Leadership — Podcast

Careers, Culture, & Becoming CEO with Erika Ayers Badan

What does it take to get to the C-suite? In the case of Erika Ayers Badan, the road to the CEO’s chair was filled with risk and had plenty of bumps along the way. Earlier in 2024, Erika was appointed CEO of Food52. She’s the former CEO of Barstool Sports, where she saw Barstool’s rocket ship ascent in the competitive sports media environment. She is also the author of the book “Nobody Cares About Your Career.” In this interview with Erika, she discusses her willingness to take risks, how she thinks about career development, the roles of mentors in assisting her success, her approach to getting over the need to be perfect, and she discusses the CEO’s role in cultivating the company culture that will help an organization succeed.

Erika Ayers Badan is the CEO of Food52 and the former CEO of Barstool Sports. During her tenure at Barstool from 2016 to 2024, Erika transformed the organization from a regional blog to a national powerhouse operation leading to a 5,000% increase in overall revenue, making it one of the most innovative and successful internet media brands. Before joining Barstool, Erika held several leadership positions in media and technology at Microsoft, AOL, Demand Media, and Yahoo. She has been extensively recognized for her innovation in the industry, including being named one of Forbes’ Most Powerful Women in Sports amongst other achievements. Erika currently serves on the boards of the Premier Lacrosse League, Axon Enterprise (AXON), and Malaria No More. She is the author of the book “Nobody Cares About Your Career: Why Failure is Good, The Great Ones Play Hurt and Other Hard Truths.”

"This Is Strategy" with Seth Godin

In his new book, This Is Strategy, Seth Godin reminds readers that “the future comes one day at a time” and “today is your best chance to improve tomorrow.” Despite the speed with which the world is changing, Seth believes prioritizing long-term thinking over quick fixes is the best way to make “smart, purposeful choices that shape a better tomorrow - personally and professionally.

In this interview, Seth shares his definition of what strategy is, what people are getting right about strategy, and the systems he sees that are shaping the world. Seth goes on to discuss how leaders need to be thinking about strategy in a fast-changing, A.I. (tech-centric) world. He finishes the discussion by talking about the mistakes we are making in 2024 that the people of 2074 will look back at in disbelief and he shares what fills him with a sense of optimism.

For more than thirty years, Seth Godin has been trying to “turn on lights, inspire people and teach them how to level up.” He is the author of more than 20 best-selling books, including his latest book This Is Strategy. He is an entrepreneur who, after selling one of his companies to Yahoo, became Yahoo’s vice president of direct marketing. Seth’s blog is one of the most popular in the world with more than 8,000 posts and a million readers. He is a member of the Marketing Hall of Fame.

Business on the Edge with Dr. Emily Block

Just over 200 years ago, 90% of all humans lived in abject poverty. Life expectancy was less than half of what it is today. Business and capitalism take a lot of criticism for creating inequality and leaving some people behind, but capitalism, businesses, and global trade are largely responsible for creating a world that is on the edge of abundance. Dr. Emily Block and her colleague Viva Ona Bartkus are working to help organizations create viable business opportunities in the most vulnerable places on the planet - places they call “the frontlines.”

In this interview, Dr. Block discusses the benefits to companies willing to work in the planet’s most challenged places, the difficulties they will face, the moral responsibility leaders have in creating thriving business environments in these places, and the results she has seen when companies commit and collaborate with local communities. She goes on to talk about how the principles she has honed working in these “frontline regions” can be applied in disadvantaged communities in countries that are otherwise flourishing.

Dr. Emily Block is an Associate Professor of Strategy, Entrepreneurship and Management and the George Cormie Chair in Management at the Alberta School of Business. Her research program explores how values pluralism impacts the processes of legitimacy and change, the nature of social evaluations and how organizational theory can be used to understand and address grand challenges. Emily’s research has been published in journals such as AMJ, SMJ, JBV, JOM, MISQ and JMS. Her book, “Business to the Edge,” (Basic Books, July 2024) explores how business can both thrive and improve lives in post-conflict environments. She serves on the ASQ editorial board and is a Visiting Professor at Strathmore University in Nairobi, Kenya. She received her BBA in Management from the University of Notre Dame and her PhD in Organizational Behavior from the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign.

