‘When You Pursue Comfort, You Miss Opportunities’: Author James Patterson on How to Take Back Control in a Disrupted World

Usually on How Success Happens, I get to speak with incredible people who do incredible things. Unfortunately, we had a couple of slackers on the latest episode. James Patterson has only sold half a billion books worldwide, and Dr. Patrick Leddin, PhD, is just a renowned leadership expert, FranklinCovey advisor and author of the best-seller The 5-Week Leadership Challenge.

Okay, I take it back. They are both extremely accomplished people, and lucky for us, they joined the show to talk about their new book, Disrupt Everything – and Win: Take Control of Your Future. The book offers insight into how we can take back control of our lives during these chaotic times, such as instead of thinking of upheavals like AI as something to “survive,” using it as a positive thing for advancing and thriving. That sounded pretty good to me, because honestly, being terrified all the time is exhausting.

You can watch our entire conversation above or listen here, and check out below for some of this duo’s incredible mindset-shifting insights.

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Choose to Be the Disruptor—Not the Disrupted

Disruptions are inevitable, but how you respond to them is a choice.

“We’re all the disrupted. We’re getting hit with things left and right and curve balls every day. But some of us choose to be disruptors,” Leddin explains.

James Patterson is one such disruptor whose career was made through a series of self-made, positive disruptions. He broke into the advertising business by ignoring all of the usual rules of portfolio submissions, and eventually became the youngest CEO at a major ad firm due to the confidence that backed up his skills. And after becoming a full-time author, Patterson changed the publishing industry by challenging norms and asking, “Why would you only do one book a year if you could do more?”

According to Leddin, disruptors “lean into strengths and achieve big results” by recognizing that the status quo never lasts. They don’t want to be on a treadmill — they seek out their own version of living a good life instead.

Takeaway: Use uncertainty as motivation to play to personal strengths and redefine what’s possible.

Comfort Is the Enemy of Opportunity

The lure of comfort can take a toll on our short-term and long-term careers, Leddin argues.

“The opposite of being a positive disruptor is a relentless pursuit of comfort,” he says, warning, “when you pursue comfort, you miss so many opportunities.” Patterson adds that many people go through life wishing they could turn back the clock. “They say, ‘I want it to be the way it was.’ Well, that’s nice, but it’s not happening.”

Takeaway: Beware of the comfort trap—staying still means missing out on new opportunities.

Disruptors Practice Bold, Positive Habits

In their research for the book, which involved analyzing interviews with 350 people from all walks of life, Patterson and Leddin found 27 common habits and behaviors that most effective disruptors develop. These include:

• Owning the win and celebrating success.
• Asking for more when delivering results.
• Doing the “scary yes” — accept intimidating challenges.
• Saying the “brave no” — walking away from opportunities that aren’t a good fit.
• Accepting that the world will never go back to “the way things used to be.”

Takeaway: Regularly practice habits that push beyond comfort and into growth.