Podcasts about change leadership

What if the real problem isn't your willpower, but your timing?Today we dive into a very practical exploration of how your brain shifts across the day, and how to design a life that cooperates with those shifts instead of fighting them.  From the morning's high executive function to the evening's predictable crash, we unpack why your 9 a.m. self feels like a sharp CEO while your 9 p.m. self behaves like a tired intern, and how to use that predictability to your advantage.  We break down the predictability principle and share accessible, battle-tested tools that remove decision friction when you're depleted. You'll hear how to apply “system over hope” in real life.  Then we get strategic about the high points. Guard your mornings for high-friction work like writing, strategy, complex learning, difficult conversations, when focus and clarity peak. Shift afternoons to nudge tasks like email, scheduling, and admin, so your best hours serve your most important goals. We also show why coaches wire new habits to early slots for dramatically better odds, and how to run a simple audit: identify where you're pushing against your biology, realign tasks to your energy, and install one small system tonight to help your future self succeed.  If you're ready to reduce regret, increase follow-through, and build kinder systems that work even when you're tired, this conversation is your playbook. Listen, try one tool today, and tell us: which habit are you moving to your morning slot? Subscribe, share with a friend who overplans mornings and underdoes nights, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

If doing the “right thing” still feels like a daily arm wrestle, you don't need a pep talk - you need better systems.  Today we dig into systems that make good choices easy and consistent, drawing on Angela Duckworth's research on grit and practical behavior change to show how environment, routines, and scheduling can carry the load so willpower doesn't have to.  We start with a simple truth: humans, young and old, choose the path of least resistance.  Phones win when they're within reach. Late nights win when nothing reminds us to stop. Instead of blaming discipline, we rewire the setup. You'll hear practical examples: a bedtime cue that ends nightly debates, frictionless food prep like pre-boiled eggs and pre-loaded protein shakers, and a weekly shopping and planning loop that removes decision fatigue. These aren't hacks; they're scaffolds that keep your values front and center on the busiest days.  Then we zoom out to time and energy.  Most of us hit a predictable early afternoon slump. Rather than fight biology, we protect morning peak hours for deep work and tough thinking, move admin to the dip, and leave room to finish strong later. We also share a simple weekly outcome planning system: define what success looks like by Friday, block it on the calendar, cancel what doesn't serve the target, and stack those wins week after week.   By the end, you'll have a blueprint to make progress automatic: design your environment, align your schedule with your rhythms, and let systems do the heavy lifting.  If you're ready to stop grinding and start gliding, press play. If this resonates, subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a quick review to help more people find the show.  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

The finish line is seductive and often the very thing that stalls progress.  We take you inside a behavior-first approach that replaces outcome anxiety with clear, repeatable actions you can control today.  Speaking from nearly two decades of coaching, we break down why revenue targets, weight goals, and follower counts are lagging indicators that reflect the past, and how leading indicators—your consistent behaviors—are the true drivers of future results.  We map the mindset shift from chasing to creating, showing how to use vision as a compass while building daily momentum with quality reps. Expect practical examples across fitness, writing, and business: from scheduling a 45-minute strength session to publishing one deeply researched article a week to delivering two sharp sales presentations.  You'll learn the 2-step method—realistic assessment and internal release—that translates big aspirations into scheduled, trackable behaviors, then frees your mind from fixating on the scoreboard.  We also reframe failure as feedback.  When the outcome lags despite solid execution, it's not a moral verdict—it's data that your plan needs adjustment. We offer three reflection questions to drive continuous improvement and show how to protect your best energy for your most important reps. If you're ready to swap magical thinking for a system that compounds, this conversation gives you the tools to define, schedule, and honor the actions that move you forward.  Subscribe for more process-driven strategies, share this with a friend who's goal-stuck, and leave a review to tell us the one behavior you're committing to this week.  Your next step is the only one that matters—what will you put on the calendar today?  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Tahira Endean is the Author of Intentional Event Design, “Our Professional Opportunity” and Our KPI is Joy, Using Live Events to Catalyse, Happiness, Productivity and Trust. She is also the Co-founder of Strategy Table – helping companies Transform Team Dynamics Through Expert Meeting Facilitation. Tahira is a curious event designer and education curator for the MICE industry. She is passionate about global travel, intentional event design and the integration of technology into our lives and events to enhance the human experience. Tahira wore her “Association Hat” as Head of Events for SITE from 2019 through the pandemic and until we returned to events fully in 2023. Change is inevitable, and in 202,3 Tahira put her passion for life-long learning into practice to earn an MSc in Creativity and Change Leadership. Tahira continues to educate the next generation, teaching Event Strategy and Design at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. Tahira Endean Deeply committed to the industry, Tahira has been recognised for a range of contributions, including 2022 Influencers with Northstar Meetings, SmartMeetings – Women in Meetings Visionary (2021), MeetingsToday Top 20 Trendsetter (2018), a MeetingsNet Changemaker (2016), the MPI BC Chapter Mentor of the Year (2018), among others.  In 2015, Tahira was inducted into the Meetings Canada Hall of Fame in the Big Idea category.  Driven by a fascination with what we are learning about neuroscience and the power of the five senses to enhance memory, knowledge retention, and improve connections, she is continually seeking appropriate ways to design the most relevant incentive, meeting and event environments.  Tahira also loves travel, cooking, time with her family, and anything with bubbles! Our KPI is Joy Tahira speaks to Subhanjan about why humans connect and that the experience of attendees and participants at events should be the paramount criterion for event design. Ultimately, people want to connect and experience empathy and joy at such gatherings. This is the subject of her book “Our KPI is Joy”. Events are costly, and when organisers plan them, they typically look at factors such as display effectiveness, website functionality, technological efficiency and a host of other such criteria. But they ought to spend at least a tiny amount of their resources on thinking about the human experience. The customer journey starts with the anticipation phase, when they start packing for the journey to the event. Great events should make the arrival, the registration, and the welcome- all of these memorable experiences for the attendee. After all, out of three or four-day events, most people tend to remember only six minutes of the entire engagement after a while. Run time – 01:02:18 mins. Links for Subhanjan subhanjan@pitch.link https://www.linkedin.com/in/subhanjansarkar

What if the best shape of your life has little to do with the willpower problem?  And more with a system design problem.  We break down a practical, science-backed framework that turns cravings from a daily fight into a reliable signal you can trust, that works FOR your health and fitness, not against it.  Drawing on my 10+ years of weight loss and health, coaching and evidence-based nutrition, plus a guided AI co-host experiment, we map out 6 simple, actionable pillars that align biology, behavior, and environment so the right choices feel easy.   We close with a challenge: pick one pillar this week and create a small win that cascades across the rest.  Subscribe, share with a friend who's tired of white-knuckling cravings, and tell us which pillar you're choosing so we can celebrate your momentum and keep your accountable!