Working Smarter with Dr. Jason Womack

Never in human history have people had more powerful tools than right now. At the same time, the tools of distraction are everywhere. The quest to reach individual potential is both enhanced and disrupted by these tools. Dr. Jason Womack helps people use the tools that will amplify their performance while teaching them to ignore the noise that prevents them from realizing their potential.

In this interview, Dr. Womack discusses the common obstacles that prevent people from performing their best and how people can overcome those obstacles. He dives deep into the power of self-talk and the importance of feedback. Dr. Womack discusses a number of ways that he has helped people work smarter and he gives advice for what can be done when someone is working for a poor leader. In addition, Dr. Womack talks about how people can better manage their time, energy, attention, and tools and resources.

Dr. Jason ‘JW’ Womack works to strengthen the connection of Teammates throughout the organization to themselves, the mission, and one another. Dr. Womack is a Certified Professional Innovator, an ICF-ACC certified coach, and an emotional intelligence trainer with a doctoral degree in organizational leadership from the University of Southern California (USC). His mission is to help Teammates sharpen their human domain leadership skills which are essential for operating in complex and dynamic environments.

AI: Talent's Rocket Fuel with Mike Bechtel

Artificial intelligence is touching elements of our lives that most people couldn’t have predicted even five years ago. No aspect is being disrupted more than our work and our jobs. As Michael Kanaan said on 12 Geniuses back in 2021 in The Future of Artificial Intelligence, “there is no job on the planet that AI doesn't have its rightful place to do the job better.” Exactly how jobs will be redefined is largely dependent on the mindset companies have toward their talent and the new tools that are able to do magical things.

In this interview, Deloitte Consulting’s chief futurist Mike Bechtel discusses the two common ways in which companies are approaching the artificial intelligence revolution. Mike says that some companies are using AI to cut costs and replace people with technology. Other companies see AI as “rocket fuel” for their talent. While the “short-termists” that are using AI to minimize expenses might please shareholders for a brief period of time, Mike says the companies that have a longer-term view on the combination of their people and these powerful tools will ultimately be winners in this unique period in business. Mike goes on to talk about the differentiating traits that leaders should be seeking as they hire new people in an AI workplace and Mike shares his advice for how individuals and leaders should think about career development into the future.

Mike Bechtel is a managing director and the chief futurist with Deloitte Consulting LLP. Mike helps clients develop strategies to thrive in the face of discontinuity and disruption. His team researches the novel and exponential technologies most likely to impact the future of business, and builds relationships with the startups, incumbents, and academic institutions creating them.

Prior to joining Deloitte, Mike led Ringleader Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm he co-founded in 2013. Before Ringleader, he served as CTO of Start Early, a national not-for-profit focused on early childhood education for at-risk youth. Mike began his career in technology R&D at a global professional services firm where his dozen US patents helped result in him being named that firm’s global innovation director. He currently serves as professor of corporate innovation at the University of Notre Dame.

The Power of Rituals with Dr. Michael Norton

Our lives are filled with repetitive tasks meant to keep us on track—what we come to know as habits. Over time, these routines (for example, brushing your teeth or putting on your right sock first) tend to be performed automatically. But when we’re more mindful about these actions—when we focus on the precise way they are performed—they can instead become rituals. Shifting from a “habitual” mindset to a “ritual” mindset can convert ordinary acts from black and white to technicolor.

In this interview, Harvard Business School Professor Dr. Michael Norton discusses his new book “The Ritual Effect” and how the power of establishing rituals can enhance performance in personal lives and at work. Dr. Norton explains how a ritual is different from a habit. He talks about how to create rituals that last and he says a bottom up approach is the best way to establish effective rituals in the workplace. To finish the interview, Dr. Norton discusses what research has taught him about what people commonly get wrong about their money.

