Run Toward The Roar

John Robertson
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  • Updated Weekly

Do you ever wonder if there was a different way to view really thriving and living? When a roar happens in life there are normal fight, flight, freeze and appease reactions but what would happen if we ran toward the roar instead of merely reacting? Run Toward the Roar reframes thriving and resilience to find and focus on what you love so that you will be faithful and loyal regardless of the roars that cross your path. Whether it is encouraging your team, or self-leadership RTTR is a practical, and applicable approach to influencing, and encouraging people to thrive. This podcast is based on the Amazon best seller "Run Toward the Roar: Transform Crisis and Change into the Opportunity to Thrive".

  1. Aug 31

    Busy Isn't Yours. It's Borrowed.

    We start September like we never took a break. The summer had no routine, and then the fall arrives and it is full speed ahead, as if the whole calendar is a performance review we have to pass. This episode is about giving yourself permission to choose clarity before activity. Because busy became a badge of honour somewhere along the line, and a badge is a strange thing to wear for work you never chose. Busyness gets mistaken for progress. A hamster on a treadmill is busy too. The heart of it is one question. Not a system, not a worksheet, not another program. When you look at your calendar, ask: is this mine, or is this borrowed? If it is genuinely yours, connected to your values, your responsibility, and your passion, then own it fully. If it landed on your plate because it was easier for someone else to set it down there, that is not an automatic yes. In this episode ▸  Why busy is an apology and a boast in the same sentence ▸  Busy as a yoke, not a badge, and what a yoke actually does to a person ▸  The office administrator whose plate kept filling, and the five-of-seven conversation that changed it ▸  Why exhaustion is not the same as authorship ▸  The borrowed test you can run in real time, with no worksheet required ▸  How to speak the truth in love when something isn't yours to carry ▸  Why focus, not a shorter calendar, is what restores effectiveness Don't settle for busy. Choose what's yours to carry. If a confidential thinking partner would help you sort what's yours from what's borrowed, book a no-pitch virtual coffee at fortlog.co. Busy isn't yours. It's borrowed.

    Busy Isn't Yours. It's Borrowed.

  2. Aug 6

    The Repair: Course-Correcting Without Shame

    Every leader gets something wrong. That is not the problem. The problem is what happens in the moment right after, when defensiveness kicks in and we start renovating the story instead of repairing the trust. In this episode, John Robertson names the pattern most leaders cannot see in themselves. The sophisticated cover-up. The reasonable-sounding language that buries a mistake everyone already watched happen. And he makes the case that your people are far less interested in whether you were right than in whether you are true. Drawing on thirty years in high-pressure, service-driven environments, John connects the dots between defensiveness and a slow erosion of culture: how one leader who cannot be wrong teaches a whole team to go quiet, and how the trust account slips into overdraft one un-admitted mistake at a time. Then he offers the way back. A plain repair, said out loud to the person actually affected. And a practice he calls SVAC, Shepherds Visiting Around Campfires, borrowed in part from William Bridges and the way Moses led a whole people through the wilderness by walking among them rather than waiting in a tent. If you have a decision you have quietly been defending, this one is for you.

