Purpose, Servant Leadership, and Redefining Success in Business

If you’ve ever felt stuck, misaligned, disconnected from your work, or unsure whether success still means what you thought it did, this episode of The Karas Wright Show is for you. 

Karas Wright sits down with ShayneWyler, founder of ServantDevelopment, for a deep conversation about purpose, servant leadership, business clarity, and what happens when your life or work no longer fits who you really are.

Shayne shares how his journey from professional actor to purpose-driven leader reshaped the way he sees work, family, business, and service. Together, Karas and Shayne unpack the shift from traditional leadership to servanthood, why so many people feel disengaged in their careers, and how clarity around your purpose can transform the way you build your business, lead your team, and define success.

This episode is a powerful conversation for leaders, entrepreneurs, and anyone who knows they are meant for something more but is trying to figure out what that actually looks like.

In this episode, you’ll hear about:

• Why purpose is the foundation of meaningful leadership
• The difference between leadership and servanthood
• How power dynamics break trust and connection in teams
• Why misalignment feels so exhausting
• What it means to be needed, wanted, and uncompromised
• Why distractions often look like opportunities
• How businesses can hire and build culture around purpose
• Why younger generations are redefining success
• The connection between clarity, fulfillment, and contribution
• How to lead and build even when life feels messy

00:57 Shayne Wyler’s acting career and transition 

04:35 Discovering purpose through helping others 

07:14 The bag of needs and serving others well 

11:09 Why servanthood changes leadership 

20:53 Purpose-driven culture and team alignment

35:35 Success, happiness, and building through the mess

Watch, comment, and share if this conversation speaks to where you are in your own business, leadership, or personal journey.

#PurposeDrivenLeadership #ServantLeadership

#BusinessClarity #LeadershipDevelopment #EntrepreneurMindset #BusinessGrowth #PurposeDrivenBusiness #KarasWrightShow #LeadershipPodcast#CanadaBusiness

Host: Karas Wright — Business & Leadership Coach (Wright Step Coaching)

Website: www.wrightstepcoaching.com/ 

Instagram: @wrightstepcoaching

The Wright Step Ecosystem

A proprietary framework that moves business owners from scattered to structured thorough four distinct movements: Stabilize, Discern, Align, Execute.

Apply to Join the Ecosystem

Guest Contact:

Shayne Wyler –Founder of Servant Development 

Contact hello@servant.tools

Website - www.servant.tools

Transcript

SPEAKER_04 0:00

I had used acting as an opportunity to try to figure out who I was and why I was here. Because that that would those two questions were huge to me as I was growing up. And I thought acting would do that, but what I realized was playing different people doesn't allow you to find out who you are. It allows you to find out who other people are and playing those different parts and explore different parts of humanity and going to those different places that I necessarily wouldn't go to in my real life. But yeah, so I just sort of hit a point and went, this isn't the right tool for me. I I'm not actually figuring out why I'm here, who I am, and what I'm supposed to be doing with my life in a way that I had hoped. And then that was I sort of quit coal turkey. Um did one last project, almost died in a horrible snowstorm coming through, coming back from set. And I went, okay, this is this I'm done. This is obviously a sign from God that this is not where I'm supposed to be, what I'm supposed to be doing anymore. Um yeah, and then that started the whole transition 20 years ago to what we're doing now. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:11

So learning through playing other characters that you needed to find your own purpose. And that purpose was helping others find theirs.

SPEAKER_03 1:21

100%.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

Wow. Welcome to the Karis Wright Show. I'm Karis Wright, and our conversation today is so excited about it, partly because I have had a number of different conversations with business leaders and business owners about purpose and the importance of purpose and what the heck happens when you've lose your purpose and how that can derail in terms of setting expectations, your business planning, maybe something that a bright shiny object that gets you pulled off. So I'm here with Shane Weiler from Servant Development. And this conversation, I'm so excited because he brings together a plethora of different experiences, one from his experience in acting, and then also in over 20 years of help and support of business owners. Is that correct? Yeah. So can't wait to dive in, but give us a bit of a background on yourself.

