The Influence Journal explores leadership, trust, and identity. This post explains the gap in modern leadership thinking—and how we fix it.

Scroll through LinkedIn or browse the leadership section of most blogs, and what you’ll find is content that feels surface-level. Tips and tricks. Clichés dressed up as insight. Motivational soundbites passed off as wisdom.

But what’s missing is substance. Few pieces tackle the complexity of trust, power, fear, character, or identity—the deeper currents that shape how leaders actually lead. The result? Most leadership advice feels detached from the real work of leadership.

Even worse, we’ve reached a point where sound, research-driven leadership advice often sounds counterintuitive—not because it’s out of touch, but because it contradicts the tidal wave of popular jargon dominating leadership spaces. When the loudest voices reward performance over integrity, charisma over character, and hustle over health, it’s no wonder that what’s wise feels strange.

But it shouldn’t. And it doesn’t have to.

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What Leaders Actually Need

Most leaders I know aren’t looking for more hacks or hashtags. They’re looking for clarity. For space to think—and to think seriously—about what it means to lead with conviction and courage. For content that challenges them, not just cheers them on.

They’re navigating pressure, loneliness, responsibility, and risk. They don’t need one more productivity trick. They don’t need another so-called leader humble-bragging their way through a thread. And for goodness’ sake, they don’t need bad information.

They need frameworks that help them see clearly—and lead with integrity when it matters most.

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What This Journal Is Trying to Be

The Influence Journal isn’t built for attention. It’s built for transformation.

It’s a space for leaders who take their calling seriously. Every article is an attempt to wrestle with something real—whether it’s the significance of psychological safety, the power (and lost art) of deep work, the reality of toxic influence, the slow erosion of trust, or the mechanics of healthy culture.

This isn’t fast food. It’s slow, thoughtful work. It’s built for people who want to think deeply, act wisely, and lead with strength that doesn’t come from performance—but from identity.

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Why This Matters to Me

I’ve spent my life in leadership spaces—building teams, starting businesses, developing leaders, recruiting talent, and walking through the aftermath when it all breaks down. I’ve seen what happens when influence becomes detached from character. I’ve also seen the quiet strength of those who lead from a secure identity—where trust and transformation follow.

That contrast drives everything I’m writing here.

Right now, I’m writing this from a quiet corner of Europe. My family and I moved overseas to help mentor and support leaders internationally, and for the first time in a long time, there’s space to reflect. This season of our lives overseas has given our family the gift of time—time to explore mountains, castles, and European history—and time to think, to read, to write, and to pour energy into building something that lasts.

The Influence Journal is my attempt to give words and structure to the kind of leadership that lasts.

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Who This Is For

If you’re building something that matters—and you’re tired of leadership content that skips the hard questions—this journal is for you.

If you’ve felt isolated, uncertain, or unseen in leadership, and you’re looking for clarity instead of clichés—this journal is for you.

If you’re hungry to lead with depth, not just competence—this journal is for you.

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What’s Coming Next

You’ll find longform essays, downloadable leadership tools, deep dives into trust, identity, culture, and influence. No gimmicks. No hype. Just content for leaders who want to go deeper.

Welcome to The Influence Journal.

— Jeremy