First! Stop Arguing With Reality!

Why letting go of your "story" is the greatest leadership lever.

Author

John Register
August 27th, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes

Spending time with Cy Wakeman was like stepping into a leadership laboratory where excuses don’t survive. Her brilliance lies in showing leaders how much energy we waste resisting reality. Instead of piling on more strategies, Cy asks us to amputate the stories, venting, and victimhood that keeps us stuck.

She reminded me that leaders don’t manage people, they manage the energy of people. That one idea alone reframes the entire practice of leadership. Listening to Cy, I was struck by how compassion and accountability aren’t opposites — they’re partners. She embodies what it means to love people up while calling them up to greatness. This episode will challenge you to think differently, act decisively, and elevate intentionally.

Start learning AI in 2025

Keeping up with AI is hard – we get it!

That’s why over 1M professionals read Superhuman AI to stay ahead.

  • Get daily AI news, tools, and tutorials

  • Learn new AI skills you can use at work in 3 mins a day

  • Become 10X more productive

3 Leadership Highlights

  • Leaders manage energy, not people.

  • Clean thinking starts with editing your story.

  • Empathy means validating experience, not excuses.

Want the “ How To”?

Highlights spark awareness. But action builds leaders.

This Saturday, in the Insights & Action post (subscribers-only), I’ll break down these principles step-by-step so you can apply them immediately.

It’s a small skin-in-the-game, with a big return.

Share This With Your Network

❝

“Leaders don’t manage people, they manage the energy of people.”

-Cy Wakeman

Tag @johnfregister and subscribe here: https://johnregister.beehiiv.com/

Where’s John’s Leg This Week?

  • Portland, OR (8/27) - Live on KATU ABC Afternoon Live with Hannah Olsen.

  • Las Vegas, NV (8/28) - Delivering a keynote for Hyland Software.

  • Austin, TX (8/29) - Several podcast interviews lined up.

  • Chicago, Il (8/30) - Home for Labor Day with my Dad.

Follow along on FB and IG to see the journey unfold.

D

Go forth - Inspire your world

Reply

or to participate.