Miracle Mentality with Tim Storey

Episode E10: Robert Glazer: How to Lead with Values and Follow Your Inner Compass | Leadership

Released: October 20, 2025

Overview

In this episode, Tim Storey welcomes Robert Glazer—founder and chairman of Acceleration Partners, best-selling author, and renowned leadership speaker—to explore how leading with core values and following your inner compass can transform both personal and organizational life. The conversation delves into Robert’s personal evolution, his philosophy on values-driven leadership, and actionable strategies for cultivating authenticity and impact in a complex, rapidly changing world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Robert Glazer’s Path to Leadership and Purpose

• Authenticity in Speaking ([03:41])
  • Robert shares that his speaking style is about being “real and relatable,” not modeled after any specific mentor, but formed through honest self-expression.
• Early Life and Missed Potential ([04:15])
  • Robert admits to “living below my potential” in school, recognizing only later—through experimenting in business and law internships—that entrepreneurship and creativity were his callings.

2. The Role of Observation & Unconventional Heroes

• Influence of Herb Kelleher (Southwest Airlines) ([05:33])
  • Robert was inspired by Kelleher’s audacious challenge to industry norms, noting, “They made more money than the whole industry for 20 years.”
  • Admired leaders who were authentic both on and off stage—“He just was the same guy,” referencing Kelleher’s consistent character.

3. Nurturing a Miracle Mentality

• Creative Family Roots ([08:08])
  • Robert credits his mother for instilling “an unbelievably creative” mindset, always encouraging curiosity and hands-on experimentation.
• Curiosity and Questioning the Status Quo ([09:46])
  • Robert describes himself as “innately curious,” often asking unconventional questions, which sometimes unsettled authority figures but sparked his unique perspective.

4. Discovering and Articulating Core Values

• The Journey to Clarity ([11:54])
  • Robert’s participation in a rigorous leadership program became a turning point. He realized that understanding and articulating personal core values was crucial but surprisingly uncommon, even among successful professionals.
  • The process: moving from generic “keyword lists” to actionable, personally defined values led to transformative changes in both life and business.
  • “After I figured that out, I started doubling down on things and my business changed and my life changed.” ([12:51])
• The Compass Within ([11:54])
  • Robert’s new book is told as a parable—a story about "Jamie," whose journey to clarity about values is intended as a mirror for every reader.
  • Frameworks and exercises that have transformed Robert’s own company are incorporated to help readers discover their own compass.

5. Societal Drift and the Need for Values

• Losing Connection to Values in Modern Society ([16:00])
  • Robert warns of “tribalism” and polarization, arguing that “we’ve lost this connection to values and rooted principles.”
  • Cites Adam Grant’s research from Originals—the importance of simple, lived values, such as “you take care of people,” particularly in moments of crisis.
  • Leadership is deeply influenced by unexamined personal history, e.g., “If you had a huge violation of trust as a kid…that’s how you show up as a leader.” ([17:00])

6. Practicing Values When Stakes Are High

• Turning Down a Major Client ([20:19])
  • Robert tells of walking away from a million-dollar client who mistreated his team, despite the financial hit: “Living near your values has a cost. It usually has a short-term cost.”
  • Notable quote:

    “You don’t get any credit…when your values are flowing in the same direction [as the incentives]. You get credit when the river’s going one way and your values are uphill.” ([21:24])

• Example of Basecamp’s Stand ([22:40])
  • He shares how Basecamp’s founders were criticized for banning politics at work, but their values-based decision ultimately strengthened their culture and business.

7. From Family to Business: Meaningful Culture

• Corporate Value Disconnection—Enron Example ([25:00])
  • Tim and Robert discuss companies that post values but don’t live them. Robert singles out Enron as a cautionary tale.
  • Robert notes: “I just don’t like BS...I like people who are authentic and are aligned between what they’re thinking, what they’re saying and what they’re doing.” ([25:17])
• Exceptional Corporate Cultures ([26:18])
  • Robert’s research showed only a small fraction of companies (1–2%) operationalize their core values. Cites Southwest Airlines’ culture as a primary differentiator.

