Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern

This week's conversation on professionalism begins with the news that retired four-star Navy Admiral Robert Burke was found guilty in a bribery scheme involving directing a government contract to a private company in exchange for a job after his military retirement. He is the most senior US military officer found guilty of a federal crime while serving on active duty. But while this conviction is unique, lapses in professionalism happen at all levels in every organization, aren't always punished, and often aren't even caught. Tony's three decades of research into human behavior and his interest in history shaped his unique insights into the evolution of craftsmanship into professionalism and the descending trajectory of the latter in our modern world. Join us for the historical origins of professionalism, his assessment of its current state, and his recommendations for improving the situation, regardless of your rank, sector, or industry.

In this week's episode, Tony follows up on last week's conversation with Sara Hammel by delving deeper into one of the topics they touched on: the dangerous rogue operators. The clinical term for this type of person is maladaptive sociopath, and Tony's research into one example—the pilot Bud Holland, who crashed a B-52 during a Fairchild Air Force Base airshow in 1994—uncovered some common characteristics of these rogues that he described in the book, Darker Shades of Blue. While these traits often become obvious after an accident investigation, they are also tendencies all of us can struggle with from time to time. Join us for this examination of the 12 things we must look out for to recognize and avoid trouble with those who believe themselves to be “minor gods.”

A majority of those working in aviation are ethical professionals, but it's also an industry that developed in the “Mad Men” era of predatory male-dominated power imbalances. Many of the resulting challenges and hierarchies remain to this day—and are sometimes still exploited. Award-winning investigative journalist and bestselling author Sara Hammel (follow her on Substack) joins us on the podcast to expose this dark side of the aviation industry, people who lead double lives, and the kinds of improvements that must be made. While preventing sexual harassment, assault, and retaliation is a critical goal itself, this issue also has major implications on safety and “just culture” within the industry.

The struggle with complacency is an ancient one rooted in human biology and our desire to find and follow the path of least resistance, likely developed as a means to conserve energy between meals. But just because there is an innate biological basis for complacency does not mean we must be slaves to it, nor to the “baddies” who manipulate and encourage complacency for their own reasons. Whether it be saving time or resources by not performing adequate safety checks on a factory floor or pushing convenient cures and fast fixes, there are many sources of complacency in our modern world that we all fall victim to at times. Fortunately, the antidote is just as accessible, and it starts with asking questions and sometimes choosing to do things the old fashioned, less convenient way—cook a steak instead of a TV dinner, read a real book instead of scrolling on the phone, or have a face-to-face conversation with someone.

We are confronted on an almost daily basis with a new report about so-called leaders who are removed from their positions for poor performance, scandalous behavior, or the ubiquitous “loss of confidence.” These stories occur so often it makes us wonder if the label “good leader” is an oxymoron, if the art of leadership is dead and gone, and perhaps most importantly, what the future looks like if this is the case. Today's podcast guest is Tom Casey, a leadership expert, advisor, and author whose latest book on the topic is called “Leadership's Future—Confronting Not Condoning!” Tom and Tony discuss the traits that expose poor leaders, the qualities that elevate good ones—many of which are unfortunately lacking in today's corporate, military, and political leadership—and finally, share their expertise on shaping future leaders to be curious, empathetic, and accountable.

In this week's episode, Tony and his guest—Max Trescott, host of the Aviation News Talk podcast—discuss prioritizing safety and the tensions between safety and production as seen in the fallout from a fatal Hudson River crash of a New York Helicopter tour on April 10. Following the accident, the Director of Operations prioritized safety by suspending flights, but was immediately fired by the CEO who resumed operations, but the FAA then mandated they stop again. The two also review the situational awareness and security response of elephants at the San Diego Zoo during last week's earthquake, before moving on to discuss the importance of safety amidst the ongoing generational handoff occurring in aviation (and many other industries), and how best to make people care enough to prioritize that often unglamorous but always critical topic. 

In this week's episode of Only Human, Dr. Kern covers a couple of stories involving basic OSHA required safety precautions that were ignored in three incidents. The first involves a worker who fatally fell from a scaffold in Madison, WI, the second a hazardous chemical spill at a plant in Toledo, OH, and the last a grain elevator explosion in Nebraska. He also covers worker issues involving companies disguising the efforts of exploited call center workers in the Philippines as “AI” and arguments on both sides of the issue of Universal Basic Income (UBI) as a potential solution to raise people above the “basic survival” level of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs to improve personal performance, self-actualization, and better contribute to society. Finally, he muses on the necessity of modern “technology detox” retreats versus building better daily habits which include breaks from technology to improve our focus and mental health.

