The Leadership Podcast

Hal Elrod is the bestselling author of "The Miracle Morning: The Not-So-Obvious Secret Guaranteed to Transform Your Life (Before 8AM)." The book offers a practical morning routine that has transformed the lives of over 3 million people. In this episode, Hal describes discovering the six practices that became the SAVERS method (Silence, Affirmations, Visualization, Exercise, Reading, Scribing) during the 2008 financial crisis when he needed to rebuild his life and income. He shares how implementing these practices every morning doubled his income within two months and became the foundation for helping millions of others. Listen to the full episode to hear how Hal turned life's hardest moments into practical tools for personal transformation and daily excellence. You can find episode 485 on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Hal Elrod on Transform Your Life (Before 8AM) https://bit.ly/TLP-485 Key Takeaways [02:44] Hal reveals he realized during cancer at 37 that he was a workaholic, so now he drives his kids to school daily and shortens his workday to align with his family priority. [04:33] Hal explains he learned the five minute rule at age 20 selling Cutco by feeling emotions for five minutes then saying "can't change it" and moving forward. [07:25] Hal recounts being hit by a drunk driver at 70 mph at age 20 where he broke 11 bones and died at the scene for six minutes but applied the five minute rule to accept his reality. [13:26] Hal confirms the five minute rule is the practical bridge to Viktor Frankl's concept of choosing one's attitude in any circumstance. [21:05] Hal explains the Miracle Morning program and why the morning routine is important for making every day your best day. [29:37] Hal shares that the expanded edition of his book adds 20 pages to the SAVERS section and two new chapters called the Miracle Evening and the Miracle Life. [33:00] Hal shares that he gives up three hours of work each day to drive his kids to school, choosing lasting memories with them over more book sales. [37:58] Hal explains that his experiences guide him toward a higher power's purpose and shares that his parents' response to his sister's death taught him to turn adversity into service. [43:12] Hal defines a good life as fulfilling your potential in service of others by showing up as your best self every day from a place of love. [46:16] And remember…"When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love." - Marcus Aurelius Quotable Quotes "It's okay to be negative and get upset when things don't go your way, but do not dwell on it for an extended period of time." "Set your timer for five minutes and give yourself five minutes to feel your emotions fully. Don't suppress them, don't try to act the way you think you should. Bitch, moan, complain, cry, vent, whatever you gotta do." "Every painful emotion that we experienced was self created by our resistance to our reality." "The last of man's freedoms, is to choose one's own attitude in any given set of circumstances." "You cannot change reality in this moment as it exists. You can only do things in this moment to change the next moment or the moment after that." "I believe that we create our own statistics." "Your level of success will seldom exceed your level of personal development." "If you win the morning, you win the day because you're putting yourself in a peak physical, mental, emotional and spiritual state." "Family men with businesses, not businessmen with families." (Front Row Dads tagline) "Everything you've been through is intentional and it's part of your journey, so you can help as many people as you possibly can." "Every day you wake up and you ask like, what's the best version of myself today? How can I show up at my best? How can I fulfill my limitless God given potential today?It's fulfilling your potential in service of others." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Hal Elrod Website | http://miraclemorning.com Achieve Your Goals Podcast | https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/achieve-your-goals-with-hal-elrod/id820889267 Hal Elrod X | @halelrod Hal Elrod Facebook | www.facebook.com/groups/MyTMMCommunity Hal Elrod LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/hal-elrod-aa054324a Hal Elrod Instagram | @hal_elrod Watch The Miracle Morning Movie for free: https://miraclemorning.com/movie/ The Miracle Morning App | https://miraclemorning.app/

Brandon Sawalich, President and CEO of Starkey, discusses balancing innovation with human connection in the hearing healthcare industry. He highlights how AI technology has evolved and its role in personalized patient care. Brandon shares insights on leadership challenges, focusing on patient-centered priorities while maintaining Starkey's family culture during global growth. He emphasizes the importance of mentoring over formal training, employee engagement driven by purpose, and the need for agility in leadership. His approach ties excellence to sound quality and operational efficiency.

Zach Mercurio, an author and leadership development facilitator, dives into the concept of 'mattering'—the idea that feeling valued is essential for enhancing workplace performance. He explains how a lack of recognition fuels quiet quitting and toxic behavior. Mercurio shares insights on developing leaders’ empathy skills amid the rise of AI and emphasizes that human connection is irreplaceable. He highlights the need for employees to feel seen, affirmed, and needed to foster a productive culture. Discover practical tips to enhance workplace relationships and strengthen team dynamics.

Todd Sattersten brings over 20 years of experience in nonfiction book publishing, and is the author of "The 100 Best Books for Work and Life." He's also the publisher at Bard Press and has dedicated his career to helping leaders navigate the overwhelming world of business literature. In this episode, Todd reveals how he curated 100 essential books into 25 problem-focused chapters, moving beyond traditional business categories to address both professional and personal challenges leaders face. He explains why growth comes from believing change is possible and how daily effort accumulates into meaningful progress. Todd discusses the shift from data-heavy business books toward more introspective, permission-giving literature that acknowledges the chaotic nature of modern leadership. Todd discusses the difficulty of finding quality fiction with positive leadership examples and his preference for books that help readers ask different questions rather than provide step-by-step formulas. Todd concludes by stressing the importance of reading with intention, distinguishing between reading for entertainment versus insight, and building sustainable reading habits that focus on addressing real challenges rather than collecting impressive quotes. Listen to discover how to navigate information overload, identify truly transformative books, and develop the reading habits that separate effective leaders from those who simply accumulate knowledge. You can find episode 482 on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Todd Sattersten on The 100 Best Books for Work and Life https://bit.ly/TLP-482 Key Takeaways [03:42] Todd explains his selection process started with 60-70 known books, then Todd describes how the 25 topics emerged naturally from the books themselves - goal setting, habits, leadership, relationships, motivation. [06:48] Todd identifies two key patterns to accumulate people's consistent actions: "growth comes from the belief that change is possible" and "daily effort matters." [13:28] Todd explains that great books redefine problems to create different solutions, citing examples like focusing on better customers rather than better products. [16:02] Todd reveals he's nervous about trendy books, especially about companies or leaders that don't hold up over time. [20:51] Todd believes people recognize tremendous value in listening to work others have already done, whether from Stoics, Buddhists, or other traditions. [23:50] Todd emphasizes reading requires choosing between entertainment versus insight, asking "how will I act differently after reading this." [27:03] Todd explains the data-heavy book trend came from 30 years of neuroscience research but now sees a shift toward permission-giving books. [31:50] Todd identifies "Your Brain at Work" by David Rock as his top pick for explaining brain function limitations. [35:40] Todd describes "Reboot" by Jerry Colonna as transformative for connecting personal stories to leadership effectiveness. [39:17] Todd concludes by encouraging leaders to "build a habit of reading" since most successful leaders are readers. [40:09] And remember…"The things I want to know are in books. My best friend is the man who will get me a book I ain't read." - Abraham Lincoln. Quotable Quotes "Growth comes from the belief that change is possible." "Daily effort matters." "A different way to define the problem creates a different way to solve the problem." "If you don't understand the stories that you have about yourself, then you can't possibly be the best possible leader." "Fiction can provide a really great perspective." "The work is internal most of the time. It's not, hey, I need to go fix some business thing." "Leadership is a journey of growth." "A book still does something that almost every other art form doesn't do." "The people who understand the value of books understand there's a tremendous value in listening to the work others have already done." "Identifying a set of effective solutions… that's what leaders need." "Please build a habit of reading. I can't think of a better habit for a leader." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Todd Sattersten Website | http://toddsattersten.com Todd Sattersten LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/toddsattersten Todd Sattersten Instagram | @toddsattersten

