Russ Off The Cuff

“The Friendship Factor” was the first book to make me think about the importance of friendship, and that how I had been building them was more careless than careful. Over the years I have come to understand the truth of the statement that, “deep friendship requires cultivation..." With all we have discussed in this series based on the article from Lead Different titled "The Lost Art of Friendship," now is the time to take action by investing in quality friendships. This episode sets us up to take action. Enjoy building friendships.

William Deresiewicz writing in his essay "The Death of Friendship" says, "We seem terribly fragile now. A friend fulfills her duty, we suppose, by taking our side..." This runs counter to the idea of depth and friendship leaning toward the superficiality of 'leaving each other alone,' instead of 'trying to make each other better.' In this episode we talk about the 3 qualities we can invest in which increase the depth of our friendships.

William Deresiewicz writing in his essay "The Death of Friendship" makes the observation that modern day friendship is lacking in comparison to the ancients or classical friendship. He writes, "As for the moral content of classical friendship, its commitment to virtue and mutual improvement, that, too, has been lost." This episode is about reclaiming the true meaning of friendship, returning to the quality look and feel the ancients experienced.

This episode discusses the truth ancients believed about friendship, that it requires extraordinary qualities of character. We discuss 3 key qualities in this episode. "The Death of Friendship by William Deresiewicz." How Many Friends Does One Person Need? by Robin Dunbar

This episode discusses the truth that friendship is rare, precious, and hard won. This definition is taking from the ancients based on the essay "The Death of Friendship by William Deresiewicz." How Many Friends Does One Person Need? by Robin Dunbar

This episode takes as its thesis the idea that "We cannot be friends with everyone otherwise friendship has no meaning." Before you react consider the ideas inside this episode: Aptitude for Friendship: Do we ever think about our question our aptitude for friendship? The Meaninglessness of Friendship: What is it about our lack of definition to friendship which can cause it to become meaningless? Restoring Meaning to Friendship: 9 things that give meaning and definition to our friendships The Death of Friendship by William Deresiewicz

This week I saw fear in the face of a young leader. He reminded me of my own fear at a similar age. This lead me to create an article called "Why Are We Afraid To Lead." You can find the article on Lead Different. The Art of Non-Conformity Discussed are the 6 sources of tension for young leader Chronic Insecurity Chronic Anxiety Chronic Pressure Chronic Stress Chronic Emotional Confusion Chronic Psychic Struggle

This is the 7th episode of our "Lost Art of Friendship" podcast series based on the Lead Different article of the same name which you can find here. This episode begins the breakdown of 7 questions based on reflections from the William Deresiewicz essay "The Death of Friendship." The question answered in this episode: What is the difference between Friendship and Distraction? Here is a snippet to give you an idea where we are going in this episode, "A common mistake is to identify relationships as friendships, when the only purpose they serve is to distract us from the uncomfortable, difficult, or painful."

Teenagers are experiencing a punishing loneliness during this pandemic. This experience is chronicled by Ellen McCarthy in “The loneliness of an interrupted adolescence.” Teens reflect the general erosion of mental health during this pandemic. Everyone is effected in some way. The Lost Art of Friendship was written to highlight the importance of friendship in battling the emotional challenges of this pandemic as well as the general and ongoing need for genuine friendships. The hope is to provide definition to what they are and insight on how to build them. You can read the original article here. You can also find previous episodes of the podcast on Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcast

"Something I have learned about my life and the lives of the hundreds I have spoken to about their emotional and spiritual lives is that loneliness is experienced more often than admitted." This quote and episode theme is drawn from "The Lost Art of Friendship," which you can find at Lead Different. "The Lonely Century" is a book by Noreena Hertz which I recommend and refer to. This episode has several article references which can be found in the original article here.

This is a quick reflection on learning. No absolutes. No certainty. Only an awareness that the future belongs to those who learn, and organizations with a learning culture. "we can then build “learning organizations,” organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning how to learn together." The above quote belongs to Peter Senge. It is from his book "The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of The Learning Organization," a volume I refer to when I notice myself or others in the organizations of which I am a part becoming resistant to learning. My hope is you will listen and share, and if there is enough interest then I will be writing more about learning on Lead Different.

