In this episode of The Mind Takeaway Podcast, we sit down with John Marks, a renowned peacebuilder, social entrepreneur, and former US diplomat. With a decades-long career, John shares his transformative journey from exposing abuses within the CIA to becoming a global peacemaker. He discusses the challenges and triumphs of scaling a non-profit organisation, Search for Common Ground, from a small team to 600 staff across 35 countries and the vital role of collaboration and adaptability in conflict resolution. We delve into the complexities of social entrepreneurship, exploring the hurdles of securing long-term funding and the internal bureaucratic challenges growing organisations face. John provides insights into his unique conflict resolution approach, emphasising media engagement and societal-level impact, and shares lessons from his extensive experience mentoring emerging social entrepreneurs. The conversation also touches on the impact of stress and burnout in the non-profit sector, with John offering a unique perspective on managing these challenges through the principles of Aikido. We also explore his work in media production, including creating impactful programming such as "Under the Same Sun," a film promoting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. This conversation highlights the power of optimism, collaboration, and the continuous search for common ground in a world often marked by division and conflict. 00:00 John Marks' life work has been all about transforming how countries deal with conflict 03:43 You went from zero to 600 staff in what, 35 countries 08:40 There are lots of challenging and challenges in social entrepreneurship 13:21 Why did John write another book? 24:25 You produced a film about Israel and Palestine 30:43 There was cooperation between the CIA and the Soviet Union on terrorism 41:15 Every conflict can be an opportunity to learn from and grow from 42:29 There does tend to be a lot of burnout in the social activist area 47:34 I think what worked for you is flexible collaborating, not rigid planning 52:13 It's difficult in social entrepreneurship to fail even once

In this episode of The Mind Takeaway podcast, we bring you part two of our special recordings from TXL Berlin, situated on the site of the former Tegel Airport. As we reminisce about our travels through Tegel Airport, now the site of one of the biggest European urban development projects, we explore scaling collaboration within groups, teams, communities, and organisations. We explore the challenges and opportunities of scaling collaboration, especially in the context of sustainability and impact-driven initiatives. We discuss the importance of time, structure, and discipline in facilitating effective collaboration at scale, respecting each other's time, maintaining a flexible agenda, and the critical role of a facilitator in guiding the whole process. We also discuss the significance of asking for help and leveraging diverse skill sets within a community to achieve common goals. The conversation extends to the global stage, examining the dynamics of collaboration between countries and the need for healing and letting go of egos to move forward sustainably. Timestamps 01:15 Reflecting on the nostalgia of Tegel Airport and its transformation 03:40 The importance of time and reflection in scaling collaboration 06:28 The role of structure and discipline in effective collaboration 08:45 Respecting each other's capacity and time in community projects 12:30 The necessity of asking for help and leveraging diverse skill sets 15:20 Healing and letting go of egos for sustainable collaboration 18:10 The impact of human connection and face-to-face meetings 20:35 Using technology to enhance, not replace, human connection 22:50 Practical strategies for fostering successful collaboration

In this episode of The Mind Takeaway podcast, we explore the fascinating and complex world of AI ethics with Camila, an AI ethics research expert at SAP. We explore the development of AI ethics over the past decade and its crucial role in ensuring that AI technologies are designed and used responsibly and ethically. Camila sheds light on the significant gaps in AI development, the ethical concerns surrounding AI, and the importance of safeguarding human rights and societal values amidst rapid technological advancements. We discuss the challenges posed by biased and incomplete data, the Western-centric nature of current AI technologies, and the implications of AI-generated data. Camilla emphasises the need for a balanced approach to AI development, integrating ethical principles into the engineering cycle and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders, including policymakers, legal experts, and designers. We also touch on the EU AI Act, its impact on consumer and business AI technologies, and the importance of transparency, explainability, and quality testing in AI systems. The conversation highlights the necessity of slowing down and reflecting on the broader implications of AI, including environmental considerations and the right to disconnect. •Disclosure: Camila's options are her own and not of her company. Timestamps 01:20 Introduction to Camilla and her role at SAP 03:45 The development and importance of AI ethics 08:10 Ethical concerns in AI: Bias, discrimination, and societal impact 12:35 The Western-centric nature of AI technologies 16:50 The implications of AI-generated data and synthetic data 21:15 The EU AI Act and its impact on AI deployment 26:40 Balancing innovation with ethical considerations 31:05 The role of collaboration in achieving responsible AI 35:20 Environmental considerations and the right to disconnect 40:10 The importance of integrating human rights into AI development 45:00 Reflecting on the broader implications of AI and technology Resources Mentioned SAP Responsible AI Why SAP’s Updated AI Ethics Policy Is Based on the Human Rights-Oriented UNESCO Recommendation EU AI Act Which Humans? Saint George's Bookshop, Berlin

In the first of a series of special episodes, we join you from Berin TXL, which is 495 hectares on the site of the former Tigel airport. It is now being transformed into one of Europe's biggest urban development projects, a new district of the city that will focus on sustainability and urban technologies; Urban Tech Republic - their research and industrial park, is already open. It is a collaborative infrastructure with laboratories, offices, a production area, and a free art, culture, and activism space. GUT, a world-class events space, is now in the former air freight hall, and a nightclub called Turbulence has been up and running since July. In the future, homes will be made in this new district, as well as a university campus. We discuss the importance of understanding our roles in collaboration, the need for aligned purposes, and the significance of clarity and focus. We also explore how fear and ego hinder effective collaboration and why trust, transparency, and communication are crucial for successful teamwork. Finally, we share personal experiences and insights on how to navigate the challenges of collaboration, from individual efforts to larger group dynamics. Whether you're part of a small team or looking to foster collaboration on a grander scale, this episode offers valuable perspectives on achieving impactful results through collective efforts. Keep an eye out for part two, where we will explore collaboration at scale, taking inspiration from the innovative developments at TXL Berlin. Timestamps 01:15 Introduction to TXL Berlin and its focus on sustainability and urban technologies 03:40 The importance of collaboration for learning, growth, and innovation 06:28 Understanding our roles in collaboration and the need for aligned purposes 08:45 The impact of fear and ego on collaboration 12:30 Building trust, transparency, and effective communication within teams 15:20 The challenges of maintaining focus and commitment in collaborative efforts 18:10 Personal experiences of collaboration and overcoming obstacles 20:35 The importance of reflection and feedback in improving collaboration 22:50 Preview of part two: Exploring collaboration at scale Berlin TXL https://berlintxl.de/en/ Urban Tech Republic [https://urbantechrepublic.de/en/ GICA https://gica.community/ Turbulence Nightclub [https://www.turbulenceclub.de/ The Century of the Self (documentary) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ3RzGoQC4s]

This episode of The Mind Takeaway podcast explores how to plan for success and prepare your team and business for opportunities. We share insights on effectively planning for the future while leaving room for flexibility and unexpected opportunities. We discuss the importance of getting into the right mental and physical state, the benefits of changing your environment, and how to facilitate creative and strategic thinking within your team. We explore practical steps for planning sessions, including taking your team to an inspiring location, even if it's just a local park or woods. Learn how to ensure your team is in the best state of mind to foster creativity and collaboration. Discover why documenting your ideas and having a facilitator can streamline the process and help you refine your plans into actionable goals. We explore how to set realistic goals, the importance of flexibility, and the value of learning from what doesn't work. Whether you're a startup founder or part of a larger organisation, this episode offers valuable strategies to help you plan effectively and achieve success. Timestamps 01:15 The importance of getting into the right mental and physical state for planning 03:40 Why changing your environment can boost creativity and collaboration 06:28 How to plan effectively without a big budget 08:45 The benefits of team-building activities during planning sessions 12:30 Documenting your ideas and the role of a facilitator 15:20 Setting realistic goals and the importance of flexibility 18:10 Learning from what doesn't work and adapting your plans 20:35 How to ensure your team collaborates effectively 22:50 Using these strategies for specific projects and innovation

In this episode of the Mind Takeaway podcast, we explore how to maintain focus and achieve great results without burning yourself out. Drawing insights from our recent immersive leadership retreat, we discuss the challenges of staying focused in a world filled with distractions and offer practical strategies to enhance concentration and productivity. We explore the importance of scheduling and incorporating time buffers between meetings to reset and prepare effectively. Learn about the science behind focus and how an intentional 20-30-minute break between sessions and blocks of work can significantly improve your impact and results. We also address the internal and external distractions that can derail your focus and provide tips on setting professional boundaries to mitigate these interruptions. Discover how a little preparation can help you stay present and intentional in meetings, leading to better communication, reduced emotional transfer, and, ultimately, more successful outcomes. Whether you're a leader striving for growth or someone looking to improve your daily focus, this episode offers valuable insights to help you achieve your goals. Timestamps: 02:48 How to improve your ability to focus and be present in your meetings 05:21 We share a simple meeting preparation technique that will help you be more focused and have a greater impact in your meetings. 06:40 What boundaries can you set to help you minimise distractions during your focus time, and how can you do this without disconnecting from your team? 07:39 How to avoid common pitfalls that drain your time and focus when running a busy operation.   09:08 Our internal distractions, such as thoughts, beliefs, and emotional triggers, can be just as damaging as the external ones. 09:41 Meeting preparation and asking yourself - What can get in the way of me staying focused in this meeting? 11:38 If you want to be more productive and achieve better results, you may need to do less and focus on the quality of your work.

In this episode, we come to you from a lovely public park in Bordeaux, also known as Jardin Public, to discuss a topic close to our hearts: sustainability and self-awareness in leadership. We explore the intricate relationship between self-awareness and building more sustainable companies. As leaders, understanding our impact on the environment and communities is crucial for fostering a future where businesses thrive without depleting natural resources. With its commitment to sustainability through initiatives like zero-kilometre restaurants and an efficient public transport system, Bordeaux is a perfect backdrop for this conversation. We explore the importance of internal and external change in achieving sustainability. From the landmark case won by a group of Swiss women for climate justice to the necessity for cultural, political, and business reforms, we highlight that true sustainability begins with self-awareness. Leaders must question their beliefs, practices, and the very definition of success to create a more equitable and environmentally friendly future. Join us as we discuss how leaders can cultivate self-awareness, become better mentors and coaches, and make conscious decisions that reduce their company's footprint. We share insights on fostering a culture of listening to others and oneself to identify and overcome limiting beliefs and traumas that hinder sustainable practices. Whether you're a startup founder or a seasoned executive, this episode offers valuable perspectives on integrating sustainability into your leadership approach and business strategy. Listen to discover how you can make a meaningful impact and lead your company towards a more sustainable future. Timestamps (01:26) To be more sustainable and impact the world, you must become more self-aware as a leader.  (01:50) Learn why Bordeaux, France, is one of Europe's most sustainable cities. (02:40) Self-awareness within leadership is crucial in building sustainable companies and enables us to have a lower footprint on our planet. (03:10) Community Leadership: How did the Swiss woman, known as KlimaSeniorinnen, win a landmark case for climate justice at the Human Rights Court, where policymakers will be held to account?   (05:50) What is wrong with how we measure success in business, and what do we need to do to change it  (07:24) What we see in the startup world is growth for growth's sake, and why does this need to change? (09:50) How can leaders become more sustainable? How can they grow their self-awareness? (10:49) Listening and self-reflection are essential for understanding our belief systems and how those beliefs influence our decision-making.  (12:47) As your awareness grows, so does your curiosity, and we start asking ourselves: Why do we need to buy all these things? Can we continue to use what we have? How can we be more purposeful in our actions? References Jardin Public https://www.bordeaux.fr/l858 European Court of Human Rights https://www.echr.coe.int/ Brains Love Circuits https://brainlovescircuits.com/

In the era of AI and Automation, the demand for human creativity has surged, thanks to tools like Chat GPT. In this episode, we delve into the power of originality, emphasising that replicating others' work without infusing your unique perspective will not lead to building impactful businesses or products. Although shortcuts can be very useful, you can often pay a price. Some things are better when you embrace the challenges and find your own way forward. Believing you are not good enough can often be a reason for copying others' work. If you copy others, you are not bringing your unique self into your work. If something or someone sparks your creativity, it's crucial to share the source of your inspiration with humility, fostering a sense of connection and mutual growth. If you mimic something, following the steps without a personal connection,  you may lack the energy and resilience to sustain your progress in the future. You won't have the impact if you are inauthentic when building something, claim it's yours, and lack the skills or experience to deliver.  You can build unique, authentic, and impactful products to help others, and you don't need to copy others because you feel uncomfortable. The need to copy others often comes from envy, jealousy, fear, being uncomfortable, and feeling like I'm not good enough, and social media amplifies all of those painful feelings. 

Why should you, as a leader, ask for feedback from your team?  In this episode, we explore how creating a culture of feedback in your team and company can mitigate and prevent many challenges organisations face today and help you become a better leader.

In this thought-provoking episode of The Mind Takeaway Podcast, we welcome back Paul Rosenberg for a deep dive into the turbulent waters of startup and scale-up ventures. As one of our earliest guests, Paul returns to explore the intricate reasons behind the failure of many ambitious companies. While market factors such as product-market fit and competition often take the blame, we peel back the layers to reveal the internal challenges that impede success: Leadership, communication, and culture. Join us as we dissect the essence of effective Leadership, the transformative power of active listening, and the critical importance of nurturing a supportive culture from the get-go. We share our experience on the value of authenticity and vulnerability in Leadership while we discuss the vital role of internal reflection and the courage to engage in challenging conversations. As we navigate the complexities of rapid growth and innovation pressures, we uncover the hidden costs of neglecting the human element in business. We'll tackle the misconceptions about startup support in Europe and offer insights into how seeking external guidance can provide an impressive return on investment. This episode is a must-listen for founders, leaders, and anyone involved in the dynamic startup ecosystem. Discover why introspection, employee engagement, and a commitment to continuous learning are not just nice-to-haves but essential ingredients for long-term success. Take advantage of this chance to rethink your approach and strengthen the foundation of your venture with The Mind Takeaway Podcast. Episode Chapters (00:00) Peter: we're excited to have Paul Rosenberg back on the show (01:54) Why do many startups and scale-ups fail, and where should we start? (03:42) Paul: If entrepreneurs focus on outside things, startups fail easily (05:15) Peter: Without a solid foundation, the whole house falls down (11:25) Leadership is a critical ingredient in the startup environment because it is dynamic and challenging (18:47) An important part of Leadership that is missing in startups is the ability to say no (30:53) For startups, if you have too many people leaving, you're not going to get off the ground (39:48) Peter: It is the perfect time to start trying to change your company culture (42:25) Leadership, communication and culture are the three most essential pillars for companies to get right (43:55) Paul: authenticity comes from interconnectedness (52:15) Peter: One of the biggest lessons in Leadership is to be of service (57:37) Every client we work with is different: we always conduct an assessment to gain clarity about what skills are required to develop

In this thought-provoking episode of The Mind Takeaway Podcast, we're broadcasting from a rooftop in Belgrade, with the bustling city below us, to tackle the transformative concepts of learning, unlearning, and relearning in leadership. As the business landscape evolves at a breakneck pace, we explore why the most important trait for today's leaders is the ability to rapidly assimilate new information, shift perspectives, and adapt to change. We unpack the distinctions between passive and active learners, emphasising the significance of active roles in professional development. Our discussion highlights how leaders who embrace trial and error and are willing to be vulnerable in learning ultimately flourish and make a lasting impact. We confront the barriers that ego presents to personal growth, exploring how defensiveness and a reluctance to be wrong can stifle learning. Conversely, we celebrate the power of embracing discomfort, recognising that feeling unsettled is a natural part of acquiring new skills and expanding one's horizons. Join us as we explore the delicate balance of slowing down to speed up, the importance of curiosity in leadership, and the courage required to step out of one's comfort zone. We share insights on how leaders can foster a culture of continuous improvement within themselves and among their teams by demonstrating a willingness to experiment and evolve. Whether you're a seasoned executive or an emerging leader, this episode serves as a compelling reminder that the journey of learning is never complete and that the willingness to embrace the uncomfortable truly defines transformative leadership. Tune in for an episode that will challenge your assumptions, inspire you to reflect on your learning style, and empower you to become the leader that the future demands. Episode Highlights: - The essential nature of adaptability and continuous learning in modern leadership - The difference between passive and active learning and the role of ego in hindering growth - Strategies for embracing discomfort and the benefits of doing so for leaders and their teams - Real-world examples of how leaders have successfully implemented new skills and the positive impact on their teams - Remember, when you feel discomfort creeping in, it's a sign of potential growth.  Episode Chapters (00:00) The Mind Takeaway podcast comes from the rooftop of The Office Belgrade. (00:54) learning, unlearning and relearning are essential for leaders to grow and have an impact. (04:04) To be a great leader, you must be a great learner simultaneously. (07:43) The most critical thing in leadership is being comfortable with being uncomfortable. (13:06) If you are feeling stuck right now, it's time to take the first step. Look at the Leadership skills you want to learn more about and start there.

In this episode of The Mind Takeaway Podcast, we invite you to join us as we broadcast from the heart of a forest close to Warsaw, Poland. We share the profound benefits of slowing down, a practice essential for gaining clarity, boosting energy, and enhancing our ability to achieve our goals. We discuss the societal pressures and internal struggles that often lead us to a frenetic pace, causing us to overlook the importance of pause and reflection. We reveal how high performers and leaders grapple with the fear of changing direction, the burden of judgment, and the illusion of productivity that comes with constant busyness. The episode unfolds the paradoxical truth that to accelerate progress and foster high performance; one must first embrace the art of slowing down. We explore how we support leaders and teams in creating space for reflection, allowing for a recalibration of priorities and focusing on impactful, intentional action. Listeners will learn the value of setting aside time for self-examination, celebrating successes, and acknowledging missteps without judgment to cultivate a culture of learning and innovation. The discussion also touches upon the transformative power of retreats for leaders and teams, offering a unique opportunity to disconnect from the daily rush, confront challenging beliefs, and emerge with a renewed sense of purpose and direction. As the episode draws to a close, the hosts invite you to an intimate retreat in the picturesque southwest of France. The retreat promises to be a haven for Leaders seeking to master the skill of slowing down to speed up their personal and professional growth. Episode Keywords Slowing Down, Clarity, High Performance, Reflection, Leadership Retreats, Personal Growth, Professional Development, Innovation, Creativity, Vulnerability, Nature, Mindfulness, Decompression, Intentional Action. Episode Chapters (00:00) Peter and Mira discuss the benefits of slowing down. (09:45) Taking time to reflect is the only way to achieve high performance.

What better way to celebrate International Women's Day than with a new podcast episode, where we talk with Stephanie von Behr, Managing Director and Cofounder of Foudnerland? Takeaways Less than 0.5% of VC funding goes to women of colour founders. Stephanie shares how they have developed a tool called Pam for underrepresented founders to help them feel more confident talking to investors and create better pitches. What are the challenges that female founders face?  Stephanie shares her journey from moving to a new country and founding two companies. How can you build healthy relationships with your cofounders, and why is it essential for the growth and success of your company?  How taking care of yourself positively impacts your relationships and communication. Stephanie shares how Peter coached her through a challenging conversation with one of her co-founders, strengthening their relationship.  The importance of setting professional boundaries for founders and their teams. Building solid relationships allows companies to grow bigger and stronger. Everyone creates culture, but the leadership team heavily influences it.  How can we support women in the startup scene to be more themselves and not feel the need to behave and look like men to succeed?   How does the state of anxiety in the world today affect our decision-making, and what can we do to do better?