In this episode, we explore the path to becoming a Decamillionaire with Justin Goodbread and his guest, Dr. Fred Johnson. Together, they delve into the crucial leadership strategies that can help service-based business owners scale their enterprises beyond the $10 million mark. From the importance of vulnerability in leadership to the necessity of embracing change, this conversation is packed with actionable insights. LinkedIn: Dr. Fred Johnson WWW: DrFredJohnson.com WWW: InitiativeOne.com Book: The Reality of Change Learn more about Relentless Value Coaching:  https://www.justingoodbread.com/coaching/

What if the real barrier to change isn't willpower but the context you live in? And what if you could design it but you rarely do?  Today we unpack 4 invisible forces—systems, social norms, flexible framing, and co‑design—that quietly steer your decisions, emotions, and actions. Drawing on a fresh conversation with behavioral scientist Michael Hallsworth of the Behavioral Insights Team, we translate big‑picture insights into daily moves that make change feel natural instead of forced.  We start by challenging the myth of pure personal agency. Systems determine what is easy, what is hard, and what happens by default. When you redesign cues, constraints, and sequences, you lower friction and stop wasting energy on self-control.  Then we zoom into the social layer. Your choices mirror the norms of your circle, from how you work to what you eat. Rather than fight your social brain, enlist it: align your peers, set shared rituals, and curate the voices you let in.  Next, we practice flexible framing. Stuck problems often need a new lens, not more effort. Reframing “my discipline” as “our design” opens options that were invisible from a narrow view.  Finally, we get practical with co‑design. Telling people what to do sparks resistance; building the plan together creates ownership. Whether you're leading a team, parenting, or coaching yourself, collaborative design turns compliance into commitment and helps change stick.  You'll walk away with a simple playbook for an aligned not forced change: audit your system for the results it's producing, realign your social environment, reframe until better options appear, and co‑design the next step with the people involved—including yourself.  Subscribe, share this episode with someone who needs a nudge toward easier change, and leave a review to help us reach more curious minds. What's the first context tweak you'll make today?    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

If there was a pill that consistently and instantly boosts your cognitive and physical performance - it would contain sleep!  If peak performance starts to slip, don't blame your willpower - look at your sleep.  We dive straight into the 3 levers that consistently turn “I'm fine” into focused, calm, and energetic: the stories you tell yourself, the routine you follow, and the environment you live in. From caffeine myths to all-nighter bragging rights, we call out the habits that quietly wreck deep sleep and show a clear path to better nights that fuel better days.  First, we challenge the big beliefs. Then we move into daily routines that make sleep reliable. Finally, we tackle context - the social and physical cues that shape your sleep quality.   The throughline is simple: sleep is a skill you design, not a mystery you endure.  Share the episode with someone who wants to sleep better with you, subscribe for more practical performance tools, and leave a quick review to support the show.  Your best work starts the night before, ready to claim it?  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

We explore how the questions we repeat shape our focus, emotions, and results, and how a small shift in wording can turn stuck energy into practical motivation.  Drawing on coaching sessions and real-life experiments in fitness, business, and habit building, we show why your brain reliably hunts for whatever you ask it to find, even while you sleep, and how to use that fact to your advantage.  We walk through a simple 3-question sequence that helps you get back on track with your goals. Along the way, we unpack common traps like asking blame-heavy questions that generate worse stories, and we offer easy reframes that shift you toward agency, clarity, and consistent progress.  You'll hear practical ways to install “question habits,” plus a lightweight system for tracking proof that your new questions are working.  Whether you're aiming for better health, stronger leadership, or a calmer mind, the process is the same: ask better, act sooner, and let repetition compound.  If this resonates, follow the show, share it with one person who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review so more people can turn curiosity into change.  What's the one question you'll start asking today?  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

In this very special episode of Change Leader Insights, host Jessica Crow reconnects with former guest Hannah Jordan, Organizational Change Manager at Larimer County, for a full-circle conversation marking the show's final episode! Hannah, who was the first guest on the show in 2023, reflects on her journey from social work to change management and how she's evolved from a rule-following new practitioner to an adaptable, trusted voice leading people-centered change. With a background in social work and professional training in change management (PROSCI Certified Advanced Change Practitioner, Lean Change Agent, and BRMP), Hannah helps teams navigate change with empathy, strong relationships, and open dialogue. In her free time, she enjoys hiking Colorado's 14ers, rock climbing, and spending time with her three cats. During the conversation, Hannah shares how she brings a people-first lens to change leadership and the lessons she's learned along the way. As someone who loves process and structure, Hannah also shares how she once feared not “doing change management the right way,” and how she's learned to trust her instincts, prioritize human connection, and redefine what success means in her role. Highlights from the conversation include: ☑️ Why conversations matter more than deliverables, and how to use tools to drive clarity and insight ☑️ A personal story about the power of connection and how to build trust by building relationships ☑️ How being a change leader who doesn't like change has become one of Hannah's superpowers ☑️ Why focusing on your “why” and trusting your gut is more important than getting every step “right” This episode is a powerful reminder that leading change is about connection, credibility, and consistency, not credentials alone. Whether you're new to the field or rethinking your approach, Hannah's journey and stories will inspire you to lean into your voice, your values, and your own way of leading change.

If you've ever wondered why people do the strange things we do, this episode is your new favourite rabbit hole!Today we have Phill Agnew on the show, the mind behind Nudge — the UK's #1 marketing podcast, downloaded hundreds of thousands of times.But today?You get Phill unplugged — telling stories, breaking down psychology, and showing you how a few behavioral science principles can transform your business, your life, your TikTok following and even your marathon time.

What if the fastest way to beat cravings, cool heated words, and stop impulse buys is as simple as changing what you pay attention to?  In today's episode we explore a practical, science-informed method for redirecting focus and shifting body state so urges lose their grip and better choices get easier.  Along the way, we share real examples from coaching and daily life that show how quickly a craving fades when you anchor your mind elsewhere.  The same playbook helps in relationships and money choices. Train these skills like reps in the gym and you'll see spillover benefits across food, leadership, relationships, money-saving and decisions for better life.  If you're ready to turn urges into opportunities for deliberate action, press play and pick one tool to test today.  If the method helps, share this episode with a friend, subscribe for more practical mindset tools, and leave a quick review so others can find the show. Your attention is your leverage - let's use it for good.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

If your calendar predicted your future, would you like what it shows?  In today's episode we'll walk through a clear, 5-step work-life integration system designed to turn values and your future self visions into the life you live daily. Instead of chasing someone else's idea of balance, we strip away borrowed goals and define a good life in your words, for this season, starting now.  It's a realignment process.  We create a match between what you want in life and what you do every day.  If this resonated, subscribe, share with one person who'll keep you accountable, and leave a quick review to help more people build a life they love.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if consistency isn't about willpower but about design?  In this special crossover episode, Angela flips seats and becomes the guest. Interviewed by Kevin Joseph from the Lekker Network, I unpack how small, deliberate system changes can unlock unstoppable performance in individuals, teams, and entire organizations.  Angela shares her journey from health and neuroscience to behavioral science and leadership transformation, and the practical insights that help people stay on track long after motivation fades.  

