The Illumify Game Changer

The Illumify Game Changer podcast takes you on the leader’s journey, as you accompany one person, Jonathan Hill, as he answers each of the 57 questions. This is your front row seat to his journey from, in his own words, “not a leader” to a leader with a big vision, ultimately willing and able to ignite his meaningful change. It’s for those committed to igniting meaningful change in their organizations, communities, and the world at large.

In this episode, we begin the leader’s journey by meeting Jonathan who, upon agreeing to play the Game Changer publicly through this podcast, cautioned me “I’m not a leader”. As you listen, you may hear him reveal otherwise -- whether he recognizes it yet, or not.   1.54: Discovery of language3.00: Love for Europe begins10.38: Urgent need to talk about Europe15.00: The state of the world 23.00: What does the word “leader” evoke?28.35: Expectations of the Illumify Game Changer36.21: Do you see yourself as a leader?43.00: “I do feel I have things to say and want to say them.”58.00: Stories are not enough. We need to put our bodies on the line.1:14:37: The word vision has gone missing.1:19:50: Vision is vital to igniting change.1:20:45: Distinction between visionary and storyteller1:31:29: “The pursuit of truth matters”.1:46:30: Communicating a vision of the future in current times1:51:00: The importance of pursuing the truth2:00:00: Vision versus agenda2:06:24: “Human rights sit on the idea of the soul”.2:07:00: “Every child is born with a sacred dignity that can never be taken away.”2:13:35: Do you hear yourself when you speak?2:17:20: Why do you see a social setting as a competition?2:24:30: Friendship is almost the absence of competition.2:32:37: A unique voice

Now the Game Changer begins. This is the first in the Illuminate phase of the questions, each of which surfaces insights to illuminate the change most meaningful to you. This first question is a loaded one, deliberately. 00.59: Reference Cards: Illumify Definition & Guidelines for Play09.00: Listening with your heart instead of your head15.00: Who are the lost?16:32: The first Illuminate question18.58: Feeling small and insignificant25.52: Is significance visible or invisible?34:21: Struggling to see own significance35:16: Culture’s impact on significance39:30: Modesty as control mechanism41:46: Is it possible you’re a natural winner?45:24: “Inequality is antithetical to everything I believe in.”50:28: “We need a new political vision that restores and revives a true idea of equality.”52:58: “At some point the world calls you and tells you what you need to do.”55:54: Waiting versus knowing what is meaningful to you1:01:09: The desire to serve the community runs deep1:09:38: What scenario would make you significant?1:17:35: Seeing the contradictions with your significance1:18:22: The difficulty in seeing yourself as significant1:19:31: “Significant change takes significant leadership.”1:21:28: You can illumify on two levels.1:25:59: “A vital aspect of the good life is trying to be better than we were yesterday.”1:26:25: What happens after pursuit of excellence is achieved?1:35:04: “The pursuit of excellence in itself is a virtue.” 

This episode begins with Jonathan sharing his reflections on the last question where he grappled with the prospect of being significant. This next Illuminate question gets to the heart of him seeing what perhaps only he can see that needs to change. But first he has to wrestle with intolerance and how words can serve the truth. 01:01: Reflections on last card: Significance09:40: Reading the Reference cards17:30: The second Illuminate question20:32: Intolerance as aggressive23:34: Decisions as an act of intolerance25:11: Commitment to excellence32:48: “What triggers me is that we live in a post-truth world”.34:50: Why isn’t truth in the constitution of democratic societies?41:30: Is it possible to accomplish this without being significant?42:55: “It’s the truth inside the words that matters.”44:58: Words matter, despite what the body language experts say47:07: You can articulate what you see through your mastery of language.49:01: Giving people a choice to act or not to act50:10: “I recognize the anger within me.”52:00: “Vision is absolutely fundamental. Your starting point. It’s why you exist.”55:18: The importance of a vision and how it’s articulated1:03:00: A different awareness of relationship with vision?1:04:00: “I have things to say, and I want to say them.”1:06:14: The legitimacy of the European Union1:08:00: The thread of his vision emerges1:12:50: What does the word “visionary” mean to you?1:19:40: “I do want to create a new way of seeing Europe.”1:21:16: “Politics at its most fundamental level is about the choices we make.”1:24:45: Recognize your unique capacity to ignite meaningful change.1:27:00: Truth with a capital T, and how values influence it1:37:40: Connection as sharing, unified with each other1:50:14: Does a visionary need to be a mechanic?1:57:57: Is it an advantage to have multiple voices in your head?2:07:50: “I often see my own mind with its different voices as a Parliament.”2:09:58: Consciousness, tea bags and the visionary2:13:19: We all contain multitudes but do have unity through memory.2:16:00: Are we able to unify all those voices into a common vision?2:23:11: The power of conversation to slow things down2:28:12: Final Answer to Illuminate Question 2

