Author Robert Glazer chatted about his upcoming book “The Compass Within” and “The Elevate Podcast.”
Mr. Glazer is both a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. He is also a CEO, entrepreneur, and keynote speaker.
How did “The Compass Within” come about?
The topic of core values has been central to my life and leadership since I identified my own values in 2013.
Soon after, I built a process to help our leaders at our company discover their core values, then I turned that program into a course that thousands of people have taken.
I wanted to give people an entry point to the core values topic that would compel them to actually do the work.
I’ve always loved Patrick Lencioni and realized a fictional business parable was a great way to introduce people to this core values discovery process and encourage them to do it for themselves.
Was it a cathartic process for you to write it?
This is definitely my most personal book, and there’s a lot of elements from my own experiences mixed into the fiction.
The protagonist—Jamie, a young professional navigating a crossroads in his career, relationship and community—represents a lot of the uncertainty I felt before I knew my values.
It is really difficult to feel that you are not living up to your potential, and the story is written to address that pain and get people on track to feel more confident and fulfilled.
What did that book teach you about yourself?
This was my first fiction book—I’ve previously published seven books on marketing, business leadership and personal development—and it was a fun challenge to do something more creative.
In particular, it reminded me that storytelling is more valuable for building a movement than data or arguments.
If you can tell a story that appeals to people emotionally, it will get them on your wavelength from a messaging standpoint.
How does it feel to be a part of the digital age? (Now with streaming, technology and social media being so prevalent)
My team and I are constantly navigating two opposing things: taking advantage of new platforms and tech to meet people where they are, while also having a good hype detector.
We evaluate everything based on ROI: what’s the cost, in time and resources, to try certain things, and what is the potential upside from them? That’s a good way to stay flexible and make decisions in a rapidly changing information environment.
Can you tell me about your podcast “The Elevate Podcast”?
The Elevate Podcast features my in-depth conversations with some of the world’s best leaders, authors and thinkers.
I like to say that it’s a cross between How I Built This with Guy Raz and The Tim Ferriss Show, two of my favorites, and it’s designed to for listeners to learn from amazing thought and business leaders.
Some of our guests include Cal Newport, James Clear, Daniel Pink, Angela Duckworth, Kendra Scott and Ed Bastian, CEO of Delta Air Lines, and it’s now 0.5% show globally with almost four million downloads.
What is your advice for young and aspiring entrepreneurs and authors?
I recommend taking the time to find your core values, which will help you understand what kind of business you want to build, your authentic leadership style and even what you want to write about.
All my writing is tied to my dominant core value: “Find A Better Way and Share It.” I try to curate the best practices from my own career and from experts, then turn them into sharable frameworks for others to use to improve.
What does the word success mean to you? (My favorite question)
It means having a life that gives you the time and resources you need to serve your most important priorities. That can mean very different things to different people.
If time with family is your number one priority, you probably don’t want a job or business that requires 70 to 80 hours a week and keeps you away from loved ones.
If your number one priority is financial security, you’ll probably be willing to make some work-life balance sacrifices to do something really lucrative.
The key is to understand what’s most important to you and build around it, ignoring the expectations of friends, family and even your community.
What would you like to tell our readers about your upcoming book? (What’s the one thing you want them to get out of it)
That core values are the foundation of effective leadership and the key to making big life decisions with clarity and confidence.
Core values are particularly vital to what I call The Big Three Life Decisions: your spouse/partner, your career, and the community you live in.
Your readers should get clarity on this now to make better decisions, be more fulfilled, and reach their full potential, and the book guides readers to that clarity.
His book “The Compass Within” is available for pre-order on Amazon by clicking here.
To learn more about bestselling author Robert Glazer, follow him on Instagram and visit his official website.
