AJ and Johnny unpack why great ideas often get rejected — even when the logic and data are flawless. The truth? You didn’t lose the argument; you triggered someone’s identity.

In this episode, they reveal how ideas meet identity before logic, introducing two of the eight core competency identities that run every workplace: The Solver and The Protector. You’ll learn how to read these identity patterns in meetings, frame your ideas for alignment instead of resistance, and move conversations forward without conflict.

By the end, you’ll know why competence alone stops working — and how to communicate in a way that gets real traction.

Chapters:
00:00 – Why smart ideas get rejected
02:00 – Logic vs. identity: what really blocks movement
04:00 – The Solver: how they find value through complexity
06:00 – The Protector: how they find value through stability
08:00 – Solvers vs. Protectors: conflict or coherence?
10:00 – How to spot identity signals in meetings
12:00 – Framing ideas to align instead of threaten
14:00 – How to use identity recognition as influence
16:00 – The cheat code for managing resistance
18:00 – The eight workplace identities revealed

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