Former CEO of Siemens, and current regional director of SWARCO, Gary O'Callaghan joins us in this episode to discuss how the book Good to Great influenced his leadership style. This is a book we have covered previously but to get a different perspective on how someone else has used its lessons is invaluable.

In this episode, Donald H Taylor, chair of the Learning Technologies conference talks about a cluster of books by Nigel Harrison, which includes "How to be a True Business Partner by Performance Consulting," "Improving Employee Performance," and "How to Deal with Power and Manipulation by Performance Consultant." These books are important for Learning and Development professionals, and the Donald notes that Nigel Harrison has a background in Psychology, which he applies to the world of performance consulting. The books aim to help Learning and Development professionals have effective conversations about performance in the business and address gaps between current and ideal behavior as a proper business partner. One key idea is to ask more questions and not just take orders when organizing training. The core of "How to be a True Business Partner" is a seven-stage process, which is deceptively simple and involves: identifying the problem involved parties current situation desired outcome cost of the gap causes potential solutions action plan. We talk about the importance of building a trusted relationship with clients, which involves joint problem solving and challenging each other.

Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss is a best-selling book that compiles the advice and insights from highly successful people to help readers improve their lives. Ferriss intended to write this book as a personal journal for himself. He wanted to collate all of the learnings from the people he had interviewed on his podcast. Instead as he began the project he decided it was too good to keep to himself. So he shares the wisdom he gained from interviewing hundreds of top performers, ranging from entrepreneurs, athletes, and celebrities to investors and artists. The book is split into 3 main sections: Healthy, Wealthy and Wise. Each chapter is no more than 4 or 5 pages and every chapter has a piece of advice you can action. Here are some of those: Take care of your body: Exercise regularly and eat healthy food. This will give you more energy and make you feel good. According to Tim Ferriss, top performers prioritize their physical health as it affects their mental and emotional wellbeing. Exercise and healthy eating means different things to different people but there are broad strokes for how to get started and more nuanced details for some weird and wonderful techniques for fitness.  Set goals for yourself: This will help you stay motivated and focused. The book emphasizes the importance of goal setting, as it can help you prioritize what's important and achieve your desired outcomes. However goal setting by itself is not enough, you need to take massive action and you need systems to allow you to take that action.  Be mindful: Take time to be present in the moment and appreciate what you have. Practicing mindfulness and gratitude can help reduce stress and increase happiness, which are critical for success. Be kind to others: Treat people the way you want to be treated. According to the book, successful people know the value of building meaningful relationships and making genuine connections with others. This is a no brainer. Build relationships above all else.  Don't be afraid to ask for help: It's okay to admit you don't know something and ask someone who does. Ferriss stresses the importance of seeking help from mentors and experts, which can accelerate your learning and growth. Read books: Reading can teach you a lot and help you become a better person. Many top performers recommend reading as a way to gain knowledge and insights into a variety of subjects. I disagree slightly with this - reading is the first part, remembering it when you need it and finding opportunities to deliberately practice are when the real learning happens.  Don't be afraid to fail: It's okay to make mistakes as long as you learn from them. The book highlights the importance of taking risks and learning from failures as a way to grow and develop resilience. This is a valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn from highly successful people and improve their own lives. The book's actionable content and insights can help readers achieve their goals and reach new heights of success.

