Summary: Many years ago, I attended a conference focused on one enormous question: What do we need to do to make the planet healthier and more humane? The room itself felt electric. Among the dignitaries were John Denver, Ram Dass, and Ted Turner. To say Ted Turner commanded attention would be an understatement. He was not casually networking. He was moving like a human thunderstorm, and his leadership contribution was huge.
Turner greeted everyone and talked constantly. I watched him move from one conversation to another without pause, amazed at how his energy never stopped. When he smiled and shook my hand, it felt like a bolt of electricity running through me.
Then we were asked to take our seats. I remember sitting a row behind him, thinking, “How does this man keep going?” Honestly, I was exhausted just watching him.
At the time, I did not yet have the language I use today through my GLIMMERS Effect™ work. But looking back now, I realize I was watching something fascinating in real time: A man driven by enormous internal energy, vision, urgency, and purpose. And yes, probably by stress too.
Ted Turner Was More Than a Business Titan
People often remember Ted Turner as the bold founder of CNN, the man who changed media forever by creating 24-hour news. But what struck me that day was not just his ambition, but his intensity mixed with genuine concern for humanity. He cared deeply about the world. He was not merely performing because it was fashionable, nor to bask in applause. You could feel it.
Years later, when I look at all he accomplished, such as environmental advocacy, global philanthropy, support for the United Nations, conversations about nuclear disarmament, conservation efforts, and so on, I see someone who was fueled by something bigger than ego alone. This matters because many high-achieving leaders are driven by pressure, fear, insecurity, or the desperate need to prove themselves.
Ted Turner seemed driven by motion and mission. That combination can either transform the world or consume the person carrying it (or sometimes both).
The Hidden Side of High Achievement
In my leadership work, I often say, “The qualities that help you succeed can become the very qualities that exhaust you.”
Ted Turner is a powerful example of that tension. There was relentless drive, constant motion, refusal to slow down, and the need to stay engaged with everything and everyone.
While those traits can build empires, they can also overwhelm relationships, teams, and health if left unchecked. I see this all the time with high-level leaders and especially emerging leaders. They want to make a difference and also prove themselves. My work has been to look in the rear-view mirror to see what else is driving them.
I won’t go into detail about Turner’s past other than to acknowledge that at age 23, he had to deal with his father’s suicide. What forms us is family, culture and trauma, and for Ted Turner, this tragedy became a major motivator for the son. This is where the GLIMMERS Effect™ becomes important, because leadership is not just about vision. It is about regulation and learning how to recognize the moment when your gifts begin tipping into overdrive.
The visionary becomes controlling and the internal super achiever becomes impossible to satisfy. The passionate leader becomes emotionally combustible and the energetic innovator burns out everyone around them. Under pressure, strengths often mutate into reactive patterns.
I have seen this in Fortune 500 boardrooms, family businesses, schools, hospitals, and nonprofits. And if we are honest, we have all seen it in ourselves.
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Ted Turner and the Power of Glimmers
A GLIMMER is a moment of awareness that interrupts automatic behavior and opens the door to a healthier choice. Looking back, I think Ted Turner intuitively understood something many leaders miss: You cannot create lasting change without emotional energy connected to purpose. People followed him because he believed deeply in what he was doing. That kind of conviction creates momentum.
But the deeper lesson is this ➜ Even world-changing leaders need pauses. Visionaries need reflection. And brilliant people need moments where head, heart, and gut come back into alignment. Without that alignment, energy becomes chaos, while with alignment, energy becomes transformational.
Ted Turner’s life reminds me that leadership is never simply about accomplishment. It is about impact, and impact is shaped not only by what we build, but by how we show up while building it.
What Today’s Leaders Can Learn
Right now, many leaders are exhausted. Teams are reactive. Conflict avoidance is everywhere. People are overwhelmed by uncertainty, speed, and constant stimulation. Sound familiar? That conference from years ago suddenly feels very relevant today because the world still desperately needs leaders who care. But caring alone is not enough.
We also need leaders who understand how stress affects behavior and patterns repeat under pressure. The key is learning about the power of the pause before reacting, and how to lead without losing oneself in the process. That is why I created the GLIMMERS Effect™.
Not to make leaders perfect, but to help them become more aware, more grounded, and more intentional under pressure.
One Glimmer of Awareness Can Change an Entire Conversation, or an Entire Team
When I think back to that conference, I still smile remembering Ted Turner moving through the room like a force of nature while John Denver radiated warmth and Ram Dass radiated calm. Three very different energies. Three very different ways of influencing the world. And maybe that is the point.
Great leadership does not come in one shape, but the leaders who leave a lasting legacy usually share one thing in common: They care deeply enough to keep growing. And that, more than charisma, title, or fame, is what creates real transformation.
To your success,
Sylvia Lafair
P.S. If you want to learn how to recognize patterns that emerge under stress and turn reactive leadership into resilient leadership, explore my award-winning leadership programs and tools designed for today’s rapidly changing world.
