Podcast appearances and mentions of matthew confer

Some problems are so obvious, we forget they're problems at all. In this episode, we explore two surprising stories: how the tin can was invented nearly 50 years before the can opener, and why it took centuries after the invention of the wheel to finally put wheels on luggage. These examples aren't just amusing—they reveal a deep truth about leadership and innovation. Often, the biggest opportunities are hidden in the pain points we've learned to tolerate. What frustrations have you accepted without questioning? Join me as we explore how fresh thinking turns the obvious into the extraordinary.—Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 50 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.comThe Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConferMatthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_makingMake sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

What do a photography giant and a live comedy show have in common? In this episode, we explore how two iconic institutions—Kodak and Saturday Night Live—faced the same challenge: what to do when the thing that made you successful starts holding you back. One resisted change and paid the price. The other built reinvention into its DNA and stayed relevant for nearly five decades. These stories reveal the high stakes of clinging to comfort and the power of breaking what works—before the world does it for you. If you're leading anything today, this is a conversation you don't want to miss. —Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 50 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.comThe Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConferMatthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Setbacks are an inevitable part of any journey, but what if they were actually the first step toward success? In this episode, hear the fascinating stories of how a failed adhesive experiment led to the creation of Post-it Notes and how 5,126 failed prototypes became the foundation for Dyson's billion-dollar breakthrough. Discover how seeing opportunities in obstacles can transform failure into a launching pad for greatness.—Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 50 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below:Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.comThe Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/Host Matthew Confer:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConferMatthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_makingMake sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

The Gold Rush was full of dreamers searching for fortune—but the biggest successes didn't come from those digging for gold. In this episode of Learn to Lead, we uncover the surprising stories of those who found lasting success by thinking differently. Their journey holds a powerful lesson for leaders today.—Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 50 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development -https://www.abilitie.comThe Learn To Lead Podcast -https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer:LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/Twitter -https://twitter.com/MatthewConferMatthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making -https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

We're kicking off a whole new approach to the Learn to Lead podcast this year. Every month, I'll bring you real-world stories packed with surprising lessons in leadership, creativity, and innovation. For our first iteration of this new approach I want to start with a question: What do tires, trivia, and food ratings have in common? In this episode of Learn to Lead, we uncover the surprising origins of two iconic innovations born from unexpected challenges. These stories reveal how bold, creative thinking can transform obstacles into lasting impact. If you're ready to see challenges in a whole new light, this episode is for you!  —  Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 50 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below:   Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/   Host Matthew Confer: -      LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ -      Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer -      Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making   Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Are your business decisions driven by instinct, or by strategy? How often do you actually stop to tell the difference? Matthew Confer, the mind behind decision-making simulations used by leading companies, reveals why your gut might betray you, what most leaders get wrong under pressure, and how to sharpen your instincts for critical decisions.   KEY TOPICS The bold move leaders can make to avoid catastrophic mistakes before they happen. Why seeking consensus isn't the best leadership strategy—and what to do instead. The real reason confident leaders fail under pressure. How keeping receipts on decisions can save your team from chaos.   CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro: Defeating Bad Decision-Making in Life and Business  00:49 Changing Wedding Language: Patriarchy or Progress? 03:06 Can Simulations Make You a Better Leader? 05:32 The Dangerous Default in Team Decisions 06:50 Why Consensus Isn't Always King 08:01 How Leaders Sabotage Innovation Without Realizing It 10:21 What Really Drives Your Team? 12:40 Adapting Management Styles: The Secret to Better Teams 15:05 Leadership Practice Without the Real-World Risk 17:26 Breaking Through Superficial Motivations 19:30 The Challenge of Scaling a Small Company Culture 21:54 Why Diverse Motivations Strengthen Teams 24:14 Spotting Failure Before It Happens 26:36 The Viral Social Media Campaign Dilemma 29:00 The Cobra Problem: When Solutions Make Things Worse 31:16 The $5 Challenge That Changed Business Strategy 33:33 The Power of Writing Down Decisions 35:53 How Poor Note-Taking Derails Teams 38:32 How Stress Wrecks Decision-Making—And How to Stop It 40:51 Why Your Most Disagreeable Employee Makes the Hard Calls 43:07 Why Failure Is the Best Leadership Teacher 45:32 Building Leadership Confidence in Safe Environments 47:51 When Bravado Backfires in Decision-Making 50:08 Are You Missing Critical Team Feedback? 52:32 What MBA Simulations Reveal About Leadership Gaps 54:51 The Secret Ingredient to Engaging Training Programs 56:53 Matthew Confer's Decision-Making Tip for Business Owners  58:20 Key Takeaways  59:45 Message from the Producer   CONNECT WITH US ⁠www.decidedlypodcast.com⁠ WATCH THIS EPISODE ON YOUTUBE Subscribe on ⁠YouTube Join us on ⁠Instagram⁠: @decidedlypodcast Join us on ⁠Facebook⁠ Shawn's ⁠Instagram⁠: @shawn_d_smith Sanger's ⁠Instagram⁠: @sangersmith     Thank you to Shelby Peterson of Transcend Media for editing and post-production of the Decidedly podcast.   SANGER'S BOOK: ⁠A Life Rich with Significance: Transforming Your Wealth to Meaningful Impact⁠   SHAWN'S BOOK: ⁠Plateau Jumping: What to Change When Change Is What You Want⁠   MAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION? At ⁠Decidedly Wealth Management⁠, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy.  LEARN MORE: ⁠www.decidedlywealth.com⁠   SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEWSLETTER   CONNECT WITH MATT CONFER Website: https://www.abilitie.com/matthew-confer/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ TEDx Talk:  https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making?subtitle=en Learn To Lead Podcast: https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Matt Confer is the VP of Strategy at Abilitie, a Leadership Development company based in Austin, Texas that provides immersive business simulations to a global client base that includes over 50 members of the Fortune 500. Abilitie's leadership programs have been delivered to over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries around the world. Matthew has spoken on the topic of decision making at the TEDx Conference with a talk entitled "Before You Decide" that has been viewed over 500,000 times on the TED website. Matthew also hosts the Learn to Lead Podcast where he speaks with authors, professors, creatives, and business leaders about their leadership journey and how they are working to develop the leaders of tomorrow.

After 130 episodes exploring leadership, I decided to shake things up and let technology step into the spotlight. For this episode, I used AI to analyze and learn from every conversation we've had so far. From those 130 episodes, the AI has pieced together its own take on leadership, shaped by the many insights we've shared along the way.  I gave the AI tool no guidelines whatsoever, I simply asked it to summarize the key topics from this podcast, and I hit generate. —Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.comThe Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer:-      LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/-      Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer-      Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Andrea Sampson is the CEO and Founder of Talk Boutique. She joined me on the show to discuss the power of storytelling in business and in life. We discuss a structure to tell more clear stories and how some people get off track when attempting to integrate storytelling into their approach to leadership. We finish the show by talking about curiosity and what makes a story that someone will remember. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Lisa Bodell is the CEO of Future Think and the bestselling author of  "Why Simple Wins" & "Kill the Company.” She joined me on the show to talk about why successful leaders don't fear failure, instead they fear complacency. We also talked about her process around goal setting and what advice she would have for her younger self. We closed the conversation talking about the power of curiosity and how education needs to change to prepare future leaders and professionals for the current challenges they face. —  Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: -      LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ -      Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer -      Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Rocky Garza is a keynote speaker focused on people and culture development. On this episode we talk about the power of challenging the stories we tell ourselves so that we can experience the freedom and confidence that comes with living vulnerably. We also talk about the way a leader can build a life of fulfillment and success without compromising their true self. We close by talking about the power dealing with life's challenges with a focus on what is possible in the darkest times. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: -      LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ -      Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer -      Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Erin Defosse is a longtime entrepreneur in the Austin area and is the founder of the Magellan School. He joined me on the show to talk about his experience as a founder and leader of early stage companies and what that has taught him about the importance of inspirational leadership. We also discuss why effective leadership begins by realizing that it isn't about you as the leader. We close by talking about his lessons for his younger self and the importance of knowing oneself in the pursuit of becoming the best leader you can be.  — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below:   Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/  Host Matthew Confer: -      LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ -      Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer -      Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Petra Velzeboer is a mental health expert and author of the book Begin With You. She is also the CEO of mental health consultancy PVL. On this episode we talk about Petra's journey and some of the lessons she learned along the way. We then talk about goal setting and how to have effective (and fewer) meetings. We also discuss her advice for her younger self and the power of curiosity. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie, a leading provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

In this enlightening episode of The Brainy Business podcast, host Melina Palmer revisits a compelling conversation with Matthew Confer on the three essential steps to better decision-making. As the VP of Strategy at Abilitie, Matthew brings a wealth of knowledge on leadership development and decision-making frameworks. This episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to enhance their decision-making skills, both personally and professionally, especially in the context of business leadership and management. Melina and Matthew delve into the importance of challenging constraints, embracing pre-mortems, and checking the basics to make more informed and effective decisions. They discuss the value of simulation training for corporate leaders, drawing parallels to pilot training to emphasize the importance of experiential learning. With practical examples and insightful stories, this episode offers actionable strategies to improve decision-making processes in any organization. In this episode: Learn the three critical steps to making better decisions: challenging constraints, embracing pre-mortems, and checking the basics. Understand the significance of simulation training in developing leadership and decision-making skills. Explore practical examples of how to implement these strategies in real-world business scenarios. Discover the importance of adaptability and flexibility in decision-making, especially in uncertain times. Gain insights into the psychological aspects of decision-making and how to overcome common biases. Show Notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction Melina introduces the episode and the topic of three steps to better decision-making with Matthew Confer, highlighting the relevance of this discussion for the upcoming episode with Melaina Vinski. 00:04:12 - Matthew Confer's Background Matthew shares his background and his role at Abilitie, explaining how simulation training helps leaders develop critical decision-making skills. 00:09:30 - Simulation Training Examples Matthew provides examples of simulation training scenarios, including people management and financial acumen, and how these simulations help leaders practice decision-making in a controlled environment. 00:14:46 - Importance of Experiential Learning Melina and Matthew discuss the difference between thinking about doing something and actually doing it, emphasizing the value of experiential learning in improving decision-making skills. 00:20:15 - Step 1: Challenge the Constraints Matthew explains the first step in the decision-making framework: challenging the constraints. He shares examples of how successful teams take a step back to identify and challenge the constraints that might be holding them back. 00:25:22 - Step 2: Embrace a Pre-Mortem Matthew introduces the concept of a pre-mortem, explaining how it helps teams anticipate potential failures and plan accordingly. He discusses the psychological benefits of considering why a plan might fail before it is implemented. 00:30:45 - Step 3: Check the Basics Matthew highlights the importance of checking the basics, especially as decisions become more complex. He shares a notable example from NASA to illustrate how small details can trip up even the most advanced projects. 00:35:51 - Practical Examples and Applications Matthew provides practical examples of how these three steps have been applied in real-world scenarios, including the challenges and adaptations faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. 00:45:30 - The Press Release Method Matthew introduces the press release method, a decision-making technique used by Amazon, and discusses its potential benefits and applications in business decision-making. 00:50:12 -  Conclusion, What stuck with you while listening to the episode? What are you going to try? Come share it with Melina on social media -- you'll find her as @thebrainybiz everywhere and as Melina Palmer on LinkedIn. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Connect with Matthew: Matthew on LinkedIn Matthew on Twitter Learn and Support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer Thinking Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman The Friction Project, by Robert Sutton and Huggy Rao Friction, by Roger Dooley Sludge, by Cass Sunstein Top Recommended Next Episode: Time Discounting (ep 328) Already Heard That One? Try These:  The Most Important Step In Applying Behavioral Economics: Understanding the Problem (ep 126) What Your Employees Need and Can't Tell You (ep 225) Scarcity (ep 270) The Science of Time Pressure (ep 366) Status Quo Bias (ep 376) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter Matthew's Ted Talk Learn to Lead Podcast Amazon “Press Release” Method To Reach Your Goals, Imagine You Already Tried and Failed What a 5-Step Checklist at Johns Hopkins Can Teach You About Life and Business  

Vitaly Vexler, is the CEO of Vista Social, a unified social management tool that has almost 3 million social profiles connected through their platform. On this episode we talk about the defining moments in getting Vitaly to the place he is today and what he has learned along the way. We also talk about lessons around hiring effectively and figure out how to find balance in work and in life. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Ryan Estis is a former Fortune 500 CRO who is the Founding Partner of ImpactEleven. He is also the author of the book Prepare for Impact, and he was recognized by Meetings & Conventions Magazine as one of the best keynote speakers in the world. On this episode we talk about what Ryan means by “human centered organization” and why they have an advantage in the competitive business world we operate in. We also discuss risk taking and how two moments in Ryan's life had a transformative impact on the person he is today. We finish by talking about curiosity and the intersection of technology and people that we are currently living through. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Michael Coughlin is Big Brothers Big Sisters of NYC Chief Program & Innovation Officer. On this episode we talk about what it takes to run NYC's largest youth-mentorship program, which annually matches more than 2,500 kids from across the five boroughs with “bigs” who support and advise them. We also talk about the power of partnerships and how Michael has evolved as a leader as his role has grown. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Patrick and Kathy Terry, are the co-founders of P. Terry's Burger Stand an American Fast Food Company that was named by USA Today as one of America's 15 favorite regional fast food chains. Not only are they business partners, they are also a married couple. They joined the show to talk about the origin story of the restaurant and how they were feeling on their opening day in 2005. They also shared how they have evolved as leaders over the years, and what makes the employees that work at P. Terry's such a critical part of the brand's success. We close by talking about what they have learned about partnership as a married couple that works together every day. It was a fascinating conversation with a fascinating duo. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Jason Weeman is the founder of Refine Talent Development. On this episode Jason shares his journey to the world of entrepreneurship and what he has learned on the way. He also explains the power of small changes and why we don't need drastic changes to make a big impact. We also discuss what he thinks young leaders need to do to prepare for the evolution that we all go on as we learn about ourselves as leaders. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Michael Batnick is a managing partner at Ritholtz Wealth Management. Michael is the author of Big Mistakes: The Best Investors and Their Worst Investments. He is also co-host of the Animal Spirits podcast and The Compound and Friends Podcast. On this episode we talk about Michael's journey to the world of finance and we talk about the role of luck and hard work. We also discuss what he has learned about leadership as his firm has experienced immense growth. Michael closes by talking about the power of gratitude. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Kevin Eikenberry is the bestselling author of Remarkable Leadership: Unleashing Your Leadership Potential One Skill at a Time. He is also a contributing author to nearly 20 other books. He writes Unleashing Your Remarkable Potential, a weekly email publication that has been read worldwide since 2004. Kevin has twice been named by Inc.com as one of the Top 100 Leadership and Management Experts in the World. On this episode we talk about Kevin's origin story as a leader and what he learned from his time working on the farm. We also discuss his advice for leading in a remote environment and his process for writing with purpose. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Megan Galloway is the founder of EverLeader where she embarks on a mission to make our workplaces a more authentic and human place for current and future generations to thrive. She founded Everleader with the vision to change the future of work. On this episode we talk about Megan's founding journey and the mistakes and lessons along the way. We also talk about her perspective on the role of all leaders, not just HR, to shape a company's culture. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below:   Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: -      LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ -      Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer -      Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making   Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Bradley Tusk is a venture capitalist, political strategist, philanthropist and writer. He is the author of The Fixer and his newest book is entitled Obvious In Hindsight. Previously, Bradley served as campaign manager for Mike Bloomberg's 2009 mayoral race, as Deputy Governor of Illinois, overseeing the state's budget, operations, legislation, policy and communications, as communications director for US Senator Chuck Schumer, and as Uber's first political advisor. On this episode we talk about Bradley's recent blog post detailing 50 reflections at age 50. We also talk about how he came to become Uber's first political advisor and how that led him to create a venture firm that is now described as the world's first venture capital fund that invests solely in early stage startups in highly regulated industries. We finish the show discussing his philanthropic efforts and what he has learned opening a bookstore in Manhattan. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: -      LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ -      Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer -      Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making  Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Richard Newman is the Founder and CEO of Body Talk, a global leader in evidence-based communication training. He is the author of You Were Born to Speak, and his newest book is, Lift Your Impact: Transform Your Mindset, Influence, and Future to Elevate Your Work, Team, and Life. On this episode we discuss a transformational journey that Richard took at a Tibetan monastery. We also get into the details around how small communication changes can create a massive difference in the way you are perceived by those around you. We also talk about how to make the most of the opportunity when you give a presentation in a business meeting. — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below:   Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: -      LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ -     Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer -      Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Deb Smolensky is the author of the bestselling book: Brain On: Mental Fitness Strategies for Sharpening Focus, Boosting Energy, and Winning the Workday. Deb joined us on the show to talk about the power of our brain, and how to think about upgrading it for the world we operate in. She also shared how training your brain can lead to more joy, engagement, and resilience — especially in the workplace. —------------ Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 55,000 professionals in more than 30 countries over the past three years. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: -      LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ -      Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer -      Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making   Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

This week, we have a special episode. Bjorn Billhardt is the CEO and Founder of Abilitie and Nathan Kracklauer is Abilitie's Chief Research Officer. Together, they are the authors of the upcoming book entitled The 12-Week MBA. The premise of the book is that there is a core set of business skills that entrepreneurs and future leaders of organizations can learn and will need regardless of their industry, function, or level. On this episode we talk about their journey over 20 years in the learning industry and the process of crafting the curriculum that serves as the foundation for our leadership programs at Abilitie. We also dive into the book writing process, the power of collaboration, and their advice for leaders at all levels. You can learn more about The 12-Week MBA at: abilitie.com/12weekmba  — Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 100,000 professionals in more than 30 countries. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: -      LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ -      Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer -      Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Art Markman is a cognitive scientist, an author, and the Vice Provost of Academic Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. Art joined the show to talk about his role at one of the largest and most influential public universities in America. He also shared why the humanities and behavioral sciences are so important to effective leadership development. Art closed by talking about his advice for his younger self and gave a fascinating perspective on planning the future. —------------ Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 55,000 professionals in more than 30 countries over the past three years. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: -      LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ -      Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer -      Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Andrea Pacini is the Presentation Director for Ideas on Stage in the United Kingdom. He is also the best-selling author of the book entitled 'Confident Presenter'. Andrea joined us on the show to talk about his approach to cultivate “techniques to get people to like your ideas.” He also shared his beliefs around how artificial intelligence will impact his field and what individuals can do to prepare for that disruption.   —------------   Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 55,000 professionals in more than 30 countries over the past three years. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/   Host Matthew Confer: -      LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ -      Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer -      Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released. —------------

Somi Arian the founder of InPeak, an innovative platform enabling creators and businesses to build using AI and blockchain functionalities. She is an award-winning filmmaker whose documentary, "The Millennial Disruption," won several international awards. She is also the author of Career Fear and how to beat it. She was also honored by LinkedIn who recognized her with their Top Voices Award. Somi joined us on the show to talk about her upbringing, her leadership journey, and her advice for other leaders. She also talked about the fact that she sits at the convergence of many different transformational technologies and how leaders need to navigate a changing technology landscape.  —------------ Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 55,000 professionals in more than 30 countries over the last three years. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/  Host Matthew Confer: -      LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ -      Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer -      Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making  Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Nicolai Chen Nielsen is a partner at the Super Trends Institute and the author of Return on Ambition and Leadership At Scale. His newest book is entitled From Malthus to Mars. On this episode Nicolai describes the future leaders will need to operate in. We discuss the 8 key mindsets from his newest book and Nicolai also shares his process for book writing and how he organizes his day to excel. —------------ Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 55,000 professionals in more than 30 countries over the past three years. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below:   Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: -     LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ -     Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer -     Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making   Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Donald Knight is the Chief People Officer at Greenhouse Software. On this episode he gives an inside look at the role of a CPO and how he thinks about the role that vulnerability plays in effective leadership. We also talk about the power of positive tension and what it takes to build high performing teams. —------------ Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 55,000 professionals in more than 30 countries over the past three years. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: -      LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ -      Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer -      Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making  Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released. —------------

Brenden Kumarasamy  is the Founder and President of Master Talk, a firm focused on helping individuals master the art of communication. He is the creator of the Master Talk YouTube channel with over 30,000 subscribers. On today's episode we discuss the most important skills for effective communication in the workplace and what individuals can do to enhance their skills in this arena. We also talked about why being open and transparent about your own struggles and challenges can impact your team's morale and productivity.  —------------ Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 55,000 professionals in more than 30 countries over the past three years. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ - Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer - Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making   Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released. —------------

Rajeeb Dey is the Founder and CEO of Learnerbly, a workplace learning marketplace. He  is also the Co-Founder of StartUp Britain, a national entrepreneurship campaign launched by UK Prime Minister David Cameron in March 2011. He was recognised as one of the 1,000 Most Influential People in London by The Evening Standard and was appointed as the world's youngest Young Global Leader (at 26) by the World Economic Forum in 2012. On this episode we discuss the origin story of Learnerbly and Rajeeb's advice for his younger self. We also talked about the perils of management, and what new managers can do to build trust with their teams. —------------ Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 55,000 professionals in more than 30 countries over the past three years. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ - Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer - Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Meridith Elliott Powell is the award winning author of many books including Thrive, Who Comes Next, and 30 Days To Sales Success. On this episode Meridith shares why she is obsessed with the word uncertainty and why she is so interested as to why business owners react so negatively to the word. She also discusses a critical question she asks clients which is: “are you standing in the way of your own success”? —------------ Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 55,000 professionals in more than 30 countries over the past three years. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ - Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer - Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making   Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Ian Daley is the founder of Daley & Co, a leadership education and training company that helps new managers build confidence and capabilities so they can deliver better results. He is a writing contributor to Harvard Business Review and the host of The New Leader Podcast. On this episode Ian shares his path to the world of leadership development and why understanding the pressure of management allows him to better empathize with, and help, current managers.Ian also shared some of the skills and approaches that are vital for new leaders to focus on in their pursuit of success.   —------------   Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 55,000 professionals in more than 30 countries over the past three years. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below:   Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/   Host Matthew Confer: - LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ - Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer - Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making   Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

David Adams is the CEO of Urban Assembly, an education nonprofit that advances the social and economic mobility of communities by offering innovative learning solutions to school districts across the country. On this episode we discuss the role of leadership and what people on the outside need to understand about the intricacies of the educational system. David also shares what he is most proud of during his time at Urban Assembly and how he thinks about decision making. ------------ Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 55,000 professionals in more than 30 countries over the past three years. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below:  Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making  Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Michael Thatcher is the CEO of Charity Navigator which is the largest independent evaluator of US Based charities. Charity Navigator was selected by Reader's Digest as one of the "100 Best Things about America." On this episode Michael shares his origin story and what it means to follow your heart, use your head, and take action. Michael also discusses his perspective on the difference between thought leadership and organizational leadership​   —------------   Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 55,000 professionals in more than 30 countries over the past three years. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below:   Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/   Host Matthew Confer: -       LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ -       Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer -       Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making   Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Nancy Duarte is the author of six best-selling books and CEO of Duarte, Inc. For over 30 years, Duarte, Inc. Nancy's work has been featured in Fortune, Time Magazine, Forbes, and The New York Times. On this episode we discuss how effective leaders can broaden their Influence by focusing on adapting how they listen. Nancy then shares what most people get wrong when it comes to presentations, and what we can do to give more persuasive presentations. —------------ Learn To Lead is brought to you by Abilitie a leadership provider of experiential learning. Abilitie's simulations and leadership programs have inspired over 55,000 professionals in more than 30 countries over the past three years. To learn more about Abilitie and about our host Matthew Confer, visit the links below: Abilitie Leadership Development - https://www.abilitie.com The Learn To Lead Podcast - https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/ Host Matthew Confer: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer Matthew's TEDx Talk on Decision Making - https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Make sure you subscribe to our show to ensure you get our next episode when it is released.

Matthew Confer, VP of Strategy for Abilitie, teaches executive leadership using scenario-based learning.

In today's conversation, I am joined by Annie Duke, a former professional poker player (widely known as one of the best female players in the world) who also has an impressive and fascinating background in psychology, which she will talk about on the show today. I've been wanting to have Annie on for ages, she has two other fantastic books called Thinking in Bets and How to Decide, and I am so delighted that she wrote this additional book, Quit, which we are talking about today (and really, she talks about all three books in our conversation). I am so honored and delighted that Annie took the time to chat with me for this interview. We had a great conversation and ended up chatting for over 90 minutes (with about 80 of those recorded). Here on the show today, we are cutting that conversation down to fit in under an hour but if you want to hear the full conversation in detail, come on over to the BE Thoughtful Revolution membership group -- it's our free community of behavioral economics enthusiasts from around the world, and you can check out the full video interview and conversation. Annie is a wealth of knowledge and insights, so you will want to glean every extra moment just like I did, I'm sure – be sure to stick around for monkeys and pedestals! Show Notes: [00:40] In today's conversation, I am joined by Annie Duke, a former professional poker player who also has an impressive and fascinating background in psychology. [03:07] Annie shares her background and how she found herself in the world of behavioral science.  [04:41] Her brother was the one who suggested she play poker and she ended up playing poker for 18 years as her profession.  [06:05] After eight years as a poker player she started getting asked to give talks. The first talk she gave was to a group of options traders and she talked about how poker might inform your thinking about cognitive bias. From there she started getting referrals and spending more time speaking than playing poker.  [07:11] In 2012, she retired from poker to spend more time on the business side of things and started consulting and speaking full-time.  [09:13] If you look at anything on Annie's journey from the time she entered graduate school, it is all decision-making under uncertainty.    [11:09] The more ways that you are thinking about problems and the different frames that you have to ponder these issues you end up bringing something different to the table.  [12:54] Premortems can be very effective if you combine them with other good decision-making tools.  [15:14] If you use prospective hindsight instead of just forward planning, research shows you will generate 30% more reasons for failure or success if you didn't do prospective hindsight.  [17:14] Self-serving bias is that when bad things happen to us as individuals we tend to blame them on things that are outside of our control.   [19:49] Other researchers suggest that premortems need to be done in groups to be successful.  [22:42] Thinking in Bets was a book that she had really wanted to write for many years, which is about making decisions under uncertainty.  [25:27] One of the things she really talks about in Thinking in Bets is resulting. Resulting is when we look at other people and assume if they have a bad outcome then they made a bad decision and a good outcome is from luck (whereas when we have a bad outcome it is luck and a good outcome is from our good decision making – this is very similar to fundamental attribution error).   [26:55] She wrote How to Decide as a companion, which had more practical tools for making decisions.  [28:23] Annie shares about writing her new book Quit.   [30:44] Most of the decisions you make you can actually probably make faster. The way to decide if you can go faster is by looking at the consequences of getting the decision wrong.  [33:01] We are really bad at exercising the option to quit when the time comes. The option to quit is very valuable.  [35:02] She shares the many Zoom conversations with influential behavioral scientists she had prior to writing her new book about quitting.   [36:36] Science shows that when we quit, we are usually doing it too late.  [38:45] One of the problems we have is that once we set a goal we are immediately in the losses.  [39:20] Annie shares about the California Bullet Train.  [41:51] After getting the project approved once starting the project they realize they have two big problems… (Why didn't they “see” them before?)  [44:22] Instead of stopping the project, they approved two pieces of track that don't address the gigantic engineering problems. [46:13] Monkeys and pedestals is an incredibly helpful framework for trying to figure out how you approach projects to find out the information you need to find out the fastest so you can figure out if it is something you want to stick to.  [47:26] She shares the monkeys and pedestal's story. You have to start with the monkey (the hard part) of the problem first.  [49:11] When you do but up against hard things you tend to turn to pedestal building rather than to quit (similar to bikeshedding).   [50:28] You should definitely tackle the monkeys first. [51:51] You follow the premortem by looking at the monkeys and pedestals. You figure out what the monkeys are and then you change your plans according to that.  [53:20] Kill criteria are what you could see or find out in the future that would tell you that you ought to quit.  [55:01] There is no point in tackling any low-hanging fruit if you can't train the monkey. Figure out the hard problem first.  [57:34] Winners quit a lot. That is how they win. Winners sample a lot of stuff, settle on a course of action, tackle the monkeys first, and if the world gives them another signal they switch. [58:41] Winners pick the right things to stick to and they abandon everything else.  [60:52] Melina shares her closing thoughts.  [61:08] Thoughtful quitting, stopping doing things that aren't serving you anymore isn't a failure -- that is a win. That is a sign of doing great big amazing things! If you never quit, you can never win because you will be spread too thin. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Learn and support The Brainy Business: Check out and get your copies of Melina's Books.  Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode: Thinking in Bets, by Annie Duke How to Decide, by Annie Duke Quit, by Annie Duke Superforecasting, by Dan Gardner and Philip E. Tetlock How to Change, by Katy Milkman Power of Regret, by Daniel Pink Connect with Annie:  Annie's Website Annie on Twitter Annie on LinkedIn Top Recommended Next Episode: Game Theory (episode 62) Already Heard That One? Try These:  Loss Aversion (episode 9) Framing (episode 16) The Most Important Step in Applying Behavioral Economics: Understanding the Problem (episode 126) 3 Steps to Better Decision Making, An Interview with Matthew Confer (episode 158) Counterfactual Thinking  (episode 68) How To Change, an interview Dr. Katy Milkman (episode 51) Fundamental Attribution Error (episode 92) Planning Fallacy (episode 114) Precommitment (episode 120) Hindsight Bias (episode 167) Bikeshedding (episode 99) Status Quo Bias (episode 142) Endowment Effect (episode 139) Survivorship Bias (episode 110) Mental Accounting (episode 56) Other Important Links:  Brainy Bites - Melina's LinkedIn Newsletter  A Slight Change of Plans Podcast with Maya Shankar Annie's Newsletter

Did you know that an average Brit makes 770,000 decisions in a lifetime but lives to regret about 20% of them? Welcome to the 35th episode of The Growth Booth Podcast, a show focused on supporting budding entrepreneurs and established business owners alike, towards achieving lifestyle freedom through building successful online businesses.In this episode of The Growth Booth, Aidan talks about how to navigate decision-making, with THREE simple steps you can incorporate into your daily life–a handy process that works equally well for small everyday choices and major, life-changing dilemmas. Whether you're looking for step-by-step strategies to start building an online business, simple game plans to grow your business, or proven lifestyle freedom frameworks, you're in the right place.Stay tuned and be sure to join the thousands of listeners already in growth mode!Timestamps:00:00 Intro01:18 How Often Do We Make Decisions?02:47 The Butterfly Effect05:19 How To Navigate Important Decisions06:40 The First Step07:33 The Second Step09:18 The Third Step11:56 Episode Sponsor12:50 Mark Confer's framework16:11 Captain Sully19:25 OutroLinks and Resources Mentioned:Float Hosting - https://thegrowthbooth.com/float Before You Decide: 3 Steps To Better Decision Making, Matthew Confer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7Jnmi2BkS8 The Seven-Step Process For Entrepreneurial Decision-Making - https://www.forbes.com/sites/yec/2020/02/05/the-seven-step-process-for-entrepreneurial-decision-making/?sh=9df7a345527a About Our Host:Aidan Booth is passionate about lifestyle freedom and has focused on building online businesses to achieve this since 2005. From affiliate marketing to eCommerce, small business marketing to SAAS (software as a service), online education to speaking at seminars, the journey has been a rollercoaster ride with plenty of thrills along the way. Aidan is proud to have helped thousands of entrepreneurs earn their first dollar online, and coached many people to build million-dollar businesses. Aidan and his business partner (Steven Clayton) are the #1 ranked vendors on Clickbank.com, and sell their products in over 100 countries globally, as well as in 20,000+ stores across the USA, to generate 8-figures annually.Away from the online world, Aidan is a proud Dad of two young kids, an avid investor, a swimming enthusiast, and a nomadic traveler. Let's Connect!●  Visit the website: https://thegrowthbooth.com/ ●  Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aidanboothonline ●  Let's connect on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aidanboothonline/ ●  Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheGrowthBooth Thanks for tuning in! Please don't forget to like, share, and subscribe!

In today's episode, we speak with Matthew Confer, VP of Strategy & Business Development at Abilitie about experiential leadership development and how it can help managers better understand what employee engagement is, how it works, and, most importantly, what their role is.

So much happened in 2021 at The Brainy Business and in the Palmer household, it has been fun to reflect on it for this episode. Here are a few highlights:  In January, I started teaching a new class at Texas A&M University through the certificate in Applied Behavioral Economics via the Human Behavior Lab.   In March, we rolled out the new website and on May 1st, I launched my free global community of behavioral economics enthusiasts with (currently) over 500 members.  My first book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You come out on May 11, 2021, and I got to be part of some amazing events this past year sharing about it and other parts of my work.  And, while I didn't talk about it much publicly, I had a baby in 2021! The Brainy Baby, Mr. Hudson Grey Palmer, was born on August 9th and is a fantastic addition to our family.  Join me as we take a look back at all the excitement and top content of 2021. I hope you will enjoy this walkthrough of last year as much as I did.  Show Notes: [00:06] Today's episode is showcasing the best content from The Brainy Business in 2021. [02:12] My very first book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You came out on May 11, 2021! [03:49] Melina had a baby in 2021! The Brainy Baby, Mr. Hudson Grey Palmer was born on August 9th. Look how cute he is. :) [07:51] Top Countries Downloading The Brainy Business: The US is first, followed by UK, Canada, Australia, India, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, the Netherlands and Spain.  [09:02] Top Ten States: Coming in at number 10 Pennsylvania then New Jersey at number 9, Virginia at number 8, Illinois at number 7, Ohio at 6, Florida as number 5, New York at number 4, Washington at 3, Texas at 2, and California still with the top most downloads of 2021. [10:32] Of the 470,000 total downloads of the show so far, 250,001 have come from the US. That means nearly half of our downloads are international, which is so cool. [12:53] Of those more than 175,000 downloads of the show in 2021, and now with 184 episodes of content to choose from, we get our top 10 episodes of the year, starting with episode 136 on Temptation Bundling. [14:20] Next we have episode 165, when Matej Sucha of Mindworx and insideBE came onto the show discussing research they have done and the case studies of insideBE, which launched in 2021 as well. [15:32] At the number 8 spot we have episode 158 with Matthew Confer letting you know the three things everyone needs to do before you decide. [16:12] Next, at number 7 we have episode 160, an interview with Matt Johnson, coauthor of Blindsight. [17:20] At number 6, we have the only foundations episode to make the top 10 this year, and it was a relatively new one which is pretty cool. This is episode 171 on The Paradox of Choice. [18:33] Our top 5 kicks off with episode 164, an interview with Amy Bucher about her fantastic book Engaged, and so much more about her work in applying behavioral economics. [19:32] At number 4, is episode 140, an interview with Benny Cheung where we talked about some research he did at Dectech that was also featured in chapter 28 of my book, which showcases the importance of testing. [20:55] At number 3 we have episode 159, a behavioral economics analysis of Amazon and coming in at number 2 is episode 144, a behavioral economics analysis of Disney. [22:22] Our top most downloaded episode of 2021, which was episode 157, my interview with Robert Cialdini on his new and expanded edition of Influence, which includes a whole new 7th principle of persuasion. [23:27] One of my main tips is to play the long game and form great relationships so pitching is easier. [26:33] There has never been a month of the podcast where every episode didn't get at least 1 download. [27:24] Let's dig into that top 10 of all time list starting with number 10, which was episode 111, Avoiding everyday work disasters, with Gleb Tsipursky. [28:24] Next is episode 62 on Game Theory and the 8th most downloaded episode of all time, is number 102 on Confirmation Bias. [31:00] The 7th most downloaded is episode 83, How to organize your brain with behavioral economics followed by episode 61 on Color Theory.  [33:37] The episodes with the fifth and third most downloads are both analyses of companies again, like I already talked about for the top downloads of 2021. However, these are different profiles, including number 86 with a behavioral economics analysis of Peloton, and episode 73 with a behavioral economics analysis of Starbucks.  [34:57] In that number 4 spot we have episode 5, The Truth About Pricing. [35:37] Number two is episode 2, The Top 5 Wording Mistakes Businesses Make. [36:37] The most downloaded episode of all time is the very first one, Unlocking the Secrets of the Brain. [39:55] The final top 10 list are the most read articles from my Inc Magazine column in 2021. For the full list, check out the blog post linked here with the summary of all three top content areas! [42:50] The 7th most read article is called, “Dread going to work every day? The culprit may be hanging in your office.” [43:16] The 6th most read article on Inc is the first one I wrote for them. It is called, “1 Simple Brain Trick That Can Help You Overcome Self-Doubt Forever.” [44:57] The fourth most read article is on one of my very favorite things. It's called, “Forget brainstorming. Try questionstorming.” [45:38] The third most read article is, “Feeling unproductive? This brain bias could be to blame.” [46:07] In our still Zoom-filled virtual world, it isn't surprising that the second most read article this year was, “Why you hate seeing your face in video meetings.” [47:02] “Don't ask ‘What are you thankful for?' Try this instead” is my most read article of 2021. [48:22] What's ahead for The Brainy Business in 2022? [51:22] Thank you again for making 2021 such an amazing year and for listening, subscribing, sharing, rating, and reviewing The Brainy Business podcast. I appreciate you all, and can't wait to see what 2022 has in store. Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode:   The Paradox of Choice, by Barry Schwartz Never Go With Your Gut, by Gleb Tsipursky Influence (New and Expanded), by Robert Cialdini Engaged, by Amy Bucher Blindsight, by Matt Johnson and Prince Ghuman Top recommended next episode: The Best of The Brainy Business in 2020 (ep 133) Already heard that one? Try these:  The Best Content from the Brainy Business in 2019 (ep 82) Dr. Robert Cialdini and the (Now!) 7 Principles of Persuasion (ep 157) Behavioral economics of Disney (ep 144) Behavioral economics of Amazon (ep 159) Unlocking the Secrets of the Brain (ep 1) The Top 5 Wording Mistakes Businesses Make (ep 2) Starbucks (ep 73) Other Important Links:  Best of 2021 Blog Post  Best of 2020 Blog Post Best of 2019 Blog Post Don't Ask “What Are You Thankful For?” Try This Instead (Inc.com) Why You Hate Seeing Your Face In Video Meetings (Inc.com) Feeling Unproductive? This Brain Bias Could Be To Blame (Inc.com) Texas A&M Certificate in Applied Behavioral Economics The Brainy Business Shop Check out Melina's award-winning book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia

As the Vice President of Strategy at Abilitie, a leadership development company, Matthew Confer helps businesses across the globe improve their decision-making skills through immersive simulations - he's even spoken about the topic at the TEDx conference with his talk titled “Before You Decide.” Matthew is also the host of the Learn to Lead podcast, but today he's guesting on the One Big Tip podcast to teach listeners one important decision-making step they may not have considered: the post-mortem. Looking at every decision you make like it's doomed to fail may sound like embracing a negative mindset, but Matthew says adding this step (a “post-mortem”) to your business's decision-making process is actually one major way to ensure greater success.A post-mortem is all about being prepared: it allows you to dissect every decision with a critical eye - even the ones you're sure will be successful - in order to understand the ways in which they could get derailed. That way, you'll be better equipped, more vigilant, and able to make smarter decisions than ever. Matthew breaks it all down in this episode! In this episode:[1:32] Matthew's path to his leadership management career was a winding one. He gives us a look at how he got to where he is today. [3:14] Matthew says that when it comes to leadership development, Fortune 500 companies are looking for people who have had real-world practice - that's why simulation training like the kind Abilitie offers can be so helpful. [6:00] Simulation is about more than just roleplay! Matthew defines the differences between the two. [8:18] Matthew's one big tip is to create a pre-mortem for decision-making. He explains what that means here - it's all about dissecting what could go wrong with each decision you make.[11:43] We discuss how businesses have adapted and learned to make better decisions throughout the course of the pandemic. Support the show (https://jeffmendelson.com/onebigtip)

