The Non-Anxious Leader Podcast

Leadership is hard. Things go wrong (a lot). Responding as a non-anxious presence is a key to effective leadership.  Sometimes, it's in the worst situations that people can produce their best work. Show Notes: Success Story: Keith Jarrett and the “Unplayable” Piano by Joseph C. Bentley, Ph.D The Koln Concert album. Subscribe to my weekly ⁠Two for Tuesday⁠ emails.

Understanding the relationship between rules, values and motivation can help you as a leader. This is true for any organization, especially those that are mission-based.  Show Notes This article from Business Insider documents one of the Zappos' record calls. Here is Zappos' own post about the call, including a video interview with the customer service rep. This article highlights Southwest Airlines' customer service. This is the post from The Center for Parenting Education on values-based parenting. More from Zappos on their customer obsessed culture. Another article from Business Insider about how Southwest puts its employees first. Subscribe to my weekly ⁠Two for Tuesday⁠ emails.

The benefits of gratitude are proven. But how can one be both grateful and ambitious? It's clear that holding these concepts in their proper perspective is an important aspect of leadership. Show Notes: Here are two articles about gratitude from Psychology Today:  7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude Do Gratitude Journals Really Work? 4 New Gratitude Findings From Pediaa.com: What is the Difference Between Ambition and Aspiration The books I mentioned: Imagination of the Heart: New Understandings in Preaching by Paul Scott Wilson Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller and Jay Papasan Subscribe to my weekly ⁠Two for Tuesday⁠ emails.

Remaining a non-anxious presence when someone unloads their anxiety on you is extremely difficult. Learning how emotional process works can give you the perspective to help you be calm. It can also help you to focus on how to respond to reduce the anxiety of the situation, as well avoid taking responsibility for other people's issues. Show Notes: Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church and Synagogue. This is dense reading. But, it is the definitive work on how to be a non-anxious leader. The Bowen Center for the Study of Family. This links to a brief primer on family systems theory.  Subscribe to my weekly ⁠Two for Tuesday⁠ emails.

Understanding how to use the placebo effect and commitment devices can increase your productivity as a leader. This is especially helpful in developing daily routines, which are a series of habits to help you start your day off right and get your most important work done. Show Notes: Here are three articles on the Placebo Effect: Placebos Prove So Powerful Even Experts Are Surprised; New Studies Explore the Brain's Triumph Over Reality (New York Times) More Than Just a Sugar Pill: Why the placebo effect is real (Harvard Graduate School of Arts & Sciences) The power of the placebo effect (Harvard Medical School) And two on wines: This is why more expensive wines taste better (Market Watch) Do More Expensive Wines Taste Better? (Journal of Wine Economics) This is documents the large study be Robin Goldstein, whom I mentioned in the podcast.  Subscribe to my weekly ⁠Two for Tuesday⁠ emails.

One job of a leader is to analyze risk appropriately, then make a decision on how to move forward. However, our perception of risk is not always rational. Your ability to discern the difference between perceived risk and real risk will make a difference. This episode deconstructs perceived risk to help you know the difference. Show Notes: Here's an article from The Decision Lab on Salience Bias. Here is everything you need to know about Slug Lines. This is Seth Godin's blog post, Feel Risky. This is Peter Sims' book, Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries. Subscribe to my weekly ⁠Two for Tuesday⁠ emails.

People don't negotitate their closely held values. Identity, belief systems and the misattribution of arousal all play a role. Here's why it matters as a leader. Show notes: Why We Hate People Who Disagree: Personal Identity and Civility, by Mark Alicke, Ph.D., from Psychology Today. Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert B. Cialdiani, Ph.D. Here is a transcript of the Hidden Brain Podcast episode, Nature, Nurture and Your Politics, featuring University of Nebraska professor John Hibbing. Subscribe to my weekly ⁠Two for Tuesday⁠ emails.

Leaders who understand the effects of emotional contagion can help those they work with function at their best. This is especially true in anxiety-producing situations. Humor and playfulness affect both the leader and those around her in positive ways. Show Notes: This article explains how smiling can increase happiness. This article explains emotional contagion and the research that supports the concept. The story about the Rabbi and the 11 year-old who spelled "feces" in Hebrew phonetics is from Generation to Generation: Family Process in Church and Synagogue, by Edwin Friedman, pg. 209. And yes, the story does use the term "Sunday school," which you might find odd for a synagogue. Friedman's words, not mine. Subscribe to my weekly ⁠Two for Tuesday⁠ emails.

The Millennial generation is now the largest segment of the workforce. These four principles will help you communicate with any generation. Show Notes: This is the research from the Pew Research Center showing that Millennials are now the largest segment of the workforce. Here is the infographic that compares differents means of communication,  and how they are viewed by the different generations. Subscribe to my weekly ⁠Two for Tuesday⁠ emails.

Concepts from Agile project management such as the "last responsible moment" and the "minimum viable product" can help congregational and nonprofit leaders develop more effective programs and services. Show Notes: Here is a transcript of an NPR Ted Radio interview with Adam Grant. He talks about his experience with the Warby Parker founders, as well as how to procrastinate smartly. Subscribe to my weekly ⁠Two for Tuesday⁠ emails.