Flourish FM

Kasley Killam, MPH, is the author of The Art and Science of Connection: Why Social Health is the Missing Key to Living Longer, Healthier, and Happier (HarperCollins, June 2024). She is a Harvard-trained social scientist, award-winning innovator, and is internationally recognized as a leading expert in “social health”: the dimension of well-being that stems from relationships.  Kasley champions social health as a strategic advisor, keynote speaker, and founder of Social Health Labs, a national nonprofit that empowers community builders. Drawing from over a decade of studying, sharing, and applying the science of human connection, her expertise has been featured in major outlets including the New York Times, Scientific American, and Washington Post, and she pens the Social Health Blog for Psychology Today. Learn more and subscribe at flourishfmpodcast.com Follow us: YouTube @flourishfmcast Instagram @flourishfmpodcast TikTok @flourishfmpodcast Twitter @flourishfmcast Facebook @flourishfmcast LinkedIn @flourishfmpodcast Links Website LinkedIn Instagram Twitter Timestamps: 02:12 - Defining Social Health 04:02 - The Temple Analogy for Social Health 06:07 - The Importance of Connection for Longevity 00:10:01 - Assessing Social Health as a Positive Indicator 00:13:13 - Characteristics of Social Health 00:15:28 - Diverse Ties and Their Importance 00:19:12 - The Role of Casual Interactions 00:21:45 - Framework for Assessing Social Health 00:25:52 - Strategies for Strengthening Social Muscles 00:27:08 - Making Social Health a Priority 00:30:37 - Connection Preferences and Styles 00:35:02 - Blending Connection Styles 00:37:15 - Loneliness and Its Impact on Health 00:41:29 - Recognizing and Addressing Loneliness 00:44:13 - Localized Types of Loneliness 00:46:45 - Positive Psychology Approach to Social Health 00:47:48 - One Action to Improve Social Health

Susan Kaiser Greenland is a mindfulness educator and bestselling author known for her work in teaching mindfulness to children and adults. She discusses her journey from corporate attorney to mindfulness advocate, emphasizing 'real-world enlightenment' as cultivating connection in everyday life. Susan shares practical tools from her upcoming book, highlighting the importance of small actions for significant change and embracing the process over outcomes for personal growth. Her insights foster compassion and resilience in a polarized world.

Dr. Craig Dowden is a bestselling author, award-winning keynote speaker, and executive coach born and raised in Newfoundland. He is celebrated for his expertise in bridging the gap between the science and practice of leadership excellence, and has spent over 25 years exploring the connections between leadership theory and application. Craig’s career spans academia, keynote speaking, and executive coaching, where he currently coaches leaders across the private, public, and non-profit sectors. Craig has a Ph.D. in Psychology and Business and was a Professor at Carleton University, where he was nominated twice for the Capital Educators Award. He is a prolific contributor to top publications like Forbes, CEOWORLD, Psychology Today, and the Huffington Post, and has been featured on various TV, radio, and podcast platforms. His accolades include being named in the Ottawa Business Journal “Top 40 Under 40” list in 2009. Craig has authored two bestselling books: Do Good To Lead Well: The Science and Practice of Positive Leadership (2019) and A Time To Lead: Mastering Your Self So You Can Master Your World (2022), co-authored with Alan Mulally and Sarah McArthur. His podcast, Do Good To Lead Well, ranks in the top 1% globally, featuring interviews with notable thought leaders and CEOs.   Learn more and subscribe at flourishfmpodcast.com   Follow us: YouTube @flourishfmcast Instagram @flourishfmpodcast TikTok @flourishfmpodcast Twitter @flourishfmcast Facebook @flourishfmcast LinkedIn @flourishfmpodcast   Dr. Craig Dowden: Website LinkedIn YouTube Twitter Podcast     Timestamps: [01:10] Positive Leadership and Self-Mastery. [05:20] Self-mastery and self-reflection. [07:10] Building leadership skills as habits. [12:39] Mindset shifts and reframing. [16:41] Mastering our strengths. [20:28] Authentic leadership. [27:56] Building optimal team dynamics. [29:32] Building diverse and enhancing teams. [35:06] Feedback strategies. [37:30] Seeking feedback for personal growth. [42:36] Positive leadership and energy. [46:07] Leadership for flourishing.