SPEAKER_04 2:37

Yeah. So basically, uh just really quick. I'd say the biggest thing that that I'm all about now and have been for my whole life, just didn't always know it, is helping you, helping others fulfill their purpose. So I started my professional career as an actor, as you said. And I was I started that when I was 14 years old and did that until I was about 32. And in that had a good, a good run both in front of the camera, behind the camera, producing, acting, directing, uh, both on stage and film television. Took me across pretty much North America, uh both both coasts over that time. Uh went to Ryerson Theater School back in the day. It's not that anymore. Now it's Metropolitan University, I think. Um so yeah, and then in that, basically I learned. I remember, I'll tell you a really quick story. I remember in ninth grade, I was part of the student council, and my job was to come and share with the class every day what the school was intending to do, what the student council was intending to do. And in that I realized as I stood in front of the class that I needed to understand how to communicate to people to get a message across. So I learned how to do that as an actor. I learned how to tell stories and learned um how to capture an audience, how to not capture an audience and lose their attention. Um and so then I use that every single day in what I do now. But that was that was sort of a pivotal moment in my life when um we were talking a little bit before, I realized the stories that I was telling as an actor weren't the stories aren't the weren't the stories that I wanted to tell long term. And specifically when I became a father, now a father of 10 children, um I needed I needed to start to tell a different story and wanted their experience of life to be different than the one that I had lived as a professional actor and in that industry. So that started to shift a lot of things. Uh my wife was instrumental in that transition. Um yeah, there's lots of stories about that. But basically, you know, she she was she was part of the challenge to go, is this really the life you want to live? And for me, it wasn't. Not saying it isn't for everybody, but for me, I just knew that there was something else. And I had used acting as an opportunity to try to figure out who I was and why I was here. Because that that would those two questions were huge to me as I was growing up. And I thought acting would do that, but what I realized was playing different people doesn't allow you to find out who you are. It allows you to find out who other people are and playing those different parts and explore different parts of humanity and going to those different places that I necessarily wouldn't go to in my real life. But yeah, so I I just sort of hit a point and went, this isn't the right tool for me. I I'm not actually figuring out why I'm here, who I am, and what I'm supposed to be doing with my life in a way that I had hoped. And then that was I sort of quit coal turkey. Um, did one last project, almost died in a horrible snowstorm coming through, coming back from set. And I went, okay, this is this I'm done. This is obviously a sign from God that this is not where I'm supposed to be and what I'm supposed to be doing anymore. Um yeah, and then that started the whole transition 20 years ago to what we're doing now. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:16

So learning through playing other characters that you needed to find your own purpose. 100%. And that purpose was helping others find theirs.

SPEAKER_03 6:26

100%.

SPEAKER_00 6:27

Wow.

SPEAKER_03 6:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:28

It's really fascinating to hear, like, okay, I'm learning all these different skills. I can transfer, I can pivot, and I can land on the other side A-OK.

SPEAKER_04 6:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:40

Yeah. What is it that you're doing now?

SPEAKER_04 6:44

Yeah. So now we work with leaders, their families, their companies, and even communities to really, at the heart of it, get clear on why they're here and then give them a framework to actually fulfill on that. Sweet and simple. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 6:59

What is this fueling for yourself?

SPEAKER_04 7:01

What is it fueling?

SPEAKER_00 7:02

Fueling.

SPEAKER_04 7:04

Um, hope, joy, uh, fulfillment. It's amazing to sit across from someone or a group of people and see them legitimately figure out why they're here. And then see that transformation happen in real time to realize this is why things haven't been working for us or me. This is why things have, and it's almost immediate. There's a there's a journey to deepening the understanding of it, but it's it's it's immediate.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

Oh, I can I can understand that. If I can share a little bit about my background, I was spent 20 years as a banker, um, and I fell into it. I truly did. I was very blessed to have a career where I was able to um climb the ladder, move into some pretty awesome leadership roles, have some incredible experiences. But I fell into each one of those. And it wasn't until a peer asked me, like, what is it that is going to have you have the best personal and professional career, a year of your career, that I stopped suddenly and went, wait a second, I'm not actually doing what I love. I loved the people that I worked with, but I didn't love working in a large faceless organization. And I knew I wanted to help support other leaders and help support other people that were maybe not, I I'm gonna call myself a bit of a lost soul up until that point, but help them figure out what is important to them.

SPEAKER_02 8:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

And that there is that transition. Once you figure out that clarity, you understand what your purpose is, what you want to bring, like almost instantaneously, you can start making those shifts.

