#99 Lon Stroschein - Founder of Normal 40 and Best-selling Author
The journey from career success to personal fulfillment is often fraught with uncertainty, fear, and the nagging question: "Is this all there is?" In this powerful episode of the Tells the Leadership podcast, host Joshua K. McMillion explores this transformative path with guest Lon Stroschein, founder of Normal 40 and bestselling author of "The Trade Up."
Lon's story begins in the heartland of America as a South Dakota farm kid who expected to take over the family farm. Instead, a phone call from a U.S. Senator's office set him on an unexpected trajectory that would lead through politics, banking, and eventually to becoming an executive at Raven Industries, where he would oversee mergers and acquisitions. While seemingly achieving the pinnacle of corporate success with all its trappings – the nice house, the nice car, the executive office – Lon found himself continually haunted by a question: "Is this it?"
This feeling of stagnation despite outward success is something Lon discovered is remarkably common among high achievers. Through hundreds of conversations with professionals from around the world, he identified a pattern: physicians, military personnel, attorneys, accountants, business owners, and executives who have "checked all the boxes" often find themselves feeling trapped by their success, experiencing a mix of frustration, control issues, uncertainty, and even shame about wanting something different after working their entire lives to reach their current position.
One of the most powerful insights from the conversation is Lon's distinction between leadership with conviction versus leadership with curiosity. While conviction can inspire followers, Lon learned the hard way that leading exclusively with conviction without allowing for curiosity can lead to significant problems. "If you operate from a place of conviction purely and you don't allow in curiosity, if you don't learn how to lead with your ears as much as your mouth, you set yourself up for some very, very dangerous outcomes," Lon explains. This shift from conviction to curiosity marks the evolution of good leaders into great leaders.
The conversation also explores the delicate art of delegation, comparing effective leaders to orchestra conductors who understand each instrument but focus on bringing everyone together harmoniously rather than trying to play all the instruments themselves. True delegation isn't about dumping tasks, but about coaching, mentoring, and accountability – creating a pipeline of future leaders while allowing for exponential organizational growth.
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the discussion is Lon's framework for personal transformation, what he calls "The Trade." This four-step process begins with acknowledging when something feels different internally, exploring possibilities, investing in learning, and ultimately making the decision to trade what you have for what you want to become. The key insight is that making this trade requires courage before confidence can develop.
"It was never trying to escape something," Lon emphasizes about his own transition. "Something was trying to wake me up." This awakening led him to establish Normal 40, a coaching practice and community designed to help others navigate their own transformational journeys. His mission has now become clear: to inspire change in a thousand lives.
The episode concludes with powerful advice for leaders at any stage: lead with your ears rather than your mouth, find a community of like-minded individuals, and understand that leadership is about doing something, not nothing. Most importantly, Lon urges listeners not to wait until they're five years older to take action on what they already know in their gut needs to change.
Whether you're contemplating your next career move or simply feeling that there might be more to your professional life than what you're currently experiencing, this conversation offers both the permission and practical framework to explore what might be next – not from a place of escape, but from a place of growth and authentic self-expression.
Together, we will impact 1 MILLION lives!!!
Every day is a gift; don't waste yours!
Joshua K. McMillion | Founder MLC
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