Happy Wednesday, improve it! Fam! It's the final episode of our hybrid work series, and lucky for you, you get to hear from special guest, Matthew Confer. As you enter the new and improved world of hybrid work, this inspirational leader talks to us about: How you can make hybrid work effective for your employees The pros and cons of virtual and in-person work How to guide your team to go back into office. Enjoy and let us know what you think!   Show Links: Send a screenshot of your review to info@learntoimproveit.com to receive a free gift from Erin! Get your Hybrid Hype Handout – follow along with us in the series!   Connect with Matt Confer:   Matthew Confer is the Vice President of Strategy at Abilitie, a Leadership Development company based in Austin, Texas that provides immersive business simulations to a global client base that includes over 50 members of the Fortune 500. In the past three years alone Abilitie's leadership programs have been delivered to over 20,000 corporate professionals in more than 30 countries. Matthew has spoken on the topic of decision making at the TEDx Conference and he osts the Learn To Lead Podcast where he speaks with authors, professors, creatives, and business leaders about their leadership journey and how they are working to develop the leaders of tomorrow.   LinkedIn Learn to Lead Podcast Twitter TedX Talk   Connect with Erin: Instagram LinkedIn improve it! TikTok Improve it! Instagram Improve it! Facebook improve it! website Book a Laugh Break Book a Workshop Sign up for Daily 5 Challenge Email Erin: info@learntoimproveit.com   “I love this podcast and I love Erin!!” If that sounds like you, please consider rating and reviewing this podcast! This helps Erin support more people – just like you – move toward the leader you want to be. Click here, click listen on Apple Podcasts, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with 5 stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then be sure to let Erin know what you loved most about the episode! Also, if you haven't done so already, subscribe to the podcast. That way you won't miss any juicy episodes! Thanks in advance, improve it! Fam :)

Matthew Confer of Abilitie discusses a leadership simulation offered by the company, and how businesses are using it to train their employees. Confer also talks about using LinkedIn to build meaningful connections, and offers tips for growing your network on the platform.

Get to the point where you actually are confident enough in your team, in your decision-making prowess, in your ability to consider failure, to think totally differently about the problem and see if there is a better way to attack it. – Matt Confer Hi everyone! Welcome to today's show. Today we talk about the Effective Decision Making For New Leaders with Matthew Confer. Matt is the VP of Strategy & Business Development for Abilitie, a leadership development company based in beautiful Austin, Texas. We also discuss: The importance of developing relationships Trusting and leaning on your team and allowing them to fail, Preparing for worst-case scenarios, Testing your comfortable limits, Thinking differently, and more. Click that play button to listen! Don't forget to subscribe and rate us on Apple Podcasts! Good relationships contribute to project success If you don't invest early on in developing a relationship with those that you manage, it's going to be very hard when you get into the thick of a project and you have to really push your comfortable limits about what is possible to deliver. If you just jump right into the pure, active managing and delegating and never build any sort of a substantial relationships, it just makes things all the more difficult especially when you're talking about thousands of miles between you and doing all of your work virtually. Identify the problem, and simplify it When we throw a problem at leaders in our simulation, the initial instinct that everybody has is, “Ooh – a problem. I'm going to jump in and I'm going to solve it.” The problem is, most teams don't take the one to two minutes to say what actually is the problem that we're embarking on. They get so excited by the chance to solve something, that they never take a step back and identify what the problem is. The first step should be to identify it, and then simplify it. That should come before ever trying to embark on solving it. Pivot, Pivot, Pivot I almost never see a team in our simulation that ends up winning or ends up as one of the teams near the top that had one strategy, completely, effectively delivered that strategy, and never had to change course. You have to be comfortable with the fact that you need to adjust to changing dynamics – either changing dynamics at your company, changing dynamics in your industry. Matt's Leadership Advice Don't assume that the people on your team want to be managed the same way you would want to be managed. Links and Resources Connect with Matt: LinkedIn Twitter Abilitie Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner Productivity Tip: Time Blocking and Reminders App

I know these behavioral economics analysis episodes are very popular. The ones on Starbucks and Peloton have quickly risen through the ranks to become the third and fourth most downloaded episodes ever on the show (and as we are on the precipice of our 3 year anniversary that is a pretty big feat!). There are also analysis episodes on Apple Card, Costco, and Disney and as you know today we will be talking about Amazon.  I am so honored to announce that What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You is now an award-winning book! The International Book Awards were just announced and my book was a finalist in two categories. According to their website and press release, books published from January 2019 to May 2021 were eligible and there were over 2000 entries amongst the various categories.  Show Notes: [00:08] Today's episode is a behavioral economics analysis of Amazon. [01:50] I am so honored to announce that What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You is now an award-winning book! [03:27] In case this is your first behavioral economics analysis episode with The Brainy Business, what you can expect is a fairly rapid-fire list of things I see from Amazon where they are using tactics that tie back to concepts from behavioral economics. [06:05] And this gets to the first and possibly most important piece of behavioral science built into the entire company of Amazon, which comes back to the biggest mistake I have said time and again most businesses make when trying to implement behavioral science into their work or just working on most projects: understanding the REAL problem you are trying to solve. [06:43] Taking the time upfront to understand the behavior that needs to be changed and what might be motivating it (and on the flip side, how to make it easy for people to change) is so important to the success of Amazon. [08:28] Truly understanding the problem before jumping into a solution is incredibly important for every business. [09:01] This brings me to another cool way that Amazon thinks differently by reframing its approach to projects. Matthew Confer and I talked about this on his recent episode on The Brainy Business, and it is called the “press release method” or the “working backward” method. [10:10] This simple mental shift, framing the project differently, can help people get out of their myopic approach to what is in front of them and ask some great questions. [11:11] Reframing with the press release method can help you to ask the right questions early enough and avoid potential cataclysmic failures. [11:29] Amazon really took herding and social proof to a new level. [12:17] Star ratings, reviews, and recommendations for what other people “like us” have done before are hugely influential in getting someone to buy. [14:02] With books, they also let you overcome that additional uncertainty by reading a few pages and taking a peek inside. [14:45] The more people who use Amazon, the better it gets. There are more options to buy from, sellers are heavily influenced to keep honest and sell good stuff or they will get bad ratings. [16:04] To help overcome the loss aversion and fear of regret, Amazon makes most returns incredibly easy. [17:17] Another way Amazon makes it easy to buy is with their 1 click purchase set up. [18:54] Simplicity and reduced friction while working with the brain makes a huge difference. [19:23] It is so important to talk about the Prime membership at Amazon. Paid on an annual basis, there are lots of perks and benefits from being a Prime member, the biggest arguably being free 2-day shipping on a huge number of items. [22:27] If you create a huge amount of value that drives loyalty and other purchases and engagement and revenue, the subscription is more of a mechanism to build the habit. And, as we are seeing from Amazon, can be far more valuable than the cost of the membership. [23:26] Look for the value you can create to make it an amazing deal that people will love and want to talk about and you're likely on the right track. [24:44] If you are selling items, it may feel like you are being pushy to have the default be a subscription and let someone self-select to change to a single-time purchase, but that is all in your logical conscious brain. As long as you are creating value and helping someone get something they want and need, there is likely a great value to them in offering a subscription or membership or whatever the somewhat scary suggestion might be. [26:28] The main concepts with Prime Day are loss aversion and scarcity. Time pressure from short-term offers with limited quantities makes people overcome their risk aversion and become very loss averse. Scarcity with herding makes us feel something is a great value and want to jump on offers. [28:07] With how easily our brains get overwhelmed, it is amazing that the 200 million Prime subscribers are able to find what they need and buy it so quickly (across Amazon, half of purchases are made in 15 minutes or less). [31:17] They make an unbelievable amount of information seem almost effortless, which is an amazing feat when you think about it. [31:54] Melina's Top 3 Tips for Incorporating These Lessons: 1) You need to spend more time thinking about the problem you are trying to solve. [32:35] 2) Use social proof and herding whenever you can. [33:11] 3) Make suggestions! People don't always know what they want, so help them find their path. [34:19] Melina shares her closing thoughts.  [34:24] Melina's first book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You is officially available on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia.  Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! More from The Brainy Business:

Today I am delighted to have Matthew Confer on the show to be share insights from (and beyond) his popular Ted Talk: Before you Decide: 3 Steps to Better Decision Making.  This talk came out before the pandemic, and Matthew also shares with us about how he and the team at Abilitie helped clients to shift through these changing times to make better decisions when there were so many unexpected shifts and choices to be made (and with a lot on the line).  As the VP of Strategy and Business Development, he definitely knows a lot on these topics and he has fascinating insights I can't wait to share with you.  Show Notes: [00:07] In today's episode I'm excited to introduce you to Matthew Confer to share the three things you need to do before you decide. [02:49] Matthew shares more about who he is and what he does. He works for a company called Abilitie and does leadership training simulations.  [04:06] They focus on three core competencies of effective leaders: people management skills, financial acumen, and strategic thinking and decision making.  [05:53] Melina shares how she did a similar simulation in college.  [08:00] Adaptability is one of the things that we want rising leaders and executives to have.  [09:16] There is a very big difference between doing and thinking about doing. [12:22] The biggest part of the simulation is that each of the participants have three time tokens of where they want to invest their time. It looks at how you piece together all the things we struggle with as leaders and make the best decision of how to use your limited time.  [15:11] From his experiences, Matthew found that there are specific traits that top teams do.   [16:18] After years of observation, he created a decision-making framework with the 3 steps for better decision-making (as showcased in his Ted Talk). Step 1) Challenge the Constraints.  [17:41] When you are looking to apply behavioral science, the spot where most people go wrong is understanding the problem that you are trying to solve.  [18:42] Time pressure is a form of stress and it changes the way we make a decision.  [20:24] Just because you challenge the constraints doesn't mean you have to go and make a crazy decision. It just helps to see what is holding you back from making this huge breakthrough.  [21:01] Step 2) Embrace a Premortem. A premortem is so powerful because you are conditioned to not think you are going to fail.   [23:44] Planning fallacy is closely tied to optimism bias where we think we are going to be faster, quicker, and better.  [25:59] 80% of us think that we are above-average drivers. He noticed this in the simulation with leaders also.  [27:10] Step 3) Check the Basics. When decisions get more complex, small details tend to get missed.  [29:39] Taking the time to make sure you have really identified your basics is super important.  [30:01] Matthew shares an example of step one: challenging the constraints. The clients he saw that were most successful during the pandemic were the ones that threw the rule book out the window.  [32:03] It is important to reframe a problem when it comes to you. If your status quo has been shifted you should not feel like you have to do what you said you are going to do before.  [32:57] Next he shares an example for step two.  [34:12] If you're not having a conversation about what could go wrong, you are really missing an opportunity to plan effectively.  You need to put plans B and C in place to get in front of some of the problems.  [35:27] You need to be assured when you are making a drastic change or big decision, make sure those small details aren't missed along the way.  [38:23] One of Matthew's favorite decision-making techniques is the “press release method”.  [40:31] Writing what someone might say about you in the worst-case scenario is an interesting practice to help keep you on track so you don't mess up because you know how bad it can be at the end.    [42:45] Melina shares her closing thoughts.  [44:37] Melina's first book, What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You is officially available on Amazon, Bookshop, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, and Booktopia.  Thanks for listening. Don't forget to subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Android. If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.  I hope you love everything recommended via The Brainy Business! Everything was independently reviewed and selected by me, Melina Palmer. So you know, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you decide to shop from the links on this page (via Amazon or others), The Brainy Business may collect a share of sales or other compensation. Let's connect: Melina@TheBrainyBusiness.com The Brainy Business® on Facebook The Brainy Business on Twitter The Brainy Business on Instagram The Brainy Business on LinkedIn Melina on LinkedIn The Brainy Business on Youtube Join the BE Thoughtful Revolution – our free behavioral economics community, and keep the conversation going! More from The Brainy Business:

➡️ If you liked the show, please subscribe & leave a podcast review on iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/success-story/id1484783544 ➡️ For More Episodes Visit: www.successstorypodcast.com I sat down with Matthew Confer on the 'Learn to Lead' podcast, and we discussed how to create processes for everything in your life and how to reverse engineer your personal goals. Tweet Me: twitter.com/scottdclary My Newsletter: newsletter.roioverload.com/subscribe ➡️ SUCCESS STORY PODCAST Stories worth telling. Welcome to the Success Story Podcast, hosted entrepreneur, intrapreneur, investor, executive, public speaker & podcaster, Scott D. Clary. On this podcast, you'll find interviews, Q&A, keynote presentations & conversations on sales, marketing, business, startups and entrepreneurship. Scott will discuss some of the lessons he's learned over his own career, as well as have candid interviews with execs, celebrities, notable figures and politicians. All who have achieved success through both wins and losses, to learn more about their life, their ideas and insights. He sits down with leaders and mentors and unpacks their story to help pass those lessons onto others through both experiences and tactical strategy for business professionals, entrepreneurs and everyone in between. Website: https://www.scottdclary.com Podcast: https://www.podcast.scottdclary.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/scottdclary Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottdclary Twitter: https://twitter.com/scottdclary Facebook: https://facebook.com/scottdclarypage LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/scottdclary

“The door to opportunity is a door marked PUSH.” Throughout his career, Matt Confer has taken to heart this advice from his parents. He’s actively looked for doors and then strategized how to get them open. In this episode, Matt spells out the steps he took to create internship opportunities during college and then continually move forward in his career. (Spoiler alert: extreme networking is one of the keys to his success.) He’s currently VP of strategy and business development at Abilitie. The role and the work are not what he envisioned for himself when he was young, yet he loves where he is.So, how did he build his career? Listen to find out and be inspired.Meet the GuestMatthew Confer is the Vice President of Strategy at Abilitie, a Leadership Development company based in Austin, Texas that provides immersive business simulations to a global client base that includes over 40 members of the Fortune 500. Matthew has spoken on the topic of decision making at the TEDx Conference with a talk entitled Before You Decide and he hosts the Learn To Lead Podcast where he speaks with his guests about their leadership journey and how they are working to develop the leaders of tomorrow. LinksTEDx Talk - Before You Decide Abilitie Learn To Lead PodcastLinkedIn Twitter

➡️ If you liked the show, please subscribe & leave a podcast review on iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/success-story/id1484783544 ➡️ For More Episodes Visit: www.podcast.scottdclary.com Matthew Confer is Vice President of Strategy at Abilitie, a provider of simulation-based manager and executive development training for more than 50 members of the Fortune 500 in 30-plus countries around the world. Confer has spoken on the topic of Leadership Development at TEDx in Dallas, Texas; at the CLO Exchange in San Diego, California; and at the L&D Executive Summit in Orlando, Florida. He has facilitated more than 20 simulation-based training events with leaders in Dubai, Bangkok, Mexico City, Paris, Mumbai, and across the United States. ➡️ Show Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer/ https://twitter.com/MatthewConfer ➡️ Show Sponsor Gusto Promo Details: gusto.com/scott (3 months free payroll / platform services) Gusto's people platform helps businesses like yours onboard, pay, insure, and support your hardworking team. Payroll, benefits, and more. ➡️ Talking Points 00:00 - Matthew Confer, VP Strategy at Abilitie 07:07 - How do organizations train employees, today? 09:09 - The future of leadership training. 19:14 - Why traditional business education is failing people. 24:47 - When sh*t hits the fan, can you keep your cool? 34:10 - The truth about working with smaller companies. 36:15 - Don’t pigeonhole yourself. ➡️ SUCCESS STORY PODCAST Stories worth telling. Welcome to the Success Story Podcast, hosted by entrepreneur, business executive, author, educator & speaker, Scott D. Clary. On this podcast, you'll find interviews, Q&A, keynote presentations & conversations on sales, marketing, business, startups and entrepreneurship. Scott will discuss some of the lessons he's learned over his own career, as well as have candid interviews with execs, celebrities, notable figures and politicians. All who have achieved success through both wins and losses, to learn more about their life, their ideas and insights. He sits down with leaders and mentors and unpacks their story to help pass those lessons onto others through both experiences and tactical strategy for business professionals, entrepreneurs and everyone in between. Website: https://www.scottdclary.com Podcast: https://www.successstorypodcast.com YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/scottdclary Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/scottdclary Twitter: https://twitter.com/scottdclary Facebook: https://facebook.com/scottdclarypage LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/scottdclary