SPEAKER_04 8:54

Yeah. And it's it's for me, it's like scales fell off my eyes. And I see that all the time. It's like you have this lens that you look through at the world around you, and that's how you see opportunities, that's how you engage in relationships. And then as soon as you actually understand you have a need that I can actually help meet that specific need in your life, if you want my help, completely changes every interaction because you know there you're there for a purpose. And you know, more importantly, that person sitting in front of you is there for a purpose that you have a need that they can help you meet. I actually I have this analogy because it feels like this a lot of times is that we carry this big, huge bag of needs around with us everywhere we go. And when we meet someone new or we put it down in front of each other and go, can you help with anything in this bag? Because I am so exhausted carrying these around. I've tried to answer them on my own, but I can't. Can you help with any of them? We start pulling out these needs to go, yes, yes, or no. Um, so it's amazing to step in front of somebody and be with somebody in in relationship with, even if you're just meeting them first for the first time, that you can go, I know I can help you with this. And it just brings a solidity, a confidence, and uh a surety that um that you can just be relaxed and just be you in the conversation.

SPEAKER_02 10:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:20

Um and if needed, get to the heart of something really quickly with somebody. Right. And you can go at their pace. You don't have to push, you don't have to sell, you don't have to do any of that. You can just stand in this place of servanthood and just go, I can, I can help you with this however fast, even if you don't want it. That's okay. Right. But I can confidently help you with that.

SPEAKER_00 10:43

I've always been drawn to the concept of servant leadership. And I want to just say that visual of everybody carrying that bag. And some people's bags are a lot larger and heavier. And sometimes they're carrying multiple ones. And so that ability to sit down and say, Hey, what can I help you with? Or here's how I think I can help you.

SPEAKER_02 11:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:04

What's your um what's your uh ability to receive it?

SPEAKER_02 11:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

Right. Because I think that's an important aspect because so many of us have this blocker of, oh, wait, I can't ask for help. And that was one of my stories was I can't ask for help. Um, we don't rights don't ask for help with rights don't ask for help. Um, rights don't cry was what I was growing up with. So to learn to break that down and to be willing and open, because I was also very attached to the concept of serving others very early, but not on the reception end. So I think that's really powerful what you're saying is we both put our bags out and we open it up and we say, okay, here it is. And it's different than airing laundry, dirty laundry.

SPEAKER_04 11:55

Huge.

SPEAKER_00 11:56

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 11:57

It's it's it's really showing where you're vulnerable. Right. Um and it's interesting. There there's a couple of things on there that uh that you said. First, I find so for 18 years we focused on training leaders to be better leaders. And then two years ago, we had this huge shift and went we need to shift from leadership to servanthood. And here's the difference that I've found that exactly like you said, every single time I stepped in as a leader, those that we serve stepped in as a leader, we wouldn't put our bag down. Right. There isn't this mutual vulnerability, this mutual um recognition that we we all have needs and we're all human beings, and it's totally fine. From when you come from a place of servanthood um and service, you're on equal ground. It's totally fine. And there's there's a humanity to go, I don't have all the answers. And I know you don't either. I'll share the wisdom and the answers that I do have, and please share yours back with me because then we can help each other, and then we just better each other and we better whoever it is that we're going to connect with next. And the trap, I call it the trap of leadership. It isn't there when you come from a place of servanthood and serving, because it's like you roll up your sleeves and you just get in the mud with each other and you go, let's figure this out. Um, and the right answer comes. So, I mean, another way to say it is ego just falls by the wayside, and you're actually able to just be with one another and meet each other where we're at and walk from there together for as long as we want to, right? There's no pressure for one to have all the answers and the other not.

SPEAKER_00 13:33

So cool. Because that walking as equals it takes away the power dynamic that naturally occurs when we think about our large organizations that we've all been in, where there's this hierarchical vertical power dynamic that is established. But when we shift it and go, okay, we are equals, we each have the ability to provide something into this relationship. Or if we get multiple individuals around a table, we all have something to bring. And I remember one of uh not my first leadership role. I think it was my third leadership role in banking. Um, because I did have that belief in of the power dynamic, because that's also what I was um what I was brought up with in the right was recognizing, no, I just happen to have the role of leader that I'm helping um foster and steward us forward. Each one of you have something to bring that I don't. So let's work on this together.

SPEAKER_02 14:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:36

And navigate. And that was pivotal because I I really there's a couple of times I've gone back and reconnected with some of my very first staff members and went, I am so sorry you had to go through that experience of me cutting my teeth in leadership, because that must have been really crappy.