Emotional Phobias lead us to "suppress and diminish our emotions." After a time, we become emotionally deprived or dehydrated. This emotional deprivation or dehydration leaves us in a state of emotional hunger or thirst at which time we start pursuing... Brené Brown: You can find all her works on Amazon here. I recommend Rising Strong, Braving the Wilderness, and Daring Greatly Key Definition: Humility is the Absence Insecurity Key Definition: Emotion Phobic people fear and devalue emotion

Real friendship tends to be difficult for men and boys. We are taught early on that our emotions can lead us into the “dark arts of human vulnerability...” Brian's Song: Groundbreaking movie about friendships among men (1970s) The Uncomfortable Truth about Male Loneliness: Honest depiction of the messiness involved with building male relationships

"One of the best ways to receive an emotional education is through friendship. For this to occur these friendships must be built from the inside out, intrinsically not extrinsically." Tombstone: This movie's depiction of friendship is worth watching The Lost Art of Friendship: This is the article upon which the podcast series is based

"We are all in desperate need of an emotional education, the very thing capable of helping us nurture and strengthen the relational aspects of life, and let’s face it, more often than not it isn’t our failure to understand the philosophy of Nietzsche or Einsteinian principles of physics which sink our lives. What sinks us most often is our failure to navigate relationships, the emotional aspects of life, and yet we continue to neglect and diminish the need for an emotional education." The Lost Art of Friendship is a podcast series based on the article of the same name which can be found here. Part 1, the introduction, called The Pursuit of Love can be found here. The Concept of Emotional Education was borrowed from Alain de Botton and his book The School of Life, An Emotional Education My beginning with Emotional Education began long ago after reading the book Emotional Intelligence The best biography I have read about Emotional Intelligence and Emotional Education is Team of Rivals Thanks for taking the time to read and listen to my content and journey. I hope it helps you with yours.

The Lost Art of Friendship is an article of exploration of deeper relationships and can be found at Lead Different. This episode of the podcast is an introduction and is entitled "The Pursuit of Love" because of the following quote from the aforementioned article. "We all want to know how it feels to be loved. I believe it feels like friendship, but my fear is we as a country and culture, be we secular or religious have lost the art, the considerable understanding and skill necessary to make real friends."

This is the introduction to a series about leading in times of crisis. In this first episode there are three broad topics. Featured prominently in the podcast and companion articles is the concept of empathy. You can read the article Why This Pandemic Requires Empathic Leadership to begin your journey of seeing its importance in the midst of crisis. Leadership In Times of Crisis - a general sense of how the pandemic effects us and the world around us The Research Behind Leadership In Times of Crisis - I share the texts which are helping me develop this series which will pinpoint leaders who experienced personal crisis which made them capable of leading in crisis. In fact, this is one of the keys of leading in crisis. Unless we manage our personal crisis we will not be able to lead in times of crisis. Leadership In Times of Crisis Starts at Home - Whether you have a family or a household like Friends the real test of our capability to lead in a crisis is whether we make home a priority. There are 5 important topics covered in this section. The companion articles for this post as well as all of the posts in this series can be found at Lead Different.

This is an audio supplement to the Lead Different Article "The Pursuit of Greatness"

This is another bonus episode for those searching for a Sunday Morning Spiritual Meditation. The theme is "The Power of Change." You as always can find the Russ Off The Cuff Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also check out my writing on leadership and change at Lead Different. How To Become an Inspiring Leader Deep Spirituality Sign Up For A Change Plan

"Only If You Want To Change" is for people who are passionate about personal change, especially personal change can lead to changing the world. This episode takes a deep dive into making the type of choices that will reduce anxiety and stress, turn motion into action, help us choose confidence over control, live lives of boldness instead of timidity, to believe rather than second guess, so we can slow down rather than speed up, because we choose the spiritual rather than humanistic path, all of which can help us be present, living today rather than freaking out about tomorrow. Lead Different - The Change That Changes Everything James Clear - Atomic Habits Bob Dylan - Gotta Serve Somebody Mattel Stallion - Motorcycle Bike

This episode evolved out my research on the topic "Leadership Begins with Leading Yourself." Hopefully there will be a time when I can complete this very practical episode, but today, "The Parenting and Leadership Connection" spoke to me personally, and if you give it a chance, whether you are married or single, with or without kids, my bet is it will speak to you, because all of us have experienced parenting and leadership. The goal of this episode is to inspire us to learn how to parent and lead, not merely do these things on instinct. Here are some notes to help navigate the show. The Parenting and Leadership Connection article on Lead Different. John Adams biography by David McCullough John Adams HBO Miniseries

Thank you for your patience. My audio quality needs to get better. Since I am doing these on the move, in the wild so to speak, there is a bit more mastery needed. I will get there. Hence the title, "Russ Off The Cuff." This episode may require bravery. It was helpful to me. Hope it is helpful to you. Never thought about the fact that the way to better manage life is to "run to rather than away from the truth." The episode referred to here along with a couple of other references are linked below. When Life Gets To Be Too Much - This is the previous episode which will make better sense of this one. Kennedy Accepts Sole Responsibility for Bay of Pigs - I may have confused this with the Cuban Missile Crisis, but the point remains the same, Kennedy unlike Johnson with Vietnam embraced the truth.

