Top 100 Takeaways From “Game Changers with Molly Fletcher”

I launched my podcast, Game Changers with Molly Fletcher, in 2017 to take you behind the scenes with game changers from every walk of life. Now it’s something I look forward to and can’t wait to share with you. In celebration of passing the 100 episodes milestone, I thought it would be fun to share my 100 favorite takeaways from the amazing guests who’ve joined the show. I’m so grateful to every one of them for sharing their wisdom, lessons learned and personal journeys with us.

1. Serve their heart, not their talent. – Dabo Swinney
2. Be brave, not perfect. – Reshma Saujani
3. Be the leader you wish you had. – Simon Sinek
4. Care personally. Challenge directly. – Kim Scott
5. Worrying is a down payment on a problem that you may never have. – Inky Johnson
6. Don’t just look for silvering linings; create them. – David Fajgenbaum
7. Be so great that no one can take you out of the game. – Maria Taylor
8. Give yourself permission to change. – Beth Comstock
9. Your failure is already guaranteed if you don’t go for it. – Jen Welter
10. Never stop pursuing your curiosity. – Guy Raz
11. Success doesn’t fuel happiness. Happiness fuels success. – Shawn Achor
12. Surround yourself with people who tell you the truth. – Tony Gonzalez
13. If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will. – Greg McKeown
14. Hire tough so you can manage easy. – Ginger Hardage
15. Empty the tank. Know you did everything you could do. – Carli Lloyd
16. Love without an agenda. – Bob Goff
17. When things are going great, it’s time to change. – Geno Auriemma
18. Don’t take responsibility for other people’s behaviors. Boundaries are healthy. – Dr. Henry Cloud
19. Stress can be good. – Kelly McGonigal
20. Perseverance + passion = grit. – Angela Duckworth
21. Don’t let success change you. – Bruce Pearl
22. Hire people who are humble, hungry and smart. – Patrick Lencioni
23. People don’t need feedback; they need attention. – Marcus Buckingham
24. Fail fast. – Daymond John
25. Don’t practice until you get it right. Practice until you can’t get it wrong. – Renee Montgomery
26. Micromanagement doesn’t scale. – Ryan Hawk
27. You don’t rise to the occasion; you reduce to your training. – Rorke Denver
28. When you receive tough feedback, assume for a moment it’s true. – Kat Cole
29. Protect time on your calendar for deep work. – Cal Newport
30. Forgiveness is circular, not linear. – Glennon Doyle
31. There’s a difference in being interested and being committed. Which are you? – Herm Edwards
32. Every day, look at something you do that you’ve always done and ask yourself this question… Why? – Patty McCord
33. Don’t underestimate the power of a napuccino. – Daniel Pink
34. Say yes to life. – John O’Leary
35. Just because you have a negative though, doesn’t mean you have to believe it. – Jon Gordon
36. Don’t forget where you came from, but never let it define you. – Kat Cole
37. Half of everything that bugs you at work is 50% your fault until you’ve asked for what you want. – Juliet Funt
38. Don’t be bitter; be better. – John Smoltz
39. ’Busy’ isn’t a badge. – Laura Vanderkam
40. Be open-minded but skeptical. – Marc Randolph
41. You are the narrator of your life. Pay attention to the story you are telling. – Lori Gottlieb
42. Most distraction isn’t external. It begins within us. – Nir Eyal
43. Find the joy in daily moments. Keep a “joy journal.” – Holly Rowe
44. Leadership starts with self-awareness. – Ian Cron
45. The best teams are player-led. – Tom Izzo
46. Be attracted to challenges. Find a way. – Dawn Staley
47. Want to give better feedback? Start with this phrase: I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectaitons and I know that you can reach them. – Daniel Coyle
48. Productivity is not about getting more stuff done; it’s about getting the right stuff done. – Michael Hyatt
49. Bloom where you’re planted. Be great where you are. – Dabo Swinney