SPEAKER_04 14:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 14:53

Right. So yeah.

SPEAKER_04 14:55

Yeah. And and that's um in the last two years, it's been a huge shift in terms of how how we have we did a whole rebrand, like we've restructured our business in terms of how we run um just around that. And it's a continual, it's a continual realization of allowing oneself to be vulnerable and not only be where you're at, but also meet people where they're at.

SPEAKER_00 15:25

I want to touch on the rebrand for a second, because there's a lot of businesses that are wanting to shift to kindness, vulnerability, because that is starting to come up in conversation more and more. How did you approach that?

SPEAKER_04 15:42

Um, well, really the only way there is to understand why you're here. And so when we talk about purpose, we talk about why, not what. What has to align with why you're here, or it's never gonna work. So a lot of businesses, a lot of leaders, a lot of people, because this is how we are trained. Just it's our systems, it's it's our societies that, you know, what are you gonna be when you grow up? And that focuses on what we're doing, but we never ask and pull back and stop and ask, well, why are we doing this? And in that, it's not just any why, because we as human beings are amazing at creating a why to do anything from good and bad, um, for good and bad reasons. It's really uncovering like the why. The reason that you would do anything, which is uh from what I understand and what I've been learning for the last 20 years, is the only reason to do anything is to fulfill your purpose. So that's what caused the shift. Because we looked at what we were doing and we went, if we're as a company actually transforming you to fulfill your purpose so that you can serve, we're not doing this right. There's things that are getting in the way. There's approaches and methodologies and ideas and mindsets that we're promoting that are actually hindering those people that we're trying to help and hindering us. And that simply came down to a word of leadership. How do we break down the barrier, the wall of leadership that I have to be the one in charge, I have to have all the answers to actually break that down so people can just go, hey, what do you need? Right. I can help with that one. And if if you say something that I can't help you with, I know somebody that can help you with, which encourages networking, encourages connections, encourages this mindset that we were talking about before in the practice of we're in this together. Like I I might be incredibly naive. I don't believe there's competition. I just believe there's clo uh collaboration. Um, but we don't operate like that. But as soon as you step outside and go, wait, there's something you do that I never could, and vice versa, all of a sudden we can help that person way better and on deeper levels if we work together on that. I just I think that that's how we're supposed to run as a community, and we've just lost that.

SPEAKER_00 18:04

Yeah. I I I couldn't agree with you more. And we've had a couple of conversations uh over the past couple of months about that, about the fact that, you know, once we get rid of the ego, once we understand, you know, how you and I can partner together or how you and somebody else can partner together, that servant leadership comes in prevalently. And it's so powerful when we realize that we're not in competition. The end goal is every like society being better.

SPEAKER_02 18:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

And we can't do that if we start siloing. We just can't.

SPEAKER_04 18:40

No, we can't. No. And the interesting thing in terms of servant leadership too, I I've actually challenged myself and been challenged myself to even separate those two words to go, there's leadership on one side and servanthood on the other. And if and if I'm if I have a foot in both in both areas, I'm missing out on the blessing that is there. So not saying everybody needs to do this, but I'm just saying that there's there's been a tremendous shift. Like even working with some, with some clients and saying, look, you don't in the family realm, you don't need to lead your family, you need to serve your family. And it's like broken um ties, like broken bondage in families, just by that simple statement alone, to go, wow, as a husband, I just need to serve my wife. As a wife, I just need to serve my husband and serve my kids. And it's it's again, it's been immediate. And I I was shocked actually by by the response of that, because I know how it freed me.

unknown 19:38

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 19:38

But it's just brought a whole new level of um humility and vulnerability and closeness and relationship to my own family. So then to say those words out loud to somebody else and say the same thing um has yeah, it's just transformed and been momentum and encouragement to keep digging into well, what is this? Why is this so different?

SPEAKER_00 20:00

That's powerful. And I mean, you've done a couple of podcasts. I've been been watching your podcast for the last couple of months, and it's that really resonates with me. Um, so I was married for 17 years, um, or married for nine together for 17 years with my first husband. Uh that leadership aspect was really how I think we ran the family. And that's not how my husband and I now run ours. It is very much a servant supportive um how do we help one another? 100%. And it is vastly different. The it takes away the hierarchy. It does. It really does, and looks at the horizontal relationship aspect of it. And when I I think about that, and I love the concept of separating it leadership and servant and stepping foot into that. I hadn't thought of that before.