    The Repair: Course-Correcting Without Shame

  3. Jul 2

    Courage Before Certainty

    I invited you into my backyard for this one because it is a conversation, not a lecture, and definitely not finger-pointing. I keep hearing the same thing from leaders across very different rooms. They are dithering. They are delaying. They are delegating and sometimes abdicating. And I get it. The fear of repercussions is real. We let people judge decisions after the fact, and we hand every expert in the stands a megaphone. So here is the question I keep coming back to. What would change if courage before certainty was the standard, not the exception? I tell a few stories in this episode. A boy's model boat drifting from shore. A senior leader named Craig who knew morale was sliding and kept booking meetings anyway. A director named Sandra who waited for the decision to feel right until it was too late. And a couple of my own moments from the last week, because I am not standing outside this. Courage is not the absence of fear. It is passionate faithfulness to your values when you cannot see the whole road. That is the only way to lead through fog, and it is the only way to thrive. IN THIS EPISODE Why leaders default to dithering, delaying, delegating, and abdicating when the stakes are high The model boat and the rocks: how repercussions push leaders back toward shore The hot water and tea bag principle: what is inside you leaks out under pressure Craig's story: when frameworks multiply and inaction gets organized Leanne's story: value statements on the wall and another meeting in the critical moment Sandra's story: the difference between waiting for a decision to feel right and choosing to be responsible Why courage builds trust faster, and why that trust is more durable Leading in the fog with a values-anchored compass bearing The decision in your past that shaped you, and why you made it before you knew the outcome Why courage before certainty is a gift you give your team, the people you love, and yourself LET'S TALK If a decision is sitting on your shoulders right now and you need someone to lock arms with you, I would love to hear from you. No pitch, no agenda. Just a virtual coffee and a real conversation. Reach out at fortlog.co.

    Courage Before Certainty

  4. Jun 1

    Why Credentials Don't Save You in a Critical Moment

    The I AM Leader in an I HAVE Culture: Qualifiers, Qualities, and the Five Questions Every Leader Should Sit With We've trained a generation of leaders to lead with what they have. The degree. The title. The years on the job. The certifications stacked behind their name. And then we wonder why so many of them go sideways in the moments that matter most. In this episode, John Robertson — founder of FORTLOG Services and author of Living the I AM in an I HAVE Culture — names what most organizations are quietly experiencing but rarely diagnose: we've over-invested in credentials and under-invested in character. We've called it leadership development when, in reality, we've been developing better managers. John works through the difference between two distinct kinds of leaders — the rancher who drives the herd from behind, and the shepherd-guide who walks in front of the flock and is followed because of relationship, voice, and trust — and explains why every great leader he's ever known has been the latter. He breaks down his I AM Leader framework: the 6 C's of qualifiers (Credibility, Competence, Courage, Character, Countenance, and Chemistry) and the ACES of qualities (Authenticity, Commitment, Enthusiasm, and Service). Qualifiers get you invited to lead. Qualities keep people with you. Most leaders are missing one or the other — and the gap shows up in hot water. You'll also hear the story of Dominic, a brilliant policy expert who knew every rule in the book but couldn't get a single person to want to be in a room with him — and the one honest conversation that changed his entire trajectory. The episode ends with five questions John uses with every leader he coaches: If your title disappeared tomorrow, would people still follow you? Why? Are you leading by your role, or by who you are? Which matters most in your leadership right now — optics or character? What quality do you need to grow this season? Are you leaning more on hierarchy or humility? If you're tired of the Groundhog Day cycle of programs, policies, and procedures that never quite move the needle, this episode is your invitation to come at it from a different direction. Want to think through your own answers to those five questions? John offers a no-pitch virtual coffee — just a real conversation about where you are and where you want to grow. Book one at fortlog.co.

    Why Credentials Don't Save You in a Critical Moment

  5. May 4

    Why People Feel More Respected by AI Than Leaders

    Something is happening in organizations right now that's worth paying attention to. People are reporting that they feel more respected, more heard, and more supported when talking to an AI tool than when talking to their own managers or peers. That's not a technology problem. It's a leadership problem. In this episode, we dig into why the traditional critical moment response — the intervention-program-repeat cycle most organizations rely on — produces cynicism instead of change. We look at what AI is unintentionally modeling about supportive human behavior, and how a shift from accountability-driven culture to values-anchored culture changes outcomes for individuals and organizations alike. In This Episode Why the event is never the real crisis — and what actually shapes how people recover The difference between an accountability culture and a values-anchored culture, and why one produces initiative while the other produces compliance What AI interactions reveal about what people actually need from leaders during difficult moments How the STTAR framework (Situation, Thinking, Tension, Action, Result) can structure difficult conversations Why layering on programs and policies without changing the underlying thinking is a cycle, not a solution What it looks like to move from survive as a goal to thrive as an outcome Featured Quote "The real question is not whether AI is going to replace humans. The real question is why people feel respected by a machine more than their leaders or their peers. This is not a technology question. It's a leadering problem." — Speaker About the Speaker With over 30 years of experience in crisis intervention and organizational leadership, this speaker works with leaders and organizations to transform how they respond to critical moments — whether those moments involve crisis, change, or growth. Their work challenges the cycle of programs-as-solutions and offers a values-anchored framework for building cultures where people can genuinely thrive. Resources & Links STTAR Framework — Situation, Thinking, Tension, Action, Result: a structured tool for walking through critical moment conversations SHIFT WRAP Framework — a five-part leadership response model (Shepherds, Harness, Alignment, Intervention, Focus, Team) Connect If this episode resonated, follow along so you don't miss what's next.