Dr. Michael Norton is a leading behavior scientist, behavioral economics researcher, Harvard Business School Professor, and business speaker obsessed with unlocking the secrets of human behavior and well-being, from happier spending to the power of rituals. Dr. Norton’s research focuses on behavioral economics and well-being, with particular attention given to topics such as happiness, spending, and, most recently, rituals and habits. His book The Ritual Effect focuses on the surprising and versatile power of rituals.

The Vehicles of Tomorrow with Álvaro Marquez

For generations, when you purchased a car what you bought is what you got. That is changing. It’s accepted that self-driving, electric vehicles are the future. However, what many people might be surprised to know about the future of the vehicle is that cars, trucks, and SUVs will operate more like a cell phone than they do like the vehicles of yesterday. They will get feature updates, adapt to your particular needs, and continuously improve using massive amounts of data much like the ubiquitous smart phone.

In this interview, Álvaro Marquez - product designer and customer experience expert - discusses driverless vehicles, the concept of the Software-Defined Vehicle, the infrastructure necessary to enable mass electric vehicle adoption, fleet management and ownership, and how humanity will benefit from a reimagined relationship with vehicles. Álvaro says that as vehicles become more capable and connected they will become a viable “third place” (after the home and workplace) where some people connect with others, go for privacy, manage their personal lives, watch movies, and even do activities like sing karaoke. While Álvaro says a vehicle will not replace the smart phone, it will offer a more comfortable place to do many of the activities people do on their phones.

Álvaro Márquez is an established figure in the field of user-centered design and experience strategy, currently serving as Chief Experience Officer at icon incar where he leads an international multi-disciplinary team in the development of future-oriented R&D projects for the automotive and mobility industry. His work is globally recognized for his thoughtful, systematic and occasionally irreverent approach, which tends to explore idiosyncratic moments of everyday life from emergent futures.

The Growing Popularity of Psychedelics with Dr. Matthew Johnson

Since Dr. Matthew Johnson first appeared on 12 Geniuses in September of 2020 to discuss The Future of Psychedelics, popular opinion in favor of this category of drugs has surged and so has the research and potential uses for psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, ayahuasca, and other drugs that fit into the broader category of psychedelics. Dr. Johnson and his research have been critical to fueling these growing trends.

In this interview, Dr. Johnson discusses the advancements in psychedelic research that have been made in the last few years, how favorable public opinion about the use of these once taboo drugs continues to grow, and he closes the conversation with his sobering advice for people who are experimenting on their own with these drugs, going on weekend psychedelic retreats, or even going to South America to have ayahuasca experiences with a shaman.

Dr. Matthew Johnson is Senior Investigator in Psychedelics at Sheppard Pratt and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins University where he is one of the world’s most published scientists on the human effects of psychedelics. He had conducted seminal research in the behavioral economics of drug use, addiction, and risk behavior. Dr. Johnson published psychedelic safety guidelines in 2008, helping to resurrect psychedelic research.

Living Healthy Longer with Dr. Steven Austad

Throughout his career, Dr. Steven Austad has been exploring aging, longevity, and life extension in a variety of animals. He has written multiple books, including “Why We Age: What Science Is Discovering about the Body’s Journey Through Life” and “Methuselah's Zoo: What Nature Can Teach Us about Living Longer, Healthier Lives.”

In this interview, Dr. Austad discusses the topic of longevity and the progress being made toward curing some of humanity’s most devastating diseases - specifically heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s. He shares his belief that humanity is on track to make cancer a managed disease. Dr. Austad talks about new drug discoveries made in the last four years that should dramatically improve our ability to fight our most devastating diseases and he even talks about the surprising benefits being realized from the use of popular weight loss drugs. He goes on to address how science has effectively extended life over the last 125 years, but many people who are going to live much longer haven’t changed their attitudes and expectations about their retirement age.

