Failure — Podcast — 12 Geniuses

The Pursuit of Perfection with Gymnast Lisa Carmen Wang

Failure is rarely celebrated and when we fail it can be difficult to forgive ourselves and move forward. Competitive gymnastics is founded on the pursuit of perfection. For 4-Time National Champion and USA Hall of Fame Gymnast Lisa Carmen Wang, that pursuit of perfection is not something that ended when her competitive athletic career ended. She has carried it over into her business career as well.

In this interview, Lisa describes the drive and discipline that helped her become a world-class gymnast and how her experiences as an athlete helped her succeed once her career as a gymnast ended. Lisa also talks about the sacrifices she has made to perform at her highest levels, her approach to risk taking, how she overcame the disappointment of narrowly missing the 2008 Olympic Team, her struggle to separate her personal identity with her “entrepreneurial obsession,” and how she is working to empower others to succeed in business and life.

Lisa Carmen Wang is the Founder of the Bad Bitch Empire and author of The Bad Bitch Business Bible. She is a 4-Time National Champion and USA Hall of Fame Gymnast, an ex-Wall Street hedge funder turned serial entrepreneur, angel investor, executive coach, and global speaker. A graduate of Yale University, Lisa’s mission is to empower women to build unapologetic worth and wealth to invest together in the next wave of female-led businesses.

The Power of Failure with Dr. Amy Edmondson

In this interview about failure and growth, author and Professor of Leadership at Harvard Business School Dr. Amy Edmondson upends our understanding of failure and shares how we can more effectively make it work for us. Based on the research from her book “Right Kind of Wrong,” Dr. Edmondson provides the framework to think, discuss, and practice failure wisely. Outlining the three archetypes of failure - basic, complex, and intelligent - she describes how to minimize unproductive failure while maximizing what we gain from missteps at all levels.

Dr. Edmondson goes on to talk about her pioneering work in the space of psychological safety. She demystifies failure by distinguishing between good failure from which we can learn and the bad failure that should have been prevented. Dr. Edmondson makes it clear that when organizations provide a safe environment for failure during the process of experimentation, both knowledge and innovation are gained. She finishes the interview by giving advice for how leaders, teachers, and even parents can use failure as a learning tool.

Dr. Amy Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society. She has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers since 2011, and most recently was ranked #1 in 2021; she also received that organization’s Breakthrough Idea Award in 2019, and Talent Award in 2017.  She studies teaming, psychological safety, and organizational learning, and her articles have been published in numerous academic and management outlets, including Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, Harvard Business Review and California Management Review. Her 2019 book, The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth (Wiley), has been translated into 15 languages. Dr. Edmondson’s latest book, Right Kind of Wrong (Atria), builds on her prior work on psychological safety and teaming to provide a framework for thinking about, discussing, and practicing the science of failing well. First published in the US and the UK in September, 2023, the book is due to be translated into 15 additional languages.

The Performance Paradox with Eduardo Briceño

In this interview about growth and development, author and growth mindset expert Eduardo Briceño shares how leaders, teams, and organizations can create a culture of growth, where experimentation and feedback are encouraged, and learning is integrated into the everyday. Integrating learning and performance is the central idea behind Eduardo’s book “The Performance Paradox.”

Eduardo shares why people in any profession should embrace the “Learning Zone” - a space where they can be deliberate about improvement - rather than constantly focusing on minimizing mistakes and peak performance. He talks about how leaders and coaches should create psychological safety so members of a team can experiment, and even fail, without negative repercussions. He makes the case that people should approach their work with two goals in mind - getting things done and improving. They can do that by proactively soliciting feedback, performing trial and error activities, and reflecting on mistakes. Eduardo gives advice for how leaders should handle mistakes and how they can best model being a learner. He shares how companies like Microsoft, General Mills, Skratch Labs, New York Life, and Bridgewater Associates have benefited from welcoming the “Learning Zone” and how CEOs like Satya Nadella and Ray Dalio have openly celebrated their own mistakes and learned from the feedback they received after those mistakes.