This episode focuses on the heart to help point Jonathan to what he cares about that needs to change. He speaks of dignity, wholeness and heartache, all while experiencing a wide range of feelings coming from his heart. 00:58 Illuminate Question 305:07 What makes my heart ache is the suffering of children.08:18 Dignity not always the word in the Constitutions but the digging takes us to sacred dignity.10:10 In every newborn child, there is a dignity that doesn’t need to be earned. It’s inherent in the spirit, the soul, of the child.13:22 The word “wholeness” is important here. We can borrow religious language into our secular life.25:27 Our journey is one of repair. We are walking down that road to character, becoming the better version of ourselves.31:32 The two ideas of dignity and brokenness can co-exist. I think there is a sanctity in the human soul. It lies below wholeness and sin and is inviolable.42:40 Even just seeing it, the child suffering produces enough heartache for a lifetime. We carry it around with us.44:44 The heart also aches because your own idea of the world, what you believe in,is being violated at the same time.47:34 The book “1984” signals the extinction of humanity, that it could happen.49:09 We have to understand the power of ideas to mobilize people.54:08 What’s inspiring about the European Union is that it’s a constant, a permanent, attempt to reconcile all these competing voices. That’s what makes it heroic. Trying to reconcile competing visions of the good life.59:06 I’ve got things to say and want to say them. What am I waiting for?1:11:43 Digging together, you feel this is the only thing that matters because of the power of conversation.1:19:45 Consciousness is the page.1:27:17 Father Europe vs. Mother Europe1:37:38 Revival or stagnation?1:46:02 Final answer

In this episode, Jonathan answers the Illuminate question designed to reveal what is most meaningful to him. You could say his answer gets to the heart of the matter. Integrity plays a pivotal role in this conversation, and we see new dimensions of a leader’s vision. 00:58 Reference Card Reading03:12 Illuminate Question 407:11 The heart as tool of discernment and ultimate filter11:11 Renewing our heart to connect, function and act15:53 Accessing courage10:25 Integrity ( wholeness, facing yourself, accountability)28:00 Necessity for visionary not to have tolerance for anything but the purest of integrity30:50 Relationship between necessary and intolerable33:18 The vision represents something new and whole versus woolly and vague36:04 Elevating a vision to open a path to new ground42:34 Vital to examine why vision is necessary and what happens if you don’t follow through46:02 Necessity brings in the hard edge to vision50:00 Great leaders make powerful declarations55:18 All visions are declarations, painting the big picture of a world that does not exist yet58:56 Empathy1:03:56 Do we need to take on the feelings of others?1:07:34 Final Answer to Illuminate Question 4

In this episode, Jonathan is prompted to answer the question by listening to his inner wisdom. Within mere seconds, he answers with a powerful declaration of what could be different. The conversation then veers into community, how it’s unified and fragmented, and explores unison and truth. It’s another big conversation. If you listen carefully, you’ll hear Moose, our beloved English corgi, settling into listen at our feet. 00:00 Illuminate Question 5 02:07 “I know that we could live together better. We have to stand on new ground.”07:03 While the vision itself must be entirely new, we need to take from our past what we know to be true.22:30 Ritual gains strength over time.28:00 More than tradition, there’s this wisdom. We know why it matters.33:00 A community is unified through its shared memories of the local football club.37:12 Nottingham City of Rebels: The story of a new vision emerging within the football stadium.50:54 Concept of “necessary fragmentation”54:00 Stumbling through life, we pursue wholeness and integrity and accept and understand our fragmentation.56:00 The idea that we pursue wholeness and integrity57:00 The moment of surrender when we cannot deny the truth that we now see, and realize that we have been going down the wrong path.1:04:00 The necessary intolerance of “Never Again” came after surrender.1:05:00 Unison: how does it fit into your vision?1:08:40 Unison vs harmony, and the time when we need to silence the Parliament of voices and find unity within ourselves1:11:58 “We can live differently together.”1:16:00 “Where we live together as a community, the recognition of our diversity is clearly not enough. Unity is necessary as well.1:19:00 Democracy’s own ambition makes it fragile.1:20:44 European Union is trying to reconcile competing visions and ideas of the good life.1:25:46 What’s on that new ground?1:32:48 “We need unity around Truth. When we are united in a single vision of why truth matters, then we can pursue it in our own way.”1:34:10 Final Answer

This next question proves challenging – so challenging that at one point Jonathan, the master wordsmith, is at a loss for words. And that’s ok because it reveals a lot about why resistance to change can come from deep within ourselves, even when we know something has to change. Fasten your seatbelt for this one as there are a few sharp curves in the road. But we have a few laughs along the way. 01:12                Reference Cards – why do we repeat, particularly words and phrases?07:45                Repeating’s role in changing thought and action11.35                Amplifying12.55                Two levels of “illumifying” –you and your meaningful change15:05                Illuminate Question 616:55                When we want deep, enduring change across a community, it needs to take root everywhere.20:53                An idea, a vision, may need time to reach everybody.24:03                The moment of creation of a vision is much more explosive within the person.25:12                The visionary’s need to be proactive.26:30                A story of resistance to change33:00                What the visionary does34:48                Everywhere all at once?41:20                What do YOU see as the opportunity for meaningful change from the perspective of where you stand?45:55 - 51:00.   Struggles to articulate what the opportunity for meaningful change is54:19                A new understanding of the truth and why it’s so important.56:20                Could it be some aspect of a truth that is currently invisible to them?1:00:25             What if there are certain individuals who have the capacity to help the many?1:06:54             Could you be the visionary shining the light on what needs to change but not the leader igniting it?1:08:15             Definition of “ignite”1:11:50             The risks of creating a vision as a group.1:14:10             Modesty vs superpowers vs gifted1:22:20             How does being lost for words feel?1:25:22             “I’ve never been at peace with my silence.”1:30:00             A story of what emerged while walking his dog1:35:51             The