Feeling stuck while juggling big, messy goals? We've all been there.  Today we talk about a simple, coaching-proof, reliable way to turn overwhelm into motion: after years of coaching complex client cases, one thing never fails - oversimplification outperforms overcomplication when you need momentum and progress.  You'll hear practical examples across domains: a single rule that quietly drives weight loss, a daily recognition habit that nudges culture toward engagement, and a no‑frills sales sprint that outperforms complex business strategies. Each tactic is intentionally small, easy to track, and resilient on your busiest days.  We also dig into the softer but crucial arenas: repairing strained relationships with one genuine appreciation every day, and rebuilding self‑esteem by recording a single hard thing you did or value you upheld. These practices shrink the gap between intention and action and create proof you can feel. No sprawling frameworks, no massive life overhaul just one behavior you can start your day on.  If this resonates, tap follow, share it with someone who feels stuck, and leave a quick review.  What's your one action you'll start today?  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Most teams, people and companies don't have a motivation problem - they have a design problem.In this episode I sit down with Ricardo Lopes Costa, founder and CTO of Funifier from Brazil and the author of "The Fantastic Engagement Factory: how to motivate people on a large scale with gamification". We uncover how gamification, psychology, and smart feedback loops can turn apathetic workflows into performance engines people actually want to use. Ricardo's company, Funifier, has worked with global brands like Coca-Cola, HP, Banco do Brasil, and Caixa Econômica Federal, helping them turn dry KPIs into dynamic challenges that spark human motivation — often with billion-dollar impact. Ricardo shares how:A small experiment with locked online lessons accidentally sparked his obsession with engagement.A single leaderboard turned learning into a movement across Brazil.Caixa's “Tamo Junto 9Bi+” initiative became the world's largest gamification case — driving over $1 billion USD in additional profit in just months.Recognition and belonging often outperform money when it comes to performance.Even small businesses — from cupcake stands to ice-cream shops — can gamify experiences to make people participate more.Why the future of leadership lies in designing human experiences, not just managing numbers.“Engagement is not a bonus — it's an asset, just like money or technology.” — Ricardo Lopes CostaIf you're a leader, HR professional, or entrepreneur who wants to build teams that care, perform, and grow — this episode will show you how to make motivation measurable.Key TakeawaysMotivation is designable — when you treat engagement like a system, not a feeling.Recognition > rewards: appreciation drives sustained effort more than money.Start small: pick one unmotivated area, personalize it, make it visible, make it fun.Emotional design is the missing layer in most transformation and culture projects.Everyone — even small businesses — can use gamification principles to spark engagement.

Habits don't fail you because you're weak.  They fail because they're stuck in the wrong place.  Let me explain...  Today we unpack a simple, powerful rule for consistency: put each habit where it naturally fits your life so it stops feeling like work.  Think of your day like a kitchen - your daily coffee maker sits by the water and the mugs, not in the back of a cabinet. Your routines deserve the same thoughtful placement.  Years of weekly training, hundreds of days of writing and language practice, and long-running reading and meditation - I break down exactly how the placement principle keeps these habits alive.  We explore how friction hides in tiny details: a gym that requires a drive, a planner out of reach, a walk in an unsafe or unpleasant area, or a “react first” habit embedded in chaotic meetings. When the tools, timing, and context don't match the behavior, every repetition feels like a negotiation. When they do, starting will NEVER become automatic, habits will not survive.  You'll learn how to find the perfect slot for each habit by mapping your energy peaks and valleys, pairing high-focus tasks with your sharpest hours and low-effort rituals with natural rhythms.  If your goal is lifelong change, design beats discipline: reduce friction, keep cues consistent, and let ease and automaticity grow from repetition.  Ready to make your routines feel seamless instead of heavy?  Press play, pick one habit, and move it to a better place in your day.  If this resonated, share it with a friend, start a mini listening club, and leave a quick review so more people can build habits that last.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Big goals shouldn't feel like hauling a suitcase of rocks up a hill.We're talking about how ambitious people accidentally strap on extra weight with the wrong scorecard - chasing outcomes, timelines, and approval - when the real leverage lives in daily process, commitment to daily work, clear systems, and consistent action.Today, I'm walking you through a practical high-performance exercise that reframes control, so you can stop measuring what you don't own and start optimizing the inputs you do.We dig into concrete examples across life and work: training vs winning, habits vs goals, preparation vs luck, and systems vs willpower. On the communication and leadership side, we unpack speaking clearly vs being understood, authenticity vs approval, boundaries vs reactions, and decision quality vs outcome certainty. In creative strategy, we anchor on experimentation, iteration, and feedback instead of perfection and prediction, showing how curiosity and small learning loops speed up real progress and reduce burnout.We'll finish with 2 grounding questions that tie it all together, 2 questions you must ask yourself whenever life, goals and work feel heavy.If you're feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or judged by an external scoreboard, this conversation gives you a lighter way to travel - focused, energized, and resilient over the long haul.If the episode resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who's chasing something big, and leave a quick review to help others find it.Then tell me: what controllable input will you commit to this week?Also, try my new GPT - Negative Self-Talk Trainer: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68f9e96bb94c81918b16bc403c31adfe-self-talk-trainer  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

In this special episode of Change Wired, I sit down with Claude Silver, the world's first Chief Heart Officer at VaynerX, to celebrate the launch of her new book, Be Yourself at Work: The Groundbreaking Power of Showing Up, Standing Out, and Leading from the Heart.Together, Angela and Claude unpack how to build cultures of belonging -where people don't just fit in, they flourish. 

When a tough week whispers “You're a failure,” what do you do next?  We dig into a fast, 4-question CBT flow that turns harsh self-talk into a clear plan you can act on in minutes feeling confident, empowered, hopeful and motivated again - we demo a custom Self-Talk Trainer that guides the process and exports a one-page PDF you can use as a mental training log.  We start with a core premise: thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are linked, and high performers are often tripped up not by skill but by the voice in their head. Using a relatable example - missing sales targets for a few weeks - we will do a live walkthrough of the Self-Talk Trainer, a custom GPT I designed to help you rewire negativity in your head into positive action that helps you grow and make progress despite the challenges.  This sequence in under 60 seconds.  It prompts you to capture the situation, analyze distortions like catastrophizing, craft a better thought you actually believe, and choose one small action. It then generates a clean PDF recap so you can track reps and see your thinking evolve over time - perfect for leaders, founders, and anyone who wants to perform under pressure without being dragged by rumination or self-attack.  This is the start of our “mind gym” approach: short, consistent drills that condition your inner voice to be precise, fair, and forward-moving. If you've ever spiraled after a setback, this tool and framework will keep you learning, adjusting, and taking action.  Try the Self-Talk Trainer, share it with someone who needs a mental reset, and tell us what shifts for you. If this conversation helped, subscribe, leave a review, and send the episode to a friend who could use a stronger inner coach.  Try Self-Talk Trainer here -> https://chatgpt.com/g/g-68f9e96bb94c81918b16bc403c31adfe-self-talk-trainer    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

This week Mark had the opportunity to connect with change leadership strategist Yvonne Ruke Akpoveta. Yvonne is a change strategist, author and board director who through her company The Change Leadership helps organizations navigate change.Yvonne shared her career journey, including how an early career experience was her "eureka moment" that shaped her perspective on change. She shares what the distinction is between change management (tactical, time-bound, framework-driven) and change leadership (ongoing, skill-based, influence-focused) and talks about how the increasing pace of change in organizations is creating a "tug of war" between old and new ways of working.She talks about the key change leadership skills: adaptability, agility, and human-centered leadership and the importance of organizations understanding change management beyond just a checklist approach.The Change Leadership organization is approaching its 10-year anniversary next year and offers consulting, training, and hosts an annual conference bringing change practitioners together.You can learn more here:https://thechangeleadership.comAnd follow Yvonne on LinkedIn here:https://www.linkedin.com/in/yvonneakpoveta/Don't forget …To sign up for our weekly newsletter foHRsight at http://www.futurefohrward.com/subscribe.Follow us on LinkedIn:Mark - www.linkedin.com/in/markedgarhr/Naomi - www.linkedin.com/in/naomititlemancolla/future foHRward - www.linkedin.com/company/future-fohrward/And on Instagram - www.instagram.com/futurefohrward/Support the show