"When Life Gets To Be Too Much" is the beginning of a conversation we should have about the overwhelming nature of life, especially in the midst of a pandemic, political polarization, presidential election, wildfires, racism, and the social unrest that goes along with all of these. This is an acknowledgment I think some of you will agree with, which is that right now life has gotten to be too much. There will be more content coming on this subject. Home, bittersweet home - Can a single place - one that's failed us in the past - squeeze everything it takes to life a life? Lead Different - Where I discuss leadership, emotion, and spirituality the components of leading different The 4D's - The 4D's of Emotionalism are Disoriented, Distracted, Disrupted, Derailed. They can overwhelm is with feelings of too much The Pandemic is a Mental Health Crisis for Parents - Parenting just got harder during the pandemic as if we needed more difficulty Master of the Senate - One of the best books on Lyndon Johnson Indomitable Will - Presidency of Lyndon Johnson Doris Kerns Goodwin on LBJ - Goodwin actually worked with Johnson so personal view LBJ starring Woody Harrelson BJ Armstrong - MJ went from 'doing too much in a game' to ' to doing what it took to win the game' Please follow Russ Off the Cuff on Spotify.

Turn Up The Volume On This One This recording is unique. While recording the separate 5 episodes for "How To Discover Your Voice," simultaneously I was recording a one complete episode, non-stop. You get to hear me prepare the entire series and add some commentary. One note. I am learning. You may have to turn the volume up a bit higher to hear well. I will fix this in the future. This is, again, all episodes in 1, with commentary and noises. All under the title "How To Discover Your Voice." The article upon which each episode is based can be found at Lead Different. "Discovering Your Voice" is a journey, a hero's journey, it is about building our lives, finding our destiny, listening to our heart and soul, until we are set free of all labels allowing us to authentically be ourselves. The links below are resources for all 5 episodes so if you don't hear the reference keep listening! Lead Different "How To Discover Your Voice - This is my article which contains everything in the podcasts with additional links We Are Alive, Bruce at 62 by David Remnick - this is the seminal article that helped me center all of my research on Bruce Springsteen. It may sound ridiculous to those unfamiliar with Bruce to say this, but he is how I discovered my voice. There were certainly other influences, but his self-awareness, willingness to work in obscurity, and willingness to build his life step by step captured my attention and imagination. This article along with several books open my eyes and inspired my heart. It is often quoted an a must read. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - Angela Duckworth writes with enlightening clarity about the importance of grit and in so doing makes it clear the talent is not enough. These 5 episodes use Springsteen and sharing from my own life and observations to make real the truth that it is the combination of our talents with grit that leads to success. Angela Duckworth "Grit" Ted Talk - in case you don't want to read the book Genesis 32 - There are references to Jacob one of the central characters of the New Testament. These come from Genesis 32 and II Corinthians 13:11 and the link provided allows you to use the Tecarta Bible to read the references online. White Men Can't Jump - This movie makes an appearance and I think you will enjoy the clip and the movie. The War of Art - Total inspiration especially for creatives by Steven Pressfield. Originals: How Non-Conformist Move the World - Adam Grant is a scholar of organizations and leadership. This book plays a prominent role in the later episodes. Deep Spirituality - There is a reference to this site for those who want to read more of my spiritual writings. I serve as Editor in Chief here.

This is the 5th of 5 episodes under the title "How To Discover Your Voice." The article upon which each episode is based can be found at Lead Different. "Discovering Your Voice" is a journey, a hero's journey, it is about building our lives, finding our destiny, listening to our heart and soul, until we are set free of all labels allowing us to authentically be ourselves. The links below are resources for all 5 episodes so if you don't hear the reference keep listening! Lead Different "How To Discover Your Voice - This is my article which contains everything in the podcasts with additional links We Are Alive, Bruce at 62 by David Remnick - this is the seminal article that helped me center all of my research on Bruce Springsteen. It may sound ridiculous to those unfamiliar with Bruce to say this, but he is how I discovered my voice. There were certainly other influences, but his self-awareness, willingness to work in obscurity, and willingness to build his life step by step captured my attention and imagination. This article along with several books open my eyes and inspired my heart. It is often quoted an a must read. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - Angela Duckworth writes with enlightening clarity about the importance of grit and in so doing makes it clear the talent is not enough. These 5 episodes use Springsteen and sharing from my own life and observations to make real the truth that it is the combination of our talents with grit that leads to success. Angela Duckworth "Grit" Ted Talk - in case you don't want to read the book Genesis 32 - There are references to Jacob one of the central characters of the New Testament. These come from Genesis 32 and II Corinthians 13:11 and the link provided allows you to use the Tecarta Bible to read the references online. White Men Can't Jump - This movie makes an appearance and I think you will enjoy the clip and the movie. The War of Art - Total inspiration especially for creatives by Steven Pressfield. Originals: How Non-Conformist Move the World - Adam Grant is a scholar of organizations and leadership. This book plays a prominent role in the later episodes. Deep Spirituality - There is a reference to this site for those who want to read more of my spiritual writings. I serve as Editor in Chief here.

