Ep 42 - Why Your 2026 Goals Won’t Fix Your Leadership | The Whetstone

SUMMARY

As 2026 begins, men everywhere are setting goals, buying tools, upgrading systems, and trying to take control of the year ahead.

In Episode 42 of The Whetstone, Dredd, Dark Helmet, and The Plague challenge a hard truth most leaders don’t want to face: goals don’t create leaders.

This conversation digs into why modern leadership often mistakes planning for formation, systems for growth, and control for faith. From goal-setting and metrics to automation, AI, and productivity culture, the guys unpack how leaders can look busy, organized, and successful while quietly drifting away from who they’re meant to become.

This episode isn’t anti-goals.
It’s a call to stop using goals to avoid the deeper work of leadership formation.

HIGHLIGHTS

✅ Why goals can’t fix broken leadership
✅ The difference between formation and optimization
✅ How control masquerades as responsibility
✅ Why systems and automation can’t replace character
✅ The danger of confusing metrics with meaning
✅ Leadership as an infinite game, not a yearly reset
✅ Why failure is part of becoming a leader, not something to eliminate

SOUND BITES

🎙 “You can hit every goal and still miss the point.”
🎙 “Systems create managers, not leaders.”
🎙 “Control feels responsible, but it isn’t leadership.”
🎙 “Formation can’t be automated.”
🎙 “Leadership isn’t a system upgrade.”

TIMESTAMPS

⏱ 00:00 – New year, same leadership tension
⏱ 06:45 – Why goals don’t equal growth
⏱ 13:40 – Metrics vs meaning
⏱ 21:10 – Control, faith, and the illusion of certainty
⏱ 29:30 – Systems, automation, and leadership drift
⏱ 38:20 – The infinite game of leadership formation
⏱ 46:10 – Why failure is essential to becoming a leader
⏱ 54:00 – Final reflections for 2026

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices