From The Green Notebook

In this podcast, Lieutenant General Jonathan Braga, Commander of United States Army Special Operations Command, shares lessons from his military career. He talks about regrets, not being satisfied with the status quo, where great ideas come from, managing work-life balance, getting ideas from books, and debunking myths about Special Operations.

Eduardo Briceño, author of 'The Performance Paradox: Turning the Power of Mindset into Action,' discusses the importance of growth mindset, creating a safe space for improvement, and balancing the learning and performance zones. He highlights the need for reflection in the learning process and emphasizes the impact of external pressure on personal and organizational growth.

Massimo Pigliucci, author of The Quest for Character, explores whether character is innate or can be developed through ancient teachings. They discuss the importance of self-reflection, learning life skills, emotional maturity, and the concept of virtue. The episode also highlights the timeless relevance of ancient Greek and Roman insights in ethics.

General Wayne Eyre, Chief of the Defense Staff for Canada, shares leadership lessons and emphasizes the importance of reading, writing, and reflection. They discuss professionalism, holistic health, failure as a teacher, contrasting approaches to polar exploration, the value of reading for decision-making, pressure on leaders and criticism in today's environment, challenges faced by leaders, advice for service members joining the military, and expressing gratitude and promoting the podcast.

Billy Oppenheimer, writing/research assistant to Ryan Holiday and author of the weekly newsletter, The Six at Six on Sunday, joins Joe for a discussion about the power of reading. They share lessons from books about Disney Pixar, Bob Dylan, General Patton, Dr. Seuss, The Lumineers, George Lucas, and more. They emphasize the importance of writing, reflection, and finding connections through reading for personal growth.

Send us a textMarshall Goldsmith joins Joe to discuss his latest book, The Earned Life  and what he's learned about life and leadership over the course his career as an executive coach. Joe and Marshall cover a wide range of important topics  to include why we need to understand what motivates us, the relationship between power and ego, and the difference between ambition and aspiration. Marshall Goldsmith has been recognized as one of the Top Ten Business Thinkers in the World and the top-rated executive coach at the Thinkers50 ceremony in London since 2011. Published in 2015, his book Triggers is a Wall Street Journal and New York Times #1 Bestseller! He’s also the author of New York Times best seller and #1 Wall Street Journal Business Book What Got You Here Won’t Get You There, winner of the Harold Longman Award as Best Business Book of the Year.

Send us a textBen Milligan, author of By Water Beneath the Walls: The Rise of the Navy SEALs, joins Joe to discuss the history of the Navy SEALs, how they influenced special operations in the US Military, and why their history matters today.  Ben also shares his inspirational story of how he researched and wrote this book (his first one) while working a full-time job and raising a family. Ben Milligan became a US Navy SEAL in 2001 and served until 2009. He is the recipient of the Bronze Star and other awards. A native of Indianapolis, he received a BA in History at Purdue University and an MA in International Relations at the University of San Diego. He currently lives in the Chicago area with his three sons. This is his first book. 

Send us a textOliver Burkeman, the bestselling author of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals joins Joe to  discuss the problem of people not having enough time and the elusive work/life balance. He shares why most time optimization techniques make our lives worse off and offers a new way to approach time management that will help us live meaningful lives.Oliver Burkeman is a British author and journalist, formerly writing the weekly column "This Column Will Change Your Life" for the newspaper The Guardian. 

Send us a textAward-winning journalist Sally Jenkins joins the Joe to discuss her newest book: The Right Call: What Sports Teach Us About Work and Life.  In this episode, she shares key insights on performance that's she's learned from decades of observing, interviewing, and analyzing elite coaches and playmakers, such as Bill Belichick, Peyton Manning, Michael Phelps, and many others.Sally Jenkins is an award-winning journalist for The Washington Post and is the author and co-author of 12 books, including four bestsellers. In 2012 she published the No.1 bestseller Sum it Up with legendary basketball coach Pat Summitt, shortly after Summitt was diagnosed with Alzheimer's Disease. Born in Texas and raised in New York City, she is the daughter of legendary sportswriter and novelist Dan Jenkins, who carted her to various championships on summer vacations. She graduated with a degree in English Literature from Stanford University in 1982 and launched a career in newspapers that began with a stint as an assistant to a Hollywood gossip columnist, and later branched out to include coverage of the 9-11 terrorist strike on New York, Hurricane Katrina, and profiles of various political figures for the Washington Post, including Hillary Clinton, Sarah Palin, and Howard Dean. In 2005 Jenkins became the first woman ever inducted into the National Sportswriters and Sportscasters Hall of Fame. She is a six-time winner of Columnist of the Year awards from the Associated Press (2001, 2003, 2010, 2011) and the Society of Professional Journalists (2001, 2011). In 2013 she won first place from the Associated Press sports editors for a special investigative project she conceived on the inverted world of medical care in the National Football League, entitled "Do No Harm." Her magazine work has appeared in Smithsonian, GQ, Sports Illustrated, and Parade. She lives in Sag Harbor, New York, for the waters.

Send us a textIn this special All American Week episode of the podcast, Chloe Gavin joins Joe to discuss the recently published Gavin at War: The WWII diary of Lieutenant General James M. Gavin.  Chloe shares why she chose to publish her father's deeply personal journal and why leaders today can benefit from reading it. They also talk about the legacy of the 82nd Airborne Division, leadership lessons from Gavin's diary, and why leaders need to be okay with making mistakes. Lieutenant General James Gavin, commander of the 82nd Airborne Division during WWII, is one of the best-known figures of the war. Beginning as the commander of the 505th Parachute Combat Team that spearheaded the American assault on Sicily in July 1943, Gavin advanced to division command and finally command of US forces in Berlin. He kept a wartime diary that starts in April 1943, as the unit was preparing to go to northern Africa and continues through to his final entry on September 1, 1945, during the occupation of Berlin.During the war years, Gavin came into close contact with virtually all the leading airborne commanders and many others who would advance to the top levels of Army leadership. His diary includes observations on fellow military and political leaders, army operations, and the general's personal life. Gavin was an officer who led by example: on four combat jumps, he was the first man out the door.For decades, Gavin kept the existence of the journal a secret; the general's family discovered it among his belongings after his death. Editor Lewis "Bob" Sorley has worked closely with the Gavin family and the Army Heritage Center to prepare the diary for publication. His edited and annotated version includes a prologue and epilogue to frame the entries within the wider scope of the general's life.