Winning the Inner Game:

After eight years and 96 installments of Pursuit of Purpose, I’ve come to a realization that may sound uncomfortable at first:

Most professional challenges aren’t solved by better strategies.
They’re solved by better self-management.For years, promotional professionals have focused on mastering the outer game—products, pricing, presentations, pipelines, platforms, and processes. And for good reason. Those skills built careers, companies, and livelihoods. They rewarded hustle, consistency, and technical competence.But the industry has changed.AI is reshaping how work gets done. Supply chains remain unpredictable. Consolidation continues. Younger professionals bring new expectations around communication, speed, and purpose. Longstanding rules no longer apply the way they once did.In this environment, the greatest competitive advantage isn’t what you know. It’s how you think, respond, adapt, and recover.That’s the Inner Game.The inner game is the conversation you have with yourself after losing a major account. It’s how you process frustration when effort doesn’t equal results. It’s the difference between reacting emotionally and choosing intentionally.And whether we acknowledge it or not, we’re all playing it—every day.Every strong inner game begins with awareness.Most professionals don’t struggle because they lack talent, intelligence, or experience. They struggle because they operate on autopilot—repeating the same emotional reactions, assumptions, and habits without ever questioning them.We tell ourselves stories like:
• “I should be further along by now.”
• “The industry doesn’t value experience anymore.”
• “I have to work harder just to stay relevant.”The problem isn’t that these thoughts appear. The problem is when we accept them as facts.Awareness creates a pause between stimulus and response. And in that pause, choice lives.In a fast-changing industry, technical skills will continue to evolve. New tools will emerge. Processes will be automated. Information will become cheaper and faster.What won’t be automated is judgment.
What won’t be outsourced is presence.
What won’t be replaced is emotional steadiness, empathy, resilience, and purpose.Clients don’t just need vendors—they need grounded professionals who can think clearly in uncertainty. People who listen well, communicate calmly, and help them navigate complexity without adding more noise.The inner game asks different questions:
How quickly do I recover from setbacks?
Do I define my worth by outcomes I can’t fully control?
Am I operating from fear—or from values?When the inner game is neglected, no amount of hustle feels like enough. When it’s strong, performance becomes more sustainable—and more satisfying.This doesn’t mean disengaging from ambition. It means strengthening the foundation beneath it.This year, Pursuit of Purpose will focus on developing the inner game—the unseen skills that quietly shape every conversation, decision, and outcome.Because a meaningful career isn’t built only on what you produce. It’s built on who you become while producing it.And in a world that’s changing faster than ever, the most important work you can do may be the work no one else can see.