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From Drift to Drive with Chris Robinson

Thank you for listening to The Champion Forum Podcast! Have you ever wondered how to take your career to the next level? The enemy of your next breakthrough isn't failure—it's comfort. Today, I'm joined by Chris Robinson, Executive VP of Maxwell Entrepreneur Solutions and author of the book, "From Drift to Drive." We'll talk about the two types of complacency most leaders face, how Chris tackles complacency in his own life, and the difference between burnout and underlining.


About Chris Robinson

Chris Robinson is a founding partner of the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team and the Executive Vice President of Maxwell Entrepreneur Solutions, where he leads a global team of over 40,000 speakers, coaches, and trainers. Before joining Maxwell's team, he worked as a sales representative and was promoted 3 times in five years. Chris helped grow that company from 18 employees to over 700. He is also the author of the groundbreaking book "From Drift to Drive," which reveals how even the most accomplished leaders and visionaries can fall prey to the subtle trap of complacency and how to reignite their drive and map a renewed course toward extraordinary achievement.


What does "Busy is the new stupid" mean?

Complacency myopia and complacency hyperopia. Myopia is the optometry term for nearsightedness. You're always busy doing something, but it changes week to week, and you don't know how it all fits together. Hyperopia is farsightedness, where you know where you want to go, but you don't know what that looks like on a practical, day-to-day level. A way to determine if you're caught in busyness is to review the goals you set on January 1 and compare them to your to-do list from the past couple of days. Most people find that these two things do not align, and it presents a great opportunity to make changes and ensure you are moving forward.


What compelled you to write your book, A High Achiever's Guide To Breaking The Chains Of Complacency? 

We were studying some of the challenges that leaders have, and I began looking into underperformance. I realized that underperformance is always tied to complacency. I thought about times when I had overcome complacency, and I realized that I had consistently employed the same few strategies to address it every time it arose in my life.  The book serves as a guide to help you continue growing and break the cycle of complacency. I sat down one day and came up with the seven-step framework, and the team loved the idea.


What does "drifting" look like for high achievers, and how can they recognize when they're stuck in it?

We created an assessment for the book and online that will help you identify areas of your life where you might have complacency. The easiest way to identify areas of complacency is to examine the aspects of your life or career where you excel. When people develop a skill, they usually get to about an 8 out of 10 and feel like they can relax. It's hard to get that last 20%! I caught myself doing this as a communicator. I speak in front of a group every single week, but when I asked for feedback on a speaking engagement I had with John Maxwell, he provided me with a list of things I could improve. There was nothing new on the list, but I realized that I was not spending the time to do what was necessary to speak well. I was expecting it to be automatic, but I had to be intentional.


You coach many successful people who feel unfulfilled. Why do you think success often masks complacency?

Complacency is different than fulfillment. Collecting achievements will never fulfill you. Success is about what I can do and what I have done. Fulfillment is what you can do with and for others. Once you taste significance, success will never taste the same again.


Why do people drift?

Often, we're in a drift because we don't know what we want. When you know what you want, you pursue it, and you achieve it. You might not get it right away, but the first step is to get crystal clear on what you want.


Many leaders talk about burnout, but you focus on "underliving." What's the difference—and why is it dangerous?

Burnout occurs when you're busy and don't know where you're headed. Underliving is recognizing that the gap between your current state and your potential is significant. You can be good at something, but if you take steps toward realizing your potential, you can achieve results. When you're good at something, it energizes you! When you get burnt out, stop doing what stops you.


As Executive VP of Maxwell Leadership, what patterns have you seen among leaders who make lasting impact versus those who plateau?

The number one thing is obsessive curiosity. The most successful people I know are also the most curious. They don't believe that they know it all. I had the opportunity to speak with a 94-year-old billionaire bank owner who has spent the last eight years studying AI. He was thrilled to discuss it, and I was equally excited to see someone with such wisdom and experience still engaging his curiosity.


You're a father of some amazing kids while also leading on major stages—how do you personally lead well at home and in the workplace?

We don't believe in balance. There are times and seasons when it's all work, and there are times and seasons when it's all family. It all stems back to a choice I made very early, when I decided to build a business around my family, not a family around my business. It makes it easy to know what to say no to when you have a clear understanding of the vision for your life and your family.


What do leaders need to do to regain momentum?

Momentum is the leader's responsibility. Any time that I go through a DIP (a dark, isolated place), I go to the LIGHT (Like-minded individuals getting help together). What do I need to do to get myself back up? Who do I need to hang out with? What do I need to listen to? What should I be reading? Making these decisions is my responsibility because if I don't, my team will feel the loss of momentum.


Application Activities:

  1. Identify one area where success had led to stagnation in your life. If you need help getting clarity on what that could be, pick a strength you are known for and ask three people for honest feedback. Commit to acting on one piece of feedback this month.

  2. Go through the exercise Chris recommended where you compare your to-do list with your yearly goals. Are they aligned? What urgent activities have caused you to put off what is important? Consider what you need to reframe, delegate, or abandon to create space for the work you need to do and realign with your priorities.


Connect with Chris Robinson

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