Lead Your Life with John Harding of Franklin Planners

Lead Your Life with John Harding of Franklin Planners

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Welcome back to The Daily Mastermind. Today, we have a special guest who brings incredible strategies and tactics that will help you become more productive, intentional, and effective in your personal and professional life.

John Harding is the managing partner and founder of Lightric Consulting, where he works extensively in B2B, helping individuals and businesses grow. He is also an owner and board member of Franklin Planner, a company that has been instrumental in shaping personal productivity and effectiveness for decades. With over 30 years of experience in leadership, training, and business development, John has worked with some of the most successful companies and individuals in the world.

Franklin Planner has served 80 percent of Fortune 100 and 500 companies, making it one of the most respected productivity tools in business. With a background that includes an MBA, CPA certification, and a Stanford education, John brings a wealth of knowledge in leadership, mindset, and personal effectiveness.

So, John, welcome to the podcast. It’s great to have you here.

Great to be with you, George. And congratulations on your upcoming 1000th episode. That’s an incredible achievement.

Thank you, I appreciate that. I know we’ve met a few times, and people will soon understand why. But first, let’s start with your background. You’ve been in leadership roles for decades—CEO, CFO, business owner. What led you to Franklin Planner?

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John Harding's Background and Career Journey

It’s interesting when you look back at your career. Whether you’re an entrepreneur or a professional, you can never fully predict where your journey will take you.

I never had a rigid plan to reach a specific title or make a certain amount of money. My focus was always on providing, succeeding, and growing. I valued both formal and informal education, which led me from engineering to business, then to a CPA role at Deloitte. That experience took me to IBM, and eventually, I became CFO and later CEO of Shipley Associates.

Shipley Associates was Franklin Quest’s first acquisition after they went public, which led me to join the executive team at Franklin. That was over 30 years ago, and ever since, I’ve been deeply involved in personal effectiveness, leadership, and productivity training. It has been an incredible journey.

It’s amazing how leadership, personal development, and productivity are making a huge comeback. More and more people are realizing that success is tied to mindset and principles. Let's go back to the beginning—how did Franklin Planner come into existence?

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The Origins of Franklin Planner

Hiram Smith founded Franklin Quest in 1983 with a clear vision: helping people align their goals and values with their daily actions. His idea was that at the end of the day, regardless of what got done, people should have spent time on the things that mattered most.

At the same time, Stephen R. Covey was making an impact in personal and leadership development. In 1989, he published The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, a book that became a global phenomenon.

While Franklin Quest and the Covey Leadership Center were separate companies at the time, their principles and philosophies were perfectly aligned. Hiram Smith emphasized natural laws and governing values, while Covey’s approach focused on principles of effectiveness and leadership.

These two companies eventually merged in 1997, forming FranklinCovey. Their combined expertise created a powerful system for personal and organizational effectiveness.

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Mindset, Skill Set, and Tool Set

I love how you broke that down—mindset, skill set, and tool set. It reminds me of my own journey. Early on, I was focused on business and making money, but I realized there was an inner game involved. That’s when everything changed for me. So, when we talk about these three components, how do they work together to impact individuals and organizations?

It’s about inside-out thinking. Everyone has agency, meaning they have control over their choices and their growth. The foundation of success is recognizing that there is greatness in all of us.

When you match that inner greatness with a structured approach—mindset, skill set, and tool set—you create alignment. That’s where transformation happens.

For individuals, it starts with self-leadership—clarifying what matters most, setting goals, and developing personal discipline.

For organizations, the same principles apply. Companies that focus on developing people, rather than just managing them, create stronger, more motivated teams. The Franklin Planner system helps with this by providing a structured way to align personal and professional priorities.

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The Importance of Values in Productivity

That’s a powerful point. I talk a lot about passion and purpose, and I’ve found that the most successful people are deeply connected to their values. Talk to me about the role of values in the Franklin system. Why is it built around values rather than just time management?

Values define what truly matters to you. Some people call it mission, vision, and values, while others refer to it as governing principles. But at its core, it’s about aligning your actions with what is most important in your life.

When people don’t have a clear sense of their values, they drift. They spend time working hard but may not be fulfilled because they are pursuing things that don’t truly matter to them.

By identifying what is most important—both personally and professionally—you create a foundation that guides your daily decisions. That’s why values come first in the Franklin Planner system.

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Daily and Weekly Planning Tactics

Let’s shift into tactics. How do you recommend people use the planner to apply their values in daily life?

A simple approach is to reflect at the end of each day and set intentions for the next day.

This creates intentionality. Many people wake up and jump straight into their day without a clear direction. That’s when their schedule is filled by other people’s demands instead of their own priorities.

By taking time to plan, you ensure that what matters most to you stays at the forefront.

The Science Behind Handwriting and Mental Clarity

I want to touch on something important—there’s a real cognitive impact of writing things down by hand. Talk to me about the science behind that.

There’s extensive research on the brain benefits of handwriting. Studies show that writing by hand increases brain activity, improves memory, and enhances cognitive processing.

When people switch from purely digital to a combination of digital and analog planning, they think more deeply and retain information better.

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Final Thoughts and Upcoming Podcast

That’s an important insight. Before we wrap up, I want to highlight something exciting—you’re launching a podcast. What inspired you to create the Franklin Planner podcast?

Our goal is simple: help people lead their lives with purpose.

There are many people who have benefited from Franklin Planner over the years but don’t realize how much more they can still gain from it. Others have never been introduced to these principles before.

The podcast will serve as a platform to share strategies, case studies, and personal stories that help individuals and businesses apply these principles in today’s world.

That’s going to be an incredible resource. I highly encourage everyone to check it out when it launches.

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Closing Message

If you want to start applying these principles in your own life, visit FranklinPlanner.com and take advantage of the exclusive offer we’ve set up for listeners. The link is in the show notes.

John, thank you for sharing your insights today. I appreciate your time and expertise.

Thank you, George. It’s been a pleasure.

And to everyone listening—remember, success is not about luck or talent. It’s about intention, planning, and taking consistent action. Lead your life, and I’ll see you on the next episode of The Daily Mastermind.