Eduardo Briceño is a global keynote speaker, facilitator, and guide supporting leaders cultivating growth mindset cultures. He is a Pahara-Aspen Fellow, a member of the Aspen Institute's Global Leadership Network, and an inductee in the Happiness Hall of Fame. For over a decade he was the CEO of Mindset Works, which he cofounded in 2007 with Stanford professor Carol Dweck, Lisa Blackwell, and others. Earlier, he served as a technology investor with Credit Suisse's venture capital arm the Sprout Group. Eduardo grew up in Caracas, Venezuela. He holds bachelor's degrees in economics and engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, as well as an MBA and M.A. in education from Stanford University. He was shortlisted for the Thinkers50 Breakthrough Idea Award in 2023.

Reaching Peak Performance with Sports Psychologist Dr. Rick Aberman

When the lights are on and the ball is in play, we tend to forget that athletes are human too. They have families, friends, bills, obligations, and commitments like everyone else. And their jobs are really, really stressful. Failure can lead to the scorn of fans in the arena and on social media. Pundits can be unusually cruel. Coaches and General Managers can be fickle when players underperform and losses mount.

To deal with these pressures, collegiate and professional athletes often turn to a sports psychologist to help them overcome their doubts, regain their confidence, curiosity and purpose, and strive toward performing at their potential. One of those sports psychologists is Dr. Rick Aberman. He is a pioneer in the field and has been working with elite athletes and corporate executives for 30 years.

In this discussion, Dr. Aberman talks about how business leaders and sports coaches can more effectively assess talent, help team members move past failure, manage emotions, build healthy work cultures, and help their people live full, well-rounded lives. One of his most powerful tools is simply asking the people he works with “how good do you want to be?”

After receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Aberman became one of the first psychologists in the country to be hired as a member of a sports medicine staff. He initiated a program designed to specifically meet the needs of high performing competitive student-athletes, coaches, and administrators at the University of Wisconsin. Dr. Aberman served as the Director of Peak Performance on the medical staff of the Minnesota Twins. In addition, he continues to be a long-standing advisor to athletic teams and coaches at the University of Minnesota. He utilizes the latest thinking in psychology, motivation, neuroscience, and peak performance.

Fluid Leadership with Dessa

Musician and writer Dessa has made a career of bucking genres and defying expectations—her résumé as a musician includes performances at Lollapalooza and Glastonbury, co-compositions for 100-voice choir, performances with the Minnesota Orchestra, and top-200 entries on the Billboard charts. She contributed to the #1 album The Hamilton Mixtape and the RBG documentary. As a writer, she’s been published by The New York Times and National Geographic Traveler, broadcast by Minnesota Public Radio, and published a memoir-in-essays (My Own Devices, 2018) in addition to two literary collections. She’s also the host of Deeply Human, a podcast created by the BBC and American Public Media.

In this interview, Dessa talks about how she leads in her roles as a musician, podcast host, and writer. She says there is a fluidity in her leadership. She knows when to lead and when to get out of the way so the experts in the room can do their jobs. One of the keys to her success in getting the best performance out of others is understanding where people want to go in their careers and how she can help them get there. Dessa also talks about her collaboration with the Minnesota Orchestra and how she needed to understand the orchestra’s culture and language in order to maximize the talents of all the musicians involved in the joint performance.

Investing in Leadership with Bret Griess

Bret Griess is Executive Partner at the private equity firm Siris Capital. Prior to joining Siris, Bret spent 25 years with CSG Systems International where he rose through the ranks to become President and Chief Executive Officer. He oversaw the development of CSG’s first comprehensive cybersecurity program, introduced the industry’s first public, cloud-based business support solution, and led the company through its largest acquisition and contracts, valued at more than $2 billion. Bret is currently a member of the Board of Directors at Nebraska Methodist Health System, Midland University, and Equiniti.

In this interview, Bret talks about his rise from an entry-level position to the C-Suite of a publicly traded company, the importance of mentorship to his development, his approach to investing in learning and development for himself and the people he led, how he worked with his Board of Directors while he was CEO, and what roles he plays as a member of a Board of Directors. Bret also shares advice for young people who aspire to lead a company, how private equity companies think about the importance of leadership when making investments, and what he would like his legacy to be.