The podcast is re-branding! Over the last few years, we've pursued the goal of bridging the gap between who you are today and who you are capable of being by focusing on reducing human error and improving human performance from a mostly philosophical stance. Starting today, we're centering practical application and real-world scenarios through the lens of the strategies and techniques we've been discussing. In this episode, Tony reviews an altercation between on-duty air traffic controllers at Ronald Reagan Airport, the experiences shared recently by the astronauts who were stranded on the International Space Station for the last nine months, and what both of these stories have to teach us about being Only Human.

Uncertainty is a major feature of the modern world. We have unprecedented access to a connected network of global information that we must constantly parse, analyze, and decipher. This adds a relentless complexity that our brains did not evolve to handle and creates a Petri dish of self-induced stress. In this week's Only Human with Dr. Tony Kernpodcast, our host uses a personal fishing story to explore the ways that extra information and complexity creates stress even in places where we once felt peace. He also shares ways that uncertainty can be good for us by encouraging flexibility in our thinking and how we approach problems. Finally, he shares his four-step process to survive and thrive in a world of relentless uncertainty. There's a lot of information available out there—much of it unhelpful—but you don't want to miss these valuable insights.

Modern technology enables instant global communication, microwave meals, and AI-generated artwork… but conveniences like these also come at a cost. In this episode of Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern, we explore why so many people find it difficult to connect the dots between their individual actions and any sort of meaningful impact, resulting in an epidemic of indifference. Far too often, we only make that connection when our actions or inactions lead to terrible consequences—for our personal lives, for our careers, and occasionally in the form of tragedies like January's midair collision above Reagan National airport. Tune in to hear Tony's thoughts on this accident and how the solution to all these problems is something we've lost in the Age of Apathy and Convenience: the pursuit of high precision performance.

Human beings possess a dangerous flaw in our inherent desire to confirm our current assumptions and perspectives. This flaw is amplified in the modern world through social media, like-minded friend groups, partisan news, etc. to create echo chambers that reinforce, rather than challenge, our pre-existing beliefs. In this episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, we explore the importance of mental agility—our ability to think flexibly, adapt, and question our own perspectives. This discussion covers both the dangers of a rigid perspective and how keeping an open mind when reviewing personal experience, discerning facts from opinions, and listening to opposing viewpoints keeps our brains healthy and encourages us to develop “strong opinions, loosely held.”

How distracted are we? How much effort is required for us to truly focus on something important? In this episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, our host discusses the modern distractions that pull focus and inhibit many of our efforts. He provides four critical strategies to counter the impact of disruptions and get back to what's important, including attention management and acting with intent, along with some tools like the Eisenhower Matrix and the Pomodoro technique. So listen to this episode, then put down your distractions and get some deep work done on your critical projects.

In this episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, we explore the ongoing issue of human error in aviation, a challenge that has persisted throughout history and continues to impact the industry today. Recent tragedies have raised concerns about the safety of aviation, leading to public scrutiny. Tony reflects on the importance of understanding and addressing human error, especially in light of recent events, and considers how this issue will evolve moving forward.

Does your fear of failure have its basis in reality or is it actually a resistance to the unknown? In this week's episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, we explore forging new paths through the wilderness of undiscovered ideas. Almost everyone has experienced looking for a tool, a service, a group, a book, or something else only to find it doesn't seem to exist. When this happens, most of us simply give up—though a few might take the initiative to build the solutions for ourselves. While this takes courage to begin and tenacity to see through to the end, the results might just lead to the next game-changing invention, best-selling book series, or billion-dollar business venture. There's only one way to find out.

Today on Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern, our host tackles an issue that we guarantee every single one of our listeners has struggled with in their lives: procrastination. Not only is procrastination a destroyer of dreams, a potential career derailer, and a wet blanket on ambition, it can do physical harm to our bodies as well. Tony breaks down all these issues, several effective countermeasures to break procrastination patterns, and—of course—includes a sprinkling of historical and personal anecdotes. Fight and win the psychological and chemical battle against procrastination with these helpful resources!

It's not often that we're able to pull off our plans without a hitch. Life is full of surprises and even the most predictable mission can go sideways with barely a moment's notice. In this week's episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kernpodcast, our host discusses the significant differences between having a plan and being prepared. While the former provides a great starting point for our efforts, it is the latter that more often determines our success. Because a plan is a singular and often rigid approach, but preparedness allows us to salvage victory after circumstances render the plan obsolete.