SPEAKER_04 20:58

I hadn't either.

SPEAKER_00 21:01

That changes the dynamic. What did you learn when you so you talked a little bit about the sir set up being into servant, but when you step into leadership fully, what does that look like?

SPEAKER_04 21:13

Yeah. I mean, I honestly I haven't done that in successively, successfully in two years. Okay. Because every time that I did, and every time that those that we are helping do that, things start to fall apart for them because the power dynamic comes back. And people naturally start to push back on that because it in some weird way, and I um this is only my experience, right? But in some weird way, what is happening is that there's this us versus them that starts to starts to develop in a way that no neither side intends, but I see it happen in businesses all the time. They'll start with this core group of people, and as they grow, then they put in leadership structure and all these structures and everything, and it starts to tear apart the heart of that core team. And to be honest with you, it it's brought me to tears because I see this family that is being torn apart simply because they think that they need that structure, as opposed to going, okay, why are we here and what structure do we need?

SPEAKER_02 22:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 22:20

It's there's commonalities in that, of course, but there's uniqueness in how those cultures get shaped and built over time that get lost when you feel like you have to put in these leadership structures.

SPEAKER_00 22:34

That's why I think the starting or even restarting a business built on purpose, built on clarity, and that inner understanding of why are we all in this together, what's the thing that we want to bring to life and indiv both collectively but also individually, that's really important. And that alignment has to happen with everybody at the team.

SPEAKER_03 22:59

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 23:00

And indicate the hiring practices moving forward.

SPEAKER_04 23:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 23:04

Because if without it you run the risk of dissension, power dynamics, hierarchy starting kicking back in. And I love what you're saying is that when you look at that in the traditional sense of leadership, it starts to break down.

SPEAKER_02 23:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 23:23

What I found really interesting as you were talking was the evolution when I started working in my early 20s, there was this shift from management to leadership. And it was an evolution. And so what I'm hearing you say is you're proposing an evolution from leadership to something else.

SPEAKER_04 23:41

Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. And it's all based on the result. Like if leadership was giving the result that people are starting to cry out for in more and more ways, then I'd say let's keep going down that path. But it's not. People are crying out because I mean uh there's polls by Gallup that have been going on for a long time. And I think we've talked about that too. That you know 69 to 70% of people globally are disengaged and disconnected from their work. That to me is a pandemic. Like that that is that is a problem. So when I look at that I go one, they don't know why they're here because that's how I'm wired to to to build that or to look at that. And then the companies don't know why they're here. So when you get in a room where everyone in the room understands or in the company understands why that company is here and why each person around that table or on that you know floor why they're here, it changes every it transforms that entire um workforce because now every single person can be valued for why they're here. And we go, wow, we have this problem oh I know who should solve this regardless of position or title you know the the most about this need. Teach us what you know and help us figure out this problem. Right. And it's it's not on the shoulder of the quote unquote leader. It's on the entire organization to solve the problem together, which they're completely, if they have the right people on their team, they're completely uh equipped to do so because they've built the right team. They want here's our here's our purpose this is why we're here's the need we're here to meet who do we need on our team in order to meet that need and it makes hiring so much easier. It's like this is why we're here are you interested in being a part of that? Yes or no? It's so clear.

SPEAKER_00 25:34

It's the the visionary, the founders, the you know the architects of that uh the purpose and and the why really becomes the foundation for the culture.

SPEAKER_03 25:48

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 25:49

But if everyone hasn't bought into that culture, then you're running that risk. And I see it in large multinational corporations that the purpose is really clearly defined by the C-suite and may very clearly be defined to that next level of leadership. But by the time you get to the front line and I can say this really honestly from being a frontline branch manager for so many years, you get an interpretation because the telephone game takes effect because you know somebody's that information's been translated down from president to you know a number of executives to directors to your direct report your supervisor and now you're having to take that down. What I think is really interesting and when I worked um for the Green Bank, they did a really good job because I've worked for a couple of different large organizations they did a really good job of articulating how does your why fit in to our vision and our mission and our values. And so that's why I'm so passionate because I've seen it in other organizations that I've worked for that didn't do such a good as good of a job of articulating that out. And that translates to churn. It translates to employee disengagement. Not to say that the banks aren't running into issues with that. I think all large multinational corporations run into that because we're not matching the company vision with the individual purpose and them and what's important to them and saying why do I actually do this?