Alex Sloley: Coaching Teams Trapped Between Agile Aspirations and Organizational Control Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. "The team says, oh, we want to try to do things this way, and the org keeps coming back and saying stuff like, no, no, no, you can't do that, because in this org, we don't allow that." - Alex Sloley Alex shares his current challenge working with a 10-person pilot Scrum team within a 1,500-person organization that has never done Agile before. While the team appears open-minded and eager to embrace agile ways of working, the organization continuously creates impediments by dictating how the team must estimate, break down work, and operate. Management tells them "the right way" to do everything, from estimation techniques to role-based work assignments, even implementing RACI matrices that restrict who can do what type of work. Half the team has been with the organization for six months or less, making it comfortable to simply defer to authority and follow organizational rules. Through coaching conversation, Alex explores whether the team might be falling into learned helplessness or simply finding comfort in being told what to do—both positions that avoid accountability. His experimental approach includes designing retrospective questions to help the team reflect on what they believe they're empowered to do versus what management dictates, and potentially using delegation cards to facilitate conversations about decision-making authority. Alex's key insight is recognizing that teams may step back from empowerment either out of fear or comfort, and identifying which dynamic is at play requires careful, small experiments that create safe spaces for honest dialogue. Self-reflection Question: When your team defers to organizational authority, are they operating from learned helplessness, comfort in avoiding accountability, or genuine respect for hierarchy? How can you design experiments to uncover the real dynamic at play? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Ready for a life boost that doesn't require another app, hack, or supplement?   Today we unpack why sleep is the hidden engine behind emotional stability, sharper decisions, and real learning, and how a few consistent habits can transform your days by fixing your nights.  We start with the brain, how chronic restriction (yes, even 1-2h a night) quietly erodes attention, working memory, processing speed, and reasoning. If you lead teams, negotiate deals, parent, or simply want to grow faster, “sleep on it” isn't a cliché; it's a strategy.  Then we get practical.  We lay out the core behaviors that reliably improve sleep quality.  Finally, we show you how to make these shifts stick with a simple habit loop: trigger, action, reward. Pick one change per week, set hard boundaries around your schedule, and anchor it to a personal why that matters more than late-night distractions.  This is a warm, candid guide for anyone who wants better focus, calmer emotions, and faster growth without grinding harder.  Subscribe for more science-backed tools, share this with someone who'll keep you accountable, and leave a quick review to help others find the show. What's the one sleep habit you'll start tonight?   Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What does it really take to influence transformational change? Today we're getting into the challenge of consulting and coaching in a very unstable world and how to influence leaders to buy-in and lead transformational change when the world is experiencing a historic wave of disruption – economic, political and institutional – unfolding all at once. To help us catalyze real leadership and organizational transformation, I'm bringing onto the show Seth Kahan. Seth is a recognized thought leader, strategist and expert in tackling complex global challenges. His work focuses on creating social movements and mobilizing collective action to solve intractable problems. In this episode, you'll hear: How Seth Kahan went from street theater to the World Bank and what that taught him about leading large-scale change. The difference between incremental and transformational change, and why real transformation must be systemic. What consultants and leaders each bring to the table when driving meaningful change. Why influence starts with compassion, listening, and creating allies instead of trying to convince. How self-compassion and discernment help you lead change without losing your heart. Where to dive in: (00:00) Navigating Complex Change in Consulting(04:48) Making the Leap to Entrepreneurship(10:12) Leadership and Transformation in Change(17:03) Developing Influence Skills for Change Initiatives(28:15) Embracing Compassion in Change Leadership(35:55) Navigating Organizational Change Dynamics(42:22) Navigating Uncertain Times in Leadership(48:21) Navigating Transformational Change in Leadership(55:25) Strategic Leadership and Influence Skills Next steps: Learn more from Seth Kahan: Visit visionaryleadership.com and check out his book Getting Change Right for practical frameworks on leading transformation. Reflect on your own influence style: Ask yourself, am I trying to convince people, or am I inviting them to join me as allies in change? Practice self-compassion: Notice where you're hard on yourself during times of uncertainty and give yourself the same grace you'd offer a client. Revisit your client readiness checklist: Before taking on a big project, make sure the organization and leaders truly want change, not just quick fixes. About the guest: Seth Kahan is a recognized thought leader, strategist, and expert in tackling complex global challenges. With a background at the World Bank and extensive experience collaborating with organizations that take on some of the world's toughest problems, he has pioneered frameworks for addressing “Grand Challenges”—the world's most pressing issues. Known for his ability to unite diverse organizations and drive systemic change, Seth's work focuses on creating social movements and mobilizing collective action to solve intractable problems. https://visionaryleadership.com/ About the host: Betsy Jordyn is a business mentor, brand messaging strategist, and former Disney consultant who helps purpose-driven consultants and coaches build profitable businesses rooted in their unique strengths. With over 20 years in the industry and a knack for turning big ideas into clear positioning, she's your go-to for strategy that aligns with your calling. Ready to turn your expertise into a business that makes both impact and income? Work with me: https://www.betsyjordyn.com/services

Why we learn the most when we accept that we might be wrong.Effective communication isn't about having all the answers. As Astro Teller knows, it's about finding (and sometimes fumbling) your way through the questions.Teller is a computer scientist, entrepreneur, and inventor who serves as Captain of Moonshots at X, Alphabet's Moonshot Factory. In his work leading teams toward audacious solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems, he embraces what he calls “a learning journey,” where being wrong isn't the end, but the beginning. “As scary as it is to be wrong,” he says, it's a necessary part of the discovery process. Whether experimenting in the lab or testing our thoughts and opinions in conversation with others, it's about having the humility and curiosity to face the limits of our understanding. “When do you learn something? You learn something when you have a model about the world, and then you get some data that tells you you're wrong,” he says. “You learn nothing when you're right.”In this episode of Think Fast, Talk Smart, Teller and host Matt Abrahams discuss how embracing uncertainty drives innovation, why leaders should reward learning habits over outcomes, and how we learn the most when we're not afraid to find that we might be wrong.To listen to the extended Deep Thinks version of this episode, please visit FasterSmarter.io/premium.Episode Reference Links:Astro TellerAstro's Book: Sacred Cows Ep.70 Ideas Fuel Innovation: Why Your First Ideas Aren't Always the Best Ep.20 Question Your Questions: How to Spark Creativity in Your Communication Connect:Premium Signup >>>> Think Fast Talk Smart PremiumEmail Questions & Feedback >>> hello@fastersmarter.ioEpisode Transcripts >>> Think Fast Talk Smart WebsiteNewsletter Signup + English Language Learning >>> FasterSmarter.ioThink Fast Talk Smart >>> LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTubeMatt Abrahams >>> LinkedInChapters:(00:00) - Introduction (02:18) - Defining a Moonshot (04:21) - Building a Learning Machine (07:00) - Learning vs. Productivity (08:35) - Capturing and Sharing Learning (10:49) - Rewarding Habits, Not Outcomes (13:17) - Moonshot Success Stories (16:16) - The Power of Storytelling in Innovation (17:46) - Launching The Moonshot Podcast (19:37) - The Final Three Questions (25:27) - Conclusion  ********Thank you to our sponsors.  These partnerships support the ongoing production of the podcast, allowing us to bring it to you at no cost.This episode is brought to you by Babbel. Think Fast Talk Smart listeners can get started on your language learning journey today- visit Babbel.com/Thinkfast and get up to 55% off your Babbel subscription.Support Think Fast Talk Smart by joining TFTS Premium.   

