Show Notes 

Most leaders don't feel stuck because they lack discipline. They feel stuck because they've quietly accepted stories that make their current reality seem inevitable. In this conversation, Chris Angell and Aaron Hendon unpack Jean-Paul Sartre's idea of "bad faith" and explore how phrases like I have to, I should, and What choice do I have? slowly erode our agency. Together they examine responsibility not as blame for the past, but as ownership of the future. If you've ever felt trapped by your business, your role, or your circumstances, this episode offers a profoundly freeing way to think about choice, leadership, and the life you're actively creating.

Learn more about Aaron Hendon at www.aaronhendon.com

Want more Referrals? Learn more about Chris Angell's Referral Assessment at www.thereferraleffect.org/assessment 

Episode Outline 

1. The Problem with "Have To"

Why everyday language quietly gives away our power.

2. Responsibility as a Future Conversation

Moving beyond blame and into authorship.

3. The Philosophy of Bad Faith

How we convince ourselves we have no choice.

4. The Stories Leaders Tell Themselves

Where obligation masquerades as reality.

5. Agency Changes Everything

Why freedom begins by acknowledging every choice has consequences.

6. Business as a Mirror

How companies expose the stories we believe about ourselves.

7. Choosing a Different Future

Practical ways to reclaim responsibility without self-judgment.