Dr. Austad has dedicated his career to understanding the science of how and why we age. He is a distinguished professor and Protective Life Endowed Chair in Healthy Aging Research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He has done field research in The United States, Venezuela, East Africa, Micronesia, and Papua New Guinea. Dr. Austad’s books include “Why We Age: What Science Is Discovering about the Body's Journey Through Life” and “Methuselah's Zoo: What Nature Can Teach Us about Living Longer, Healthier Lives.”

Peak Oil, Peak Auto, and Peak People with Futurist David Houle

“Peak Oil” is the point that global oil production is set to begin its decline. “Peak Auto” is the point that global automotive production will begin its decline. “Peak People” is the point that global population will being to shrink. All of these points are set to happen during this century according to futurist and author David Houle.

In this interview, David Houle discusses how oil use, the number of vehicles around the world, and the number of people on the planet will all begin to decline in this century. To replace oil production, David shares how electric vehicles will become the norm supported by renewable energy along with innovative battery storage capabilities. To facilitate the trend toward vehicle decline, David says the idea of owning a vehicle that people drive 5% of the time is outdated. Fleets of driverless cars are a much more practical solution even as more countries experience affluence. China recently began a decline in population in 2023 and the rest of the world will experience the same as the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) declines in industrialized countries. David says that as girls around the world continue to advance in educational opportunities, the global TFR will decline below the 2.1 TFR required to maintain the number of people on the planet.

To finish the interview, David also talks about what these declines mean to the global economy and how people should be using this information to plan for their futures.

David Houle is a futurist, thinker, and keynote speaker. He is the author of “The Shift Age,” “Shift Ed: A Call to Action for Transforming K-12 Education,” “Entering the Shift Age, Brand Shift: The Future of Brands and Marketing,” “The Spaceship Earth,” and more.

Career Transitions, Space Exploration, and Global Conflict with Scott Stalker

In this episode of 12 Geniuses, Scott Stalker joins the show to talk about his career transition, the future of space exploration, and the signals the wars in Ukraine and Middle East are sending us about the future. Scott has been a guest of 12 Geniuses twice in the past while he was Command Senior Enlisted Leader of US Space Command in Colorado Springs, CO. After 31 years of dedicated service, Scott retired from the United States Marine Corps in August of 2023.

In this discussion, he shares some of the important lessons he learned from his own career transition. He talks about being prepared for opportunities before they arrive, the importance of activating his personal network and having respected supporters ready to advocate for him, and why it is critical to know his value and worth. Scott believes anyone going through a career transition should understand what they love and enjoy. He said he took a test of his personal strengths to help determine that. He also shared his belief that transition is a journey and he is actively preparing for where that journey may take him years into the future.

The second part of the conversation focuses on the potential of space - mining, tourism, and colonization. Scott talks about how investment in space will continue and grow significantly in the next decade. He cites regulation as one of the challenges to current expansion, however, he believes that - much like the International Space Station - there will be space hotels in the future where humans will be able to take vacations. Scott talks about the incredibly valuable resources - precious metals and water - in space available for mining that will keep the Earth economy going. He truly believes humans “will be a multi-planetary species.” He notes that the current advances in space are not led by governments as in the past. Instead, it is commercial investments like Space X that are leading the way.

The conversation finishes with Scott’s assessment of the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. He talks about the signals they are sending about the future. Traditional assessment of an enemy involves thinking about the weather, the enemy, and the terrain. Scott says the war in Ukraine has demonstrated that another assessment variable needs to be added to this list - “the will” of the leader and the people. He believes other governments are watching the international support of Ukraine with caution.

Scott Stalker served on active duty in the United States Marine Corps for 31 years, retiring in August 2023. While on active duty, Scott served as the Command Senior Enlisted Leader for the Defense Intelligence Agency, United States Cyber Command, National Security Agency, and in his final assignment with United States Space Command. He served in a multitude of locations during his distinguished military career to include combat operations in Somalia and Iraq and was assigned to Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command from 2010 to 2014.

Scott has a bachelor’s degree in intelligence studies and a master’s degree in cybersecurity, as well as an organizational leadership certificate from Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He completed studies at John Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, where he became a SECDEF Strategic Thinkers Program CAPSTONE graduate.

