Podcasts about most male dominated organization

How can you make discomfort work for, rather than against you?On today's episode of Potent, Steven Lawson and Shannon Huffman Polson, founder of The Grit Institute, explore the transformational power of grit, and how you can build grit in your own life to live into a deeper potential through moving towards rather than away from discomfort, change, and difficulty. Uncover how discomfort, service, and challenging experiences pave the way for transformation and a more purposeful existence.About Today's GuestShannon Huffman Polson is the author of The Grit Factor: Courage,Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World, as well as the memoir North of Hope. She is the founder of The Grit Institute, a leadership institute committed to whole leader development, and host of The Grit Factor podcast. Polson also teaches on the faculty of the Tuck School's Leadership and Strategic Initiative Executive Education Program.As one of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter in the U.S. Army, leading line units on three continents, Polson combines her passion and firsthand experience in and study of leadership, grit, purpose and story to address the needs of her clients in the face of challenge and change with world-class keynotes and executive education.After serving for a decade in the armed services, Polson earned her MBA at the Tuck School at Dartmouth, and later her MFA. She went on to lead outstanding teams in the corporate world in the medical device industry and atMicrosoft. As a community leader, Polson successfully envisioned, founded and led the completion of a $6.5M new library and civic center.Polson has a decade of experience speaking to companies and organizations around the world, and is consistently the highest rated speaker at her events. Polson lives with her husband and two children in Washington State.https://shannonpolson.com/https://www.thegritinstitute.com/podcasts/Show Notes02:00 The Grit Factor03:20 Why grit?04:16 The double crucible05:50 What to do when the cards are against you?10:19 Encounters with death13:23 Courageously engaging death/life16:52 Danger to be consumed with purpose18:32 Trusting oneself19:42 Connect with inner compass22:36 A holistic approach24:29 Raising kids with grit 27:55 Belonging and significance29:55 Doomsday news32:32 Can't make friends?33:54 Comfortable with uncomfortable38:13 Outgrowing the box analogy39:13 how you navigate growing42:24 What does great look like46:14 Trust the process/love the work47:50 Mary Poppins50:27 Gratitude changes you52:36 Look for ways to serveThis podcast is brought to you by the Monk Manual. The monk manual is dedicated to providing best-in-class tools for helping you build a more potent life, and experience peaceful being and purposeful doing on a daily basis. If you'd like to be more intentional with your time and energy - please visit monkmanual.com. The Potent Podcast is produced and edited by Justin Sinclair, who also composed the the theme music. Additional editing support and mixing by Aaron Feeney. Design by Kristin Bural of Soulbeam Studios.

Shannon (Shay) Huffman Polson - Founder, The Grit Institute, Leadership Speaker and Author  Go to www.thejasoncavnessexperience.com for the full episode and other episodes of The Jason Cavness Experience on your favorite platforms. Sponsor CavnessHR delivers HR companies with 49 or fewer people with our HR platform and by providing you access to your own HRBP.  www.CavnessHR.com CavnessHR Crowdfunding Campaign We are doing an equity crowdfunding campaign for CavnessHR. You can become an owner in CavnessHR by taking part in our campaign. Learn more here. https://wefunder.com/cavnesshr Shannon's Bio Shannon Huffman Polson is the author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World, and the founder of The Grit Institute, a leadership institute committed to whole leader development and a focus on grit and resilience. As one of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter in the U.S. Army, leading line units on three continents, Polson combines her passion and firsthand experience in and study of leadership and grit to deliver world-class keynotes and training to companies and organizations on leadership and grit. After serving for a decade in the armed services, Polson earned her MBA at the Tuck School at Dartmouth.  She went on to lead outstanding teams in the corporate world at Guidant Corporation (later Boston Scientific) and Microsoft Corporation. Shannon lives in Washington State. We talked about the following and other items Her appearance on NBC Today  Can women have it all What makes someone a leader  Becoming one of the first females to fly the Apache helicopter in the U.S. Army  How do you influence other women to tell their story  Embracing failure Embracing success  The Grit Factor  Living in France Advice to anyone who is the only blank in the room Shannon's Social Media Shannon's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonhpolson/ Shannon's Website: https://shannonpolson.com/ Shannon's YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCcpleeDo9xXWkqau90yLHog Shannon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonhpolson/ Shannon's Twitter: https://twitter.com/ABorderLife The Grit Institute: https://www.thegritinstitute.com/ Shannon's Book - The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World  https://www.amazon.com/Grit-Factor-Resilience-Male-Dominated-Organization/dp/1633697266/ref=as_li_ss_tl?keywords=the+grit+factor&qid=1579913022&sr=8-2&linkCode=sl1&tag=shannonhpolso-20&linkId=de37c60b756365aead07d9006a9c0c08&language=en_US