Michael Ventura is an entrepreneur, author of "Applied Empathy: The New Language of Leadership", and advisor to leaders at organizations including the ACLU, Google, Nike, and the UN. He has taught emotionally intelligent leadership at Princeton, West Point, and Esalen. In this episode, Michael explores why our natural childhood empathy fades as adults due to life complexity, cultural conditioning, and survival mechanisms that suppress this innate behavior. He explains how organizational design can create systems where empathy thrives through measurement, rewards, and leadership modeling rather than trying to change people individually. Michael outlines seven empathetic archetypes that leaders can shift between like gears: the Sage (practices presence), Inquirer (asks great questions), Convener (creates connection environments), Confidant (builds trust), Cultivator (provides vision), Seeker (values self-work), and Alchemist (experiments and learns). He emphasizes knowing when to shift archetypes based on circumstances and people. He addresses why leaders struggle to guide rather than control, explaining how successful leaders must transition from having answers to asking questions and empowering others. Michael explains empathy's benefits through a GE medical imaging case study where understanding patient experience led to environmental changes that cut pain complaints in half and increased cancer detection by over 10%. Listen to this episode to discover how empathy drives retention, innovation, and competitive advantage while serving as both leadership skill and business strategy. You can find episode 481 on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Michael Ventura on The New Language of Leadership https://bit.ly/TLP-481 Key Takeaways [02:19] Michael explains that empathy fades as we age because life beats it out of us in some ways. [05:10] Michael outlines three types of empathy: affective (golden rule), somatic (physical experience), and cognitive (platinum rule). [07:27] Michael emphasizes that empathy must be embraced and modeled as a behavior from the top all the way down. Michael warns that empathy requires a code of ethics because "sociopaths are good cognitive empaths." [10:11] Michael clarifies that his keynote's first slide always says empathy is not about being nice. [13:06] Michael describes seven empathic archetypes as "gears in a manual transmission" that leaders should shift between. [19:05] Michael advises leaders to ask "How do you learn? How are you motivated?" to diagnose which archetype to use. [22:18] Michael states "Leaders should only do what an individual or team cannot do for itself" because leaders must transition from having all the answers to asking the right questions. [23:47] Michael shares that West Point teaches empathy because officers must lead people from "every socioeconomic stripe imaginable." [29:07] Michael cites retention as a hard benefit, noting it costs "1 1/2 times the salary" to replace someone. [35:54] Michael shares what he wandered; he's writing a book about moving from "North Star thinking to constellation thinking" for purpose. [38:33] Michael observes society lost its "emotional commons" where everyone shared the same cultural experiences. [42:17] Michael advises leaders to start empathy work "where the need is the greatest" rather than organization-wide. [43:42] And remember..."I think we all have empathy. We may not have enough courage to display it." - Maya Angelou Quotable Quotes "Life beats it out of us in some ways." "We start to see ourselves as the main character a little too much sometimes and forget that there are other characters in the play all around us." "Do unto others as they would have you do unto them. And the only way you're going to know that answer is if you do two things that most humans don't want to do. Admit they don't have an answer and then go ask the uncomfortable question." "Sometimes the most empathic thing that you do is say the hard thing or do the hard thing for someone else." "Stop trying to be the most interesting person in the room and start trying to be the most interested person in the room." "Leaders should only do what an individual or team cannot do for itself." "Don't tell people what to do. Tell them what outcome you want and let them surprise you with how they get it done." "When something is powerful and something is effective, just recognize it can be used for bad as well." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com TLP389: Worry is a Misuse of Imagination with Harris III Michael Ventura Website | www.michaelventura.co Michael Ventura X | @michaelventura Michael Ventura Facebook | www.facebook.com/themichaelventura Michael Ventura LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/mvmvmv Michael Ventura Instagram | @michaelventura

Tamara Myles is a speaker, professor, and co-author of "Meaningful Work: How to Ignite Passion and Performance in Every Employee." She specializes in the science of human flourishing at work and serves as faculty at Boston College and the University of Pennsylvania. In this episode, Tamara challenges the biggest misconception leaders hold about purpose and productivity. She explains how leaders often view these as opposing forces, when research shows they actually create a virtuous cycle that drives engagement, performance, and innovation. Tamara emphasizes that self-awareness through intentional reflection time is essential for productivity, as leaders who carve out solitude to think strategically can better connect their work to meaningful impact. Tamara shares insights from studying positive outlier organizations and leaders who excel at creating meaningful work environments. She identifies role modeling as the number one factor that moves the needle in changing team behavior and performance. Discover how purpose and productivity work together to create high-performing teams that feel fulfilled in their work. You can find episode 480 