8. Leading & Belonging in a Remote World

• Intentional Connection in Remote Work ([28:03])
  • Drawing on 18 years of experience, Robert outlines systems for fostering belonging and culture in distributed teams—emphasizing intentionality and genuine flexibility.
  • “With anything, you need to be intentional. We built systems and processes around that.” ([28:26])

9. Optimism and Pragmatism about the Future

• Outlook on Society & Change ([30:55])
  • Tim and Robert swap travel stories about communities transformed by collective vision.
  • Robert identifies as a “pragmatic optimist”—hopeful, but only if “we need to be realistic about our challenges and talk about them and not politicize everything.”
  • “If people were clear about what they valued, then they would know which battles they actually really want to fight.” ([31:11])

10. Tactical Application: GSD (Get Shit Done)

• Time Blocking and Prioritization ([31:55])
  • GSD, originally dubbed “airplane time,” is Robert’s technique for deep work.

    “You start with your biggest priorities…put the rocks in first, then the sand comes around it.”

  • He cautions against “calendar apps that let anyone take your time…my calendar is very built around when I want to do certain things.” ([32:45])

11. Bridging Knowing and Doing

• From Inspiration to Implementation ([34:14])
  • To become more effective, Robert recommends picking one action and committing to it, rather than aiming for wholesale change:

    “James Clear said, if you get 1% better every day, it’s like 37 times better a year. So I believe people that do one thing…and once you do that and see the improvement, then you’re likely to do the next thing. That’s how the flywheel gets started.” ([34:34])

12. “Hire Slow, Fire Fast”—At Work and in Life

• Alignment over Achievement ([36:03])
  • Robert stresses ensuring alignment of values before hiring or entering relationships:

    “If you hire an employee that doesn’t match your company’s values, no matter how good they are…it’s going to end up in a disaster anyway.”

  • Admits his biggest repeated mistake has been not acting fast enough on poor fits—whether in hiring or personal relationships.

Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• On curiosity and asking different questions:

  “I had a lot of people say to me in my life, no one's ever asked me that question before. And my answer is always, does that mean it's a bad question?” —Robert Glazer ([09:46])

• On values and sacrifice:

  “Living near your values has a cost. It usually has a short-term cost…But you shouldn't think it's free.” —Robert Glazer ([21:24])

• On authenticity:

  “I like to challenge things, and I just don't like BS...I like people who are authentic and are aligned between what they're thinking, what they're saying and what they're doing.” —Robert Glazer ([25:17])

• On building positive habits:

  “If you get 1% better every day, it's like a 37 times better a year. So I believe that people that do one thing, and it was awesome...that's how the flywheel gets started.” —Robert Glazer ([34:34])

• On regret and having crucial conversations:

  “Your unwillingness to have a difficult conversation only ever leads to a worse and more difficult conversation. It doesn’t get better. You're just kicking the can down the road.” —Robert Glazer ([37:44])

Timestamp Highlights

| Timestamp | Segment | Topic | |-----------|---------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | 03:41 | Speaking Style | Robert's approach to public speaking | | 05:33 | Influences | Herb Kelleher and challenging industry norms | | 08:08 | Miracle Mentality Origins | Creative influence of Robert’s mother | | 11:54 | The Compass Within | Book motivation and overview | | 16:00 | Societal Values | Tribalism and disconnect from values | | 20:19 | Walking Away from Revenue | Turning down a client to protect company values | | 22:40 | Basecamp Story | Standing for values under fire | | 25:00 | Enron Example | Authenticity and the danger of empty corporate values | | 28:03 | Remote Work | Creating connection in distributed teams | | 31:55 | GSD – Productivity Ritual | Time blocking and priorities | | 34:14 | Implementing Change | Moving from knowing to doing via small steps | | 36:03 | Hire Slow, Fire Fast | Importance of alignment in both professional and personal life|

Resources & Actions

• The Compass Within (Book): Available at compass-within.com and major retailers.
• Robert’s Newsletter, Podcast, Courses: robertglazer.com
• Six Core Values Questions Exercise: robertglazer.com/6

Episode Tone

Conversational, engaging, and rich with personal stories, this episode fuses Tim Storey’s motivational warmth with Robert Glazer’s pragmatic, values-driven approach. Listeners are left inspired to clarify their own values and equipped with practical tools to enact change—one intentional step at a time.

Memorable Closing

• “Walk by faith, embrace possibility, and create your own comeback story.” —Tim Storey ([39:58])