Today, I'm joined by Shannon Huffman Polson. Shannon is a leadership speaker, author, and founder of the Grit Institute. She is a U.S. Army veteran who became one of the first women to fly Apache helicopters. She is the author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World. I'm excited to have her on the show to talk about how to harness grit to transform your own life and career. Show resources: The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World. Shannon Huffman Polson website Sponsors: Jeremy Clevenger Fitness The Sasquatch Flag Company The Fraternity of Excellence ____ Order my latest bestselling book, You Have the Watch: A Guided Journal to Become a Leader Worth Following Order my bestselling leadership book, All in the Same Boat - Lead Your Organization Like a Nuclear Submariner Order my bestselling leadership book, I Have the Watch: Becoming a Leader Worth Following Become a leader worth following today with these powerful resources: Subscribe to my leadership newsletter Follow Jon S Rennie on Twitter Follow Jon S Rennie on Instagram Follow Jon S Rennie on YouTube The Experience of Leadership book   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shannon Huffman Polson is continuously challenging herself to move out of her comfort zone, whether it's by flying attack helicopters, climbing the tallest mountain in North America, or speaking in front of hundreds of people. This time, it's by moving with her family from Washington state to a village nobody's ever heard of in the mountains of France. And no, she does not speak French… yet, anyway.As one of the first women to fly Apache helicopters in the male-dominated U.S. Army, Shannon is a person who continuously chooses courage over comfort. Some of her accomplishments include leading two flight platoons, climbing Mount Denali, writing five award-winning books, and founding The Grit Institute.In this episode, we dive into Shannon's story of adventure and risk, including the challenges she faces and the successes that come along with them. She shares the struggles of moving abroad with young children, the tensions of integrating into a new culture, and how we can find a sense of belonging in an unfamiliar place.Sylvia and Shannon dig into what they wish they knew before moving abroad, why they did it, and what they've learned from their journeys so far. They also discuss the immense benefits of leaving your comfort zone, living on your own terms, and pursuing a fulfilling life.Topics Include:- How to find your sense of belonging- Overcoming loneliness to find confidence and inspiration- The difficulties of moving abroad with children- How shared challenges can bring us together- The ups and downs of learning a new language- Recognizing loss- The importance of stories for identity- And other topics…Shannon Huffman Polson is a helicopter pilot, author, scuba diver, mountain climber, keynote speaker, consultant, wife, mother, and much more. Known for being one of the first women to fly the Apache attack helicopter in the Army, she has made a way where there were none time and time again. Her most recent book, The Grit Factor, describes what a woman needs to succeed in a male-dominated world.After a decade in the armed forces, Shannon graduated from Dartmouth with her MBA. She has since worked as a keynote speaker, lecturer, and consultant for companies like Microsoft and the Guidant Corporation. Her latest adventure includes moving with her husband and two children from Washington state to the mountains of France on her quest to live the richest life possible.Resources Mentioned:The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World, by Shannon Huffman Polson: https://www.amazon.com/Grit-Factor-Resilience-Male-Dominated-Organization/dp/1633697266The Grit Institute: https://shannonpolson.com/about/the-grit-institute/^^Code for 15% off Shannon's Going for Grit Course: whenwomenfly  Connect With Shannon:https://linktr.ee/shannonhpolsonFamily Blog: https://painauchocolate.substack.com/Newsletter: https://facingthewind.substack.com/LinkedIn and Instagram @ shannonhpolsonStay Connected:Drop Us A Message on PodInbox: https://podinbox.com/whenwomenflyEmail: hello@whenwomenfly.comWebsite: https://www.whenwomenfly.com/Socials: @whenwomenflySignup for AIR BORN, our monthly newsletter! A letter from Sylvia will show up in your inbox, with links to her latest conversation