Scott currently serves as a senior consultant and executive advisor for several different corporations. He is a keynote speaker for high-profile events within the federal government, intelligence community and national security sector and serves on the boards of several businesses and nonprofits. Additionally, Scott currently serves as a senior fellow for the National Defense University.

Previous episodes with Scott Stalker:

The Future of War with MGySgt Scott H. Stalker from November 10, 2020

Leadership and Love with MGySgt Scott Stalker from November 9, 2022

Thriving in the Workplace of Tomorrow with Dr. Gabriella Rosen Kellerman

The world is changing faster than ever. The “Accelerating Rate of Change” suggests that humans will experience exponential rates of change this century. With the first quarter of the century nearly complete, there is little evidence that these predictions are false. We’ve seen massive changes in healthcare and medical technology, Artificial Intelligence has moved from potential to reality, space technology sees breakthroughs on a daily basis, climate change and climate technology are engaged in a battle that could determine the future of humanity, and social trends threaten to further divide us. All these things are true and we haven’t even experienced the potential of quantum computing and fusion energy. That’s a lot of change!

In 2003, Ray Kurzweil said “the 21st century will be equivalent to 20,000 years of progress at today’s rate of progress, which is a thousand times greater than the 20th century.” That’s an unimaginable amount of change that has the potential to steamroll the rigid and those who are convinced that they can continue doing what they have always done. To thrive in a future that moves this quickly requires intention and a rare set of ingredients. These skills will help people flourish in the workplace and in their personal lives.

In this interview, Dr. Gabriella Rosen Kellerman discusses the necessary ingredients to thrive at work now and in the future. She talks about the importance of resilience, creativity and innovation, forming strong social connections, doing work that matters, and being able to identify future scenarios well before they arrive. Most importantly, Gabriella unlocks the secrets for building our skills in each of these areas.

Gabriella Rosen Kellerman is an author, entrepreneur, start-up executive, and Harvard-trained physician with expertise in behavioral and organizational, change, digital health, wellbeing, and AI. Her first book, Tomorrowmind, co-authored with Professor Martin Seligman, will be published by Atria in January 2023. She has served as Chief Product Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at BetterUp, a transformation platform for global professionals, and as Head of BetterUp Labs, BetterUp’s research arm, which studies whole person development in partnership with labs at Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford, and many more.

The Leadership Lessons of Coach John Wooden with Swen Nater

Swen Nater has one of the most unlikely paths to success. He was born in the Netherlands where he spent several years in orphanages. When he came to America as a boy, Swen fell in love with the game of basketball. Despite never playing in high school, he became an All-American at Cypress College, a two-time national champion at UCLA, and he played 12 years professionally. He is the only player in history to lead the ABA and NBA in rebounding. When Swen’s playing days were over, he went on to coach Christian Heritage College to a national championship.

In this interview, Swen talks about his difficult childhood and the journey that led him to play professional basketball. He shares the leadership lessons he learned from his legendary leader at UCLA – Coach John Wooden. Swen talks about Coach Wooden’s approach to time management, giving feedback, discipline, conditioning, and the tremendous care he showed for his players. Swen finishes the interview by talking about the mentorship he received from Coach Wooden in the decades after playing at UCLA.

Swen Nater still holds the California Community College single game rebound record at 39. After becoming a community college All-American, Swen played for two undefeated, national championship teams at UCLA. He went on to become the ABA Rookie of the Year, a two-time All Star, and led the league in rebounds and field goal percentage. When he jumped to the NBA, Swen led the league in rebounds, becoming the only player in history win both the ABA and NBA rebounding titles. After playing basketball, Swen Nater became athletic director and head coach at Christian Heritage College where he led the Hawks to a national small college championship. Swen is author of five books including "You Haven't Taught Until They Have Learned.” Swen has been inducted into the Orange County Hall of Fame and The San Diego Hall of Champions Hall of Fame. Swen is currently a buyer for Costco Wholesale.

