Why You’re Chasing the Wrong Life—and How to Stop NOW with Max Stephens | Purpose-Driven Leadership for High Performers

In this high-impact episode of The Self Aware Leader, host Jason Rigby sits down with elite executive coach Max Stephens—trusted advisor to top CEOs, pro athletes, and Hollywood creators. Max dismantles the myths behind traditional success and shares how high performers can finally find real fulfillment.

Whether you're a founder, corporate leader, or entrepreneur on the edge of burnout, Max’s Contribution Alignment Model and radical truth-telling will help you stop chasing the wrong goals—and build a life of purpose, peace, and leadership impact.

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What You’ll Learn:

• Why success without inner healing is a trap

• The hidden cost of ambition no one talks about

• Why most leadership coaching fails—and how to fix it

• How to realign your leadership around purpose, not pressure

• Max’s 3-part framework: Forgiveness, Mortality, Radical Honesty

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Guest Bio:
Max Stephens is a world-class performance coach and author of What the Fck Do You Actually Want?*. With over 1,500 sessions per year and clients across C-suite, sports, and film, Max helps leaders eliminate emotional blind spots and live with unshakable clarity.

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Episode Highlights:

• [00:00] Why high performers feel empty at the top

• [08:00] The neuroscience of contribution vs. isolation

• [13:00] Max’s truth bomb: You’re not doing it “for your family”

• [24:00] The Purpose Framework: Forgiveness, Mortality, Honesty

• [36:00] Coaching culture is broken—here’s what works

• [45:00] How to reset your leadership thermostat

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• Leadership development

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• Emotional intelligence

• Strategic thinking

• Purposeful perf