Nova: Have you ever felt that strange emptiness, even in moments of success? It’s what the psychiatrist Viktor Frankl called the ‘existential vacuum.’ It's a feeling that plagues so many of us, especially in high-pressure leadership roles. We chase the next promotion, the next target, only to find the feeling doesn't last. But what if this isn't a modern problem of burnout? What if it's an ancient spiritual challenge?

Nova: Today, we're exploring Michal Oshman's incredible book, 'Break Your Chains,' which argues that the cure lies in ancient Jewish wisdom. With me is Marc, who's passionate about leadership and personal growth. Welcome, Marc.

Marc: Thanks for having me, Nova. That idea of an 'existential vacuum' really hits home. In the professional world, there's this immense pressure on leaders to have all the answers, to be the unwavering visionary. It can be incredibly isolating, and it often feels like you're running on a hamster wheel of achievement without ever asking, 'What's the point of all this running?'

Nova: That is precisely the question at the heart of this book. Oshman uses the Hebrew word Mitzrayim, which means Egypt, as a metaphor for the narrow places and personal prisons we build for ourselves—prisons of anxiety, of limiting beliefs, of this very 'hamster wheel' feeling. And she offers these ancient keys to unlock the gates.

Nova: Today we'll dive deep into this from two powerful perspectives. First, we'll explore how to replace a leader's fear and ego with a profound sense of purpose. Then, we'll discuss how to become a 'repairman' of your own company culture, creating a space where people can truly thrive.

Nova: That's the perfect starting point, Marc. Because the book's first major 'key' to breaking these chains is a concept called Bittul. It's often translated as 'self-nullification,' which, I know, sounds terrifying, but it's really about a strategic shift in focus. It's about training yourself to stop asking, "What do I need from life?" and instead asking, "What am I needed for?"

Marc: So it's less about self-destruction and more about self-reorientation. Moving the ego out of the driver's seat.

Nova: Exactly. And there's no more powerful story to illustrate this than one the author shares about Viktor Frankl. As many know, Frankl was a psychiatrist imprisoned in Auschwitz during the Holocaust. He was surrounded by unimaginable suffering, dehumanization, and death. He saw that people weren't just dying from starvation or disease; they were dying from hopelessness.

Marc: From that existential vacuum you mentioned.

Nova: Precisely. And he tells this story of a fellow prisoner who was deeply despondent, ready to give up and commit suicide. He felt he had nothing left to expect from life—his family was gone, his home destroyed. So Frankl sat with him and posed a radical question. He said, "It might be the case that you have nothing to expect from life. But isn’t it conceivable that life expects something of you?"

Marc: Wow. That just flips the entire script. It's such a powerful reframe. We talk about 'mission-driven' companies, but this is 'mission-driven' survival. It's not some abstract poster on a wall; it's the very thing that keeps you breathing. It makes me wonder, how many of our professional 'crises' are just a lack of a genuine, Frankl-level 'why'?

Nova: I think that's the core of it. The book argues this is the ultimate antidote to fear. When you're focused on your purpose—on what life expects from you—your ego, which is the part of you that's afraid of failing, of looking bad, of not getting that promotion... it just gets quieter. It doesn't have as much oxygen.

Marc: You know, that makes me think of the paradox of someone like Steve Jobs. He was known for having a massive ego, for sure, but it seems like it was all in service of a purpose he saw as bigger than himself: making a 'dent in the universe.' The ego was the engine, but purpose was the steering wheel. This concept of Bittul seems to be about making sure the steering wheel is firmly in charge, not the engine.

Nova: What a perfect analogy. The engine can be powerful, but without direction, it just spins out. Bittul is about grabbing that steering wheel and pointing it toward something meaningful. It's about making your ego a tool for your purpose, not the other way around.

Marc: So the practical question for a leader becomes: how do you help your team find that? How do you shift their focus from "what's in it for me?" to "what are we needed for, together?" That's a much more profound leadership challenge.

