Renowned listener Carolyn Coughlin explores different types of listening, the impact of language on meaning making, and techniques for improving listening skills. She also discusses the importance of in-person interactions for trust-building, the power of perspective taking, and embracing discomfort for personal growth.

Jennifer Garvey Berger: Unleashing Your Complexity Genius Jennifer believes that leadership is one of the most vital renewable resources in the world. She designs and teaches leadership programs, coaches senior teams, and supports new ways of thinking about strategy and people. In her three highly acclaimed books, Unlocking Leadership Mindtraps, Simple Habits for Complex Times (co-authored with Keith Johnston), and Changing on the Job, she builds on deep theoretical knowledge to offer practical ways to make leaders’ work more meaningful and their lives more fun. She has worked with senior leaders in the private, non-profit, and government sectors around the world with organizations like Novartis, Google, KPMG, Intel, Microsoft, Wikimedia, and the New Zealand Department of Conservation. Jennifer also supports executives one-on-one as a leadership coach. Over the last decade, she has developed the Growth Edge Coaching approach. She supports clients to find their current growing edge and then make choices about how they want to develop. She teaches coaches around the world transformational and developmental coaching approaches in her Growth Edge Coaching certification series. Jennifer speaks at leadership and coaching conferences, and she offers courses for coaches at universities all over the world. She is the co-author with Carolyn Coughlin of Unleash Your Complexity Genius: Growing Your Inner Capacity to Lead*. In this conversation, Jennifer and I discuss the reality that most of us don’t like uncertainty. That makes experimenting with new ideas and actions in complex environments very challenging. We uncover several practices that can help us benefit from experimentation in the midst of complexity and grow from these experiences. Key Points Complicated situations are hard, but have a clear answer (such as how to send humans to the moon). In contrast, complex situations are dynamic; yesterday’s answer may not work tomorrow. Most of us really dislike complexity, to the extent that that people with terminal diseases are happier than those who will likely recover. Step-by-step approaches don’t work in very complex situations. Instead, take action through thoughtful experimentation. When experimenting, release your attachment to outcomes. Lean into humility and don’t shy away from endings. Putting end dates on experiments helps us move forward — and sometimes remove what isn’t working. Resources Mentioned Unleash Your Complexity Genius: Growing Your Inner Capacity to Lead* by Jennifer Garvey Berger and Carolyn Coughlin Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes Essentials of Adult Development, with Mindy Danna (episode 273) How to Pivot Quickly, with Steve Blank (episode 476) Help Your Brain Learn, with Lisa Feldman Barrett (episode 513) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Unpacking complexity in a fast-paced world, importance of slowing down, working with nervous system, power of presence and play, calming body in overwhelming times. Embracing discomfort, vulnerability in team dynamics, transitioning in leadership, importance of authenticity and working with complexity.

Jennifer Garvey Berger and Carolyn Coughlin, co-authors of "Unleash Your Complexity Genius," delve into the exciting ways to navigate complex challenges. They talk about using mindful awareness to differentiate between action urges and conscious choices. The duo emphasizes the power of movement, laughter, and humor as tools for emotional regulation and connection. Their insights highlight how fostering a playful yet reflective approach can transform leadership and teamwork, creating a joyful environment to tackle complexity.

Unleash your complexity genius with Carolyn Coughlin as she discusses managing complex situations effectively, tapping into love and connection for stress relief, and recognizing bodily cues for creativity and connection. Explore the power of complexity genius and making small moves towards positive outcomes.