This is the 4th of 5 episodes under the title "How To Discover Your Voice." The article upon which each episode is based can be found at Lead Different. "Discovering Your Voice" is a journey, a hero's journey, it is about building our lives, finding our destiny, listening to our heart and soul, until we are set free of all labels allowing us to authentically be ourselves. The links below are resources for all 5 episodes so if you don't hear the reference keep listening! Lead Different "How To Discover Your Voice - This is my article which contains everything in the podcasts with additional links We Are Alive, Bruce at 62 by David Remnick - this is the seminal article that helped me center all of my research on Bruce Springsteen. It may sound ridiculous to those unfamiliar with Bruce to say this, but he is how I discovered my voice. There were certainly other influences, but his self-awareness, willingness to work in obscurity, and willingness to build his life step by step captured my attention and imagination. This article along with several books open my eyes and inspired my heart. It is often quoted an a must read. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - Angela Duckworth writes with enlightening clarity about the importance of grit and in so doing makes it clear the talent is not enough. These 5 episodes use Springsteen and sharing from my own life and observations to make real the truth that it is the combination of our talents with grit that leads to success. Angela Duckworth "Grit" Ted Talk - in case you don't want to read the book Genesis 32 - There are references to Jacob one of the central characters of the New Testament. These come from Genesis 32 and II Corinthians 13:11 and the link provided allows you to use the Tecarta Bible to read the references online. White Men Can't Jump - This movie makes an appearance and I think you will enjoy the clip and the movie. The War of Art - Total inspiration especially for creatives by Steven Pressfield. Originals: How Non-Conformist Move the World - Adam Grant is a scholar of organizations and leadership. This book plays a prominent role in the later episodes. Deep Spirituality - There is a reference to this site for those who want to read more of my spiritual writings. I serve as Editor in Chief here.

This is the 3rd of 5 episodes under the title "How To Discover Your Voice." The article upon which each episode is based can be found at Lead Different. "Discovering Your Voice" is a journey, a hero's journey, it is about building our lives, finding our destiny, listening to our heart and soul, until we are set free of all labels allowing us to authentically be ourselves. The links below are resources for all 5 episodes so if you don't hear the reference keep listening! Lead Different "How To Discover Your Voice - This is my article which contains everything in the podcasts with additional links We Are Alive, Bruce at 62 by David Remnick - this is the seminal article that helped me center all of my research on Bruce Springsteen. It may sound ridiculous to those unfamiliar with Bruce to say this, but he is how I discovered my voice. There were certainly other influences, but his self-awareness, willingness to work in obscurity, and willingness to build his life step by step captured my attention and imagination. This article along with several books open my eyes and inspired my heart. It is often quoted an a must read. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - Angela Duckworth writes with enlightening clarity about the importance of grit and in so doing makes it clear the talent is not enough. These 5 episodes use Springsteen and sharing from my own life and observations to make real the truth that it is the combination of our talents with grit that leads to success. Angela Duckworth "Grit" Ted Talk - in case you don't want to read the book Genesis 32 - There are references to Jacob one of the central characters of the New Testament. These come from Genesis 32 and II Corinthians 13:11 and the link provided allows you to use the Tecarta Bible to read the references online. White Men Can't Jump - This movie makes an appearance and I think you will enjoy the clip and the movie. The War of Art - Total inspiration especially for creatives by Steven Pressfield. Originals: How Non-Conformist Move the World - Adam Grant is a scholar of organizations and leadership. This book plays a prominent role in the later episodes. Deep Spirituality - There is a reference to this site for those who want to read more of my spiritual writings. I serve as Editor in Chief here.