SPEAKER_02 27:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 27:25

Why do I actually get up in the morning to have these conversations, to go in to do this and make it really meaningful and purposeful.

SPEAKER_04 27:34

Absolutely and give my life to accomplish that with and for you, right? Now from your experience does it go the other way in terms of the company helping the individual understand how that vision, how that purpose um fits into help them achieve their purpose?

SPEAKER_00 27:56

I think I think it can. I think the application isn't necessarily there because you have to have those leaders that want to hear it. So I I do believe that you can move that core individual purpose to uh up the chain. And it's a matter of how are you infecting that um that change, if you will, or you're bringing that to light. And so I've seen impact of that in individuals that I've uh businesses that I've coached over the last four or five years since I've transitioned from being in banking to coaching. And it can absolutely happen. But it also has to happen with the hubris and humility of the leaders wanting to hear what is not in alignment. How are we not walking um our values and our vision and our purpose so that we can actually make those adjustments and calling it out.

SPEAKER_02 28:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:54

So I think that's a really important aspect of it if we're going to have the symbiotic servant relationship back and forth.

SPEAKER_04 29:03

Yeah it has to it has to it has to serve both. Yeah. And like I I've just on that note I I've seen the transformation happen when I used to I used to do a talk called Are You Fit for Hire and then on the flip side for fit. And that whole that that whole keynote was a, was an exploration of when you understand as an individual your own purpose, then you can look at the purpose of the organization and go, this is this is an amazing tool for me to be able to actually help me realize my own purpose. And then vice versa on the company side for them to look at their people and go, everything you bring in fulfilling that purpose is exactly like you're an amazing tool for us. Right. Like growing up in the 80s being a tool was a bad thing. But I'm I'm repurposing that too because um because we can be a tool for one another in that right we can be useful and and an asset and a blessing to one another when you understand that dynamic that's going on because then then the work does become meaningful. Right. Then it becomes fulfilling because I'm not just getting up to get a paycheck or do what someone tells me to do. I'm actually getting up to go, no, this is the right avenue it's providing all the opportunities we need as a company and I need as an individual to actually fulfill my purpose. Yeah. Because so often what happens in that we're we're examples of that. We're doing our own thing now. We're building our own organizations because that wasn't present we didn't feel I can't speak for you. I didn't I didn't feel um valued and that I was doing meaningful things that were fulfilling my purpose in those types of structures. So then I went okay well then the only other other alternative I have is to build my own thing where me and everyone else has the opportunity to do that.

SPEAKER_00 30:59

It's interesting because I would say I had that opportunity to do that on a smaller scale. And so what I found was the frustration of knowing I could do more than what I was allowed to the box that was in there. So I could have made an incredible impact um and was and the the folks that uh that I worked with we had a my last role um we had 11 people that were making some incredible strides in positively impacting leadership in a a segment of uh the bank but I recognized that I wanted to do more because I had my own concepts and ideas that I wanted to bring to light that wasn't going to be in alignment with the bank's framework. It still fit the values but the frameworks that I wanted to bring to life wasn't it wasn't going to get past. And I'm a I'm a redhead. I'm a little bit stuck in my own like rigidity. So it's like okay I got to do this. And I knew from my purpose that when I thought thought about legacy, because when I hear purpose I think legacy is also a huge part of that. Huge I wanted to leave a lasting legacy.

SPEAKER_04 32:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 32:20

And I couldn't do that in the container that I was in.

SPEAKER_04 32:24

Yeah yeah it makes sense.

SPEAKER_00 32:25

Yeah. Which is interesting. I'm I'm curious because we both are really passionate about clarity and purpose work.