Dr. Maike Neuhaus is a future-oriented positive psychology coach dedicated to empowering individuals, teams, and organizations to flourish. As co-founder and Self-Leadership Driver of Ducidium, she spearheads a mission to equip others with the tools and mindset needed to confidently lead transformative journeys. She is also founder of the Flourishing Doc, offering courses, coaching, and resources to empower people to live life to the fullest, free of regret.   Having earned her Master's Degree in Psychology with specializations in Health and Organizational Psychology, and a PhD focused on effective behavior change strategies, Maike is a recognized expert in her field. She has held various academic positions, including Lecturer in Positive Psychology at the University of Queensland. She’s a highly-cited author, having published in international scientific journals, encyclopedias, and the world’s largest psychology and wellness platforms and magazines.   Maike's innovative spirit is evident in her creation of the first evidence-based Self-Leadership Course and her ongoing collaboration with global researchers to develop Self-Leadership 2.0. Through her work, she is determined to demonstrate that happiness can be cultivated and success achieved through the practice of self-leadership.   In her personal life, Maike took a significant step towards her own flourishing journey in 2019, when she exited the grind and started working for herself digitally on a global scale while travelling the world.   Learn more and subscribe at flourishfmpodcast.com   Follow us: YouTube @flourishfmcast Instagram @flourishfmpodcast TikTok @flourishfmpodcast Twitter @flourishfmcast Facebook @flourishfmcast LinkedIn @flourishfmpodcast   Elena Aguilar: Website LinkedIn Instagram Facebook TikTok YouTube Newsletter Podcast: Flourishing Unfiltered Maike’s other company she co-founded: Ducidium     Timestamps:   [04:29] Near-death experiences and appreciation. [08:21] Self-leadership and positive psychology. [13:34] Changing career paths. [19:49] Exiting the grind and fulfillment. [23:32] Burnout and exiting the grind. [26:45] Categories of regrets. [32:16] Self-leadership and flourishing. [37:54] Pursuing happiness and life fulfillment. [44:15] Social connections and wellbeing. [46:47] Managing relationships with others. [51:47] Goal setting challenges and motivation. [55:01] Self-compassion and self-regulation.

Bestselling author and coaching expert Elena Aguilar discusses emotional resilience habits, the importance of belonging, creating inclusivity in education, exploring anti-fragility, unlearning practices in education, building resilience through 12 habits, and shifting thoughts for personal growth.

Dr. Miroslav Volf is a prominent theologian, scholar, author, and founding Director of the Yale Center for Faith and Culture. Born in Croatia, Miroslav experienced the religious and political tensions of his homeland firsthand, which deeply influenced his academic and theological pursuits. He has authored numerous influential books, including Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation and Allah: A Christian Response, which engage with pressing theological and ethical questions in a globalized world. His most recent book is the New York Times bestseller Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most, co-authored with Matthew Croasmun and Ryan McAnnally-Linz last year. Miroslav's work emphasizes the importance of dialogue, understanding, and reconciliation across religious and cultural divides, making him a significant figure in contemporary Christian thought and interfaith discourse. In the episode, we discuss what we can learn about what it means to flourish and how to flourish from Life Worth Living and the Yale course of the same name, and how to answer what Miroslav calls “The Question” concerning human flourishing. Learn more and subscribe at flourishfmpodcast.com   Follow us: YouTube @flourishfmcast Instagram @flourishfmpodcast TikTok @flourishfmpodcast Twitter @flourishfmcast Facebook @flourishfmcast LinkedIn @flourishfmpodcast   Dr. Miroslav Wolf: Website LinkedIn Twitter     Timestamps: [01:05] A fresh perspective on flourishing. [04:38] Education and human flourishing. [08:49] Engaging with religious traditions. [16:25] The meaning of human existence. [20:08] Emotional side of life. [24:27] Question of human existence. [27:33] Components of the good life. [34:32] The pursuit of eudaimonia. [39:37] Values in different traditions. [44:25] A life with pain. [49:49] The beauty of suffering. [53:33] The definition of success. [56:04] The flame of ambition.

