Ep 125: Unlocking Human Genius with Erwin Raphael McManus

Erwin Raphael McManus is passionate about unlocking the spiritual and creative potential of human beings. Whether it’s his work as a pastor, author, speaker, coach, or designer, Erwin constantly demonstrates the capacity for growth, change, and ability to impact the world around him. In this conversation with CEO, writer, and executive coach (and a long-time friend) Jason Jaggard, Erwin shares the relationship between our mental structures and our behaviors, why talent can actually be a curse, and even a creative response to the challenge of Artificial Intelligence. Whether you consider yourself a leader, a creative, a spiritual seeker, or something else (or all of these), this conversation will give you insights for how to grow into your own genius.

KEY MOMENTS IN THIS EPISODE

4:13      THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR MIND AND OUR BEHAVIOR. In very real, scientific ways, new or different behaviors begin with different beliefs of what is possible. Our perceived mental structures are critical for growth and change. 

10:00    YOU ARE YOUR OWN CEILING. The majority of the time, our own self-limiting beliefs are the barriers to our growth. 

13:17    TALENT IS A DANGEROUS GIFT. Talent cannot carry you all your life; if you rely only on talent, you will eventually find yourself at a massive deficit. The solution is to develop internal structures (e.g., discipline, improvisation, etc.). 

15:48    THE WEIGHT OF SUCCESS. Oftentimes, it’s not our failures that stop our growth, it’s our inability to cope with the weight success. 

35:17    Host reflection and takeaways. 

RELEVANT RESOURCES / LINKS

Erwin’s Website

Mosaic

Mind Shift: It Doesn't Take a Genius to Think Like One (on Amazon.com)

First Chapter of Mind Shift: It Doesn’t Take a Genius to Think Like One

Global Leadership Network

QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION

Go further with this episode by discussing the following questions with your team, or engaging in some personal reflection: 

Erwin talks about how “talent” can actually be a curse, and a barrier to our growth. 

1. How have you seen this play out in your life? 

2. What is a discipline that you either have embraced—or could embrace—to leverage the “fuel” of your talent? 

Moving Forward: What could you do differently as a result of this podcast?