GrowLeader Podcast with Chris Hodges

Episode 68 | Ed Mylett – The Power of One More
Date: December 16, 2024

Overview

This special episode of the GrowLeader Podcast features a keynote from Ed Mylett, renowned speaker, author of “The Power of One More,” and entrepreneur. Delivered at the 2024 Impact Leadership Conference, Mylett’s talk weaves personal stories, leadership principles, and faith-driven encouragement. The central theme: True leadership is about impacting lives one at a time, drawing from your own story, and recognizing the “power of one more”—one more day, one more person, one more opportunity to change both your life and the lives of others.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Roots of Influence and Leadership

• Ed’s Humble Beginnings:

  • Grew up as the son of an alcoholic and drug addict.
  • Admits to not being the “smart one” in the family; jokes about always finishing last in family IQ tests.
  • Credits his wife, whom he met in kindergarten, with being his first real blessing.

• The Impact of Family Dysfunction:

  • Shares a humorous and humbling cheating story from third grade to illustrate a point: “If you can build leaders, great things will happen to you in your life.” (06:40)

2. Five Core Principles of Building Leaders

(10:35–14:00)
1. Sell a God-Sized Dream

• “You gotta sell a big old dream. You gotta sell a God-sized dream.” (08:23)
• Leaders must have vision big enough that others can see their dreams within it.

2. Back it Up with Example

• “You validate your vision, you validate your mission with your example.” (09:29)

3. Know What You’re Against

• Clearly articulate not only what you’re for, but what you’re trying to eradicate or overcome.

4. Relentless Repetition

• “Most leaders suffer from something called leadership fatigue.” (11:13)
• Don’t stop repeating the message—be relentless in reinforcing vision and values.

5. Build Leaders, Not Just Followers

• Inspired by “Field of Dreams”: “If you build leaders, people will come.” (11:48)

#### Memorable Quote:

“If you build leaders, the people will come.”
— Ed Mylett, (11:48)

3. Vision-Casting with a Real-World Example

• Steve Jobs on Vision and Persistence: (12:24–13:11)
  • Mylett plays a 1-minute clip of Steve Jobs sharing a dream about building a portable computer ten years before the technology existed—a lesson in selling a dream before you know the pathway.
  • “Most people think, well, I can’t sell this dream if I don’t know every single step... what Jobs did is he embodied this idea of selling a big enough dream and repeating it.” (13:11)

4. Your Greatest Pain Can Become Your Gift

(14:08–20:05)

• Mylett reveals his two “talents”:

  1. Loving and reading people—“I’m present with them. I see them unusually so, and I connect with them.” (16:13)
  2. Communicating and shifting people’s emotions—“My ability to communicate, to shift people. And they feel things when I speak or I talk or I write.” (16:38)

• Both talents have roots in his father’s alcoholism and the early necessity to “read” his dad’s state as a child to keep the family safe.

#### Memorable Quote:

“If you can survive the temporary, that on the other side of that temporary pain, there’s a gift revealed to you.”
— Ed Mylett, (15:07)

5. The Power of One More: Family, Recovery, and Generational Change

• The Transformative Moment:

  • Ed’s father gets sober at 15 and never drinks again, after countless failed attempts. The change comes from two things: love for his family, and faith:

    • “I love you, son. You deserve a father that you can be proud of.” (21:41)

  • Ed’s father is helped by another man named Ed, who had only been sober 31 days—teachings about qualification:

    • “You are most qualified to help the person you used to be.” (00:13, 25:20, repeated throughout)

• Ripple Effect:

  • Ed tracks how one man’s intervention changed his family’s generational trajectory.
  • “The power of one more person you help at a time.” (22:16)
  • “One decision, one relationship, one act can change everything for generations.”

6. Speaking Life as a Leadership Philosophy

(26:56–31:15)

• Shares intimate moments with his children, always affirming their value and identity (“Let me tell you about you, son/daughter...”)
• Stresses the importance of telling those you lead what you see in them—not just vague praise, but specifics linked to their unique traits or gifts.