In this engaging discussion, Dr. Gemma Leigh Roberts, a chartered psychologist and author, shares her expertise on resilience and mindset. She highlights six foundational pillars of resilience and emphasizes the importance of acceptance in navigating challenges. Listeners will learn about essential mindset skills for the modern workplace and how emotional intelligence plays a role in adaptability. Gemma also explores mindfulness as a tool for building resilience and the power of support networks in personal growth, encouraging kindness and self-acceptance throughout the journey.

Dr. Rick Hanson, a psychologist and bestselling author, shares profound insights into building great relationships. He discusses the importance of effort over instinct in cultivating connections and how mindfulness can address relationship challenges. The conversation highlights the significance of psychological safety and emotional expression in deepening bonds. Rick emphasizes self-awareness and effective communication as key tools for navigating interpersonal dynamics. He also explores how overcoming obstacles can strengthen relationships, advocating for quality social connections to enhance well-being.

Dr. Rick Hanson, a psychologist and New York Times bestselling author, shares insights on positive neuroplasticity and well-being. He emphasizes the importance of emotional resilience and mindfulness in relationships, explaining how personal growth can stem from both hardships and positive experiences. The discussion also covers the nuances of trauma, the vital role of connection and purpose in building resilience, and how psychological strengths contribute to overall well-being. Hanson’s practical strategies will empower listeners to thrive through life's challenges.

We interview Dr. Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society. She has pioneered the concept of psychological safety for over 20 years and was recognized in 2021 as #1 on the Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers. Amy is the author of Teaming: How Organizations Learn, Innovate, and Compete in the Knowledge Economy (2012), The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth (2018), and, most recently, Right Kind of Wrong: Why Learning to Fail Can Teach Us to Thrive (2023). We speak to Amy about how to build psychological safety and learn from failure to promote flourishing, in teams, organizations, and our own lives. Learn more and subscribe at flourishfmpodcast.com   Follow us: YouTube @flourishfmcast Instagram @flourishfmpodcast TikTok @flourishfmpodcast Twitter @flourishfmcast Facebook @flourishfmcast LinkedIn @flourishfmpodcast   Dr. Amy Edmondson: Website Harvard Business School webpage LinkedIn Twitter Instagram Bio Psychological safety Right Kind of Wrong: Why Learning to Fail Can Teach Us to Thrive (2023)   Timestamps: 00:00:05 - Introduction to Professor Amy C. Edmondson 00:00:27 - Defining Psychological Safety 00:01:10 - Disrupting Misconceptions About Psychological Safety 00:01:50 - Linking Psychological Safety to Thriving 00:02:21 - Exploring Psychological Safety and Learning from Failure 00:03:08 - Clarifying Psychological Safety in the Workplace 00:05:03 - Examples of Interpersonal Risk-Taking 00:06:35 - Insights from Amy's TED Talk on Teamwork and Error Rates 00:09:41 - The Role of Discomfort in Psychological Safety 00:10:07 - Creating a Psychologically Safe Environment 00:12:18 - The Relationship Between Psychological Safety and Performance 00:15:37 - The Spectrum of Psychological Safety in Teams 00:20:34 - Challenges in Creating Psychological Safety in Certain Industries 00:22:59 - Transition to Discussing "Right Kind of Wrong" 00:23:27 - The Connection Between Psychological Safety and Types of Failure 00:26:09 - Personal Stories of Intelligent Failure 00:29:18 - Distinguishing Between Types of Failure 00:37:19 - The Impact of Perfectionism on Psychological Safety 00:38:55 - Psychological Safety Beyond Interpersonal Environments 00:41:16 - Applying Right Kind of Wrong in Personal Lives 00:44:03 - Practical Steps for Embracing Failure and Thriving 00:48:01 - Leadership Behaviors to Avoid for Psychological Safety 00:50:07 - The Importance of Context in Embracing Failure 00:53:05 - When to Persist and When to Pivot in the Face of Failure 00:56:18 - Final Practical Advice and Resources