Your Confidence Isn’t Cracked. It’s Recalibrating

We tend to talk about confidence like it’s a switch: something we either have or don’t.
We link it to courage, clarity, control. And when it wavers, we assume something’s wrong.

But what if that discomfort isn’t failure?

What if it’s growth knocking?

At a certain point in your career, you stop wondering if you’re good enough and start asking if it’s still good for you.
Not because the work is beneath you. But because you’ve changed.

You’ve mastered what once scared you.
You’ve got the playbook.
You know how to win.

But here’s the tension:
That same confidence that once propelled you… now feels flat.
Performative. Predictable. Hollow.

This isn’t burnout.
It’s not imposter syndrome.
And it’s not fear of the next level.

It’s the quiet call to stretch again – not outward, but inward.

When Confidence Evolves, It Gets Quieter

The early version of confidence is loud:
“Watch me.”
“I’ve got this.”
“Let’s go.”

But the later version? It whispers:
“Is this still the right game?”
“Is there a deeper impact I could be making?”
“Am I really using everything I’ve got?”

It’s not that you’ve lost your edge.
It’s that your edge is now looking for sharper questions.

You Don’t Need Another Pep Talk. You Need a Pause.

This isn’t the moment to push through with more hustle, more visibility, more performance.
It’s the moment to stop, zoom out and ask:

• What’s become easy  but no longer fulfilling?

• Where am I coasting on competence, instead of leaning into curiosity?

• What feels alive, even if it’s unproven?

These aren’t midlife crisis questions.
They’re mid-growth recalibrations.

And the leaders who listen?
They don’t crumble.
They evolve intentionally.

Because Confidence Isn’t a Feeling. It’s a Relationship.

You’re not losing confidence.
You’re outgrowing the version of yourself who needed that particular kind of confidence to begin with.

It’s not a crack.
It’s a recalibration.

And if you sit with that tension instead of trying to fix it, it will take you somewhere new.
Somewhere better.
Somewhere more you.

This is the kind of conversation we have inside The Project.
Not surface-level.
Not self-congratulatory.
Just honest, smart leaders asking sharper questions and leaving with better answers.

If that sounds like the kind of stretch you’ve been craving…

CHAT 1:1 WITH JON

You’ve Mastered the Game. What If It’s Time to Change the Rules?

You’ve built a reputation.
You’ve delivered results.
You know what you’re doing.

You’re not questioning your competence.  You’re questioning the context.

• “There’s something bigger I should be doing.”

• “I can’t keep solving the same problems forever.”

• “Is this still my game… or just a game I’m good at?”

These aren’t the questions you ask when you’re struggling.
They’re the ones you ask when you’re ready for your next act.

Mastery brings comfort. Comfort dulls urgency.

The better you are, the easier it is to keep doing more of the same. And because it works, no one asks you to stop. To reflect. To choose something else.

You can keep going.
But should you?

There comes a point where the question isn’t “what next?”, it’s “what’s still true?”

What still excites you?
What still matters?
What would it look like to lead in a way that’s entirely yours and not borrowed from a job description or legacy playbook?

The Project isn’t about fixing. It’s about realigning.

This isn’t a retreat.
It’s not therapy.
It’s not another course full of frameworks you won’t use.

It’s three days to step out of the noise and work with other leaders who are also ready to stop auto-piloting their way through success.

To pause.
To challenge themselves.
To stop being impressive and start being honest.

It’s a chance to reset direction before the old one burns you out.

This isn’t about quitting.

This is about upgrading.
Not your CV. Not your personal brand.

Your perspective.
Your clarity.
Your confidence to say, “This version of success has run its course.”

We meet in remarkable places.
We don’t sit in hotel conference rooms.

Who is The Project for?

Leaders who don’t need help. But want space.

People who others rely on but rarely get the time to ask, what do I want now?

People who aren’t afraid of hard questions, just tired of soft answers.

The Project is where you stop performing the version of you that works.
And start creating the version that’s real, aligned and ready for what’s next.

CHAT 1:1 WITH JON

“I’ve ticked the boxes, now I want something that matters.”

It’s a quiet truth in many leadership journeys:
You climb, you achieve, you deliver.
And then one day you look up and wonder – what’s next?

This isn’t burnout.
It’s not dissatisfaction.
It’s the natural hunger for deeper meaning and alignment.

Why the meaning shift matters

At some point, most accomplished leaders realise:

• Titles don’t fuel you forever.
• Metrics don’t inspire you indefinitely.
• Reputation doesn’t sustain your inner drive.

What does?
Meaning. Purpose. Depth.

Without it, success starts to feel like a checklist.
With it, work becomes a source of energy, not just effort.

The danger of ignoring the craving

When leaders ignore the pull toward meaning, it often shows up as:

• Quiet disengagement
• Restlessness masked as busyness
• A sense of going through the motions

Left unaddressed, this gap can erode leadership from the inside out.

