The Leader’s Ear

Every January, we talk about changing our lives. But what if November is a better time to begin?In this episode of Steady Notes, Donald Hornsby reflects on childhood memories of renovating old houses, the habits we carry through life, and the possibility of meaningful change without trying to change everything at once.From the way we begin our mornings to the way we speak to ourselves and express gratitude to others, perhaps lasting change begins with one small decision.You don’t have to rewire the entire house.Sometimes all it takes is one wire at a time.Read the article: One Wire at a Time.If this found you at the right moment, the free subscription means the next one will too. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit donaldhornsby.substack.com

There are few things more sobering than the realization that there is no more time.I recently traveled long miles on familiar roads to attend the memorial of a longtime friend. As I sat with her family and friends, I found myself thinking about the finality of death and the things we sometimes leave unsaid.On the drive home, I thought about my mother, whom I lost to cancer years ago. I thought about my wife, my daughters, and my grandchildren. And I thought about how the absence of someone can make us appreciate those who are still here.This episode of Steady Notes is personal. It’s about the people we love, the conversations we wish we could have again, and why we shouldn’t wait to express what matters most.There’s a question I’ve been asking myself:What is one beautiful thing I need to say today? One beautiful thing I need to do today?Perhaps it’s worth asking yourself, too.Listen to “Say the Beautiful Things.”Read the original essayIf this found you at the right moment, the free subscription means the next one will too. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit donaldhornsby.substack.com

There are few things more exhilarating than landing a line just right.I learned that years ago when I was acting in plays. You feel it immediately. The timing lands. The room responds. And something in you lights up.But life has a way of becoming its own stage.We spend years trying to reach the whole room. Trying to impress people. Trying to lead well. Trying to win over critics. Trying to make sure the people in the back are paying attention.And somewhere along the way, we can forget the people sitting in the first row.The people who know us.The people who love us.The people who were never asking for a performance in the first place.This episode of Steady Notes is about learning who matters, what attention costs, and why the people closest to us should not always get whatever is left after everyone else has had their share.One question in this episode has stayed with me:What did it cost them to keep being fine with it?That one is worth sitting with.If you are somewhere in your own fourth quarter—or even if you are nowhere near it—I hope this episode gives you a reason to look again at the people in your first row.They were never grading your performance.They just wanted you.Listen to “Play to the First Row.” Read the original articleAnd if this episode is helpful, please share it with someone who might appreciate it.If this found you at the right moment, the free subscription means the next one will too. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit donaldhornsby.substack.com

A neuroscientist recently said something that stopped me in my tracks: retirement might be the worst idea the brain ever encountered.I’ve spent years watching people retire, especially the men I’ve known, and I keep noticing the same pattern. It’s rarely the absence of a paycheck that does the damage. It’s the absence of anyone needing them anymore.There’s a real difference between a job and a role. A job pays you to show up. A role is something people would actually notice missing. And once someone loses that, something in them seems to go quiet, sometimes fast.This episode is personal. I talk about my wife, a wildfire crew in Oregon, and why I don’t intend to retire, not because I’m afraid to slow down, but because I’ve decided, on purpose, who still gets to need me.Listen in above, or read the full essay on Steady Notes.If this found you at the right moment, the free subscription means the next one will too. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit donaldhornsby.substack.com

A flattering message showed up in my inbox recently.For a few moments, I wanted it to be true.It praised my years in leadership, ministry, and writing. It even suggested I might be worthy of a magazine feature.Then came the sponsorship fee.There it was.The catch.In this episode of Steady Notes, I reflect on why recognition can feel so powerful, what leadership really costs, and why the most important price we pay is not in money but in humility, presence, integrity, and character.The question is not whether leadership has a cost.It does.The question is whether we are paying the right one.If this episode gives you something to think about, I’d be grateful if you shared it with someone who might appreciate it too.Stay steady. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit donaldhornsby.substack.com

A notification. A headline. An email. A delivery update. Another opinion.Most of it is not urgent. Much of it is not even important.In this episode of Steady Notes, I reflect on William James’s observation that “the art of being wise is knowing what to overlook,” some fascinating neuroscience about how the adult brain continues learning to filter information, and Jim Rohn’s reminder that it is not the wind that determines our destination, but the set of the sail.Maybe wisdom is not only knowing what deserves our attention.Maybe it is knowing what we can safely let pass.🎧 Listen to The Set of the Sail.If it gives you something to think about, I’d be grateful if you shared it with someone who might appreciate it too.Bubbles up.If this found you at the right moment, the free subscription means the next one will too. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit donaldhornsby.substack.com

In this episode of Steady Notes, I talk about focus, distraction, old maps, smartphones, and the discipline of choosing only three big things each day.I reflect on a lesson I first learned as a young salesperson: much of what demands our attention feels urgent, but very little of it is actually important. I also explore how our devices have changed the environment around our attention, why focus can be rebuilt, and what Paul’s words in Philippians 4 have to say about where we deliberately place our minds.The practical takeaway is simple:Choose three important things before the noise of the day starts choosing for you.Because the urgent will always be loud.Let the important be louder.In this episode:* Why busy and focused are not the same thing* The difference between urgent and important* What old paper maps taught me about attention* How smartphones compete for our focus* Philippians 4:8–9 and intentional thinking* The “three big things” daily practice* Why focus has to be relearned when life changesFrom the episode:“Before the noise of the day starts deciding for me.”“What is important today—even if it isn’t screaming at me yet?”“The urgent will always be loud. Let the important be louder.”Steady Notes is a podcast about leadership, faith, experience, reflection, and the things that challenge us in everyday life.I’m Don Hornsby.Until next time, stay steady. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit donaldhornsby.substack.com

What separates a leader who merely hears from one who truly listens?In this first episode of Steady Notes, I look at Saul, David, feedback, pride, and the difficult question every leader eventually has to ask:Do I have a leader’s ear?Hearing without heeding isn’t hearing at all. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit donaldhornsby.substack.com