Dan Martell

There's a reason your team stops talking when you enter the room.

The corporate world is drowning in toxic leadership.

Bosses who mistake fear for respect. 
Managers who confuse control with competence. 
“Leaders“ who destroy morale and call it accountability.

The world doesn't need more bosses. It needs more actual leaders.

And here's the uncomfortable truth: your team is watching to see which one you are.

They watch everything. How you handle stress. How you treat mistakes. Whether you practice what you preach.

They don't follow your words. They follow your example.

If you demand excellence but deliver mediocrity...
If you preach accountability but dodge responsibility...
If you talk “growth mindset“ but resist feedback...

You're not leading. You're performing.

Real leaders demonstrate:
• Consistency between words and actions
• Vulnerability when they don't have answers
• Ownership of failures, sharing of victories

Fake leaders demonstrate:
• “Do as I say, not as I do“ mentality
• Blame-shifting when things go wrong
• Expecting standards they don't meet

Your team doesn't need you to be perfect.
They need you to be real.

Ask yourself: Would I follow someone who acts the way I act?

If the answer is no, your team probably feels the same way.

Leadership isn't a position.
It's a standard you hold yourself to first.

Be the leader you wish you had.

-DM

On my flight the other day, I heard an elderly woman who was boarding ask the staff if they accepted cash on the flight.

Anyone who travels knows they only accept cards...

But something pulled at me to say something.

So as she passed by, I quietly asked if she’d allow me to cover anything she needed.

It was 12 (noon) and a two hour flight... I figured she was probably hungry.

She couldn’t believe my offer.

She asked me why I would do that?

I just told her that she looked like someone who would do the same if our roles were reversed. 😉

She smiled and said, “100% I would.”

After a few seconds, she graciously accepted and I let the stewardess know that I’d cover whatever she ordered.

Towards the end of the flight, a stewardess handed me this note. ❤️

Now, I’m not sharing this to brag...

I’m sharing this because I believe every once in a while we get asked - inside our hearts - to serve.

Many of us rationalize that voice... dismiss it... and move on.

But what if you didn’t?

What if you leaned in and did what you could to help?

It’s been years that I’ve been listening with my heart wide open.

I don’t question it anymore... and I give without expectations.

I just assume there's a higher reason.

Who knew what she was dealing with in her life. What she’d experienced.

Maybe it was her first time flying?

All I knew is that if it was my grandmother, I would hope someone would take care of her.

It just felt right.

So next time you hear that voice...

Or something pulls on your heart...

Just know that you are being guided.

And if you’re in an incredible & fortunate place to help... that you should do something.

No matter how small.

You never know the ripple effect it might have in this crazy world we live in.

Insanely grateful,

- DM.

Never underestimate a person who practices self-education in their free time.

I've built multiple companies alongside both Ivy League graduates and high school dropouts.

The correlation between success and formal education?
Almost zero.

The correlation between success and self-education?
Nearly perfect.

The standouts were rarely the ones with perfect resumes.
They were often the ones who never stopped evolving.
The ones whos refuse to stay the same.

The world rewards credentials, but it runs on competence.

The degree on your wall might tell where you've been.
But what you do at 9pm on a Sunday tells the world where you're going.

-DM