Podcasts about innovative leadership

TRANSCRIPT Robertson: [00:00:00] Gissele: Hello and welcome to the Love and Compassion podcast with Gissele. We believe that love and compassion have the power to heal our lives and our world. Gissele: Don’t forget to like and subscribe for more amazing content. And if you’d like to support the podcast, please go to buy me a coffee.com/love and compassion. Today we’re talking about how to become a more compassionate civilization in light of the world’s most recent events. Robertson Work is a nonfiction author, social ecological activist, and former UNDP policy advisor on decentralized government, NYU Wagner, graduate School of Public Service, professor of Innovative Leadership and Institute of Cultural Affairs, country Director, conducting community organizational and leadership initiatives. Gissele: He has worked in over 50 countries for over 50 years and is founder of the Compassionate Civilization Collaborative. He has five published books and has [00:01:00] contributed to another 13. His most well-known book is a Compassionate Civilization. Every week he publishes an essay on Compassionate Conversations on Substack. Gissele: Please join me in welcoming Robertson work. Hi Robertson. Robertson: Hi Giselle. How are you? Gissele: I’m good. How about yourself? Robertson: I’m good, thank you. I here in the Southern United States. I’m glad you’re in wonderful Canada. Robertson: great admiration for your country. Gissele: Ah, thank you. Thank you. Gissele: I wanted to talk about your book. I got a copy of it and it was written in 2017, but as I was reading it, I really found myself listening to things that were almost prophetic that seemed to be happening right now. What compelled you to write Compassionate Civilizations at this moment in history. Robertson: Yes. Thank You you so much, and thank you for inviting me to talk with you today. Robertson: And I wanna say I’m so touched by the wonderful work of the Matri Center for Love [00:02:00] and Compassion. I have enjoyed looking at your website and listening to your podcast and hearing Pema Chodron speak about self-love. If it’s okay, I’d like to start with a few moments of mindful breathing Gissele: Yes, definitely. Robertson: okay. I invite everyone to become aware of your breathing, being aware of breathing in and breathing out. Breathing in the here and in the now. Breathing in love. Breathing in gratitude. I have arrived. I am home. I’m solid. I am free breathing in, breathing out here now. Robertson: Love [00:03:00] gratitude. Arrived home solid free. Okay. And to your question, after working in local communities and organizations around the world with the Institute of Cultural Affairs and doing program and policy work with UNDP and teaching grad school at NYU Wagner, I felt called to articulate a motivating vision for how to embody and catalyze a compassionate civilization. Robertson: So each of us can embody, even now, even here, we can embody and catalyze a compassionate civilization in this very present moment. We don’t have to wait, you know, 50 years, a hundred years, a thousand years. we can embody it in the here and the now. So I was increasingly aware of climate change, climate disasters, [00:04:00] the rise of oligarchic, fascism, and of course the UN’s sustainable development goals. Robertson: I also had been studying the engaged Buddhism of Thich Nhat Hahn for many years, and practicing mindfulness and compassionate action. As you know, compassion is action focused on relieving suffering in individual mindsets and behaviors, and collective cultures and systems. The word that com it means with, and compassion means suffering. Robertson: So compassion is to be with suffering and to relieve suffering in oneself and with others. So, I gave talks about a compassionate civilization in my NYU Wagner grad classes and in speeches in different countries. Then in 2013, I started a blog called The Compassionate Civilization. So in 2017, there was a [00:05:00] new US president who concerned me deeply and who’s now president again. Robertson: So a Compassionate Civilization was published in July of that year, as you mentioned, 2017. The book outlines our time of crisis and provides a vision, strategies and tactics of embodying and catalyzing a compassionate civilization, person by person, community by community. Moment by moment it it includes the movement of movements, mom that will do that. Robertson: Innovative leadership methods, global local citizen, and practices of care of self and others as mindful activists. So there’s a lot in it. Yeah. The Six strategies or arenas of transformation are environmental sustainability, gender equality, socioeconomic justice, participatory governance, cultural tolerance and peace, and non-violence, socio. Robertson: So since then [00:06:00] I’ve been promoting the Compassionate Civilization Collaborative, as you mentioned, to support a movement of movements. The mom, Gissele: thank you for that. I really appreciated that. And I really enjoyed the book as well. It’s so funny that, the majority of people see a world that doesn’t work and they want things to change, but they don’t do something necessarily to change it. When did compassion shift from a private virtue to a public mission for you? Robertson: Great question. Thank you. I think it began the private part began very early in my Christian upbringing. I was raised by loving parents to love others. You know, love of neighbor is the heart of Christianity. And understand that love is the ultimate reality. You know, that you know, as we say in Christianity, God is love. Robertson: So then when I went off to college at Oklahoma State University, I found myself being a campus activist. So I shifted to activism for civil rights. We were [00:07:00] demonstrating for women’s rights and for peace in Vietnam. As you know, the Vietnam War was raging. And after that, I attended Theological Seminary at Chicago Theological Seminary, but. Robertson: My calling happened when I was still in college, and it was in a weekend course, just a one weekend in Chicago. Some of us drove up and attended a course at, with the ecumenical Institute in the African-American ghetto in Chicago. And my whole life was changed in one weekend. I mean, I woke up that I could make a difference and I could help create a world that cared from everyone, you know? Robertson: And here I was. I was what? I was a junior in college. So then after that, I worked after college and grad school. I worked in that African American ghetto in Chicago with the Ecumenical Institute. And then in Malaysia, I was asked to go to Malaysia and my wife and I did [00:08:00] that, Robertson: And then. We were asked to work in South Korea, which we did. And then the work shifted from a religious to secular is we now call our work the Institute of Cultural Affairs. And from there we worked in Jamaica and then in Venezuela, and then back in the US in a little community in Oklahoma Robertson: And then I also worked in poor slums and villages. So then with the UNDP. I worked in around the world giving policy advice and starting projects and programs on decentralized governance to help countries decentralize from this capital to the provinces and the cities and towns and villages to decentralize decision making. Robertson: Then my engaged Buddhist studies particularly with Han and his teachers and practice awakened me to a calling to save all sentient beings. what [00:09:00] an outrageous calling, how can one person vow to save all sentient beings? But that’s what we do in that tradition of the being a BofA. Robertson: So through mindfulness and compassionate actions. So then I continue my journey by teaching at NYU Wagner with grad students from around the world. I love that so much. Then to the present as a consultant, speaker, author, and activist locally, nationally, and globally. So Gissele has been quite a journey, and here we are in this moment together, in this wild, crazy world. Gissele: Yeah, for sure, One of the things that I really loved about your book that you emphasize that we need to have a vision for the world that we wanna create. If we don’t have a vision, then we can’t create it, right? many of us are, focusing on anti, anti-oppressive, anti crime, anti this, anti that. Gissele: But we’re not really focusing on what sort of world do we wanna create? and I’ve had conversations with so many people, and when I ask the question, if people truly [00:10:00] believe. The human beings could be like loving and compassionate, and we could create a world that would be loving and compassionate for all many people say no. Gissele: And so I was wondering, like, did you always believe that civilization could be compassionate or did you grow into that conviction? Robertson: Great question. I definitely grew into it. Yeah. even as a child, I was awakened, you know, by the plight of African Americans in my country, in our little town in Oklahoma. Robertson: So I kind of began waking up. But I wasn’t sure, how much I or we could do about it. So I really grew into that conviction through my journey around the world working in over in 55 countries, it’s interesting the number of people your podcast goes to serving people and the planet. Robertson: So. Everywhere I worked Gissele, I was touched by the local people, that people care for each other, you know, in the slums and squatter settlements, in villages, in cities, the, the rich and the [00:11:00] poor. everywhere I went regardless of the culture, the language, the races, the issues the, the local people were caring. Robertson: So my understanding is that compassion is an action. It’s not just a feeling or a thought. It’s an action to relieve suffering in oneself and in others. but suffering is never entirely eliminated. You know, in Buddhism, the first noble truth is there is suffering, and it continues, but it can be relieved as best we can with through practices, through projects, through programs, and through policies. Robertson: So what has helped me is to see, again, a deep teaching in Buddhism that each person is influenced by negative emotions of greed, fear, hatred, and ignorance. And yet we can practice with these and to become aware of them and just, and to let them go, you know, and to practice evolving into loving kindness as [00:12:00] you, as you do in in your wonderful center. Robertson: Teaching more loving, kindness, trust and understanding. We can embrace inner being that we’re all part of everything. We’re all part of each other. You know, we’re part of the living earth. We’re part of humanity. I am part of you, you are part of me. And impermanence, you know, that there is no separate permanent self. Robertson: Everything comes and goes, and yet the mystery is there’s no birth and death. ’cause you and I. we’re part of, this journey for 13.8 billion years of the universe, and yet we can, in each moment, we can take an action that relieves our own suffering and in others. So, as you said, a vision is so, so important. Robertson: I’m so glad you touched on that, that a vision can give us a calling to see where we can go. It can motivate us, push us, drive us to do all that we can to realize it, you know, if I have a vision for my family. To care for my family. If [00:13:00] I have a vision for my country, if I have a vision for planet Earth, that can motivate me to do all I can do to make that really happen. Robertson: So right now there are so many challenges facing humanity, climate disasters. Oh my, I’m here in Swanno where we’ve had a terrible hurricane in 2024. We’re still recovering from it. Echo side, you know, where so many species are dying of plants and animals. It’s, it’s one of the great diebacks of in evolution on earth, oligarchic, fascism. Robertson: Right now, we’re in the midst of it in my country. I can’t believe it. You know, you’re, you’re on 81. I, I thought I was, gonna die and still live in a country that believed in democracy and freedom and justice. And so now here we, I have to face what can I do about oligarchic, fascism and social and racial and gender injustice. Robertson: Other challenges, warfare. And here we are in this crazy, monstrous war [00:14:00] in the Middle East. You know, what can we do? What can I unregulated? Artificial intelligence very deeply concerns me. we’ve gotta regulate artificial intelligence so it doesn’t hurt humans and the earth. Robertson: It doesn’t just take care of itself. So, you know, it’s easy Gissele to be despairing and to give up, you know, particularly at this moment. But actually at any time in our life, we’re always tempted to say, oh, well, things will be okay, or There’s nothing I can do, you know, but neither of those is true. Robertson: There are things we can do. We can stop and breathe and continue doing what we can where we are. with what we have and who we are. We do not have to be stopped by despair or by cynicism or by hopeism. We don’t. So thank you for that question about vision. I vision still wakes me up every day and calls me forward. Robertson: I’m sure it does. You as well. Gissele: Yeah. I [00:15:00] mean, without vision, it’s like you don’t have a map to where you’re going to, right.what’s our destination if we don’t have a vision? And so this is for me, why I loved your book so much. you are helping us give a vision Gissele: I mean, the alternative is what is the alternative? there’s my next question. What happens to a society that abandons compassion? Robertson: Exactly. Well, I sort of touched on it before. it falls into ignorance and into greed. Wanting more wealth, more power. for me for my tribe and, and falls into hatred, falls into fear, falls into violence, and that’s happening now, she said. Robertson: But I love what Thich Nhat Hahn reminds us of, of is that if there is no mud, there is no lotus. And that, that means is, you know, if there is no suffering, there can be no compassion . So without suffering and ignorance, there is no compassion or wisdom, because suffering calls us to relieve it. when I see [00:16:00] my wife or children in pain, I want to help them. Robertson: or when I see others, neighbors, you know, during the pandemic, our neighbors took food and water to each other. You know, after the hurricane, neighbors brought us water. suffering calls the best from us, it can, it can also call, call other things. But again, there’s no mud. Robertson: The lotus cannot grow. So we can continue the journey step by step and breath by breath. So that’s what I’d say for now. but that’s an important question. Gissele: you said some key things including that, people have a choice. They can choose to be compassionate, or they can choose to use that fear for something else, right. Gissele: But I often hear from people, well, you know, they want institutions to change. why are the institutions more, equitable, generous, compassionate and you know, like. I don’t know if we have a vision for what compassionate institutions look like, [00:17:00] what would compassion look like at that level? Robertson: Oh, that’s where those six areas you know, the compassion would look like practicing ecological regeneration or sometimes called environmental sustainability. You know, that we we’re part of the living Earth gazelle, We’re not separate from the earth . We breathe earth air, we drink earth water. Robertson: We you know, the earth. Hurricanes come. The earth. Floods come We are earthlings. I love that word, earthlings, and so, how do we help regenerate the earth as society? And that’s why, you know, legislation aware of climate change, you know, to reduce carbon emissions. Robertson: The Paris Accord, and that’s just one example, how do we have all laws for gender equality so that women receive the same salaries as men and have the same rights. as men, we gotta have the laws, the institutions you know, and the participatory democracy, that we have a constitution. Robertson: a constitution is a vision. of what we are all about. Why are, we’re [00:18:00] together as a country, so that we can each vote and express our views and our wishes, and that government is by foreign of the people. It is. So it’s, it’s critical, you know, that we vote and get out the vote again and again and again. Robertson: And to create those laws, those institutions they care for everyone. And the socioeconomic justice. we need the laws and institutions that give full rights to people of color to people of every culture and every religion, and every gender every transgender, every human being, every living being has rights. Robertson: That’s why the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is so important. I’m so grateful that it was created earlier in the last century in my country our country cannot go to war without congressional approval. Robertson: Aha. did that just not happen? Yes. But it’s in the Constitution. the law says that we must talk about it [00:19:00] first. We must send the diplomats. We must doeverything we can before we harm anyone. War is hell. there are other ways of dialogue and diplomacy. Robertson: we can do better. But again, it takes the laws and institutions. Gissele: thank you for that. I do think that we have some sort of sense in terms of what we find doesn’t work for us, right? these institutions don’t work, they’re based on separation, isolation, punishment, and we see that they don’t work. We see that, like inequality hurts everyone. Gissele: We see that all of these things that we’re doing have a negative impact, including war. And yet we don’t change. What do you think prevents societies from becoming more compassionate? Robertson: if we’re in a society that if harming people through terrible legislation and laws and policies that makes it hard for people then have to either rebel and then they can be you know, killed. Or they have to form movements peaceful movements like the [00:20:00] Civil Rights Movement in my country, you know, with Martin Luther King leading peace marches and our peaceful resistance, in Minneapolis, the peaceful resistance to ice, so what one big thing that’s, that makes people think they can’t be compassionate again, is the, larger society, you know, the institutional frameworks and legislations and laws and government practices. Robertson: But even then, as we’re seeing, you know, in Minneapolis and everywhere, and Canada is leading in so many ways, I think I, I’m so grateful for the leadership of your, your prime minister, calling the world thatwe must not let go of the international rules rules based international practices that we’ve had for the last 80 years, my whole life. Robertson: You know, we’ve had the, the UN and the international rules and now some powers want to throw those out, but no, no, we are gonna say no. we’re [00:21:00] surrounded by forces of wealth and power as we know. And however we can each do what we can to care for those near hand, far away, the least the last, and the last for ourselves, moment by moment. Robertson: Breath, breath by breath. And sometimes we, the people can change history and the powerful can choose compassion. And, we’ve changed history many times. We’ve created democracy. We, the people who have created civil right. Universal education and healthcare of the UN and much more. Robertson: you touched a moment ago on the pillars of a compassionate civilization. You know, there are 17 UN sustainable development goals, as you know, but I decided 17 was a big number, so I thought, why don’t we just have six? That’s why my book, it has six arenas of transformation for ease of memory and work. Robertson: and they are environmental sustainability, gender equality, socioeconomic justice, participatory governance, cultural tolerance, peace and nonviolence. So modern [00:22:00] societies can be prevented from being compassionate also by Negative emotions as we were talking about, of ignorance, greed, hatred, and violence. Robertson: Greed thinking, I need more wealth. I’m a billionaire, but I need another billion. You know, I’m the richest billionaire in the world, but I wanna buy the US government hatred, violence. So these all for me, all back into the Buddhist wisdom of the belief that I’m a separate self. Robertson: Therefore, all that’s important is my ego. Hell no, that’s wrong. You know, my ego is not separate. When I die, my ego’s gone. You know, all that’s gonna be left when I die, or my words and my actions, my actions will continue forever. my words will continue forever. May I, ego? No. So the, if I believe my ego is all there is, and I can be greedy and hateful and fearful and violent, but ego, unlimited pleasure and narcissism, fear of the other, ignorance of cause and effect, these don’t have to drive us. So [00:23:00] structures and policies based on negative emotions and the delusion of a separate self and harm for