Merryl Tengesdal is an American retired career military officer and the first and only Black woman to fly the United States Air Force's U-2 spy plane used for specialized high-altitude reconnaissance missions. She is one of five women and three Black people to be in the U-2 program. She shares the plane's nickname, The Dragon Lady. . Tengesdal is a military veteran, aviator, and commander who served in both the US Navy and the US Air Force, as well as on combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. She served as Director of Inspections for The Air Force Inspector General from October 2015 through August 2017, retiring at the rank of United States Air Force Colonel with more than 3400 flight hours and 330 combat hours. . Her memoir is titled Shatter the Sky. . I met Merryl for the first time at an event in which we both participated at the Seattle Museum of Flight, and liked her immediately. She speaks with candor and humor about her experiences and lessons learned, and is passionate about connecting to support the next generation of leaders in and our of the skies.  . Give yourself the gift of listening in to our conversation— and forward it along to whomever might enjoy or benefit! . You're invited to join us for a FREE five part workshop: Sign up Here!     BOOKS & RESOURCES   Shatter the Sky: What going to the stratosphere taught me about self-worth, sacrifice, and discipline by Col Merryl Tengesdal (Ret.)   Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear   The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World

I am joined in this episode by Shannon Huffman Polson - the author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World, and the founder of The Grit Institute, a leadership institute committed to whole leader development and a focus on grit and resilience.As one of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter in the U.S. Army, Polson shares her passion and firsthand experience in and study of leadership and grit to companies and organizations.We discuss the difference between grit and resilience and why it is important to keep revisiting grit. Polson says - "The more agency you give your people, the more confident they will feel  in the face of change and challenges".  We all have the gift of 'Choice '.Shannon is a graduate of Duke University and the Tuck School at Dartmouth.Get In Touch With ShannonWebsites -http://www.shannonpolson.com http://www.thegritinstitute.comStay Connected with MaureenWebsite: https://www.maureenchiana.comTraining Academy: https://www.themindsightacademy.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureenchiana/Let's have a chat:Book a Free Consultation Call: https://calendly.com/maureen-77/30min

Shannon Huffman Polson is the author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World, and the founder of The Grit Institute, a leadership institute committed to whole leader development and a focus on grit and resilience. As one of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter in the U.S. Army, leading line units on three continents, Polson combines her passion and firsthand experience in and study of leadership and grit to deliver world-class keynotes and training to companies and organizations on leadership and grit.   After serving for a decade in the armed services, Polson earned her MBA at the Tuck School at Dartmouth. She went on to lead outstanding teams in the corporate world at Guidant Corporation (later Boston Scientific) and Microsoft Corporation. Connect On LinkedIn, Instagram, You Tube, NewsLetter Supported by Leashes of Valor 

Shannon Huffman Polson is the author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World, and the founder of The Grit Institute, a leadership institute committed to ethical whole leader development with online and supported training. As one of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter in the U.S. Army, Polson combines her passion for creativity with firsthand experience in leadership and grit to deliver world-class training to companies and organizations.  After serving for a decade in the armed services, including leading two flight platoons and a flight company on three continents, Polson earned her MBA at the Tuck School at Dartmouth. She went on to lead outstanding teams in the corporate world as well at Guidant Corporation (later Boston Scientific) and Microsoft Corporation. www.shannonpolson.com www.thegritinstitute.com

AOA's 2021 keynote speaker, author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World, and the founder of The Grit Institute, Shannon Huffman Polson  joins AOA hosts Charles A. Goldfarb, MD, FAOA, and Alexander Aleem, MD  to discuss grit in leadership. Shannon Huffman Polson shares her experience to discuss topics such as:Improving diversity in a male dominated fieldBuilding gritLeading by exampleThe role of mentorship in creating resilienceLimitations of gritLearn more about Shannon Huffman Polson's work here.Music:Special thanks to Peter Martin of Peter Martin Music, Inc (@iampetermartin) for the jazz introduction and conclusion. 