SPEAKER_04 32:33

You have a way that you bring that to life and I think both of us do so through kind of that golden circle of the why, what, how but what is your your your framework that you take business owners through yeah so it's called the servant framework surprise surprise um it used to be called the lead framework but in the in the in the rebrand um didn't make sense to to to call it that anymore. Yeah. So yeah servant framework and there's eight modules that one would walk through starts with understanding why you're here and then in all the way so I can go through each each piece but really quickly starts with why you're here, ends with who who are you then? Okay. Because and then explores vision, mission. Yeah. Um and the core like in the center of it is the battle. It's a battle to fulfill your purpose because there's opportunities and there's distractions and what I've learned over the years is that distractions look a lot like opportunities. Because they are opportunities but they're someone else's opportunities. They're not yours. So you can't step into those. So it's really a a definition of um and we and we've chatted about this before being where you're needed and wanted uncompromised. So there's places where you're needed but not wanted. There's relationships where you're wanted but not needed. Um and then there's relationships where you're needed and wanted but they're still asking you to compromise in some way on who you are or why you're here. Um and then within that and then exploring what what are you what are you supposed to be doing in relation to why? Uh because what you do is because of why you're here. And every single time someone's in a position of friction or dissatisfaction or deval being devalued, it's because what they're doing isn't aligned to why they're here. That was actually a huge revelation for me and when I realized I was teaching others how to devalue me by what I was choosing to do, how the things I was choosing to do in life, the roles, the um you know the things that I engaged in what I thought were opportunities, I was teaching other people how to devalue me because they could look on the outside go, that's not really you. Right. We know that about each other. I think we're the last person to sort of recognize that about ourselves um we have those blind spots but I could I looking back I I I can see people's faces going, hmm, I don't that that's cool. I don't think that's totally right though. And I'd be like, what do you mean? Like I'm good at this I'm good at this I think I can make this work. And then it didn't work. And I realized it's because I had the skills, I had the talents, but I wasn't needed andor wanted or I was being asked to compromise who I was huge like that's that that that that took me a bit to sort of work through and understand and get through but the the realization is simple.

SPEAKER_00 35:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 35:21

Right? You're just not where you're supposed to be doing what you're supposed to be doing with the people that you're supposed to be doing it with.

SPEAKER_00 35:27

And you feel it. You feel it because in those experiences that you had, my guess would be there was something your gut, a little whisper in the back of your head that was telling you, Chain, you're not supposed to be doing that.

SPEAKER_04 35:40

Yeah. Yeah and we think, oh maybe I just need to push harder or I just need to work work harder or I need to find another way or a different way. Maybe I'm just doing this wrong. Maybe you know this hammer I have in my hand, maybe I'm you know hitting myself on the head with it as opposed to the nail but you're doing all the right things and it's not turning over yeah a mind's banging up against a wall.

SPEAKER_00 35:59

Yeah. I and seriously like preaching to the choir on that. Um I don't think we're alone in that either no no and I think so many of us do that but it's becoming attuned to what is that little voice that's happening because in my experience it starts out as a whisper and then it starts to get louder until you cannot ignore it or something happens that forces you, whether that's health and experience, financial and it forces you to take a look at it and then you go, oh, I got to change.

SPEAKER_04 36:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:29

Or you almost die in an until yeah or you almost die in a snowstorm.

SPEAKER_02 36:34

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 36:34

Or mine was a a divorce that I didn't expect. I was going to make it work.

SPEAKER_02 36:38

Right.

SPEAKER_00 36:39

And go, okay, I got to change the way that I'm showing up how I want to parent my kids, what it is that I want to bring to the world and away we go so I'm getting the uh the cue that uh we're gonna move to a a segment that we have uh folks that reach out to our podcast producer that send us some questions and we cultivate uh them based off of the conversation we're gonna have um so are you ready to give your perspective on a few questions?

SPEAKER_04 37:11

Are you gonna give yours as well?

SPEAKER_00 37:13

I will definitely give mine. Awesome. Absolutely we're in it together. We are totally in it together. So this one's from Dawn um what do you think about how we define success right now? Do you think that people more people are chasing the wrong version of it Do you want to go first or you want me to go first?

SPEAKER_04 37:33

I want you to go first. Uh yes I totally agree with Dawn in this because in the work that we do it all stems from once you understand why you're here then success is just fulfilling that purpose. It's really that simple if you don't have that that clarity of purpose we do a lot of shoulds we end up doing a lot of things that other people say are successful but they don't they're not our version of success. And we don't know what that is if we don't understand why we're here. And that's an ongoing process, a journey as I look at helping you and everyone else fulfill their purpose that there's certain things that I have to do in order to help you do that, that's success. If I've helped you do that then that then I can go to sleep going, I succeeded at this today. And when I fail, I have this measurable this anchor that I can weigh things against and go, oh yeah, when I said that she got confused and it didn't really get her there, right? As opposed to when I asked that question, which is where the whole framework has come out of thousands of people asking these questions have proven that it gets people to that um to that answer that they're coming to us for um that's how you can measure that's how I've learned how to measure success. How about yourself?