the earth. We don’t have to live that way. We don’t have to believe propaganda and misinformation and ignorance, and we can provide the education needed and the experience. Robertson: We don’t have to accept wealth hoarding. You know, why do we have billionaires? Why isn’t $999 million enough? Why doesn’t that go to care for everyone and to care for the earth? So again, we have to let go of wealth hoarding of power hoarding. Robertson: we don’t need all that wealth. We don’t need all that power. We can, we can care for each other. We can care for the earth. Gissele: There, there are so many amazing things that you said. I wanted to touch on two the first one is that I was having a conversation with an indigenous elder, and he said to me, you know, that greed is just a fear of lack, right? Gissele: And it really stopped me in my tracks because, when we see people hoarding stuff in their [00:24:00] house, we think, well, that’s abnormal. And yet we glorify the hoarding of wealth. But it isn’t any different than any sort of other mental health issue in terms of hoarding. And so that really got me to think about the role of fear. Gissele: And, if somebody’s trying to hoard money, it’s not getting to the root of the problem, issue. It’s never gonna be enough because they’re just throwing it into an empty hole. It’s a a billion Jillian, it’s never gonna be enough because it’s never truly addressing the problem. Gissele: But one of the things that you said as we were chatting is, that the wealthy, the elite, they can choose compassion, they can always choose it, which is an amazing insight. And yet I wonder, you know, in terms of people’s perspectives of compassion and power, do you think that the two go hand in hand or can they go hand in hand? Gissele: Because I think there might be some worries around, well, if I’m more compassionate, then I’m gonna be, taken advantage of, I’m gonna be, a mat. what is your [00:25:00] perspective? Robertson: Oh, I agree with everything you said and your question is so, so important. Thank you so much. Robertson: there are billionaires and then there are billionaires like Warren Buffet. Look, he’s given. Tens of billions of dollars away, hundreds of billions of dollars away, and other billionaires have done that. And then there are the billionaires, who think 350 billion isn’t enough. Robertson: You know, I need more. Well, that’s crazy. That is sick. That is sad that, that is a disease. And we have to help those people. I feel compassion for billionaires who think they need another 10 billion or another a hundred billion, or they need five more a hundred million dollars yachts, or they need another 15 $200 million houses around the world and that that is very sad. Robertson: And that they’re really suffering. They’re confused. Yeah. They forget what it means to be human. They’ve forgotten what it needs to be. An earthling that we’re just here for a moment. Gissele: Agree. Robertson: We’re just here for a moment, for a [00:26:00] breath, and we’re gone. Breathe in, we’re here, breathe out, we’re gone. And so we can stop. Robertson: We can become aware of that fear, as you said. We can take good care of that fear. I love the way Thich Nhat Hahn says. He says, hello, fear, welcome back. I’m gonna take good care of you. Fear. I’m gonna watch you take care of you. You’re gonna Evolve. ’cause everything is impermanent. Everything changes. So fear will change. Robertson: Fear can change. Fear always changes It evolves into Another emotion, another feeling, So let it go. Let it go. In the truth of impermanence. ’cause everything is impermanent. Fear is impermanent. So we also can remember the truth of inter being that I am part of what I fear, I am part of. Robertson: This current federal administration. You know, I’m part of the wealthy elite, and it is part of me. I fear of the US administration right now, but it is part of [00:27:00] me and I’m part of it. I fear climate change, but it is part of me. I’m part of it. I fear artificial intelligence , unregulated. I fear old age, but boys, I’m 81 and a half, it’s here. Robertson: So I’m gonna take care of it. I’m gonna say, Hey, old man, I’m gonna take care of you. And they’re all me. There’s no separation. I love Thich Nhat Hahn’s word. We enter are, we enter are now, how can I stop, become aware of fear, breathe in and out, and know the truth of inter being and impermanence and accept it. Robertson: Care for it. get out to vote, care for the self, write , speak, do what I can to care for what I can. My family, my neighbors, my city, my county, my country, my world. And everything changes. Everything passes away. Everything comes in and out of [00:28:00] being, what happened to the Roman Empire? Gissele: Mm, Robertson: what’s happening to the American Empire. Everything comes in and goes out like a breath, breathing in and breathing out. And then everything transforms into what is next? What is next? what is China going to bring? Ah, there is so much that we don’t know, Robertson: I love Thich Nhat Hahn’s teaching that. when we become aware of a negative emotion, we should Stop, breathe, smile. And then say, oh, welcome. Fear. Welcome back. Okay, I’m gonna take care of you. Okay, we’re in this together. Robertson: And then you just, you keep breathing in awareness and gratitude and things change. Your grandkid calls you, your baby calls you, your dog, your cat. You see the clouds, you see the earth, the sun. You see a star. You realize you’re an [00:29:00] animal. You know the word animal means breath. Robertson: We are animals. ’cause we breathe. We’re all breathing. So I love that. You know it. I love to say I am an animal. ’cause I, you know, we, human beings are often not, we’re not animals. We’re superior To animals, you know? Right. we are animals, that’s why we love our dogs and cats and we can love our, the purposes and the elephants and the tigers and the mountain lions and, and the cockroaches and the chickpeas and the cardinals we are all animals. Robertson: We’re all breathing. So I love that. Gissele: Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that was so beautiful. I felt that also, I really appreciated the practice too. In this time when we, like so many us are, are feeling so much fear and so much uncertainty and not knowing how things are gonna pan out, to just take a moment to breathe and reconnect to our true selves, I think is so, so fundamental. Gissele: And I hope that listeners are also doing it with us. you know, as I have [00:30:00] conversations with people around the world we talk a lot about, the way that the systems are set up, the institutions. Gissele: And it took a lot of hard work for me to realize that we are the institutions, just like you said, so the institutions are made up of people. And I was so glad to see that in your book, that you clearly say, you know, like it’s about people. It’s about us. It’s like we make up these institutions, you know? Gissele: And when I’ve looked at myself, I’ve asked myself, who do I wanna be? What do I really, truly wanna embody? And my greatest wish for this lifetime is to embody the highest level of love and to truly get to the point where I love people like brothers and sisters, that I care for them and that we care for one another. Gissele: And yet, there are times when I wanna act from that place, but the fear comes up, the not wanting or not trusting or believing when the fear comes up, how can compassion really help us change ourselves so that we can create a [00:31:00] different world? Robertson: What you said is so beautiful, and your question is so powerful. Thank you. Yes. And I’m gonna get personal here. we can do what we can, we can take care of ourselves, we can take care of others as we can, but we shouldn’t beat ourselves up when we can’t. You know? Robertson: So I, here I’m 80, I’m over 81, and I have issues with balance and walking, and I have some memory issues and some low energy issues. So I have to be kind to myself. I, so I’ve just decided that writing is my main way of caring for the world. That’s why I publish one or two essays a week on Substack, on Compassionate Conversations for 55 countries in 38 states. Robertson: And so I said, you know, I used to travel around the world all the time. Not anymore. I don’t even want like to travel around the county. Robertson: Anyway, I’m an elder , so I have to say , okay, elder, be kind to [00:32:00] yourself, but also do everything you can, write everything you can speak with Gazelle if you can. Robertson: I also have to decide who I’m gonna care for. I’ve decided I’m gonna care for my wife who just turned 70 and my two kids and my two grandkids, my daughter-in-law, my cousins and nieces and nephews, my neighbors here and North Carolina. Robertson: The vulnerable, you know, I give to nonprofits who help the hungry and the homeless to friends and to people around the world through my writings and teachings And so the other day I drove to get some some shrimp tacos for my wife and me for dinner. Robertson: And a lady came up and she had disheveled hair. And she just stood by my car and I put the window down a little and she said. can you drive me to Black Mountain? that’s not where we were. I was in another town. ‘ cause I’m out of my medicine. Robertson: She just, out of the blue said, stood there and said that. And I thought, [00:33:00] oh, oh, hmm. Oh, so, oh yes. So I, I wanted to say, but who are you? How are you? Do you live here? Do do you have any friends or family? Do you, you, can I give you some money? Do you have, but I was kind of, I was kind of struck dumb, you know? Robertson: I thought, oh, oh, what should I do? And so I said, oh, I’m so sorry I don’t live in Black Mountain. And she said, oh. And she just turned and walked away and she asked two other cars and they said no. And then she walked away. And then she walked away. I thought, oh, Rob, Rob, is she okay? Does she have a family? Robertson: Did she have a house? What if she doesn’t get her medicine? How can she walk to that town? Could you have driven her and delayed taking dinner home to your wife? And then I said, but I don’t know. And then I thought, oh, but she’s gone. And I then I said, okay, Rob. Okay, Rob, [00:34:00] you’ve lived 81 years. You’ve cared for people in the UN in 170 countries. Speaker 3: Yeah. Robertson: And you’ve been in 55 countries, you’re still writing every week, you’re taking care of your neighbors and family and friends. Don’t beat yourself up. Old guy. Don’t beat yourself up. But next time, you know what Rob, I’m gonna say, Hey, my dear one, are you okay? I don’t have any money, but I can I buy you? Robertson: We are here at the taco shop, Can I buy you dinner? I would, I’m gonna say that next time, Rob. I’m gonna say that. and then I also gazelle,I’m gonna support democratic socialist institutions. You know, some people are afraid of that word, democratic socialist. Robertson: But you know, the happiest countries in the world are democratic socialist countries. Finland is the world’s happiest country. Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Iceland, those are in the top 10 [00:35:00] when they’ve, when there have been analysis of, if you, if you Google happiest countries in the world, Robertson: those Nordic countries come up every year. Why? They are democratic socialist countries. You pay high taxes and everybody gets free college. You know, free education, free college, free health everybody gets taken care of in a democratic socialist country in the Nordic countries and New York City. Robertson: I’m so proud that our new mayor in New York City Zoran Mai is a democratic socialist. He is there to help everybody, but particularly those who are hurting the poor, the hungry , the sick, or the people of color, women, the elderly, the children. I’m so proud of him and I write about him on my substack and I write him Robertson: I he’s one of my heroes just like Bernie Sanders is one of my heroes. And Alexandria Ocasio Cortes, a OC is one of my, my heroes, CA [00:36:00] Ooc. So, and you know, I used to never tell anybody I was a Democratic socialist ’cause I was afraid. I thought, oh, they’ll think I’m a socialist. Hell no. I am now proud to say I’m a democratic socialist. Robertson: I’m a Democrat. I vote the Democratic ticket, but I’m always looking for progressives, progressive Democrats, you know, democratic socialist Democrats. because, you know, our country can be more like Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Iceland New York City. New York City is showing us the way America can be like a New York City. Robertson: I’m so proud of New York City and I used to live in New York City so as an old person. I can only do what I can do. and I’m not saying, oh, I poor me. I can’t do anything. No, no. I’m not saying that. I’m saying I can do a hell of a lot as this 81-year-old, it’s amazing what I can do, but that is why I write and speak and care for my family, neighbors, friends, the poor. Robertson: [00:37:00] Donate to nonprofits for the homeless and the hungry vote. Get out the vote. So yes, that’s my story. Gazelle. Gissele: I totally relate. I mean, I’ve been in circumstances like that as well, where you wanna help. But the fear is like, what if a person kills you? What if they don’t really have medication? Gissele: What if you get hurt or they try to rob you or they have mental health problems? Mine goes to protection and it is very human of us to go there first. And so, so then we get stuck in that ping pong in that moment and then the moment passes and you’re like, you know, was it true? Could I have driven that person? Gissele: And that would’ve been something I wanted to do for sure. But in that moment, you are stuck in that, yo-yo, when the survival comes in. And so helping ourselves shift out of that survival mode, understanding and learning to have faith and trust. And for me that’s been a work in progress. Gissele: It really has been a work in [00:38:00] progress. The other thing I wanted to mention, which I think is so important that we need to touch on. It’s the whole concept of socialism. So I was born in South America before I came to Canada and so I remember lots of my family members talk about this, there’s many South American countries that got sold communism, as socialism we’re talking about approaches that instead of it being like a democratic socialism that you’re talking about, which is the government, make sure that people are taking care of and that the people are probably taxed and provided for what would happen in those countries was that. Gissele: Everything got taken away. People were rationed certain things, and, it was horrible. it was not good, but it was not socialism. And there was many governments that took the majority of the money, then spent it on themselves, left the country, took it themselves, and so especially the Latin American community is very much afraid of socialism because they think back to that, the [00:39:00] rationing of electricity, the rationing of food, the rationing of all of that stuff, it wasn’t provided openly. Gissele: It was, everybody gets less. And so you have these people with this history that then have come to the US and think they don’t want socialism. They think democracy means that people aren’t gonna take stuff away from them, but that’s not what it means either. ’cause I don’t even know if like in North America we have a true democracy. Robertson: so thinking about reframing of how we think or experience democratic socialism, that it doesn’t mean less for everybody and in everything controlled by the government. It means being provided for abundantly and, also having the citizens be taxed more, which means we are willing to share our money so that we can all live well, Beautiful. Beautiful. Oh, thank you. Hooray. Wonderful. What country are you? May I ask where you coming? Gissele: Yeah, of Robertson: course. Gissele: Peru, I Gissele: [00:40:00] Yeah. Robertson: Wonderful. I’ve been to Peru a few times. A wonderful, beautiful country. And I, I lived in Venezuela for five years. ‘ cause I love, I have many friends in Venezuela. Robertson: But anyway I agree with everything you just said. That’s why I said what I said that I now can, I can confess that I am a democratic socialist. And that’s not socialism. It’s a social democracy is what it’s called. Yeah. That’s what they call it in Finland and Denmark and so on. Robertson: They call it social democracy. It’s democracy. But it, as you say, it’s cares for everyone and for the earth. We have to always add and the earth, ’cause you know, all the other species and, and the other life forms and the ecosystems, the water, the soil, the air, the minerals the plants, the animals. Robertson: and we have the money, as you said. I mean, if I had $350 billion, think of what taxes I could pay if the tax rate was, you know, 30%. [00:41:00] And rather than nothing, some of these, some of these folks pay, Gissele: well, I think we have glorified that we all wanted that, right? Like we got sold this good that oh, we should all want to be as wealthy as possible, right? And so we normalize the hoarding of money. Not the hoarding of other stuff, right? Gissele: And so we have allowed that, which gets me to my, next point, you talk about the environmental impact as part of a compassionate society, which absolutely is necessary. Gissele: And as human beings, we can be so lazy. We want convenience. We want to, have our package the next day. We don’t wanna wait. are we willing to pay higher wages? Are we willing to wait? Longer for our packages, like, are we willing to, invest in our wardrobe instead of buying fast fashion? Gissele: We don’t do these things and these have environmental impacts, and it also have human impacts, and at the end, they have impact on us. What can we do to ensure that, that we address that [00:42:00] complacency so that we are creating a fair, affordable , and compassionate world. Robertson: So important. Thank you. Robertson: It’s, it’s a life and death question. So yes, we should always ask about ecological and social impacts and take actions accordingly. That’s why I recycle every day. You know, some people say, oh, recycling is stupid. What do they really do with this, with it? You know, are they, are they really careful when you, they pick it up? Robertson: but I recycle religiously every day That’s why I support climate and democracy through third act. There’s a group that Bill McKibbon has started here in the US called Third Act. It’s a group of elder activists, activists over 60 who are working on climate and democracy issues. Robertson: So I’m doing that. That’s why I vote and get it out to vote. And as I said, I vote for Democrats and Democratic socialists. That’s why I write and speak and vote for ecological regeneration for social justice, for peace, for [00:43:00] democratic governance. It’s so critical that we keep questioning our actions like. Robertson: Okay, why am I recycling? Is it really worth the time? You know, deciding about every item, where it goes, and then putting out it out carefully and rinsing it first. And is that really going to help the world? ’cause you also know we need systemic changes, because you can always say, oh, but what the individual does doesn’t matter. Robertson: We need laws, we need institutions of ecological regeneration, and we need laws on caring for the climate and stopping climate change. So you can talk yourself out of individual responsibility when you realize that we need laws and institutions that protect the environment. Robertson: But it’s both. It’s both. what each person does, because there are millions of us individuals. So if there are millions of us act responsibly, that has, is a huge impact. And then if we [00:44:00] also have responsible laws and institutions that care for the environment as well as all people, then that’s a double win. Robertson: So I agree with you. We have to keep asking that question over and over and making those decisions and they’re hard decisions. We have to decide. Gissele: Yeah, I’ve had to look at myself like one of the commitments I’ve made to myself is not buying fast fashion. And so, investing in pieces, even though sometimes I feel lack oh my God, spending that much money on this, you know? Gissele: Yeah. It all comes back to me. if I am not willing to pay a fair wage, that means that the next person doesn’t get a fair wage, which means they don’t wanna pay a fair wage and so on and so forth. And then it comes back to me, you know, my husband has a business and then, you get people that don’t also wanna pay a fair wage. Gissele: It’s all interconnected. And so we have to be willing, but that also goes to us addressing our fear, our fear of lack, that we’re not gonna have enough. All of those things. And the biggest fundamental [00:45:00] fear, and you mentioned death to me, is the ultimate Gissele: fear That we must overcome I think once we do, like, I think once we understand that we are not, this human vessel. Gissele: that we’re not just this bag of bones and live in so much constrained fear that perhaps we could. really open up ourselves to be willing to be more compassionate . What do you think? Robertson: Absolutely. I’m with you all the way. Yes. We fear death because we’re caught in that illusion of a separate permanent self. Robertson: You know, it’s all about me. Oh, this universe is all about me. The universe was created 13.8 billion years for me. Robertson: Yeah. But it’s all about me and particularly my ego, honoring my ego. Building up my ego, praising my ego being, you know, that’s why I wanna be rich and famous. Robertson: Fortunately, I never wanted to be rich or famous, but that’s another story. We’ll talk about that some other time. But everything and [00:46:00] everyone is impermanent. When I realized that truth and it, it came to me through engaged Buddhism, but you could, you could get that truth in many, many ways. Robertson: That everything and everyone is impermanent. we’re part of the ocean. But the waves don’t last forever, do they? But the ocean lasts forever. Robertson: So My atoms, are part of the 13.8 billion year old universe. my cells are part of the living earth. Yes, they remain When I die, you know, go back into the earth. back into the soil and the water and the air but My ego doesn’t remain. What, what remains, as I said before, are my actions. Robertson: Everything I did is still cause and effect. Cause and effect. Rippling out. Rippling out. Okay. Rob, what did you do? What did you say? did you help that, did you touch that? Did you say that? so my actions and words continue rippling forever. So Ty calls that, or in the Plum Village tradition of engaged Buddhism, it’s called my continuation. Robertson: Your actions and your words [00:47:00] are your continuation that last forever as your actions and words will continue through cause and effect touching reality forever. So when my ego does not remain so I can smile and let it go. I often think about my continuation. You know, I say, well, that’s why, maybe why I’m writing so much and speaking so much. Robertson: And caring for so many people every day, you know, caring to care for my wife and my children and grandchildren and friends and neighbors, and the v vulnerable and the hungry, and the homeless, and the, and my country, and my city, and my county, and my, and why do I write substack twice a week? Robertson: And containing reflections on ecological, societal, and individual challenges and practices. And so every, week I’m writing about practices of mindfulness and compassion. So I’m trying to be the teacher. I’m trying to send out words of mindfulness and compassion so that they will continue reverberating when I’m dust, Robertson: So [00:48:00] I’m reaching out. In my substack to just those 55 people in 55 countries, in 38 states, touching hearts and minds and even more on social media. every month I have like 86,000 views of my social media. Why do I do it? It’s not just about ego, you know? Robertson: Oh, Rob, be famous. No, Rob is not famous. I’m a nobody. I gotta keep giving and giving and giving, you know, another word, another action, so I can, care for people around me through personal care, donations, voting, volunteering workshops, I’m helping start a workshop in our neighborhood on environmental resilience through recycling, through group facilitation. Robertson: I’m trained in, facilitation. I’ve been trained my whole life to ask questions of groups so they can create their own plans and strategies and actions. that’s some of my answer. Robertson: I hope that makes some sense. Gissele: Thank you very much. I appreciated your answer and it made me really think you are one of our compassionate leaders, right? [00:49:00] You’re, you’re kind of carving the way and helping us reflect, ’cause I’ve seen some of your substack, I’ve seen like your postings. Gissele: That’s actually how I kind of reached out to you. ’cause I was so moved by the material that you were sharing, the willingness to be honest about what it takes to be compassionate and how hard it can be sometimes to look at ourselves honestly, because we can’t change unless we’re willing to look at ourselves. Gissele: All aspects of ourselves, like you said, we are the billionaires, we are the oligarchy, we are all of these people. The racism that voted that in the, the racism that continues to show the fear, all of that is us. And so from your perspective, what do compassionate leaders do differently? Robertson: Yes. Well, it great question. Robertson: what do compassionate leaders do differently? Well, he or she or they. Robertson: are empathic. I think it starts with empathy. What are like, what are you feeling? What are you thinking? Robertson: What are you, what’s happening in your life? So an empathic [00:50:00] leader listens to other people. They see where other people are hurting. They care. They ask questions and facilitate group discussions, enable group projects. They let go of self-importance, you know, that it’s not all about me. Robertson: They let go of narcissism. They let go of, the ego project. They help others be their greatness. They care for their body mind so that they can care for others. and they donate and vote and recycle and more and more and more and more. did you know in Denmark. In elementary school every week, children are taught empathy. Robertson: You know, they have courses on empathy, Robertson: when I was growing up, I,didn’t have courses in school on empathy in church school, you know, in my Sunday school at, in my church. I was taught to love my neighbor and to love everyone, and that God was love. But in school, in my elementary [00:51:00] school and junior high and high school, we didn’t talk about things like empathy and compassion. Gissele: Yeah. Thank you for sharing that. I did know about Denmark ’cause my daughter and I are co-writing a book on that particular topic. The need to continue to teach love and compassion in, Gissele: being a global citizen. Right? And, and I’m doing it with her perspective because she just graduated high school, so she has like the fresher perspective, whereas mine’s from like many moons ago. Gissele: We need to continuously educate ourselves about regulating our own emotions, having difficult conversations, hearing about the other, other, as ourselves. Because that’s, from my perspective, the only way that we’re gonna survive. a friend of mine said it the best that we were having a conversation and she does compassion in the prison system and she says, I can’t be well unless you are well. Gissele: My wellness depends on your wellness. And that just hit me in my heart, like, ugh. Not that I live it every day, Robertson, Gissele: every day I have to choose and some [00:52:00] days I fail, and other days I do good in terms of like be more loving and compassionate and truly helping the world. But it’s a choice. It’s a continual choice. So this goes to my biggest challenge that maybe you can help me with, which is, so I was having this conversation with my students. We were talking about how. In order to create a world that is loving and passionate for all, it has to include the all, even those who are most hurtful, and that is really difficult . Gissele: I’m just curious as to your thoughts on what starting point might be or what can help us look at those who do hurtful things and just horrible things and be able to say, I see God within you. I see your humanity. Even though it might be hard. Robertson: Yes, It is hard. several years ago when I would hear [00:53:00] leaders of my country speaking on the media, I would get so repulsed that I would turn it off but I began practicing. Robertson: I practiced a lot since those days and I realized, you know. People who hurt, other people are hurting themselves. they’re actually hurting. they’re suffering. People who hurt others have their own suffering of, they’re confused. they’ve forgotten what it means to be human. Robertson: They’re, full of, greed, of their own fears, all about me. Maybe they’re filled with hatred they become violent. they’re suffering. I still find it very difficult to read or listen to certain people. Robertson: But what I do is I stop and I breathe and I smile and I say, okay. Robertson: I care. I’m concerned about you. I don’t know what I can do, but I am gonna do everything I can to care for the people, being hurt, you know, like my fellow activists in [00:54:00] Minneapolis are doing, or elsewhere, we could mention many places around the world where people are risking their own lives. Robertson: You know, in Minneapolis, two activists were killed, Ms. Good Renee Good, and Alex Pretty were killed because they went beyond their fear, you know? they got out there in the street because the migrants were being hurt and they got killed. Robertson: So, you know, At some point you have to come to terms with your own death, I don’t know if I have a, a minute to go or 20 years, I still have to let go. And so how do I care for my wife, my family, my friends, my neighbors my country, the vulnerable, the homeless, the hungry, and, as you said, for the wealthy and powerful who are hurting others, you know, starting wars attacking migrants, killing activists. Robertson: It’s hard. You know? So I have to say, I love the story of [00:55:00] when during the Vietnamese war Thich Nhat Hahn and his monks. They did not take sides. They did not say we’re on the side of the Vietnamese or the us. They did not take a side in the war. This is hard for me ’cause I, I usually take sides. Robertson: The practice was, okay, we’re not going to support we’re Vietnamese or the us. Were going to care for everyone. So they just went out caring for people who were getting hurt and during the war, people who were hungry, people who needed food, people who were bleeding, Robertson: So they decided their role was to care for those who were hurt not to attack. To say, I’m for the blue and I’m against the red. They said, I’m just gonna, care . Like, the activists in Minnesota, They’re, they’re not attacking ice, they’re singing to ice. Robertson: And so yes, we have to acknowledge our own anger. [00:56:00] I’m angry with these politicians. sometimes I want, to hate them, but I have to say, I do not hate you, my friend. You are confused. You’re so confused. You’re hurting others. So you’re so hurtful. Robertson: You don’t realize how you’re hurting others. But, I’ve got to try to stop you from hurting others. I’ve got to try to help those who are hurt and maybe I’m gonna get hurt, you know, because in the civil rights movement, if you’re out there doing on a peace march, you might get beaten up. Robertson: as I said, I’ve lived in villages, poor villages, and. Urban slums in several countries. And some people could say, well, that’s stupid. You could get hurt. You know, you could, you could as a white person living in a African American slum or in a Korean village or in a Venezuelan village, Robertson: So, you know, I say, was I stupid? Was I risking and I was with my wife and children? Was I risking the lives of my wife and children by living in slums and, and villages? Yes. Was I stupid? I mean, [00:57:00] no, I wasn’t stupid, but I was risking our lives. But I somehow, I was, called I wanted to do it. I said, okay. Robertson: but my point is it’s risky, you know? And you have to keep working with yourself. That’s why I love the word practice. Robertson: You know, in Buddhism we keep practicing, and I love your, the teaching of that you have on your website of Pema Chodron, you know, on self-love. You know, you have to keep practicing. How do I love myself? Say, okay, I’m afraid and I’m just this little white person, but or I’m this little old white person, but I’m gonna do everything I can and be everything I can. Robertson: I really appreciated the story of Han not choosing sides. I mean, you’re right. If we are going to see each other’s brothers and sisters and is is one global family, we can’t pick a side over the other, even though we so want to. Gissele: And, and I’m with you. when I think that there’s a [00:58:00] unfairness, when there’s people that are vulnerable or suffering, I’m more likely to pick to the side that is like, oh, that person is suffering. They’re the victim. But what you said is spot on. People that truly lovewho have love in their heart, like when you were raised with love. Gissele: You had love to give others because your cup was full. So it overflowed to want to help others, to want to love others. People that are hurting, that don’t have love in their hearts are those that hurt other people. Robertson: Mm-hmm. Gissele: They must because they must be so separated from their own humanity. Robertson: Yes, yes, yes. Gissele: And yet things are changing. You mentioned Minnesota, and I wanted to mention that I love that they’re doing the singing chants, and they’re not making them wrong. they’re singing chants like you can change your mind. You don’t have to be wrong. You don’t have to experience shame and guilt for the choice you’ve made. You can always change your mind. And in your book, you talk a lot about movements. Do you wanna [00:59:00] share a little bit about the power of movements and helping us create a compassionate civilization? Robertson: Oh, yes. Thank you. I’m, I’m a big movement fan. it started in college with the Civil Rights Movement. I realized, wow, you know, if a lot of people get together and do something together, it can make a difference. Like the Civil Rights movement. Gissele: Yeah. Robertson: And the women’s movement and peace movement. Robertson: And like in Vietnam, the peace movement, we could really make a difference if we get out in March. I think that being an individual or part of an organization that is part of a movement can be a powerful force. And so I focus in my life and that, that book on the six movements that I’ve mentioned, and those movements can work together. Robertson: And when they work together, they become a movement of movements. They become mom. Hmm. I like that because I I’m a feminist and I think that we need so [01:00:00] desperately we need more feminine energy inhumanity and in civilization. Robertson: So I’m a unapologetic feminist. And so that’s why I like that the movement of movements, the acronym is Mom, you know, and so it’s the Moms of the World will lead us like you. And so they’re the movements of ecological regeneration, socioeconomic justice, I’m repeating gender equality, participatory governance, cultural tolerance, peace and non-violence. Robertson: And you know, we also have the Gay Rights Movement, the democracy movement. there’s so many movements that it made a huge difference. So. I began saying that I, after writing the book, I said, okay,now my work is the work of the Compassionate Civilization Collaborative. Robertson: And I decided I wouldn’t make an organization, I it, wouldn’t have a website, I wouldn’t register it. I wouldn’t raise money for it. It would just be anybody and everybody [01:01:00] who was part of the movement of movements who was working to create a compassionate civilization. Robertson: So that’s what I did. And that’s where I am. I’m this old guy in my home. I don’t get out a lot. I don’t drive a lot. I just drive to nearby town. I have a car, but I don’t use it a lot. I don’t like to walk up and down hills. Robertson: IAnd sometimes I can’t remember things and I say, Hey, but look, you have so many friends all over the world and you can keep encouraging through your writing. So that’s why I keep writing, you know, it is for the movement of movements. Robertson: I guess that’s why I write. here’s something I want to share, something I thought or felt or something that I wrote about. And maybe it will touch you. Maybe it’ll encourage you. Maybe we’ll help you in your life. Robertson: I live in a homeowners association neighborhood. It’s a neighborhood that has a homeowners association. We’re 34 families and we have straight families, gay families. we have white families and non-white families. [01:02:00] We have Democrats, Republicans and Socialists. Robertson: We have Christians and Buddhists and Hindus. And so what I do, I say, Hey, we’re all neighbors. We all helped each other during the pandemic. We all helped each other after the hurricane. It doesn’t matter what our politics are or our religion or our sexuality, we’re all human beings. Robertson: We’re all gonna die. we all want love. We all want happiness. And We can be good neighbors. We don’t have to have ideology, you know, we don’t have to quote the Bible, we don’t have to quote Buddha. We can just be good neighbors. So we’re gonna have a workshop this spring And so we’re all going to get together down the street in this big room, in the fire station, and we’re gonna have a two hour workshop. And will it help? I don’t know. Will it make us better neighbors? I don’t know. Why am I doing it? I’m driven to do it. I’ve done workshops all over the world and I wanna do a workshop in my neighborhood. Robertson: I’ve done workshops with the un, I’ve done [01:03:00] workshops with governments, with cities So I love to facilitate. I love getting people together to solve problems together to listen to each other, respect each other, to honor each other. Gissele: so I’m just gonna ask you a couple more questions. But I’m just gonna make a comment right now about what you said because I think it’s so important. Gissele: Number one is I love that your neighborhood is a microcosm of what our world could be like . The fact that people got together to help and make sure that people were taken care of. If we could amplify that, that could be our world. I think that’s such a beautiful thing. Gissele: And the other thing that I think is really fundamental is that even through your life, you are showing us that some people are going to go pickett. And that’s okay. Some people are gonna write blogs to help us, and that’s okay. Some people are gonna do podcasts, and that’s okay. There are things that people can do that don’t have to look exactly the same. Gissele: Some people are going to have more courage, and they’re going to put their bodies in front and potentially get hurt. Other people, maybe they can’t do [01:04:00] that. So there are many different ways to help. The other thing that you said that was really, really key is the importance of moms . And that was one of the things that really touched me about your book, the acronym. Gissele: I was like, oh my God, I so resonate with this. Because I do feel that we need more feminine energy. We really kind of really squash the feminine energy. But the truth of the matter is we need more because fundamentally, nurturance is a mother energy is a feminine energy. Gissele: Compassion’s a feminine energy. Yes, yes, yes, Robertson: yes, yes, Gissele: so if I can share my story. Last night I was at hockey game. My son was playing hockey. Robertson: Mm-hmm. Gissele: And our team they don’t like to fight. Gissele: We play our game and we have fun and we’re good. And so the previous teams that were there, it was under Youth 15, most of the game was the kids fighting. And taking penalties. And so the game ends, the people come off the ice and two men that are starting to get like into a fight [01:05:00] now, woman got in front of them. Gissele: Wow. and said, we all signed a form that said, this is just a game. Remember who this is for? even though she was elevated, she totally stopped that fight between two men that we were not small. And So it was, it was really interesting. Robertson: Wonderful. Gissele: it was a woman who actually stopped a fight Gissele: It’s the feminine power. And that doesn’t mean, and I wanna make this clear, that doesn’t mean that men have to be discarded or have to be treated the same way that women are treated. ’cause I think that’s a big fear. That’s a big fear that some white males have. It’s no, you don’t have to be less than, Robertson: right. Robertson: We need Gissele: to uplift the feminine energy. So there’s a balance. ’cause right now we’re not balanced. Robertson: Exactly. Exactly. Oh, boy. Am I with you there? there’s a whole section in my book, as you noticed on gender equality I’m gonna read a tribute to Mothers I. Robertson: Tribute to Mothers Giving Birth to New Life, nurturing, [01:06:00] sustaining, guiding, releasing, launching, affirming Love. Be getting Love a flow onwards. Mother Earth, mother Tree, mother Tiger, mother Eve. My grandmother’s Sally and Arie, my mother, Mary Elizabeth, my children’s mother, Mary, my grandchildren’s mother, Jennifer, my grandchildren’s grandmothe