We talked with Kristen Anderson, CEO and Board Member at European Women on Boards, about their latest research on gender diversity in European boardrooms. We also explore where we are now in 2024 with diversity and Inclusion since we last had a conversation with Kristen in 2022 when we last had her on the podcast. The findings are clear — more women are now part of European boardrooms thanks to legislative measures.  On average, some European countries, including France, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, and Austria, have achieved 40% or more women on boards. This is also the case for non-EU countries such as Norway and the UK.  We must ensure this progress is adequate across Europe and goes hand in hand with an equal share of voice within the boardrooms. Whether you want to recruit with more equity, lead a business and want to have more impact, drive more change, or work in diversity, equity and Inclusion (DEI) — Listen to this episode and join us in spreading awareness and encouraging your peers to take proactive steps. Click here to download the EWOB Toolkit for change

Embark on a journey to conquer the common yet daunting fear of public speaking in this insightful episode of The Mind Takeaway Podcast, recorded in the heart of Poland's capital, Warsaw. Join us as we delve into the anxieties that shroud the art of oration, from the nervous anticipation to the post-presentation self-critique that can often feel like a hangover from the vulnerability of being exposed to an audience. Our hosts share their personal battles with the fear of public speaking, revealing how they creatively dodged speaking engagements early in their careers. Despite being comfortable in roles like musicians or DJs, the transition to speaking in front of groups, small or large, presented a unique challenge. But as they peel back the layers of their experiences, we learn that the key to overcoming this fear lies not in avoiding it, but in embracing the discomfort and leaning into vulnerability. With candid anecdotes, they discuss the transformation from avoidance to anticipation, the strategies they tried (and which ones actually worked), and the realisation that the audience is often more forgiving than we anticipate. Whether it's the fear before taking the stage or the critical self-reflection that follows, they explore how acceptance and presence can turn public speaking from a source of dread to an opportunity for connection and growth. This episode is a must-listen for anyone who's ever felt their voice wobble with nerves or their confidence shaken by the spotlight. Discover how to navigate the fear, build resilience, and perhaps even find joy in the act of sharing your voice with the world. Tune in to this encouraging discussion and remember, as our hosts affirm, no one has ever perished from public speaking – it's all about taking that first step and allowing yourself to be imperfectly human in front of an audience. Episode Chapters (00:00) How to overcome the fear of public speaking. (02:24) Peter and Mira discuss how to overcome the fear of public speaking (09:44) Mira says being present is vital when giving a public speaking gig (12:46) Public speaking seems to be a big achilles heel for many people (18:35) As always, we love to hear what your thoughts and feelings are about this episode

We had a brilliant conversation about leadership with Martin Gutmann, author of the best-selling book The Unseen Leader and a professor at the Lucerne School of Business, Switzerland. The takeaways for this episode A good leader can look like anybody, especially if companies are serious and committed to diversity, equity and inclusion.  Why Ernest Henry Shackleton, an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic, might be the wrong person to profile in books about leadership. Why is it today that we still see many people lean towards leaders in history who are action-orientated instead of results-orientated? We talk about the pivotal role that Gertrude Bell played in forming the modern state of Iraq and garnering the respect of many arab leaders at the time around the First World War. Do leaders who focus too much on self-promotion lose their impact? We explore how we can develop ourselves to become more impactful leaders. The positive impact of scheduling some unscheduled time for productivity, creativity and wellbeing. A common trap can be the plunging bias, where leaders start solving problems before we understand them. Your leadership journey is an experiment of one, and you have to experiment and figure out what works best for you. Lastly, for those of you living in Berlin, Martin will be doing a @TEDxBerlin talk on the 2nd of February, where the theme of the discussions will be perceptions. I will also post the link in the comments for anyone interested in attending. We will be there for sure.  TEDx in Berlin, visit https://tedxberlin.de 

What do you do first when you start a new leadership position?  *You want to be efficient and prove to your colleagues that they have made the right decision to hire you.  *You want to jump into making some changes you see necessary. That is great, but you also will benefit significantly from building some foundations first, and by foundations, we mean building, cultivating, and developing relationships. *We also know that some leaders consider building relationships a slow and inefficient process that is not a priority when they join a new company or take on a new role. By getting to know your colleagues and allowing them to get to know you by building relationships first:  You will be more efficient in the long run You will be a more influential and impactful leader You will be more effective in implementing any change  This episode explores why building relationships first is essential instead of jumping into action and making changes. We share some good examples about building relationships and engaging with your people and some not-so-good stories where leaders got it wrong. 

In this episode, Dan Parry and Jonathan Farrow, co-creators of Journey into Product, a Berlin community for product managers and startups that organises monthly meetups, invited us to a masterclass about what it takes for teams to scale up successfully without the human cost, develop core in-demand leadership skills, and retain your best people. Jonny is also the founder of Orbital Lab, so we explored some of his questions and concerns about the hiring process, seeing as he will be growing his team very soon. The main takeaways during the conversation: The importance of multi-generational hiring. How a lengthy hiring process and many interview rounds often lead to hiring the wrong person. The hiring challenges - Do you go for technical ability primarily, someone with good soft skills or both? It is fundamental for founders to develop their leadership skills to create an inclusive company culture and hire the right people. Proactive versus reactive hiring - the former ensures long-term sustainability. In high-performing teams, everyone is informed and kept up to date, and no one is left in the dark.

The fear of making mistakes can affect creativity, collaboration and your ability to trust people and delegate opportunities for growth and learning from their experience. See also this episode, as this topic links well with the fear of failure. https://www.themindtakeaway.com/podcast/episode/2e00af6b/micro-episode-44-how-to-overcome-the-fear-of-failure

Irrational Retaliation: When we make decisions from a space of fear, urgency, and frustration, we still have an emotional charge attached to a situation; those decisions are often ones we can come to regret, and there will be learning opportunities.

It's our 50th Micro Episode (our 121st episode), which we recorded for you on location in Bordeaux a few weeks ago! This new episode explores the importance of being yourself as a leader and at work, as the alternative to being inauthentic takes too much energy when you think you cannot be yourself around others.Biggest Takeaway:It takes twice as much energy to wear a mask; it is stressful, and your team cannot properly connect with you on a human level.

How to give feedback is the most requested topic for us to unpack when we have conversations with companies, and we coach and develop leaders, so we packed a lot of value for you into this 15-minute episode, where we explore overcoming the challenges of giving feedback.

This episode explores how, over time, our ideas change and evolve. Takeaway 1: All of the entrepreneurs and founders we have helped or conversed with had changed their minds at least two or three times from their original ideas for their products or services. We all like to be sure about things; we want to know what will happen to prepare ourselves for the future, but that can also be a trap! Takeaway 2: Changing your mind or pivoting will give you something more viable because you will have more clarity about your ideas than your previous iterations and be more precise on the value proposition. Takeaway 3: It is only sometimes a good idea to rush to market and get funding for something unless you have spoken to as many people as possible and done your research and testing. Have you noticed that being first to market with a product sometimes means your competitors can leapfrog you, take advantage of your initial ideas, and learn from your mistakes? Remember: We learn, we evolve, and we change.

We talked with K Rajeev Narayan, CEO of Leadership Elements, Inda, about why leaders need to read more books and how investing time into your professional development is a good use of time and will always be a good return on investment in the future. Experiences are created when we read books and stories about other people's challenges and achievements. Leaders who read more books are wiser, easily connect with others and show a greater ability for empathy.

Sometimes, when leaders don't believe in what they are saying, they make it louder so it sounds more true. In the context of a meeting, that can often lead to others speaking with a louder voice, and everyone stops listening.  We were in Belgrade a few weeks ago watching a live news channel and wondering why the prime minister was practically shouting at the news anchor and people watching at home. There was nothing to defend; nobody was objecting to her opinion. Interestingly, we thought she just wanted to be heard and listened to.  The solution: Be that same person in the room, the calm and reflective person who isn't shouting, by stepping back and listening to what is happening. This leads to curiousity in the group and more people listening to each other. Do you want to have an impact and stand out above the noise? The best thing you can do is listen to understand; you are more likely to have a human connection. 

In this episode, recorded at Ada Lake in Belgrade, Serbia, we talk about why being present with your team is essential to building trust and psychological safety, developing relationships, dealing with challenges before they become problems, and driving innovation and creativity.

The most challenging relationships often offer us significant growth and learning. We recorded this episode with love on the Balearic Island of Ibiza when we were there recently to do work and have some natural downtime.

What do the fear of failing, the fear of making mistakes, and the fear of being criticised have in common? It feels to us that the world will end, and there won't be any life after, so we stay stuck in our comfort zone and miss opportunities for growth and learning. Chances are that we will fail, be criticised and make mistakes; it would be ignorant to think that we will not experience any of these situations in life or that somehow we can prevent them from happening. In this episode, we explore the fear of failure and questions like; what if it was OK to fail and make mistakes? What if it didn't mean that life will end, and what if it is just another step in our experience as a human and another step in our personal and professional growth? Peter also shares one of his significant failures during an important performance at a music showcase and how it became a valuable learning experience and sparked more opportunities in the future. The name of the four-member band Peter played with was MASS. Tune in to hear the whole story.

Change and uncertainty are two constants in today's business world. As a leader, it's not only essential but also vital to navigate these challenges and guide your team through them. Great leaders acknowledge that change and uncertainty are inevitable. By doing so, they can prepare for opportunities rather than resist them or be caught off guard when an opportunity presents itself. They stay proactive and open-minded and embrace change to create a competitive advantage for their team and organisation. Join us as we explore the topic of change and uncertainty and how you can guide your team to thrive in times of ambiguity. Let's build a future-proof organisation together.

Looking to improve your decision-making skills, overcome your fear of failure, and build resilience? Check out our latest podcast episode! We all face tough decisions in life and at work, but fear of making the wrong choice can hold us back. In this episode, we talk about the role of our emotions in making decisions, how resilience works, and making better decisions even when feeling scared. From knowing how to avoid making rash decisions under pressure and when to seek advice from others, we share stories of leaders making tough choices under pressure and learning from the outcomes. Plus, we explore the role of fear in decision-making and how to manage it effectively. Take advantage of this episode if you're looking to improve your decision-making skills and build your resilience for a successful career and life!

We were inspired to make this episode last week, where we took time out to get creative, and what better place to do that than Venice? In this 16-minute episode, we explore female virtuoso performers of the 18th century, the Figlie Del Coro, whom Vivaldi trained and supported in his musical laboratory at The church of S. Maria della Pietà, known as the "Church of Vivaldi. These women were the pop stars of Europe at that time. We also talk about Leonardo Da Vinci's brief stay in Venice due to an invasion of Milan and explore the connection between creativity and curiousity; plus, Mira shares her experience of what get's in the way. Provincial Institute for Childhood Santa Maria della Pietà of Venice https://www.pietavenezia.org/myportal/IPISM_/home https://dailydosedocumentary.com/figlie-del-coro/ Vivaldi and the Figlie Del Coro

The Power of Silence in Leadership  Who would have thought that getting comfortable with silence in conversations could positively impact human connection and bring out the best in people? When we get comfortable with being uncomfortable with silence, we invite insight, realisation and curiousity into our conversations. We were working with a trail-blazing group of leaders last week, checking in to see how they were exploring the impact of silence in their work, and one leader said: "When I spoke less in my 121s and became comfortable with silence, my team members had much more to say, and our conversations were more productive and impactful. Previously, I would over-prepare and fill those uncomfortable gaps of silence, which led to too much work from my side and fewer results.

In this episode, we invited Sunday Times Bestselling Author and Executive Coach Jamie Smart back on the show to talk about the principles behind clarity and his 10th Anniversary edition book with the same name. We came across the principles behind clarity back in 2015. Since then, it has transformed our personal lives and allowed us to have more impact in our work with leaders, teams and organisations.

This episode explores the importance of being compassionate towards ourselves and others and why we need to start with ourselves first. When you learn to be compassionate towards yourself during challenging situations, showing kindness towards others becomes second nature.

What Makes a Great Leader? In this episode, we explore - Being comfortable with being uncomfortable - The benefits of listening to understand - How being authentic can increase your impact 

If you have recently been promoted or plan to step up into a more senior leadership position in 2023, these are the three areas you can focus on first to set you up for success and avoid burnout. 1. Reassess your personal and professional boundaries. 2. Explore what gives and takes your energy. 3. Make self-care part of your daily routine. Reassessing your boundaries is essential. Still, it is one of the main challenges our Executive Coaching clients face when they take on a new role, which is always different from what they experienced in their previous position. Ignoring this will only lead to further challenges in the future. Gaining awareness about what gives you energy and what takes it away will pay off massively in the future as you become aware of how to recharge during your busy week and learn how to mitigate too many energy-zapping tasks or activities. And lastly, many leaders often overlook prioritising self-care, scheduling breaks, allowing for downtime, and headspace to think and be creative. Without self-care, you can only be an empty shell of a human being and not be the leader your teams deserve.

Listening to understand is probably one of the most impactful and profound skills you can master as a leader. In this episode, we explore what gets in the way of becoming a better listener and what practical steps you can take to improve. 

What gets in the way of feeling safe in leadership roles? In this second series of what gets in the way episodes, we explore what gets in the way of having more women in leadership roles and, when they are in senior positions, what stops them from feeling safe, valued and being themselves. We also share some practical tips and suggestions for the future.

What gets in the way of collaborating and working together effectively? In this first series of what gets in the way episodes, we explore what stops us from being able to collaborate effectively and being part of a team. We also share some practical tips to make it more enjoyable to work together.

Our business relationships and teams will benefit from embracing our intercultural differences. We were at a friend's wedding in Portugal last week, and my friend's father said something interesting about the secret to lasting relationships. He mentioned embracing intercultural differences. We looked around our table, and In our conversations, we realised all eight of us were from different countries, each with unique cultures, and we were in four relationships, each with intercultural differences.

Being authentic isn't just doing what occurs to you at the moment; it is knowing who you are and following your truth to the best of your ability. In this episode, we speak to Sunday Times bestselling author, speaker & coach Jamie Smart. We talked about the pressure to conform, the dangers of losing authenticity as leaders, and what we can do about it, so we do not lose ourselves and do it in a way that doesn't alienate others. Bringing authenticity to work is powerful;  If everyone in your team wakes up to who they truly are, you are more likely to have a more connected, motivated, and productive team. There is also a reasonable chance that someone might quit. - When people wake up to who they are, they may understand that this place is not for them. We discuss and share examples: People always do what makes sense based on their current understanding of the world. Authenticity is at the heart of influence and communication. You will hear how authentic expression can shape policies in organisations. The big question we have as individuals is, "what do I want." The significant part of finding this out is uncovering our authentic selves and connecting with our wisdom and sense of direction. In what instances can social conditioning be helpful, and how that same thing can stand in our way? Jamie uses examples of the beliefs that are useful until they are not. Why do many women in leadership roles believe they can't be themselves in the workplace? Connect with Jamie here https://www.jamiesmart.com/

Self-doubt is a typical experience of being a great leader. Learning new skills and becoming aware of how your feelings can impact your ability to lead will be messy sometimes; you will feel uncomfortable, and you might feel like an imposter some days.  That doesn't mean you are heading in the wrong direction, and it's part of learning from your experience. If you are not doing the work, pushing the boundaries, or are unwilling to change. You cannot expect to grow or become a better leader. This episode explores self-doubt,  imposter syndrome, and why growth requires us to feel whatever we feel. 

Do you celebrate your milestones? If so, how do you celebrate with your team? This episode explores the importance of celebrating milestones and enjoying the journey. You can quickly lose your way if you do not reflect on how you got to where you are now. When you don't take time to reflect, it is challenging to stay on track and know your purpose. Celebrating small incremental wins can make all the difference in getting the desired results. If you haven't been celebrating those milestones, the good news is that it's never too late to start. We must start to enjoy the journey and celebrate what we do, or we can quickly lose sight of why we are doing what we are doing.

In this 10 minutes episode, we explore a story about one leader's challenge with getting comfortable with being uncomfortable in front of his team and sharing when he got things wrong or did not always answer. The positive impact of sharing your learnings and challenges with your team is this: - It builds trust, compassion, and empathy. - You go there first, allowing others to do the same. - Transparency reduces people second-guessing you behind your back. - Collaboration and creativity improve when you work together to find solutions to challenges. The flip side of the above is that the leader usually feels uncomfortable, then tries to ignore their feelings or push any discomfort away so they can get on with their work. This behavior only leads to more suffering for everyone. The best gift you can give your people and yourself is to get comfortable with noticing when you feel uncomfortable and being curious about the source of those feelings.

Do you need a tight, rigid plan and structure to succeed with your business idea? In this 10 minutes episode, we explore planning vs. preparing for opportunities and how learning about our resilience and creative we are is much more helpful than being strategic or being able to build a detailed plan. We stifle innovation and creativity when we think our plan should be one way or another. When doing something new, we often believe that having a specific plan is a way forward; however, this blinds us from seeing opportunities. By having a more open and fluid plan, you allow the possibility of things being better than you envisaged. Having unrealistic timescales can also be another way of talking ourselves out of doing something we want to achieve.

Do you feel valued by your team and colleagues? Do you feel you need to talk more to be heard by your colleagues? In this 10 minutes episode, we explore what gets in the way of having an impact as a leader and allowing others to do the same. You must get to know yourself to be a great leader and positively impact others. If you are not listening to yourself and not seeing your value,  you are more likely not to have a positive impact. You cannot force people to listen to you; they must first feel safe around you and the team. When you feel like you are not enough, you may talk more and try to force people into your way of thinking instead of listening to others. There is real value in getting comfortable with being uncomfortable. When you stop overthinking, you drop back into a space of clarity and will not know what to do next.

Did you know that your perception of reality shifts depending on how you feel? In this 10 minutes episode, we share a valuable thing to know regarding how we feel about any given situation that can shape our perception of reality at that moment. How we feel in any situation can change depending on our mood. Being curious about how our perspective in any given moment can impact our work, the better results we will experience. The trap of reacting or changing things when we feel uncomfortable, just because we have thoughts in the moment. The more awareness you have of this will improve your relationships, improve your ability to make better decisions, and cultivate lasting relationships. However, we are feeling can overlay our reality from moment to moment. Once you notice this trick of the mind, it is easier to show compassion for others when they get uncomfortable in meetings.

Everything is useful until it is not We are now facing substantial global challenges regarding how we lead, so is it not time we look at other ways of organising ourselves as a species? Creating the management hierarchy structures we have in place right now was a super clever thing to do in the past and has been a very successful concept when it comes to organising; however, is it now in need of a serious update?  Is our current paradigm of leadership causing harm to ourselves, humanity and the planet? Has listening to understand each other been lost somehow, with everything in our modem life zapping our attention span? Many of our world leaders seem to be disconnected from themselves and the very people they are meant to be of service to. We may have to do a lot of unlearning to clear the way for us to be able to see a new way forward and accept when we don't have all the answers. What has got us to this point in time may not necessarily serve us in the future, so let's get curious about what else is out there. In this episode, we explore self-organisation with Christiane Seuhs-Schoeller Always driven by pioneering the new, Christiane has been an entrepreneur for over 30 years and an international Business Consultant and Coach for almost two decades. Seeing how often the workplace feels disempowering, leading to people feeling disengaged and unfulfilled, Christiane has specialized in new forms of organizing, focussing on self-organization, for over a decade. Inspired by the years of exploring this new world, she decided to write her book: “New Stories of Love, Power and Purpose; A Global Invitation to Experiment With the Unknown”, which will be published in late June." Christiane's LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christiane-seuhs-schoeller-5a751624/ Download  a free book sample: https://lovepowerandpurpose.com/

Living a life with purpose. In this 10 minutes episode, we share some of the insights from our work supporting leaders. You can not find your purpose as it is not something outside of us; it shapes through our life experiences. The more you connect with yourself and listen to your inner voice, your decisions and actions will be aligned with your purpose. You cannot find your purpose and then live your life aligned to it; it's quite the opposite; the more you connect with yourself and the more time you spend in clarity of mind, the more you will live your life on purpose.

