The Growth Project

How do you navigate disappointment and leverage adversity to propel you toward your goals? Using the Olympics as a framework for this topic, Dr. Drew Brannon and Dr. Cory Shaffer provide suggestions to help improve your ability to manage disappointment and life's inevitable setbacks.

Dr. Cory Shaffer and Dr. Katie Nichols consider the similarities between the concepts of "belonging" and "psychological safety," both of which are crucial in creating authentic connection and trust on a team. They conclude with tips for action on how to bring more belonging into your team.

Dr. Milt Lowder and Dave Ridley, who served in a variety of senior executive roles during his 27-year career at Southwest Airlines, discuss Dave's eclectic career, the positive impact of putting people first, and the crucial role of humility, honesty, and hard work in persevering through setbacks to find fulfillment and success - both professionally and personally.

Dr. Cory Shaffer and University of Tennessee Assistant Track & Field Coach and former Olympic athlete, Ken Harnden, discuss the evolution of Ken's coaching philosophy. Ken's coaching approach has been a lifetime in the making, which has been shaped from growing up and attending boarding school in Zimbabwe, walking on and ultimately becoming a National Champion in college, participating in the Olympics, and coaching elite athletes from all over the world. His perspective is one that all coaches and leaders can appreciate and apply to their own teams.

How do you build "buy-in" from new hires and position them to succeed in their roles? Dr. Drew Brannon and Dr. Katie Nichols discuss how to cultivate a strategic organizational "on-ramp" that increases the likelihood that newly hired team members will be more satisfied, stay longer with an organization, and ultimately be more fulfilled in their roles.

Fathers unquestionably play a pivotal role in our collective growth and development. Dr. Drew Brannon and Dr. Milt Lowder reflect on the responsibility and privilege of being a father and share three central roles of a dad: the encourager, the believer, and the teacher.

How do you stack the odds in your favor to perform at your best? Dr. Cory Shaffer and high performance strategist, Dr. Brandon Marcello, discuss the essential elements needed to optimize performance and maximize your potential. They examine how the interwoven components that make up the fabric of human performance - the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional pieces - impact one another and are equally crucial in achieving peak performance.

Although it can be elusive to measure, you can undoubtedly feel team chemistry. Dr. Drew Brannon and University of Georgia Volleyball Head Coach, Tom Black, discuss how team chemistry elevates performance, increases enjoyment, and creates a feeling of being part of something greater than yourself.

How do you persevere through pain, disappointment, and discomfort? Dr. Drew Brannon and Furman University's Cross Country / Track and Field's Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator, Logan Roberts, explore persisting through challenges and managing emotions during difficult moments. Logan shares how running has helped him find purpose and created opportunities to produce positive ripple effects.

What does it mean to co-create greatness with your team? Dr. Milt Lowder and Dr. Drew Brannon explore this topic with Todd Billingsley, Director of Leadership and Business Development at Boehringer Ingelheim. They also dive into the meaning of success, how emotional intelligence is actually a "power skill," and the importance of adopting a growth mindset for continued, lifelong learning.