MBL™ Founder - Phil Johnson, Ph.D. Authentic Leadership™
The Game Of My Life!
I would like to share three distinct phases of my life that illustrate my Servant Warrior journey. To use a sports metaphor, the “game” of my life is divided into the first half, half time, and the second half.
THE FIRST HALF: 1953–1990
During the first half of my life, I took some vicious hits along the way. Born with dyslexia and losing my parents at a young age, I developed a strong intuitive sense and became an ‘over-achiever.’ The same energy that pushed me to succeed also caused me to rush through university, get married, start a family, embark on a career and climb continually upward, acquiring things along the way to make the journey more comfortable. I viewed power as external. I was a victim.
After scaling such a high peak, the valley that followed was one of divorce, guilt and loneliness. I had begun my journey with good intentions, but I suddenly found myself blindsided. Up until this point, I had not spent much time thinking about how I wanted to spend the rest of my life.
HALF TIME: 1990–2001
During my “half time,” I realized that keeping score of my accomplishments did not offer the thrill it once did. Like Jack Nicholson’s movie character, I wondered if this was “as good as it gets.” I realized that I could not play the second half of my life the same way I had played the first, and I began to yearn for something more than material “success.”
THE SECOND HALF: 2001…
The second half of my life has brought a season of positive change. I fell in love, and I also rediscovered my passion - Authentic Leadership™ Coaching. The intuition I developed as a result of my dyslexia serves me well as a Coach — there are no coincidences! I am committed to giving back and leaving a legacy: making the rest of my life the best of my life. The eternity that seemed so far off in the first half is now within reach. I do not fear the end of the game but I would like to finish well and leave something behind.
The Master of Business Leadership™ coaching process was created to assist individuals and organizations in the development of their Authentic Leadership™. Leadership is a choice not a position. Whether you are in first half, half time, or second half of your life or business, the clock is still running but the game isn’t over. You can make the rest of your life the best of your life. It’s your choice — it always has been.