Lead and Lift

Chris Robinson - From Drift to Drive: The Silent Struggles of Men in Leadership

Episode Summary

You don’t have to drift to feel driven. Here’s how clarity, vulnerability, and daily reflection can help you lead with purpose instead of pressure. About Chris Robinson: Chris Robinson is the Executive Vice President of Maxwell Leadership and author of From Drift to Drive. He leads the global expansion of the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team, a premier community of coaches, speakers, and trainers developed by Dr. John C. Maxwell. With over two decades of experience, Chris specializes in equipping leaders across industries with the skills and mindset for meaningful impact. Known for his authentic approach and dynamic speaking style, he highlights the dangers of "success-induced complacency" and offers strategies for sustained excellence. As a dedicated coach and lifelong learner, Chris inspires professionals to transform comfortable success into purposeful growth, empowering them to maximize their potential and make a lasting difference. In this episode, Chabidaye and Chris discuss: Shifting from success to significance Embracing vulnerability as a leadership strength Recognizing and reversing the drift Building circles that drive accountability and growth Key Takeaways: True fulfillment doesn’t come from titles or achievements but from using your success to serve others. Chris reminds leaders that when goals are purely self-focused, meaning fades fast, and clarity only returns when we start helping others grow. Modern leadership isn’t about having all the answers but knowing who to ask. By releasing control and empowering others to contribute solutions, leaders open space for growth, collaboration, and genuine trust within their teams. Drift shows up as comfort, busyness, or delay disguised as productivity. Chris explains that leaders lose drive when they stop acting with intention, saying “later” more than “now,” or consuming knowledge without applying it. No one thrives alone. Chris urges leaders to find mentors who model the future they want and to surround themselves with like-minded people moving in the same direction, because growth happens faster in intentional communities. "If I always hold on to what I have, I’ll never have the opportunity to get more. But if I open my hands and say, I don’t have all the answers, then I can grab more things." —  Chris Robinson Connect with Chris Robinson: Website: https://www.chrisrobinsonspeaker.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrisrobinsonmlspeaker ESpeakers: https://www.espeakers.com/marketplace/profile/25514/chris-robinson  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speakerchrisrobinson/

Episode Notes

You don’t have to drift to feel driven. Here’s how clarity, vulnerability, and daily reflection can help you lead with purpose instead of pressure.

 

About Chris Robinson: Chris Robinson is the Executive Vice President of Maxwell Leadership and author of From Drift to Drive. He leads the global expansion of the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team, a premier community of coaches, speakers, and trainers developed by Dr. John C. Maxwell. With over two decades of experience, Chris specializes in equipping leaders across industries with the skills and mindset for meaningful impact. Known for his authentic approach and dynamic speaking style, he highlights the dangers of "success-induced complacency" and offers strategies for sustained excellence. As a dedicated coach and lifelong learner, Chris inspires professionals to transform comfortable success into purposeful growth, empowering them to maximize their potential and make a lasting difference.

 

In this episode, Chabidaye and Chris discuss:

 

Key Takeaways:

 

"If I always hold on to what I have, I’ll never have the opportunity to get more. But if I open my hands and say, I don’t have all the answers, then I can grab more things." —  Chris Robinson

 

Connect with Chris Robinson: 

Website: https://www.chrisrobinsonspeaker.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chrisrobinsonmlspeaker

ESpeakers: https://www.espeakers.com/marketplace/profile/25514/chris-robinson  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/speakerchrisrobinson/