Robert Glazer: The Proven Decision-Making Framework High Achievers Use to Unlock Fulfillment | Leadership | E371
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
Robert Glaser, founder of award-winning marketing agency Acceleration Partners and bestselling author, returns to Young and Profiting to discuss his new book "The Compass Within." (04:36) In this powerful conversation, Robert reveals how he discovered his core values during a 2013 leadership training that completely transformed his life and business decisions. (06:47) The episode explores how high achievers can use clearly defined values as a decision-making compass, why vague one-word values like "integrity" aren't actionable enough, and how values-based decisions often cost something upfront but deliver long-term rewards. (03:38) Robert also shares his experience stepping down as CEO after building a 250-person company and how his values guided that transition.
- Main Theme: Using core values as a compass for major life and business decisions, moving beyond external validation to authentic leadership and fulfillment
Speakers
Robert Glaser
Robert Glaser is the founder of the award-winning marketing agency Acceleration Partners, which he scaled to over 250 employees before stepping down as CEO four years ago. He's a bestselling author whose latest book "The Compass Within" teaches people how to discover and use their core values for decision-making. Robert is also the voice behind the global newsletter "Friday Forward" and was voted one of the top CEOs on Glassdoor by his own team members.
Hala Taha
Hala Taha is the host of Young and Profiting Podcast and CEO of YAP Media, a social media and podcast marketing agency. Known as the "Podcast Princess," she's built a reputation for conducting in-depth interviews with high-achieving entrepreneurs and thought leaders, helping her audience learn, grow, and profit in their careers and businesses.
Key Takeaways
Define Values with Precision, Not Platitudes
Robert emphasizes that most people think they know their values but can only articulate generic one-word concepts like "integrity" or "family." (07:27) He explains that true core values must be specific enough to guide actual decisions. For example, instead of saying "integrity," you might define it as "your words should match your actions." This level of specificity transforms abstract concepts into practical decision-making tools. Robert's own values include "find a better way and share it" and "respectful authenticity" - phrases that clearly indicate behavior and choices. When values are this precise, you can evaluate any situation by asking whether your proposed action aligns with your stated principles.
Values-Based Decisions Cost Short-Term But Pay Long-Term
Throughout the episode, Robert reinforces that living by your values often requires sacrifice in the moment but delivers greater rewards over time. (16:38) He shares examples like CVS stopping cigarette sales when rebranding to CVS Health, losing $2 billion annually but ultimately thriving, and Dick's Sporting Goods restricting gun sales after a school shooting, initially facing analyst predictions of massive losses but seeing stock prices increase 10x over ten years. The key insight is that authentic, values-driven decisions build long-term credibility, trust, and sustainable success even when they appear costly initially.
Use the "Opposite Test" to Identify Your True Values
One of Robert's most powerful techniques for discovering core values is examining what behaviors in others make your "blood boil." (26:19) He explains that the qualities that most frustrate you often reveal your own values in reverse. During the interview, when asked this question, the host identified disloyalty, selfishness, and victim mentalities as major frustrations, revealing underlying values around loyalty, thinking of others, and personal growth. This reverse-engineering approach is more effective than trying to directly identify positive values because our negative reactions are often stronger and clearer indicators of what we truly prize.
Align Your Big Three: Relationship, Community, and Work
Robert identifies three major life areas that must align with your values for long-term success: your romantic relationship, your community/living situation, and your career. (40:28) He explains that values typically form during childhood or formative experiences and are deeply ingrained by adulthood, making them nearly impossible to change. Using a marriage example, he describes how one partner who grew up with a dying parent might value "live for today" while another from a financially unstable family might prioritize "save for tomorrow." When core values clash in these fundamental areas, success becomes extremely difficult, like trying to run Mac software on a PC operating system.
Authentic Leadership Means Being Selectively Appealing
Robert's experience being voted a top CEO on Glassdoor came from embracing his authentic leadership style rather than trying to please everyone. (44:12) He realized that great leaders, like great universities, have a clear value proposition that attracts the right people and naturally repels others. Rather than attempting to appeal to every potential team member, he openly communicated his expectation for continuous improvement and innovation, warning that people who preferred steady-state work wouldn't thrive on his team. This selective approach created stronger team cohesion and culture because everyone who joined understood and shared the core values driving the organization.
Statistics & Facts
- Robert's company Acceleration Partners grew to over 250 employees before he stepped down as CEO, demonstrating the scalability of values-driven leadership. (12:45)
- CVS lost $2 billion annually when they stopped selling cigarettes as part of their rebrand to CVS Health, but the values-based decision ultimately led to long-term success. (38:52)
- Dick's Sporting Goods stock increased 10x over ten years after implementing stricter gun policies following a school shooting, despite initial analyst predictions of massive losses. (37:37)
