Impact with Eddie Wilson

Most leaders chase strength, dominance, and control but Eddie Wilson argues the leaders who build what lasts develop something rarer: strength under control. In Episode 47, Eddie breaks down the difference between leading yourself, leading followers, and becoming a leader of leaders. He challenges you to measure your leadership against the traits found at the highest level. Eddie uses examples like Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan to show how ego can drive success but also make an empire fragile, then introduces the three surprising traits with practical habits to cultivate them that set elite leaders apart.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 — Strength under control and measuring yourself against elite leadership traits
00:42 — Why the strongest leaders trade dominance for awareness and inner freedom
02:23 — The core questions: strong enough to bend? build without ego?
02:50 — Ego can create conquest, but not lasting empires (Alexander + Genghis)
04:46 — The 3 levels: lead yourself → lead followers → lead leaders
06:08 — Trait #1: Wonder
09:06 — Wonder draws people in; “I’m discovering, not just directing”
09:30 — Trait #2: Humility
10:04 — The Sherpa lesson: confident enough to help others win
12:29 — How to spot ego: can you say “I was wrong”? can you apologize?
14:12 — Trait #3: Openness to be wrong
16:08 — Practices: keep wonder alive, ask for feedback, “what am I missing?”
20:15 — Weekly challenge: lead without proving anything
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Eddie breaks down why people miss defining moments in business and life, and why it’s rarely a lack of “chance,” it’s a lack of readiness. He shares a childhood story about preparing for the responsibility of a dog before getting one, then connects it to the biblical story of the Promised Land and the danger of fear driven thinking. You’ll also learn the four reasons people miss their moment, and Eddie closes with a clear weekly challenge so you won’t miss yours.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 — The truth most people won’t tell you: opportunity won’t make you ready
01:22 — Don’t binge these episodes: listen weekly and apply
02:48 — Why people miss their moment: you weren’t prepared
03:34 — The dog story: “Act as if you already have it”
06:28 — Moses + the Promised Land: fear meets opportunity
08:51 — “Fear delays your destiny… and sometimes disqualifies you”
10:42 — Reason #1: Have you prepared
13:01 — Reason #2: You fear what’s ahead
16:00 — Reason #3: Who are you surrounding yourself with
19:00 — Reason #4: The moment moved on
21:34 — The weekly challenge: build while you wait + train fear response
24:10 — “You’re not waiting on clarity… you’re avoiding responsibility”

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This episode is a powerful year in review and a behind the scenes look at Impact Others and Project Dakota. Eddie shares the story of launching a new “house of refuge” and feeding center in Colombia, why he’s been drawn to protecting children who can’t protect themselves, and the personal origin behind Project Dakota, named in honor of his brother. Eddie then takes you to India, where he helped deliver Christmas gifts to hundreds of children who had never received a gift in their entire life, and describes the moment that wrecked him in the best way; orphans singing “Silent Night.” To close, Eddie gives three end of year principles to carry into your planning that will help build a life that creates real fulfillment through impact.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Year in review and why this episode matters: Impact Others
00:31 – Colombia: launching a new feeding center & house of refuge
02:16 – “Why orphans?” and the personal reason Eddie didn’t fully name before
03:46 – Eddie’s childhood loss and his brother Dakota’s story
06:55 – The question that sparked it: honoring Dakota + why Christmas
08:22 – Project Dakota is born: giving Christmas morning to orphans
09:29 – 17,000+ orphans touched plus toy drives across the U.S.
10:52 – India trip: what Eddie saw in Madurai
14:16 – Giving gifts to children who’d never received one
15:38 – The “Silent Night” moment
17:57 – Eddie’s challenge: what are you doing that actually matters?
18:19 – The 3 principles
21:52 – The 3 impact targets
23:02 – Closing
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What if real leadership isn’t about holding power tighter but knowing when to give it back? In this episode Eddie Wilson unpacks the story of Cincinnatus, the Roman farmer who was pulled from his field, given absolute power as dictator, saved Rome in just 15 days and then walked away to go back to his plow. Eddie uses this ancient story to challenge modern leaders, founders, and parents who never “asked” to lead but now have people watching them, along with breaking three core leadership truths. From business owners stuck at the $5M ceiling because they won’t relinquish control, to parents learning when to let their kids fail and grow, to politicians who “die in the spotlight” because they hold power too long, this episode will force you to ask: Am I building something that shines without me, or something that only works as long as I’m in the room?

TIME STAMPS:

00:00 – Leadership isn’t ego, it’s letting go
00:37 – Who is Cincinnatus? The farmer turned Roman dictator
01:32 – When leadership finds you
02:44 – For leaders who never asked to lead but answered the call
04:21 – Accepting the role: abandoning what was, embracing what is
05:37 – In one day: from farmer’s clothes to dictator’s robe
07:41 – Overnight march, citizen soldiers, and outmaneuvering the enemy
09:39 – Victory in 15 days and Cincinnatus walks away from power
11:34 – Lesson #1: Power is a tool, not a throne
14:00 – Lesson #2: True leaders know when to step up and step away
15:42 – Why most small businesses never get past $5M
16:16 – Letting go as a parent: leading sons at different stages
17:51 – Lesson #3: Discipline over dominance restraint is greatness
19:56 – Give your followers the credit, not yourself
21:09 – Are you building a business that can thrive without you?
22:03 – Don’t just build for power; build for peace
22:47 – When leaders hold power too long: politics, ego, and dying in the spotlight

25:09 – Final challenge: use power as a tool, then let it go

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Most founders don’t have a business problem, they have a decision problem. In this hard-hitting episode, Eddie Wilson reframes “violence” not as physical aggression, but as surgical intensity: the courage to cut people, systems, and revenue that are quietly killing your empire. Using a story from the Continental Congress, memories of his father’s quiet strength, and real world examples from his own companies, while breaking down three “violent” decisions every empire builder must make. You’ll learn why delay is often just fear in disguise, why your gut as a solid operator is rarely wrong, how to think in terms of protecting your future instead of punishing the past, and why “profit that costs purpose is way too expensive.” Eddie closes with three piercing questions to audit your life, business, and relationships so you can finally make the cuts you already know you need to make.

TIMESTAMPS:
00:00 – Franklin vs. Adams & the danger of endless diplomacy
02:03 – Empires require clear, courageous, sometimes ruthless decisions
03:01 – Eddie’s dad’s quiet strength
06:27 – Defining “violence” in business: not fists, but focus and surgical intensity
08:09 – Why most founders avoid “violent” decisions: indecision, loyalty, and “not burning bridges”
10:03 – Trusting your gut vs. over-rationalizing what people have already shown you
10:45 – Violent Decision #1: The courage to cut
16:15 – You’re not punishing the past; you’re protecting your future
17:19 – Who in your organization is no longer qualified to carry what’s next?
17:48 – Violent Decision #2: Burn what’s comfortable but broken
19:28 – Violent Decision #3: Kill the wrong revenue
21:40 – “Profit that costs purpose is way too expensive”
22:02 – What “violence” actually looks like
25:11 – Empire builders don’t swing wildly; they strike strategically and on time
26:06 – Three questions: What are you tolerating out of fear, what are you delaying, and what “violence” does your empire need today?
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