In this episode, we begin the leader’s journey by meeting Jonathan who, upon agreeing to play the Game Changer publicly through this podcast, cautioned me “I’m not a leader”. As you listen, you may hear him reveal otherwise -- whether he recognizes it yet, or not.

1:54: Discovery of language

3:00: Love for Europe begins

10:38: Urgent need to talk about Europe

15:00: The state of the world

23:00: What does the word “leader” evoke?

28:35: Expectations of the Illumify Game Changer

36:21: Do you see yourself as a leader?

43:00: “I do feel I have things to say and want to say them.”

58:00: Stories are not enough. We need to put our bodies on the line.

1:14:37: The word vision has gone missing.

1:19:50: Vision is vital to igniting change.

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Jonathan begins his leader’s journey by first denying that he is in fact a leader. But in this minisode from Episode 1, he soon reveals that there are causes dear to his heart, and that he “has things to say.”

Listen to the full episode here: https://illumifyinc.com/podcast/01-the-leaders-journey-begins-part-1/

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In this episode, we explore the power of vision and storytelling in leadership, diving deep into the pursuit of truth. Jonathan examines how leaders balance looking forward with honoring the past, and how authenticity, competition, and dignity shape the path to meaningful change.

00:37 Distinction between visionary and storyteller

11:19 “The pursuit of truth matters”.

27:07 Communicating a vision of the future in current times

31:45 The importance of pursuing the truth

41:11 Vision versus agenda

47:01 “Human rights sit on the idea of the soul”.

47:40 “Every child is born with a sacred dignity that can never be taken away.”

54:13 Do you hear yourself when you speak?

57:56 Why do you see a social setting as a competition?

01:05:08 Friendship is almost the absence of competition

01:13:11 A unique voice

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Jonathan and Marianne explore the foundations beneath human rights—the sacred dignity and soul inherent in every child. In this minisode, they reflect on the limits of language, the role of faith and metaphor, and the profound truth that grounds our shared humanity.

Listen to the full episode here: 01. The Leader's Journey Begins, Part 2

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Now the Game Changer begins. This is the first in the Illuminate phase of the questions, each of which surfaces insights to illuminate the change most meaningful to you. This first question is a loaded one, deliberately.

00:59: Reference Cards: Illumify Definition & Guidelines for Play

09:00: Listening with your heart instead of your head

15:00: Who are the lost?

16:32: The first Illuminate question

18:58: Feeling small and insignificant

25:52: Is significance visible or invisible?

34:21: Struggling to see own significance

35:16: Culture’s impact on significance

39:30: Modesty as control mechanism

41:46: Is it possible you’re a natural winner?

45:24: “Inequality is antithetical to everything I believe in.”

50:28: “We need a new political vision that restores and revives a true idea of equality.”

52:58: “At some point the world calls you and tells you what you need to do.”

55:54: Waiting versus knowing what is meaningful to you

1:01:09: The desire to serve the community runs deep

1:09:38: What scenario would make you significant?

1:17:35: Seeing the contradictions with your significance

1:18:22: The difficulty in seeing yourself as significant

1:19:31: “Significant change takes significant leadership.”

1:21:28: You can illumify on two levels.

1:25:59: “A vital aspect of the good life is trying to be better than we were yesterday.”

1:26:25: What happens after pursuit of excellence is achieved?

1:35:04: “The pursuit of excellence in itself is a virtue.”

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Igniting significant change takes real leadership. How do you lead if you don’t see that you are significant enough to make this change? In this minisode from Episode 2, Jonathan grapples with his own significance.

Listen to the full episode here: 02. The Leader’s Significance

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This episode begins with Jonathan sharing his reflections on the last question where he grappled with the prospect of being significant. This next Illuminate question gets to the heart of him seeing what perhaps only he can see that needs to change. But first he has to wrestle with intolerance and how words can serve the truth.

01:01: Reflections on last card: Significance

09:40: Reading the Reference cards

17:30: The second Illuminate question

20:32: Intolerance as aggressive

23:34: Decisions as an act of intolerance

25:11: Commitment to excellence

32:48: “What triggers me is that we live in a post-truth world”.

34:50: Why isn’t truth in the constitution of democratic societies?

41:30: Is it possible to accomplish this without being significant?

42:55: “It’s the truth inside the words that matters.”

44:58: Words matter, despite what the body language experts say

47:07: You can articulate what you see through your mastery of language.

49:01: Giving people a choice to act or not to act

50:10: “I recognize the anger within me.”

52:00: “Vision is absolutely fundamental. Your starting point. It’s why you exist.”

55:18: The importance of a vision and how it’s articulated

1:03:00: A different awareness of relationship with vision?

1:04:00: “I have things to say, and I want to say them.”

1:06:14: The legitimacy of the European Union

1:08:00: The thread of his vision emerges

1:12:50: What does the word “visionary” mean to you?

1:19:40: “I do want to create a new way of seeing Europe.”

1:21:16: “Politics at its most fundamental level is about the choices we make.”

1:24:45: Recognize your unique capacity to ignite meaningful change.

1:27:00: Truth with a capital T, and how values influence it

1:37:40: Connection as sharing, unified with each other

1:50:14: Does a visionary need to be a mechanic?

1:57:57: Is it an advantage to have multiple voices in your head?

2:07:50: “I often see my own mind with its different voices as a Parliament.”

2:09:58: Consciousness, tea bags and the visionary

2:13:19: We all contain multitudes but do have unity through memory.

2:16:00: Are we able to unify all those voices into a common vision?

2:23:11: The power of conversation to slow things down

2:28:12: Final Answer to Illuminate Question 2

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Jonathan has spent a lot of his professional life in the political realm. Perhaps as a result, he sees beyond what politics is now to what it could and should be. In this minisode from Episode 3, he shares his perspective on politics, and discovers that it’s part of what makes him and his leadership distinct.

Listen to the full episode here: Season 1: 03 – The Leader’s Intolerance For What Is Now

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