Leadership Lessons with U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Ronald Piret

Rear Admiral Ronald Piret leads the 2,600 people who comprise the U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command. He is also the Oceanographer of the Navy, Navigator of the Navy, and Hydrographer of the Navy. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Oceanography. He holds master’s degrees in oceanography and meteorology from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., and national security and strategic studies from the Naval War College (NWC) in Newport, R.I., where he graduated with distinction. See full bio here.

In this interview, Rear Adm. Piret discusses his background and why he chose a career in the Navy, the importance of mentorship to his career development, the mission of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, the advantages of leading a blend of civilian and uniformed personnel, and the vast amounts of information captured and processed on a daily basis by the Command. He also talks about building trust, recruiting highly technical people, dealing with failure, the importance of diversity, how recognition is a key driver of engagement, how great leaders resist the urge to use their rank to get things done, and advice he has for young people who want a role in leadership.

The Future Entrepreneur with Gino Wickman

In this interview, entrepreneurial expert and best-selling author Gino Wickman joins host Don MacPherson to discuss what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur including how to tell if you are a “true entrepreneur,” how to plan for a successful career, and how to make the best decisions for your business. They also discuss common mistakes made by entrepreneurs, the entrepreneur’s identity after they sell their business, and the impact of COVID-19 on entrepreneurship.

An entrepreneur since the age of 21, Gino has an obsession for learning what makes businesses thrive. Gino is the founder of Entrepreneurial Leap and EOS Worldwide. He has also authored Traction and Entrepreneurial Leap while continuing to help entrepreneurs-in-the-making thrive and succeed in their endeavors.

The Making of the “Miracle on Ice” - an Interview with Hockey Hall of Famer Lou Nanne

In arguably the greatest upset in sports history, the 1980 United States Olympic Hockey Team defeated the Soviet Union and then went on to clinch the gold medal against Finland. The sports world was shocked and the “Miracle on Ice” was complete.

In this interview, Lou Nanne, a key influencer of the team, takes us back nearly 40 years and tells the story of the 1980 “Miracle” team, his involvement in securing Herb Brooks as head coach, and how the team was best prepared to face the international competition through innovative practice routines and training methods.

Lou Nanne has been a leading figure in the hockey community for decades. Lou was captain of the 1968 United States Olympic Hockey Team. Later he played, coached, and served as general manager for the Minnesota North Stars. Lou is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame and the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame. He has also been awarded the Lester Patrick trophy for his impact on the sport of hockey.

Nurturing the Crazy Ideas That Change the World - an Interview with Safi Bahcall

A lifelong innovator and expert on innovative practices, Safi Bahcall shares his process for nurturing “Loonshots” - the crazy ideas that disrupt industries, cure diseases, and change the world.

In this interview, Safi dives into how good ideas are often killed by great teams and how we can develop the skills to nurture and encourage “Loonshots.” Safi also discusses company culture and organizational structure, why companies need to separate their innovators from executors, the importance of getting incentives right, and why “failing fast” is not the best path toward innovation.

Safi worked for three years as a consultant for McKinsey before co-founding a biotechnology company that developed new drugs for treating cancer. Safi regularly speaks with senior executives about how to implement the ideas in his bestselling book “Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries.”

Following a Creative Passion - An Interview with Filmmaker Patrick Riley

A veteran technology entrepreneur, producer, and musician, Patrick Riley shares his experience of being a life-long creative while working as an executive for a software company.

In this interview, Patrick discusses the making of his new film Tuscaloosa, including collaborating with the cast and crew, solving for unexpected problems, and the complexity of creating an accurate depiction of 1970s Alabama. Patrick offers advice for creatives and provides examples for how to nurture your creativity while working in a professional career. Patrick also explains the innovations developing in the film industry and their impact on the way we consume, create, and find films.

As a technology entrepreneur, Patrick co-founded and was CEO of Modern Survey. Over the course of his career, Patrick has directed and produced dozens of music videos, documentaries, and short films.

Innovation, Creativitydon macphersonNovember 4, 2019Creativity, Failure, Film, Software, entrepreneurialism

The Spiritual Creative - Hip-Hop Legend Brother Ali

One of the most respected independent voices in music, Brother Ali shares candid anecdotes about his creative process and describes the importance of spirituality in creating meaningful art.