Why The Project is a space for meaningful leadership

The Project is designed to help leaders:

• Reconnect with what matters most
• Redefine success on their own terms
• Lead in ways that create depth and resonance, not just results

It’s not about abandoning ambition.
It’s about aligning ambition with purpose.

Your next move

If you’re ready to lead with more meaning and less noise,
if you want your next chapter to matter as much as it performs,
The Project is where you begin.

CHAT 1:1 WITH JON

“I want to stay sharp, not slide into obscurity.”

This is the mindset I hear from the most forward-thinking leaders.
It’s not fear-driven – it’s ambition-driven.

They know success can be a plateau as much as a peak.
And they know the best time to sharpen their edge
is before they feel blunt, restless or behind the curve.

Why staying sharp is a leadership discipline

Great leaders sharpen themselves through:

• Constant learning
• Stretch assignments
• Fresh perspectives
• Honest self-reflection

They don’t assume past wins guarantee future success.
They keep investing in themselves. Not out of panic,
but out of a deep respect for their evolving potential.

The risk of coasting

It’s easy to assume “good enough” will carry you.
But even the most brilliant blade dulls without attention.

The signs you’re drifting:

• Your thinking feels repetitive
• You’re running old plays in a new game
• You’re more efficient, but less creative

Without sharpening, leadership slides from exceptional to automatic.

Why The Project is designed for edge-keepers

The Project is for leaders who want to stretch –
before they calcify.

It’s where you:

• Challenge your assumptions
• Experiment with new ways of leading
• Reconnect with curiosity and creativity
• Define what sharper, braver leadership looks like

It’s a place to evolve by choice, not by crisis.

Your next move

If you’re ready to sharpen your edge,
to invest in the leader you want to become,
The Project was built for you.

CHAT 1:1 WITH JON

“I look high-functioning, but under the surface, I’m exhausted.”

It’s a confession I hear often from leaders and one I suspect many more carry silently.

From the outside, they look composed and successful. They’re delivering on goals, showing up to meetings, hitting the metrics. But under the surface, they’re running on empty, held together by sheer willpower and a never-ending sense of responsibility.

We rarely talk about this kind of exhaustion.

Because it’s not dramatic burnout. no crashing, no public collapse. It’s a quiet erosion:

• A sense of constant strain.
• Less creativity, less sharpness.
• More irritability behind the scenes.
• And the subtle, creeping dread that something has to give.

Why ambition without recovery is dangerous

The best leaders know how to push.
But the best sustained leaders know how to recover.

Without recovery, your edge dulls. Decision-making narrows. Innovation slows. And over time, what was once high performance becomes survival mode.

The lie of “high-functioning exhaustion”

We tell ourselves we can power through. That a holiday will fix it. That when the next big push is over, we’ll rest.

But the truth is: rest isn’t a reward. It’s a requirement.
It’s a leadership discipline – one that takes courage, boundaries and a willingness to step off the hamster wheel, even when everyone else keeps running.

Why The Project creates space for renewal

The Project was built for leaders at this moment.
Not for the burned-out, but for the ones who sense the early signs and are smart enough to act before they hit the wall.

It’s a space to:

• Reflect on what’s draining you.
• Redefine your pace and patterns.
• Build recovery and renewal into how you lead, not just how you holiday.

Because the best leaders don’t just survive challenges.
They regenerate through them.

Your next step

If this resonates, you’re not alone. Hidden fatigue is everywhere at the top.

The good news? There’s another way to lead – one that’s sharper, calmer and more sustainable.

The Project is designed to help you find it.

CHAT 1:1 WITH JON

Why Bold Predictions Matter

In a world fixated on efficiency, metrics and optimisation, the leaders who stand out are the ones willing to say:

👉 This is what’s next.
👉 This is where we should go.
👉 This is the shift I’m willing to bet on.

It’s not about always being right, it’s about having the courage to explore, experiment and imagine out loud.

Bold leadership isn’t afraid of uncertainty; it leans into possibility.

The Idea Behind Bold Calls

I’m curating short predictions, provocations, and insights from a diverse cross-section of leaders and forward-thinkers.

The result? A flipbook called Bold Calls – a snapshot of where leadership may be headed next.

The goal isn’t to create another glossy trend report. It’s to spark meaningful conversations and remind us that leadership isn’t just about having a plan — it’s about shaping what’s possible.

If you’ve got a bold call to share, I’d love to include your voice.

It can be:

• A trend you’re watching

• A shift you’re sensing

• A challenge you see ahead

• Or simply a provocation to shake up how we think

All I need is 2–3 sentences, no more than a paragraph as  a maximum, enough to stir curiosity, not give away all the answers.

👉 Submit your thoughts here by 31 May 2025: BOLD CALLS IDEAS

All contributors will receive a complimentary copy of the flipbook when completed.

CHAT 1:1 WITH JON