#### Memorable Quote:

“A great leader finds the two or three things in somebody. Doesn’t just see it, tells them...and then you link that thing to what it is they should be doing.”
— Ed Mylett, (31:15)

7. Legacy: The “One” in Every Family

(33:34–39:48)

• Honors his father, grandfather, and the generational struggles with addiction.
• Reflects on the difference one person (“The One”) makes in ending family cycles and starting new legacies.

#### Memorable Quote:

“In every family, the one shows up. Of all the ones in every family, there’s the One. And that one changes that family for generations, forever.”
— Ed Mylett, (48:27)

8. The Final Lesson: What Will You Leave?

(45:17–end)

• Shares the tender final moments with his dying father, who, after a lifetime of struggle, wants only one more day with his family.
• At the end, possessions, titles, and achievements mean nothing—only relationships and impact remain.

#### Memorable Quote:

“When my dad was dying, you know what he didn’t say? Bring me my awards. Bring me my pile of money. Bring me all the achievements...You know what my father said to me from the hospital bed? ‘Bring me my family. Bring me my children.’”
— Ed Mylett, (45:40)

• Final challenge: What will YOUR “one more” be? What will you leave behind?

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “You are most qualified to help the person you used to be.”
  — Ed Mylett (00:13, 25:20, and elsewhere)
• “It takes leaders with vision to help people with dreams.”
  — Ed Mylett (08:23)
• “Big enough...that all of the dreams of the people that are within your stewardship can fit inside the dream you're selling.”
  — Ed Mylett (08:37)
• “If you build leaders, the people will come.”
  — Ed Mylett (11:48)
• “Most leaders suffer from something called leadership fatigue... It’s not about saying new things to old people. It’s about saying old things to new people.”
  — Ed Mylett (11:13)
• “If you can survive the temporary, on the other side of that temporary pain, there’s a gift revealed to you.”
  — Ed Mylett (15:07)
• “You aren’t your possessions. You aren’t your awards. You aren’t your achievements. You aren’t your problems, your fears, and your worries.”
  — Ed Mylett (45:43)
• “Who do you want to be when you have one more day?”
  — Ed Mylett (44:12)
• “In every family, there’s the One... If you felt any emotion when I was speaking today, you’re the one.”
  — Ed Mylett (48:27)

Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Summary | |-----------|----------------| | 00:00 | Opening story: “You are most qualified to help the person you used to be.” | | 06:40 | Childhood cheating story; early lessons on humility and influence. | | 08:23 | #1 Principle: Sell a God-sized dream. | | 09:29 | #2 Principle: Back up your dream with your example. | | 11:13 | #4 Principle: Repetition conquers “leadership fatigue.” | | 11:48 | #5 Principle: Build leaders so people will come. “Field of Dreams” analogy. | | 12:24 | Steve Jobs vision-casting clip. | | 15:07 | “Your greatest pain can become your gift.” | | 16:13 | Ed describes his two talents: loving people and communicating. | | 21:41 | Father’s transformative moment—new commitment to sobriety and faith. | | 22:16 | The “Power of One More”: the man who helped Ed’s father. | | 25:20 | “You are most qualified to help the person you used to be.” (repeated) | | 26:56 | Affirming his children; legacy of speaking life. | | 31:15 | Leadership as identifying and affirming unique gifts in others. | | 33:34 | Legacy: family history, generational impact of “the One.” | | 39:47 | Final days and lessons from his father's life and death. | | 45:07 | Ed’s father’s death; reflections on what truly matters at life’s end. | | 48:27 | The “One” in every family: the call to become a generational change-maker. |

Tone and Style

Ed Mylett’s delivery is heartfelt, candid, and emotionally resonant. His humor is self-deprecating, and his stories are raw yet hopeful. He seamlessly blends practical leadership advice with deep faith and personal testimony, encouraging listeners to believe they can be the agents of “one more” change in their own lives and families.

Episode Takeaway

Leadership is not about titles or IQ but about vision, relentless encouragement, and helping the next person—often by drawing on your own struggles. Every leader has the opportunity and responsibility to be “the One” in their family or organization, changing the trajectory for generations by leaning into the power of one more decision, one more act of love, and one more day of purpose.

Recommended For:
Leaders at every level, especially those navigating personal hardships, anyone aspiring to leave a legacy, and listeners who value faith-integrated leadership development.