Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2PagesI’ve done my fair share of work in organizational development, some of which involved helping big companies set up visions, missions, and values. Most of the time that work honestly drove me nuts. The phrase ‘death by lamination’ sums up the majority of corporate values. They come up with a bland list, stick it on the wall, and hope that it will shift the company’s culture. One of the greatest farces in the world of value statements, though, is including integrity in that list. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Robert Chesnut is the former Chief Ethics Officer at Airbnb, and author of Intentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead an Ethical Revolution.  Robert reads two pages from his book, ‘Intentional Integrity.’ [reading begins at 6:05]  Hear us discuss: What prevents companies from being ethical?: “Integrity is contagious.” [1:46] | Having the courage to not be silent: “As a leader, being willing to encourage and reward people for speaking up can change the entire culture.” [3:18] | The evolution of ethics throughout the years. [11:33]

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2PagesDespite its good intentions, activism can be exhausting. Finding motivation to keep the fight going can be a struggle, but connecting with others is key. A small circle of compassion goes a long way.I am delighted to speak with Loretta Ross, an activism pioneer in the human rights and reproductive justice movements, professor, public intellectual, nationally recognized speaker, and co-author of best-selling books on reproductive justice. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Loretta reads two pages from Jamil Zaki’s inspiring book, ‘The War for Kindness.’ [reading begins at 11:36]Hear us discuss:“At the heart of all activism is hope; the belief that things can change, and that you can make a difference in bringing about that change.” [7:02] | “The people who are opposed to human rights think they're fighting us, the human rights movement, but they couldn't be more wrong. They're fighting forces way bigger than us because they're fighting truth. They're fighting evidence and history, and most of all, they're fighting time.” [8:40] | Making mistakes and being afraid to mess up: “I've learned over time to not do things that I can't look in the eye the next day.” [18:51]

Simon Alexander One reading from Brianna Wiest’s book The Mountain is You, and discussing resilience, self-mastery, and expanding your comfort zone.Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2PagesWhen we think of energy, we tend to limit it to the physical. This week’s guest rejects that narrow view, sharing that energy exists in four dimensions: the physical, the mental, the emotional, and the spiritual. When all four work in harmony, we can unearth hidden fuel to power our potential.I am delighted to speak to Simon Alexander Ong, award-winning life and executive coach, business strategist, keynote speaker, and author of Energize: Make the Most of Every Moment. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Simon reads two pages from Brianna Wiest’s insightful book, ‘The Mountain is You.’ [reading begins at 11:59]Hear us discuss:“One of the things I had to unlearn as an entrepreneur was an attachment to outcome.” [7:38] | Change happens when the pain is too much: “Most people… do not embrace the difficulty of altering their habits until they simply do not have another choice.” [12:10] | “We can't finish a jigsaw puzzle without [first] starting the puzzle, and only when we start putting the pieces together do we begin to have clarity on what that [picture] is.” [23:00]

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2PagesI am an accidental entrepreneur, and as exhilarating as it’s been, it’s also been really difficult at times. Now, entrepreneurship has been hard for me as a white man and also for one of our previous guests, Bobby Herrera, as a Latino man. However, the statistics are endless when it comes to the struggles of being a woman entrepreneur. I am delighted to speak to Nathalie Molina Niño, a woman with many titles, some of which include CEO of O³, an investor, an entrepreneur, and the author of Leapfrog: The New Revolution for Women Entrepreneurs. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Nathalie reads two pages from her brilliant book, ‘Leapfrog.’ [reading begins at 7:39]  Hear us discuss: “If you’re exceptional at anything, you’re probably going to have to become an entrepreneur at it.” [4:28] | “Being an entrepreneur is more of a life skill than a career path … I never saw it as optional.” [4:40] | How to find courage: “Ambition doesn’t have to be ego-centric.” [13:15]

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2PagesWhat skills do you think an entrepreneur requires? I’ve been mulling it over and I’ve come up with four things: marketing, selling, a tolerance for risk, and persistence. You’re probably thinking what I’m thinking – who wouldn’t benefit from building capacity in those four areas? Perhaps we should all consider ourselves entrepreneurs. Asheesh Advani is a friend, a successful entrepreneur, and a social innovator who’s led Junior Achievement Worldwide since 2015. Considering that JA Worldwide has been nominated for the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, I’d say he’s doing okay. Asheesh has come full circle, because he’s also an alumnus of JA, and his participation in the group is actually what led him to entrepreneurship early in life. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Asheesh reads two pages from ‘Loonshots’ by Safi Bahcall. [reading begins at 12:30]  Hear us discuss: “Shifting mindset is easier than shifting skill set.” [9:37] | Innovation on a global scale: “The core of our organization is embracing the fact that true diversity exists.” [16:53] | How to manage and nurture relationships. [21:23] | The balance between control and influence in JA Worldwide: “It’s possible that other people know more than you do.” [27:24] | How helping young people become more entrepreneurial can contribute to a more peaceful world. [30:34]