Ever notice how big goals melt into "some day land" when the day gets messy?  On today's episode, we break down a simple, evidence-backed tool that turns “I should” into “I did,” replacing fragile motivation with clear cues and automatic actions. Instead of relying on willpower, we show how to script your behavior like software: a specific trigger, a concrete next step, and a defined finish line that delivers a quick reward your brain actually remembers.  Who does what, when, where, how often, and with whom?  A fundamental question to answer if you want to get good at programming your brain for challenging, consistent action.  You'll hear a practical running example that moves from vague hopes to precise routines: when to act, what to wear, where to go, and how to know you're done. We layer in environment design to remove hidden friction and temptation bundling to make new habits feel rewarding right away. The goal is less decision-making in the moment and more doing on cue.  Then we add the secret amplifier: WOOP—Wish, Outcome, Obstacle, Plan. By naming likely blockers upfront - low energy, surprise tasks, bad weather - and writing alternative if-then plans for each, you keep momentum even when the day doesn't cooperate. You'll learn how to apply the same structure to leadership, feedback, learning, and communication, so your next move is already decided when it matters. Fewer negotiations with yourself, more consistent action, and a system that sticks.  If you're ready to trade hope for a reliable plan, press play and build your first brain program today!  3-minute blog this episode is based on: The simple trick that 2X your chances of doing what you said you would. Programming your brain to follow through 101  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive, Leadership and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Feeling the stretch between being a Millennial, getting promoted, and actually feeling like a leader? In this episode of How to Get Ahead with Millennial Life Coaches, Tanya (IG @tanya_lleigh) sits down with leadership & team development coach Melissa Castro (Intrinsic Lead) to unpack leadership influence—how to choose your energy, set your vibe, and lead well at work and in life (without burning out).What you'll learn:Leadership vs. management—and why everyone has influencePractical ways to build self-awareness and “choose your vibe”A simple values practice to align decisions with who you areHow to navigate burnout and identity pivots in your 30s/40sCoaching formats that actually stick (1:1 and small group)About Melissa -Melissa helps leaders—especially Millennials—beat burnout, build sustainable teams, and use their influence to create meaningful change. Melissa is an ICF-accredited coach with a Master's in Organizational and Change Leadership and certifications in Energy Leadership, Positive Intelligence, and Psychological Safety. She's also the author of the recently published book Intrinsic Leadership, which empowers Millennials to step into their influence and lead with confidence.Order the book!Website: www.intrinsiclead.comConnect on LinkedInInstagram: @intrinsicleadllc

Renee Troughton: Managing Dependencies and Downstream Bottlenecks in Scrum Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. "For the actual product teams, it's not a problem for them... It's more the downstream teams that aren't the product teams, that are still dependencies... They just don't see that work until, hey, we urgently need this." Renee brings a dual-edged challenge from her current work with dozens of teams across multiple business lines. While quarterly planning happens at a high level, small downstream teams—middleware, AI, data, and even non-technical teams like legal—are not considered in the planning process. These teams experience unexpected work floods with dramatic peaks and troughs throughout the quarter. The product teams are comfortable with ambiguity and incremental delivery, but downstream service teams don't see work coming until it arrives urgently. Through a coaching conversation, Renee and Vasco explore multiple experimental approaches: top-to-bottom stack ranking of initiatives, holding excess capacity based on historical patterns, shared code ownership where downstream teams advise rather than execute changes, and using Theory of Constraints to manage flow into bottleneck teams. They discuss how lack of discovery work compounds the problem, as teams "just start working" without identifying all players who need involvement. The solution requires balancing multiple strategies while maintaining an experimentation mindset, recognizing that complex systems require sensing our way toward solutions rather than predicting them. Self-reflection Question: Are you actively managing the flow of work to prevent downstream bottlenecks, or are you allowing your "downstream teams" to be repeatedly overwhelmed by last-minute urgent requests? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

What if feeling your best days weren't random at all but designed by what you did over the past 3 days?  We break down a simple, repeatable system to engineer energy, calm focus, and confident decisions by auditing the last 72 hours of sleep, food, movement, people, media, and thought patterns. Instead of chasing motivation, we build fertile “soil” so your potential has a fair shot to grow and your good choices become the default, not the exception.  Along the way, I share my own checklist for feeling and doing my best.  The goal isn't perfection; it's predictability.  With a simple morning question you can replicate great days on demand and avoid the patterns that lead to regret. If you're ready to design your state, improve your decisions, and grow the next version of you, this playbook will help you take off.  If this resonated, follow the show, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who's ready to build their own 72-hour playbook.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Growth doesn't vanish because we lack motivation; it stalls because we never gave it a place to live on our calendar.  Today we dig into the most unglamorous yet powerful practice that top coaching schools use to build mastery: making the time.  I share how small, protected commitments beat bursts of inspiration every time.  We walk through concrete examples - from a daily 30-minute fitness slot that compounds strength, to relationship check-ins that turn intentions into trust, to a personal miss on public speaking that proved how plans without scheduled time go nowhere. You'll hear how to set alarms and triggers that support follow-through, how to scale tasks on low-energy days without breaking the streak, and how to be honest about the hours excellence requires. This isn't about being busy; it's about building a reliable system that matches your goals.  By the end, you'll have a simple playbook - if you've been stuck at “almost ready,” this is your reset, choose a slot, protect it, and watch momentum return. If this resonates, tap follow, share the episode with someone who needs a nudge, and leave a quick review so more people learn how to turn intention into progress.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if optimism isn't personality but practice?  And what if it's the best practice to unlock your full potential?  We dive into a simple, repeatable way to build a more optimistic outlook—without fluff, forced positivity, or ignoring reality. Think of it like strength training for your mindset: small, consistent reps that shift how you see options, make decisions, and take action. Along the way, we connect the dots between optimism and procrastination, and why believing your effort matters is the difference between starting now and stalling out.  We break down two beliefs that power action—“I can handle this” and “this will be worth it”—and show how most of us inherited mental habits that over-index on risk. Then we offer a counterweight: 3 pragmatic questions you can use anywhere to reframe doom-and-gloom thinking into possibility.  What opportunity might be hiding here?  What's one thing that could go right?  What small silver lining can I find?  Full Blog Here: https://angelashurina.posthaven.com/optimism-reps-cure-procrastination-3-questions-to-shift-your-doom-n-gloom-thinking-that-keeps-you-stuck  By running these questions for one minute at a time, you'll train your attention to see hopes instead of only hazards, which changes your energy, your presence, and your results.  If this episode helps you -  share it with someone who could use a mental spotter, then subscribe, rate, and leave a short review so more people can find the show.  Your next rep starts now - what's one thing that could go right?    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Lata Hamilton is a master of career pivots and in this interview she shares how she ended up tripling her pay in 3 years and becoming an expert in Change Management and coaching women to enter a change management career. In this conversation you'll hear about:What is change managementHow to find your career future when big change happensFeeling FOMO about using AI, Practical Application of AI, how Lata uses itStaying in your lane throughout your careerFocusing on things that interest you, that you enjoy doing and doubling down on thatNeeding variety in your workThe role of luck and chance when it comes to career changeIntersection of what you like to do, what you're good at and compensationMarrying organic career change with your goalsHow to Pioneer Your own Career ChangeBenefits of having a portfolio careerLata Hamilton is a Change Leadership and Confidence mentor, author of “Pioneer Your Career Change”, and the creator of the “Leading Successful Change” program. After tripling her salary in just 3 years to almost $200,000, her mission is to help women carve their own paths for change in career, leadership and life, and find the confidence and authenticity to truly earn their worth. Lata has worked with some of Australia's biggest companies on changes that have impacted over 100,000 people, operating model changes impacting thousands, global cultural transformations, and digital transformation that is literally changing the way that we work.Connect with Lata:Download Lata's free “Underpaid & Overlooked Coaching Action Guide”: www.latahamilton.com/worthitLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/latahamiltonRead Lata's “Pioneer Your Career Change” book: www.latahamilton.com/pioneer Let's connect on IG www.instagram.com/careerintechnicolor  If you enjoyed this convo, follow the podcast and share it with someone you know! Remember - you're amazing and thank you for being here!Xo, BaibaSupport the show

