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speaker-0: I've come to believe that high-performing teams and individuals really aren't built by demanding more from people, right? I think they're built by creating the environment where people can thrive and do their best work. It's been a great, I guess, reminder that busy is easy, being intentional is much, much harder. It's not necessarily the skills that compound automatically, but it's the experiences in tandem with those skills, right?
speaker-1: I'm Dr. Amy Aethe. As a licensed psychologist and performance expert, working with elite athletes, C-suite executives, and high performers operating in some of the most demanding environments. I've seen what it truly takes to perform when it matters most. From supporting members of the Naval Special Warfare community to advising leaders in high stakes, high-pressure situations, One Truth remains consistent. The tools that drive performance are the same. You prepare in a way that allows you to show. Show up ready when the moment arrives. Each week I'll share practical tools and insights to help you strengthen how you think, lead, and perform. Welcome to Still Evolving. Something worth sitting with for a moment. The skills that got you to the seat you are in right now are almost certainly not the ones that are going to keep you there. Not because you were wrong to build them, because the world that is built for them is no longer the world we are actually operating in. That is the tension underneath today's conversation, and it is one of the most consequential questions that any high performer eventually has to answer, which is whether you are willing to grow past the version of yourself that got you here. I think adaptation deserves more attention than it usually gets in leadership conversations. It tends to be treated as a skill you deploy in a crisis. When the market shifts, when the org restructures, when the technology changes underneath you. What I have seen across the leaders who actually sustain high performance over decades is that adaptation is not a crisis response. It is a way of being. It is a daily practice of noticing what is working, what has stopped working, and what version of you the next chapter is going to require. The ones that miss this become excellent at yesterday's job. The ones who lean in, stake useful, curious, and current long after their peers have plateaued. My book Moment Ready was written as much about this piece as it was the four capacities in the front half of the book. In the second half of the book, I write about the fundamentals that lead a person to sustain that high performance over a long arc, and reflecting and adapting is central to that work. The reason it matters so much is that the four capacities in the moment, composure, Clarity, connection, and courageous action only stay useful if a person is carrying them is still evolving. A leader with well-built capacities and no adaptive muscle becomes brittle or rigid. A leader who keeps reflecting, keeps adapting, and keeps letting go of what no longer serves them stays whole through the transitions that break other people's careers. Here's the piece that makes this genuinely difficult. Growing past who you were is not about learning something new. It is about releasing something old. The specific expertise that made you effective in the last chapter has to be loosened in order for the next chapter to fully arrive. Most leaders resist this without realizing they are doing it because the old identity is the source of their confidence and letting it soften can feel like losing ground. What I have found is the opposite. The leaders who are most willing to become a beginner again are In a new domain, a new skill, a new season of leadership, are the ones who keep expanding rather than contracting as their careers mature. They are the ones who feel younger the longer they lead, not older. Today's guest has lived exactly this pattern, and he is refreshingly clear about the choices that shaped it. Mike Houston is a senior executive whose career has taken him from rural Michigan where success was made. measured almost entirely in the number of hours you are willing to put in into global leadership roles at the intersection of professional services, technology, and growth strategy. His path has been built on philosophy of curiosity, ownership, and a willingness to keep becoming someone slightly different than he was the year before. He is a leader who thinks carefully about how people grow, how teams get built, and how a leader can protect the daily practice of adaptation Even when the calendar wants to consume it. He is unusually honest about the identities he has had to let go along the way, which is exactly the honesty this conversation needed. Mike, thanks for being here. Let's get into it.
speaker-0: Thank you so much, Amy. I've been looking forward to this session with you.
speaker-1: Mike, your journey is remarkable ⁓ for our listeners. ⁓ just a very quick backstory. You grew up in rural Michigan, is that right? Yes. Awesome. It is. Awesome. And in that environment, you share in that community that oftentimes success meant ⁓ a lot of hours in a blue-collar environment or position. Is that is that accurate? Am I stealing the show, if you will, in describing that?