Episode 44 includes the following sections:- Strategic leadership- Caring leadership- Innovative leadershipSeason 6 of Purpose Inspired is based on the book, Thriving: The Breakthrough Movement to Regenerate Nature, Society and the Economy, as read by the author and host of this podcast, Wayne Visser.Thriving is available in the following formats:- Hardback- Ebook- Audiobook

In today's episode, hosts Liz Garden and Dr. Scott McLeod talk with Dr. Kristan Rodriguez about what it takes to create schools where every learner can succeed. From understanding student variability and building systems that work to shifting from compliance to authentic engagement, this conversation explores practical strategies for implementing Universal Design for Learning in your school. Dr. Kristan Rodriguez is the owner of Commonwealth Consulting Agency, LLC and has been a professional development provider for over 20 years. Liz Garden is principal of Henry P. Clough Elementary school in Mendon Massachusetts, and serves as fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership. Scott McLeod is professor of educational leadership at the University of Colorado, Denver, and a fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership.

A Professor of Educational Leadership, Scott McLeod, J.D., Ph.D., received the 2025 Excellence in Teaching Award for the entire University of Colorado Denver campus.Widely recognized as one of the nation's leading experts on P-12 school leadership, deeper learning, technology, and innovation, he is on a mission to make students' day-to-day learning less boring and more meaningful and relevant. Scott is the Founding Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education (CASTLE), the only university center in the U.S. dedicated to the technology needs of school administrators, and is the co-creator of both the wildly popular video series, Did You Know? (Shift Happens), and the 4 Shifts Protocol for lesson and unit redesign.Scott has worked with hundreds of schools, districts, universities, and other organizations and has received numerous awards, including the 2016 global Award for Outstanding Leadership from the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Scott blogs about leadership and innovation at Dangerously Irrelevant and is a frequent keynote speaker and workshop facilitator at regional, state, national, and international conferences. Scott also hosts two occasional podcasts, LeaderTalk and Redesigning for Deeper Learning.Scott currently serves as a Distinguished Educator Fellow for PDK International, a Fellow for the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership, and an ISTE+ASCD Community Leader. He also recently served as a Senior Fellow for Getting Smart. Scott has written or edited 4 books and 170 articles and other publications, and is one of the most visible education professors in the United States. ______________________________________________________________________ The Edupreneur: Your Blueprint To Jumpstart And Scale Your Education BusinessYou've spent years in the classroom, leading PD, designing curriculum, and transforming how students learn. Now, it's time to leverage that experience and build something for yourself. The Edupreneur isn't just another book; it's the playbook for educators who want to take their knowledge beyond the school walls and into a thriving business.I wrote this book because I've been where you are. I know what it's like to have the skills, the passion, and the drive but not know where to start. I break it all down: the mindset shifts, the business models, the pricing strategies, and the branding moves that will help you position yourself as a leader in this space.Inside, you'll learn how to:✅ Turn your expertise into income streams, without feeling like a sellout✅ Build a personal brand that commands respect (and top dollar)✅ Market your work in a way that feels natural and impactful✅ Navigate the business side of edupreneurship, from pricing to partnershipsWhether you want to consult, create courses, write books, or launch a podcast, this book will help you get there. Stop waiting for permission. Start building your own table.Grab your copy today and take control of your future.Buy it from EduMatch Publishing https://edumatch-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/new-releases/products/the-edupreneur-by-dr-will

According to Forbes magazine, in 2020 alone global spend on corporate training programmes, often focused on leadership development, exceeded $350 billion. Yet how effective, if at all, are these programmes? And are they perhaps just a massive waste of time and money? To dig deep into the question of why leadership development might be failing us I am delighted to be joined on the podcast by Professor Moran Anisman-Razin.About our guest…Dr. Moran Anisman-Razin, is an Associate Professor of Work and Organizational Psychology in the Department of Work and Employment Studies at the Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick. She is also a Visiting Research Scholar at the Behavioral Science and Policy Center, Social Science Research Institute at Duke University, USA and Faculty Affiliate at the Center for Innovative Leadership, Carey Business School, Johns Hopkins university. Through her work, Moran explores questions of leadership in organizations and is particularly interested in examining leaders' perspectives and identities as shaping behavior, leader development, and exploring ways to make leadership development programs more evidence-based and rigorous.The MIT Sloan Management Review article discussed in the interview - Leadership Development Is Failing Us. Here's How to Fix It - is available here: https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/leadership-development-is-failing-us-heres-how-to-fix-it/A key article also referenced in the interview - Uncomfortable but Developmental: How Mindfulness Moderates the Impact of Negative Emotions on Learning - https://journals.aom.org/doi/abs/10.5465/amle.2023.0434 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Originally released 12/14/23: We know that a great school leader can have a powerful impact on the success of a school and its students. But how exactly do we get great principals? We sat down with Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond to discuss the latest research on developing effective principals, and how policymakers, districts, and educators can ensure school leaders have what they need to grow and thrive. Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond is President and CEO of the Learning Policy Institute. She is also the Charles E. Ducommun Professor of Education Emeritus at Stanford University where she founded the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education and served as the faculty sponsor of the Stanford Teacher Education Program, which she helped to redesign. Liz Garden is principal of Henry P. Clough Elementary school in Mendon Massachusetts, and serves as fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership. Dr. Scott McLeod is professor of educational leadership at the University of Colorado, Denver, and a fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership. The NAESP Principal Podcast is produced by the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Learn more about our community and membership at naesp.org.  