Strong emotions can be fuel or friction. Which one is it for you?  We walk through 6 practical tools - from CBT reframes to visualization - that help you stay steady in hard conversations, handle feedback without spiraling, and turn “I blew it” into “that was a rep.”  We get tactical with spatial distancing to cool heat in the moment, temporal distancing to choose what future you will respect, and distancing self-talk to access the clear advice you'd give a friend. Each tool lowers emotional noise and raises cognitive control, so you respond rather than react.  We then move into reappraisal, and close with athlete-style visualization to prime calm, confidence, and clean execution. Along the way, we share simple cues, real-life examples, and a practice plan you can run this week: pick one tool, choose specific situations, and debrief quickly to lock in gains. By stacking these methods, you'll build a repeatable way to navigate stress, stay connected in tough conversations, and keep momentum on the goals that matter.  Let's grow together!    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Why do we invest millions changing customer behavior but ignore how people behave inside companies?In this thought-provoking conversation, behavioral scientist and author Matt Wallaert returns to Change Wired to explore the next evolution of behavioral science: internal change.We discuss why most organizations treat employee behavior as fixed or random — and what it takes to build systems where people grow continuously, without relying on luck, politics, or the next big program.

Ever felt “off” without a clear label? That unsettled itch - not sure what it is or what to do with this feeling?  We unpack 1 question that flips the script from vague discomfort to decisive action.  The shift from analyzing your current mood to aiming at a target feeling - confident, capable, empowered, which opens a practical path you can actually walk. air it with one follow-up question, that naturally comes to you - and you've got a daily operating system for momentum for the last 90 days of the year.  I share how this came to me after reading Marc Brackett's Dealing with Feeling.  On today's podcast we'll also challenge a common trap: waiting to be picked. Choosing yourself isn't posturing; it's stewardship of your craft. If your work helps others, your job is to ship it, test it, and refine it until the world takes it off your hands.  You'll learn how to use emotions as a compass to design action path that reliably generates the inner state you want, helping you to make progress without waiting for permission. By the end, you'll have a simple, repeatable tool you can use whenever life feels unsettled: pick a feeling, plan the reps, and step into the driver's seat.  If this resonates, tell me: What feeling are you choosing for your next 90 days, and what's the first action you'll take today?  Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What if the difference between busy and brilliant is one decision - choosing what feels right over what feels good?Today, together we build a practical system for high performance: map your peak cognitive hours, defend them with clear boundaries, and feed them your most important task so your best thinking meets your highest leverage.We walk through an elegant 2-step method for turning down distractions and saying no without drama. We'll learn how to prevent burnout, often coming from over-committing, trying to look good or please others.Burnout (even from the work you love) isn't a mystery when you know where to look. We highlight early warning signs, and pair them with a ready-made recovery protocol.Finally, we share a daily add-and-remove challenge to make good habits not a struggle but a default.Together, on today's episode, we'll build a simple work-life operating system: design days that match your goals, say no like a pro to distractions, and let systems—not willpower—carry you forward.If this resonates, tune in to today's show and share it with someone who needs better boundaries to protect the work that matters and the life, that feels fulfilling.Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Tom Molenaar: Systemic Change Management—Making the Emotional Side of Change Visible Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. "We tend to skip the phase where we just give the person the space to grieve, to not know, instead of that, we tend to move to solutions maybe too quick." Tom faces a significant challenge as he prepares to start with new teams transitioning between value streams in a SAFe environment. The teams will experience multiple changes simultaneously - new physical locations, new team dependencies, and organizational restructuring. Tom applies systemic change management principles, outlining five critical phases: sense of urgency, letting go, not knowing, creation, and new beginning. He emphasizes the importance of making the emotional "understream" visible, giving teams space to grieve their losses, and helping them verbalize their feelings before moving toward solutions. In this episode, we refer to Systemic Change Management, an approach that views organizations as complex, interconnected systems—rather than collections of independent parts. Instead of focusing only on individual skills, isolated processes, or top-down directives, SCM works with the whole system (people, structures, culture, and external environment) to create sustainable transformation. Self-reflection Question: How comfortable are you with sitting in uncertainty and allowing teams to process change without immediately jumping to solutions? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Ever felt like so much of what happens at work is utterly meaningless, wasteful and backwards?You're not alone.In this eye-opening conversation with James Healy, founder of Behavior Boutique and author of "BS at Work," we dive deep into why modern work often feels like bullshit.What if the biggest problem in modern work isn't lack of effort, technology, strategy, or "better humans" but the simple fact that we keep designing for humans as if we were some logical machines… instead of messy, emotional, social creatures we are? James reveals the fascinating disconnect between how organizations design systems and how humans actually operate.We've built workplaces on the false assumption that humans are rational, logical beings making careful calculations, when in reality we're "social, emotional, tribal storytelling animals" who often make decisions based on context, ease, and what others are doing.Take modern communication crisis. The average worker now faces 153 Teams messages and 117 emails daily, with interruptions approximately every two minutes. This constant barrage prevents deep work, destroys focus, and fuels burnout. And with AI potentially supercharging this problem.But there's hope.James offers practical principles for creating more human-centered workplaces.What you'll learn:Why burnout is 100% preventable if we stop treating humans like machines.The shocking origin stories of tools like Myers-Briggs and DISC (and why they're no more valid than a Harry Potter quiz).Why e-learnings and endless policies fail.How context, not individual willpower, drives behavior change at scale.Why sometimes the most effective solution is illogical, creative, or has to do with removing, not adding things.The power of storytelling as a leadership tool for influence, motivation, and culture change.... and so much more!