Winning is a book written by Jack Welch, former CEO of General Electric, which provides insights and advice on how to succeed in business and in life. The book is divided into four sections: Underneath It All, Your Company, Your Competition, and Tying Up Loose Ends. Underneath It All: In this section, Welch emphasizes the importance of building a strong corporate culture that values honesty, integrity, and transparency. He encourages leaders to hire people with the right values, create a sense of ownership among employees, and foster an environment of continuous learning and development. Your Company: Welch emphasizes the importance of defining a clear and compelling vision for the company and setting stretch goals that challenge the organization to continually improve. He encourages leaders to embrace change, take risks, and create a sense of urgency throughout the organization. Welch also stresses the importance of empowering employees and giving them the resources they need to succeed. Your Competition: In this section, Welch encourages leaders to study their competition, understand their strengths and weaknesses, and use that knowledge to create a winning strategy. He emphasizes the importance of being customer-focused, using technology to gain a competitive advantage, and constantly looking for ways to improve. Tying Up Loose Ends: In the final section, Welch discusses the importance of managing people effectively. He encourages leaders to give honest feedback, reward top performers, and address underperformance quickly. He also stresses the importance of building a diverse and inclusive organization that values different perspectives and experiences. Here are some of the most actionable insights from the book: Hire people based on their values, not just their skills and experience. Create a culture of openness and transparency, where employees are encouraged to speak up and share their ideas. Define a clear and compelling vision for the company, and set stretch goals to challenge the organization to continually improve. Embrace change and create a sense of urgency throughout the organization. Use technology to gain a competitive advantage, and constantly look for ways to improve. Empower employees and give them the resources they need to succeed. Give honest feedback, reward top performers, and address underperformance quickly. Build a diverse and inclusive organization that values different perspectives and experiences. About SkillDing.com You and I listen to podcasts for many reasons and listening to a podcast like this probably means you are looking to get insights about human psychology, motivation, persuasion, things like that. If you are here to learn, listening is not enough. In fact, that will get you ⅓ of the way there. You will understand the topic, that's the first part. The second part is to remember the most actionable content when you need it, what we call the moment of truth. And thirdly you need to find opportunities to deliberately practice and reflect on that practice. This episode has a suite of learning tools that you can use to help you do this. Just go to SkillDing.com and search for the title of this episode.

One this episode we discuss the book 'The Psychology of Money' with the host of The Entrepreneur Experiment podcast Gary Fox. This book, written by Morgan Housel that explores the behavioral and psychological factors that influence our relationship with money. The book emphasizes that making good financial decisions is not just about understanding math or investing strategies, but also about understanding our own emotions, biases, and behaviors. The book covers a wide range of topics related to money, including the importance of defining your own definition of financial success, the role of luck and risk in investing, and the power of compounding. The most actionable content from the book can be summarized as follows: Focus on your own goals and values: Rather than trying to keep up with the Joneses or follow the latest investment fad, focus on your own goals and values. Define what financial success means to you and create a plan to achieve it. Embrace humility: Acknowledge that luck plays a significant role in financial outcomes and that no one has all the answers when it comes to investing. Adopt a humble attitude and be open to learning from your mistakes. Be patient: Wealth is built over the long term through consistent savings and investing. Avoid chasing short-term gains and focus on the power of compounding over time. Understand your own biases: We all have biases that influence our financial decisions, such as overconfidence or loss aversion. Recognize these biases and try to avoid making decisions based solely on emotion. Keep it simple: Avoid complex investment strategies and stick to simple, diversified portfolios. Minimize fees and expenses and focus on the fundamentals of investing. Overall, The Psychology of Money offers a unique perspective on personal finance that emphasizes the importance of understanding our own emotions, biases, and behaviors when it comes to money. By adopting a long-term mindset, embracing humility, and focusing on our own goals and values, we can make better financial decisions and achieve greater financial success. About SkillDing.com You and I listen to podcasts for many reasons and listening to a podcast like this probably means you are looking to get insights about human psychology, motivation, persuasion, things like that. If you are here to learn, listening is not enough. In fact, that will get you ⅓ of the way there. You will understand the topic, that's the first part. The second part is to remember the most actionable content when you need it, what we call the moment of truth. And thirdly you need to find opportunities to deliberately practice and reflect on that practice. This episode has a suite of learning tools that you can use to help you do this. Just go to SkillDing.com and search for the title of this episode.