SPEAKER_00 38:59

I I love and thank you for sharing your uh definition of success and how we need to shift it. For me, I think we are in a a paradigm shift that's happening where people don't necessarily want to see the definition of success that you and I would have grown up with being the house, the fancy car, the all the things that are being accumulated because I'm watching the younger generation you've got 10 kids, I've got four, and I talk to a lot of their friends and I coach a lot of young uh young entrepreneurs, young uh leaders, emerging leaders, and they're defining success differently and I really find it really healthy. It's about what am I learning? How am I impacting and helping others? And then also how do I live so that I am happy right what's the joy that I'm bringing and so that's why I think we're seeing a lot of young individuals and even folks in our age range that are saying, I'm not gonna do success by climbing the ladder anymore in the same way. It's how do I find work-life harmony? And I use that term very specifically because I don't believe there's a work-life balance. I do believe it's how do you harmonize everything together and what is it that you're willing to compromise. So I don't want the big house and the big car. And I don't think many people do anymore because they're recognizing that there's a cost associated to it and risk associated to it. We're seeing debt levels higher than we've ever seen in any generation.

SPEAKER_04 40:38

And you've had the experience in banking to see that.

SPEAKER_00 40:41

Oh my goodness debt levels higher we're seeing more um anxiety and depression per capita than we have ever seen in any generation before and so changing that definition means how do I live in a more simple way um one more question and this one's from Cindy is what do you think about leading a business when your personal life feels messy? Sorry I'm giggling at this I might be living this right now can you actually separate the two I'm gonna go to what you said uh about harmony um I think the only way to understand the beauty and the mess is to integrate your life to not worry about balance um to understand that everywhere you show up the need that you are there to answer and help meet is there in those people and that's the integration and it's messy.

SPEAKER_04 41:51

Yeah it's messy. I mean I I would say to Cindy, you know we we tend to think that we have this piece of our life okay and this piece of our life is messy. But what I've learned from my own self when I when I step back and look at it it's all messy in different ways right um can this be more tidy than this? Absolutely that's just a matter of you've you've spent more time on this, right? Or you you understand your role more clearly in that um and roles get defined again I I feel like a one hit wonder but I'm okay with that. Roles get defined by your purpose. Yeah right I mean I'm a different father now than I was in the beginning simply because I'm getting better at fulfilling my own purpose within that opportunity. Um but life is messy work is messy that there's there's beauty in that like I I I'm reminded of you know musicians when they play and they'll they'll play the wrong chord and all of a sudden they got they have this whole new song that never even existed before that they need that they didn't even know that they were capable of playing because it was quote unquote messy. Just as an artist and as a former artist and a continued artist, I think that's where life is in the mess. And we have to learn how to be comfortable in that mess.

SPEAKER_00 43:14

I love the analogy to music and different chords back seven lifetimes ago I was a musician. Oh cool. And so that's exactly where my my brain went is yeah, right now as I'm building and re-uh evolving my business it is messy but it is a mosaic of different chords that may not have been fitting well together, but it still makes harmonious music that can be enriching to both my life and and others. So I think to Cindy it is 100% you can build a business when life is messy. It's a matter of having understand what the purpose is but also Also prioritizing. Because I think once you understand your purpose, you're able to prioritize and you're able to make decisions easier. And so that allows you to decide how are you essential? And something you said earlier in the podcast really rings true to me. Um, and it comes from Greg McCone's Essentialism. It's how can you actually create your life that those pieces actually fit together in a beautiful way. So then you can say no to anything else, but you can say yes to this mess. And if I think about even our kids when they were younger, finger painting, right? They were getting messy, but they created this beautiful piece of art.

SPEAKER_04 44:40

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 44:42

So Shane, I want to thank you for such a rich conversation about the value of purpose and the what we can actually bring to life through being a servant leader and supporting others. Where can we find you?

SPEAKER_04 45:02

Um servant.tools is the website. And yeah, from there you can you can get on to anything social media-wise, YouTube, LinkedIn, and the website.

SPEAKER_00 45:13

It's amazing.

SPEAKER_04 45:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 45:15

Um here at uh with right step, I believe in being a heart led leader. And you embody exactly what I uh believe heart led leaders are. So continue to lead with heart. And thank you for joining us on the Karas Rate Show.

SPEAKER_04 45:31

My pleasure. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00 45:32

Have a great day.