Ever wonder why you can't just willpower your way to better habits, doing better work and making smarter choices? The answer lies not in trying harder, but in understanding how your brain actually works.  The most powerful force shaping our behaviors isn't conscious decision-making—it's our environment.  Research consistently shows that what surrounds us impacts our choices far more than we realize.  This environmental influence extends to every aspect of our lives. Researchers have identified the "zip code effect"—the remarkable finding that where you live predicts your health outcomes better than your genetic makeup. Your neighborhood influences your activity levels and food choices so powerfully that it can affect your lifespan by 10-20 years. Similarly, your social circles—both in-person and digital—shape your aspirations and behaviors more profoundly than conscious goal-setting.  Even work motivation follows this pattern. While we often believe perks or compensation drive performance, Teresa Amabile's research reveals that experiencing regular progress toward meaningful goals is actually the most powerful motivator. When we can see our efforts adding up to something significant, our engagement naturally increases—regardless of external rewards.  The takeaway?  Stop fighting against your natural tendencies and start creating environments that make your desired behaviors the path of least resistance. Architect your physical spaces, social circles, and work processes to naturally guide you toward better choices. By designing your life around how your brain actually works—not how you think it works—you can achieve lasting change with less struggle and more satisfaction. Share this episode with someone who's trying to make a change in their life!    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Terry Haayema: When Consensus Becomes Paralysis—The Nemawashi Challenge For Agile Software Development Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. "The problem I'm facing is 'too much consensus'... we talk, bounce ideas, but we don't get going." Terry shares his current coaching challenge in a Japanese company where their cultural practice of Nemawashi (consensus building) has become a barrier to progress. While working across the entire organization, he's discovered that quality is suffering because teams aren't clear about desired outcomes before starting work. The excessive focus on building consensus means initiatives bounce between stakeholders without ever gaining momentum. Terry explains how he's experimenting with delaying detailed refinement to build shared understanding as teams progress, rather than trying to achieve perfect consensus upfront. He uses the metaphor of flying a plane - pilots don't stick rigidly to flight plans but constantly make small course corrections based on real-time feedback. Self-reflection Question: In your organization, what well-intentioned practices have become obstacles to the very outcomes they were designed to achieve? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Decision regret doesn't have to be your default state.  Whether you're choosing shoes, supplements, a new career path, or a life partner, the quality of your decisions dramatically shapes your life satisfaction and success.  Drawing from Nobel Prize-winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman's work on dual thinking systems, this episode reveals why we make poor choices when stressed or overwhelmed. Your brain switches to autopilot (System 1) when resources are limited, falling back on habitual patterns that might not serve your current goals. The solution? A simple yet powerful decision-making framework that works even when you're not at your cognitive best.  The 3-step formula I share cuts through complexity and protects you from emotional biases.  Through practical examples—from buying shoes to choosing careers and relationships—you'll see how this versatile framework creates faster, more satisfying decisions in any domain.  Beyond the framework itself, I share how creating boundaries around decision-making (like my Saturday-only purchase rule) can further enhance your choices and prevent impulsive decisions you'll later regret. These systems become your protection against the whims of emotion and energy fluctuations that typically derail good judgment.  The beauty of this approach lies in its simplicity and adaptability. You don't need perfect decisions—you need a reliable system that works consistently well. By implementing these strategies, you'll make choices that align with your values and goals, even during times of stress and overwhelm. Remember, our decisions define our life's journey—make them count.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

In this episode of Compassion & Courage, Marcus Engel speaks with Trisha Choi about her journey from being a patient to a healthcare professional, emphasizing the importance of compassion in patient care. They discuss personal experiences of kindness, innovative self-care practices at conferences, leadership lessons, and the significance of forgiveness and recovery in personal and professional growth.Resources for you: More communication tips and resources for how to cultivate compassion: https://marcusengel.com/freeresources/Connect with Marcus on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcusengel/Connect with Trisha on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/trishachoiLearn more about The Bahay Kubo: www.bahaykuboretreat.comReach out to Trisha on social media: @gametollhouse FB & Instagram Learn more about Marcus' Books: https://marcusengel.com/store/Subscribe to our podcast through Apple: https://bit.ly/MarcusEngelPodcastSubscribe to our podcast through YouTube: https://bit.ly/Youtube-MarcusEngelPodcastAbout Trisha Choi:Trisha Choi is a seasoned leader with 30 years of experience in healthcare, specializing in patient experience, leadership coaching, and organizational transformation. Her career has spanned various roles in top institutions, including Duke University Hospital, Cone Health, and New York-Presbyterian Hospital, where she has made a lasting impact on patient care, team development, and system-wide policy creation.At Duke University Hospital during the pandemic, Trisha led initiatives that maintained top decile patient experience scores for three years, managing a team of 100 across eight departments while coaching C-suite leaders and ensuring service excellence. She was instrumental in building cross-hospital collaboration and prioritizing care and kindness for both patients and staff. Trisha's role as Senior Manager of Patient Experience at Cone Health expanded her expertise in managing surge plans and developing communication tools for the broader healthcare community. Her extensive experience at New York-Presbyterian spanned over 17 years and included roles in patient experience, volunteer management, and program development, including the build of the Inpatient Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation department unit and residency programs at Weill Cornell and Columbia Medical Centers.With a background in Public Relations, Marketing, and Personal Assistance to celebrities, Trisha's transition to healthcare is marked by a unique blend of leadership and service excellence. She holds a Master of Arts in Change Leadership from Columbia University and a B.A. in Health Education from the University of Mount Saint Vincent.Date: 8/25/2025 Name of show: Compassion & Courage: Conversations in Healthcare Episode number and title: Episode 173 – The Journey from Patient to Advocate with Trisha Choi, MA, CPXPkeywordshealthcare, patient experience, compassion, leadership, self-care, forgiveness, recovery, narrative medicine, change management, resilience

Whether you're a business leader, entrepreneur, or someone reinventing yourself, the way you think about innovation will shape your future. Innovation isn't about guessing or chasing shiny ideas. It's about having a process, the right tools, and the discipline to test, learn, and scale what creates value. In this episode, I sit down with Alex Osterwalder—one of the world's most influential strategy and innovation thinkers, inventor of the Business Model Canvas, bestselling author, and CEO of Strategyzer. Alex has changed how the world approaches business design. Millions of entrepreneurs and leaders use his tools to innovate with clarity instead of chaos. We dive deep into the fundamental mistakes both large corporations and startups make: falling in love with ideas, building too much too fast, and only later discovering customers don't care.  Perhaps most valuable is Alex's framework for balancing core business operations ("exploit") with future-focused innovation ("explore"). This practical approach helps organizations avoid the common trap of applying existing business rules to innovation projects—a mistake that almost guarantees failure. Whether you're leading a Fortune 500 company, building a startup, or reinventing your own career, this episode offers actionable insights to make innovation less of a gamble and more of a repeatable process. What You'll Learn From Volleyball to Strategy: How Alex's unlikely journey shaped his obsession with creating and simplifying tools for business. Why Business Plans Fail: The origin of the Business Model Canvas and why structure beats guesswork. AI & Innovation: What AI changes (everything) and what it doesn't (the fundamentals). Portfolio Thinking: Why great companies run many small bets, kill weak ones fast, and scale the winners. Avoiding Zombie Projects: How to spot and stop initiatives that drain resources but deliver no evidence of value. Systems, Not Slogans: Why excitement isn't enough—innovation needs the right structures, incentives, and processes to thrive. Personal Success Strategy: Alex's reflections on what success means beyond growth and money, and why defining your own metrics of success is essential. 