speaker-0: No, absolutely. I mean yeah, it was really a function of the hours you put in 'cause that's what you had control over. So
speaker-1: So I'm curious, Mike, when we talk about your journey, ⁓ and some so much of sustaining high performance is one's ability to reflect and then adapt or evolve. ⁓ when did you realize that perhaps you wanted something different than those opportunities?
speaker-0: Well, I love that you use the word curious 'cause I mean that's really what it came down for me, right? Like curiosity really expanded my definition of success. So it's not like I knew or I ever thought that I wanted something different. I I think I just became curious about what was
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possible. ⁓ growing up, success was, like you said, defined by working hard, showing up every day, providing for your family, right? And I can happily say those values have never left me, but I think what had changed was my exposure. So as I met entrepreneurs, investors, and other executives, I realized there were ca there were careers where your ideas, your leadership, and really just the ability to build people and organizations could create an enormous impact. So I I didn't really maybe change or reject where I came from. I I feel like I built on it and and that I think has really as I've continued to try to build on it has kind of led you me to the trajectory here today. But you you don't realize that right growing up in rural Michigan and and where this trajectory and this curiosity could take you.
speaker-1: It's fascinating when you were curious when you're younger. It sounds like you had exposure and you mentioned perhaps other entrepreneurs or ⁓ possible mentors, sponsors along the way. Like what helped you perhaps in your interactions with them or beyond curiosity, right? Because certainly ⁓ there was something that enabled you to take the curiosity and the ideas and transform that to action, right? So I'm sure not all of those actions were easy or even comfortable. But what helped then translate it to perhaps a move or taking that risk of a new position or further education?
speaker-0: You without trying to oversimplify it, I I think a lot of that came because I was willing to become someone different than who I was before. So I I guess the way I I look at that is ⁓ I believe a lot of people think leadership is learning new skills. Whereas for me, I think a lot of part of it, yeah, is that. But I think a bigger part of that is I think it's letting go maybe of old ideas, right? Letting go of trying to be the smartest person of the room or the best salesperson or, you know, solving tactical problems. I think for me, at least that's been a bit of an identity change over the last several years, is to you take that curiosity and then you build on it, right? And and and at the same time too shed maybe some of those old identities or things that we grasp onto so tightly because it got us to a certain level that that doesn't necessarily mean it's going to get you to the next Step function or the you know, that next level of success that you're trying to unlock in your career.
speaker-1: Absolutely. We use the phrase like what got you here won't keep you here. Right. So even if you've acquired skills to get to the seat, then what you might find is once you're in that seat driving, ⁓ the road can change, right? Like I used to always talk about. Like you have a general direction, the vision of where you you're headed. And then what happens when all of a sudden that interstate shut down because of construction or accident? Now you have to take an off-road. And ⁓ it's Perhaps bumpier, perhaps takes you a minute longer. ⁓ and and certainly how we show up in those moments as leaders is so critical, right? Like how we can may remain composed, how we can bring clarity, connect with people and take that courageous action.
speaker-0: I think even using that analogy though too, like taking taking the road less traveled, let's call it, it could end up being more scenic. It could be that you accumulate more skills or just knowledge that you wouldn't have done because you had to to take a different trajectory. And so I I think too, maybe it comes down a lot to ambition, right? And and I know we can define ambition in a in a variety of different ways depending on the situation, but I I would just say I guess the the longer I've been in my career, the less interested I become in collecting accomplishments and being more interested in just building something that outlasts me. And I I think at some point every leader kind of hits that inflection point in their career and that kind of propels them ideally to that to that next level as well. But it it doesn't happen without some ambition and some bumps ⁓ and bruises along the way.
speaker-1: Absolutely. ⁓ how have you helped your teams get comfortable with that? Right. Because certainly as leaders, perhaps maybe it's your support system, probably it's kind of that fortitude muscle that is flexed when those bumps come along. But as leaders, we're also helping guide, empower, inspire others to take action that otherwise they may not feel incredibly comfortable with, right? And and in a transformation or through challenge. ⁓ what's worked for you in your leadership approach?
speaker-0: Fantastic question. Cause I I've come to believe that high performing teams and individuals really aren't built by demanding more from people, right? I think they're built by creating the environment where people can thrive and do their best work. So for me, I I kind of break it out into four pillars, if you will. So so clarity. I mean, especially where the majority of my career has been in professional services and so you're interacting with people. And not necessarily an innate object that you're trying to sell, but rather the knowledge of others. And so as you create clarity, people perform better when they know exactly what success looks like, what's expected of them, ideally trying to reduce some ambiguity along the ways. And if two, if priorities are constantly changing or or expectations aren't clear, even great people will struggle. So and clarity first and foremost. Second one, I'm a firm believer in this, but it it's really stretching people, but don't overwhelm them. Kind of find really try to put people in situations where maybe they're just a little uncomfortable. And I think that's where growth happens. Cause if they're always comfortable, you know, speaking for myself, they're probably not growing. So if if they're completely overwhelmed at the other end of the spectrum, they're definitely not learning. ⁓ and then third, I d I to give ownership ⁓ and not just
responsibility. Cause I I really think there's a difference there. But Between assigning someone work and giving them ownership in that work. And for me, ownership really means trusting people to make decisions, to learn from their mistakes and and truly feel accountable for that outcome. ⁓ and then the last one I usually try try to look at is, you know, how do we model that behavior? Right? So the team watches what the leader does far more than what the leader says, right? And so if I stay curious, ⁓ if I admit when I'm wrong, if I keep learning, I adapt when circumstances change. Ideally that gives everyone else permission to do the same. Right. So I I think ultimately high performers are made and and not necessarily just born, right? Like I I yeah, you have a great set of skills that that you can continue to build on, but most people are already want to do some meaningful work. ⁓ I I feel like as a leader, my job is to remove those obstacles, give them those opportunities to grow and and really challenge them when they're they're capable of doing more than they think. And And maybe one other thought too, don't want to forget this, but celebrate progress along the way, first and foremost. Like you wanna make sure that ⁓ you're clearly identifying those markers or those milestones as people continue to grow and and shape into those high performers that that that they can be.
speaker-1: First off, thank you for sharing those four points and how we can help how we can help others, right? Like navigate through the and and evolve themselves, how they can get comfortable with that or i even if it's in the midst of transition and change or challenge, how they can how they can continue to grow. ⁓ 'cause there is a big there's a big difference than just getting through it. And I really appreciate you you focusing also on the ownership of that. I and ⁓ you know, honestly, I I find challenge in that, not just even professionally, but even in like my personal life, right? Like when I'm raising now, my children are adult children, right? Like they don't they don't need me like organizing things like I used to for them, right? If anything, it becomes ⁓ almost like I'm robbing them of the opportunity. I'm robbing them of the experience and and I'm also passively messaging that. I don't know necessarily if I believe they can do it, which couldn't be further from the truth. Right. Like I I I do really want them to know that I have that that faith in them and and trust that they can figure it out. so very much appreciate that that accountability focus. I did want to follow up on the last point you mentioned about how much of what we were are describing, whether it's going through and evolving yourself as an individual performer. as an individual leader or helping facilitate a resilient environment, climate and supporting your team members to do that. So we're talking about skills. ⁓ I think oftentimes there's this old adage of like, ⁓ they they have it or they don't, right? ⁓ and and many of the behaviors that you have shared ⁓ ultimately can be learned, can be rehearsed, and can be executed. And while it may never be perhaps your go-to kind of comfort zone to be able to say, Hey, I'm gonna trust you you've got this. This is commander's intent, if you will, they would say in the military, commander's intent, get to the X, and trusting that your team members will get to the X within the bounds and standards that have been set through, you know, sharing of expectations and and all the the previous history. But ⁓ Talk to me a little bit about like where do you think you learned your skills? or perhaps like how do you continue to d to grow and develop as a leader now in honing in on some of those leadership skills that we talked about in leading through change, challenge or adversity.