Burnout keeps you from being productive. It reduces your energy, making you feel hopeless, cynical, and resentful. The effects of burnout can hurt your home, work, and social life. In the first of our podcast live series, we had a great conversation and exploration into what causes burnout and how we can address it individually and in the workplace, together with Corinne Lembe Mayunga from Stillpoint Spaces Berlin. Suppose you are a leader, HR professional, co-founder or entrepreneur. In that case, you may find this episode helpful, and at the very least, it might spark your curiosity about how your energy levels at work can impact your mental health and productivity. About Stillpoint Spaces https://stillpoint.org/ Our mission is to re-imagine psychology for the 21st century through connection, exploration, and innovation. Connect with Corinne here https://www.linkedin.com/in/corinnemayunga/

Kristen is currently the Vice-Chair of European Women on Boards (EWoB) and the Development Programs Committee chair. EWoB is the European umbrella association for gender equality at the decision-making level; a non-profit consortium of national organizations whose aim is to improve gender balance on corporate boards across Europe. From 2016 to 2021, Kristen was Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer for Barilla. Kristen reported to the CEO of Barilla and led a 12 member D&I Board, comprised of internal members from 8 regions and two external Advisors. Kirsten LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-anderson-aaa44a8/ European Women on Boards: https://europeanwomenonboards.eu/ Gender Diversity Index: https://europeanwomenonboards.eu/portfolio/gender-diversity-index-2021/ Timestamps and Takeaways "You can be successful being yourself; we bring a lot of value in our leadership roles." 01:42 The challenges of getting into senior leadership as a woman and staying yourself. 04:28 Why it is essential to have good role models, mentors and coaches in your career. 05:12 We are up to 50% less productive if we are inauthentic or trying to cover up an aspect of ourselves or our life. 07:40 In performance reviews, women are given feedback on their style, image, or how they express themselves 86% of the time vs 1% for men. 09:38 The difference between homogeneous and diverse teams and the impact that can have on performance and innovation. 17:42 How can we move from box-ticking to hiring more diverse candidates? 23:43 How does the trauma of climbing the leadership ladder as a woman affect how some female leaders treat other female leaders and make it hard for them to grow in their authentic way. 28:24 All leaders need to practise empathy and be able to step into someone else's shoes when it comes to experiencing exclusion or discrimination. 39:47 It's a job-seekers market, and if a company is window dressing instead of being genuinely inclusive and hiding toxic culture, they will fail to recruit and retain talent. 46:11 How can we challenge existing biases and create more inclusive cultures

Humans are so varied and complex that no one phycological test has yet to determine how diverse we are or can even begin to identify your team's strengths. "We learned through our work supporting leaders that these tests are also not well suited to people outside of western cultures, and they are constructed to be ableist, racist, sexist, and classist." Timestamps and takeaways 01:43 Some facts and figures about personality tests to date and how it is a $2bn dollar industry, growing by 15% each year. 02:22 Leaders often use them as jumping-off points to get to know their teams. However, that is where they become dangerous. 03:57 Personality tests are not based on good psychology or science and are no better than horoscopes. 04:04 What we learned is that these tests are also not well suited to people outside of western cultures, and they are constructed to be ableist, racist, sexist, and classist. 05:04 We get drawn to these tests because we as humans are constantly searching for who we are and our purpose in life, and we also seek certainty/security. 05:48 We will never be able to find out who we truly are by doing a personality test because we are constantly changing and growing. 08:33 Personality tests are rubbish tools for HR and recruitment to create hiring or efficiency shortcuts; there are no shortcuts for getting to know someone. 12:09 Humans are not so good at being comfortable with uncertainty, and it's this grasping for certainty when it comes to wanting to know someone that can get us into trouble. 13:26 The alternative, instead of doing personality tests, is to listen to understand each other, allowing everyone to learn about themselves. Some further resources on this subject: 7 and a Half Lessons about the Brain, book by Dr Lisa Feldman Barrett Persona - HPO documentary about personality tests and their origin 'They become dangerous tools': the dark side of personality tests, The Guardian Why personality tests don't work, PsychMechanics magazine Personality Tests Don't Work Heres Why and Alternatives, Noble Academy Reasons why personality tests don't work, Wise Step   

When it comes to mental health in the workplace, Sheila Lord, by her own admission, has learned from her mistakes. She saw first-hand how businesses and organisations weren't taking mental health seriously and the detrimental impact on the industry as a whole. To tackle this head-on, Sheila started BMR, and today the company leads the way in mental health support programmes, all of which have a definitive return on investment. Well known for her ability to 'cut to the chase', Sheila believes that workplace wellbeing isn't just about fruit bowls and yoga and that you can't simply magic away employee stress by 'fixing' people. The problem is often more complex, but BMR is designed to help. Takeaways and Timestamps 02:40 Pressure builds on CEOs and business leaders to deal with workplace mental health, and they don't know where to start.  05:20 Workspace mental health is a shared responsibility; as individuals, we need to take ownership of our mental health, and in the workplace, we need to create a culture where we can have support when we need it.  8:00 Often, one thing that gets missed is leaders; after conducting engagement surveys, they do not follow up with conversations with employees to get the complete information about the required changes and next steps. 10:33 Why do workplace wellbeing programs and initiatives have relatively low uptake and engagement?  16:53 What are the dangers of implementing a wellbeing strategy to tick a box and not ask yourself why you need it? 21:18 The benefits of implementing a systemic workplace wellbeing approach even if your company is doing great. 23:32 Employees are a vital part of any organisation; they drive your business forward every day, and having good mental health in the workplace is not an employee perk or reward. 26:31 What are the visible signs of mental health issues, and how having a risk-based approach can help prevent problems occurring in the future and know what to do when someone needs help? 30:42 Everybody has a shared responsibility for mental health and workplace welling, so let's work together to create happy workplaces. 35:43 Fear is often the root cause of inaction when addressing mental health and wellness in the workplace. 

When we blame others, we stop listening and give away any chance of finding solutions. In this 12 minute Micro Episode, we explore the transformative power of taking responsibility and ownership for our actions. Timestamps and Takeaways 01:12 When we were kids, we learned that if we blame someone else, we won't get punished, whether we had something to do with the situation or not. 01:48 It's not that we are bad people; we often blame others as a protective mechanism; however, we understand the impact of blaming others on our teams, the company and ourselves. 02:14 When we blame others, we disempower ourselves, and it stops people from being able to trust you as a leader (it's the opposite of psychological safety) 02:29 Your people will copy your behaviour, both the positive things you would like them to continue and the negative things you might want them to stop. 03:08 When you take responsibility for your actions and show a willingness to look for solutions, you create the right conditions for others to do the same in your team. 04:27 You may not be the cause of an issue, but you are more likely to resolve it as an individual, as a team, as a company if you are willing to look at the options with other people and think ok what we can do? 04:42 When we are angry and fearful in the moment, it can look like there are no options, and that is when we need to slow down, take a step back and breathe. 05:24 It can be painful to accept responsibility when looking back into the past; however, this is the only way to resolve trauma. And avoid making the same mistakes in the future. 06:43 By blaming others, we stop listening to others, stifle creativity and limit the possibility of finding solutions to problems. 08:04 When we take the role of victim and blame others, we resolve ourselves from any power to anything about it. 08:16 Playing the martyr and taking responsibility for absolutely everything can lead to isolation and create a toxic environment. 10:38 Blaming others also prevents your team from growing as they will not feel safe enough to learn from their own mistakes.

In this episode, we speak to Giulia Iannucci, a  social entrepreneur and founder of KnowThyBrand dedicated to helping women in business build sustainable ventures and career paths. Always curious and inquisitive, Giulia has worked and lived in Spain, Belgium, Australia, Singapore, the UK and Luxembourg. Timestamps and Takeaways 02:15 Not knowing what we want to do, exploring our curiosity and accepting opportunities over a long period, we can find our passion and purpose. 07:50 How sometimes the jobs we are the most passionate about can have the most significant impact, we're not paying the most money. 08:42 What is a social enterprise and how to turn an existing for-profit business into one, where the proceeds are invested into something good for society. 10:43 Resilience does not mean working too many hours to the detriment to your personal life. 12:09 The more you take care of your own needs first for your mental and physical health, the more it reflects positively on your team, your business, and your family. 14:39 We often forget we have a conscious choice of whether to work more hours than we really need to. 19:18 If you care for your team's results, spending time on too many tasks might not get you where you want to go with regards to more creative solutions and often leads to burnout. 20:41 There is still this badge of honour of smashing too many hours, and even though you might not say, hey, you should do that too,  your team will copy your behaviour and feel under pressure to do the same. 29:59 How can we all be tricked by a feeling of urgency, that feeling when you receive an email and think you have to act straight away, and where does that come from? 31:29 The common mistakes startups make as they grow and build a bigger team are thinking they have to follow what everyone else is doing, which can be dangerous. 34:15 One trap entrepreneurs often take every opportunity that comes their way and suddenly realise it's not their business anymore or it evolved into something they didn't want. 36:45 It really all boils down to who you are, what you want to achieve as a business and why are you doing it? 44:05 Accepting your own vulnerability as a leader, we are humans after all and being ok not to have all the answers.

Your manager's and peers' behaviour can positively or negatively impact your self-confidence and belief in your ability to do great things. Sometimes leaving a toxic company can be as challenging as ending an unhealthy and abusive relationship.  All because our self-confidence, self-belief and self-esteem are shattered, and we can't see better options. In this 14 minute Micro Episode, we explore how to leave a toxic workplace. Timestamps and Takeaways 01:24 How can your manager's and peers' actions impact your self-confidence and belief in your ability to do great things. 02:51 There is no special feeling of confidence that you have to build; it is the absence of discomfort, doubt and over-thinking. 05:06 One practical action you can take for yourself is to do a self-inventory and get it all out of your head and on paper. 06:09 We can't always see what we are capable of when we are in a low mood; just knowing that can save you lots of time and worry. 07:28 The trap of self-sabotage and how to get out of it and take meaningful action. 12:02 No matter how much self-confidence you may think you have, you have to start somewhere and take the first step.

Tenacity, perseverance and being a good human being will get you far in life. In this episode, we speak to Martin Newman, an expert keynote speaker, columnist, author and advisor on customer-centric transformation and customer experience. Martin is also an advocate for diversity, social responsibility and employee engagement for all consumer-facing sectors. He appears regularly on BBC TV and Radio, on Sky, ITV and Channel 5 and a host of other media channels such as LBC, The Times and FT to discuss consumer issues relating to the retail, travel, automotive and financial services sectors. Martin has worked for over 35 years leading the multichannel operations for some of the world’s most recognisable retail brands. These include Burberry, Intersport, Pentland Brands (Speedo, Berghaus), Harrods and Ted Baker. His bestselling book 100 Practical Ways to Improve Customer Experience, is seen as definitive within the sector and was shortlisted for the Business Book of the Year Award 2019. Connect with Martin [email protected] www.thecustomerfirstgroup.com www.customerserviceaction.com www.martinnewman.co.uk www.consumerfocus.tv www.consumerfocus.fm www.linkedin.com/in/martindnewman Timestamps: 04:36 The importance of empowering your people and seeing leadership as a service role. 08:51 How to provide a great customer experience isn't just about efficiency and speed. 14:32 Leaders that do not focus on service can often overlook opportunities that impact the longevity and profitability of their businesses. 18:00 The dangers of short term decision making and the damaging knock-on effect that can have on both customers and employees. 21:58 Business owners' decisions and employers' expectations ultimately dictate how companies approach sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion. 22:50 When businesses scale to a certain size, they feel they have to behave differently, losing their entrepreneurial spirit and creativity. 24:45 95% of consumer-facing businesses (maybe more) see customer service as a problem and are even ok with unhappy customers venting about lousy service on social media. 30:33 Companies that look after their staff provide flexibility, offer ongoing training and education and recognise that they get better-skilled people who stay longer in the company. 43:21 If you want to understand what's working and what isn't, walk the floor, talk to your people and listen to what they have to say. 44:26 The difference between data and insight; brands are drowning in data and measuring the wrong stuff, outputs instead of inputs. 48:40 Martin shares a great example of a company that truly empowers its employees.

Dissent is essential in leadership. If you are not comfortable with differences of opinion in your team, then you cannot really call yourself a leader. Leaders often shy away from open dialogue and differences of opinion because it feels uncomfortable to have someone not agree with you, even though diversity can only flourish if you are open to differences of opinion. If you want to innovate, solve problems and create a safe and inclusive environment, then it's time to allow your people to express disagreement without fear of retaliation. Timestamps and Takeaways 00:54 Dissent is required if you want to cut through groupthink and have high performance in your team. 01:23 The meaning of Dissent is to publicly disagree with an official opinion, a decision or set of beliefs. 01:58 Contrary to popular belief, if your team feels safe enough to express their opinions, this is a great thing because the opposite of that can stifle creativity, create fear, and give up voicing their concerns. 02:35 Allowing Dissent allows you as the leader to relax (you don't have to have all the answers) and gain different perspectives that you didn't have before. 03:37 The reason leaders are not comfortable with Dissent is because they have the mistaken belief that if someone doesn't agree with them, they are wrong, and there is this push back to prove that they are correct, instead of listening to what people are saying. 04:30 When you create a space where Dissent is ok, where other people's opinions are ok, it becomes a conversation. 06:56 What we noticed is that Dissent can often look personal, but it's usually not and the means of an individual or team expressing their opinions. 07:30 Having open dialogue can result in an agreeing on a consensus with your team which results in trust, psychological safety and high performance. 07:56 There will always be a few people who argue for the sake of it, but as you get more comfortable with dissenting opinions, you will quickly notice who has the right intentions and who doesn't. 09:07 If you listen to everyone's point of view, the noise will decrease because your team will not have to shout to be heard. 09:49 If you ignore and marginalise your team and don't allow people to express their opinions, you create a toxic environment where trust is eroded. 10:14 if you are not listening to someone, you force them around to our opinion or the company's views without facilitating a safe space to discuss things openly. The result with always a power struggle.

In this episode, we speak to Tiffiny Frances Hogg, an accredited transformational coach and founder of the Personal Consultancy. Tiffany has spent the last 17 years helping executives and founders build their businesses and now helps aspiring and existing entrepreneurs challenge the status quo and create successful and fulfilling businesses and lives. Having suffered multiple burnouts in the rat race in London, she has made it her priority to create a life she doesn't want to escape from. Her mission is to help people do the same by finding their purpose and equipping them with the confidence and strategy to live it. Social links The Personal Consultancy [email protected] https://thepersonalconsultancy.com/ https://www.facebook.com/thepersonalconsultancy https://www.instagram.com/thepersonalconsultancy/ Youtube Personal https://www.instagram.com/tiffinyfrances www.linkedin.com/in/tiffinyhogg Free workbook Download Workbook Timestamps 05:33 The sad truth of how some people think burnout is just a normal part of life and it’s ok. 06:22 The importance of finding out what is causing you to stress in your work and taking action to change it. 07:26 What are some of the reasons for burnout at work and how to identify if it is happening to you? 08:21 How often the triggers of burnout are driven by a desire to be needed, please everyone,  exceed peoples expectations and feel wanted. 10:22 Awareness is everything when it comes to identifying what stops us from caring for our own mental health and wellbeing. 12:50 Even the freedom to be an entrepreneur can lead you to burn out just as much you did before if you do not set some boundaries for yourself when it comes to self-care. 13:34 What does self-care actually mean and what can you do to make that happen? 14:27 What do we mean by increasing your awareness, how you can do that by exploring your values and getting to know yourself. 17:22 The value of cognitive dissonance and what it when it comes to what holds true for us and being gifted with new information. 20:14 The power of realising we all have choices and just stopping to reflect on that can make all the difference to our quality of life. 28:56 The importance of incremental daily milestones and not living for the next shiny new thing. 24:14 How to set non-toxic goals that won’t burn you out and will keep you curious. 31:34 Life’s traumas don’t always have to be massive things to affect us and we don’t often realise the little things that can impact our ability to make informed decisions. 33:14 To really know what you want in life, you have to try things out first and experience what makes sense for you. 36:00 It’s only when allowing ourselves to slow down and take time out of our day is the space where insight lives and creative ideas can take form. 37:41How to do less when it looks like you have to do more of the same, because of a sense of urgency is so counterintuitive in our modern fast-paced world right now. 42:58 How great leadership is all about showing others that self-care is vital when it comes to your mental health and wellbeing.

At work, we often say yes to things under pressure that does not serve even the company or us. In this Micro Episode, we explore personal boundaries. You may or may not be aware of some of the boundaries you have in your life for both your personal and professional life. Once you become aware of them, it becomes easier for others to know them, too, if you are willing to share them. Timestamps and Takeaways 01:10 When you don’t set boundaries for yourself and manage the expectations of others, you might end up taking too much on yourself. 01:59 If you want to set boundaries for yourself that serve you, they must be set when you are clear of mind and have reflected on why they are essential in your life. 03:11 How most people are not aware of their boundaries are; they agree to everything, even if it impacts their mental health and causes resentment. 04:35 Why is it that the more you take care of yourself, the better leader you become? 05:00 Often, our clients tell us they feel guilty for setting boundaries and taking time out for self-care; however, self-care is not selfish.  05:46 Getting curious about your boundaries means you can explore what works for you, and you can always change your mind and set new ones.  06:16 Your boundless will evolve as your awareness increases, and you learn new thighs about yourself and others. 07:28 What are your non-negotiables right now when it comes to your life and work? 08:18 Setting boundaries comes from our own life experience about how we want to work, how we make our best decisions and when are we at our best. 10:22 If someone steps over one of your boundaries, it doesn’t mean they are a terrible person. It just means you have the responsibility to communicate the impact of you not sticking to them. If you are curious about how we can support you with one-on-one coaching or leadership development, visit our website for more details at https://www.themindtakeaway.com/

In this episode, we speak to Marjolijn Flug, a career and allyship coach who firmly believes that everyone deserves that YOU-shaped space in the world where they can truly be themselves, feel valued and welcome. People who have created that space for themselves can also pay it forward and more easily create more space for others, becoming stronger allies to diversity, equity and inclusion. Marjolijn has an extensive background in HR and Communications. She often coaches internationals and multi-passionates (multi-potentialities). That said, she’s really interested in every individual’s personal story. Connect with Morjorlijn here: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marjolijnvlug/ Twitter https://twitter.com/marjolijnvlug Facebook https://www.facebook.com/marjolijn.vlug.coaching Instagram https://www.instagram.com/workfloorhospitality/ Takeaways 03:57 What is a YOU shaped career, and how will it help you? 05:43 The importance of employees having side hustles and others focus other than their main careers. 10:16 We explore the positive impact of employers embracing all of the skills each person can bring to the table in  their roles 10:31 When leaders do not feel free to be themselves, it can harm Inclusion initiatives and their ability to foster positive relationships. 14:55 How increasing awareness about others can make all the difference in creating safe spaces for everyone to do their best work. 20:47 What gets in the way of female leaders being authentic and feeling comfortable to be themselves? 23:33 How imposter syndrome is normal, as anyone willing to step up and be themselves professionally will always experience it, as it contradicts the idea of what you should be. 27:34 How making a profit while sacrificing employees' mental and physical health is just not acceptable anymore. 33:39 Nowadays, people are unwilling to put up with the terrible and toxic working conditions anymore and are willing to resign if necessary. 35:44 How there is enough fear already regarding diversity and Inclusion, so supporting leaders instead of blaming them is the way forward. 36:45 The power of allowing yourself the freedom to say, "I don't know, and I have changed my mind". 40:06 The impact of allowing yourself to feel vulnerable and how it helps you be more honest and transparent. 43:06 How people stepping into management roles forget to be human and often lack key leadership skills. 46:01 Compnaies often don't know they have all the answers to improve their culture; They neglect to listen to their employees and struggle to retain high talent.

When people feel well, they do well!  We all fall into the trap, believing that when we do well, we will feel well, which leads to mental health challenges in the first place. If we want better results, we have to take care of ourselves first.  In this 10 minute Micro Episode, we explore:   Timestamps and Takeaways 😃 Why is it so essential to take care of your mental health first before being able to help others?  🤔 Companies are not getting the results they want with their current working methods, so what has to change in the future? 😩 What happens when leaders focus on tracking hours worked instead of thinking about the results? 

In this, our 60th episode (well, actually our 79th if you include the Micro Episodes), we speak to Layla Li and Sonali Sanghrajka, co-founders of KOSA AI. They are based out of Nairobi, Kenya, and Amsterdam, Netherlands, building software solutions that help companies make their AI technologies more inclusive of all genders, ages, races, and more through bias detection and mitigation. Timestamps: 00:15 What does it mean for companies to implement software that can make their technology more inclusive and detect bias in their AI systems before it's too late? 2:25 New regulations in  EMEA include fines for any AI or data misuse by companies that are not holding themselves accountable. 4:06 The upside of making your technology more inclusive is tapping into new markets that can often be overlooked due to a lack of awareness. 7:23 Today employees care about what they produce and the actual values of the company they are working for - one in six employees will quit their job rather than help build a system with AI bias built in it. 9:41 How can we know that companies are accountable for making positive progress in their culture regarding DEI and sustainable practices? 10:43 The first step towards diversity and inclusion is transparency because there are no clear metrics you could use to measure it; it's a constant conversation and improvement based on that. 15:41 Machines reflect our own bias and blind spots, and as we're correcting ourselves, we need to fix the data we add to those machines as well. 24:00 Self-reflection and the desire to do something meaningful for society drew Layla to leave her cushy job at Tesla and build technology for good. 28:00 What challenges and biases do women face in leadership roles in predominantly male environments? 35:06 Sonaly explains how their authenticity and way of doing things as female founders helps grow the company and improve their product. 38:17 How living in different countries and being exposed to different cultures exposes your vulnerability and helps you become aware of your resilience. 40:05 To make meaningful changes and use AI to improve the hiring process or product, companies must know where they stand at the moment and what they want to achieve. 44:01 Why is it important to have diverse talent and in different parts of the world to have different perspectives? 46:05  Examples of the importance of listening to the employees because executives are often not closely in touch with the problems and ideas available from all their employees.