We talk with educator and innovator Katie Fielding about how principals can help teachers and students use AI safely, creatively, and ethically. From setting clear expectations to helping students think critically about new tools, we explore how principals can build a culture of curiosity and responsibility around technology. Katie Fielding is an educational technology consultant and advocate for accessibility who holds advanced credentials from ISTE and CAST. Liz Garden is principal of Henry P. Clough Elementary school in Mendon Massachusetts, and serves as fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership. Scott McLeod is professor of educational leadership at the University of Colorado, Denver, and a fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership.

Innovative leadership often begins where courage meets conviction—and Naeem Ishaq, EVP, CFO, and Chief Strategy Officer at Checkr, embodies both. From his early days as a McDonald's fry cook to helping lead companies like Salesforce and Square through hypergrowth and IPO milestones, Naeem's journey is one of persistence, humility, and vision. In this conversation, he shares what he learned from working alongside some of tech's most brilliant minds, how mentorship and trust shaped his leadership style, and why embracing AI and transparency are key to driving lasting change. His story proves that real innovation comes from those unafraid to take the hard path and redefine what's possible.

The Center for Innovative Leadership combines Furman's world-class academic expertise with the insight of leading business experts and coaches to help develop strategic leaders, creative problem-solvers, and innovators ready to navigate today's complex challenges. The Center now offers a high-quality, flexible professional certification program designed for aspiring leaders across virtually every sector.

Live from Austin on the Advisory Amplified tour, Blake sits down with Madeline Reeves of Fearless Foundry and Wesley McDonald of Relay to explore what it truly means to be a renegade in accounting: firms that lead clients to somewhere new rather than settle for "the way things have always been done." The conversation explores why top firms aren't afraid to say no to the wrong clients, how transparency in compensation and career pathways can address the talent crisis, and the hard-won lessons learned about building cultures of collaboration over competition.Chapters(00:37) - Defining a Renegade Firm (02:18) - Innovative Client Experiences (03:56) - Modern Banking and Accounting (08:03) - Aligning Business Values (10:47) - Renegade Firm Values (12:55) - Innovative Leadership and Career Paths (26:57) - Mistakes and Lessons Learned (32:57) - Conclusion and Final Thoughts Sign up to get free CPE for listening to this podcasthttps://earmarkcpe.comhttps://earmark.app/Download the Earmark CPE App Apple: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/earmark-cpe/id1562599728Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.earmarkcpe.appConnect with Our Guests:Madeline ReevesLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/madelinefearless/Learn more about Fearless FoundryOfficial website: http://www.fearlessfoundry.comWesley McDonaldLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wmcdonald48/?originalSubdomain=ca Learn more about RelayOfficial website: https://relayfi.comConnect with Blake Oliver, CPALinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blaketoliverTwitter: https://twitter.com/blaketoliver/

In anticipation of the 2025 ASHP Conference for Pharmacy Leaders, ASHP is hosting a series of podcast episodes. Join our host, Cynthia Von Heeringen, senior education director at ASHP as she interviews Joshua Hammonds, PhD, chair & professor of communication at Rollins College as he discusses his upcoming session Innovative Leadership Strategies for the Entrepreneurial-Minded Leader.  The information presented during the podcast reflects solely the opinions of the presenter. The information and materials are not, and are not intended as, a comprehensive source of drug information on this topic. The contents of the podcast have not been reviewed by ASHP, and should neither be interpreted as the official policies of ASHP, nor an endorsement of any product(s), nor should they be considered as a substitute for the professional judgment of the pharmacist or physician.

In this conversation, Dr. Jennifer Welser shares her journey from a practicing ophthalmologist to a transformative leader in veterinary medicine. She discusses her role at Arista Advanced Pet Care, where she empowers veterinarians to become business owners and emphasizes the importance of communication, coaching, and technology in veterinary care. Dr. Welser also reflects on her experiences in corporate leadership at Mars Veterinary Health and the challenges and rewards of navigating the veterinary profession. In this conversation, Jennifer Welser discusses her journey in veterinary medicine, emphasizing the importance of relationships, the vision for her company Arista, and the integration of technology in veterinary practices. She shares insights on the evolving landscape of veterinary ownership and the future of specialists, while also highlighting the significance of innovation and entrepreneurship in the field. The discussion reflects on personal growth, leadership, and the balance between professional responsibilities and personal fulfillment. Chapters 00:00 From Practice to Leadership: A Journey in Veterinary Medicine 07:06 The Impact of Ownership on Veterinary Professionals 13:37 Selecting the Right Veterinarians for Leadership Roles 21:18 Navigating the C-Suite: Communicating in a Non-Veterinary World 30:03 Navigating Challenges in the Veterinary Industry 36:17 Transitioning to Leadership Roles in Veterinary Medicine 36:44 New Chapter 42:25 Building Connections and Relationships in Veterinary Leadership 44:00 The Vision and Model of Arista Veterinary Group 49:38 Innovative Leadership and Ownership Models in Veterinary Practices 58:01 Optimizing Workflow in Veterinary Care 01:03:34 Understanding Client Goals in Veterinary Medicine 01:09:46 Innovative Ideas and Inventions in Veterinary Practice 01:16:11 Balancing Multiple Ventures and Finding Joy 01:21:40 Embracing Your Voice in Veterinary Medicine 01:23:15 DVM Off Script Closer.mp3 Arista Advanced Pet Care: https://aristapetcare.com/  Instinct: https://instinct.vet/  Jennifer Welser Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferwelser-dvm-dacvo/  Jennifer's Bed and Breakfast: https://www.bakerbayretreat.com/ Submit experiences you would like us to unpack in our Lead By Example episodes here: choosepeoplelovepets@outlook.com  Follow for more:  FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556480229406&mibextid=LQQJ4d  IG: https://www.instagram.com/choosepeoplelovepets?igsh=MTVzZjc4ZHE4MWd2NQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr  LI: https://www.linkedin.com/company/choose-people-love-pets/ 

Send us a textIn this powerful episode, I sit down with Guita Movallali, a passionate advocate, psychologist, and leader in the world of early intervention for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Born and raised in Iran, Guita shares her incredible journey of resilience, determination, and service. From earning a PhD in Psychology to founding Iran's first parent support organization for families with deaf children, Guita has spent more than 30 years transforming lives through education, language, and inclusion.Now living in Canada, she continues her mission through leadership roles in nonprofit organizations and her own foundation, all while uplifting families and building accessible systems of support. We talk about her personal and professional experiences, the importance of early childhood connection, and what it means to truly empower families from the start.If you're passionate about advocacy, inclusion, and global stories that inspire, you won't want to miss this one.Guita's BioGuita Movallali is a passionate leader and advocate in Family-Centred Early Intervention (FCEI) for deaf and hard-of-hearing children, with more than 30 years of experience spanning education, clinical practice, and nonprofit work across Iran and Canada. With a PhD in Psychology and a background in Audiology, Guita has dedicated her life to empowering families and transforming systems of support for Deaf children.In Iran, Guita founded Parvaneha, the first parent support organization for families with deaf children, and introduced Persian Cued Speech to help deaf children access language visually. She was a university professor for over two decades and led numerous initiatives advancing inclusive early childhood education. Her innovative work earned her the 2016 Educator Award for Excellence and Innovative Leadership from the National Cued Speech Association.Since relocating to Canada in 2021, Guita has continued her mission as Program & Development Manager at VOICE for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children, and currently as Executive Director of the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program®. She founded Faranak Impact Inc. and the Faranak Foundation, where she leads programs focused on family empowerment, inclusion, and early childhood learning.A strong believer in the power of language, story, and culture, Guita has written, translated, and edited numerous books and children's stories to reflect the experiences of Deaf children and their families. Through every project, she remains committed to ensuring that every family feels connected, supported, and empowered from the very beginning.Connect with GuitaInstagram WebsiteStay in the loop with the new Different Ability® product I'll be launching!Sign Up Here!Shop new products here!Places you can reach me at:Website:https://kateyfortun.com/https://kateyfortun.com/podcastInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/kateyfortun/https://www.instagram.com/differentabilitypodcast/

STEP-UP and LEAD: A Guide for Dynamic, Innovative Leadership in Law Enforcement by Sheriff Mike Chapman Amazon.com This book will first examine how to establish your leadership base. Whether appointed or elected, this book will provide a template on how to appeal to those who have the most influence in helping you facilitate programs you would like to initiate. It will help you understand what you should and shouldn't do to develop these programs, who should be involved in the development process, and how shared investment can positively impact your outcome. This book will detail the Step Up strategy and the importance of assessing your personal status; establishing a vision; examine "leading by example;" discuss group dynamics, workforce synergy and how to break out of the "comfort zone;" discuss servant leadership; address the importance of internal and external communications, to include various ways to directly interact with the media; how to leverage transactional relationships; discuss the source of your "power" as a leader, as well as the restrictions you face depending on the nature of your position; the various obstacles you may face from local supervisors, council members, mayors, or county executives; how your geography and area priorities may impact your ability to enact change or achieve success; the importance of expanding your influence through organizational memberships; how to deal with your adversaries; the importance of data-driven leadership, and to best pursue the best ideas for your organization as a whole, no matter where that idea originated. It is designed to provide state, local and federal law enforcement leadership with a roadmap of how to achieve success within their departments beyond what they would have previously dreamed of, how to develop ideas and initiatives that sell themselves; how they can garner the support of the boards, councils, senior executives, elected officials they serve and organizations they are associated with; and how they can get the people they serve, the voters and constituents, on their side. Finally, disloyalty, subterfuge and treachery will also be addressed. It is critical that you have a true support network, a tight circle of confidants who you can bounce ideas off without the risk of that information being compromised – people that believe in you, know what you stand for, will provide you with honest feedback, and will stick with you through thick and thin. It will describe, in detail, the STEP-Up philosophy (improved Service, Technology, Efficiency and Professionalism), conduct a deep dive into its critical elements, and provide guidance on how to design specific goals using the STEP-Up strategy. It will provide measurements for success in the respective categories and discuss how you, as a leader, can leverage these successes for even greater future successes. It will also address the need for and ability to conduct public and media outreach, where to obtain expert help to develop greater confidence, and provide a template for media success. If you are an elected official, this book will provide you with the insight and innovation you will need for re-election. If you are an appointed official, it will provide you with the insight, power and influence that could help you keep your position or advance to the next level.

Principals know there are no guarantees that any initiative, improvement plan, or new idea will be successful at their school. How do we convince stakeholders—and just as importantly ourselves—that these ideas are worth pursuing? We sat down with Philadelphia principal Tim Boyle to discuss how to navigate ambiguity and improve what matters at your school. Tim Boyle is principal of Science Leadership Academy Middle School (SLAMS) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Liz Garden is principal of Henry P. Clough Elementary school in Mendon Massachusetts, and serves as fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership. Scott McLeod is professor of educational leadership at the University of Colorado, Denver, and a fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership.

Fluent Fiction - Norwegian: Power Outage Sparks Innovative Leadership in Oslo Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/no/episode/2025-05-29-22-34-02-no Story Transcript:No: Vårsolen skinte inn gjennom de store glassvinduene på kontoret i Oslo.En: The spring sun shone through the large glass windows of the office in Oslo.No: Trærne utenfor begynte å bli grønne, og fuglene kvitret.En: The trees outside were beginning to turn green, and the birds chirped.No: Inni kontorbygget summet det hektisk av aktivitet.En: Inside the office building, there was a hectic buzz of activity.No: For at Sigrid måtte holde seg i gang, var hun hver dag på plass som prosjektleder.En: As Sigrid needed to keep things moving, she was at her post every day as the project manager.No: Hun tenkte alltid på å imponere sine overordnede.En: She always thought about impressing her superiors.No: Denne gangen var det et stort prosjekt med en stram tidsfrist.En: This time it was a large project with a tight deadline.No: Sigrid satt ved skrivebordet sitt og stirret på dataskjermen.En: Sigrid sat at her desk, staring at the computer screen.No: Hun hadde laget en detaljert plan for prosjektet.En: She had created a detailed plan for the project.No: Med to dager igjen til innlevering jobbet teamet sent for å sikre alt ble perfekt.En: With two days left until submission, the team worked late to ensure everything was perfect.No: Ved siden av henne satt Lars og Ingrid, som begge var dypt konsentrert om arbeidet sitt.En: Next to her sat Lars and Ingrid, both deeply concentrated on their work.No: Plutselig ble alt mørkt.En: Suddenly, everything went dark.No: Skjermene sluknet, lysene sloknet, og en stillhet senket seg over kontorlokalet.En: The screens went off, the lights went out, and a silence descended over the office space.No: "Hva skjer nå?En: "What's happening now?"No: " utbrøt Lars.En: exclaimed Lars.No: "Strømmen har gått," svarte Ingrid, mens hun så seg rundt i forvirring.En: "The power is out," replied Ingrid, looking around in confusion.No: Sigrid kjente kaldsvetten perle seg.En: Sigrid felt cold sweat bead.No: Dette var ikke bra.En: This was not good.No: Uten strøm ville de ikke klare å fullføre prosjektet på tide.En: Without power, they wouldn't be able to finish the project on time.No: Hun måtte tenke raskt.En: She had to think quickly.No: "Vi må fortsette," sa hun bestemt.En: "We must continue," she said decisively.No: "Vi kan ikke vente på at strømmen kommer tilbake.En: "We can't wait for the power to come back.No: Vi tar med oss laptopene og jobber et annet sted.En: Let's take our laptops and work somewhere else."No: "Med litt organisering fikk hun Lars og Ingrid med seg ut av bygningen.En: With a bit of organization, she got Lars and Ingrid to leave the building with her.No: Utenfor sto de store glassvinduene tilbake i mørket, mens våren fortsatte å blomstre der ute.En: Outside, the large glass windows remained in darkness, while spring continued to bloom.No: Teamet beveget seg raskt til en nærliggende kafé.En: The team quickly moved to a nearby café.No: Der var det internett og strøm.En: There, there was internet and power.No: De åpnet laptopene sine og fortsatte arbeidet.En: They opened their laptops and continued working.No: Midt i kaoset fikk en av kollegene en melding.En: Amid the chaos, one of the colleagues received a message.No: "Strømmen vil ikke komme tilbake før i morgen," sa han lavmælt.En: "The power won't be back until tomorrow," he said softly.No: Sigrid tenkte intenst.En: Sigrid thought intensely.No: Så fikk hun en idé.En: Then she got an idea.No: "Vi skal jobbe hjemmefra," erklærte hun.En: "We will work from home," she declared.No: "Vi kan bruke våre mobile hotspots for å koble oss til internett.En: "We can use our mobile hotspots to connect to the internet."No: "Dette var en ny plan, men Sigrid var bestemt.En: This was a new plan, but Sigrid was determined.No: Sammen med teamet sikret hun en stabil tilkobling, og arbeidet fortsatte utover kvelden.En: Together with the team, she secured a stable connection, and the work continued into the evening.No: Sigrid styrte de siste detaljer med omhyggelighet og en urokkelig ro.En: Sigrid managed the final details with meticulousness and unwavering calm.No: Den neste morgenen var prosjektet klart.En: The next morning, the project was ready.No: Med en følelse av lettelse sendte Sigrid inn filene til styret.En: With a sense of relief, Sigrid sent the files to the board.No: Teamet pustet lettet ut, og Ingrid ga henne et vennlig klapp på skulderen.En: The team breathed a sigh of relief, and Ingrid gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder.No: "Vi gjorde det," sa hun med et smil.En: "We did it," she said with a smile.No: Noen timer senere fikk Sigrid en e-post fra sine overordnede.En: A few hours later, Sigrid received an email from her superiors.No: De var imponert over arbeidet og hvor raskt hun hadde snudd situasjonen til noe positivt.En: They were impressed by the work and how quickly she had turned the situation into something positive.No: Sigrid smilte, for hun forsto nå at det ikke bare var tidsfrister som betydde noe.En: Sigrid smiled, for she now understood that it wasn't just deadlines that mattered.No: Det var hennes evne til å lede og tenke raskt som var den virkelige styrken.En: It was her ability to lead and think quickly that was her real strength.No: Med solen som fortsatt skinte, følte Sigrid en ny trygghet.En: With the sun still shining, Sigrid felt a new confidence.No: Hun visste at hun kunne mestre enhver utfordring som kom i hennes vei.En: She knew she could master any challenge that came her way.No: Våren hennes så lysere ut enn noen gang før.En: Her spring looked brighter than ever before. Vocabulary Words:shone: skintehectic: hektiskbuzz: summetsuperiors: overordnedepost: plassdeadline: tidsfriststaring: stirretdetailed: detaljertsubmission: innleveringconcentrated: konsentrertscreens: skjermerexclaimed: utbrøtconfusion: forvirringdecisively: bestemtorganization: organiseringbloom: blomstrecafé: kaféamid: midt ichaos: kaosmessage: meldingsoftly: lavmæltdetermined: bestemtmeticulousness: omhyggelighetunwavering: urokkeligrelief: lettelsefriendly: vennligpat: klappdeclared: erklærtesecured: sikretconfidence: trygghet