on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Tamara Myles on Number One Factor for Changing Team Behaviors https://bit.ly/TLP-480 Key Takeaways [02:53] Tamara explains the biggest misconception is that purpose and productivity "are at odds with each other" when they "create a virtuous cycle." [03:49] Tamara confirms leaders are responsible for 48% of our experience of meaning at work. [05:51] Tamara outlines her framework of three pillars: community, contribution, and challenge. [10:30] Tamara emphasizes that "clarity around values" is foundational to meaningful work. [12:49] Tamara highlights that reflection is actually a huge part of creating that meaning at work. [15:40] Tamara explains that bad management habits get passed down from generation to generation. [18:49] Tamara identifies "role modeling the behaviors" as "the number one needle mover." [21:48] Tamara confirms that alignment between spoken values and actual behaviors is huge. [25:57] Tamara explains to work on things that are important but not urgent yet. [30:02] Tamara defines community as "do I matter here," contribution as "does what I do matter," and challenge as "does my growth matter here." [32:29] Tamara shares that Americans are "much more achievement driven" while Brazilians are "much more relational." [36:38] Tamara explains workplaces are one of the last places where people from different backgrounds still come together. Tamara discusses that what really matters is how they design the time that they are together. Tamara connects consequences to "going back to clarity and expectations. [42:44] Tamara closes with three daily questions: "who did I connect with," "is something better in the world," and "did I learn something today." [44:44] And remember…"Let the beauty of what you love be what you do." - Rumi Quotable Quotes "Purpose is a symptom." "Clear is kind." "Reflection is actually a huge part of creating that meaning at work." "These bad management habits get passed down from generation to generation." "The number one needle mover is role modeling the behaviors that they want to see." "Alignment between spoken values and then actual behaviors is huge." "We are all humans. We are fallible. Nobody's perfect." "Our workplaces are one of the last places where people from different backgrounds with different ideologies, different beliefs, different skills, maybe different languages, you know, still come together to work on a common goal. What really matters is how they design the time that they are together." "We can have discipline without being rigid." "Every meeting is a decision support system." "Sometimes you need to be direct and you need to be, you know, quick thinking and acting and sometimes you need to be patient." "People just don't know how to run meetings. People don't know how to do the basics of like, follow up and all that. It's just, it's really epidemic bad." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Tamara Myles Website | www.makeworkmeaningful.com Tamara Myles LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/tamaramyles Tamara Myles Instagram | @tamaramyles

Siri Chilazi is a senior researcher at the Women in Public Policy Program at Harvard Kennedy School, and co-author of "Make Work Fair: Data-Driven Design for Real Results." She helps organizations bridge the gap between research and practice using evidence-based approaches to workplace fairness. In this episode, Siri explains why workplace fairness requires redesigning systems rather than changing people, demonstrating how structured processes like predetermined interview questions produce less biased results than open-ended conversations. She argues that organizations must analyze workforce data to reveal bias patterns in hiring, feedback quality, and career advancement, treating fairness metrics with the same rigor as financial data in business decisions. Siri presents evidence from studies showing that traditional diversity training fails to change actual behavior despite positive participant feedback. She recommends structural alternatives like specific performance evaluation prompts, automated feedback reminders, and technology tools that flag biased language in assessments. She advocates for opt-out promotion systems that automatically evaluate eligible employees rather than requiring them to self-advocate, sharing how this approach increased women and people of color's advancement rates. Siri outlines her three-part framework: "Make it Count" through data tracking, "Make it Stick" via small process tweaks, and "Make it Normal" by shaping workplace culture through individual actions and standards. Siri addresses resistance management by framing fairness discussions around business results rather than ideology, explaining how even skeptical leaders find evidence-based approaches make practical sense for organizational success. In this episode, you'll discover practical, evidence-based strategies for creating fairer workplaces through smart system design rather than individual behavior change. You can find episode 479 on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Siri Chilazi on Make Work Fair https://bit.ly/TLP-479 Key Takeaways [03:21] Siri reveals it's much faster, easier, often cheaper, and more effective to change surrounding environments rather than individual brains. [04:59] Siri describes a more effective approach involving asking all candidates the same set of questions in the same order and