50. What would you do with your life if money didn’t matter? – Jenn Lim
51. Taking breaks increases – Daniel Pink
52. Find the intersectionality of what you love and what you’re good at. – Ally Love
53. Fall in love with the process. – Joshua Medcalf
54. Being present is the greatest gift we can give. – Jim Loehr
55. Define work-life balance how you want to, with no judgment. – Amy Trask
56. Take the job no one else wants. – Beth Comstock
57. Don’t get caught in wins or losses, praise or criticism. – James Franklin
58. It’s not whether you have good luck or bad luck—it’s what you do with it. – Verne Harnish
59. Drop the ball. Let go of unrealistic expectations! – Tiffany Dufu
60. Use the “Sesame Street” model for communication. Keep it short and invite them to interact. – Celeste Headlee
61. Have no regrets. – Jimmie Johnson
62. The most empowering thing you can say to your people as a leader is this phrase: You decide. – Andy Stanley
63. Don’t allow fear to keep you on the sidelines. – Isaac Lidsky
64. Visibility matters. We need more women in leadership positions. – Muffet McGraw
65. Position yourself as the guide. Never play the hero. – Donald Miller
66. Focus on what counts and not what shouts loudest. – Chris Baréz-Brown
67. The comfort zone is the most dangerous place. – Emily Giffin
68. Visualize yourself going through adversity and coming out of it. – Billy Horschel
69. Life isn’t always a straight line. Don’t be afraid to zig and zag. – Val Ackerman
70. Value your dependable players, not just your stars. – Suzy Welch
71. Sometimes the obstacle is the way. – Ryan Holiday
72. Model the behaviors you want to see. – Nate Oats
73. Be comfortable and confident in your own skin. – Elena Delle Donne
74. Introversion and extraversion are about where you draw your energy. – Susan Cain
75. Don’t let anybody outwork you. – Leonard Hamilton
76. Ideas are like diapers. When they are full of crap, just throw them away. – Steve Koonin
77. Live a life of beinginserted by doing. – Shawn Askinosie
78. There is a myth of “charismatic leadership.” Introverted leaders often deliver better outcomes. – Susan Cain
79. Have forgiveness in your life. – Jon Dorenbos
80. Success leaves clues. Be curious. – Tony Gonzalez
81. Think broadly and embrace diverse experiences. – David Epstein
82. Joy is not frivolous. It’s a key part of building strength and resilience. – Adam Grant
83. Let your kids fail. – Muffet McGraw
84. Stop hiding and start sharing your gifts with the world. – Sam Acho
85. Most great experiences are mostly forgettable and occasionally remarkable. We have to create those remarkable moments. – Dan Heath
86. Just take one step. – Alison Levine
87. Build a tolerance for failure and learn how to recover. – Chipper Jones
88. The truth works. – Jan Smith
89. Never be afraid to use your platform to create change. – Renee Montgomery
90. Invest in your high performers and show them your appreciation. – Ron Clark
91. Talent will only take you so far. – Tom Glavine
92. Read your goals every night before you go to bed and again when you wake up. – Daymond John
93. Stop placing your identity in your roles. – Glennon Doyle
94. Instead of asking “why me?” Ask “Why not me?” – Inky Johnson
95. Stop “scheduling” feedback. – Kim Scott
96. Don’t do work for Do work for someone.– Seth Godin
97. Keep your goals and dreams in front of you on a daily basis. – Gus Malzahn
98. How we feel affects how we think, and how we think affects how we feel. – Dan Quinn
99. We are all in this together. – Scott Kelly
100. Tune into the joy in your life. – Shabnam Mogharabi

Your Game Changer Takeaway

What have been your favorite takeaways from the show? I love hearing from you. Send me an email molly@mollyfletcher.com with your favorite lessons learned. Thanks for listening and coming along for the journey. If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to “Game Changers with Molly Fletcher” wherever you listen to podcasts, and leave a rating or review to help others discover the show!