Winning the Climate War with Kristian Rönn

Work to remove carbon from the atmosphere, transform the global economy to renewable sources of energy, repair broken ecological systems, and create safe havens for climate refugees is being done by countless, innovative people around the planet. One of these people is Kristian Rönn. With a background in mathematics, philosophy, computer science and artificial intelligence, Kristian and his team are helping organizations quantify their carbon footprint through a practice called carbon accounting. It’s a practice that is in its nascent stages, but will very likely become standard operating procedure for most companies around the world in the future.

In this interview, Kristian talks about his previous work studying global catastrophic risks - like like nuclear war, runaway artificial intelligence, and climate change - at Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute. He goes on to talk about the work Normative - the company that he co-founded 10 years ago and where he currently serves as CEO - is doing to make carbon visible and how that fits into winning the fight against a warming planet. He finishes the interview by discussing how society can shift key measurements away from GDP to things like well-being and happiness and Kristian gives advice for business and government leaders wanting to use this conversation to make their organizations stronger.

Kristian Rönn is the CEO and co-founder of Normative. He is a thought leader within carbon accounting, with speaking engagements at COP and Davos, as well as appearances in media outlets like Bloomberg and Sky News. He has advised governments and international bodies, and has been officially acknowledged for his contribution to UN Goal 13 by UNDP. Before he started Normative he worked at the University of Oxford’s Future of Humanity Institute on issues related to global catastrophic risks, including climate change. In 2023, he was named one of Google.org’s “Leaders to Watch.”

Making Artificial Intelligence Safe with Charlotte Siegmann

Artificial Intelligence is embedded in our everyday lives right now and it will have a rapidly growing influence over the future of humanity for generations to come. Whether that influence will result in abundance for most humans or just a few winners and many losers is largely dependent on the decisions we make right now. Charlotte Siegmann is one of the people who is working to ensure governments, companies, and individuals make the right choices. Her work is focused on how to make the development and deployment of advanced AI systems safer and more beneficial.

In this interview, Charlotte talks about the true dangers of AI, how it can benefit humanity, ideas for how AI should be regulated, and how the decisions we make today have the potential to affect many generations to come. She gives advice for business leaders interested in harnessing the power of AI for their organizations, she talks about the competencies employees will need to develop to thrive in an AI world, and she discusses how the taxation of AI and robots could fund social programs and be a source for universal basic income.

A PhD student in economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Charlotte Siegmann is one of the incredibly bright, thoughtful people working to keep Artificial Intelligence safe and beneficial for all of humanity. She is a founding member of The Center for AI Risks & Impacts (KIRA). At MIT, she is working on the economics of AI governance, the intersection of mechanism design, game theory, and AI safety. She has worked as a Predoctoral Research Fellow in Economics at Oxford’s Global Priorities Institute, as a Research Assistant for a professor at Stanford University, and as an intern in the European Union Parliament.

A Planet of 3 Billion with Dr. Christopher Tucker

On November 15, 2022, it is estimated that for the first time Earth’s population exceeded 8 billion humans. But what is Earth’s sustainable carrying capacity of humans? Dr. Christopher Tucker is the Chairman of the American Geographic Society and author of the book “A Planet of 3 Billion.” He believes that we have far exceeded a sustainable number of humans on the planet and says that we are headed toward a catastrophic outcome if we don’t start significantly reducing the overall population of the planet by the end of the century.

In this interview, Dr. Tucker shares why the education and empowerment of young women and girls is the key to reducing global population to a more manageable carrying capacity. He talks about how we can avoid catastrophe by “shrinking to abundance,” how leaders should be thinking about global population and a future that may not be incented by growth, and he gives his very candid, critical assessment of people and countries that say we need to continue growing Earth’s population. He finishes the interview by talking about the mistakes we are making today that the people of 2073 will look back at in disbelief.

Dr. Christopher Tucker has spent the last two decades at the intersection of technology, strategy, geography and national security as an innovator, investor, social entrepreneur, author, and strategic advisor to the US national security community. As Chairman of the American Geographical Society, he launched a multi-year strategic dialog known as Geography2050, focused on the vital trends that will reshape the geography of our planet over the coming decades. He has served on a wide variety of public sector, corporate, and non-profit boards. He holds a BA, MA, and PhD from Columbia University. His passion for geography and the fate of future generations animates this work.

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.

Listen Without Labels with Brad Deutser

We have all been in situations where we felt left out. We might have even been the ones to make other people feel left on the outs. In a variety of ways, we have all been told, “you don’t belong here.” Most leaders think of belonging as yet another social concept that doesn’t embolden the vision, direction, and responsibility of the C-suite, but this point of view is too dangerous to ignore. Organizations that create a strong sense of belonging for all employees have a far greater chance of experiencing financial success while providing an environment where employees can flourish.

In this interview, Brad Deutser - entrepreneur and author of the new book “Belonging Rules” - shares his definition of belonging, the five crucial actions leaders must take to create the space necessary for belonging, the business case for creating belonging, and how these rules can be used outside of work to address our political division, fight gang recruitment, and help marginalized children in our schools. Brad also dives deep into one of the belonging rules specifically - “Listen Without Labels.” In one example, he talks about how the terms “Democrat” and “Republican” associated with political leaders in the news cause viewers and readers to dismiss the content of the message, while instead focusing on whether or not they agree with the leader based on party affiliation.

Brad Deutser is the visionary leader behind Deutser and Deutser Clarity Institute (Houston, New York, Bermuda and Arizona). He is a trusted counselor, executive coach and leadership guru for CEOs, Board Chairs, and top corporate management. His unique insights and original approach to affecting a human approach to sustainable organizational change have impacted top businesses, leading universities, professional sports franchises, and cause-based organizations. He is an expert in creating spaces and leadership capacity for belonging and inclusion. Brad is recognized for his ability to navigate complex, contentious, ambiguous business and people challenges, both inside and outside organizations. He is sought after as an authority and innovative thinker on matters of organizational change, belonging, DEI, and complexity in leadership. He is the bestselling author of Leading Clarity: The Breakthrough Strategy to Unleash People, Profit, and Performance.

Creating Conscious Connections with Talia Fox

The United States Surgeon General Vivek Murthy has called loneliness an epidemic. Loneliness is connected to numerous health challenges including heart disease, stroke, depression, and anxiety. According to a Cigna survey in 2020, 61% of American adults reported feeling lonely at some point in their lives, and 36% said they felt lonely on a regular basis. Harvard researchers found that during the pandemic, 61% of Americans ages 18 through 25 self-reported being lonely frequently, almost all of the time, or all of the time, compared to 24% of Americans ages 55 through 65.

In this interview, consultant, author, and Harvard University Fellow Talia Fox discusses the extent of the loneliness problem around the world and shares her insights into how people can address loneliness and create powerful, conscious connections. Based on the research she did for her book “The Power of Conscious Connections,” Talia shares how people can conquer their loneliness by becoming more effective listeners and observers, having a clear understanding of their values and the values of others, and working to engage in a deeper, more meaningful way, even with people who may have a different system of beliefs. Finally, Talia shares how people can hone the habits necessary to create conscious connections at work and in daily life so they can live healthier, happier, more fulfilled lives.

Talia Fox is the CEO of KUSI Global, Inc. She holds an M.Ed. in counseling psychology from Howard University and she is a Harvard University Fellow. Talia is often referred to as the Jedi of Inspiration by her clients. With over two decades of experience in transforming thousands of executives from all sectors, she has become a visionary for leadership and legacy building. Her extensive background in psychology and education has given her the tools she needs to assist leaders in developing successful strategies for complex missions, ranging from defense systems to healthcare initiatives. As CEO of KUSI Global, Inc., Talia helps organizations like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Harvard University, Transunion, the National Institutes of Health, Howard University, and the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs maximize human potential by leveraging strategic intelligence and helps individuals and organizations foster connected cultures and promote conscious equity.

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.

12 Geniuses Podcast

Search for a Topic