You're trapped by the very thing that made you successful. You've got the talent, the work ethic, the drive. You've built something. But the same high capacity leadership that got you here is now your Achilles heel. And until you deal with that, you'll never get to the next level.
This week the crew gets raw about what it really means to be part of a team when you've been successful on your own. ET breaks down why he's always been a two man, never a one. Even when everyone assumed he was the leader, he was always the second. From elementary school track meets to McDonald's, he knew his high capacity came with smoke. He knew the thing that made him great could also destroy him. So he spent his whole life looking for the right ones to connect with.
Mal opens up about why he joined the team in the first place. He had the real estate, the daycares, the security company, the money, the family. He wasn't looking for business. He was praying for brotherhood. He was praying for a circle of influence that was on the same level. Not financially, but spiritually. And when he connected with the crew, it wasn't about coaching or business deals. It was about friendship. It was about having an out. It was about being able to cook dinner with the wives and the kids without it always being mastermind time.
Karl shares what it's like being the introvert on a team of extroverts. How he showed up to the office 20 years ago not knowing if he even fit in. How he was overthinking everything, trying not to mess it up. But deep down, he knew connecting with the right people would have an impact bigger than he could imagine. And now, two decades later, he's living down the street from E in a neighborhood he never dreamed of. Because together everyone accomplishes more.
CJ unpacks the shift from being a lifelong one to becoming a two. How he was always the captain, always the leader, always the one. Until he met E. And for the first time in his life, he had to learn what it meant to be second. Not inferior. Not weaker. But connected. Because the one and the two together is the secret sauce.
They also break down arranged marriages, why Avery and Jamal Jr. are already locked in, and why the divorce rate in arranged marriages is 94 to 96 percent success. Plus, ET's kids are both working at the same company in Houston with offices down the hall from each other, and God keeps his word.
This episode will challenge everything you think about success, leadership, and what it means to be part of a team. Because you can be high capacity and still be trapped. Stop trying to do it alone. We is greater than me.
CHAPTERS
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening: Kyrie Was a Banging Two - Understanding Your Role on the Team
00:01:35 Welcome and Happy Birthday to ET - Celebrating 56 Years Around the Sun
00:05:32 Jada's Office and Jalen's Success - When Your Kids Make You Proud
00:10:18 The Birthday Gift: We Is Greater Than Me Book Pre-Order Goes Live
00:14:28 Fair or Foul: The Arranged Marriage Conversation for Avery and Jamal Jr
00:36:12 Carl's Story: From Substitute Teacher to Essential Team Member
00:45:35 Maul's Brotherhood Prayer: Finding Your Circle of Influence
00:53:07 ET Was Always the Two: The Lifelong Journey of a High-Capacity Leader
00:56:18 The Secret Sauce: When a Lifelong One Meets a Lifelong Two
00:56:44 Trapped By What Made You Successful: The High-Capacity Leader's Dilemma
PRE-ORDER "WE IS GREATER THAN ME"
The debut book from Eric Thomas and CJ Quinney. Available November 3rd.
https://www.weisgreater.com
FOREVER FORWARD MARRIAGE RETREAT
October 29th in Cancun, Mexico. Less than 50 couples. A celebration of marriage with the S2S crew and their wives.
https://www.foreverforwardmarriage.com
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ABOUT THE PODCAST
The Secret to Success Podcast is hosted by Eric Thomas, Karl Phillips, CJ Quinney, and Jemal King. Four friends, four journeys, one mission. Real conversations on faith, family, business, discipline, and becoming your best self.