This is the 2nd of 5 episodes under the title "How To Discover Your Voice." The article upon which each episode is based can be found at Lead Different. "Discovering Your Voice" is a journey, a hero's journey, it is about building our lives, finding our destiny, listening to our heart and soul, until we are set free of all labels allowing us to authentically be ourselves. The links below are resources for all 5 episodes so if you don't hear the reference keep listening! Lead Different "How To Discover Your Voice - This is my article which contains everything in the podcasts with additional links We Are Alive, Bruce at 62 by David Remnick - this is the seminal article that helped me center all of my research on Bruce Springsteen. It may sound ridiculous to those unfamiliar with Bruce to say this, but he is how I discovered my voice. There were certainly other influences, but his self-awareness, willingness to work in obscurity, and willingness to build his life step by step captured my attention and imagination. This article along with several books open my eyes and inspired my heart. It is often quoted an a must read. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - Angela Duckworth writes with enlightening clarity about the importance of grit and in so doing makes it clear the talent is not enough. These 5 episodes use Springsteen and sharing from my own life and observations to make real the truth that it is the combination of our talents with grit that leads to success. Angela Duckworth "Grit" Ted Talk - in case you don't want to read the book Genesis 32 - There are references to Jacob one of the central characters of the New Testament. These come from Genesis 32 and II Corinthians 13:11 and the link provided allows you to use the Tecarta Bible to read the references online. White Men Can't Jump - This movie makes an appearance and I think you will enjoy the clip and the movie. The War of Art - Total inspiration especially for creatives by Steven Pressfield. Originals: How Non-Conformist Move the World - Adam Grant is a scholar of organizations and leadership. This book plays a prominent role in the later episodes. Deep Spirituality - There is a reference to this site for those who want to read more of my spiritual writings. I serve as Editor in Chief here.

This is the 1st of 5 episodes under the title "How To Discover Your Voice." The article upon which each episode is based can be found at Lead Different. "Discovering Your Voice" is a journey, a hero's journey, it is about building our lives, finding our destiny, listening to our heart and soul, until we are set free of all labels allowing us to authentically be ourselves. The links below are resources for all 5 episodes so if you don't hear the reference keep listening! Lead Different "How To Discover Your Voice - This is my article which contains everything in the podcasts with additional links We Are Alive, Bruce at 62 by David Remnick - this is the seminal article that helped me center all of my research on Bruce Springsteen. It may sound ridiculous to those unfamiliar with Bruce to say this, but he is how I discovered my voice. There were certainly other influences, but his self-awareness, willingness to work in obscurity, and willingness to build his life step by step captured my attention and imagination. This article along with several books open my eyes and inspired my heart. It is often quoted an a must read. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - Angela Duckworth writes with enlightening clarity about the importance of grit and in so doing makes it clear the talent is not enough. These 5 episodes use Springsteen and sharing from my own life and observations to make real the truth that it is the combination of our talents with grit that leads to success. Angela Duckworth "Grit" Ted Talk - in case you don't want to read the book Genesis 32 - There are references to Jacob one of the central characters of the New Testament. These come from Genesis 32 and II Corinthians 13:11 and the link provided allows you to use the Tecarta Bible to read the references online. White Men Can't Jump - This movie makes an appearance and I think you will enjoy the clip and the movie. The War of Art - Total inspiration especially for creatives by Steven Pressfield. Originals: How Non-Conformist Move the World - Adam Grant is a scholar of organizations and leadership. This book plays a prominent role in the later episodes. Deep Spirituality - There is a reference to this site for those who want to read more of my spiritual writings. I serve as Editor in Chief here.

Taking a snapshot from the best-selling biography of Ulysses S. Grant by Ron Chernow Russ Ewell reflects on how leaders can be worn down and potentially squander their leadership potential. This episode is based on an original idea called "10 Fears That Limit Our Leadership Potential," which became "Before You Give Up On Being A Leader." Why change? Simplicity and Clarity! You can find the post "Before You Give Up On Being A Leader" at Lead Different "Grant asked himself whether the price of leadership was worth the pain" is a central question explored. "The capacity for fear to limit our leadership potential is immense" is a idea explored There are references to Walt Whitman's poem "America" and how it connects to Langston Hughes poem "I, Too," which contains the proclamation and protest line, "I Too, am America." There is a reference to legendary Coach Vince Lombardi and his timeless observation that "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." There is a great biography of Coach Lombardi called "When Pride Still Mattered." The Order of the Phoenix from the Harry Potter Film Series is referred to, the inspiring moment when Dumbledore with the help of Fawkes the Phoenix disappears in a blaze of fire. You can find more of my content at russewell.com