In this episode we talk to Mark Skinner, Head of Learning and Development, Food Drink Ireland, Ibec about the book 'Essentialism' a self-help book by Greg McKeown that offers a framework for achieving greater success and fulfilment by simplifying and prioritizing one's life. The book argues that in a world where we are constantly bombarded by demands, distractions, and opportunities, it is essential to focus on what truly matters and to eliminate everything else. McKeown argues that essentialism is not about doing more, but doing less, better. He outlines a four-step process for becoming an essentialist:  Explore and evaluate: identify what is truly important and what is not;  Eliminate: remove the non-essential activities, tasks, and commitments that do not align with your goals and values;  Execute: focus on the essential tasks with clarity and discipline; and  Evaluate: regularly review your progress and adjust your priorities as needed. Throughout the book, McKeown provides practical advice and real-life examples of how essentialism can be applied in various areas of life, such as work, relationships, and personal growth. He also emphasizes the importance of setting boundaries, saying "no" to requests and opportunities that do not align with your priorities, and creating space for rest and reflection. About SkillDing.com You and I listen to podcasts for many reasons and listening to a podcast like this probably means you are looking to get insights about human psychology, motivation, persuasion, things like that. If you are here to learn, listening is not enough. In fact, that will get you ⅓ of the way there. You will understand the topic, that's the first part. The second part is to remember the most actionable content when you need it, what we call the moment of truth. And thirdly you need to find opportunities to deliberately practice and reflect on that practice. This episode has a suite of learning tools that you can use to help you do this. Just go to SkillDing.com and search for the title of this episode.

Author and executive coach Orlaith Carmody came on the podcast to discuss her new book Speak Now. Speak Now: Communicate Well in the Workplace is a brand new, fully-revised and updated edition of my earlier title, Perform As A Leader. Following the success of the original book, this second edition focuses on our need for strong communication skills in every workplace, now swamped by the distractions of an ever-faster, increasingly digital world. In the episode we step through each chapter and Orlaith talks about why effective human communication needs to take precedence over infographics and boring corporate-speak when presenting, doing a job interview, pitching for business or fielding questions from the media. Find out more about Orlaith and what she does here: orlaithcarmody.com About SkillDing.com You and I listen to podcasts for many reasons and listening to a podcast like this probably means you are looking to get insights about human psychology, motivation, persuasion, things like that. If you are here to learn, listening is not enough. In fact, that will get you ⅓ of the way there. You will understand the topic, that's the first part. The second part is to remember the most actionable content when you need it, what we call the moment of truth. And thirdly you need to find opportunities to deliberately practice and reflect on that practice. This episode has a suite of learning tools that you can use to help you do this. Just go to SkillDing.com and search for the title of this episode.

What kind of leader are you? According to the author there are 3 types of leader (or SuperBoss) - Iconoclast, Glorious Bastard, Nurturer. A SuperBoss is not going to necessarily going to care about your personal welfare and you might in fact hate your SuperBoss. However, the chances are you will look back on your time with them misty eyed and talking about it being the best part of your career. SuperBosses will do a lot for your career and innovation is part of this process. Innovation in how you run your team and also in what you encourage your direct reports to attempt. You must create opportunities for this innovation to occur. Listen to this and then get on our mailing list (usebecause.com/subscribe) to be first in line for new content.

Do you know what we haven't done in a while?!....changed the name of our company. There is a good reason though. Have a listen. 

We are currently living through motivation 3.0 according to author Daniel Pink. 1.0 was all about survival getting enough food, water and shelter. 2.0 happened in the industrial age. A factory worker was willing to do X to get paid Y. The modern era has changed how we are motivated which leads to Motivation 3.0. This type of motivation is intrinsic - we complete a task because we feel challenged by it in the right way. Companies that use the reward/sanction approach to getting things done will be left behind. There is a great realisation that we, as a workforce, do not want to do work that only rewards us extrinsically. We want to be fulfilled in our work while getting recognition for it in the form of unexpected praise and constructive feedback. That is the the topic of this episode with Shane Twomey, founder of Organisationdynamics.ie