Shawn Dsouza: From AI Anxiety to AI Advantage: A Scrum Master's Experimental Approach Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Shawn faces the massive AI transformation currently reshaping the tech industry, acknowledging both its benefits and the fear it creates among professionals questioning their relevance. In his organization, he witnesses AI delivering wonders for some teams while others struggle and lose projects. Rather than viewing AI as an overwhelming wave, Shawn advocates for experimentation. He shares practical examples, like helping a Product Owner streamline story creation from Excel to JIRA using AI tools, and leveraging MIRO AI for team collaboration. His approach focuses on identifying friction points where AI experiments could add value while keeping conversations centered on possibilities rather than fears. Self-reflection Question: Instead of fearing technological changes like AI, how can you create small experiments to explore new possibilities and reduce friction in your current work processes? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Have you ever wondered why so many of your meaningful intentions never transform into actual behaviors?   That language you want to learn, the presentation skills you hope to develop, the health habits you wish to build - all sitting in a metaphorical bucket of good intentions that rarely see the light of day.  The gap between intention and action represents your untapped potential, dreams that slowly fade as urgent (but perhaps less meaningful) tasks continuously take priority.  But what if behavioral science could offer a solution?  In this episode, I introduce you to a powerful concept used by researchers to help people take consistent action on important but non-urgent goals: just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs).  Unlike traditional reminders that pop up at predetermined times regardless of your circumstances, JITAIs deliver personalized prompts precisely when your internal state (energy, motivation) and external context (environment, resources) make action possible. This seemingly simple shift - from generic reminders to smart, contextual prompts — can dramatically increase your follow-through on meaningful intentions.  The beauty of this approach lies in its practicality. You don't need special technology or expertise to implement your own JITAI system.   Ready to transform intentions into actions?  Listen now to discover how you can design personalized just-in-time interventions that help you tap into your full potential and create a life filled with meaningful accomplishments rather than unfulfilled aspirations.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

What makes some people capable of extraordinary consistency while others struggle to maintain even basic positive habits?  The answer lies in 3 foundational pillars that shape all human behavior. A framework so powerful it can transform not just individual actions, but entire organizational cultures.  The first pillar, stories, operates as the foundation of all behavior change. As your host Angela Shurina reveals through compelling personal examples, the narratives we construct about our circumstances directly impact our capacity for action.   The second pillar, incentives, addresses the fundamental truth that humans consistently pursue what feels rewarding. Drawing on insights from behavioral science and thought leaders like Mark Manson, Angela reveals that sustainable habits require emotional or social rewards that make difficult behaviors meaningful. The third pillar, triggers, explains why good intentions often fail to translate into consistent action. Through practical examples of environmental design, Angela demonstrates how strategic placement of visual reminders dramatically increases the likelihood of performing intended behaviors. This same principle works in reverse for breaking unwanted habits.  When combined, these 3 pillars create a comprehensive system for behavior change that far surpasses traditional approaches based solely on willpower or motivation.  Whether you're struggling with personal habits, leading organizational transformation, or coaching others through change, mastering these 3 elements will unlock unprecedented results.  Try applying them to one behavior this week and experience firsthand how powerful this framework can be in creating lasting transformation.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Bernie Maloney: Mastering Complexity Through Systems Thinking and NLP Coaching Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Bernie addresses the constant challenge of mid-sprint changes by asking the crucial question: "what do you want to trade in for that new request?" His approach centers on recognizing that everyone is trying to do their best with what they have, using techniques from NLP and the three coaching positions to help people see the whole system. Bernie emphasizes rapport building as a key skill for Scrum Masters and warns against the anti-pattern of becoming judgmental when challenges arise. He advocates for moving from a plan-and-predict mentality to sense-and-respond thinking, highlighting the importance of conducting retrospectives once challenges are solved. Bernie's coaching philosophy revolves around helping people step into the "third position" - a dissociated perspective that enables better problem-solving and systems thinking. In this episode, we refer to Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP), and to Instant Rapport by Michael Brooks, a primer on NLP. We also refer to the plan-and-predict vs sense-and-respond mentality. Self-reflection Question: How effectively are you helping your teams and stakeholders see the whole system when challenges arise, rather than just focusing on individual pain points? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Do you find yourself grinding through tough projects, just waiting for them to end so you can finally enjoy life?  Do you quit things often because you get bored or tired?  What if sustainable high performance didn't require sacrificing your wellbeing or joy of living?  This episode tackles the critical challenge many ambitious professionals face: how to achieve difficult goals without burning out. We'll explore the missing skill that separates sustainable achievers from those caught in burnout cycles.  Most people don't burn out because their work is too demanding; they burn out because they never learned when to pause.  Your mind and body operate as an integrated team, and when physical resources become depleted, your decision-making, emotional resilience, and perception of your work all suffer. The early warning signs of burnout appear in your thinking and emotions long before physical symptoms emerge.  Through a practical step-by-step exercise, you'll learn to create your personal energy agreement—establishing clear boundaries around working hours, designing effective transition rituals between work and personal time, identifying activities that genuinely recharge you, and recognizing your unique burnout warning signs before they escalate.  Download the worksheet to create your personalized framework for sustainable achievement while enjoying the journey. Remember, this isn't just about avoiding burnout—it's about creating a pattern of fulfilling growth where the process itself becomes rewarding.  Share this episode with someone who might be teetering on the edge of burnout. Together, we can transform how we approach achievement and create work lives worth living.    Text Me Your Thoughts and IdeasSupport the showBrought to you by Angela Shurina Behavior-First, Executive and Optimal Performance Coach 360, Change Leadership & Culture Transformation Consultant

Bernie Maloney: The Triangulation Technique—Coaching Agile Teams Through Challenges Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. Bernie identifies critical patterns that cause teams to self-destruct, with lack of clarity about intention being the most common culprit. When teams are treated as mere "task workers" without clear vision, strategy, or goals, they become depressed and directionless. Some teams seek forgiveness after failed experiments, while others get stuck seeking permission without taking enough self-leadership. Bernie emphasizes that waiting for direction is fundamentally self-destructive behavior, and Scrum Masters must create safety for teams to reach high performance. He introduces the coaching technique of triangulation, where problems become a third point that coach and coachee examine together, side by side, rather than facing each other in opposition. In this segment, we talk about “What the Duck”, a Lego Serious Play workshop. Featured Book of the Week: Start with Why by Simon Sinek Bernie champions "Start with Why" by Simon Sinek as essential reading for Scrum Masters working to transform team culture. He explains that compelling stories are how leaders truly influence others, following the sequence of Attention-Emotion-Reason. This book helps Scrum Masters understand that their job fundamentally involves changing culture, and leaders must demonstrate the change they want to see. Bernie connects this to the broader leadership challenge of developing coaching and mentoring skills within organizational structures. During this segment, we also refer to the following books:  Drive, By Dan Pink Change the Culture, Change the Game, by Connors et al. The Secret Language of Leadership, by Denning Too Many Bosses, Too Few Leaders, by Peshawaria The Geek Way, by McAfee Right Kind of Wrong, by Edmondson   Self-reflection Question: What patterns of self-destructive behavior might your teams be exhibiting, and how could you help them move from seeking permission to taking ownership? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]

Mariano Gontchar: From Evangelist to Facilitator—How To Lead A Successful Company Merger Read the full Show Notes and search through the world's largest audio library on Agile and Scrum directly on the Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast website: http://bit.ly/SMTP_ShowNotes. During a complex merger between two telecom companies, Mariano faced the challenge of uniting team members with different cultures, practices, and tools. His initial approach of selling Agile theory instead of focusing on benefits failed because he forgot about the "why" of change. The breakthrough came when he shifted from being an Agile evangelist to becoming a facilitator who listened to managers' real challenges. By connecting people and letting the team present their own solutions to leadership, Mariano successfully created unity between the formerly divided groups. Self-reflection Question: Are you trying to sell your methodology or solve real problems, and what would happen if you focused on understanding challenges before proposing solutions? [The Scrum Master Toolbox Podcast Recommends]