Tony Morgan is the founder of the Unstuck Group and he admits that cynicism has been a life long battle.
In this special episode, Tony interviews Carey for his show The Unstuck Group Podcast about why most leaders grow cynical, why most leaders keep defaulting to a cynical view of people and situations, and how to beat it.
Welcome to Episode 210 of the podcast. Listen and access the show notes below or search for the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and listen for free.
3 Insights from this Episode
1. Cynicism starts because you know too much
One warning sign that you are a cynic is when you take your current knowledge of human nature and begin to project past failures onto future situations. The problem with gaining knowledge in your field is that overtime it’s going to either work for you or against you. When it works against you, you cling to negative experiences from your past and project them onto the future.
2. Insight is a gift, but not when it’s used to feel superior
God has placed the gift of insight in many of us. When we allow Him to be in control of that gift, He can work through us to make great change in people’s lives.
But the cynic takes that gift and turns it from descriptive to prescriptive – with a death sentence that snuffs out hope. A cynic lives for the reward of superiority.
-That I told you so moment.
-That I knew this would happen opportunity.
Insight is a gift if it helps, but it’s a curse if it hurts.
3. Cynics are never curious and the curious are never cynical
The ultimate antidote to cynicism is hope. Christians should be the least cynical people in the world because we know Jesus – nobody is better at hope than Jesus. Nothing is an antidote to cynicism like the gospel. Yet so many of us live in a cynical space where we don’t even believe in what we preach.
The more you cultivate curiosity, the less cynical you’ll become. It may sound trivial, but a curious person is always more hopeful. Embrace curiosity and an openness to learning, you’ll be more optimistic and far less cynical.
Quotes from This Episode
CNLP 210: Tony Morgan and Carey Nieuwhof on Why Leaders Grow Cynical and How to Combat What Appears to Be An Occupational Hazard Click To Tweet CNLP 210: Tony Morgan and Carey Nieuwhof on Why Leaders Grow Cynical and How to Combat What Appears to Be An Occupational Hazard Click To Tweet CNLP 210: Tony Morgan and Carey Nieuwhof on Why Leaders Grow Cynical and How to Combat What Appears to Be An Occupational Hazard Click To Tweet CNLP 210: Tony Morgan and Carey Nieuwhof on Why Leaders Grow Cynical and How to Combat What Appears to Be An Occupational Hazard Click To Tweet CNLP 210: Tony Morgan and Carey Nieuwhof on Why Leaders Grow Cynical and How to Combat What Appears to Be An Occupational Hazard Click To Tweet CNLP 210: Tony Morgan and Carey Nieuwhof on Why Leaders Grow Cynical and How to Combat What Appears to Be An Occupational Hazard Click To TweetThe podcast releases every Tuesday morning
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Next Episode: Ann Voskamp & Carey Nieuwhof
This week we flip the mic, as multiple New York Times best-selling author Ann Voskamp does an in depth and personal interview with Carey Nieuwhof. Ann talks to Carey about how law prepared him for ministry and life, how he does his strategic thinking, how he captures his ideas for content and books, and together they talk about the seven things Carey believes every leader needs to overcome to thrive.
Subscribe for free now and you won’t miss Episode 211.
