The Currency of Time | John Coyle | 669

What if time wasn’t fixed, but something you could stretch, compress, and reframe? In this episode of Leveraging Thought Leadership, host Bill Sherman sits down with John Coyle—Olympian, design thinking expert, and author of "Design for Strengths". John has spent his life chasing the meaning of time, from hundredths of a second on the ice to decades in thought leadership. His work asks us to reconsider not just how much time we have, but how we experience it. John shares how fleeting moments can reset the trajectory of our lives—an insight that came from his Olympic journey where fractions of a second separate gold from "first loser". He explains the Greek distinction between Chronos (clock time) and Kairos (human, transformative time) and why organizations and leaders need to design for the moments that truly matter. We explore John’s unique career path—from competing alongside Lance Armstrong and working with Enron to translating neuroscience and psychology into practical lessons on leadership, innovation, and resilience. Along the way, he reveals how flow state, storytelling, and emotional engagement can make time slow down and make ideas stick. You’ll also hear John’s most powerful Kairos moment—the story of a silver medal, a boy who became an Olympian, and how one act of kindness changed two lives forever. It’s a reminder that you never know when a small choice can alter someone’s future. This conversation challenges leaders to rethink their relationship with time, memory, and meaning. It’s not about adding years to your life—it’s about adding more life to your years. Three Key Takeaways: • Moments reset the future. Leadership pivots often come from brief Kairos moments that redefine direction more than years of steady effort. • Memories are the currency of time. Flow states, risk, and storytelling create lasting memories that make life feel longer and leadership more impactful. • Design for strengths, not weaknesses. Leaders unlock innovation and resilience when they focus on amplifying strengths instead of patching flaws. If you found value in today’s conversation about designing time, flow, and moments that move you forward, you’ll want to listen to Maximizing the Flow of Ideas for Your Organization with guests Jeremy Utley and Perry Klebahn. That episode digs into how leaders generate more ideas over time—and why volume, variety, and experimentation are just as important as insight or vision. Both episodes ask a powerful question: how do you create an environment where your best ideas don’t just happen—but compound? In short, if you want tools for turning strengths into breakthroughs, and moments into momentum—this is your next listen. It’ll help you scale creativity, lead from possibility, and expand what “thought leadership” can mean across your team or organization.