Mike Switzer interviews Clemson Turregano, a senior fellow at the Furman University Center for Innovative Leadership in Greenville, SC.

Most school leaders will be familiar with PBL. But for principal Amy McElroy PBL means Problem-Based—not Project-Based—Learning. We discuss what the differences are and what it means for her school, and how this approach impacts her student's engagement and overall success. Amie McElroy is elementary school director at STEM School in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. Liz Garden is principal of Henry P. Clough Elementary school in Mendon Massachusetts, and serves as fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership. Scott McLeod is professor of educational leadership at the University of Colorado, Denver, and a fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership.

Monica Zent is a true pioneer in legal innovation and entrepreneurship. She is the founder of ZentLaw, an award-winning alternative legal services provider that broke the traditional law firm mold when she founded it in 2002. ZentLaw has since grown into a nationwide legal services provider, serving global brands and major corporations with a unique subscription-based model and flexible talent approach.  But Monica's entrepreneurial journey extends well beyond ZentLaw. She's a serial entrepreneur who has founded multiple companies, including early internet startups in the 1990s. She's a patented inventor, legal tech founder, angel investor, and advisor to numerous startups. In fact, Monica describes herself as having a "career portfolio" – she's an entrepreneur who has carved her own path through the legal industry and beyond. Her latest venture is the Law Innovation Agency, a collective that brings together a think tank component, consulting services, and investment connections to help organizations navigate the rapidly changing landscape of legal technology and AI.  Throughout her career, Zent has been a strong advocate for innovation, efficiency, and diversity in the legal profession. Her articles on legal innovation, women in technology, entrepreneurship, and leadership have appeared in publications like Inc. Magazine, Bloomberg, Reuters, and the Huffington Post, and she has won numerous awards, including Corporate Counsel's Women, Influence & Power in the Law Award in the Innovative Leadership category On today's show, Monica joins host Bob Ambrogi to discuss her entrepreneurial journey and her vision for the future of legal services and legal innovation.    Thank You To Our Sponsors This episode of LawNext is generously made possible by our sponsors. We appreciate their support and hope you will check them out. Paradigm, home to the practice management platforms PracticePanther, Bill4Time, MerusCase and LollyLaw; the e-payments platform Headnote; and the legal accounting software TrustBooks. Briefpoint, eliminating routine discovery response and request drafting tasks so you can focus on drafting what matters (or just make it home for dinner). SpeakWrite: Save time with fast, human-powered legal transcription—so you can focus on your practice   If you enjoy listening to LawNext, please leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts.  

In this episode, Emily connects with Anne Robie, a leadership expert with over 25 years of experience blending corporate knowledge with mindfulness and authenticity. Emily and Anne discuss the significance of authentic leadership,  the critical role of self-awareness in effective leadership, the unique challenges women face in the workplace, and so much more! If you are interested in learning more about CALIBRATE, head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.wmnup.co/resources⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!Tune in now!IF YOU ENJOY THE PODCAST…We would love for you to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts! This helps more people find the show and give it a listen. Thank you in advance :)WMNûp IN YOUR BUSINESS + LEADERSHIP:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.wmnup.co/momentum⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Join us and become part of the 12% in this 12 month mastermind⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.wmnup.co/intensive⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Join us for Q1 for the 90-Day Intensive⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.wmnup.co/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Join us inside the THE COMMUNITY by WMNûp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.wmnup.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ - Download the FREE Evolutionary Leadership Masterclass today to start your WMNûp journey.CONNECT WITH EMILY:Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/emilycasselofficial⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram.com/wmnup⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.wmnup.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CONNECT WITH ​ANNE:Website:​ ⁠https://www.darshanleadership.comLinkedIn​: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annerobie/

Social-emotional learning (SEL) is crucial at any age, but it has a special significance at the middle level. Today we sit down with an Illinois principal who's school's unique approach to SEL has made an impact in to the culture and character of students in the middle grades and beyond. Francesca Peck is principal at Polaris Charter Academy in Chicago, Illinois. Liz Garden is principal of Henry P. Clough Elementary school in Mendon Massachusetts, and serves as fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership. Scott McLeod is professor of educational leadership at the University of Colorado, Denver, and a fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership.

In this episode, my guest is Andrew Leikvoll, a leadership coach based in west central Minnesota. Andrew is part of the team at Triune Leadership Serves, a coaching and consulting organization based entirely around servant leadership. We discuss what is at the heart of servant leadership and why the culture of leading with love accounts for the tendency of servant-led organizations to outperform and thrive in the long run. We talk about how micromanaging is robbing the next generation of their innovative energy, and why being able to clearly articulate your business (not your personal) purpose, vision, and values, is crucial in your ability to show people why their role matters and how it may (or may not be) aligned with the overarching purpose of the business. Access the full show notes for this episode at elainefroese.com. Discover more about our guest: Andrew Leikvoll Elaine Froese Resources: Watch this episode on YouTube. SPEAKING - book Elaine for your next event COACHING - find your Farm Transition Coach MEMBERSHIP - Join the Farm Family Harmony Membership waitlist RESOURCES - download for FREE CONTACT - take the next steps in your transition  BURNING QUESTION? Submit it here for Elaine or her coaches Timestamps 0:00:36 Introduction of Andrew Leikvoll and discussion of servant leadership 0:08:31 Discussing personal identity separate from work 0:10:24 Accountability and keeping people aligned with core values 0:14:04 Living in the past and delaying progress in agriculture 0:21:18 Importance of relationships in leadership 0:22:53 Biblical perspective on leadership styles 0:27:31 Coaching strategies for improving generational relationships in family businesses 0:32:45 Discussion of love, patience, and commitment in relationships 0:35:36 Examples of successful people-first companies

Today we're joined by author, educator and PBL advocate Sara Lev, to explain why project-based learning is not only appropriate for our youngest learners, but should be implemented far more often. We cover what it looks like in the early grades, and how principals can lead the way in implementing project-based learning in early childhood. Sara Lev is teacher on special assignment at the Larchmont Charter School in Los Angeles, and author of Implementing Project Based Learning in Early Childhood. You can find her on Twitter @saramlev. Liz Garden is principal of Henry P. Clough Elementary school in Mendon Massachusetts, and serves as fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership. Scott McLeod is professor of educational leadership at the University of Colorado, Denver, and a fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership.

Send us a textWhat makes a high-performance team actually work? In this episode, Dr. Walker sits down with INSEAD professor and leadership expert Henrik Bresman, co-author of X-Teams and co-founder of xLEAD. Henrik shares what elite organizations like Microsoft and the Museum of Modern Art are doing differently—and how you can apply those lessons right now.Dr. Walker and Henrik talk about leading through uncertainty, breaking out of rigid team structures, and the uncomfortable truth about why some teams soar while others stall.If you've ever felt like you're carrying the weight of your team while secretly wondering if you're doing it right, this episode is for you.They cover:What high-performing teams do differentlyHow to lead when you're the new face in a high-stakes environmentWays to encourage innovation without losing controlWhy most leadership advice misses the mark—and what to do insteadIf you're ready to lead with clarity and courage—without burning out—tune in now.Follow @leadwithlevity on Instagram for tools to level up your leadership game.Support the showDid you have any lightbulb moments while listening? Share it with us on Instagram @leadwithlevity or visit our website leadwithlevity.com so we can talk about it!

➡️ Join 321,000 people who read my free weekly newsletter: https://newsletter.scottdclary.com➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstoryJustin Brock is a leading expert in the Medicare and health insurance industry, known for his innovative approach and leadership. A former U.S. Marine, he transitioned into the insurance sector in 2014, joining Bobby Brock Insurance, a firm founded by his father. Under his leadership, the company expanded significantly, serving over 50,000 beneficiaries and earning a spot on the Inc. 5000 list. He also founded MedicareCon, GoGuru Pro CRM, and GoGuru University to educate and support insurance professionals. In 2024, he sold a majority stake of his enterprises to AmeriLife for $70 million, further solidifying his impact in the industry. An accomplished author, his book Purpose After Service: From Marine to Millionaire details his journey from military service to entrepreneurial success.➡️ Show Linkshttps://www.instagram.com/thejustinbrock/https://www.x.com/the_justinbrock/https://www.linkedin.com/in/thejustinbrock/ ➡️ Podcast SponsorsHubspot - https://hubspot.com/  Lingoda - https://try.lingoda.com/successstory (Code: scott25)Vanta - https://www.vanta.com/scottFederated Computer - https://www.federated.computerCornbread Hemp - https://cornbreadhemp.com/success (Code: Success)FreshBooks - https://www.freshbooks.com/pricing-offer/Bank On Yourself - https://www.bankonyourself.com/scottStash - https://get.stash.com/successstoryNetSuite — https://netsuite.com/scottclary/Indeed - https://indeed.com/clary ➡️ Talking Points00:00 - Intro05:37 - How Justin Scaled So Fast in Business10:37 - The Game-Changing Power of Media22:00 - Selling What People Need vs. Want29:18 - Sponsor Break31:57 - Hiring Top-Tier Salespeople38:13 - Pivotal Moments in Justin's Growth44:14 - Building a Thriving Professional Community53:03 - The $70 Million Deal1:00:57 - Smart Decision-Making for Entrepreneurs1:08:57 - Sponsor Break1:11:35 - Why Reddit & Twitter Don't Reflect America1:16:18 - Fixing Private Health Insurance1:22:41 - Life After the Big Exit1:28:42 - Conservative Investing: Real Returns1:36:58 - Hard Work Beats a Lifetime of Waiting1:41:47 - Why Money Talks Matter1:44:05 - The Most Shocking Lesson from Success1:46:05 - Keeping His Company Strong After Selling1:51:00 - One Lesson to Pass to His Kids

In this episode of the Drop In CEO Podcast Troy Helming, a unicorn founder and modern-day industrialist, discusses his journey from maintaining a solar-powered house in Kansas to developing projects that have had a significant economic impact. He highlights the challenges of upgrading the U.S. electrical grid, the importance of underground transmission lines, and the need for legislative support to advance clean energy infrastructure. Troy also touches on his experiences with obstacles and innovations in the energy sector, his passion for resilience, and his advice for C-suite leaders. Additionally, he shares insights about his collaboration with the Kuwait Investment Authority and his company's ambitious goal to build a coast-to-coast network of underground tunnels for power and utility lines. Episode Highlights: 02:02 Troy's Journey: From Solar-Powered House to Clean Energy Pioneer 04:47 Challenges in the Clean Energy Sector 11:45 Innovative Solutions and EarthGrid's Mission 12:25 Troy's Personal Drive and Overcoming Obstacles Troy Helming is a Unicorn Founder (with 6 company exits) and a modern-day industrialist. He’s an inventor (60+ patent claims), an elite athlete (American Ninja Warrior), an author (The Clean Power Revolution + articles), and a clean energy executive. He’s founded solar & wind companies that have generated more than $35 Billion of economic impact, and he serves on numerous boards. He's a longtime wellness practitioner, yogi, and family man. Connect with Troy:Troy’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/troyhelming/ Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/earthgrid-io/ Troy’s X: https://x.com/i/flow/login?redirect_after_login=%2FSolarNinjaTroy Company Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthgrid.io/ Troy’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/solarninjatroy For More Insights from The Drop In CEO:

Gary Hamel on Leading the Revolution Part 1   In this episode, renowned business thinker Gary Hamel discusses his book 'Leading the Revolution' with Aidan McCullen, offering an innovative action plan for companies or individuals aiming to stay ahead of the industry. Drawing on successful examples from companies like Charles Schwab, Virgin, GE Capital, and profiling innovators like Ken Kutaragi of Sony PlayStation, Hamel shares how to grow and innovate amidst market chaos. He explores the origin of revolutionary business concepts, key criteria for building activist-friendly and revolutionary-ready companies, the dangers of becoming ‘one vision wonders,' and harnessing employee imagination. The conversation also reflects on business failures, the cyclical nature of market success, and the essential need for continuous reinvention. Join for invaluable insights on thriving in turbulent times.   00:00 Introduction to Industry Revolutionaries 00:41 Exploring Revolutionary Business Concepts 00:48 Key Criteria for Building Revolutionary Companies 00:55 Avoiding One Vision Wonders 00:59 Harnessing Employee Imagination 01:11 Practical Advice for 21st Century Success 01:23 Welcoming Back a Business Thinker 01:50 Insights from Leading the Revolution 02:37 Honoring Professor Paul Hamel 03:23 Corporate Climate in 2000 03:56 Technological Advancements and Market Shifts 04:43 The Importance of Innovation 05:16 Challenges for Established Companies 06:15 Digital Transformation and Its Pitfalls 06:53 Investment in Technology 09:04 Organizational Orthodoxies 10:42 The Danger of Unchallenged Assumptions 11:19 Examples of Missed Opportunities 15:25 The Future of Retail and Education 17:23 The Importance of Humility in Leadership 18:24 Case Study: Sony's Rise and Challenges 20:44 Leadership and Organizational Dynamics 23:31 Encouraging Innovation from the Periphery 24:32 Case Study: Haier's Entrepreneurial Platform 29:07 Changing the Rules for Success 31:17 Forming Partnerships with Young Companies 32:22 Understanding Innovation Risk 36:31 De-Risking Innovation 37:55 The Importance of Intellectual Commitment 39:17 Challenges of Business Model Innovation 44:37 Strategic Planning vs. Strategy 50:27 The Illusion of Corporate Vitality 59:11 The Need for Innovative Leadership 01:01:13 Conclusion and Next Steps   Find Gary:

In Ep. 162 of Earned, CreatorIQ CMO Brit Starr sits down with Emily Hare, Global Influencer Lead and Anna O'Mahony, Global Lead, Content and Innovation at Publicis. To start, we dive into the transformative landscape of creator marketing and influencer strategies. As we chart the course for 2025, marked by significant agency consolidations and acquisitions, Anna and Emily reveal the pivotal role of creators in redefining brand strategies. The duo highlights the necessity of establishing a "center of excellence" in content creation, merging storytelling with journalism to craft narratives that resonate on both global and local scales. We explore the fusion of technology and creativity and examine how agencies are transitioning into comprehensive technology partners, emphasizing a content-focused approach in influencer marketing. Switching gears, Emily and Anna underscore the importance of understanding audience dynamics and maintaining brand consistency while engaging localized influencers. To close the show, the duo also offers insights into the evolving nature of creator partnerships, stressing fair pricing, long-term relationships, and the significance of dynamic playbooks that adapt to market shifts. In this episode, you'll learn: The role of creator marketing is shifting, and brands are rethinking how they collaborate. While influencers can do it all, the real question is where they create the most impact.  Agencies are evolving alongside brands, integrating influencer marketing more deeply into media strategies. The industry is seeing more consolidation, technology adoption, and a shift toward content-first approaches—where the value lies in the work itself, not just the creator's following. Standardizing creator compensation remains a challenge, but brands are getting smarter. With better benchmarks and long-term partnerships, companies are moving toward sustainable, mutually beneficial collaborations. Connect with the Guests: Emily's LinkedIn - @emily-hare-65600710 Anna's LinkedIn - @anna-o-mahony-0b740415   Connect with Brit Starr & CreatorIQ: Brit's LinkedIn - @britmccorquodale CreatorIQ LinkedIn - @creatoriq   Follow us on social: CreatorIQ YouTube - @CreatorIQOfficial CreatorIQ Instagram - @creatoriq CreatorIQ TikTok - @creator.iq CreatorIQ Twitter - @CreatorIQ

In this episode, Alli and Peter recap their conversation with TJ Vari, unpacking his transformative approach to education leadership. TJ shares how aligning schools around a clear North Star—helping every student develop a viable post-secondary plan—can redefine success in education. Alli and Peter discuss how focusing on skill development, career readiness, and meaningful conversations with students can shift the educational paradigm from GPA-driven metrics to holistic, human-centered outcomes. They highlight TJ's emphasis on investing in innovative educators, building professional learning communities (PLCs) that focus on individual students, and equipping all teachers—not just counselors—with tools to guide students' futures. The conversation also dives into fostering safe spaces for failure, celebrating learning from setbacks, and pushing past the gatekeeping of traditional systems to create opportunities for every student, regardless of their starting point. Alli and Peter reflect on the power of candid, empathetic conversations with students about their challenges and how equipping teachers and leaders with coaching can ignite real change. This episode is packed with inspiration for educators ready to disrupt the status quo and create environments where all students can thrive and find purpose. Connect with Alli and Peter Peter Hostrawser LI: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterhostrawser/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/peterhostrawser/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ FB: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/disrupteducation1/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠x.com/PeterHostrawser⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.peterhostrawser.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Alli Dahl LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/allidahl/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/theallidahl/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/theallidahl⁠⁠⁠⁠

Discover the secrets to innovative leadership with Good Peopling pioneering in this insightful conversation. Learn how to build strong teams and foster creativity with Good Peopling strategies!Elizabeth Bieniek is named one of the most influential “Female Pioneers in Technology.” Elizabeth Bieniek is an author, founder, and Fortune 100 leadership veteran focused on “good peopling,” as the secret to exceptional execution. After turning corporate innovation on its head with her own unconventional success story, Elizabeth now helps leaders tap into the individual genius within their teams to unlock unrivaled innovation and uncover joy in the journey.Email: letsdothis@elizabethbieniek.com Website: https://www.elizabethbieniek.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethbieniek/ Book link: https://a.co/d/f2mLf8C Remember to SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss "Information That You Can Use." Share Just Minding My Business with your family, friends, and colleagues. Engage with us by leaving a review or comment. https://g.page/r/CVKSq-IsFaY9EBM/review Your support keeps this podcast going and growing.Visit Just Minding My Business Media™ LLC at https://jmmbmediallc.com/ to learn how we can help you get more visibility on your products and services.female pioneers, technology, leadership, innovation, good peopling, team dynamics, exceptional execution, corporate success, individual genius, workplace culture 

Nayan Patel, CIO at Upson Regional Medical Center, hosts Joseph Longo, SVP and CDIO of Parkland Health. How can organizations prioritize emerging technologies like ambient listening and virtual nursing without losing sight of their immediate operational needs? What leadership strategies help align IT teams with the mission of saving lives while navigating the evolving roles in healthcare IT? And how does a hospital balance the need for cybersecurity with the necessity of accessibility? Dive into this rich discussion of innovation, purpose, and the ever-shifting landscape of healthcare IT.Key Points:03:43 Leadership and Innovation at Parkland14:53 Change Management17:17 Evaluating New Technologies32:41 Cybersecurity in Healthcare36:32 Career Journey and Professional InsightsSubscribe: This Week HealthTwitter: This Week HealthLinkedIn: Week HealthDonate: Alex's Lemonade Stand: Foundation for Childhood Cancer

When there are significant shifts in what we know about education, it can take a long time before those changes reach all teachers. For Erik Francis, Depth of Knowledge (DOK) is one such framework that needs reexamination. But these shifts don't happen with trainings alone—they require leadership to implement effectively. Francis sat down with the Center for Innovative Leadership to discuss the future of DOK, and how principals play an essential part in successful professional development Erik Francis is an author and speaker, and currently employs his 25 years of experience in education as owner and operator of professional development company Maverik Education. Liz Garden is principal of Henry P. Clough Elementary school in Mendon Massachusetts, and serves as fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership. Scott McLeod is professor of educational leadership at the University of Colorado, Denver, and a fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership.

How should AI be incorporated—or not—into school? Although it's latest iteration is relatively new, veteran educator and author Holly Clark has plenty of experience negotiating the relationship between technology and education, joins us to offer her thoughts on the promises and limits of artificial intelligence in education. Holly Clark is a speaker, best-selling author, educator, and dedicated advocate for digital learning. Liz Garden is principal of Henry P. Clough Elementary school in Mendon Massachusetts, and serves as fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership. Scott McLeod is professor of educational leadership at the University of Colorado, Denver, and a fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership.

In this podcast episode, host Dianne A. Allen explores innovative leadership and the necessary accommodations for neurodiverse and twice-exceptional leaders and their teams. Dianne emphasizes that individuals are not machines and each person has unique processing styles and needs. She shares personal anecdotes to highlight the challenges faced by neurodiverse individuals in social and professional settings. Key points include the importance of clear communication, understanding different processing speeds, and fostering an inclusive environment. The episode aims to raise awareness about the strengths of neurodiverse individuals and how these can be leveraged in leadership and teamwork. In today's episode - Innovative leadership and its significance in modern workplaces. - Accommodations necessary for neurodiverse and twice-exceptional individuals. - Recognition of unique processing styles and individual needs. - Challenges faced by neurodiverse individuals in social and professional settings. - Importance of clear and concise communication in teams. - Variability in processing speeds among team members. - The concept of "masking" and its impact on neurodiverse individuals. - Strengths and unique skills that neurodiverse individuals bring to leadership and teamwork. - The need for a culture of acceptance and understanding in the workplace. - Encouragement for leaders to educate themselves about neurodiversity and foster inclusivity.   Check out Dianne's new book: Someone Gets Me: How Intensely Sensitive People Can Thrive in an Insensitive World You have a vision inside to create something bigger than you. What you need is a community and a mentor. Personal mentoring will inspire you to grow, transform, and connect in new ways. The Someone Gets Me Experience could be that perfect solution to bringing your heart's desire into reality. You will grow, transform, and connect. https://msdianneallen.com/someone-gets-me-experience/ For a complimentary “Get to Know You” 30-minute call: https://visionsapplied.as.me/schedule.php?appointmentType=4017868 Join our Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/someonegetsme Follow Dianne's Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/msdianneallen Email contact: dianne@visionsapplied.com Dianne's Mentoring Services: https://msdianneallen.com/

When Bryan Byerlee's school building was set for reconstruction, three basic needs were prioritized: warm, safe, and dry. But those were just the baseline non-negotiables. What he and others would come to recognize is how redesigning a school is a unique opportunity to empower students, shape school culture, and improve learning overall. Bryan Byerlee is principal of Garden City Elementary School in Cranston, Rhode Island. Liz Garden is principal of Henry P. Clough Elementary school in Mendon Massachusetts, and serves as fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership. Scott McLeod is professor of educational leadership at the University of Colorado, Denver, and a fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership.

Discover how a marketing expert transforms into a leading voice in the dental industry as we welcome Jeffrey Tomcsik, CEO of Grand Dental Group. Get ready to uncover the secrets behind substantial practice growth and the remarkable journey from marketing whiz to dental CEO. Jeffrey shares his story of revitalizing Tidewater Dental through a keen focus on inefficiencies and patient experience, demonstrating the power of fresh perspectives in reshaping a practice's image and success. Through insightful strategies and a commitment to change, he proves that significant progress is not just a possibility but a reality.Join us as we navigate the complex world of dental practice growth and acquisitions, shedding light on strategic decisions that fuel success. Jeffrey opens up about the dynamic challenges faced during the acquisition by Allied, now ProSmile, emphasizing the crucial role of cultural alignment and the innovative use of phantom equity. With a keen focus on sustainable growth, he discusses future acquisition strategies that value partnerships with retiring dentists. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for anyone interested in healthcare organization growth, mergers, and strategic business transitions.If you need help finding the perfect location or your ready to invest in commercial real estate, email us at admin@leadersre.com Sign up for a FREE vulnerability analysis and lease renewal services View our library on apple podcasts or REUniversity.org. Connect on Facebook. Commercial Real Estate Secrets is ranked in the top 50 podcasts on real estate

Some educators might feel limited when it comes to outdoor learning options. Sure, there's sports, the odd field trip, and maybe holding a class or two outside—weather permitting. Today's guest comes to us from a unique and innovative school in Oregon that is blazing trails by teaching outside every day. We hear how rewarding it is for the students they serve, and what principals can take away from this model and bring to their schools. Heidi McKay is executive director of Down to Earth Forest School in West Linn, Oregon. Liz Garden is principal of Henry P. Clough Elementary school in Mendon Massachusetts, and serves as fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership. Scott McLeod is professor of educational leadership at the University of Colorado, Denver, and a fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership.

It's all too easy to assume that schools need to focus only on standards and benchmarks at the expense of everything else. Baltimore-based principal Traci Mathena joins us today to explain how enriching educational opportunities are something all students should receive, and shares how her school is benefitting from play-based and place-based learning. Traci Mathena is principal of Creative City Public Charter School in Baltimore, Maryland. Liz Garden is principal of Henry P. Clough Elementary school in Mendon Massachusetts, and serves as fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership. Scott McLeod is professor of educational leadership at the University of Colorado, Denver, and a fellow at the NAESP Center for Innovative Leadership.

In this captivating episode of Journeys to Leadership, Mary Pat Matheson, CEO of the Atlanta Botanical Garden, shares her incredible journey from her adventurous childhood to leading one of the nation's top botanical gardens. Discover how serendipity, resilience, and calculated risks led her to transform the Atlanta Botanical Garden into a world-class destination, spearheading a groundbreaking expansion with sustainability at its core. Mary Pat reveals the power of mentorship, the importance of connecting people to nature, and the essential role leadership plays in tackling global challenges like biodiversity and climate change. Tune in for an inspiring story of bold innovation and visionary leadership.

On this episode of The Association Podcast we welcome on Mark Dorsey, FASAE, CAE, CEO of the Construction Specifications Institute (CSI). We explore Mark's transformative leadership journey from his early career in radio sales and ski instruction to becoming a pivotal figure in association leadership. We learn how Mark navigated challenges such as organizational restructuring and declining membership, leading to significant revenue growth and revitalization at CSI. Learn about the importance of accountability, strategic governance, innovation, and fostering community within associations. Through personal anecdotes, professional insights, and discussions on evolving industry dynamics, we get valuable lessons on effective leadership, embracing change, and the future of trade shows and customer engagement.

This week, we are thrilled to have Tim Wenzel, a former Army medic and paramedic, join us on the Legacy Leaders Show. Tim's journey from the battlefield to the medical field has shaped his unique leadership philosophy, blending compassion with tactical precision. As a military veteran, he has handled some of the most demanding environments, from frontline medical care to securing high-risk areas. Tim's diverse experience also includes creating The Kindness Games by redefining the meaning of kindness while leading high-profile security missions for diplomatic figures and top Fortune 100 companies' executive protection with kindness values.A thought leader in Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM) and a passionate advocate for building effective teams, Tim brings a powerful message of kindness and resilience to leadership through security programs. His background also includes working as a phlebotomist and cleaning the morgue after autopsies to Iraq, the Benghazi attack and Abu Ghraib prison high-risk situations.These experiences have further shaped his empathetic and hands-on leadership and risk management approach.

Discover how to harness the untapped potential within your organization with Andrew Barry, the visionary CEO of Curious Lion. Andrew's journey from KPMG South Africa to leading a bespoke leadership development company is nothing short of inspiring. In our conversation, Andrew shares powerful strategies to unlock the capabilities of high-potential individuals, emphasizing the importance of adaptive intelligence and a growth mindset. Learn how Andrew's background, from teaching high school math to his expertise in leadership and executive education, has shaped his unique approach to training high-performing executives.Curiosity isn't just a trait; it's a game-changer. Andrew explains how companies can identify and cultivate high-potential leaders by fostering characteristics like learning agility, integrity, and the willingness to learn from failure. We delve into the mechanics of talent reviews and the critical role of structured, community-based learning experiences. By offering personal development opportunities and maintaining open conversations, businesses can keep their top talent engaged and motivated. Andrew's insights highlight the transformative power of experiential learning and lateral moves within organizations to ensure continuous growth and development.Andrew also sheds light on the profound impact of asking the right questions and embracing uncertainty. From internal rotations to innovative practices like manager swaps, discover how these strategies break down silos and promote diversity of thought. We touch on the interplay between curiosity, creativity, and AI, and how these elements can drive both personal and organizational growth. Finally, Andrew reflects on life, literature, and leadership, offering valuable lessons from his favorite books and philosophies. This episode is a treasure trove of wisdom for anyone looking to elevate their leadership potential and foster a thriving talent pipeline within their organization.

Cheryl Mason is an author, speaker and what she describes as the “chief catalyst” at Catalyst Leadership Management, her own innovative company. Her educational and professional backgrounds are exemplary.  She earned a BA in psychology and political science and a law degree. Cheryl defied all odds by becoming the first woman and military spouse Chairman of the Board of Veterans' Appeals at the Department of Veterans Affairs.  In her book titled Dare to Relate: Leading with a Fierce Heart, she shares her journey as a multiple suicide survivor, as both her father, who was a WWII veteran, and her older brother died by suicide. She describes how her experiences have empowered her to embrace unconventional and successful leadership. Cherly provides leadership development and organizational consulting, including strategies to help with improving interpersonal skills, networking, and diversity and equity issues.Book:  Dare to Relate: Leading with a Fierce HeartWebsite:   https://catalystleadershipmgmt.com/Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/catalystleadershipmgmtInstagram:  http://www.instagram.com/cherimason17_authorLinkedIn:  http://www.linkedin.com/in/cheri-cheryl-mason-publicspeaker

Deborah Ancona's area of expertise includes organizational behavior, leadership, and the dynamics of high-performing teams. She is mainly known for her pioneering research into how successful teams operate, which led to the concept of X-teams—a framework for driving innovation within large organizations. Ancona's work also focuses on distributed leadership and creating research-based tools, practices, and teaching models to foster creative leadership at all organizational levels.   Deborah is a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor at the Sloan School of Management. She is best known for pioneering research on high-performing teams and distributing nimble leadership and leadership signatures. Deborah is also the founder of the MIT Leadership Center, which is revolutionizing traditional leadership to solve the most challenging problems in management. Her book X-Teams gives deep insights into creating innovative, successful teams with examples from Microsoft, Takeda, and the Museum of Modern Art. She also co-founded xLEAD, which develops research-based tools to encourage creative leadership across management levels. Her work bridges theory and practice, bringing novel ideas into leadership practice. Deborah has been with MIT for over 20 years and, in 2018, was awarded the Jamieson Prize, MIT Sloan's highest teaching honor. Her widely acclaimed research on how family upbringing affects workplace behavior was published in the Harvard Business Review, titled “Family Ghosts in the Executive Suite”, as was her article on the 4-CAPS+ model, “In Praise of the Incomplete Leader”. https://www.linkedin.com/in/deborahancona123/ https://mitsloan.mit.edu/centers-initiatives/mit-leadership-center/our-people-mit-leadership-center https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591396921 https://www.xlead.co/about On the podcast, Deborah would love to talk about: How high-performing teams monitor trends within and outside the organization to perform better. I use the distributed leadership model to adapt to today's rapidly changing business environment. Knowing your “family ghosts” and leadership signature can push your leadership to the next level. Leadership in Rapidly Changing Environments Deborah, a professor at MIT Sloan, discussed her research on leadership for rapidly changing environments, including developing capabilities for innovative teams and agile organizations, as well as the impact of childhood experiences on executives. Michael acknowledged the complexity of contemporary organizations due to factors like the pandemic, new workforce generations, and differing expectations. Understanding Purpose and Culture in Organizations Michael and Deborah discussed the importance of clearly understanding an organization's purpose and culture. Deborah emphasized the significance of answering the question of 'why should we exist?' and highlighted the usefulness of culture decks, which help to align employees around a shared vision. Michael illustrated this point by discussing the evolution of Netflix and the need for their culture to remain in sync with their changing business model. Both agreed on the necessity of inclusiveness in shaping an organization's culture. Leadership, Learning, and Curiosity in Organizations Michael and Deborah discussed the importance of including all stakeholders and fostering a culture of learning and curiosity in organizations. They emphasized the need for leadership at all levels and the value of funneling and choice mechanisms to evaluate new ideas. They also highlighted the role of curiosity in driving innovation and overcoming challenges. Deborah shared her insights on how leaders can facilitate learning and address their "shoulds" that may hold them back. Michael agreed and pointed out the benefits of involving teams as advisors and maintaining a curious approach to opportunities and challenges. X Teams and Curiosity in Organizations Deborah discussed creating 'X teams,' which are externally focused and aim to understand customer demands, technology usage, and other contextual factors. She emphasized the importance of curiosity and inter-team coordination in these groups. Deborah also suggested that organizations could encourage curiosity by having team members interview customers or explore how technology is used in their domain. Michael shared a positive experience where such an approach was successfully applied, highlighting the value of customer feedback and the potential for new product features. Understanding Customer Needs and Empathy Michael and Deborah discussed the importance of understanding customer needs and pain points. Deborah shared an example of a Microsoft team that delved deeper into understanding their customers' issues, leading to the development of products that addressed those problems. Michael agreed with this approach, highlighting the value of conversations that seek to understand different viewpoints and perspectives. He emphasized the need for more people to engage in such discussions to foster empathy and understanding, which he believes is crucial today. Disruptive Technologies for Positive Change Michael and Deborah discussed the future of organizations and society. Deborah expressed hope in the potential of new technologies to positively impact various domains, such as healthcare and climate change. However, she also highlighted the need to balance the use of technology with empathy and critical thinking. Michael agreed, noting that people are increasingly curious and willing to learn from others to improve their organizations. Both emphasized the importance of discarding ineffective practices and using technology for the betterment of society. Discussing Deborah's Work on Healthy Organizations Michael and Deborah discussed her work and the importance of creating healthy organizations. Deborah shared that her work could be found on her faculty page at MIT Sloan, Exec Ed at MIT Sloan, and Exlead Co, which offers access to tools and a simulation tool. Michael expressed his appreciation for Deborah's work, highlighting its significance in making organizations healthier and more productive. They both emphasized the importance of reframing and changing mindsets to improve individual and organizational performance.

In this episode of Scaling with Samir, Steve Finlan, CEO of The Wine Society, discusses the unique mutual business model where members are shareholders, emphasizing member satisfaction over profit. Finlan shares insights on modernizing a 150-year-old institution, maintaining the lowest margins in the industry, and offering unparalleled services such as free next-day delivery. He highlights the importance of understanding consumer behavior, building high-performance teams through curiosity and collaboration, and leveraging strong supplier relationships for sustainability. Finlan also touches on the significance of allowing teams to make and learn from mistakes, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation, and the strategic focus on long-term goals over short-term gains.

This week I'm speaking with Nick Sherrard. Nick is the Managing Director at Label Sessions, the world's leading innovation expert network. He is changing the way that business makes change happen through accelerator programs, and access to invitation-only networks of advisors, mentors, creatives, leaders and non-execs. Before all this Nick was a director at a big 4 consultancy, MD of a fast-growing agency, and built brands and products from the inside out. Listen in and get inspired by Nick. You can sign up for our newsletter to keep up-to-date with our new podcast episodes and blog posts at www.orgsoul.com (Scroll down the landing page to sign up for our newsletter.)  You can also access free resources there. Check out the IFB Academy; A unique one-of-a-kind academy where you will learn about a signature system of leaders within ecosystems and how to support systems with trust.  All courses are based on Yvette's award-winning thought leadership research. Click here for more information about the IFB Academy >> OrganizationalSoul.LearnWorlds.com If you want to connect with Yvette, you can email her at info@orgsoul.com.  

The Power of Communication: Insights from Sally Susman, Author of 'Breaking Through'   In this episode, Aiden welcomes Sally Susman, author of 'Breaking Through: Communicating to Open Minds, Move Hearts, and Change the World' to discuss the vital role of communication in professional and personal settings. Sally shares insights from her extensive career, including her experiences working with top leaders at Pfizer, Estee Lauder, and American Express. The discussion explores the misconception of communication as a soft skill, the importance of authentic outreach, the power of gratitude, and Susman's innovative approaches during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sally also emphasises curiosity, creativity, and intentionality as key components for effective communication. Throughout the episode, real-life anecdotes and practical advice offer listeners valuable lessons on leadership and connection.   00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 00:39 The Importance of Communication 03:24 Lessons from Estee Lauder 06:09 Personal Background and Family Influence 08:51 The Power of Gratitude 13:15 Perfecting Your Pitch 23:02 Humour in the Workplace 29:36 Challenges at Pfizer 32:03 Facing the Biopharma Reputation Challenge 33:37 The Pandemic's Impact and New Leadership 35:02 Albert Bourla's Bold Vision 36:30 Revolutionising Vaccine Development 37:25 The Media's Role in the Journey 38:55 Pfizer's Transformation and Recognition 40:46 Innovative Leadership and Personal Growth 49:30 Curiosity and Creativity in Action 56:47 The Power of Intentionality 58:46 Concluding Thoughts and Inspirations

With multiple degrees and professional as well as holistic certifications, Tabitha Scott is a business futurist who guides organizations through rapid change to boost growth, sustainability, and adaptability. Her role on the Forbes Business Council in 2023 and her authorship of the Nautilus Award-winning and bestselling book, Trust Your Animal Instincts, share Tabitha's passion for modern innovation and purpose-driven work with focus on regeneration and restoration. Her most recent book, Powering Change, highlights the insightful benefits of leveraging natural laws and systems to drive greater adaptability, innovation, productivity, and financial success for companies.   Don't miss this compelling conversation that could reshape the way you think about business and its role in our world. Listen now and be part of the change we wish to see in the world.   All profits from “Powering Change” are generously donated to Rocky Mountain Wild, an organization dedicated to safeguarding the rich biodiversity of our natural world. Make a difference today. Empower yourself with knowledge and contribute to a cause that protects the legacy of our earth for future generations. Visit www.TabithaAScott.com/books to grab your copy.   Connect with Tabitha Scott Website: https://www.tabithaascott.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tabithascotty Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ScottTabithaA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tabithaascott Twitter: https://twitter.com/ScottTabitha YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChhoSW0CON-FKUXY2Ni4iVw   Follow the BriteVibe podcast Instagram: @britevibesonly Facebook: @BriteVibe TikTok: @britevibe YouTube: @BriteVibe Topics discussed in this episode: The Intersection of Corporate Sustainability and Natural Wisdom The Balance Between Nature and Business Shifting Paradigms in Environmental Conservation Renewable Energy and Sustainable Practices in Business The Importance of Listening to Nature for Business Solutions Leadership and Innovation Inspired by Natural Laws The Impact of Business Cycles and Growth Curves on Sustainability The Future of Conscious Capitalism and Sustainable Growth   Got a voice itching to be heard? Ideas bursting to break free? Have a mic collecting dust and a dream of podcasting glory? Tired of "someday I'll launch a podcast?" Join the 5-Day Podcast Launch Challenge! In just five short days, go from podcasting zero to hero.   Imagine, five days from now, you'll have a polished podcast ready to hit the world. No more excuses, no more procrastination. Just the sweet sound of your voice sharing your passion with the world.   Ready to get your launchpad to podcasting success?   Then don't delay! Head to https://mattlillie--allthingspodcasting.thrivecart.com/podcast-launch/  and claim your spot today!