Why long-term success starts with self-leadership and how to align who you are with the business you’re building.

Why You Need to Listen:

Most entrepreneurs focus on tactics and hustle, but overlook the one thing that actually determines long-term success: self-leadership. In this episode, business coach and columnist Chris Wilkinson joins Sean Patton to break down why your inner game is the key to outer performance. If you're building a business but feel stuck, scattered, or unfulfilled, this conversation is your mirror and your momentum.

About the Guest:

Chris Wilkinson is a holistic business coach, five-time entrepreneur, and longtime leadership columnist. With 20+ years of business experience, Chris specializes in helping entrepreneurs develop self-leadership, clarity, and sustainable performance. He's also the co-owner of a senior care franchise, a former hockey captain, and a prolific contributor to business and leadership thought.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why self-leadership is the foundation of all business growth
• The “wheel of leadership” framework Chris uses with every client
• How to reframe failure using the “100 no’s” mindset
• Why most vision statements fall short and how to align your life and business
• The difference between confidence and worthiness
• How to get out of your own way by identifying your “brake pedal”
• What you're really willing to suffer for and why that matters

Episode Chapters:

0:00 – Why you need to hear this
2:30 – From hockey to holistic coaching: Chris’s story
6:00 – What is self-leadership and why it matters
9:15 – Clarity, energy, mindset, and the 8-factor leadership wheel
14:30 – Why entrepreneurs overestimate 1 year and underestimate 5
18:45 – The “100 no’s” method and the problem with chasing outcomes
24:20 – Locus of control: what’s in your hands vs. what’s not
30:45 – The gas and brake metaphor: what’s holding you back
35:50 – How to build resilience (and what you’re willing to suffer for)
41:00 – The power of purpose, giving, and intentional leadership
45:00 – Final mindset shift: from “I have to” → “I get to”

Connect with Chris:

Website: https://www.coachingwithchris.ca/

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

More from Sean & No Limit Leaders

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No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.

In this episode of No Limit Leadership, I sit down with Jim Stevenson—founder and CEO of the Bletchley Group, a global growth consultancy helping organizations align strategy, culture, and technology.

We dive into what most leaders get wrong about data, why OKRs (not KPIs) are the key to alignment, and how AI is transforming leadership in real time. Jim shares how to create psychological safety, drive clarity, and build teams that win.

If you’re a growth-minded leader who wants to future-proof your organization, this conversation is your blueprint.

What You’ll Learn:
• The difference between data and useful data
• Why OKRs are more than just goals—they shape culture
• How to build teams that adapt and execute at speed
• What limits real growth—and how to remove them
• How AI is reshaping leadership, communication, and trust
• Why psychological safety is a performance multiplier

Chapters:
00:00 – Intro & why this episode matters
01:05 – The origin of Bletchley Group & purposeful tech
04:00 – Breaking limits and AI’s next frontier
10:00 – Superintelligence, free will & leadership
17:03 – What makes data actually useful
23:00 – OKRs vs KPIs: what leaders get wrong
29:30 – The 70% rule: unlocking high performance
32:20 – Incentives: unleash or destroy greatness
36:00 – What elite teams do differently
37:33 – Culture: the real transformation
41:54 – Creating psychological safety
44:00 – Red team thinking & decision ownership
48:39 – Eliminate blockers. Uncover your strategy.

Guest: Jim Stevenson
Founder & CEO, Bletchley Group
🌐 Website: www.bletchleygroup.com
🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimstevenson/

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.

What if the secret to great leadership isn’t more strategy—but more soul?

In this episode of No Limits Leadership, I’m joined by Valerie Sandjivy, a global leadership mentor and founder of EllipsUS. With over 20 years of experience across France, the U.S., and Asia, Valerie helps C-suite leaders and entrepreneurs master the inner and outer game of leadership by balancing structure and soul, logic and intuition, discipline and play.

We explore how to communicate across cultures, lead across five generations, and unlock your team’s full potential by combining emotional intelligence with visionary structure. Valerie’s insights on presence, neuroscience, and energetic balance offer a radically refreshing approach to what leadership looks like today.

If you're building high-performing teams in a fast-changing world—this conversation is your blueprint.

Topics & Timestamps:

• (00:15) Intro to Valerie Sandjivy: Global leadership experience + intuitive coaching
• (03:24) Why cross-cultural leadership is a communication superpower
• (07:50) How traveling sharpens leadership presence and awareness
• (10:40) Asking better questions and leading shoulder-to-shoulder
• (13:06) The challenge and opportunity of leading across five generations
• (18:42) What Gen Z wants from work—and how leadership must evolve
• (22:01) Beyond money: Why purpose, authenticity, and creation matter
• (26:17) The mindset shift from survival to innovation and play
• (30:33) Using neuroscience to rewire leadership habits and behavior
• (37:25) Masculine vs. feminine energy in leadership—and how to balance them
• (46:49) The most powerful leadership question you’re not asking

Guest Links:

Valerie Sandjivy's Website: www.ellips.us.com
Includes her free leadership assessment and additional resources.

No Limit Leadership is the go-to podcast for growth-minded executives, middle managers, and team leaders who want more than surface-level leadership advice. Hosted by executive coach and former Special Forces commander Sean Patton, this show dives deep into modern leadership, self-leadership, and the real-world strategies that build high-performing teams. Whether you're focused on leadership development, building a coaching culture, improving leadership communication, or strengthening team accountability, each episode equips you with actionable insights to unlock leadership potential across your organization. From designing onboarding systems that retain talent to asking better questions that drive clarity and impact, No Limit Leadership helps you lead yourself first so you can lead others better. If you're ready to create a culture of ownership, resilience, and results, this leadership podcast is for you.