Episode Overview

Title: The Career Strategy Most Leaders Don’t Have (2026 Edition)
Host: Martin G Moore
Date: December 23, 2025
Episode Number: 382

Martin G Moore presents the annual “Crush Your Career Challenge”—a practical guide to taking deliberate control of your leadership career in the context of rapidly accelerating change, particularly due to AI. Instead of drifting through roles and relying on the plans others have for you, Moore encourages a strategic, structured approach, outlining a five-day methodology honed by thousands of leaders. The episode underscores why the current business environment demands new career management strategies and invites listeners to join the free challenge for hands-on guidance.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The New Career Reality (00:36 – 04:45)

• Shifting Landscapes:

  • Leadership careers are now less linear and more unpredictable than ever before.
  • AI's impact on roles and the velocity of workplace transformation is "unavoidably pressing."

    "Roles are changing faster than most organizations can keep up with. Career paths are way less linear and less predictable than they used to be.” – Martin G Moore (01:18)

  • The idea of “one career, one company” is outdated; most leaders will have 15–20 jobs, across multiple distinct careers.

• The Danger of Passivity:

  • If you don't drive your career, someone else will—and their plans won't serve your interests.

    “If you aren’t actively driving your career right now, someone else is doing it for you and their plan for you has nothing to do with your long term career success.” – Martin G Moore (00:00)

  • Organizations, systems, and even your boss have default paths for you—these are rarely aligned with your personal ambitions.

The Annual "Crush Your Career" Challenge (04:45 – 08:14)

• Not a Year-End Review:

  • Unlike the previous episode's focus on reflection, this is about building a forward-looking, personal career strategy.

• Proof in Practice:

  • Thousands have completed challenges in prior years, achieving significant career results—not through desire, but by being deliberate.

• Collective Accountability:

  • Participation in a community of nearly a thousand motivated leaders increases both accountability and momentum.

• Timing Is Key:

  • The period between December 26 (Boxing Day) and January 1 is described as an ideal time for focused career work—when work slows and distractions ease.

• First Call to Action:

  • Moore repeatedly urges listeners not to delay:

    “All I want you to do is go and register for the challenge. Future you is going to be pretty happy that you did.” – Martin G Moore (07:10)

The Five-Day Framework (08:15 – 11:30)

Moore outlines a concise, practical five-day process, blending strategic thinking, imagination, and “brutal honesty:”

• Day 1: Map Your Strengths

  • Identify not just competencies, but those activities that energize you.
  • Sustainable success comes from aligning career moves with both capability and motivation.

• Day 2: Establish a Long-term Vision

  • Look beyond your current role and organization.
  • Challenges professional identity—encourages thinking bigger about your future.

• Day 3: Build Professional Habits That Stick

  • Focus on lasting systems, not fleeting hacks.
  • Moore mentions a personal tool he’s used for 25+ years.

• Day 4: Set Clear, High-Value Goals

  • No vanity metrics or extra busywork—only the goals that truly shift your trajectory.

• Day 5: Accountability and Execution

  • Strategies for maintaining discipline when motivation dips or priorities clash.

    "How do you stay disciplined when things get messy, when your motivation dips, and when competing priorities absolutely swamp you?" – Martin G Moore (10:58)

Why This Matters Now (11:31 – 13:03)

• Acceleration of Change:

  • AI is rapidly reshaping roles with greater speed and unpredictability.
  • Leaders who leave their careers to chance increasingly risk obsolescence.

• Necessity, Not Luxury:

  • This kind of conscious career planning is now "pressure tested" and essential.

• Another Call to Action:

  • Moore reiterates the need for immediate action:

    "Register for the free Crush your career challenge... and join us from the 27th of December." – Martin G Moore (12:37)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “If you aren’t actively driving your career right now, someone else is doing it for you and their plan for you has nothing to do with your long term career success.”
  – Martin G Moore (00:00)

• “Roles are changing faster than most organizations can keep up with. Career paths are way less linear and less predictable than they used to be.”
  – Martin G Moore (01:18)

• “This is exactly why the Crush Your Career work matters more now than it ever has.”
  – Martin G Moore (03:12)

• “Long-term success comes when you can liberate your strengths by tapping into your capability and your motivation.”
  – Martin G Moore (09:11)

• “This methodology has been pressure tested by thousands of leaders globally. This work isn’t optional.”
  – Martin G Moore (11:32)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00 | Career ownership and the risk of passivity | | 01:18 | Shifting roles and the impact of AI | | 04:45 | The myth of the passive career—importance of deliberate planning | | 07:10 | Call to action: Register for the Challenge | | 08:15 | Five-day framework overview begins | | 09:11 | Day 1: Mapping strengths—passion and capability | | 09:55 | Day 2: Vision and identity | | 10:24 | Day 3: Systems and sustainable habits | | 10:47 | Day 4: Setting impactful goals | | 10:58 | Day 5: Accountability amid real-world challenges | | 11:32 | AI and the new urgency for strategy | | 12:37 | Second call to action: Challenge registration and next steps |

Final Thoughts and Next Steps

• Moore emphasizes that the "Crush Your Career" challenge is a unique chance to proactively recast your leadership journey—one underpinned by self-insight, vision, discipline, and adaptability.
• Registration details and links are provided, with the challenge starting December 27.
• Next Episode Preview: Moore and co-host Em will review the top five podcast episodes of 2025 that had the most impact.

Tone:
Direct, energetic, practical, and supportive, with Moore’s hallmark “no bullsh!t” candor.

Intended Action:
Listeners are urged to register immediately for the free career strategy challenge, setting themselves up for intentional growth in a transforming world.