speaker-0: The first thing that comes to mind is consistency. I mean, any time that we're gonna be doing something consistent in a consistent fashion to with the goal of always becoming better, ideally time's gonna be on your side, right? Like I'm I'm a huge advocate of the atomic habits ⁓ book of, you know, those incremental gains, right? And how can we how can we just be one percent better today and then just repeat that tomorrow? And so As you're in the moment and you're being consistent and just looking for those little marginal gains, ⁓ it doesn't feel like a lot, but yeah, I think it comes back to ⁓ to to that consistency, at least for me anyways. ⁓ so
speaker-1: What helps you lead others so that they are improving and and or more consistent in their work?
speaker-0: Yeah, I think it is celebrating those small wins. I mean, going back to those those four points I had before, like at the end, you wanna celebrate even if it's just a marginal gain or if it's a huge accomplishment. I think being consistent and and making sure that you you savor those wins. 'Cause I now that's the other thing too that I've learned in my career is like you you ⁓ you wanna be able to to perform at a very high level and continue to do it consistently. It's not that you can't do that in perpetuity. But how can you kind of make sure that you're ⁓ aligning with some of those cycles, those peaks and troughs, and and even kind of making them a little bit shorter to where maybe those troughs aren't as big and and those peaks get keep getting higher. ⁓ and taking some time to just kind of look back and say, hey, you know, this this is what I was able to accomplish. This is what I had to do to get to this point. ⁓ and so ideally, at least for me personally, it gives me more ambition or some more encouragement or motivation to say, all right, well. Let's see what I can unlock this week or this month and and and just kinda looking at it through that lens.
speaker-1: Yeah, I like the the celebrate small wins. I I I think that micro dosing ⁓ of reinforcement is so critical, right? ⁓ to kind of follow on where you were there. ⁓ I I think about like
physical activity, right? How hard it is to shift that behavior, whether you're not you you are working out at all right now, whether or not you want to go from working out twice a week to four times a week. I'll just take it. And a lot of people have written about this, like the couch to the five K and like how they can how you can kind of get moving. But I I know just from my personal experience, ⁓ you can buy every you know, have a walking pad or Peloton or like I've got the street right out here, right? Like I can I can just walk outside and go for a walk. And yet why is it that there's some days that happens and some days that that I it's harder for me to prioritize it or just kind of get moving. And ⁓ s celebrating, stringing those together so that, ⁓ I wanted to go for a half hour walk. I only I only have 15 minutes. Okay. So go for 15 minutes, right? Like, and yeah, it wasn't perhaps the desired behavior full on the half hour. ⁓ but at the end of the week, if I had done that twice, that is what half hour, right? Like versus Not walking at all. So not getting any steps in in that regard. So ⁓ thinking through on a daily or even weekly basis, like what would be the that win? You know, if you have a reset Sunday and that you're kind of looking forward to the week, what is that one piece? And it may not be the the full proposal yet. It may be just the executive summary or the intro or the financials. It might be one piece of it. But what can you accomplish in that one week that then and then truly reinforce the and celebrate that ⁓ for yourself? Huge momentum shift. ⁓ a lot of people and I
speaker-0: Really like a thought.
speaker-1: Sorry. Go ahead, Mike.