Shannon Huffman Polson served as an Army officer for nearly a decade, and she was one of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter. In addition to her military service, she spent five years leading and managing in the corporate sector. She is the author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World. As a dynamic, in-demand speaker, Shannon reaches thousands of people a year at major organizations on topics related to leadership, courage, resilience, and grit. Listen in as she shares her hard-won insights! Learn More: https://www.shannonpolson.com/ Find her at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonhpolson/

If you love this episode, feel free to download it and share with a friend. We would be grateful if you leave a five-star review! (If you don't love it, no need to review) You're invited to join my Gratitude Community, with over 108K subscribers to "The Gratitude Journal", published biweekly.We are grateful for our sponsors!LifeGuides is a peer-to-peer community that helps people navigate through their day-to-day stressors by providing a place of empathy, listening, wisdom and support with a Guide who has walked in your shoes, experiencing the same challenge or life experience as you. It's this easy -  Schedule a demo and drop Healthy2021 in the “Any Questions?” box and receive 2 FREE months service.At Methods Of, you will learn the "Methods of Leadership" from some of the best CEOs, executive coaches, thought leaders and business thinkers on the planet. Use my discount code COMEBACK2021 at checkout for a 50% discount!##Our guest today is the fabulous Shannon Huffman Polson, Shannon is the author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World, and the founder of The Grit Institute, a leadership consultancy committed to whole leader development and a focus on grit and resilience. As one of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter in the U.S. Army, leading line units on three continents, Polson combines her passion and firsthand experience in and study of leadership and grit to deliver world-class keynotes and training to companies and organizations on leadership and grit. After serving for a decade in the armed services, Polson earned her MBA at the Tuck School at Dartmouth and led outstanding teams in the corporate world at Microsoft. Polson lives with her husband and two boys in Washington State.To book Shannon to speak for your organization or event,  Email Shannon@TheGritInstitute.com, or call 509-996-8011 or Contact Page###Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton have spent more than two decades helping clients around the world engage their employees on strategy, vision and values. They provide real solutions for leaders looking to manage change, drive innovation and build high performance cultures and teams. Their work is supported by research with more than a million working adults across the globe. They are authors of multiple award-winning Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestsellers All In, The Carrot Principle, Leading with Gratitude, and Anxiety at Work. Their books have been translated into 30 languages and have sold more than 1.5 million copies. LifeGuides is a peer-to-peer community that helps people navigate through their day-to-day stressors by providing a place of empathy, listening, wisdom and support with a Guide who has walked in your shoes, experiencing the same challenge or life experience as you.

Shannon Huffman Polson is author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World (Harvard Business Review Press) and an in-demand speaker who presents to audiences worldwide on leadership and grit. As one of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter in the U.S. Army, Polson led three line units on three different continents before earning her MBA at the Tuck School at Dartmouth and leading teams in the corporate world at Microsoft. She later earned her MFA. Her first book is North of Hope: A Daughter's Arctic Journey. Polson and her family live in Washington State. Shannon and I discuss her book, her influences, her experiences (both good and bad) that shaped her life, and dig deep into what grit is and how important it is in leadership and life. To learn more about Shannon and all that she offers, visit her website here: https://www.shannonpolson.com/

