
Best of MBS
Michael Bungay Stanier has a rich history of powerful podcasts, including the Great Work Podcast, We Will Get Through This, and 2 Pages with MBS. Find the best episodes in one place here on the Best of MBS.
Latest episodes

7 snips
Mar 23, 2023 • 27min
Coaching as a Strategic Business Lever with Sally Bonneywell
Sally Bonneywell, former leader of GSK's Coaching Center of Excellence, now empowers organizations by leveraging coaching as a strategic business tool. She discusses how coaching can drive leadership development, especially for women, and shares her insights on group coaching as a catalyst for diversity. Sally reflects on the balance between structure and creativity in organizations, the transformative power of self-awareness, and the importance of recognizing both strengths and weaknesses in team dynamics.

Mar 16, 2023 • 24min
How To Harness The Power of Music with Nathan Leigh Jones, PhD Student In The Power Of Lyrics
Nathan Leigh Jones is a musician and an academic. He's performed all over the world, and is doing a PhD that exposes the impact of music and lyrics on emotional well-being. That expertise meant he was the official music curator at the World Happiness Summit. In our conversation, we talk about the dance between words and music, how you test to discover if lyrics really matter, and how to build the playlist you’re going to need.

Mar 9, 2023 • 22min
Innovation in Culture Change with Laine Joelson Cohen
Today's guest is Laine Joelson Cohen, one of the Marshall Goldsmith 100 Coach Group, as well as the Director of Leadership, Executive and Professional Development at Citi. Laine believes that using a coaching style and curiosity as a cornerstone to her work opens up channels of trust and leads to collaboration, performance, and impact.

Mar 2, 2023 • 32min
How to Lead More and Control Less with Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff
I’m really happy to be talking to Marvin Weisbord and Sandra Janoff, the founders of Future Search. They have a terrific new book out called Lead More, Control Less: 8 Advanced Leadership Skills That Overturn Convention. In this conversation the three of us discuss:
Why leaders need to give up control
The importance of controlling “structure” rather than people
How to view anxiety as blocked excitement
What leaders can do to tap into the collective wisdom

8 snips
Feb 23, 2023 • 26min
How to Talk to People About Things with Misha Glouberman
Misha Glouberman, who runs a program on how to talk to people, discusses the challenges of communication, the mistake of knowing, and the importance of self-awareness in enhancing communication.

Feb 16, 2023 • 28min
Nurturing Networks with Selena Soo
As a Marketing & Publicity Strategist, Selena Soo knows the value of relationships and helps others connect to influencers. In this interview, Selena reflects on how the fastest way to reach your goals is through nurturing networks. This episode explores how you can gain leverage and credibility by drawing on the platforms and reach of leaders.

Feb 9, 2023 • 24min
Being Your True Self with Danielle LaPorte
I’m pleased to share my conversation with Danielle LaPorte. Danielle writes and speaks extensively on how to live an authentic, damn good life and make an impact. She’s the author of The Fire Starter Sessions and The Desire Map.To this day, people will come up to me and tell me how this interview was an aha! moment for them to becoming more attuned to “wide-awake living.”In this interview, Danielle and I chat about:
Being your true self – the most effective formula for success there is – and why it’s so hard to do.
The “revelation of suckage,” and how getting in touch with your pain can bring about clarity and change.
Why you don’t need trauma to grow, and how you can become aware of subtle nudges instead of getting hit by two-by-fours.
Loving your fears and letting them be your teacher.
How to increase the odds of enjoying what you get, when you get it.

Feb 2, 2023 • 41min
How to Manage Your Mindset with Ric Leahy
Ric Leahy served on the staff of the Chief of the Australian Navy, and was awarded a Queen's Gold Medal, and later in his career the Conspicuous Service Cross. He now leads a number of leadership programs for Australia’s top business schools, has become a “neuro nerd” with an Executive Masters degree on neuroscience and leadership, and is an endurance athlete. In our conversation we talk about where we do our best thinking--and why--and three powerful mindsets: the Sensei, the Scientist and the Socializer.

Jan 26, 2023 • 22min
Challenging Oppression in Company Cultures with Desiree Adaway
Desiree Adaway, Principal at The Adaway Group, is a seasoned nonprofit consultant and facilitator. Her work involves helping people, organizations, and institutions change their company culture by addressing the norms, policies, and behaviours that maintain oppression.

Jan 19, 2023 • 21min
To Serve is to Live with Frances Hesselbein
When I think about the icons of management and leadership theorists, not many names come to mind. But a few do. Peter Block, Peter Drucker, Frances Hesselbein. In this interview, I had the deep pleasure of speaking with Frances from her office at the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute.For those of you who are not familiar with Frances, she held the position of CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA from 1976 to 1990 and is the recipient of 21 honorary doctoral degrees, the author of three autobiographies, and the co-editor of 30 books, now published in 29 languages. Her most recent book is titled Peter Drucker’s Five Most Important Questions: Enduring Wisdom for Today’s Leaders.In this interview, Frances and I discuss:
How she met Peter Drucker
Lessons learned from building strong partnerships
The secret to a relevant, living mission statement