People and Projects Podcast: Project Management Podcast PPP 446 | Why Some Leaders Inspire--and Others Drain the Life Out of Their Teams, with Adam Galinsky
In this conversation, Andy talks with Adam Galinsky about his new book Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others. Adam discusses the elements that make a leader truly inspiring, debunking the myth that inspirational qualities are innate rather than developed. The conversation covers Adam's Inspiring Trifecta (being visionary, an exemplar, and a mentor) along with the leader amplification effect. Additionally, they explore actionable strategies from Adam's research, including the importance of perspective-taking, the impact of the leader amplification commitment, and techniques for improving self-awareness and daily practices for sustained inspiration.
Looking for practical advice to inspire those around you? This episode is for you!
Sound Bites- “It’s not, ‘Are you inspiring or infuriating?’ It’s, ‘Are you currently inspiring or infuriating?”
- “Your passion can become their passion. Your calmness in a crisis can become their calmness. But on the flip side, your anxiety can become their anxiety.”
- “Never tell someone, ‘We need to talk,’ without telling them why.”
- “What if every single morning, over a cup of coffee, you sent one email just thanking someone for something they did?”
- “Shame turns us into ostriches. Guilt moves us toward action.”
- “To be visionary, you don’t need to be loud—you need to be clear.”
- “Your leadership isn’t just what you say—it’s what people see.”
- “The question isn’t ‘Are you a great leader?’ The question is, ‘What are you doing right now that makes you one?”
- 00:00 Introduction
- 01:37 Start Of Interview
- 01:45 What Inspired You To Get Into Psychology?
- 02:51 What Are Some Common Myths About Inspiration?
- 03:49 Do You Have to Be Extroverted to Be Inspiring?
- 05:51 What's The Difference Between Inspiring and Infuriating Leaders?
- 08:48 Why You Should Never Say "We Need to Talk"
- 13:45 What Is the Leader Amplification Effect?
- 19:07 How Can I Better Get Someone Else's Perspective?
- 22:59 How Does Adam Overcome Feeling Insecure?
- 25:21 What's The Role of Self-Talk In Helping Us Be Inspiring?
- 29:15 How Does Ranking Our Values Help?
- 30:56 How Does Adam Practice Being Inspiring (Introduction to REAP)
- 32:43 Advice for Parents
- 36:11 End Of Interview
- 36:34 Andy Comments After The Interview
- 42:11 Outtakes
You can learn more about Adam and his work at AdamGalinsky.com.
For more learning on this topic, check out:
- Episodes 416 and 153 with Jim Kouzes about leadership.
- Episode 362 with Ayelet Fishbach about her book on motivation.
- Episode 94 with Heidi Grant and Torry Higgins about their work on motivation.
Thank you for joining me for this episode of The People and Projects Podcast!
Talent Triangle: Power Skills
Topics: Inspiration, Leadership, Communication, Self-Awareness, Emotional Intelligence, Parenting, Project Management
The following music was used for this episode:
Music: Echo by Alexander Nakarada License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license
Music: Tuesday by Sascha Ende License (CC BY 4.0): https://filmmusic.io/standard-license