assessing answers comparatively. [07:07] Siri confirms fairness was chosen intentionally because research shows it's a universally shared human value globally that fairness resonates with leaders because it's impossible to spot talent accurately without it. [09:52] Siri clarifies data can be a powerful engine for change only if actively harnessed and analyzed to reveal insights. [13:48] Siri outlines how organizations should ask whether employees get feedback of the same length and spend different amounts of time at given ranks before promotion. [16:15] Siri explains bias tends to creep into potential assessments because they're more subjective with less formal data. [17:39] Siri confirms more than half a century's worth of studies showing diversity training basically doesn't shift people's behavior making performance evaluation prompts more specific and close-ended as a more effective approach. [23:30] Siri describes opt-out systems where everyone meeting certain criteria gets automatically evaluated for promotion versus opt-in systems. [27:31] Siri explains how an Australian employer reduced the gender gap by telling rejected candidates they were in the top 20% of applicants. [30:16] Siri outlines her three-part framework: make it count, make it stick, and make it normal. [32:54] Siri identifies the biggest resistance that occurs when changes touch leaders' own everyday work directly. [34:01] Siri explains her core aspiration is to shift discussions about fairness from ideology and emotion to data and evidence. [39:44] Siri invites everyone to think of one thing in their daily work they could tweak slightly to make it more fair. [41:04] And remember…"Though force can protect in an emergency, only justice, fairness, consideration and cooperation can finally lead men to the dawn of eternal peace." - Dwight D. Eisenhower Quotable Quotes "Our behaviors are often shaped by the environments that surround us, right? The physical environments, but also the policies, the processes, the norms, the stereotypes, the culture, so to speak. And those external forces shape us to a much greater degree than we realize." "If we want to shift behaviors, it's much faster, easier, often cheaper, and most importantly, much more effective to change that surrounding environment, those systems and processes, rather than to try to change our individual brains." "There's a lot of research that shows that fairness is a universally shared human value globally. Right. People gravitate to fairness. Kids as young as 4 and 5 years old develop a really sophisticated understanding of fairness." "It's actually impossible without fairness to spot talent accurately, to truly hire the best people, and then to evaluate those people objectively so that we make sure that we're advancing and promoting the best, most competent people rather than the ones who, for example, appear most confident on the surface." "Data can be a powerful engine for change, but only if we harness it as such, only if we actively make the data speak." "People often subjectively love the trainings. They'll give it an 11 out of 10 on the score form and they'll report that, oh yes, I learned all these new things I didn't know before. I'm much more motivated now to make sure that I don't evaluate people in a biased way. But then when we follow up with them and see what they actually do in six months, in 12 months, in two years, we just don't see evidence of behavior change." "We often confuse confidence with competence. So just because someone's pounding the table, applying for everything, saying, me, me, I'm ready, give me a raise, promote me, put me on this, that doesn't mean that they're actually the most skilled or competent person for that task." "I really think if. If we make sure we create a culture where people matter, they're appreciated, and that they belong. And again, what surrounds that is fairness. Of course. And again, you know, the whole idea is, you know, you're working toward results. You know, you grow your people, you grow the company." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Siri Chilazi Website | https://sirichilazi.com Siri Chilazi LinkedIn | www.instagram.com/sirichilazi Siri Chilazi Instagram | @sirichilazi Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground TLP288: Ubiquitous Access is Crushing the Power and Influence of Information TLP471: How Fear Drives Behavior and Why Traditional Leadership Backfires with Kurt Gray

Nick Cooney is the founder and managing partner of Lever VC, an early stage fund focused on food and ag tech innovation. He also founded the Lever Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing a humane and sustainable food system, and authored "What We Don't Do: Inaction in the Face of Suffering and the Drive to Do More." In this episode, Nick tackles the Malthusian Trap debate and explains why more people face starvation today in raw numbers than ever before, despite technological advances in food production. He argues that capitalism alone cannot solve global food insecurity because it represents a complex systems problem requiring economic development, better governance, and philanthropic intervention beyond market mechanisms. Nick draws on evolutionary psychology to explain why people naturally care more about local issues than distant suffering, advocating for logic-based approaches to maximize impact. He emphasizes that organizational success breeds engagement more