Peter had a wonderful conversation with Garry Turner for his LinkedinLive Right Here, Right Now show about the creative process and what can emerge when you have a minimal brief, simple questions asked and an open heart. They talked about the interplay between flow, thought and creativity, plus the creative process and freedom of thought, inspired by their recent collaboration where Peter created an electronic music track called Kaleidoscope which Garry has been using as a vehicle to introduce his work as a coach and consultant. Garry is the founder of HEXO Change where he acts as a Strategic Advisor, Facilitator and Interpersonal Guide across commercial, people, culture and systems for solopreneurs, startups and progressive corporates. Connect with Garry here: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garryturnerstrategicadvisor/ Website: https://www.hexochangenow.com/ Takeaways “It’s not a back and forth in a linear way, it’s a lot more spiral, circular way, it’s more important that we remember that this creativity thing is much more organic”. “None of this has been a fixed process at any point, yet we have come out with an incredible product at the end of it”. “To innovate, you have to mess up a lot of stuff and fail often”. “When people collaborate, that’s when the magic happens”.

In this Micro Episode, we explore time and the present moment in conversation with Claudia Goetzelman, one of our coaching colleagues in Berlin, a world-class photographer for content and brands. Timestamps and Takeaways 01:44 It’s only humans that have developed the ability to measure time, and animals don’t have that ability; it is more automatic for them. 02:36 When living in our external representation of time measured by clocks and calendars, it can be limiting and slow us down. 03:28 There is another experience of time whereby being present, you can feel like you have achieved more just by not having to measure it and experience it at that moment. 04:30 Wanting results, outcomes and goals are fine with clarity, but sometimes we trap ourselves with having the end in mind when it comes to time pressures. 04:49 Leaders often trap themselves and their time by causing unnecessary pressure when they say we must do this by a particular time. 05:23 When it comes to creative problem solving, you need to consider getting out of the habit of thinking about time and how much time it will take to find a solution. 06:20 we often say we will make time for reflection and downtime for ideas to form, but we often fall into the trap of never scheduling it in our week. 07:42 The real benefits of slowing down and being present throughout your day.

In this episode, we speak to Stefan Tonnon, a Human resources professional with 25 years of experience in the IT sector across EMEA, US and APAC as a leader. His passion for people development, diversity, inclusion and belonging, technology and sustainable transformational change is the driving force behind his career. He lived in five countries, and being a global citizen has enabled him to understand how diversity is crucial to driving financial success in international companies and start-ups, mentor and business advisor for Collective Brains. Stefan is also an investor, farmer and ambassador for start-up Threefold and provides business advice to small tech start-ups. Connect with Stefan here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stonnon Timestamps and Takeaways 09:49 How living and working in five different countries gave Stefan a deep cultural and diverse experience working with people from all over the world. 14:48 Stefan explains why he loves his role in human resources and how he got into it in the first place. 16:52 Why is kindness in leadership so crucial if you want to impact others and make them feel safe. 17:56 What happened to the H in HR and why the focus on performance, rather than people? 20:15 Companies with strong values can often be misaligned with what they say to their people and how their leaders behave in 121's and meetings. 20:55 there are some great examples of companies out there that understand that the results you want to drive have to be human-enteric; they know that they still have to do that through their people. 21:30 Asking people how you are doing and not always talking about work is still essential and will remain vital and how companies are quickly forgetting it. 23:15 How our current education model is still very individualistic, and then you enter into a role and have to work as a team, and often those skills require further development. 26:33 The importance of how you communicate as a leader and listening to understand your people 30:03 We reflected on what we see as the most significant skills gaps for leaders to develop right now. 33:58 We have all been trained in the past to fix problems but often end compounding the issue with quick fixes without first asking people what they think is the root cause. 38:36 The big learnings for leaders right now and going into 2022 will be how they support their team with the five different generations in the workforce, plus having their people working both in offices and remotely. 47:41 The importance of treating your team as human beings and practising kindness every day. 48:53 If you hire the best people in the market, make sure you allow them to do what they are good at, empowering and trusting them to do what they are good at from day one. 49:55 The ripple effect and impact you can have on someone's mental health, just be showing an interest in how their day is going. 54:07 The power of vulnerability, in accepting your mistakes, discussing them with your team and making things right.

In this Micro Episode of the Mind Takeaway Podcast, we explore the fear of talking about Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace. Timestamps and Takeaways 01:30 Diversity and Inclusion is not a topic you can resolve by attending a one day workshop; it’s about getting into conversations about it with your employees. 02:03 The most significant thing that gets in the way of creating a more inclusive environment and talking about DEI is fear. 02:32 How with DE & I, there is no one-size-fits-all solution and a perfect how-to guide that will address everything, as it is constantly changing and evolving. 02:54 The more we leaned into our fears and insecurities, the more we learned about the subject of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. 04:13 Dialogue and open discussions with your team about Diversity will open the door to a more inclusive environment in the future. 07:08 You have to start somewhere, and the quicker you do, the easier it will be to address any shortcomings that your company may have.  07:50 It is always good to get curious about how inclusive your company is and listen to your employees first before taking any action. 09:56 In many organisations, we see a disconnect between how they talk about DEI and how their managers do not display inclusive behaviour in their day-to-day work.

In this episode, Peter speaks to Robert John Hope, an Irish, Berlin-based singer-songwriter whose music is rooted in ambient folk and alternative pop/rock. In Ireland, he will be known mostly as the man with the distinctive voice and poetic lyrics who fronted the band Senakah, with whom he toured Ireland, the UK and the US extensively in the past. He is now back with his debut solo album ‘Plasticine Heart’, developed over a couple of years during which he released his first solo EP ‘The Unravelling’ in 2018. The album’s title for him reflects the changes one invariably goes through as time passes and for better or worse the malleable nature of perspective and the human heart. Connect with Robert here: Website: https://www.robertjohnhope.com Listen to his debut album, Pastercine Heart https://save-it.cc/musszo/plasticine-heart Timestamps: 06:30 How having a full-time job and being an artist has allowed Robert more autonomy and freedom in the music writing process. 09:56 Limitations can benefit the creative process and lead to better results. 11:40 Robert has written a lot since COVID; however, the challenge was the lack of human connection and test songs in front of a live audience. 16:20 Producing demos before going into the studio can be beneficial to hit the ground running compared to go in with nothing and feeling the pressure. 18:30 How playing five to six days a week and touring over 40 states in six months makes you cut your teeth as a musician. 27:29 Doing what you are passionate about can be therapeutic when you are doing it without internal or external pressure. 30:21 Robert shares his approach to writing songs and how he approaches this process via a framework. 32:53 The power of finding your unique way of doing things through trial and error. 37:01 Robert and Peter reflect about how they think pop music all sounds the same right now compared to the hits of the ’70s, 80’s and The ’90s 41:15 Robert reflects on has the music industry changed during COVID and what has been his experience? 53:31 Be yourself, as everyone else is already taken. The most powerful thing you can do as an artist is to be yourself.

"People will always say things about you, regardless of how good a job you're doing". In this Micro Episode, we explore What Others Think of You is None of Your Business. Timestamps and Takeaways 01:01 We can often create stories about what others think about us, which is a common trap for leaders. 02:06 The best thing you can do is approach things with integrity, transparency, and honesty, plus not worry about trying to control what others think of you. 02:57 Think of this way: the version others create in their minds about you is not your responsibility. 03:33 Everyone is only as good as where they are at in terms of their own awareness, and we all have a different version of what we see as reality. 04:22 The common trap of trying to control the version of yourself that others experience and people will still think what they think regardless of what you do to change it. 04:52 The warning signs to look out for are: Talking yourself out of the things you would like to do, avoiding people because of what you think they think of you, and damaging relationships based not on facts but on assumptions. 06:15 People tend to talk about others when they come from feeling like they are not enough; they are fearful and feel uncomfortable being themselves. 07:29 If you show up and own what you do and are happy with your impact as a leader, that's all that matters. 08:00 If you get fearful and uncomfortable, that might be a sign to put the breaks on and notice those feelings, plus ask yourself, is that really true? 08:10 Get into dialogue with your team, and the more you do that, the fewer assumptions are made and the more trust you can build, which fosters psychological safety. 10:12 Mira shares how developing compassion towards herself gave her an awareness of the stories we often tell ourselves that is just not true.

In this Micro Episode, we explore vulnerability, how it shows up why it's necessary to understand it for yourself and how it impacts the people around you. Timestamps and Takeaways 01:21 There's a lot of confusion about what it means to be vulnerable in the workplace, and we explore why that is. 02:09 Feeling uncomfortable before a meeting doesn't mean your thoughts tell you anything about whether or not you are a good leader; you are just experiencing Vulnerability. 03:05 When we feel uncomfortable, we automatically attach the meaning to that feeling of discomfort as something we shouldn't experience as leaders. 03:42 Creating awareness and noticing what you feel, so those feelings don't creep into the way you lead. 04:05 When we feel vulnerable and insecure, we tend to overprotect, control, micromanage and display all that stress outside in the world. 05:16 How being comfortable with being uncomfortable and experiencing vulnerability is helping you be a much better leader. 05:34 vulnerability is just noticing the stories that we innocently tell ourselves when we are not clear of mind. When we might have the lens of urgency or fear or feeling like we are an imposter or whatever it is, it's just noticing it and not trying to change it at all. 06:07 This isn't a strategy; you can't fake vulnerability; you either feel vulnerable and you are at the same time confident and clear of mind, or you are not. 07:39 Female leaders often tell themselves they need to control everything, be on top of it, appear strong and confident to compete with their male counterparts, and fear that it will ruin their reputation and good image if they don't behave like that. 09:08 Every time we make a step forward towards being more vulnerable and connecting with people without a mask, we are becoming better and more authentic leaders. 10:02 Letting your team know that you don't have all the answers opens doors to impactful collaboration, trust, creativity and innovation. 11:17 Expressing vulnerability can either be impactful when you share it from the space of clarity or debilitating if it comes from fear and urgency.

"How am I feeling, how am I showing up, what's my energy like today?" Want to know one of the most valuable things we explore with our clients? In this Micro Episode, we explore Energy versus Time Management. Timestamps and Takeaways 01:01 When we started being curious about our energy and becoming aware of what impact we wanted to have before any given task, our work and results have transformed. 02:40 Being aware of your energy levels going into activities helps you notice what's important and do less of what's not so valuable. 02:52 When you manage your energy, time seems to be more elastic, and you can get more done in a day, but you are less busy. 03:26 The benefits of checking in on yourself throughout your day; How am I feeling, How am I showing up? What is my energy like? 03:42 You will find that you have more energy when you become aware of what's serving you and depleting your energy throughout the day. 04:10 When you increase your energy awareness, you start noticing how you are making yourself tired and what you might need to do less of to do your best work. 05:07 You get to have more fun and impact when you start noticing your energy at any given moment. 06:03 It is essential to experiment and experience what works for you when planning your day and implementing habits to help you be more productive. 07:19 How checking in on yourself will help you become more aware of what energy you want to take into meetings or facilitating workshops. 08:02 Building habits might look like you have to change things on the outside, but when increasing your energy awareness, you build your good habits from the inside out. 08:37 If you want to make positive changes to how you show up, get curious and explore what works for you and what doesn't.

In this episode, we speak to Detina And Argita Zalli, both scientists and Senior lecturers at Imperial Colledge London and the University of Oxford. Dr Argita is currently a teaching and learning specialist lead in the Faculty of Medicine and Dr Detina is at the University of Oxford as a lead for the MSc course in Precision Cancer Medicine. We Speak Science is their non-profit institution aiming to increase awareness of Science and medicine in the USA and Europe. They also started a charity, "Aferdita Ime", collaborating with other world-class oncologists and scientists whose aim is to help cancer patients through psycho-social support and counselling. Like Mira, Detina snd Argita were both refugees at the age of 12; they lost everything and had to flee their countries together with their parents to survive and have a chance in life. Connect with them here: Website: https://wespeakscience.com Argita Zalli Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-argita-zalli-msc-phd-1779aa161 Detina Zalli: https://www.linkedin.com/in/detina-zalli-ph-d-924a5540 Timestamps: 01:00 Detina and Argita explain why they had to flee Albania in 1997 and describe how it was to live as children in a country under civil unrest. 07:30 They share a memory of how they fled the country; last-minute plan changes, dodgy arrangements and the fear of hiding under trucks on the France-UK border. 16:52 How being a refugee left them with an ever-present feeling of insecurity and being judged by others. 20:03 Detina describes their journey metaphorically - "We have fallen, then started to crawl and walk and run again." 21:14 Argita says - Disadvantage is an advantage to some extent; all your fears and insecurities push you further and make you stronger. 22:00 How coming from a disadvantaged background makes you a people person and improves your communication skills; you learn to listen and show compassion. 24:35 Detina shares how it was better they didn't know how arduous the journey would be; otherwise, we would not have taken it. 28:50 They are leading secondary research with scientists from Harward and MIT for COVID-19 and will publish condensed papers to help scientists and medics improve future treatments. 32:00 Good Morning Hope is an autobiography about the challenges they faced in life and how they overcame them. 35:00 They want their children to learn some of the lessons they did because it makes them stronger, and hopefully, they appreciate life even more. 43:00 When it comes to balancing their careers, charity work, family and kids, it can be challenging because you never get it right, but you have to try your best; after all, we are all humans. 45:25 Dreams don't work unless you do; if you want something, you have to work towards it. - says Detina at the end of our conversation. 46:19 Sucess means different things for everyone, and for Detina, it has nothing to do with how many degrees you have or how much money you make; it has to do with how happy you are with what you are doing. 51:00 You never know how strong you are until being strong is the only option you have, and people who never had to experience it still don't know how strong they are!

In this Micro Episode, we explore What is Normal with Claudia Goetzelmann, our friend and colleague who joined us in Mauer Park in Berlin.  Why are people waiting for things to go back to the way they were before this current Pandemic started? Timestamps and Takeaways 02:04 Why has everyone been waiting for the last 14 months to go back to normal when normal is right now. 03:04 What does normal mean? Everything becomes routine after a certain point. 03:46 We all create our reality, our version of normal is whatever we make up inside our heads. 05:31 Normal is every day, whether there is a pandemic, natural disaster or a sunny day, and everyone is out in a park enjoying it. 06:28 When you are in here and now, you realise it is not about trying to control compared to living in a future or a past where there is a plan, rushing for some goal that may never arrive. 07:22 All humans, like all other creatures, are adaptable. We can deal with adversity, and we forget about it. 07:44 Being future-focused can be very useful if you are Imagineering or being innovative or creative because you want to imagine a better future. But it can be very debilitating if you think that every future event will be a problem. 08:32 How do we stay present and enjoy what is? 10:15 Why accepting what is and allowing yourself to feel whatever you feel is vital to moving forward. 13:08 Surender vs Control: Embrace what day has to offer by allowing yourself to feel whatever you feel.

"You will mess things up, you will fail, you will make mistakes, but that's the point; that's where we build our resilience for the future." In this Micro Episode, we explore Resilience. Timestamps and Takeaways 01:07 Resilience is not something we have to build it is something we already have; it's innate. 01:44 It's by showing up and getting on with life is where Resilience happens anyway. 02:43 We tend to notice our capacity for Resilience when we are experiencing difficult situations, and it's not something you are aware of when everything is fine. 03:26 Often, people run away from difficult situations because they think they are not resilient enough to deal with them. 03:38 The thought of an event in the future or a bad experience in the past can hold us back, as we think we are not resilient enough to handle any given situation. 03:53 Resilience is innate; we all have access to it when we need it, and we are yet to meet another human person who doesn't. 03:59 It is usually when we speak to others and hear their stories of adversity that we realise we do not need to practice being resilient. 04:42 You don't need to go out and put yourself in challenging and dangerous situations every day; know that Resilience has your back. 05:21 Resilience in leadership is about showing up and being the best leader you can be, and you will learn that you can deal with more challenging situations than you ever thought possible. 06:24 We are all capable of showing up in the moment because it's not something we have to think about; we get into challenging situations, and we can draw on our Resilience. 06:45 The best way to recharge our natural resilience capability is to show up, get on with life, and enjoy the journey. 07:01 There is no specific technique to building your Resilience; you had your awareness of all the times when you were resilient in the past, and learning how it works will allow you to be more confident in the future. 07:27 You will mess things up, fail, and make mistakes, but that's the point; that's where we build our Resilience for the future.

In this episode, we speak to Yonason Goldson. He is a director of Ethical Imperatives, LLC, and works with leaders to create a culture of ethics that builds trust, sparks initiative, and drives productivity.  He’s a keynote and TEDx speaker, trainer, coach, and community rabbi, as well as a podcast host, columnist and author, repentant hitchhiker, world traveller, and retired high school teacher in St. Louis. He’s published hundreds of articles applying ancient rabbinic wisdom to the challenges of the modern secular world, and six books, most recently “Grappling with the Gray: an ethical handbook for personal success and business prosperity.”  Connect with Yonason here Website: https://www.yonasongoldson.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yonason-goldson/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/yonasongoldson Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yonasongoldson/ Podcast: https://www.yonasongoldson.com/podcast-the-rabbi-the-shrink Timestamps 01:57 Whilst backpacking, Yonason ended up in Israel, where he discovered a rich tradition of heritage, philosophy, practical wisdom and community that changed his life. 05:34 Most of our culture today is designed to self-sabotage us because of our often misaligned definition of success. 09:02 Why is it so important to have a sense of community and play an active role in it. 15:12 Yonason shares a story of how he would pay for his ride by listening to understand when he was hitchhiking. 16:55 Why great leaders benefit from having coaches, mentors and trusted advisors? 20:21 The dangers of not allowing dissent and opposing views in your company. 32:40 Can there be a universal set of principles for leaders that sets a balance between what is eternal and the ever-changing world of reality? 37:08 One of the principles from Yonason’s new book is to encourage constructive disagreement as opposed to when each side digs in, negates and vilifies the other, which can often lead to extremism.

In this Micro Episode, we explore Psychological Safety. Psychological safety is the belief that you won't be punished or humiliated for speaking up with ideas, questions, concerns, or mistakes. Google conducted a study for over two years called Project Aristotle and came up with a list of 5 Key dynamics of successful teams: psychological safety, dependability, structure and clarity, meaning, and impact. Psychological safety stood out as the most crucial factor to everyone's surprise. Timestamps and Takeaways 01:29 It looks like a complex topic, but you don't need to be a psychologist to create an environment where people feel safe and included. 02:00 Cognitive Diversity means everyone in your team can share their ideas and get into discussions or dialogue. 02:36 From the outside, a psychologically safe team will be high performing and successful but may look messy or chaotic from the inside to people outside that team. 03:05 The common misconception is that these teams are uniform and predictable, but people feel safe being themselves and expressing their opinions. 03:50 For Diversity to flourish, both yourself and the team need to feel and have those challenging and sometimes uncomfortable conversations. 04:48 Everyone in a group will benefit greatly from getting to know everyone individually and collectively on a human level, outside of their roles and responsibilities. 05:11 A vital tenet of a psychologically safe team is where everyone trusts each other to do their best work. 05:42 Leaders need to go their first and trust themselves before they can genuinely impact others to do the same 06:38 The human connection and bond between people are vital, regardless of their opinions and how they see the world. 06:56 There is a willingness to say when you are wrong because there will be less judgement, plus failure and learning are encouraged. 07:10 Another key trait is being curious and listening to each other and not being scared to address topics as they arise. 07:37 It doesn't mean that things will be perfect with a team with high trust, just that if the wheels start to come off, they more likely to self-correct. 08:43 How not valuing your option can open the door to your team's collective power shared experiences. 09:43 You don't have to talk about Diversity and Inclusion so much if you create safe spaces where everyone feels part of a community.