Our guest today is the amazing Shannon Huffman Polson. Shannon Huffman Polson is the author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World, and the founder of The Grit Institute, a leadership consultancy committed to whole leader development and a focus on grit and resilience. As one of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter in the U.S. Army, leading line units on three continents, Polson combines her passion and firsthand experience in and study of leadership and grit to deliver world-class keynotes and training to companies and organizations on leadership and grit. After serving for a decade in the armed services, Polson earned her MBA at the Tuck School at Dartmouth and led outstanding teams in the corporate world at Microsoft. Polson lives with her husband and two boys in Washington State.Follow Shannon on LinkedIn For Booking inquiries, contact shannon@thegritinstitute.com###If you love this podcast please share it with friends, family and co-workers and leave a 5-star review! We would also love to hear from you on LinkedIn and invite you to join our online community We Thrive Together where we are creating a safe place to talk about anxiety and mental health at work. ###Your hosts, Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton have spent more than two decades helping clients around the world engage their employees on strategy, vision and values. They provide real solutions for leaders looking to manage change, drive innovation and build high performance cultures and teams. Their work is supported by research with more than a million working adults across the globe.They are authors of multiple award-winning Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestsellers All In, The Carrot Principle, Leading with Gratitude, and Anxiety at Work. Their books have been translated into 30 languages and have sold more than 1.5 million copies. They have been called “fascinating” by Fortune and “creative and refreshing” by The New York Times. Gostick & Elton have appeared on NBC's Today Show, CBS 60 Minutes, and are often quoted in Fast Company, Newsweek and the Wall Street Journal. Learn more about their Executive Coaching practice at TheCultureWorks.com. To book Adrian and Chester to keynote at your event, contact christy@thecultureworks.com ### A shout out to our wonderful sponsor, LifeGuides. LifeGuides is a peer-to-peer community that helps people navigate through their day-to-day stressors by providing a place of empathy, listening, wisdom and support with a Guide who has walked in your shoes, experiencing the same challenge or life experience as you. We have a special offer for A@W Community from LifeGuides. It's this easy -  Schedule a demo and drop Healthy2021 in the “Any Questions?” box and receive 2 FREE months service.

Shannon Polson was one of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter in the US Army, serving for almost a decade and then onto years in leading and managing in the corporate sector. In her latest book, The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World, shares dozens of women in the vanguard of their military careers and how courage, resilience and grit became key factors to their success. In sharing her story, Shannon has inspired women and men alike and changing the conversation around gender and leadership. She is also the founder of The Grit Institute, providing whole-leader facilitation in leadership, grit, purpose and innovation. With an emphasis on grit, she demonstrates how to tap into that passion and resolve so you can face your limitations, own your sense of purpose, and become a leader of greatness. "Being grateful and curious can open a lot of doors and opportunities". After leaving the service in August 2001, Shannon had some doubts and considered coming back in the military after 9/11. Listen to the the advice she received from her Dad which helped her move on in her second service.  Connect with Shannon at https://www.shannonpolson.com/ Book Recommendation: West with the Night by Beryl Markham This podcast is brought to you by Fortis Et Fidelis. Honoring the brave and faithful service of our fallen by creating and providing memorial coins for families of the fallen . The free will never forget! Join our Community at Brave and Faithful Visit our website Fortis Et Fidelis Follow, Like, Subscribe to Fortis Et Fidelis: Facebook Instagram Twitter Youtube Listen to the Brave and Faithful Podcast: Amazon Apple Spotify Google --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/fortis-et-fidelis/support

Episode #53:  Have you ever wanted to be more courageous and take that leap into the unknown because you know there is something more in store for you?  Shannon Polson has done that throughout her life and is now teaching others how to be more resilient in the face of fear.  From moving across the country for college to selecting one of the most unlikely positions in the Army for a female, fear did not get in her way.  Shannon has documented that path in her book and shares some of the tangible tips, anyone of us can use to have more grit and accomplish what we really want in life.  She is inspirational and entertaining in this interview.  Don't miss out!Bio:Shannon Huffman Polson is the author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World, and the founder of The Grit Institute, a leadership institute committed to whole leader development and a focus on grit and resilience. Polson is one of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter in the U.S. Army and a veteran of the corporate world in the medical device and technology industries.Contact Shannon:WebsiteLinkedInBuy her book!

Shannon Huffman Polson is the author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World, and the founder of The Grit Institute, an institute committed to whole leader development with a focus on grit and resilience. As one of the first women to fly an Apache helicopter in the US Army and to lead line units on three continents, Shannon now shares her firsthand experience and knowledge with world-class companies and organizations like Gradient Corporation, Boston Scientific, and Microsoft. 