than empowerment structures, warning that flattened organizations often create accountability confusion and poor decision-making when people lack necessary expertise. Nick stresses that leaders should focus on helping teams achieve clear, meaningful results rather than prioritizing feel-good management approaches that may undermine actual effectiveness. Listen to this episode to explore how leaders can address complex global challenges while building more effective and engaged organizations. You can find episode 478 on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Nick Cooney on The Consequences of Inaction https://bit.ly/TLP-478 Key Takeaways [02:17] Nick reveals something not found online that he practices what he preaches by donating a large portion of his annual income to support efforts that reduce suffering in the world. [03:03] Nick explains the struggle with food distribution despite production advances noting that while technology has made food production more efficient there are more people living in extreme poverty and facing starvation today than hundreds of years ago due to raw population growth. [06:45] Nick outlines why investment money sometimes goes to the wrong places explaining there is a fadish nature to venture capital where certain things get in fashion plus ag-tech innovation is often slower to be adopted than other technologies and faces regulatory challenges. [10:26] Nick addresses why capitalism has not solved world hunger stating that while there has been good progress with the percentage of global population in extreme poverty trending down free markets alone are not going to be a full solution. [14:38] Nick explains what drives people to care about issues noting that humans are descended from apes optimized for survival in pre-Agrarian life giving us strong instincts to care about those close to us but having far less concern for those out of sight. [19:16] Nick clarifies his focus is not specifically on hunger but on animal suffering because he spends most of his time on animal suffering since it is an area where there is huge amounts of extreme suffering that does not have to be there. [22:05] Nick discusses managing teams in impact-focused organizations explaining he has been fortunate that his entities were working in areas with clear positive impact so people were attracted to work there because of the positive impact they knew they were having. [27:20] Nick agrees with concerns about flattening organizations stating that excessive flatness can lead to suboptimal results because people may not have the expertise to make smart decisions and it can make empowered people feel discouraged when they fail. [30:49] Nick confirms the abundance-scarcity parallel in organizational design explaining that companies flush with cash get very fat with higher burn rates while cash-tight companies are forced into much smarter decision making by economic necessity. [33:44] Nick explains the impact of inaction in corporate settings noting there is a huge bias towards focusing on what we are doing ethically rather than consequences of inaction but today the biggest harms are caused by failing to put time, money or mental energy into helping those facing extreme suffering. [39:53] Nick reflects on duty of care laws stating it is interesting that legally we treat a child 10 feet away versus 200 feet away dramatically differently even though the outcome is exactly the same if both children suffer and die. [45:28] Nick emphasizes the incredible power individuals actually have, explaining we can save hundreds of lives and spare hundreds of thousands of animals from suffering through really cost efficient charities which means we have a greater level of responsibility to use that power well. [47:21] And remember..."The worst sin toward our fellow creatures is not to hate them, but to be indifferent to them; that's the essence of inhumanity." - George Bernard Shaw Quotable Quotes "What did evolution optimize us for as a species? Survival." "I think it's really important to bring in logic, thoughtfulness, a quantitative analysis if we really want to do the most good that we can." "Any one of us, at least those of us living in the us, Europe, semi industrialized or industrialized countries, we have the ability to literally save the lives of hundreds, thousands of people, spare hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands of others from intense suffering." "Free markets alone are not going to solve the problem. They can help it, but there's, or in some cases could hurt it as well." "Today the biggest harms that we cause to others are not caused by bad actions we take. They're caused by our inactions failing to put time, money, or as you were alluding to mental energy into helping those who are facing extreme suffering." "We actually have this really incredible amount of power. We don't think that we do." "Occasionally when everyone is empowered to do something, like no one knows who's supposed to step up and do something, and you kind of get into this situation where you can be a victim of, let's say, the bystander effect." "There is a system for many things that does keep us in check about, keep us accountable for the things we do not do. And that would be in our legal system." "Part of the job of a leader, whether you're trying to run a business or a nonprofit or save the world, is you're trying to get people to care." "I don't know that we spend enough time on the design part and step back and go, well, how do we design an environment where we get the right behaviors psychologically." These are the books mentioned in this episode Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Nick Cooney Website | https://nickcooney.com Nick Cooney X | @nickcooney2 Nick Cooney Facebook | www.facebook.com/nick.cooney1 Nick Cooney LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/nickcooney1 Nick Cooney Instagram | @nick.cooney2/ Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, Revised Edition by Robert B. Cialdini "An Essay on the Principle of Population" by Sir Thomas Malthus (1798)