speaker-0: I'm just gonna say I ri I really like that thought, ⁓ because I've realized too that it it's not necessarily the skills that compound automatically, but it's the experiences in tandem with those skills, right? So like throughout my career, I've tried to put myself in roles that that were maybe just beyond what I felt was comfortable, right? And so like I think it is, even as you're consistent on a daily and kind of a s a smaller incremental basis, then I think it's even important too to maybe even every few years kinda take inventory and and try to take on something that that would force you to become a beginner again. ⁓ so I yeah I
speaker-1: love that. I I was talking to a a previous guest. It's been it's been some time. ⁓ but I loved his idea. He every week, every month, like he and his family intentionally would take on an activity that was brand new. So perhaps it was gonna go to a j listen to a jazz artist or sign up for a pottery class or, you know, just something that's not in the typical recreation social exposure that really just kind of got him out. It also was wonderful in terms of like boosting creativity, right? If you talk about psychological flexibility and being able to go out, and sometimes this happens with travel, right? If you go to a different culture, different new food, new time schedules, new way of interacting, it can help boost just your flexibility and creativity. So ⁓ very much appreciate the role that that behavior can can add in terms of your where you're going, right? Who you are. And ⁓ without that exposure, it's hard. It's hard to really
speaker-0: And maybe a quick anecdote. So we my family and I moved to Utah a number of years ago from Michigan. So the mountains were new to me. I had liked cycling, but never really got into it in big way. Thought, all right, here's the opportunity I have to get into cycling in a big way, go ride to the top of these mountains and ride back down and just be able to even accomplish that, right? And so really made some some short-term goals of even just being able to ride 20 miles there and back to ⁓ where I thought, you know, what is the biggest race or kind of biggest event that I could do? And then kind of work my way backwards, right? And so there's a race that goes from northern Utah up to the Grand Teton National Park. So it's a two hundred and five mile race on your bike. You do it all in one day. ⁓ and so I I've done it a handful of times to where the first time we're just like I want to be able to finish within the allotted time to be able to get that medal. To where then that goal then shifted to be like, well, I want to try to do it within, you know, averaging twenty miles an hour throughout the entire time. Right. And keep in mind you're going over three mountain passes, three states, so it's a pretty big event. ⁓ but but to to start, you know, it's small and say, okay, let's see if I can ride twenty miles, let's see if I can even climb a mountain and make my way back down without crashing and killing myself. to all right, well let's do this race that's, you know, two hundred plus miles in one day and and see what I could do there. So I think having that progression and it doesn't have to be that big either, right? But just how do you make yourself uncomfortable such that you're making yourself better at the same time.
speaker-1: It's fantastic and and kudos to you. Wow. ⁓ but your point and I think we've seen this now with some recent research is like how our brains are wired. When we do challenge ourselves, we are uncomfortable and then we perhaps, you know, are able to perform that twenty mile up the mountain and back. Actually that is a huge boost neuroph neurophysiologically, right? Like they're all of those receptors that All of those brain chemicals are firing to say, keep going, do it again. Like that is your reward. that it can be incredibly intense. And so, how can you find not only like time to celebrate that success, the small successes in your week, but the takeaway there too is also what is the challenge you're going after in your week? Right. And it's intentionally to be a challenge, not a threat. It's not fearsome of like, 20 miles, you know, yeah, I guess you could rack, but like let's focus on like no the challenges that I could push myself for this. And I think I am ready and I I can I can knock that out. So great helpful reminder too of what is that one thing that may push you a little bit that week. ⁓ and then also don't forget to kind of re I guess ⁓ recharge with with a bit of ⁓ celebration at the end too. ⁓ to close my One question we ask all of our guests, ⁓ again, your journey, it's not just one moment that mattered, it's been a serial series of them and and certainly more to come. And to sustain that high performance, there's a number of ways that people can ⁓ renew, recharge, they can ⁓ like we've talked, reflecting ⁓ and adapting, but also Things that they could do to stay grounded, right? So I'm curious for you, is there something that you use in your daily or weekly routine that's that's helped you sustain in your journey along the way?
speaker-0: Yeah, fantastic question. ⁓ I I would say as as I I wake up, you know, first thing I do is look at email, start responding, ⁓ you know, start getting a sense of like what how's the day gonna play out? ⁓ 'cause to be quite honest, like there's a thousand things competing for my attention every day. And so where I found to to to be able to I I'll just say prioritize or or make sure that I'm I'm locked in. It it I'm asking that question before I even start my day, what's the highest value thing only I can do today. Right. So like most of those thousand things that compete for my attention, let's be honest, someone else could probably do. But there are usually one or two decisions or conversations or even coaching moments that only I can provide. And so if if I accomplish those first, I know I've created value. Even if the rest of the day becomes chaotic, which let's be honest, most of the time it does. Yeah. ⁓ but really that's a question that keeps me from confusing activity with impact. And I I it's been a great I guess reminder that busy is easy, being intentional is much, much harder.
speaker-1: Great reminder and very helpful question to s to start your day. Mike, thank you so much for joining me with today. Very much value. ⁓ not just the conversation, but also learning from you. Thank you.
speaker-0: Thank you, Amy.