In this episode, we speak to Jennie Stephens, Professor of Sustainability Science & Policy and Director of School of Public Policy & Urban Affairs at Northeastern University in Boston. Professor Stephens’ most recent book, Diversifying Power: Why We Need Antiracist, Feminist Leadership on Climate and Energy (Island Press, 2020), inspires collective action with stories of innovative diverse leaders who are linking climate and energy with jobs and economic justice, health and food, transportation and housing.  Trained at Harvard and Caltech, she is an educator, social justice advocate, and internationally-recognized expert on renewable transformation, energy democracy, climate justice, and gender in energy. Connect with Jennie here: Website: www.jenniecstephens.com Twitter: @jenniecstephens Book: https://islandpress.org/books/diversifying-power Timestamps: 02:36 The premise of Jennie's new book, Diversifying Power, is about leadership that acknowledges the complex power structures that give privilege to some at the expense of marginalizing others. 04:22 How feminist leadership isn't just about women; it's an invitation for all of us to acknowledge the harm to society and the hurt for some many when we have these complicated power structures. 05:04 The importance of empowerment and holding both ourselves and the organizations we work for accountable so that we are not perpetuating inequities and disparities. 08:08 We already have the technologies right now to move away from fossil fuels, to shift to a renewal based society. Still, profiting from continuing to use fossil fuels are investing in undermining science and technology. 10:18 The research shows that when women, people of minority backgrounds, and indigenous people are in leadership positions, they bring different priorities, lived experiences, and perceptions of risk when it comes to the Climate Crisis. 12:06 How transformation always requires disruption, which is also uncomfortable; however, it's a window of opportunity to take action against climate change and inequality. 13:29 No one will benefit if we do not allow our planet to regenerate,, regardless of our net worth, if we end up with a dead ocean or deplete our natural resources. 16:26 Jennie shares one example from her book about the dangers of individualistic, technology-based thinking that doesn't consider our social structures. 22:39 The benefits of cognitive diversity in having different people from all backgrounds in leadership roles. 24:54 The idea of growing the squad, referring to, for example, in the United States, the four junior congresswomen representing four different states who have made such positive changes. 29:26 When we are scared and stressed out, we often tend to act in an individualistic way and only think about our own survival. 30:33 Some great examples of compassionate, empathetic female leaders during the pandemic, where transparency, clear communication, and community-based leadership were demonstrated, elevated people to rise about the fear. 33:10 Is it not time to take leadership off the pedestal and bring it to all of us in the form of collective action by seeing ourselves as leaders and inspiring others to do the same. 36:35 The Importance of avoiding generational conflicts by thinking about and listening to our young people regarding climate and social issues. 40:31 How politicians cannot see past their terms, business up to the next quarter and humans cannot think further than a generation when making decisions that affect our future.

Why do we experience Imposter Syndrome and what can we do about it? In this 10 minute Micro Episode, we explore Imposter Syndrome. Timestamps and Takeaways 01:23 How feeling like an imposter is just part and parcel of everyday life and the human experience. 02:05 Peter shares a story of how in the past he did everything possible to avoid public speaking. 03:38 We often compare ourselves to others and only see the good bits. 04:40 Just because you might feel like an imposter doesn’t actually mean that it's true. 05:39 We often create this idea about ourselves based on what others may or may not think about us or how we think the outside world sees us. 06:31 How comparing ourselves to others only detracts from us taking action and learning from doing. 7:16 Doing something for the first time will always feel uncomfortable, but that doesn’t mean you are not good enough.

In this episode, we speak to the award-winning coach and keynote speaker, Simon Alexander Ong. Everything that Simon does is built to inspire people to see their world differently and ignite their imagination of what is truly possible so that they can live a better story. He has been interviewed on Sky News, BBC and Forbes, and has spoken at some of the planet's most successful organisations such as Virgin, Salesforce and Microsoft. Connect with Simon here: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonalexanderong/ Website: https://www.simonalexanderong.com/ Timestamps: 02:10 The importance of human connection in the world of business and how telling our authentic stories is so powerful. 04:18 Simon explains the benefits of transformative coaching, and he often shares with sceptics one of his favourite TED Talks from Dr Atul Gawande. 09:27 How we silent have a companion in the form of innate wisdom and it's always there in the background guiding us. 11:26 The idea of slowing down to speed up is because we can listen and be more connected to that voice within, and that's where the worlds most significant ideas have come from in history. 11:42 When things get stressful, usually one of the first things that often gets sacrificed is rest and sleep. The less sleep we get, the less productive we are. 12:29 The innocent misunderstanding, when we get stress out it, looks like we need to do much to get where we want to be, but we need to see what we are doing wrong and stop doing that instead. 17:52 How having a routine is vital; designing your life begins with planning your days, and a productive day starts the night before. 19:48 Why coaching is so powerful, and the real art is making things simple to understand, simple to action and straightforward to follow. 20:59 Simon shares a powerful example of how accountability is critical to success and asks an important question. 22:49 One question we can all afford to spend more time dwelling on is: Are your current actions and choices currently reflective of what you are telling me is important? 26:10 How you can't have fundamental transformation quickly; success doesn't often happen overnight. It happens over time; it's the compound effect of taking action. 28:10 The paradox of goals, how we need goals or plans to give ourselves context of the actions we are going to take today, but you then have to forget and not focus on them. 28:52 As we get older and wiser (hopefully), we realize that the goal and the vision are not the most significant rewards; it's about the journey of who we must become in getting there. 32:17 When you come from a place of joy, happiness, and love, you want to show up and express the gifts you were born to share with the world. 33:01 The misconception of purpose and how it's more about the experience of going through a series of events and following your curiousity that leads you to what you want to do in life. What am I more curious about right now? 38:05 Simon reminds us that a super-power we often forget is we have the power to choose one thought over another. 42:45 We ask Simon about his new book, which will be published next year with Penguin Random House.

To become an impactful leader, you need to go through a personal transformation rather than just learning from books and reading content. Is this Micro Episode of we explore Impactful Leadership Timestamps and Takeaways 01:18 You cannot expect to positively impact the people around you unless you are willing to go on a transformational journey first. 02:59 Leadership development is more about going out there, testing what works, experimenting and being creative. 03:38 Most of the things that distract from us being great leaders stem from fear. 05:17 It's only through continuous exploration and curiosity that you will become an impactful leader. 05:52 Any transformation you go through will be uncomfortable at some point, similar to going to the gym and getting yourself fit, but you get stronger. 06:20 You can only improve by being reflective, having a curious mindset and acting on feedback. 07:14 To create psychologically safe spaces for people to do their best work, you need to be comfortable in your own skin. 08:07 If you hide away from decisions, if you don't trust people, they will not trust you back and may even copy your toxic behaviour. 09:27 Don't be afraid to get stuff wrong or sometimes upset people because it will happen, but as long as you show up authentically and have a willingness to admit when you got it wrong, people will be much more forgiving than you think.

In this episode, we speak to Tony Loyd a leadership development expert. He empowers aspiring changemakers to rapidly grow a business with a social mission. His Purpose-Driven Leadership Program provides a blueprint to bridge the gaps from idea, to innovation, to impact. Tony is a former Fortune 500 executive with companies such as John Deere, Medtronic, and Buffalo Wild Wings. Today, Tony is a best-selling author, keynote speaker, business coach, and podcast host. He is the Executive Producer of the podcast Social Entrepreneur. He shares positive stories from underrepresented voices, focused on solutions. Social Entrepreneur is downloaded more than half a million times in over 180 countries. Tony also hosts Thrive. Connect. Contribute. where he tells stories of people who thrive in life, connect with others, and contribute to the world in the face of adversity. He is a TEDx speaker and the best-selling author of Crazy Good Advice: 10 Lessons Learned from 150 Leading Social Entrepreneurs. Connect with Tony here: Primary website: https://tonyloyd.com  Thrive. Connect. Contribute.: https://thriveconnectcontribute.com/ Coaching practice: https://cultureshift.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TonyLoydSocialEntrepreneur/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anthonyloyd/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyloyd/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TonyLoyd YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/tonyloyd Timestamps: 00:01:57 Successful people do not wait for creative ideas to kick in to take action; they start doing things even when they are not inspired. 00:05:09 How did Tony come to write his book Crazy Good Advice: 10 Lessons Learned from 150 Leading Social Entrepreneurs. 00:08:06 How quite often many opportunities show up when you say yes to one thing. 00:12:42 If you want to live a life of purpose and meaning, you have to bring purpose and meaning into your work. 00:14:43 The higher up in the organisation you go, the more you see the choices and tradeoffs made to maximise shareholder value. 00:16:42 The idea of social entrepreneurship is to make money and difference at the same time. 00:18:45 Tony explains four different ways to bake your social good into your business model: selling, sharing, staffing and sourcing. 00:28:30 One of the keys to social entrepreneurship is starting with the question: What breaks your heart? 00:31:59 When you are struggling on your entrepreneurial journey, hold tight to the vision but let the form be flexible. 00:34:18 Self-care is the first step in making a difference in the world. 00:42:48 Five reasons why people do not start businesses: fear of financial instability, not enough time, not having big enough idea, not having a skill set, and the biggest is self-doubt. 00:49:45 Tony shares five things one should think about when starting a social business.

In this Micro Epsidoe, we explore Empowerment. Timestamps and Takeaways 01:31 When we believe that someone has power over us, we begin to act as if that is true, and in that, we are giving our control away. 02:45 If you're waiting for someone else to empower you, you will never reach your true potential. 02:57 Empowerment comes from within us; therefore, we can call it in-powerment  (we can credit @garry Turner for this one, the term he coined during a discussion on Clubhouse last year) to avoid misunderstandings.  03:44 You are only ever one thought away from either empowering or disempowering ourselves and is it easy to forget that sometimes. 06:35 There are two challenges in companies right now: managers believe they can give or take away Empowerment, and the second is that employees are waiting to be told what to do. 08:52 We have a lot more autonomy than we think, one example being Nelson Mandela, who was incarcerated for many years and never gave his power away. 09:08 It's like self incarceration when we disempower ourselves as we wait for others to tell us what we can or cannot do.

In this episode, we speak to Cordelia Gaffar, an author, leadership coach and founder of Replenish Me. Through her work as the Emotions Opener Transformation Strategist, she is guiding leaders to use their darkest and most difficult emotions to show up powerfully and be courageous. Cordelia is also the co-host of Unlearning Labels Podcast together with us. Cordelia has been at the forefront of facilitating difficult conversations surrounding diversity, equity, belonging and inclusion on an organisational level beginning with the Co-Creating the Bridge event in June 2020 with Devon Bandison. She has also spoken on several international platforms Amplify DEI based in the Netherlands, L&D Cares Summit-based in Germany and Discovering the Truth based in the UK. In February she was selected Peace Ambassador by INSPAD based in Belgium and Pakistan. She is also a force in women’s empowerment and was selected Top National Influencer of the Success Women's Conference, a Sexy Brilliant Ambassador and Leader and inducted into the Global Library of Female Authors by Ona Miller. She is also the best-selling co-author of America’s Leading Ladies: who positively impact the world with Oprah Winfrey and several dynamic women. Even with all of her accolades, her biggest brag is being a homeschooling mom of six children. Connect with Cordelia here: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cordelia-gaffar/ Website: https://www.cordeliagaffar.com/ Timestamps: 05:46 Cordelia helps leaders open up and be comfortable showing up emotionally.  07:55 How different education systems and lack of diversity in schools can impact how we show up as leaders in the future. 13:46 The best leaders see their role as being of service and not thinking about themselves all the time and how others see them. 17:36 Leadership is all about knowing when to show up authentically and be ok being vulnerable.  19:06 The most underdeveloped skill right now is a lack of awareness and an ability to slow down and reflect. 22:00 How the pressures of having to stay late in the office are hopefully changing, since COVID-19, as we debunk the misunderstanding between business and productivity. 25:30 How to step off the hamster wheel of pressure and avoid peer pressure. 29:09 How can you help your team be more creative and effective without micromanaging them and adding pressure?  31:30 Knowing how to set boundaries for yourself in terms of work-life balance will make you a  better leader for others and your community. 36:00 What can we do to nurture ourselves better. 39:16 Success is subjective, and we should be the ones defining what that looks like for us instead of comparing ourselves to others.  

Exploring Clarity of Mind “When we feel anxious or worried about something, it looks like we have to do something about it to change the feeling. Is that true? What is going on there? Being in a low state often feels like a call to action, but that is the worst thing we can do; taking action and creating goals from a state of anxiety versus allowing our mind to settle to see what is required more clearly. Timestamps and Takeaways 01:00 When feeling anxious about something, we often think we have to do something to change the feeling. Is that true? 02:00 Trying to change the experience of having an uncomfortable feeling can often compound the issue and worsen it. 02:57 Being compassionate towards yourself and allowing yourself to feel the full spectrum of human emotion is the best gift you can give because it leads to clarity. 03:42 The more you get curious and explore how your mind works and go out there and experiment, so you can see if this is true for yourself. 04:11 When there are storm clouds above you, and it’s pouring down with rain, you are getting zapped by lightning, and it’s a crappy day; you want to give up, close the curtains and go back to sleep, but there is always blue sky and sunshine above those storm clouds, and that’s your clarity, still there when your mind settles. 05:48 If you feel low, the best thing you can do is not change that feeling is reach out to other people to express how you feel. 06:82 Even on the worst days, you can get back to a place of clarity. 07:14 Mira had some profound moments of clarity at the times when she had the most stress in her life.

In this episode, we speak to Kevin Watson an award-winning business coach, who works with leaders to enable them to reach their full potential, overcome challenges and help take their careers to the next level. He is passionate about making a difference, enabling and encouraging leaders who want to create and sustain meaningful change. He combines a supportive, results-focused approach with the practical tools acquired throughout his career that spans 17 years as a coach and over 25 years in retail, notably as part of the senior team responsible for the transformation of Selfridge to the iconic retailer it is today. Kevin also hosts his own podcast, Words Matter, in which guests bring quotes, lyrics and poems that have been important to them, shaped their thinking and even changed their lives. Connect with Kevin here: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kjwatson Company website: https://myown-coach.co.uk Email: [email protected] Timestamps: 03:03How Leadership is not a position It is a choice, taking people from one place to another through the power of influence and fellowship. 08:10 Empowerment is not something you have to give or can control. Employees are empowered as soon as they start their journey with your company. 14:02 What is holding back more established large organisations from facilitating a more human-centric leadership approach? 17:20 Why are companies still sitting on their hands and trying to control their employees regarding working from home policies and why they may not be here in the next five years? 25:47 We grow through chaos and uncertainty, but we forget that we are innately curious and try to avoid it. 27:23 The pros and cons of planning far ahead in the future and setting concrete goals. 32:43 If we all set up an organisation right now, what skills and awareness would we be looking for in our employees? 34:30 Leadership is the art of knowing what is getting in the way of people being able their best work. 35:30 We can all be better at Self Leadership and take responsibility for change, rather than blaming others or putting all responsibility on one person.

DID CURIOSITY REALLY KILL THE CAT? The more curious we are about the world and other people, our reward is new information, insights and opportunities. Timestamps and Takeaways ☞ Why curiously opens the door to hearing and seeing something new that you didn't know before. ☞ Becoming more curious as a leader will allow you to listen to your people, resulting in better engagement and collaboration. ☞ You can cut through your fixed views and biases when you become more interested in your surroundings and other people. ☞ If you have a fixed viewpoint or hold onto a specific outcome, you block creative ideas from taking shape and limit your access to new information. ☞ Being more curious can help you navigate uncertainty and help prepare for opportunities. *Credit goes to Mira for capturing that image of me in Giza, Egypt, 2017

Exploring Regenerative Leadership “Regenerative leadership is about rewilding boardrooms and companies, and that’s not about bringing in animals and letting wolves run riot.” It’s about bringing back some of the natural innate abilities that all humans possess and re-introducing a more human-centric leadership approach. ☞ Being of service by creating a safe and inclusive environment ☞ Showing up authentically ☞ Being vulnerable and permitting other people to do the same ☞ The act of replacing the old dogma or paradigms of leadership and embracing new and forgotten leadership skills ☞ Knowing that people are already empowered and that they do not require permission, only encouragement ☞ It’s about self-leadership and ownership ☞ Fostering our natural human qualities, such as creativity, emotional intelligence, our sense of community ☞ Allowing failure as a natural part of the learning process ☞ We are all capable of being thought leaders ☞ Listening to understand, by I hear, see and value you. By doing all of the above people will start to bring out qualities (from within) that they didn’t even know they had, which kick-starts empowerment and fosters a great work culture. If you are looking for coaching, want to develop your leadership skills, improve your team's performance, get more creative or strengthen your business relationships, then check our website at: https://www.themindtakeaway.com  or drop us an email at [email protected] for more details.

In this episode, we speak to Sejal Thakkar. Dubbing herself "Chief Civility Officer", Sejal is not your average employment law attorney! Her more than fifteen years of experience advising clients, human resources personnel, and legal counsel regarding sound, standard employment practices uncovered a need - and personal passion - for bringing more proactive, relevant, and impactful workplace training programs to her clients and their teams. Her highly experiential customized workshops tailored to executives, managers, and individual contributors bring the courtroom to the training room in an interactive, engaging environment that favours human stories over compliance checklists. You can connect with Sejal here: Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/sejalthakkar/ Timestamps: 2:59 Sejal explains her journey from Defence Attorney to building cultures of civility and inclusion 4:28 Why organisations need to take a more proactive approach to address workplace harassment and microaggressions. 7:00 Why is there so much willful blindness when it comes to breaches of compliance? 9:30 What are microaggressions and how they show up in the workplace? 13:42 How self-awareness with a willingness to address your blind spots is a good starting point for addressing diversity and inclusion in the workplace 17:00 The importance of leaders creating spaces with openness, transparency and creating a culture where people can speak freely without the fear of retaliation. 21:00 We explain how toxic work environments often come to bear. 26:23 The importance of training and developing middle managers in Cultural Awareness and Diversity because that's who employees go to first. 31:09 Did you know that around 75% of people don't even report their complaints snd often suffer in silence? 32:05 What to do if you experience harassment or face discrimination? 35:29 What are the challenges of working from home and remote leadership 37:28 If no one is complaining and people aren't getting forward with difficulties, there are no problems but that people are not feeling psychologically safe to come along. 40:16 The importance of having customised programs and training instead of off the shelve one size fits all Diversity and Inclusion solutions

In our fifth micro episode, we share some insights we gained from supporting leaders and professional musicians with creativity. Takeaways and Timestamps The importance of creativity to be able to drive innovation and solve complex problems We are creating all the time; however, we are just not aware of it The power of our creative mind and what can be created from thought How we can all practice through experimentation and play to strengthen our creative muscle How boredom is a beautiful gateway into innovation and the creation of novel ideas If you are looking for coaching, want to develop your leadership skills, improve your team's performance, get more creative or strengthen your business relationships, then check our website at: https://www.themindtakeaway.com  or drop us an email at [email protected] for more details.

Paul Hanford is a Berlin-based music culture writer and podcaster, originally from the UK. His Arts Council of England awarded podcast Lost and Sound is about meeting music people with real vision and looks at the culture that inspires them. The show combines interviews with legendary artists like Peaches and Thurston Moore with up and coming artists from emerging cultural scenes around the world. He’s written for WIRED, Beatportal, Huck, Mixmag, WePresent, Boiler Room, Somesuch Co, Crack, Highsnobiety, Borshch Magazine, Wire, Dazed, DJMag and Little White Lies. Plus curated music for events at Tate Modern, Tate Britain, The Victoria and Albert Museum, Somerset House and Top Shop. From 2015 to 2018, he presented the weekly new music show on Hoxton Radio and the music news on London Live TV. Before this, he was Head of Music for London based event company Secret Cinema. Back before this, at the very dawn of this millennium, he was part of indie electronica act Brothers In Sound, who released three EPs and an LP with Regal/Parlophone Records, before releasing two electronic LPs as Sancho for Superglider and then Seed Records. Paul also tutors Cultural Theory at music academy BIMM and workshops for the Berlin-based charity organisation Open Music Lab which helps teach music to people who’ve experienced being refugees. Listen to Paul’s Lost & Found Podcast and connect with him here: www.lostandsoundpodcast.com Main Takeaways Paul explains how the lockdown has given everyone, including artists a chance to slow down, reflect and have some safe care time. How hearing the Pixies and Navanna in Six Forth changed Paul’s life and he felt part of some movement, he did not feel before. Paul reflects on the lack of comradery due to the Covid Pandemic what this does to our soul. 45:06 How 2020 has been exciting in some ways, due to a culture shift in addressing diversity and how we need to start listening to all the different voices we might have not listened to before COVID. 46:45 Quite often something feels really good when you combine two different things together might not be new things, but the way they come together feels fresh and new! How making art doesn’t have to be painful, but remember when you do face challenges, get frustrated or experience writer's block, that it’s totally ok and part of the creative process. 36:51 The same people who are in a position to pull the plug on creative funding for artists and institutions are the very same people who will complain in the future that we do not have many cultural outlets left after the COVID Pandemic ends. 58;14 How our creative ideas have always been around and they just can come through us, if we let them 64:41 Paul is kind enough to share his creating writing process and you might be surprised with what hen has to share.

Saying "I'm not sure what to do" as a leader and including your people in finding solutions can forge deep human connections within your team. It can also lead to creative answers you thought not impossible had you tried to solve things independently. We can all be scared of not knowing, and it feels like a vulnerable place to be when we don't have all the answers, but it's an authentically human experience and the source of all insights and innovation. If you are looking for coaching, want to develop your leadership skills, improve your team's performance, get more creative or strengthen your business relationships, then check our website at:https://www.themindtakeaway.com  or drop us an email at [email protected] for more details.