Sara Sabin is an executive leadership and intuition coach. In this episode, she shares her core philosophy that leadership starts with mastering your internal world. Sara describes how leaders can rewire thought patterns through simple daily exercises, explaining the neuroscience behind how small efforts compound for dramatic confidence improvements. She tackles the biggest intuition myth that emotions equal gut feelings, explaining true intuition appears as clear, emotionless flashes while emotions masquerade as insight. Listen to discover why leaning into discomfort and maintaining sharp thinking skills will determine whether you thrive or become obsolete in an AI-driven world. You can find episode 477 on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Myths About Intuition with Sara Sabin https://bit.ly/TLP-477 Key Takeaways [03:21] Sara explains AI laziness wasn't "one lightning moment" but "a slow creep" of observing marketing and content "starting to look the same." [05:25] Sara distinguishes AI from human delegation, noting team members get the opportunity to expand in a certain area and to use their brain. [07:31] Sara clarifies AI can complement critical thinking if "used after you've done the critical thinking part" but warns replacement impairs your "ability to stand out." [15:01] Sara reveals her core insight that "leadership is an inside job" with every leadership skill having "an internal component." [17:22] Sara explains emotional regulation isn't about "transcending emotion" but "the ability to acknowledge emotions, accept them" when triggered. [20:50] Sara explains habitual thought patterns influence your belief systems which determine your actions and changing them is easier than you might think. [26:30] Sara busts the myth that "emotion is not the same as intuition," defining real intuition as "a very clear, emotionless flash." [32:36] Sara outlines her worst-case AI scenario where "everyone starts to look the same" mentally, losing creativity and becoming "open to manipulation." [39:41] Sara challenges listeners to lean into discomfort and not get lazy while maintaining a sharp brain. [41:17] And remember..."By far, the greatest danger of Artificial Intelligence is that people conclude too early that they understand it." - Eliezer Yudkowsky Quotable Quotes "Leadership is an inside job." "Lean into discomfort. Don't get lazy." "Emotion is not the same as intuition." "Your habitual thought patterns influence your belief systems which determine your actions and behaviors and therefore your results." "A little bit of effort every day goes a long way." "Unless you understand the internal pieces that drive the external strategy and make it work, then you won't ever get to the realm of being exceptional." "Until you are in a place of emotional neutrality, you cannot be an excellent communicator, period." "Intuition is just a very clear, emotionless flash of something." "Use your emotional triggers and your resistance to things to learn something." "Pay attention to when you get triggered, it's pointing to a layer that you need to shed." "AI can be a tool to augment and improve critical thinking, but it can't replace critical thinking." Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Sara Sabin Website | www.sarasabin.com Sara Sabin LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/sara-caroline-sabin Sara Sabin X | @SaraSabin1 Intuition is the same as a Gut Feeling – and Five Other Intuition Myths

Jed Brewer is the president and founder of Good Loud Media, a nonprofit organization that uses music and video to drive social impact in underserved communities around the world. In this episode, Jed describes how Good Loud Media operates by bringing together Grammy-winning musicians, renowned psychologists, and subject matter experts to create targeted media campaigns. Jed explores the concept of empathy in leadership and violence prevention. He explains how mass violence stems from a "death of empathy" where people demonize their enemies, and how perspective-taking through music can help restore human connection even in conflict zones. Jed shares his approach to networking as a superpower for creating change. He emphasizes that success is always a team effort and encourages leaders to view their network as the foundation of any meaningful impact. Listen to this episode to discover how music can be engineered to solve complex social problems and learn practical strategies for building powerful networks that drive systemic change. You can find episode 476 on YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts! Watch this Episode on YouTube | Jed Brewer on Engineering Social Change https://bit.ly/TLP-476 Key Takeaways [02:23] Jed reveals something people can't find about him online, that he grew up playing in rock