Shannon Huffman Polson, a consultant, former military pilot, author, and speaker pulls from a wealth of personal testimony to train and educate on the topic of developing grit. She was in the first group of women to fly the Apache attack helicopter in the US army, an experience that gives her a unique perspective on topics such as leading authentically to who you are, rising above resistance, and staying connected with your core purpose. Shannon's newest book, “The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World” walks readers through applicable and transformative exercises that solidify many of these hard lessons. Start reading her book: https://bookshop.org/shop/bestyoucanb Meet Shannon: http://www.shannonpolson.com Discover The Grit Institute: http://www.thegritinstitute.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/brigitta-borinstein/support

My guest today is Shannon Huffman Polson. She served as one of the first women to fly the Apache helicopter in the US Army. In addition to her military service, she is the founder of the Grit Institute and speaks frequently on topics related to leadership, courage, resilience, and grit. The topic is her book The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the World. In this episode of Trend Following Radio we discuss: Growing up in Alaska The Grit Women Climber Climbing Summits Grit and Resilience Intense Grit System The Pilot of Apache Helicopter Women Attack Pilots Grit is a Skill Grit Mindset Women in the Military Jump in! --- I'm MICHAEL COVEL, the host of TREND FOLLOWING RADIO, and I'm proud to have delivered 10+ million podcast listens since 2012. Investments, economics, psychology, politics, decision-making, human behavior, entrepreneurship and trend following are all passionately explored and debated on my show. To start? I'd like to give you a great piece of advice you can use in your life and trading journey… cut your losses! You will find much more about that philosophy here: https://www.trendfollowing.com/trend/ You can watch a free video here: https://www.trendfollowing.com/video/ Can't get enough of this episode? You can choose from my thousand plus episodes here: https://www.trendfollowing.com/podcast My social media platforms: Twitter: @covel Facebook: @trendfollowing LinkedIn: @covel Instagram: @mikecovel Hope you enjoy my never-ending podcast conversation!

In this episode you will learn about how men can be great allies to women and how we can build a better culture (both at work and at home) of inclusivity and equity, while also preserving the values of masculine and feminine qualities. For this episode I interviewed Shannon Huffman Polson. She is one of the first women to fly Apache combat helicopters in the U.S. Armed Forces, where she served on three continents and led two flight platoons and a line company. Recently she turned her attention to the study of leadership, as author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World, and founder of The Grit Institute, with robust training in leadership and grit dedicated to whole-leader development in times of challenge and change.