Nova: And it's a challenge that requires a very specific environment to succeed. Which, actually, leads us perfectly to our second key concept.

Nova: And that idea of serving a larger purpose leads us perfectly to the second concept, Tikkun. If Bittul is about fixing your internal world, Tikkun is about your responsibility to repair the external world—starting with the culture right in front of you. The word literally means 'to repair' or 'to correct.'

Marc: So it's moving from internal alignment to external action. I like that. It makes the philosophy practical.

Nova: It's intensely practical. The book positions the leader not just as a visionary, but as a 'repairman' of culture. And Oshman shares a great story from her time at Facebook. She was new, eager to impress, and took on a huge project. But she admits she became overly assertive, too dominant, and ended up rubbing some people the wrong way. She got some really tough feedback and felt like a complete failure.

Marc: A familiar feeling for anyone in a high-stakes role. The fear of failure is immense.

Nova: Right. But here's the Tikkun moment. Her manager called her in, and instead of reprimanding her, he smiled and said, "Congratulations on your first failure." He told her that at Facebook, they had a motto: "Fail harder." He wasn't just tolerating her mistake; he was actively reframing it as proof that she was trying, that she was taking risks.

Marc: That's a masterclass in leadership. That's not management; that's culture engineering. The manager didn't just tolerate failure; he celebrated the attempt. He was actively 'repairing' the team's relationship with risk. That single conversation probably unlocked so much future innovation from her and anyone who heard about it.

Nova: It's a perfect example of proactive Tikkun. But what about when the repair is more delicate, more personal? She tells another story about a Zoom call with a former colleague she hadn't spoken to in years. In the conversation, she unintentionally misgendered them, using 'he' when her colleague identifies as 'they/them.'

Marc: Oof, that's a tough situation.

Nova: A very tough situation. And her colleague, understandably, got angry and expressed how hurtful that was. Now, the easy response would be to get defensive, to make excuses. But Oshman writes about how she had to take a breath, quiet her own ego—practice Bittul—and just listen. She apologized sincerely and, most importantly, thanked her colleague for being brave enough to have that 'real conversation' and correct her. That was an act of repair.

Marc: Absolutely. And it shows how the two concepts are completely linked. You can't perform the Tikkun, the external repair, if you haven't done the internal work of Bittul to quiet your own ego and defensiveness. It shows that a leader's job isn't just about systems and processes; it's about the messy, difficult, and essential work of human connection.

Nova: It really is. It’s about creating an environment of psychological safety where both kinds of repair are possible—the repair of a failed project and the repair of a fractured relationship.

Marc: And that safety is the bedrock of any truly innovative team. If people are afraid to fail or afraid to speak up, you get conformity, not creativity. This isn't just 'nice-to-have' stuff; it's fundamental to performance.

Nova: So we have this beautiful arc that the book lays out for us. It starts with Bittul, this internal work of quieting the ego to find your 'why,' to find your true purpose.

Marc: Moving from "what do I need" to "what am I needed for."

Nova: Exactly. And that clarity, that internal alignment, is what empowers you to practice Tikkun—to become an active force for repair and positive change in your environment, whether that's your team, your family, or your community.

Marc: It's a fundamental shift in perspective. It's moving from being a manager of tasks to becoming a steward of people and purpose. It’s a much more profound, and I think ultimately, a much more effective way to lead.

Nova: So for everyone listening, especially those in leadership roles, here's the challenge from the book: What is one small 'repair' you can make this week? Maybe it's having a real conversation you've been avoiding, or maybe it's reframing a team 'failure' as a valuable learning moment. It all starts with one small act of Tikkun.

Marc: And maybe, just for today, try asking yourself that Frankl-inspired question. Not 'what do I want to achieve today,' but 'what am I needed for today?' The answer might just surprise you.

Nova: Marc, thank you so much for exploring these ideas with us.

Marc: It was a pleasure, Nova. A lot to think about.