bands and learned at 14 that "music has the power to bring us together" and can "create a place where people feel welcome when they don't feel welcome in other places." [03:36] Jed explains his journey from being a preacher's kid to prison chaplain and also describes how his passion developed through the fusion between music and technology that led him to study engineering while maintaining his love for music, understanding that "technology is a way to drive that forward." [07:02] Jed explains how he got into prison outreach and outlines his startup experience. He reveals a breakthrough discovery. [13:07] Jed explains the business case for underserved populations, noting that pharmaceutical companies are "leaving money on the table" because potential customers aren't aware of life-saving products like HIV medications that "could be using these products." [15:47] Jed connects his faith background to his mission, explaining that his personal faith centers on "love your neighbor as yourself" and finding ways to "reduce human suffering." [17:03] Jed explains how he brings high-caliber people together and he describes the Narcan project. Jed identifies the messaging challenge where some people viewed Narcan as "something that drug users would have" he also outlines his collaborative process where he works with subject matter experts. [24:27] Jed describes distribution strategy where they put the song "everywhere" - radio, social media, and in-person community outreach - celebrating most when "people amplify it to their own network." [26:54] Jed explains his international focus where he started building relationships with creatives worldwide for cost-effective production and he reveals their focus on preventing mass violence. Jed describes their Nigerian mental health success where they embedded therapeutic breathing exercises in music. [32:57] Jed explains music's unique power, noting that unlike speeches that tell people what to think, music tells them "what to think and how to feel at the same time" because "people don't have their guards up about music." [35:48] Jed defines empathy through perspective taking, explaining that empathy begins with consciously thinking "what would it be like to be this other person" and seeing enemies as human beings, even those you disagree with. [40:18] Jed emphasizes networking importance, stating "Your network is your net worth" and "I don't think anybody succeeds alone" because success is always team success, so "the question is, who's on your team?" [44:25] Jed describes his leadership transition where Good Loud Media is shifting from him "doing everything" to "setting other people up to be the people that are doing things" as they expand internationally. [47:27] Jed delivers his closing call to action, saying "You have a vision in your head of something that you can do to make the world a better place... Do it. Now is the time... The world needs you." [49:10] And remember..."Where words fail, music speaks." - Hans Christian Andersen Quotable Quotes "I learned as a kid that music has the power to bring us together. I learned when I was 14 that music can create a place where people feel welcome when they don't feel welcome in other places." "I have always been a firm believer that networking is just how we all get where we're going. We all do better when we've got the riches of friendship." "Dig your well before you're thirsty." For me, the living out of that faith has to do with love your neighbor as yourself…I think that all of us can agree that whenever possible, lessening the amount of suffering in the world and lessening the amount of suffering that our neighbors and that our loved ones face is the morally right thing for us to pursue." "I have discovered few things that produce as much genuine magic as simply asking... There's a famous phrase, you have not, because you ask not. I have learned to ask pretty boldly for things, and most of the time people say yes." "Your network is your net worth. The people that, you know, are. That is your riches in life." "I don't think anybody succeeds alone... I think that success is always team success." "You're telling them what to think and how to feel at the same time. Music is a guided meditation that has both a cognitive and an emotive aspect happening in parallel."In mass violence, there's a death of empathy." "The only way forward is to see our enemies as human beings. And that really is what empathy is." "I think empathy in many ways begins and ends with perspective taking." "There are different seasons in life and there are different phases, and we pass in and out of them." "You have a vision in your head of something that you can do to make the world a better place. I know you do... Do it. Now is the time. Not next week, not next year. Do it. Get started. It won't get easier. The best time to do it is right now.We need you. Get to work. This is your moment, the sign you've been waiting for. This is that sign. Get started with your thing that's going to make the world a better place." Resources Mentioned The Leadership Podcast | theleadershippodcast.com Sponsored by | www.darley.com Rafti Advisors. LLC | www.raftiadvisors.com Self-Reliant Leadership. LLC | selfreliantleadership.com Jed Brewer Website | http://goodloudmedia.org Good Loud Media Facebook | http://facebook.com/goodloudmedia Jed Brewer LinkedIn | www.linkedin.com/in/jed-brewer-29bb325 Good Loud Media Instagram | @goodloudmedia/