In this interview, Brother Ali discusses what the touring lifestyle is like, how he grounds himself while traveling, and the importance of Islam in his life and in his creative pursuits. Ali describes his process for creating songs and albums, how he pushes himself to get out of his creative comfort zone, and the collaboration process with other artists and producers. Later in the interview, Ali dives deep into the role music and art has on informing the human experience and expression.

Over the last two decades, Brother Ali has earned critical acclaim for his deeply personal, socially conscious, and inspiring brand of hip-hop.

A Concrete Innovation for Addressing Climate Change - An Interview with Mehrdad Mahoutian

An innovator in the field of carbon dioxide capture and building materials, Mehrdad Mahoutian discusses his journey to discovering a new process for creating concrete and his quest to use waste materials to create high-value products. More than 5% of global CO2 emissions comes from the production of concrete. The impact of this is so high that for every ton of concrete made, a ton of carbon is released into our air. Mehrdad’s innovative concrete-making process solves this problem and more, while making a stronger, cheaper, and carbon-negative construction material. As we tackle climate change, we will need thousands of innovations like Carbicrete to stop global warming.

In this interview, Mehrdad describes the problem cement and the resulting CO2 creates for our environment and shares how he came up with a carbon-negative process to create cement-free concrete. He also shares the failure along his innovative journey and how he came to see his new process as a viable product for mass production. Mehrdad also discusses the barriers to industry-wide adoption of the new process and how governments are responding to Carbicrete. Finally, Mehrdad explains the potential for the emerging market of CO2 based products and the integral role consumers and organizations will play in reducing our carbon emissions.

Mehrdad Mahoutian is CTO and Co-Founder of Carbicrete, a company that has developed a concrete-making process that is cement-free and carbon-negative.

Creating a Culture of Innovation with Simone Bhan Ahuja

An innovation expert, Simone Bhan Ahuja explains how large, established organizations can innovate and avoid disruption even in a volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous time. Only 14% of new graduates want to work for large organizations. Instead, they’re attracted to the start-up path and opportunities to be creative and innovative in their careers. In order to attract top talent and remain disruptive in any industry, larger organizations will need to adopt innovation at every level of their organization.

In this interview, Simone explains the argument for encouraging innovation and intrapreneurship, the barriers many organizations face in the pursuit of innovation, and the importance of creating a culture of psychological safety. Simone also provides insight on how to build an innovative structure within an organization, the benefits of keeping projects frugal, and what leaders can do today to start implementing these ideas.

Simone is the author of Disrupt It Yourself, and a co-author of Jugaad Innovation: Think Frugal, Be Flexible, Generate Breakthrough Growth. For over 15 years Simone has studied emerging markets and how organizations can continue to innovate across all levels.

Changing Cultures and a Quest to Cure Cancer - Genentech’s Sara Kenkare-Mitra

A generation ago, a cancer diagnosis meant the patient had a 50% chance of living beyond five years. Today, cancer is still an awful disease, but thanks to incredible medical advances, survival is far more likely than ever before. That’s not the only good news. In fact, there is hope that as soon as a decade from now, cancer could possibly be a managed disease instead of a killer.

In this episode, pharmaceutical expert and cancer researcher, Sara Kenkare-Mitra, shares her how she got into the pharmaceutical field, the long road to creating an effective drug, and the importance of celebrating failure.

Sara discusses:

Part One: The Road to Making a Drug

Growing up in India, moving from India to the United States, culture shock, building resilience, joining Genentech, becoming a leader, how her leadership skills as a manager needed to evolve to lead a team of 550 people, the importance of technical competence in a large organization, the drug development process.

Part Two: Curing Cancer

Why it’s good to celebrate failure, how pharmaceutical companies are curing cancer, advice for young women entering STEM fields, encouraging your teams to learn from failures, meditation and leadership, overcoming the minority effect, advocating for yourself, how being a mother made her a more effective leader, the future of cancer, the role of empathy in leadership and drug development.

Organizations, People, Resources, Places Mentioned.

Mumbai, India, Genentech, Austin, Texas, University of Texas - Austin, UCSF (University of California, San Francisco), San Francisco, Kadcyla (Her2+ Breast cancer drug), the FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration)

To learn more about Sara and Genentech, please visit www.Gene.com.

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