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2PagesI’m a bit of a geek about models, specifically the ones that reveal patterns and invite new possibilities, helping us expand our understanding of what the world is. My favorites are: the periodic table and its various alternatives, the Roman architect Vitruvius’ three attributes for a building, and finally, the alphabet. A book I love is Edward Gorey’s The Gashlycrumb Tinies, an alphabet book telling the tale of the demise of young children. If this isn’t your style, the good news is that not all alphabet books have grisly endings.  Haesun Moon, Ph.D., is an academic, a communications scientist, a teacher, a coach, and an author. Her new book is a wonderful addition to the world of coaching, Coaching A to Z: The Extraordinary Use of Ordinary Words. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Haesun reads two pages from ‘On Dialogue’ by David Bohm. [reading begins at 15:05]  Hear us discuss: “The gap between what I heard and what you said is sometimes larger in familiar relationships.” [21:12] | Creating shared meaning on a more societal level: “Culture is nothing more than the accumulation of micro conversations.” [22:08] | How to create shared meaning when different truths exist. [27:01] | Remaining curious rather than defensive. [30:20] | Coaching A to Z. [34:09]

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2PagesAtul Gawande is a top-notch surgeon, a champion for healthcare reform in the U.S., and an outstanding author. One of his books, The Checklist Manifesto, discusses the power of using a checklist to create better outcomes in hospitals–specifically to stop unnecessary deaths during surgery. It was fascinating to learn about the resistance, from surgeons in particular, to this seemingly minor change. I, for one, love wrestling with how to make people in systems change, but it appears that trying to make changes in healthcare is one of the stickiest challenges of them all. Richard Winters M.D. is a practicing emergency physician at the Mayo Clinic, but also the director of leadership development for the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a healthcare executive coach, and–like Atul Gawande–an author. His new book is You’re the Leader. Now What? Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Richard reads two pages from ‘The Heart Aroused’ by David Whyte. [reading begins at 17:05]  Hear us discuss: “Leaders are not individuals who create followers, but rather those who create other leaders.” [8:24] | Identifying and integrating the fears that may be limiting us: “When you shine a light on these monsters, you begin to see that they are sometimes not so real.” [21:09] | Finding the balance between changing yourself and trying to change the system. [29:39] | What organizational culture truly means. [32:07] | “The process of writing is a process of reflection.” [34:25]

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2PagesI still remember reading my first Nicholson Baker book, The Mezzanine. This extraordinary book slows down the pace of life to one where all the details are able to be noticed. For someone like me–a little bit in my head and moving too fast–reading the book resembles bullet time from The Matrix movies, only with the detritus of everyday living zipping past, instead. Madeleine Dore reminds me of myself; both a great author and a great asker of questions, though they differ a bit from mine. She’s made a career out of asking obvious questions to important people, with all of the answers she’s received ending up in her best-selling book I Didn’t Do the Thing Today: Letting Go of Productivity Guilt. Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Madeleine reads two pages from ‘Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life,’ by Amy Krouse Rosenthal. [reading begins at 12:12] Hear us discuss: Making more generous assumptions. [16:24] | The relationship between playfulness and routine. [17:15] | Knowing what’s essential vs transitory about yourself: “It takes a long time to become who you are.” [20:12] | “Things are just experiments and projects—we’re not tied to anything forever.” [25:28] | The complexity of awaiting your next project. [26:35]

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2PagesI’m working on a new book about how to strengthen working relationships, so I’ve been consuming a lot of content around the subject. I can divide the teachers I’ve been learning from into two different camps. First are the mechanics; the people laying out what to do. They’re okay, but I prefer the storytellers; the people who realize that stories, not rules, are what change people. It is both an extraordinary and a learnable thing to know how to tell a good story. Will Storr is a storyteller, and the award-winning author of 6 critically acclaimed books including Selfie, The Science of Storytelling, and most recently, The Status Game. The Times called him, “One of our best journalists of ideas.” Get‌ ‌book‌ ‌links‌ ‌and‌ ‌resources‌ ‌at‌ https://www.mbs.works/2-pages-podcast/ Will reads two pages from ‘Incognito’ by David Eagleman. [reading begins at 11:58] Hear us discuss: “You’re not living a story, you’re playing a game.” [5:37] | The danger of writing yourself as the hero: “You’ve got to accept that you might be wrong about things.” [16:47] | The positives of the hero-making brain: “I would argue that a certain amount of comforting delusion is good.” [21:05] | How to manage your status: “Status isn’t about being rich or famous, it’s about feeling like you have value.” [23:59] | The connection between the ‘I’ and the ‘we.’ [29:36]

Recommend this show by sharing the link: pod.link/2PagesI am a charming man. It’s an optimistic view of who I am. But like everyone else, I also have my faults. This means that one of the great gifts of my life are the people who are on my side but aren’t likely to fall for my whole schtick. Do you have people who, in the nicest possible way, hold you to be the very best person you can be? Tom Wiese is the co-founder of Studio/E, and he’s spent the past few decades designing tools and teaching people how to explore, launch, and navigate their lives and businesses. Tom reads an essay written by Michael from the book ‘End Malaria.’ [reading begins at 14:05] Hear us discuss: How a scar became a source of strength. [19:02] | Gaining the courage to recognise your scars. [22:07] | The myths of leadership: “Self-leadership is creating a vision that you desire for your life, then holding yourself accountable to it.” [24:45] | “When you’re in the unknown, you don’t know what’s going on unless you take some action.” [29:34] | Finding the balance between courage and safety. [31:34] | Knowing when to stop exploring and start making use of your discoveries: “Exploring alone is really hard; you need to have support.” [35:06]