In this episode, we speak to Simona Spilak, a Leadership Coach and Career Growth Strategist. She is helping leaders to accelerate their careers by exploiting the power of their uniqueness. Simona is the founder of SimonaSpilak.com, an online coaching community. Over the last 20 years, she has helped thousands of clients transition careers, become entrepreneurs, and scale their businesses rapidly. On top of that, she runs her consulting agency for major corporations, is a lecturer at the International Business Economics Faculty, and is a regular speaker at regional conferences in Europe. Simona lives with a deep passion for helping others to enjoy the same entrepreneurial freedom that she has. Want to make effective decisions faster?  Simona shared a downloadable bundle, including a video lesson & a workbook - “4 Techniques for Decision Making” with the listeners of the Mind Takeaway Podcast. Link to the Decision Making free bundle: https://www.simonaspilak.link/simona-spilak-4-techniques-for-decision-making/ Connect with Simona: Website: www.simonaspilak.com FB: https://www.facebook.com/simonaspilakcom LI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonaspilak/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/simonaspilak/ YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvztWFSrBItltFNAkqPzWJA Timestamps: 02:16 When considering a career change passion is not everything, we need to look into four areas: what you love to do, what you are good at, what you can be paid for and what the world needs. 05:30 How changes are a driver towards personal and professional growth. 07:30 The first step when thinking about your dream career is to start looking at your long term aspiration; the vision of who you would like to become, what would you like to be, who are people around you, etc. 10:30 Often, we are held back by a lack of awareness of our capabilities and limiting beliefs. 13:15 Taking small incremental steps and getting help is crucial to overcoming setbacks and achieving your professional dreams. 14:40 Having a coach or a mentor means someone who can help you open the doors you haven’t seen before. 17:03 Why you should not be afraid to start from scratch because there is value in having a clear mind when beginning to plan a new direction in life. 19:50 The possibilities grow when you are willing to be vulnerable and take steps, even when you can’t predict the future. 24:00 How to deal with failure, disappointment, Covid and losing a job? 34:00 We all have our path, and we need to be working on that uniqueness instead of comparing ourselves to others. 40:58 Simona shares a personal story; one of the reasons why she left the environment she was working in and why she embarked on her entrepreneurial journey.

Did you know that there is no growth or diversity without embracing the differences in your relationships? In the third of our micro episodes, we share what we noticed by supporting our clients with their business relationships. Takeaways ➡ Why do most relationships break down, and what to do about it? ➡ How can working in relationships not be the best course of action? ➡ Why listening to understand each other holds the key to lasting relationships?

In this episode, we speak to Nir Bashan, a world-renowned creativity expert. He has taught thousands of leaders and individuals around the globe how to harness the power of creativity to improve profitability, increase sales, improve customer service and ultimately create more meaning in their work. He has worked on numerous albums, movies, and advertisements with famous actors and musicians ranging from Rod Stewart to Woody Harrelson. His work on creativity has won a Clio Award and was nominated for an Emmy. Connect with Nir: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nirbashan/ Email: [email protected] The Creator Mindset: https://www.nirbashan.com/colored-section-1 Timestamps: 06:24 Did you know that creativity can be applied to any aspect of your businesses? 11:30 Without creativity, humans would still be animals 14:11 How innovation is about looking at your products and services in a new and exciting way 18:02 Covid or any crisis can be a call to action to drive meaningful change 19:09 What stops us from being creative? 27:34 We all need to feel psychologically safe in order to get creative and drive innovation. 28:13 You can relearn how to use your creativity so it is repeatable and scalable? 33:20 Anyone, not embracing creativity is limiting their potential to make more money, be more effective or coming up with the next great amazing thing.

What happens when you prepare for opportunity instead of worrying about the future? In the second of our micro episodes, we explore uncertainty, what to do about it and how you can prepare for the future. *Episode art image was taken at Leise Park, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin

In this episode, we speak to Csaba Toth who is a British/Hungarian entrepreneur, researcher and speaker based in the UK. He is the founder of ICQ Global, a people development organisation with licensed partners in 35 countries. Csaba is the developer of the multi-award-winning Global DISC model and the best-selling author of the Uncommon Sense in Unusual Times hybrid book published with Marshall Goldsmith. Csaba has 15 years of experience in setting up start-ups, working with Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, entrepreneurs and certifying over 60 coaches and consultants globally. Connect with Csaba here: https://www.ICQ.global https://www.linkedin.com/in/csabatothinterculturaldisc/ https://www.facebook.com/icq.global https://twitter.com/icq_global?lang=en https://www.instagram.com/icq.global/?hl=en Book on Amazon Timestamps: 02:36 The cultural differences that go beyond skin colour, race, gender, generations, religion and that every conversation is a cross-cultural dialogue. 04:16 What does homophilic diversity mean? How we like and trust people who are like us. 05:30 The benefits of cognitive diversity when it comes to high performing teams. 08:19 How you can see the real person behind the mask, the person without putting on a show. 09:25 What is the No.1 trait of high performing teams? 09:57 How to create the right conditions for people to feel safe and be able to do their best work 12:14 How discomfort and fear come from a lack of understanding of any given situation, especially one that might be new to us. 14:40 Did you know that every behaviour is purposeful and when we talk about people under stress that behaviour has a purpose of protection and they will not stop doing it until it is not required anymore or they find a better option. 16:15 Leadership is about having the awareness to explore getting uncomfortable for yourself, being curious and addressing your challenges and unconscious biases. 17:21 Csaba’s beautiful metaphor for why people do not usually change until it hurts enough, why is that? 18:21 Why giving people managers and leaders more techniques, tools and things to do is not always the best way to develop them. 21:05 The missing link before mindset is to have the right state of mind, which is clarity of mind. 23:49 The disconnect between how employees understand a company's vision and mission versus how the top leaders see it. 31:43 How the biggest distance between two people is a misunderstanding 36:10 The missing link to resolving most challenges in the workplace is to treat people like individual human beings. 38:15 How companies should consider fostering leadership skills to all employees, so when they are given the role of a leader they hit the ground running. 40:38 An important question for leaders to ponder, do you want to be right or do you want to the results?

In the first of our micro episodes, we explore fear, how it can show up in our lives and what to do about it.  What would you do if you knew that fear wasn't an obstacle? Takeaways What is fear telling you? How fear shows up in many different ways The importance of recognising your emotions

In this episode with speak to Eleanor Snare (they/them), an artist, writer and educator. Their art forms combine narrative structures with ink, paint, pen and digital mediums and their writing explore the connections between earth, emotions and society, including our experience of the numinous and faith. Eleanor specialises in looking at contemporary social and business issues through an artistic, critical, anti-capitalist, pro-connection lens. Since 2012 Eleanor has taught in higher education and currently teaches at Leeds Arts University in Fashion Marketing, MA Creative Practice and MA Graphic Design. Previous to this career they worked as a copywriter, marketer and communications specialist full time in marketing agencies and then in their own business, with clients such as NatWest, TSB, ASDA, New Look, Marks & Spencer, Unilever, EDF, Redcats, Shop Direct and independent photographers, stylists, textile designers, artists, massage therapists and writers. Connect with Eleanor here: Website: www.eleanorsnare.com Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/eleanorsnare Instagram: www.instagram.com/eleanorsnare Timestamps 01:37 Elenor describes the bridge between the creative and business worlds in the work that they do, as previously, they felt torn between two seemingly separate worlds. 04:28 The challenges of thinking you have to separate business and creativity. 06:42 Eleanor had a realisation that every professional decision was made from intuition alone. 08:41 How Businesses tapping into their intuitive side allows them to talk about feelings because they impact every decision made and affect your leadership. 10:06 Successful businesses need creatives and people with humanities degrees because they have strong critical thinking skills. 14:16 Every person can be creative and inside every person is an artist, that is our child. 15:42 Innovation and creativity requires the freedom not to have an output because if we have strict rules in place, you suddenly limit yourself. 17:42 One of Eleanor’s favourite hobbies is looking out of the window because it allows your mind to wander. 20:28 The importance of having the right balance between control and enough freedom and space to be innovative. 22:51 How entrepreneurial literature can encourage a template style approach which claims that if you do these things, you will be successful, which isn’t the case. 24:14 control is an aspect that many people struggle with how you can use it effectively. 27:16 Many artists try to fit their art into the rest of their life, rather than building a life around their art. 28:53 Our economy loves the results of creativity, but it hates the process, and because of it, young artists often think they are not valuable. 30:13 The importance of getting people who never saw themselves as creative or artistic picking up a pen or a paintbrush and making art because it gives them a respect for the process and also how transformative it is in many ways. 32:18 The inseparable nature of art and science 36:11 It’s essential for artists to trust their process and not justify it. 39:10 Lots of the famous artists that we celebrate just saw something we did not see and that reflects in their work. 43:23 What it would be like for you if you believed that creativity was an innate quality that you have within you? 43:50 Life and work is more about the journey than achieving your goals. 52:52 The more comfortable you are with yourself the better the world that is when we create a better world.

In this episode, we speak with Joshua Haynes, a Founder + Managing Partner at Masawa, the mental wellness impact fund. After a long journey learning to approach his own issues of depression, anxiety, and addiction, Joshua founded Masawa to help address mental illness, a silent epidemic that is the leading cause of disability worldwide and costs, in the EU alone, €600 billion a year. Joshua believes that after society is more mentally well by focusing on the internal first, it can overcome the seemingly intractable problems like climate change, poverty, and injustice. Over the past 20 years, Joshua has focused on the intersection of innovation, technology, and social impact. He has worked for both the US and Swedish governments, managing a portfolio of $190 million in innovative grant funding in emerging and frontier market countries targeting poverty alleviation, civil society, human rights, and technology. Joshua holds degrees from Boston University and The Fletcher School, Tufts University. He has worked in 35 countries, speaks 7 languages well (pretends in many more), and lives in Berlin with his husband and two children. Connect with Joshua here: Website: https://masawa.fund Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/masawafund/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/masawafund/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/masawafund Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/masawafund Timestamps 03:55 In the startup scene, the goal should be to about using the wealth we have as a vehicle to ensure that more people become themselves, in whatever shape or form that may take. 04:30 Pre COVID the No1 cause of disability was depression, and it still is, the prediction is that the total loss in productivity will be 30 trillion worldwide by 2030. 04:58 Mental wellness is not about human optimisation, it's about giving everyone an equal playing field, and there's where the name of Joshua's impact fund comes from the Arabic word Al Masawa. 06:53 It looked like the perfect life, until one day he crashed and burned, due to not dealing with his issues from the past;  he had to learn how to deal with the emotions and take the time for himself. 09:23 Having worked in finance on projects in Africa and worked on innovation and social enterprises and startups in Cambodia, he was curious about who was funding these innovations that were happening in Mental wellness. He found that there were not impact funds that cared equally about maximising that social impact as well maximising the financial aspects, so he decided to do it himself. 13:28 The underlying issues of the existential problems in the world, such as poverty, climate change, inequality and injustice, are happening because we are not ok with ourselves. 15:54 The best thing that leaders in organisations can start doing is being ok with being vulnerable. 17:18 In most work cultures, people never really talk about their home life and don't bring their full selves to work. 18:04 On the subject of diversity and how Joshua is only now starting to understand the privilege he had as a white male. We need to use the benefits we have to channel them for the greater good. 21:04 The Masawa advisory board it is nine women and one man, and you might say they are a contrarian, but if you look at the range of experiences they have, it is because they identified holes where they needed help and these are the best people we knew and found to be able to fill those holes

If there was ever a time when we needed to show compassion and put our differences aside, that time is now. In this episode, we speak with Cheryl Hanson, a thought leader, teacher and conversation facilitator. In partnership with the international organization, Preemptive Love she developed a program in her city called “Gatherings” where people from different cultures, races, faiths, and politics are able to come together in an environment where everyone has a voice, a safe place to be heard and valued. You can connect with Cheryl here: Email [email protected] Instagram - @cherylhansonspeaks Facebook - @cherylhansonspeaks  Time Stamps: 02:55 Cheryl explains what radical compassion is and how can we develop it. 05:26 Building bridges with people who are different from us starts with awareness of who we are first. 07:51 Are younger people more open to change than older generations? 11:04 Sheryl explains how her grandchildren have the opportunity to grow up in a diverse neighbourhood because their parents purposely chose to move from an affluent area where everyone was like them to the place where they can learn from different cultures. 12:14 It is our responsibility to respect humanity, and when we don't, it permits us to hurt people, and it makes it easier to disassociate with a particular demographic. 13:36 She was growing up in a cultural bubble to being exposed to diverse groups in her work in the non-profit sector. 14:57 Cheryl recounts a man who seemed selfish, but when she heard the story that informed his behaviour, she realised that we could go further into connecting with people if we just listen to each other. 17:10 It is essential to know people on a human level before you can make any assumptions about their behaviour. 19:05 The importance of taking the time to build relationships and open the door to the conversation as it shows the other person that they are seen and heard and you care enough to take the time to understand them. 20:53 The transformative power of allowing someone to be seen and heard and respecting their humanity. 22:07 Cheryl's tip for listening is when someone is telling you something, don't be in your mind thinking how are you going to respond but truly hear them out. 24:13 How her group gatherings work and the power of having the co-host/ facilitator who is very different from Cheryl. but has the same goal to create a safe space for people to listen to each other. 30:30 Healing in communities comes from hearing each other's experiences and discussing how we can move forward together instead of focusing on our differences. 34:48 Cheryl explains the term "Love Anyway" and the power of choosing to love people who are different from us and even caused us pain. 37:12 When you provide settings where people can share their stories, you can see the change happen in front of you both physically and psychologically. 38:29 When it comes down to the basics we all want safety, opportunity, family, love and relationships 42:24 Not everyone has to take massive action to make a change, it can be a minimal change;  Having a change of heart about a topic, learning and listening. Allow people who are different from you in your inner circle, get to know your neighbour and that alone will lead to bringing more love and understanding into your life.

We speak to Jonathan Miller, a high-performance coach who helps impact-driven entrepreneurs optimize their business and their life. His programs draw heavily from his extensive experience in several communication systems, including Nonviolent Communication, the Harvard Negotiation Project, Landmark Worldwide, and more. His methodology is also heavily influenced by his Vipassana meditation practice, of which he has spent over 2,000 hours practising. You can connect with Jonathan here: Website: https://www.mindfulcommunication.me Tough Talks Made Easy: https://bit.ly/ToughTalksMadeEasy Mindful Communication Podcast: https://anchor.fm/podcast-863ccb8 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/millerdjonathan/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mindfulcommunication/ Time Stamps: 02:29 How 9 out of 10 issues Jonathan deals with are related to communication and handle difficult conversations. It isn’t so essential to observe someone’s body language and words for communication is more important to be present with another person. 04:49 What does Jonathan look at when he supports a client who is experiencing lots of conflict in their work. 06:29 What is the Fundamental Attribution Error and how it affects our ability to communicate effectively. 08:30 We all agree psychological safety is a key to high performance 12:07 How vulnerability may seem like a weakness to us but to others, it looks like courage. 13:43 Society has become used to being inappropriately comfortable when we should be experiencing inappropriate discomfort. 14:44 It’s not difficult to be a human being, but when in a work context we think that we have to show up with this massive mask on and pretend to be someone that we ware not. 17:05 How to start addressing social injustice and racism in the workplace? 21:34 If you got an open culture in your company, then conflict is going to happen quite often because people feel safe to express how they feel. And our job as leaders is to facilitate those conversations without judgement. 22:10 Behind every communication problem is a sweaty ten-minute conversation you don’t want to have. - Psychologist, Gay Hendricks 22:25 Avoiding conflict is not the path of least resistance. 24:09 How silence in itself is a way of communication, it is better to have an uncomfortable dialogue than silence within a team. 25:33 Peter shares an example of a culture gone wrong in the company and how not to communicate with employees. 28:53 When we don’t address conflicts, it gets more complicated because new events add on and it becomes more challenging to pick it apart. 30:26 Leaders often display a lack of creativity when they do not allow conflict to happen. They often miss the opportunity of creative solutions that can come from both sides of the table, which naturally comes from having an open and human to human dialogue. 30:54 Jonathan explains that conflict is going to happen because it is an inevitable part of our life, and the idea that we can avoid something inevitable is insane. 31:57 Jonathan shares a personal story on how he creatively resolved the conflict between him and his partner when they moved to Capetown in South Africa.

This is the 40th episode of the Mind Takeaway Podcast! We speak to Vivian Acquah a workplace wellness advocate and we explore the holistic way of sustainable employability, called workplace wellness. For her, this is the way to work on a healthy culture at work. Vivian advises managers and companies on how to keep their team members healthy, happy, and safe. Becoming a mother inspired Vivian to shift from being a Finance/ IT consultant to becoming a workplace wellness advocate. She made a promise to her son to help make the world a sustainable place by advocating for a healthy workplace where people can thrive. Vivian is also a founder of Amplify DEI Summit, where you can learn all about Diversity, Equity & Inclusion from 60+ international experts. And, we have three 16 days all-access tickets to give away. The first three people to send us the answer to Mira's question which you can hear when listening to the podcast will receive a ticket. Send your answer to [email protected] You can connect with Vivian here: Website: https://vivalavive.com/workplace-wellness-blog/ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivianacquah/ Twitter https://twitter.com/VivalaViveNL Let’s Humanize The Workplace videos: https://bit.ly/htwlive Let’s Humanize The Workplace podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lets-humanize-the-workplace-real-talk/id1505138189 Time Stamps: 02:30 How her personal experience of harassment and micro-management became the reason for Vivian to start her career as a workplace wellness consultant. 08:25 The importance of speaking up and communicating what we see wrong in the workplace and learning to support each other during challenging times. 10:13 Why do we need to actively humanise workspaces. 12:50 What is the role of self-judgement and our own unconscious biases in how we communicate and manage others. 15:30 How to effectively facilitate change. 23:04 Vivian suggests that looking at your numbers can be a strong indicator your company needs to take action to improve the culture, when a high volume of people are leaving it affects your revenue. 25:50 Vivian says the workplace isn’t Disneyland and explains how can we start addressing uncomfortable topics like racism and gender bias. 30:37 The role of inclusion and authenticity in creating psychologically safe work environments. 35:37 Team building isn’t a one night stand but a long term relationship-building process. 40:50 Vivian highlights the importance of having a mentor who will support and believe in you and finding your tribe of like-minded people so you would not feel alone.

If you are a startup founder, community leader or interested in professional growth then this episode may be of interest to you. We speak to Lana Jelenjev, a community alchemist and learning design specialist with a solid background in training and education. She is the author of Community Builder: Designing Communities for Change and The 90 Day Action Planner, a Kickstarter backed planner for creative entrepreneurs. Lana provides support in various areas related to the ideation, curriculum design, community building and personal development. Lana is also the Director for Learning Design and Community for Dream See Do, an online learning and community building platform for transformational leaders, NGOs and community cultivators. She is also active in non-profit work, spearheading the educational campaigns for Neurodiversity Foundation, Shift Foundation and She Dares. You can connect with Lana here: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanajelenjev/ Competition time! Lana is also the co-founder of BASE, an exclusive boutique online conference dedicated to scale-ups. 2020 theme: Humanizing Businesses Beyond Profit. We have two tickets to give away worth over 200 euros. The first two people to answer Mira's question within this episode will receive a ticket. Send your answer to [email protected] Time Stamps: 04:30 Lana explains the idea of the BASE conference and this years theme, Humanising businesses beyond profit 09:04 The importance of people, planet and purpose in business 10:32 How building relationships is a foundation for business growth 11:14 Increasing employee satisfaction doesn’t have to be expensive or difficult. Lana shares an example of a businessman who listened to his people and made simple tweaks to deepen human connection, improve relationships and increase employee satisfaction. 16:22 It is the perfect moment for leaders to take the time to pause and reflect on what makes businesses thrive, who are the ones driving this change and who is benefiting. 19:37 What is the first step to making meaningful and impactful changes in your business that will benefit future generations rather than sustaining Status Quo. 24:03 Why do we need to think of the impact our decisions have for future generations. 35:06: This is a time for everyone to reflect on: Am I adding to the problem? Is my lack of awareness increasing the pain that people are feeling? And from there make decisions for the future. For the end, Lana shares a quote from one of her favourite thought leaders. “May our roads be rough enough to disturb us into new paradigms of becoming”

If you are interested in entrepreneurship, leadership and professional growth then this episode may be of interest to you. We speak to Sean Sheppard, a serial entrepreneur, VC and co-founder of GrowthX and GrowthX Academy, with three successful exits, who has successfully grown dozens of early-stage companies across a wide variety of products and markets. He was recently named the #2 Online Sales Influencer and contributor at The Huffington Post. He’s now committed to working with countries, companies, entrepreneurs and those who want to work with them on building startup ecosystems and developing the next generation of leaders for the innovation economy. You can connect with Sean here: Twitter/IG @seanasheppard Timestamps: 02:10 Feedback vs Failure explained by one of the most successful people in the startup and tech industry. 05:25 It's not a failure if you learn from it as it creates the opportunity to learn faster, iterate more quickly and provide something of real value 06:35 Practical advice on how to find what you want to do next and figure out if you have a viable product 11:10 It has never been more difficult and expensive to get traction for products due to too much noise and competition 14:40 What it actually means having a growth mindset 15:21 Why we need to create psychologically safe environments where people can tell us the truth in order to increase our success rate in everything we do 19:55 What wins in the information economy? Insights created by data and the importance of having a good relationship with someone who is willing to give it to you. If you want to stay relevant you need to make those changes quickly. 22:07 What do people with high potential have in common? How it is important to trust your gut when looking for talent 25:56 Sean’s professional career growth tips 30:49 Why in the GrowthX academy everyone has to present a lot which is very uncomfortable for most people however Sean explains how it's amazing to see them transform within weeks into very solid presenters 31:06 How it's important to have a supportive community of peers, plus a safe place where you get to try things and screw up and keep trying 31:33 Sean explains how to return from a fixed mindset back to a growth mindset we all had as kids - Think learning to walk... 35:36 The most dangerous thing is how we talk to ourselves, negative self-talk and self-doubt are the most destructive forms of human behaviour to oneself. 42:14 Every new interaction is an opportunity to learn something 42:28 What are the 5 skills that can help anybody in the innovation economy 47:56 Sean talks about Authentic Intelligence: be different, be collaborative, be creative and do it all with good intention and build a community around yourself.

If you are interested in creativity and music then this episode may be of interest to you. We speak to a two-piece band from Australia and France formed on the streets of Berlin, creating a mix of classical piano, melodic vocals and heavy drums. Beranger Gras (vocals/piano) and Todd James (drums) formed as a duo in 2015, developing a very loyal fan base in Mauerpark, Berlin. It didn't take long for the band to start selling out shows and taking on the festival scene, playing festivals such as Lollapalooza and MELT Festival. That led to the duo signing to Sony Music, Germany last year, time spent recording a load of new material and an upcoming tour later this year. We recorded this episode on location outside in our neighbourhood at Café Gut Gezogen, Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin. You can connect with them both and find out more about them here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/berangerofficial/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berangerofficial/ Website: https://www.berangerofficial.com/ Time Stamps: 02:31 What did musicians' lives look like before COVID -19? 04:29 How did the lockdown and uncertainty help them to learn to live in a present moment 12:00 Their big tour got cancelled after just after few concerts and they started live streaming 14:30 The challenge of keeping momentum when you don’t receive immediate feedback from the crowd 15:38 Dealing with the challenges of criticism and the opinions of others 16:50 The impact of the lockdown on their mental health and how they dealt with it 18:30 How to deal with the different roles of being a musician and entrepreneur 23:18 Why is it important not to take yourself seriously 27:12 They share an interesting story about how they met and started performing together 29:25 How change and uncertainty sparked their creativity and what they do to be more creative. 41:50 They share the experience of their last big concert in Berlin and explain how they connect with their audience 58:49 What may happen to the music industry after COVID

If you are interested in Workplace Wellbeing then this episode may be of interest to you. We speak to Lee Chambers, an Environmental Psychologist, Wellbeing Consultant and Founder of Essentialise Workplace Wellbeing. Having spent the last 10 years working in a variety of fields, including local government, a corporate organisation, and in elite sports, he has now brought his experience and qualifications with the aim to impact the wellbeing of thousands of individuals and businesses through organisational wellbeing advancement while looking to promote conscious and purpose lead leadership internally. Lee has qualifications in Performance Nutrition, Environmental Psychology and Advanced Sleep Consultancy, and he delivers multi-disciplinary workshops focused on improving performance and productivity through increasing employee wellbeing. This is an issue very close to his heart, as after losing the ability to walk in 2014 due to chronic illness, he has battled back to achieve a positive health outcome, and is now on the pathway to become medication free. He also presents the Health and Wellbeing show on Ribble FM Radio, and speaks in Educational establishments about his varied career path, health challenges and having a resilient mindset. Based in Preston in the North of the UK, Lee is currently working with business owners and employee teams to create culture change, wellbeing strategies and champions. He is a father of 2, coaches a disability football team, and enjoys eating good food with good friends. He is currently writing his first book, “How To Conquer Anything”, which will be released in November 2020. You can connect with Lee and find out more about him here: Listeners can download Lee’s Authentic Purpose Book: https://www.essentialise.co.uk/ebook Lee’s Consultancy: https://leechambers.org Twitter: @essentialise Facebook/Instagram: @essentialisecoach Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lee-chambers-278a6518a/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/leechambersessentialise TimeStamps: 03:57 Why do so many organisations struggle with workplace wellbeing and improving the working environment? 06:57 What will the workplace look like in the future? 13:56 Employee wellbeing comes down to two simple things: the autonomy of choice and the appreciation for what they do 14:40 Why is uncertainty important for growth and positive change 17:47 Lee shares a personal experience of losing his ability to walk and how that suffering sparked a passion in him to use that as a challenge for growth. 22:45 How to learn from our challenges and failures? 31:50 How it takes a real crisis such as COVID -19 to amplify how we really can't see that far ahead and yet it does bring clarity by bringing communities together and helping people form deeper human connections. 43:80 How we need to be nudged by difficulties and crisis in order to grow, as they highlight areas we have sometimes been neglecting.

If you hold a leadership position or aspire to be in one then this episode may be of interest to you. We speak to Sabina Nawaz, a global CEO coach, leadership keynote speaker, and writer working in over 26 countries. She advises C-level executives in Fortune 500 corporations, government agencies, nonprofits and academic institutions. Sabina started her career in software development at Microsoft and then led the company’s executive development and succession planning efforts for over 11,000 managers and 700 executives. She spoke at hundreds of seminars, events, and conferences including TEDx. Currently, She sits on the board of Power and Systems, a leadership development institute. Sabina believes the greatest privilege of working with executives is bearing witness to their acts of courage. You can read her articles on Forbes, Harvard Business Review, and Inc. Before we start our conversation with Sabina, Peter and I would like to invite you to join the Authentic Leaders Community where we explore our innate capacity to lead, be creative, draw on our own resilience and build human connection in an age of technology, digitisation and information overload. You can also find the link in the show notes: www.themindtakeaway.com/authenticleaderscommunity Enjoy listening! You can connect with Sabina and find out more about her here: Website: http://www.sabinanawaz.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabina-nawaz-41a25b5/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/sabinanawaz Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sabinacoaching/ TimeStamps: 01:05  Sabina recalls her life-changing story of holding a knife to her own throat in India, Calcutta. 08:44 How taking leaps of faith can be beneficial when everything in your brain is screaming “Don’t go there!” 10:19 Why it takes an imbalance of positivity to have a balanced hearing, as we humans tend to pivot on the negative. The ratio of 5 positive voices: 1 critical voice creates balance. 11:20 The more senior you are, the less truth you receive in your role and the challenges of receiving the truth. 13:48 How we love to have heroes and villains, and this is part of the human condition. 16:06 How to get people to listen to feedback and act on it. 19:13 You have to come back to your own why first, and by wanting to be better your business results will improve. 20:19 How can leaders set up a system to withstand pressure so you are not putting everything on your shoulders? 23:00 Why is it leaders comfortable in their own skin are able to handle challenges during a crisis? 25:07 One of the relationships that get ignored the most during this crisis is the one with ourselves. 29:35 All bets are off, everything has changed, so let's challenge these assumptions that we have. 31:44 Sabina talks about some of the ways we get in the way of ourselves and our immunity to change. 38:07 How the practice of gratitude has been a game-changer for Sabina and how it can benefit you too.

If you are an entrepreneur, thinking of starting a business or interested in podcasting, then this episode may be of interest to you. In this episode, we speak to James Mulvany, a successful entrepreneur who over the past 10 years, has built multiple internet companies plus a property portfolio and has made a range of angel investments in startups! Having actually never had a job in his life, he started his first business when leaving school. James is the founder of Podcast.co and Radio.co, two companies doing pioneering things in the online audio space. You can connect with James and find out more about him here: Social Media: https://jamesm.com/connect Podcast.co: https://www.podcast.co MatchMaker.fm: https://www.matchmaker.fm Radio.co: https://radio.co The main takeaways from this episode: Timestamps: 5:22 How James turned two of his interests with passion and creativity into the seeds of what became his success businesses 8:18 For his many successes, James had more failures which he sees as being a crucial part of being an entrepreneur. 9:16 James shares his learnings from his first big setback when a deal with AOL and his first business didn’t go as planned. 15:11 Why it is important to think about what is working and focus on that one thing vs constantly trying to come up with new ideas because you only have so much mental bandwidth to give it your all. 16:25 Why is it really valuable to identify your strengths and weaknesses plus hire people who are way better than you in doing certain things? 18:47 How it’s really important to trust your people, give them autonomy, delegate and let them get on with things. 21:01 The big, fancy, expensive machine in his tech company is his people. 22:57 Our creative ideas from the past are never wasted, they just transform into something more relevant to where you are at any given moment. 28:25 Why is it more important to look at what people's capabilities, their experience and if they would be a good culture fit for your team rather than the qualification when you are hiring talent. 31:22 What are the first steps to start your business or create a new product? 35:15 What are the basic requirements for starting your own podcast and why it's never been a better time to start one?

In this episode, we speak to John Murphy,  a results-oriented business coach and mentor to senior executives and CEOs. He's a great communicator with broad experience and is skilled at discussing issues that make businesses and individuals grow and thrive. John lives and works in the south of France, originally from Ireland. Before starting his own business, John enjoyed a highly successful career in the corporate world. He began as a door-to-door life assurance salesman and culminated as the CEO of a Pan European Life Assurance Company in Ireland. John started his business, John Murphy International, in 2004 and has worked worldwide across a broad range of industries. His clients include major corporates such as Pfizer, Circle K, Merck, State Street Bank, Vodafone and others.  Enjoy listening as we talk about the future of leadership, relationships, vulnerability, authenticity and workspace culture. You can connect with John and find out more about him here: Email: [email protected] Website: johnmurphyinternational.com   Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnmurphyinternational 10 Key Traits of Top Business Leaders: //www.johnmurphyinternational.com/10-key-traits-free-download Timestamps: 00:08:00 What is the difference between success and winning and how a misunderstanding do the two create dysfunction? 00:16:00 How can we create psychological safety? 00:20:00 Why do you need to be real/authentic/yourself, warts and all, to be a leader? 00:24:00 Old-style managers need to transform into leaders because what worked in the past doesn’t work any more 00:30:00  For the growth of the organisation, culture is more important than any strategy. 00:36:00 What should we look for when recruiting new members into our team?

In this episode Mira speaks to Sue Everatt, a volunteer for The Venus Project for twelve years. Originally from the UK, she has been living in Spain for 41 years and is the point of contact for that country. Her duties include being the coordinator for the Spanish language translation team and she also collaborates in an advisory capacity for the international support admin team for The Venus Project. Sue is also known for her engaging talks, two of them for Tedx where she introduces people to the ideas of The Venus Project. Sue has travelled to countries including Italy, Latvia, Sweden, the US as well as various cities around Spain. You can connect with Sue and find out more about The Venus Project here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010376447845 The Venus Project website: www.thevenusproject.com Documentary “The Choice is Ours”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yb5ivvcTvRQ We talk about: ➡ How The Venus Project proposes a total redesign of society based on a resource-based economy. ➡ Can technology in the right hands help us create a better world? ➡ What has to happen for a society to change and move beyond politics, poverty and war? ➡ The lessons learned during the global pandemic that can help us build a more sustainable future. ➡ Functional selfishness, a term coined by Jacque Fresco, founder of the Venus Project. ➡ If a basic universal income would really help or is it a patchwork for a much bigger problem? ➡ What would society look like if it was designed for the wellbeing of everyone? Timestamps: 00:03:40 How The Venus Project proposes a total redesign of society based on a resource-based economy. 00:08:44 Can technology in the right hands help us create a better world? 00:11:00 What has to happen for a society to change and move beyond politics, poverty and war? 00:16:00 The lessons learned during the global pandemic that can help us build a more sustainable future. 00:23:00 Functional selfishness, a term coined by Jacque Fresco, founder of the Venus Project. 00:24:00 If a basic universal income would really help or is it a patchwork for a much bigger problem? 00:26:00 What would society look like if it was designed for the wellbeing of everyone?

In this episode, we speak to Dr Giles P Croft, a psychology graduate and former NHS surgeon who stepped aside from clinical practice for a decade to explore a number of career paths, including health informatics, cycling journalism, public speaking and high street retail with his wife. He is now back in the healing profession, tackling the root cause of stress and its many harmful effects by leading clients to a better understanding of the human experience. You can connect and find out more about Giles’s work here: Website: https://gilespcroft.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drgilespcroft/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/gilespcroft Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drgilespcroft We talk about: ➡ Why and how did Giles change his career from being surgeon to coaching people? ➡ How can we  can all build our resilience for the future? ➡ Can we plan and predict our lives? What happens when we let go of plans and start living our lives? ➡ What we really want is on the other side of fear. Giles had a fear of public speaking and after overcoming his fear he realised he really enjoyed it. ➡ How can we establish a deep connection with our authentic selves and other people? ➡ What is intuition and what happens when we start following it? ➡ For the end, Giles reminded us that all we have is here and now. All those fears, worries and predictions about the future or resentments and hurts from the past are here to remind us to return back into the present moment.

In this episode, we speak to Glenn Behenna, senior lecturer and programme manager at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. He has more than 20 years experience in Higher Education in a teaching capacity and has lectured for the Open University Business School in the area of leadership and management. His background is in consultancy and facilitation to the UK, and the Welsh Government in the areas of Leadership, Knowledge Management and Project Management. Glen values real-world experiences and the real power of his leadership and teaching methods comes from the variety of his life and work experiences. You can connect and find out more about Glenn’s work here: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennbehenna/ Email: [email protected] MBA Sustainability Leadership: https://www.uwtsd.ac.uk/mba-sustainability-leadership-online/ We talk about: 00:03:50 Glenns biggest realisation in life and how Glenn recognised that he is actually already supporting the community with the work he does, something he always longed for. 00:05:00 Why is it important to have a rich experience of life in order to lead, teach and coach others? 00:15:00 The challenges of giving and receiving feedback in different professional roles and developing the art of doing it sustainably. 00:26:00 What did Glenn learn from his experience of being a policeman and how that prepared him for his future career, becoming a leader and a teacher. 00:31:30 What conditions have to be met in order for an organisation to become truly sustainable and how the COVID-10 crisis could be a stimulus for change in organisations, focusing on sustainability, not profit. 00:40:54 Today simple problem solving isn’t enough anymore we need to think wider, we need to be courageous and try something different. We need to get comfortable getting out of our comfort zone to prepare for tomorrow. 00:42:00 Why are our curiosity and real-life experiences are most important for learning and developing? 00:49:00 Being authentic sometimes means choosing the harder path at the moment but in the long run, it has immense value for yourself and others.

Our guest is Tony Banta, a systems engineer, innovation consultant, and host of the Client Whisperer Show. Beginning his career as a self-taught software developer, Tony quickly realized that the best code could never solve broader leadership issues within organizations. Today Tony works with other client-businesses to maximize client results, increase client retention, and streamline the client fulfilment experience. Tony’s writing has been featured in Forbes, The Huffington Post, and Recruiter Magazine to name a few. You can connect with Tony and find out more about his work here: Podcast: https://clientwhisperer.show Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tonybanta Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonybanta Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theclientwhisperer 00:43 What is a client whisperer? 03:30 How to manage difficult clients? 07:43 The world is changing and how it will look like in a few months, years and decades? 08:43 Why are people buying so much toilet paper these days? How fear affects what we do? Fear creates separation between people and we become individualistic. 09:25 What it takes to innovate? Innovation is inherently unselfish if you innovate you need to have a certain degree of empathy as innovation is not possible if we are in fear and think only about ourselves 09:55 How do we change and truly learn what it takes for us to succeed? What happens when we let go of our ego? 20:00 Why is it important to slow down and show confidence to influence other people 27:10 Why is failure important for success? 31:00 How to avoid big mistakes and expose our blind spots? 38:00 Why do you need to be yourself in order to lead others? 41:00 How to recognise someone’s true beliefs? 43:50 How to connect with people? 45:00 Parting words. What has to happen for you to become a leader?

Our guest is Satyen Raja, founder and CEO of the multi-million-dollar transformational academy WarriorSage. Satyen has impacted over 100,000 students from over 50 countries around the world. After 35 years of rigorous study & practice in both creating enlightened business growth and developing higher consciousness, Satyen works privately with CEOs, high impact individuals, executive teams who have mastered accomplishment in the financial and public world, but now want a deeper balance, illumination and self-realized equilibrium that he calls Peak ExistenceTM. Satyen combines the power of the warrior and wisdom of the sage to lead leaders worldwide into their highest self-knowledge, self-expression and impact. You can connect and find out more about Satyen’s work here: https://warriorsage.com/ https://www.undercurrent.com/ We talk about: ➡ The leadership evolution that is happening right now and the importance of shifting to a new leadership model that serves the greater good. ➡ To become a better leader, Satyan explains that you are not required to change your leadership style but look inwards and become more authentic. This leads to building trust, expressing integrity and inner strength, which people will resonate with ➡ What are the results of loosening the grip of excessive control and how it can free us to achieve bigger and better results? ➡The Importance of developing both masculine and feminine qualities in ourselves to become a world-class leader ➡ Satyen also shared a simple exercise to show us the obvious impact on our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of others when we uplift the person next to us Enjoy Listening!

Our guest is Alyea Sandovar is a game and play consultant, plus a co-founder of The Playful Creative Summit, living in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Though right now, she is stuck in Bali! She is your right-hand gal when it comes to the design of playful products. Her background is eclectic as she has a PhD in Game Production, a Masters in Psychology, a Masters in Human Organizational Systems, and a Bachelor's in Public Relations and Communication. She also has experience working with academic institutions, non-profits, game studios, corporations and start-ups. She helps creativepreneur and non-profits to create high-quality games and digital products with ease and fun. You can connect and find out more about Alyea’s work here: The Playful Creative Summit https://playfulcreativesummit.com/ www.alyeasandovar.com www.tinthue.com ig: @alyeasandovar twitter: @Alyea SandovarWe talk about: ➡ What a Games and Play consultant does ➡ How the idea came about for Play and Creativity Summit ➡ Why getting into a playful and creative space is essential to dealing with challenges ➡  Alyea explains why play and creativity is innate, plus it’s important for our development in any stage of our life ➡ The importance of humour in hard times ➡ We feel there is a shift happening for humanity, both on a personal and collective global level ➡ How Alyea makes decisions based on *her three people” as she would put it, Mind, Body and Intuition, where they have regular meetings to balance our each other out in order to make the best decision at the time.

Our guest is Miha Matlievski aka The Fail Coach, who in 2009 had four companies go bankrupt overnight: landing him $5 million in debt. Contemplating suicide to escape the pain as he looked over the balcony, he had a life-saving AH-HA moment. He realized that failure was a normal part of life: admitting to himself that he failed and to recognize he needed to stop blaming others and circumstances. This was the turning point when he made a choice to learn from his failures so he could do things differently in the future and to help others. Since then, he has climbed back to create a business and scaling it to 8 figures in less than a year. His life mission is to help people develop a healthy relationship with failure. Especially entrepreneurs. You can connect and find out more about Miha’s work here: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/FailCoach/ Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/in/mihamatlievski/ Twitter https://twitter.com/fail_coach We talk about: ➡ His Ah-ha moment, a powerful thought that came from nowhere, that stopped him from committing suicide and turning his life around ➡ A journey that took Miha from that moment to be where he is now. His transformation and learning didn’t happen overnight and he tells us what it took to learn from failure and transform his life and business. ➡ Why is it so important to take responsibility and stop blaming others or circumstance in order to take control of your life ➡ How a healthy relationship with failure only happens when we take our emotions out of the situation and we are able to see them for what they are, an opportunity to learn and carry on. ➡  Miha shared what to do during these challenging times of economic uncertainty and COVID-19 ➡  The importance of being mindful and creating a strong community, not buying into fearful actions which can create division and separation between humans. ➡ How to use your emotions and logic in making decisions, solving problems and navigating the future. Enjoy listening!

Our guest is Dennis Kastrup, a journalist based in Berlin and Montréal and working for German public radio. In the past 20 years, he has conducted more than 1000 interviews with musicians and specialised in new technologies, especially in music (VR/AR, robotics, wearables, artificial intelligence, etc). Dennis was also part of the theatre play “Post Humains” which was presented in Québec and Berlin. You can connect and find out more about his work here: www.denniskastrup.de https://twitter.com/cyborgparade https://www.instagram.com/momentsofchange/ We talk about: ➡ Why is it important to embrace technology and how Dennis’s scepticism transformed to fascination ➡ Using technology to improve the lives of humans and the world instead of using it to make money ➡ Who is controlling technology and what can we do to make sure technology is used for good purposes ➡ Taking responsibility and making better choices in how we use technology from the perspective of what information we give away and how companies use our data ➡  Technology as a creatvity enabler and exploring the many possibilities and applications Enjoy listening!

In this episode, we spoke to Katja Mechler, CEO of KUUR Rehabilitation centres in the Middle East. Katja has been in leadership roles in the health and wellness industry in Thailand and Dubai since 1997. During this time she was responsible for successfully remodelling and developing a successful health club/spa in Phuket as well as commissioning a state of the art physiotherapy group of clinics both in Dubai and Riyadh, KSA. Additionally, she developed and launched charity programs for children with special needs (both in Riyadh and Bahrain). We spoke to Katja about her leadership journey and what she has learned from working with people in different parts of the world. She shared some great examples of how through empowering people you become a catalist to transform organisations, teams and the lives of the people you work with. You can connect with Katja via Linkedin:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/katja-mechler-a8339862/ We spoke about: ➡ The importance of empowering people to create sustainable organisations and teams ➡ What is the true responsibility of a leader and why focusing on profit first can be a big mistake and lead to problems in the future ➡ Why micromanaging is counter-productive and a big waste of time and money ➡ What Katja loves most about her work is working with people and seeing their lives transform. ➡  Following a simple rule “treat others as you would like to be treated” ➡  Katja’s passion is working with rescue animals and she uses examples of animal training to show that when we are given choice and empowered to make decisions we all perform better than when we are forced. ➡ The importance of adjusting your communication style in order to be heard. Katja learned this lesson the hard way when her german efficiency didn’t work in Thailand. ➡ Transferable leadership skills and finding talent from different industries ➡ How human connection as one of the most important to develop trust and create a safe environment for your people to grow And lots more...Enjoy listening 

Our guest is Denis Murphy, author, linguist, software engineer and podcaster from Ireland. At heart, he is a polymath. His many interests range from foreign languages to computer programming. He speaks 4 languages including French and he is currently learning Japanese. On his podcast, The Happy Mindset, he helps fellow polymaths to make sense of their many interests through solo episodes and conversations that explore human psychology, creative writing and what it means to lead a happy and fulfilling life. He discovered his love for creative writing after some mental health issues he experienced in his early 20’s. His first book is called Taking my Life Back. You can connect and find out more about his work here: Website: https://thehappymindset.com/ Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/thehappymindsettribe/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnacDHcojfYWkP0ab6LNvaA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thehappymindset/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denisnmurphy/ We talk  about: ➡ How does it look an feel having a psychotic episode ➡ How psychosis helped him get on the right track in life and connect with his creativity and emotions ➡ The Importance of emotions - having emotional intelligence and self-awareness - over intellect in order to communicate, connect with people, make decisions, and create a vision in life. ➡ Why he wrote a book and how this process helped him grow even more from the experience he had ➡ Taking ownership over your life and how was this the tipping point in his healing  and growing from the experience and not going the other way, instead of depending on or blaming others ➡ Creating a balance between intellect and creativity in order to live your life aligned with your nature ➡ The link between curiosity and passion and how they often hide behind our fears ➡ The importance that honest human connection has on our mental health ➡ Why he sees critical thinking and emotional intelligence as the most important skills to learn in order to navigate life ➡ Mental firs aid; the importance of knowing our minds and how we create our experience of the world to help ourselves and people around us This conversation ended with a powerful message from Denis. “You are the one who has the choice to create a meaning behind your life experiences”.

In this episode, we spoke to Tanya Obeng, aka The Communication Doctor. Previously a drama teacher for 10 years until a burnout reset the clock for Tanya, sending her on a journey of discovery to find more balance and meaning. Tanya created her dream company Lifted and Gifted Education, an empowering company that provides performing arts workshops with a difference, allowing young people to realise their dreams. Not one to rest on her laurels, Tanya went on to set up a consultancy company to support professionals who like Tanya experienced burnout, stress and anxiety in the workplace. Her unique skills and experience allow her to guide people to become better communicators, forge meaningful connections and regain their confidence. You can connect and find out more about Tanya’s work here:  Websites: https://www.communicationdoctor.co.uk/ and https://www.liftedandgifted.co.uk/ Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/tanya-obeng27 Twitter: lifted_gifted

In this episode, we spoke to Liz Scott, Wellbeing Coach and Co-Founder of Innercompass, a company which points people back home to their true nature, to a place of peace, well being and clarity. Her core work is in the field of education supporting leaders with stress and burnout, however more recently Liz has been drawn to working at the grassroots level in her community, with a focus on wellbeing. This new direction will support charities, young people, local authorities, health services and organisations helping people to overcome addictions.  You can connect and find out more about Liz’s work here: Website: www.innercompassguide.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/InnerCompassGuide/?modal=admin_todo_tour Linkedin: lhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-scott-2321bb6/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/innercompassliz Email: [email protected]

This is our 20th episode and it is also the end of the year, so we decided to record a retrospective of 2019. We thought Clesia would be the perfect person to ask us some questions, to get us reflective. The first part is a conversation about Clesia, the work she does and then about our general experience and learning about Leadership, compassion and creativity. In the second part, Clesia asks us some good questions about the podcast, our guests and our overall experience of 2019. Like both of us, Clesia is a Certified Clarity Coach and she uses the Principles behind Clarity to help her clients to find peace, wellbeing and more resilience in their lives. Clesia also enjoys the art of public speaking and she loves supporting people to remove their fears around it and become better at telling your story. Her signature programme is called “From Babbling to Brilliant”. You can connect and find out more about Clesia’s work here: http://www.clesiamendes.com

In this episode, we spoke to Kathleen Dutton, Creative Art Director/Illustrator, Writer, Soul Coach and Theta Healer, who has worked in varied settings, such as groups and 1-1:- Corporate, Academic and the Community. Kathleen is full of joy, positive energy and loves all things Cosmic, especially Earth. She has a passion for Qi Gong, sound healing, meditation and drawing each day also sharing, learning and Fun. Kathleen also worked for Conran and Partners, where she honed her creative skills and one of her key strengths is to be able to explain complex things in simple ways, which makes them accessible to everyone. You can connect and find out more about Kathleen's work here: www.kathleenduttonart.com www.skylarkgalleries.com

In this episode, we spoke to George Carver, who lives and works in Marin County, California.  George has a business and creative arts background as well as thirty years in high tech, consulting, and finance. He became a professional creative and personal coach since 2013, and he currently serves businesses, young-adults, or anyone seeking more out of themselves and their life, particularly people who are suffering from cancer. In 2018 George was given a diagnosis HPV throat cancer. The insights he experienced over the following year transformed his understanding of life and illness. He saw that cancer couldn’t touch who really was, nor the most important relationships in his life—his family and friends. While his cancer treatment and recovery were painful and debilitating, he now describes that year as among the happiest and fear-free of his entire life. George is married to Kathy Carver. They have two grown children. You can connect and find out more about George’s work here: www.georgebcarver.com

In this episode, we spoke to Terri Broughton consultant, trainer, coach and painter who describes herself as a lifelong learner. In this conversation, we spoke about how we become the people we never thought we were. Terri, for example, grew up believing that she is not a painter just to become one a lot later on in her life. We explore creativity, our identity expressed through art and much more. Terri is a great storyteller and this is one of our favourite conversations so far. You can connect and find out more about Terri’s work here: Art:http://Www.terribroughtonart.co.uk Consultancy, Coaching and Training: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terri-broughton-11a525118/

In this episode, our guest is Valerio Velardo, Co-Founder and CEO of Melodrive, a company providing AI and machine learning consultancy for audio-centric and music tech startups. Valerio has a PhD in AI Music and is a classically-trained musician. He has deep experience running R&D in AI music for both academia and the industry. Valerio is very passionate about his work, as he continues to explore what we can do with AI and machine learning in the future, however, he is also very clear about the challenges we face with data and human biases. He can see a way forward, where we work in collaboration with these technologies, which opens up new and exciting ways of making music by pushing the boundaries of human potential and creativity. We covered quite a lot of ground and topics in this one, so we hope you will find it both interesting and insightful. You can connect and find out more about Valerio’s work here: https://twitter.com/musikalkemist https://www.linkedin.com/in/valeriovelardo/ https://melodrive.com/ https://medium.com/the-sound-of-ai

In this episode, our guest is Stephanie Barnes, Painter and Business Consultant, who has an MBA in information technology, and a BBA in accounting, as well being a successful artist. Stephanie is also known as a Chief Chaos Organiser, due to successfully executing big, unwieldy projects and programs. Large, cross-functional, cross-organisational initiatives, that don’t neatly fit into a box. They have lots of stakeholders, and loads of moving parts and many of conflicting objectives. They also have the technology, they have processes and people. Stephanie finds it hard to call anything a failure and sees the learning in everything that she and her clients do. Her workshops help people embrace their creative side, gets them used to experimenting and opens up the pathway to innovation and tangible and sustainable results. You can find out more about Stephanie's work here: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanieabarnes/ YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCQHNT4UDtM4o-Dcqd9cLGw Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPuzzlePiece Facebook (consulting page): https://www.facebook.com/realisationofpotential/ Facebook (art page): https://www.facebook.com/StephanieBarnesArt/ Consulting Webpage:  https://www.realisation-of-potential.com/ Art Webpage: https://www.stephaniebarnesart.com/ Instagram (art only): https://www.instagram.com/mppc1967/

In this episode, our guest is Sheena Bratt, Singer-Songwriter, Environmental Activist and one-quarter of Venus Rising. Sheena loves to perform and music is her life. Not one for sticking to any particular style or genre of music, she finds it more challenging and interesting to venture into multiple genres. If not touring with her Folk-Rock band Venus Rising, you can catch her doing solo acoustic gigs. She also collaborates with music producers, whether it’s songwriting duties or applying her signature vocals on some of the latest Electronic Music tracks coming out of the UK and Europe. When not making music or playing guitar in her band, you can find her taking action to protect the environment, another of one of her passions. Sheena was instrumental (no pun intended) in the campaign against fracking in her local community of Stoke-on-Trent a few years back. This was well before the temporary total ban which, you might have heard about recently in the UK. Sheena is also passionate about the use of clean renewable energy vs the current carbon-based options, and she continues to spread environmental awareness within her community. You can connect with Sheena and listen to her music here: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sheenabrattvocalist/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sheena.bratt/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SheenaVocals Listen to her latest release: https://open.spotify.com/album/5h0SkxuWJK5GHfo0I3EwGz Her band Venus Rising: https://www.venusrising.uk

In this episode, our guest is Paul Rosenberg, a Leadership Coach, and Consultant for over 30 years and his focus has always been on the human side of things. His view is that no matter what technology is being used, or if you are a start-up, a small organization or a Forbes 500 firm, that work has to be executed by a human being and that is where he focuses his attention. In the past, he led the first Joint venture on marketing and training in the Ex-Soviet Union under Perestroika and Mikhail Gorbachev. Creativity also played a major role in Paul’s life and his background as a former standup comedian and improv actor certainly came in useful to be aligned, have the ability to see where people in their development as a leader and navigate uncertainty, which is commonplace in the world of business. Fast-forward to now and Paul is also the author of a wonderful and vital book called "Rogue Leadership" that we believe all current or aspiring Leaders should add to their reading list. You can find out more about Paul’s book and his work here: https://rosenbergpaul.com/rogue-leadership-harnessing-headwinds-to-drive-performance/

If you like dynamic conversations that easily flow from one subject to another then this episode is for you. We spoke to Kerstin Reif, Insight Facilitator and Business Coach, about her journey and what she learned about herself and others by following her desire to explore the human mind. In this episode, we talk about insights, fear, judgment, being yourself, relationships, curiosity, creativity, failing, communication, understanding, goals, growth, stress and wellness. Being human can sometimes feel overwhelming, all that stuff we need to do, achieve or overcome in order to finally be what we “should” be. This conversation was heart-warming and reminded us about the joy of being human by pointing us back to who we really are before all the stories we tell ourselves, beliefs and ideas we create about how life works. Enjoy Listening! If you would like to connect with Kerstin choose one of the options below: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KerstinReif2 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kerstinreifcoaching/?hl=de Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kerstin-reif-3a7bb161/ Website: www.kerstinreif.com

This time we did something different, Jamie Smart hosted our 10th episode of the Mind Takeaway Podcast and asked us some interesting questions. Jamie is a Sunday Times Best Selling Author and speaker as well as being one of our mentors. In this episode, we spoke about our journey, what got us interested in coaching,  mentoring and the Principles Behind Clarity. We share our biggest insights and realisations plus how they have changed our lives and the way we work. You will hear us talk about purpose and how it looks in real life when you follow your ideas and insights. We talk about how our relationship went from controlling and being based around fear to dynamic and easy just buy understanding of who we are and how we create our experience of life. Throughout our conversation, we speak about connection and relationships, listen carefully as Jamie says “We are these amazing, evolving, intelligent human beings and when we are in touch with who we are and where our experience is coming from, love and connection is the most natural thing in the world.” We also touch on what it means when we say you will be OK regardless of what happens in the future; it’s not about always doing the “right” thing and never making mistakes, it’s knowing that you can deal with everything that life throws at you, we are these resilient and creative beings who can deal with problems and seatbacks. On October 10th we will be doing a workshop in Berlin, you will hear Peter mentioning it, and its purpose is to help people see beyond fear of the future and finding a way to thrive in times of uncertainty. If you want to join us, please visit our website for more information  https://www.themindtakeaway.com/workshops-berlin Enjoy listening.

In this episode, our guest is Leah Hornibrrok, A/Director, Community Capability and Volunteerism for Queensland Fire and Emergency Services - QFES. With more than 20 years’ experience, Leah is an innovator and initiator of change in the areas of sponsorship, public relations, event and project management, audience development and development of stakeholder and partnership opportunities. Leah is passionate and driven to create and effect real change and look for opportunities to use her cumulative skills from the community, arts, not-for-profit, private and public sectors to help resolve social impact challenges. We talk to Leah about the importance of real human connection when it comes to saving lives, she shares her story of bouncing back from challenges and how being authentic is the only way to build trust with people. You can connect with Leah via Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leah-hornibrook-44798b83/

In this episode, Peter spoke to Hollis P Monroe music producer, DJ and a YouTube blogger originally from Philadelphia and now living in Berlin. They spoke about the importance of being yourself as an artist, writer's block, comparing yourself to others, performance anxiety and making music for people to enjoy, be affected by it and hopefully invoke feelings,  instead of trying to make critics happy. Here with Peter, he is sharing his honest account of how it is to be a DJ/Producer and he talks about his experiences in the hope that younger musicians will be inspired. You can find out more about Hollis here: http://pmonroe.com

In this episode, we speak to David Chislett, Creativity Trainer, Writer and Speaker based in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. David shines a light on creative skills, through his engaging public speaking, personal, innovative training and his interactive workshops. He helps people improve their problem-solving skills and discover new ways of adding value in their businesses and everything they do. In this colourful conversation, we discuss the misconceptions, biases and fears around the subject of creativity, plus David debunks the myths, experienced by society at large. If you want to know more about David’s work and would like to connect with him you can visit his website here: https://davidchislett.com/

In this episode we speak to Anke Herrmann a Passion Business Coach who sees creativity as being essential to building a business and dealing with any obstacles in life. We hear Anke’s inspiring story of following her passion and having the curiosity to live an extraordinary life. Anke has lived in Germany, Australia, the United Kingdom and now in Spain. She went from an IT role in London to making flamenco dresses in Andalusia and finally coaching people on how to grow their own passion businesses.  Anke shared her personal journey with us and the role that curiosity and creativity have played in her journey so far. She has a unique view on setbacks and procrastination which helped her find the path of less resistance. Her beautifully explained and honest examples of some of the real-life obstacles we can all find ourselves stuck with sometimes and she explains how to live and work with passion and find more joy in your life. You can connect with and find out more about Anke here: https://www.ankeherrmann.com/

We spoke to Jan Griffiths, President and Founder of Gravitas Detroit and a compassionate leader with more than 30 years of experience. Jan is on a mission to change the old model of leadership and show people what it takes to lead successful teams. Her journey from a little girl who grew up on a farm in Wales to a position of Chief Procurement Officer for a  $3B global automotive parts supplier. Her success earned a place in Automotive News’ list of the 100 Leading Women in the North America Auto Industry and  we talk about why Jan decided to start her own company and support global leadership change.  This is a true story of rebellion, succeeding against the odds and holding onto real human values like connection and compassion and your vision, no matter how impossible or hard it sometimes is. We also spoke about the importance to challenge the old model and culture of leadership to change it to a more sustainable and compassionate model in order to make a bigger impact and lead through the changes technology is bringing upon us.  You can find more about Jan and her company Gravitas Detroit here www.gravitasdetroit.com 

In this episode, Peter spoke to Robin Lockhart a commonwealth Youth worker of the year and CEO of Thought Unity. He describes his work as having meaningful conversations with young people and their families about difficult challenges they can often face within their communities.  Robin recently finished filming in his local borough of Waltham Forest in London for a youth arts project called Eastside Story, which was born from Robin’s Social Enterprise, Catalyst In Communities. Eastside Story will also be screened as an episode of BBC’s Imagine documentaries in September. They spoke about the importance of communication, connected conversations, cooperation with one another, the importance of failing and challenging the truth of the stories we tell ourselves about who we are and what is possible for us. Robin gave an eye-opening perspective on the violent gangs, fear and conflict amongst young people. Where it comes from and the role of the media. They also explored the importance of youth work and investing in young people. You can find out more about Robin’s work here: www.robinlockhart.net  www.throughunity.com - the charity he runs supporting those bereaved by Homicide.

We spoke to Kate E Stokes about a journey that starts from nothing, not even an idea, to create a series of successful short movies in VR 180 format called WonderlandX.  Kate took upon this journey with the intention to show people how they create their experience from moment to moment through a captivating story of Alice in Wonderland. She talks about her learning about herself and her own experience of life while on her journey, about the ups, downs and obstacles that were part of it. And how she dealt with them. She says: One of the biggest things I noticed while making this project is a) the amount of thinking we have going on all the time and b) how unnecessary it is. We concluded that perfection is a concept we create and the importance of freeing ourselves from it. Kate shared her observation on where insights and ideas are coming from and the importance of curiosity, exploration, playing games and letting go of the concept of perfection.  And how we can convince ourselves that something is hard or impossible but actually all we need to do is take one step at the time and stay in the curious zone. 

In this episode, Peter speaks to Janine Murmann, a London based artist with a creativity and lifestyle blog called Colouresko, where she is on a journey to inspire people to explore their creativity.    They talk about creativity being part of our human existence and the ways we can enhance it and what we can do to remove distractions.  Janine says immersing herself into a creative process is like a therapeutic meditation and encourages young people to enjoy the whole process as opposed to needing to see specific results like money or fame. The creative process itself has huge benefits and also transfers to everything we do and how we feel so we are happier and more successful as a result of it.  Janine also has a full-time job and she sees creativity as a healthy guide in her life. For example, a creative block is a notification for her that she is out of sync and has to make lifestyle changes, which keeps her curious and excited. Creativity is essential to the job she does, solving problems, accessing innovative ideas, communicating with people and engaging her team. Creativity is an essential part of all jobs, especially in the future as machines, automation and AI is going to take over mundane tasks. Humans will have to enhance the very things that make them unique because that is not what a machine can (for now at least) do and is necessary for our survival.   They also spoke about corporate culture, leadership and entrepreneurship in relation to creativity as well as how to encourage kids to be more creative.  Enjoy the conversation and let us know what you think.

In this first episode we talk about what to expect in the future. We explain a bit about us, why we do what we do, how The Mind Takeaway came into form and we celebrate what it is to be human in a hyperconnected digital world. We speak about our innate capacity to self-correct ourselves from a psychological perspective and draw upon our own resilience, creativity, love and intuition. In each episode, we celebrate and explore what it is to be human and we speak to amazing people who have harnessed their potential and share our insights and stories.