Leadership is the bedrock that holds a business together. Yet, so few organizations take the time to actually grow leadership skills. Leaders aren't born, they are grown and they need the right tools and the right feedback in order to take their leadership skills to the highest levels. With the world moving at such a fast pace and every position demanding results from day one, how are you supposed to develop into a great leader?On this episode of The Big Picture Business Podcast, Dominica and Rory interview Matthew Confer who is here to answer that question. He is Vice President of Strategy at Abilitie, a leadership development company that specializes in interactive online simulations, team-based business competitions, and virtual mini-MBAs. By using business simulations instead of lectures, leaders are put to the test in real-world team-based competitions and get debriefed on where they have opportunities to improve and where they did great. Matthew shares his 3-step decision-making framework so that you can make the right decision in your business or organization no matter what curveball you are thrown and be seen as the top-level leader you are. Other Topics Discussed Include:How to respond to negativity Why you must force yourself to do something different Gamifying the approach to management and leadership skillsThe top 3 leadership tips for business owners during the pandemicBuilding leadership strategies that go against the grain of your instincts Additional training available at https://bpbpodcast.com

    Looking back over a year and a half of podcast episodes, John Helmer summarizes the main themes that have emerged from these these fascinating discussions and attempts to draw insights by taking a helicopter view.   Where do people agree, and where do they clash? Includes contributions from George Siemens, Nick Shackleton-Jones, Donald Clark, Connie Malamed, Gianni Giacomelli, Laura Lee-Gibbs, Andrea Miles, Sharon Claffey Kaliouby, Jane Hart, Matthew Confer, Paul Matthews, David Wilson, Julliette Denny, Steve Dineen, Dani Johnson, Henri Palmer, Paul McElvaney, Leonard Houx, Myles Runham, Victoria Marsick, Reda Sadki, Caroline Ford and David Perring.   01:23 Learning Hack Facts & Figures 04:04 5. The Learner Experience 13:18 4. Learning in the Flow of Work 20:22 3. Women in Learning 25:42 2. Evidence-Based Design 31:26 1. The Global Pandemic     Writers and thinkers referenced by Leonard Houx: David Merrill Robert M. Gagné Siegfried Engelmann Charles Reigeluth John Sweller Paul Kirschner Jeroen J. G. van Merriënboer   Books cited: Diana Laurillard Laurillard, D. (2002). Rethinking University Teaching. A conversational framework for the effective use of learning technologies. London: Routledge ISBN 0415256798   Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://johnhelmerconsulting.com/   Download the new white paper from Learning Pool written by John Helmer – 'Experience: theory, design and supporting technologies for an experience-based learning culture' https://learningpool.com/theory-design-and-supporting-technologies-for-an-experience-based-learning-culture/

Want more clients for your agency or consultancy in the Human Resources industry? Check out: www.getmorehrclients.com/services. Abilitie develops award-winning corporate leadership development and mini-MBA programs for rising leaders and executives around the world. With 40+ Fortune 500 clients including Marriott, Coca-Cola, GE, and Southwest Airlines, and programs delivered in over 30 countries, Abilitie is a rapidly growing leader in the leadership development and executive education market. Abilitie's VP of Strategy, Matthew Confer, joined me on the show to talk about the business, their clients, and their growth plans, and much more. Show notes and links here or visit www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast.

John Helmer talks to Matthew Confer, VP, Strategy & Business Development at Abilitie, an expert in leadership and decision-making. How do leaders make tough decisions in tight situations? How do they deal with the law of unintended consequences, which can bedevil so many in positions of authority?   Matthew, who has run many simulation training events with leaders in large companies around the world, gives a three-step framework for tough decisions in tight spots, and discusses how leaders are coping with the tough decisions confronting them in the global pandemic.   03:26 A three-step decision-making framework 07:00 Tips for fast decision-making 10:48 Premortems and snakes 12:58 Decision-making and the law of unintended consequences 15:36 Decision-making in the pandemic 21:26 Matthew's personal journey to leadership learning 24:07 Advice for leaders coming out of lockdown   Matthew's Ted Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making Abiltie's website: https://www.abilitie.com/ Matthew's Podcast, Learning to Lead: https://www.abilitie.com/learn-to-lead-podcast/   Contact Matthew LinkedIn linkedin.com/in/matthewconfer Twitter @MatthewConfer   Download the new white paper from Learning Pool written by John Helmer – 'Experience: Theory, design and supporting technologies for an experience-based learning culture' https://learningpool.com/theory-design-and-supporting-technologies-for-an-experience-based-learning-culture/   Contact John Helmer Twitter: @johnhelmer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnhelmer/ Website: http://johnhelmerconsulting.com/

In today's episode of the Inspire Podcast, Bart interviews Matthew Confer. Matt is VP, Strategy and Business Development at Abilitie. Abilitie develops award-winning corporate leadership development and mini-MBA programs for rising leaders and executives around the world. Their team-based business competitions involve aspiring leaders in an active, learn-by-doing environment. Matt and Bart discuss how simulations can build leadership skills, and what leaders can do to create simulations of their own to foster better team performance. Here are some moments from their conversation: Abilitie- 04:04.6 What is experiential learning?- 05:31.0 Simulations- 06:05.4 Competitive component- 07:29.2 The relationship between experience/practice and learning- 08:34.1 Study on student engagement- 08:47.6 How to manage and develop talent- 11:58.5 Rethinking 'coaching'- 12:26.4 Objections to simulations- 13:59.8 How to get the most out of role plays- 15:38.5 How to do experiential learning in a team context- 17:00.4 Common learning themes- 19:07.4 Look to replicate in-class training experiences like coffee breaks etc.- 20:21.4 How to do leadership in a virtual work world- 21:45.4 Bias towards thinking that our choices will succeed- 23:29.6 Role play worst-case scenarios-24:55.7 Mistakes to avoid- 28:00.2 Where to go for more- 30:52.4 Link to Matt's TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/matthew_confer_before_you_decide_3_steps_to_better_decision_making

Today I'm joined by Matthew Confer. Matthew is the head of Strategy & Business Development for Abilitie. Abilitie is a leadership development company that offers team-based leadership simulations. Matthew has observed hundreds of leaders making decisions in business simulations and he's learned some very interesting things. In fact, he did a TED Talk last year discussing these findings which has close to 40,000 views. Today we talked about how leaders can make better decisions. Matthew Confer on Twitter Matthew Confer's TED Talk Learn to Lead Podcast Abilitie on Twitter Abilitie's Website _____ Learn more about my bestselling leadership book "I Have the Watch: Becoming a Leader Worth Following" here. Subscribe to my weekly newsletter here. Follow me on: Twitter Instagram YouTube

➡️ Like The Podcast? Leave A Rating: https://ratethispodcast.com/successstory  In this "Lessons" episode, we explore the importance of personalized leadership with Matthew Confer, VP of Strategy at Abilitie. Discover how to effectively assess and adapt your leadership style to meet individual needs, highlighting the flaws of a one-size-fits-all approach. Matthew shares insights on how experiential learning, particularly through gamified simulations, can transform leadership training and improve managerial effectiveness.The Flaws of Traditional Leadership Training: Many organizations rely on passive training methods like PowerPoint presentations. Matthew stresses the need for interactive and engaging training, noting that true learning occurs through active participation and reflection. Experiential learning allows leaders to engage in real-world scenarios, making the process more effective and memorable.Gamification in Leadership Development: Abilitie's simulations enable participants to take on leadership roles in competitive, team-based environments. This method enhances decision-making skills and promotes collaboration. By simulating real-life challenges, leaders can reflect on their performance, ensuring a relevant and impactful learning experience.Moving Beyond the Golden Rule: A common misconception is the golden rule: treating others as you wish to be treated. Matthew emphasizes the need to understand individual differences among team members. Effective leaders adapt their styles based on the unique needs of each individual, leading to better engagement and outcomes.➡️ Show Linkshttps://successstorypodcast.com  YouTube: https://youtu.be/9lexv5PtFkY                                 Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/success-story-with-scott-d-clary/id1484783544 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/49pFo8oZXqpfh4WhYXJRu1?si=0ff7069157914d8c ➡️ Watch the Podcast On Youtubehttps://www.youtube.com/c/scottdclaryAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy