Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages If you’ve read my new book How to Begin, you'll know that I track my own evolution as I define and commit to a worthy goal. For a while, I’ve been thinking about what success means, and how you would even measure it. In the book, I hone in on one metric, but perhaps I’ve been looking at it all wrong.                                             Jay Acunzo – like me – is a podcaster, and one I look up to. He challenges the way I think about creating and also about success. His core podcast is called Unthinkable and is billed as ‘The American life for creative work’. For many years, though, he hosted another podcast called 3 Clips where he analyzed three clips from other podcasts, and discussed why they worked. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/  Jay reads two pages from ‘Kitchen Confidential’ by Anthony Bourdain. [reading begins at 18:48] Hear us discuss: “We’re so focused on being visible that we’ve forgotten to try and be memorable.” [3:42] | Recognising your own heroic stories. [24:26] | How to identify the bigger picture. [28:00] | “You can imagine better work than you can create.” [33:36] | Being disruptive in a restrictive system. [37:39]

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com.Today, we're pulling one of our best episodes from the vaults, featuring the brilliant Arthur Brooks. There’s no doubt that I am a purpose-driven person, but I can’t actually pinpoint the origin of this sense of purpose. I’m both an atheist, and an existentialist, so where does this drive of mine come from? Let me ask you - where do you find your sense of purpose? Arthur C. Brooks is a thinker and a writer about leadership, and, more broadly, a good life. He holds academic positions at Harvard, he was previously head of a conservative think tank, and he writes a regular article in The Atlantic called ‘How to Build a Life.’ But, those are just his jobs. What’s Arthur C. Brooks Why? Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Arthur reads two pages from book 4 of ‘Meditations’ by Marcus Aurelius. [reading begins at 21:00] Hear us discuss: Discernment of your purpose. [12:41] | Mastering transgressive acts: “Love your enemies; pray for those who persecute you.” [28:12] | Building I-Thou relationships: “Never use your values as a weapon, only as a gift.” [32:15] | Transitions between different strengths in life. [35:23] | What it takes to become an elder. [38:06]

One thing I don't mention often is that the thesis I wrote for my law degree was an attempt to combine my interest in literature with a perspective on law. So I wrote about the phenomenon of plain English: that's trying to write law without the legalese. And I tried to write about it through the lens of literary theories of language.I honestly did not understand what I was trying to do. And also nobody in law school understood what I was trying to do. What I can see now, with the benefit of hindsight and some self-esteem and some marketing speak, is that I was a boundary rider. I've come to learn that the interesting things often take place on the edges, those intermediate areas where X meets Y and some sort of new life is born. Brian Christian is a boundary rider too. He's just way more successful and interesting than law school Micheal.He thinks deeply and writes about deep patterns of life through technology and AI and algorithms. He's the author of The Most Human Human, the Alignment Problem, and Algorithms to Live By. After the introduction I just gave you, you're probably going to guess that Brian isn't just a science guy. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Brian reads from Godel, Escher, Bach by Douglas Hofstadter. [Reading begins at 15:10]Hear us Discuss: Metaphor can be one of the main mechanisms by which science happens. [6:20] | Rules that are delightful to break. [24:35] | “I have this deep conviction […] we are on to some philosophical paydirt here. There is a very real way in which we are building [AI] systems in our own image, and as a result they come to be a mirror for ourselves.” [28:40] | What is the heart of the human experience? [38:10] | “Humans are not so special.” [42.50]

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2PagesA young woman stands, one hand on top of a chair, the other holding a bouquet of leaves. She stares directly into the lens of the camera; it’s not clear what she’s thinking. She’s wearing a long, dark dress with long sleeves and a white collar that covers her neck. It’s old-fashioned, colonial. A simple crucifix hangs from her neck. She’s an indigenous Australian –an aboriginal– and behind her is a lush landscape - it’s actually a tapestry of a landscape, and the picture is blue– the blue you might know if you’ve ever seen crockery with the willow pattern-spode china. This is a piece of art called A gaze still dark (a black portrait of intimacy), and the subject is Danie Mellor’s grandmother.  Danie Mellor created this piece of art. He’s a brilliant Australian artist whose work provokes questions about the intersection between colonial and contemporary in historic cultures. His work can be found in museums around the world, including The National Gallery of Canada, The British Museum, The National Museum of Scotland, and in Canberra’s own National Gallery of Australia, which is where I saw this painting and thought, ‘I need to speak to this person.’ Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Danie reads from ‘On Photography’ by Susan Sontag. [reading begins at 13:51] Hear us discuss: The art and evolution of photography: “The photograph is a way of stopping the march of mortality.” [19:26] | Incorporating play into your work. [27:24] | Knowing when to stop what you’re doing, and work on something else: “There’s a degree of innovation in the way that ideas express themselves in material form.” [36:43] | “You have control over the quality of work you offer, but not over how it’s received.” [44:29]

=> Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2PagesIf you had the chance to listen to my recent interview with Zach First, you heard us talk about how in a time of turbulence, organizations - whether big or small - can be candles in the darkness, and how being a manager means being a barrier against tyranny. That’s all good in theory … but how do you start a movement in practice? Thibault Manekin is a commercial real estate entrepreneur. He might not seem like my usual guest at first, but Thibault is a real estate guy, with a twist. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Thibault reads two pages from ‘The Alchemist’ by Paulo Coelho. [reading begins at 16:05] Hear us discuss: “In order to grow an idea we have to understand that it doesn’t belong to us.” [8:01] | “Telling people how to be is a quick fix, but solves nothing long-term. It sticks in your head, but isn’t in your heart.” [13:08] | Chasing your dreams while also going beyond your own desires. [21:48] | Learning to surrender to your heart: “Outside of your comfort zone is the only place where true growth happens.” [26:34] | Using both your head and your heart in the work you do in an organisation. [28:37] | Staying on the path, even in dispiriting times. [35:25]

=> Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages As a reader and someone who’s been immersed in business for 30 years, I have glanced sideways at the way institutions have become such a central part of our world. Within all of these institutions, you have individuals just trying to do their best, and do work that matters. I’ve seen and felt the paradox of how institutions are totally shaped by the people within them, and yet, are also a completely separate entity. So what does it mean to be part of an organization - specifically, to be a manager? Peter Drucker is the name most synonymous with asking this question throughout his lifetime; I do wonder how he would answer it now, in these turbulent times. Zach First is the Executive Director of the Drucker Institute, an institution founded to carry on Drucker’s work, and to help people manage with courage. Prior to joining the Institute, Zach was the type to, ‘dutifully follow the standards of the institution to which he belonged,’ but then at a certain point, things changed, and he stopped being a follower. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/Zach reads from ‘Management’ by Peter Drucker. [reading begins at 13:50] Hear us discuss: “Organizations are just as mysterious and complicated as the people who populate them.” [6:14] | The fight against tyranny: “The most important thing we can do is hold our institutions to the standards that we need.” [22:01] | “Management is a noble task, and one of the most important in the modern economy.” [26:13] | Making the right decisions for your institution. [26:36] | How to remain courageous. [30:40]

=> Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2Pages‘When a man turns 30, he realizes that his life isn’t working.’ I heard this quote when I was in my thirties, and it spoke loudly to the crossroads that often occur at this moment of mid-life. When you hit your fifties, I think the question reappears - you’ve climbed your mountain, now who do you choose to be beyond that? As I’ve pondered this, I’ve been sitting with the idea of stepping into elderhood; the mentor role. Do you have an elder in your life, or are you perhaps being called, like me, to become one? Stephen Jenkinson is someone I’ve looked up to as an elder, and he’s engaged rudely and briskly, with both life and death, having spent his time counseling dying people and their families. He’s a sculptor, a musician, a canoe builder, a sage, and the award-winning author of a favorite book of mine, Die Wise. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Stephen Jenkinson reads Seamus Heaney’s poem, ‘From the Republic of Conscience.’ [reading begins at 15:40] Hear us discuss: “You have to acknowledge many things about your own life that you’re less than thrilled about or proud of.” [19:35] | The nature of written law: “Lawfulness, in my mind, is principally predicated on obedience, not discernment.” [22:26] | The difference between grief and grievance: “One of the ways by which you know you are deeply and irreconcilably alive is having a capacity for grief - not to endure it, but to practise it.” [27:21] | How to identify your burden. [33:02] | Deciding when to say ‘yes.’ [37:39]

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com.If you’re a listener of this podcast, I believe that you love reading. My question is, do you remember where and when that seed got planted? I do, and that’s what I’m here to celebrate in today’s special 100th episode. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Michael reads two pages from ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’ by J. R. R. Tolkien. [reading begins at 7:30] Hear him discuss: His relationship with reading, growing up. [1:13] | “This book gave me permission to imagine.” [14:50] | How reading helps you become a better writer: “The way to become a good writer is to be a bad writer.” [16:12]

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com.‘Traveller, there is no path. The path is made by walking.’ This is a quote from a poem by early 20th century Spanish poet, Antonio Machado. Though I’ve known about it for 20 years, I’ve only just given it any real thought, and I think it’s slightly subversive - disconcerting, even. Here’s what I now see in the depth of those lines: what seems obvious is not as certain as it appears, what seems built is not as solid as it appears, and what you long for is not yet built - it’s in doing the work that the world we want is created. Mia Birdsong is someone who’s making the path by walking. She’s the author of How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community, and she describes herself as a pathfinder and a facilitator on the road to social justice. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Mia reads two pages from ‘Braiding Sweetgrass’ by Robin Wall Kimmerer. [reading begins at 19:35] Hear us discuss: Connecting to your longing: “Create enough presence to notice yourself.” [12:13] | Our responsibility to our gifts. [24:49] | Clearing away old stories of yourself. [31:23] | Creating and telling a new story: “Absolutely, we are meant to survive.” [33:54]

Michael’s new book How to Begin: Start Doing Something that Matters is now available at www.HowToBegin.com.Picture this: King Arthur, the round table, and three knights. These knights are not the ones you’ve likely heard of; they are Sir Michael, Sir Nigel and Sir Angus - my two brothers and me. The knights ride out and encounter challenges, perils, and traps, but, with daring do and some clever thinking, they sidestep the danger. Finally, they face the dragon, and a battle of wills ensues - the three knights triumph. And now, bedtime. My dad was a great storyteller, and this was the template of a classic story he told. I love stories, I love words, and I love language. Chris West is the author of Strong Language, and he learned his craft as a copywriter in the advertising business. Now, he helps company leaders elevate and animate the strategic vision of their business with powerful language. Like me, Chris knows there’s something magical in language and storytelling. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/Chris reads two pages from ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ by Maurice Sendak. [reading begins at 18:40] Hear us discuss: What makes a good story? [5:04] | “We’re authors of a lot more than we think is possible.” [8:44] | “The biggest world is inside of our heads.” [22:07] | Maintaining the imaginative spirit as you age. [22:47] | How to embrace difference. [25:52] | The connection between language and strategy: “Language is a way into our deepest beliefs.” [27:56]