Welcome to this week's episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast! After the tragic collision of an American Airlines plane and Army helicopter this week—the first commercial aviation crash since 2009—Tony and special guest D. Smith discuss repeating safety cycles, the aviation industry, dealing with depression, personal faith, and more. The Executive Director of Safety Management for the Transportation Safety Institute with 40 years of experience in the field of aviation safety, D. has plenty of insights to share on the likely systemic issues that led to this accident, as well as how the industry has responded to big incidents like this in the past. The two also engage in a frank discussion on depression and some methods they've learned to function and even grow through difficult periods, including engaging in creative projects and faith/spirituality. 

In this episode of Only Human, Dr. Tony Kern dives into the pressing conversation around generational differences, especially within industries like aviation. Joined by Brandon Carroll, a recent acquaintance from a Memphis event, they explore whether there really are significant divides between generations or if it's all just noise. With Baby Boomers aging out, there's a lot of talk about how the next generation will step up, what wisdom they'll inherit, and if the old-school ways still have a place in today's world. Tune in as Dr. Kern and Brandon discuss the largest generational handoff in history, and what it means for the future of work, leadership, and knowledge transfer.

This week's episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast examines the 8-word phrase that guides our improvement philosophy: “My true best, every time, in full compliance.” This mantra provides an anchor to individual progress, sets a performance goal to aim for, incorporates repetition and deliberate practice, and delineates practical boundaries for executing the task. Surrounding this discussion, Tony tackles the impact we have on others and tips to successfully encourage their growth.

In this thought-provoking episode, Dr. Tony Kern explores the often-unspoken truth behind New Year's resolutions: they rarely go according to plan and most die a quick death after just a few weeks. Instead of giving in and giving up, we dive deep into the power of persistence, self-compassion, and recalibration. Inspired by Stephen Covey's idea of “beginning with the end in mind,” we'll tackle the critical moments when resolutions falter—because those moments don't signal the end of the journey. From setbacks to breakthroughs, we'll explore how to redefine success, embrace the process, and learn from the times we almost give up. Join us as we explore the art of sticking with it—no matter the bumps along the way.

Exploring our “reason for being” is the perfect topic for a show about improving our capabilities as human beings. Today on the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, Tony dives into the Japanese concept of “Ikigai,” where what you love, are good at, can be paid for, and what the world needs intersect to form a purpose for being here that transcends our daily struggles and transforms our lives. Join us on this episode and learn how Ikigai can help you craft your own life mission statement!

Oxford University's announcement that “brain rot” is their Word of the Year for 2024 inspires this week's episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast. Tony shares insights into beating brain rot by engaging with our personal passions and creative pursuits to drive our internal motivation centers. From a board game about cats to the finding creative balance and how autonomy fuels innovation, this discussion is a call to action for us to stop doom scrolling and reengage with our purpose.

In this episode, Tony explores The Logic of Failure by Dietrich Dörner, revealing why even smart, well-intentioned people often fail when managing complex systems. Through a simulation of building a self-sustaining town, participants make decisions that lead to economic collapse, water shortages, and environmental degradation. He discusses how overconfidence, simplistic thinking, and failure to anticipate long-term consequences cause these catastrophic results. Drawing parallels to real-world disasters like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island, he uncovers the key lessons on embracing complexity, using feedback, and avoiding quick fixes.

In this book-centric episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, Tony uses the central themes from Robert Heinlein's Stranger in a Strange Land to draw modern lessons that are applicable to our personal and professional lives. From the protagonist's journey to adapt within a strange new culture (ours) to bridging gaps with clear communication and practicing both self-awareness and empathy, fans of both classic scifi and human performance improvement will be educated and entertained.

Today on the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, Tony wades into current political discourse after using a controversial example at a public speaking event. This prompts self-reflection on how our individual worldviews are formed, staying open minded to alternate viewpoints, valuing dialogue between different perspectives, and thinking critically about the lessons we learn from history. This episode prompts us to see people individually, respect their differences, and communicate honestly.

This episode of the Only Human Podcast with Dr. Tony Kern concludes our miniseries on the many components of motivation. We already discussed whyit's critical to finish what we start, and this week continues that conversation with how to accomplish the things we set out to do. From visualizing the finish line from the beginning to the difference it makes when we manage our energy instead of our time, we hope these episodes provided a clear pathway for you to find success in your many endeavors.

Is it important to finish what we start? In this episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, our host shows why finishing things should be a fundamental habit, how to reinforce it through things like grit and perseverance, how to reframe our obstacles and challenges, and why self-compassion is necessary to reach that finish line. With his usual mix of historical anecdotes, philosophical wisdom, and personal examples, Tony explores why this may be the most critical habit of all.

