#489 Gasoline: Gasoline or just gas?

Ever feel the urge to share a fresh idea before it’s ready? We dig into why restraint can be a superpower for leaders and creators, using a cheeky pivot from gasoline to gas to make a serious point: some experiences are best kept private until they mature. By turning everyday objects into memorable prompts, we show how simple cues can sharpen choices, reduce noise, and strengthen your message.

I unpack the hidden cost of sharing too soon—the way early applause can flatten nuance and push work toward approval instead of impact. Then we explore a practice that changed how I communicate: sitting on new insights until they’re rich enough to help. You’ll hear why letting an idea marinate deepens clarity, strengthens language, and makes the final message land. Along the way, I share a personal story about a solo motorcycle ritual that grew into a crowd and lost its magic, and what that taught me about protecting joy through boundaries.

You’ll come away with practical filters to decide what to keep close, what to bring to the group, and when to switch from incubation to collaboration. We also outline simple signals teams can use to avoid performative brainstorming and preserve momentum. If you’ve ever watched a promising spark fizzle under the weight of logistics or early feedback, this conversation offers a better path—one that honors timing, context, and the practices that keep you whole.

If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who overshares, and leave a quick review. Then tell us: what will you keep to yourself a little longer so it can grow?

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Chapters

• 0:00 Setting The Learning Frame
• 0:31 Objects As Leadership Reminders
• 1:07 From Gasoline To Gas
• 1:29 The Principle: Keep Some Things Private
• 1:48 Two Lessons On Timing And Boundaries
• 2:43 Reflection And Call To Connect

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Welcome to message 489 of the Growth Instigators Hotline, where we examine an everyday normal object and assign it a deeper meaning. I'm Aaron Havens, your host and growth coach. What can gasoline remind us of today? Okay, you win. Before we get to that, let's talk about why for the past 89 messages I've taken a simple object of some sort and squeezed it hard enough that leadership lessons came out. It's true. Those of us that come into a room knowing that we can learn something from every single person in that room have learned a valuable lesson. The learning is had by the learner. Anything, any moment, any person, we can learn something from. So as we've been examining objects, my hope is that the next time you see that object, it will remind you of a leadership lesson we talked about and maybe make your thinking a little better that day. And with that reminder, let's get today's topic. What can we learn from gasoline? Well, actually, because one of my callers has called every single day and made some sort of farting noise and laughed every day. I'll go with that. So today, what can we learn from gas? Or more appropriately, a fart? Oh gosh, we are at an all-time low, people. Here's the principle we can learn from gas or a fart. Some things are better experienced alone and shouldn't be shared with the group. Okay, once you're done shaking your head, it's the truth. Where in your life are you trying to share something with someone or with a group when in fact it would be best kept to yourself? I can think of two quick lessons in my life to highlight this. The first, as a pastor, I would get some great insight and would be excited to share it in my message that Sunday. I learned to, in fact, not share it. Sit on it, let it marinate. When it was rich and ready, then I could share it. It needed more time to mature, and I needed to absorb it first. The second example is this. I used to go on a yearly solo motorcycle trip just to be silent, not rush, to be free. Do what I want. Because I loved it so much, I invited one person to join me, then two, then three. Years later, we had eight dudes going down the road, and now my joy ride turned into a logistical nightmare. It wasn't as fun as it once was. I shouldn't have shared that. Okay, you get the point. Do you smell that? So, my friends, what are some things you should keep to yourself and not share with the room? Ah, thank you for tuning in today. You can listen to our podcast wherever you get your podcast or send me a message at aaron at growth instigators.com. Keep instigating growth and all you do.