Episode SummaryWhen taking off in an Apache helicopter you turn into the wind and face that wind head-on ... and that is how Shannon Polson takes on life. A fighter pilot, mountain climber, and author, Shannon is the embodiment of grit, whose energy and personal story inspires others to change, overcome, and transform. Syd talks with his former student about her unique military experience, family tragedy, and navigating life, in this episode of The Sydcast.Syd FinkelsteinSyd Finkelstein is the Steven Roth Professor of Management at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. He holds a Master's degree from the London School of Economics and a Ph.D. from Columbia University. Professor Finkelstein has published 25 books and 90 articles, including the bestsellers Why Smart Executives Fail and Superbosses: How Exceptional Leaders Master the Flow of Talent, which LinkedIn Chairman Reid Hoffman calls the “leadership guide for the Networked Age.” He is also a Fellow of the Academy of Management, a consultant and speaker to leading companies around the world, and a top 25 on the Global Thinkers 50 list of top management gurus. Professor Finkelstein's research and consulting work often relies on in-depth and personal interviews with hundreds of people, an experience that led him to create and host his own podcast, The Sydcast, to uncover and share the stories of all sorts of fascinating people in business, sports, entertainment, politics, academia, and everyday life. Shannon Polson After eight years in uniform as one of the Army's first women Apache pilots, Shannon Huffman-Polson never stopped looking for challenges. She climbed high mountains, raced long-course triathlons, and took journeys to Alaska's Arctic, all epic in their challenge emotionally and physically. For three years, she has interviewed women in the vanguard of their military fields as research for The Grit Factor to better understand shared stories and lessons in leadership and grit to inspire other leaders in ways she would have liked to be inspired herself. The Grit Institute is a culmination of that work toward the mission of providing resources for leaders at all levels, especially those in transitions or navigating change.Insights from this episode:Details on why Shannon joined the Army, growing up in Alaska, and what it was like to be stranded while climbing Denali, North America's tallest peak.The strategy Shannon used to become the first female attack helicopter pilot and what it was like to fly missions.Benefits of her unique military experience that translated to providing mentorship and leadership to other women through personal interaction and her books.How to define grit for yourself, what it takes to get it, and how to use it.Benefits of telling your story your way and creating a narrative that makes you stronger. Quotes from the show: On working in the military: “I worked with some of the absolute best people that I ever hope to know and ever hope to work with and I also worked with some of the worst.” – Shannon PolsonOn leaving the military: “It was very hard to not be somewhere where I felt like I was making a difference and responding.” – Shannon Polson“My experience is, possibly, now a little bit dated. It's certainly very unique for having been one of the first women to enter into army attack aviation.” – Shannon Polson “Absolutely no question that grit is innate to every single one of us and that grit is a trainable skill and I think that's been proven again and again.” – Shannon Polson“Whatever our level [of skill] is when it comes to being an effective leader or a creative person … you can get more, you can learn how to extend that.” – Syd Finkelstein“The ecosystem that supports grit is something that we all need to pay attention to and be able to determine as well.” – Shannon Polson“Stories are so fundamental to how we think about the world and who we are.” – Syd FinkelsteinOn telling our own story: “It really is just integral, quite frankly, to everything that we do and everything that we are, whether or not we recognize it. To recognize it means to claim the potential to change it.” – Shannon Polson“We often don't see the truth in our own stories without a little bit of help.” – Shannon Polson“We all create our masks in life and we're different types of people in different situations and this whole thing [COVID-19] has stripped it away to our fundamentals.” – Syd Finkelstein“Nothing ever happens by just doing what everybody tells you to do.” – Syd FinkelsteinStay Connected: Syd FinkelsteinWebsite: http://thesydcast.comLinkedIn: Sydney FinkelsteinTwitter: @sydfinkelsteinFacebook: The SydcastInstagram: The Sydcast Shannon PolsonWebsite: www.thegritinstitute.comWebsite: www.shannonpolson.comTwitter: @ABorderLifeBook: The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience, and Leadership in the Most Male-Dominated Organization in the WorldBook: North of Hope: A Daughter's Arctic JourneySubscribe to our podcast + download each episode on Stitcher, iTunes, and Spotify.This episode was produced and managed by Podcast Laundry (www.podcastlaundry.com)

The Empowering Women in Industry Awards - August 1, 2020 - will be live-streamed on the Empowering Women in Industry Facebook page!!    Episode 11 (Season 2) of the Empowering Women Podcast GUEST: Shannon Polson, The Grit Factor | Twitter, LinkedIn BIO: Shannon Huffman Polson has worked with leaders in industries across the country and around the world on managing change, building leadership and grit, and planning for diversity. Polson is founder and CEO of The Grit Institute, a leadership development organization dedicated to the whole leader approach to ethical and people centered performance in times of change and challenge. Reach out for instruction for you and your organization online, and discuss supplementation by live webinars, and keynotes to ensure your team has what it needs to succeed. Polson is the author of The Grit Factor: Courage, Resilience and Leadership in the Most Male Dominated Organization in the World, forthcoming from Harvard Business Review Press in September 2020.   Notable Episode Quotes: “When you take care of your people, they take care of the mission.” “Leadership is a sacred trust.” “The only way you can bring your full self to work is by addressing the needs of your full self.” “A leader is responsible for setting the vision. They're responsible for connecting people to purpose.” “Setting some sort of vision for your people is still important, even if we don't know what the long-term looks like. And I think that is both the opportunity and the responsibility of a leader today.” -- Shannon Polson on being a leader during a time of #Covid19 “And I love that word ‘audacity' because it's really being willing to go out and take risks, and know that sometimes you're going to fail and that it's not failure that matters but what you do with it that counts. You're going to fall. You're going to fail and you get up one more time than you fall down. That's the key to success, right?” Additional Links and Resources: Support Shannon's initiative to build a local library by visiting: https://www.winthroplibraryfriends.org/ Shannon's Medium Post about Karen Baetzel Battle Axe Consulting - Karen Baetzel Books: The Grit Factor by Shannon Polson   The Excellence Dividend by Tom Peters