Hanging onto inspiration and motivation can be tricky. In this episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, discover several ways to maintain motivation by finding the right anchors to strong focal points. These include connecting on both an intellectual and emotional level with our goals, fanning the flames by taking small steps and keeping our next victory right around the corner, utilizing both intrinsic and extrinsic sources of motivation, and a whole lot more—tune in to find out!

This episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kernpodcast is a book launch party for Tony's new title: Armored Knight, available now from North Slopeand Amazon. This release is the third in his trilogy of books on mastering ourselves. Blue Threattaught us how to defeat human error, Going Proimproved our collective professionalism, and now Armored Knight provides us with a roadmap for self-leadership, psychosocial strength building, finding the right allies, and overcoming life's challenges.

In this episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast we focus on a subject that most people have experience with—inspiration. Where does it come from and why does it disappear? How can motivation and perseverance help us reach the finish line on our efforts when inspiration is gone? As a researcher, author, and speaker with decades of experience, Tony knows both sides of this coin and shares his insights and actionable strategies so that inspiration is readily available when we need it.

Our special guest on this week's episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast comes to us from the Royal Canadian Air Force. Major General Colin Keiver (ret.) is a fellow pilot, instructor, and human factors aficionado who matches Tony point-for-point on a variety of topics. From growing through instructing others to principles-based operations and what's missing from current leadership programs, this episode provides compelling depth on self-knowledge from two career aviators. 

Discover the cosmic balance between courage and fear in this week's discussion on the Only Human Podcast with Dr. Tony Kern, with special guest Valerie Walsh. Valerie is a best-selling author of books on love, loss, and personal development and a mental health/physical fitness advocate. This conversation covers “knowing yourself” and the wide range of tools and methods that we've learned or discovered to mind our mental, physical, and spiritual health for improved outcomes across the board.

In this packed episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, we dive into the cognitive biases—or mental shortcuts—that our subconscious hidden identity uses that can sabotage our efforts. These automatic processes can trip us up if we're not careful, but the more introspective (see our last episode) we can be about our own actions and thought processes, the more we can avoid these mind tricks. Which cognitive biases trip you up the most?

People who practice introspection—the act of thinking about the inner workings of ourselves—are more likely to find happiness, relationship fulfillment, personal growth, and a sense of control. But the opposite can also occur if introspection is done haphazardly or the wrong way. In this week's episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, Tony explores the benefits of introspection, tips for doing it well, and examples where it was absent or done poorly, resulting in the wrong lessons being learned.

What do road rage, Will Smith's Oscar slap, and an astronaut in adult diapers have in common? The answer is an emotional and irrational response to a stimuli or trigger called “sudden loss of judgment.” Join us for this week's Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast as we dive into more examples of this serious problem that we've all experienced from time to time. Tony shares personal anecdotes and some simple solutions to stop an unexpected event from turning us into a 6'o'clock news story.

In this week's episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, we discuss how to break free from the things that keep us complacent, distracted, and limit our potential. Life isn't usually stable, safe, or predictable and relying on the things we're so often told will provide happiness and security can result in us becoming trapped instead. Breaking free requires intention and deliberate pursuit of small, consistent actions—a powerful journey that ultimately takes a lifetime.

Welcome to Season 3 of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast! Season 3's focus is what Socrates called the fountain of all wisdom—getting to know yourself. In this episode, Tony discusses the “four identities” each of us possess: public, private, secret, and a hidden identity. Join us for a discussion on how these identities influence our actions, reactions, thoughts, and behaviors and learn the best ways to explore them and even take control to become the master of your own life.

In the Season 2 finale of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, Tony breaks down the two major components of “readiness:” preparation and vigilance. Our challenges can be overcome through Mental, Emotional, Behavioral, and Physical Preparedness—this is half of the readiness equation. Vigilance—even hyper-vigilance—can be achieved by monitoring our self- and situational awareness, sustained attention, threat detection, and team communication. We'll see you soon for the launch of Season 3!

In this follow-up episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast on self-defeating patterns, we tackle eight more. Based on a reader comment from the last episode, Tony takes a more positive approach by highlighting the upsides of each thought/behavior pattern. Issues covered range from Imposter Syndrome, People Pleasing, and Blame Shifting to Self-Sabotage and Chronic Worrying. No matter your age, experience, or station, there is sure to be something helpful to your daily life!

When does self-reflection become destructive self-criticism? When does smart planning turn into procrastination? In this week's Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, our host responds to a reader question to address self-defeating thoughts and behaviors through multiple lenses. This episode is an examination of the upsides and downsides of certain personal thinking patterns and behaviors to discover a balance that facilitates improvement while minimizing negative self-talk and behaviors.  

Join Tony and our special guest, bestselling author Adrienne Somerville, for expert insights about talent management, being a mentor, finding a mentor, and so much more. The discussion includes industry-spanning topics like the generational handoff, mentoring people and growing talent over focusing on production or profits, company culture, professionalism, the impacts of COVID, and much more. Optimal performance enthusiasts are certainly in for a treat with this conversation!

This week we finish our deep-dive discussion of the Blue Threat Proverbs we use on the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast. Follow along as Tony explains proverbs 21–35, including “Strange things happen near the boundaries,” “Only Human is the ultimate oxymoron,” and one of Tony's absolute favorites, “Harness the Merlin Effect,” about the power of mentorship to improve not only the mentee, but the mentor as well. Let us know in the comments which one is your favorite!

In this episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, Tony reflects upon a prayer from writer Laura Jean Truman about the potential of emotions to be used for good or deformed into anger, cruelty, and evil. The last line of this prayer stands out especially: “Keep me fiercely kind,” and from this inspiration, Tony reflects on this prayer and crafts his own version in alignment with his life purpose of helping others improve and find their own purpose, satisfaction, and inner strength.

In a world reshaped by new technologies, economic & social pressures, generational changes, and new workplace models, what does leadership even look like? Certainly not what it used to. This week on the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, we explore some counterintuitive ideas and how we can still shape the leadership & professionalism of tomorrow, albeit not the same way we did yesterday. If understanding these issues is as important to you as it is to us, you won't want to miss this episode!

Delivering bad news is one of the most difficult conversations most of us ever have. They are also some of the most important. This week on the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, Tony draws on his personal and professional experience to walk us through delivering bad news in a variety of scenarios and settings. Giving or receiving bad news is never easy, but with preparation and practice we can learn to do it like the pros do.

One of our favorite Blue Threat Proverbs states: “Noncompliance is addictive and progressive.” But it can also be viral, spreading within ourselves and eventually to others, like a pandemic with completely unforeseen consequences for everyone. In this week's episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kernpodcast, Tony revisits the idea of “mindful noncompliance” to establish the essential considerations we must be mindful of if we're ever contemplating bending or breaking the rules.

This week's episode of the Only Human Podcast with Dr. Tony Kern features another amazing special guest: Elmar Luttar. Until a very recent “passing of the torch,” Elmar was the CEO of Lufthansa Technik Philippines. He is also author of the book, Error Traps, about his approach to reducing human error in the maintenance teams at Lufthansa. Don't miss this lively discussion of his tenure at Lufthansa, efficiently managing complex operations, procedural compliance, customer service, and more!

An interesting trend has emerged in research of Gen Z in the workforce: they rank salary lower than intangible factors such as company culture, flexibility, and work/life balance. In today's Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern, learn why these intangible factors are critical—for every professional—by viewing them in a different way: psychological salary, emotional salary, behavioral salary, and spiritual salary. No matter what generation you are, discover how to reach your ideal work/life balance!

In this episode of the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, Tony's list of the biggest mistakes leaders make becomes a confessional as he shares with us his personal “top 5” leadership mistakes. There's no “inside baseball” here, as Tony provides both personal and well-known examples of each, from Elizabeth Holmes of the Theranos scandal to product failures like Google Glass. Whether you're a current/future leader, team member, or one of our regular listeners, you'll appreciate these tips!

This week we continue our deep-dive discussion of the Blue Threat Proverbs we use on the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast. Tony briefly reviews the origin of the concept and then does a deep dive on proverbs like “You're only as committed as you are convinced,” “The fourth dimension is the first decision,” and fan favorite “Never trust a dead villain.” This episode covers the next ten Blue Threat Proverbs (11–20) with additional discussion and analysis to expand your understanding—let us know in the comments which one is your favorite!

In a first for the Only Human with Dr. Tony Kern podcast, this episode features not one but two special guests who join Tony for a lively discussion on leadership, family, and parenting. Bryan Burns is President and CEO of the Air Charter Safety Foundation and father of two highly successful children, now adults.  Rachel Kern is a college athlete and corporate retail manager who is raising two young sons in a “confusing world.” Join Tony, Bryan, and Rachel as they apply leadership lessons from their careers to their personal roles as partners and parents, how to positively impact the emotional and intellectual development of both children and employees, how social media and modern technologies can complicate everything, and—of course—nurturing human performance to bring out the very best in the people we care about.