    Why People Feel More Respected by AI Than Leaders

  6. Apr 1

    Culture Is A Balance Sheet

    Culture is not a program. Leadership is not a title. And values are not posters on a wall. In this episode, John explores what actually shapes workplace culture and personal leadership. He unpacks the idea that culture is the balance sheet of relational currency, every interaction is either a deposit or a withdrawal. You will hear stories about asking why, owning care instead of outsourcing it, and what really leaks out under pressure. John challenges leaders to move beyond busyness, performance, and presents, and return to presence. If you want to build trust, strengthen engagement, and finish well, this conversation will help you reflect on who you are, not just what you do. Let's connect for a call: https://fortlog.co/letstalk/ Talk the Culture Survey: https://fortlog.co/living-the-i-am-in-an-i-have-culture-survey/

    Culture Is A Balance Sheet

  7. Mar 1

    Leadering NOT Leadership

    What does it really mean to lead? In this thought-provoking episode, we introduce "leadering"—a fresh, action-oriented approach to leadership that goes beyond titles and checklists. Drawing from personal stories on the curling rink and powerful real-life examples, we explore how true leadership is revealed in moments of pressure, rooted in values, and sustained through authentic connection. Discover why "leadering" is about being intentional, encouraging, and accountable, and how it shapes workplace culture, engagement, and well-being. Hear the contrasting stories of two employers faced with tragedy, and learn why people follow those they trust and respect—not just those with impressive résumés. If you're ready to move beyond traditional leadership and create a culture where people want to grow and thrive, this episode is for you. Tune in to learn how to lead with identity, lift the rocks in your life and work, and become the person others want to follow.

    Leadering NOT Leadership

  8. Feb 1

    Leadership Is Not Outsourcing Care

    Leadership is not about outsourcing care. And it never was. In this video, I talk about something I see happening in organizations everywhere. Leaders are handing the people side of leadership to HR and hoping culture will take care of itself. It doesn't. It never has. HR is essential. I say that clearly. Policies matter. Procedures matter. Support matters. But culture does not come from a department. It comes from leaders. It shows up in conversations, in silence, and especially under pressure. When things heat up, what leaks out of us is what was already inside us. That is the real culture. Not the poster. Not the website. Not the values statement. I walk through why disengagement keeps growing, why burnout is rising, and why so many leaders feel frustrated even though they are busy doing important work. I also share simple actions leaders can take to stop outsourcing care and start owning the role they already have. This is about leadering. Showing up. Modeling behavior. Owning culture. Having the conversations that policies can't fix. If you care about people, culture, and building a workplace where trust actually exists, this conversation is for you.

    Leadership Is Not Outsourcing Care
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About

Do you ever wonder if there was a different way to view really thriving and living? When a roar happens in life there are normal fight, flight, freeze and appease reactions but what would happen if we ran toward the roar instead of merely reacting? Run Toward the Roar reframes thriving and resilience to find and focus on what you love so that you will be faithful and loyal regardless of the roars that cross your path. Whether it is encouraging your team, or self-leadership RTTR is a practical, and applicable approach to influencing, and encouraging people to thrive. This podcast is based on the Amazon best seller "Run Toward the Roar: Transform Crisis and Change into the Opportunity to Thrive".

Information

  • Creator
    John Robertson
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    Run Toward The Roar