raise Your Floor, Determine Your Focus - Your frame is the container you are operating inside and what success looks like for you in this season. Raising your floor means deciding what you will no longer give attention to, so you can protect your capacity for what matters most. Only then can you determine your focus areas with confidence.
⚡ Use the Four Es as a Strategic Compass - Before committing to any focus area, run it through this filter: Does it align with my essence and energize me? Do I have the experience and authority to go deep here? Does it fit my natural expression mode? Can I embody and sustain this over time? If something fails one or more of these filters, that is data to pay attention to.
PEOPLE & RESOURCES MENTIONED:
- Thought Leadership Archetype Assessment
- Archetype Strategy Call
- Episode 51: Start Before You're Ready
- Simon Sinek (Infinite Games concept)
- Benjamin Hardy
- The Science of Scaling: Grow Your Business Bigger and Faster Than You Think Possible by Dr. Benjamin Hardy and Blake Erickson (Define Your Frame, Raise Your Floor, Determine Your Focus framework)
- Luvvie Ajayi Jones
- Taylor Swift: The End of an Era
CONNECT WITH MACY:
- Take the Thought Leadership Archetype Assessment
- Schedule an Archetype Strategy Call
- Follow on Instagram: @macyrobison
- Connect on LinkedIn: Macy Robison
- Visit: macyrobison.com
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW: If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps me reach more thought leaders who are ready to make an impact with their ideas. 🎙 Thanks for tuning in to Own Your Impact!
Thank you for being part of this journey in 2025. I will see you in 2026.