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Today’s episode is a special one as I had the chance to interview Dr. David Yeager, professor of psychology at University of Texas at Austin and a co-founder of the Texas Behavioural Science and Policy Institute.

Dr. Yeager is widely recognized for his groundbreaking research alongside the inspiring Dr. Carol Dweck, the author of the brilliant book Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, and Dr. Angela Duckworth, who authored the very impactful book Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance, and well-known psychologist and researcher Dr. Greg Walton from Stanford. Together, they've developed short but impactful interventions that shape adolescent behaviors in areas like motivation, engagement, healthy eating, bullying, stress, and mental health.

Dr. Yeager has consulted for major organizations including Google, Microsoft, Disney, and the World Bank, as well as advising for the White House and governments in California, Texas, and Norway. His work has been featured in The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Scientific American, CNN, Fox News, the Guardian, The Atlantic and many more.

In our conversation today, we dive into his latest book, 10-25: The Science of Motivating Young People. This insightful book reveals the conditions necessary to empower young people to make better choices and achieve greater success in their lives.

Our discussion not only covers the key themes in his book, but we also explore Dr. Yeager’s personal experiences in life and the deeper significance behind his work.

If you’re a parent, teacher, coach, or leader, you’ll find tremendous value in what David shares. He offers profound wisdom on how we can authentically support 10 to 25-year-olds, helping them reach their fullest potential and find genuine success in their lives.

Dr. Yeager’s book challenges the common myths that young people nowadays are apathetic, entitled, unmotivated and lazy. Instead, he encourages us to reframe this narrative and adopt proactive mentoring strategies that empower youth to contribute positively to their communities and the world. This shift, as we know, is essential for the betterment of our society.

I hope you leave this episode not only wanting to grab a copy of his invaluable book 10-25: The Science of Motivating Young People, but also inspired to change how you interact with important young people in your life in order to bring out their best.

Thank you for tuning in! I’d appreciate it if you could share this episode on social media, helping more people discover Dr. Yeager’s important work.

Connect with Dr. David Yeager
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Buy David's book here

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In this short Wisdom of Alignment podcast episode, Andy emphasize the transformative power of adopting a learner's mindset, especially when it comes to challenging our own assumptions and stepping outside our comfort zones. We often cling to familiar beliefs, choosing comfort over growth. However, true development—both personally and professionally—occurs when we break this cycle by embracing discomfort, reflecting honestly on our habits, and being open to change.

Daniel Goleman’s insights on self-awareness are central to this, highlighting that understanding our emotions, strengths, and weaknesses is key to growth. This self-awareness allows us to recognize when our thinking is rigid and prevents us from evolving. More than personal growth, the article encourages creating a learning culture that fosters collective development through curiosity and vulnerability.

This episode’s importance lies in its practical strategies for leaders, coaches, and anyone looking to grow: embrace discomfort, cultivate self-awareness, and create a learning culture. It’s a reminder that progress doesn’t come from sticking to the status quo, but from consistently challenging our beliefs and making learning a lifelong process. By reflecting on where we might be stuck, we can break free from limitations and inspire those around us to do the same. This message is crucial for anyone striving to become their best self, lead others effectively, or build environments where growth thrives. We hope you enjoy this short episode and share it with anyone who you feel will benefit from listening. Thank you!

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In today’s episode, I had the pleasure of speaking with Mark Bennett, a Performance Architect whose work in performance psychology has shaped the way individuals and teams think about success. Our conversation dove into some powerful concepts that have the potential to transform the way you approach both performance and well-being in your life and work.

Mark Bennett has worked with elite athletes from multiple different sports for more than 25 years. As well he works closely with business leaders and other organisations helping them create the formula for success in their companies.

Mark's approach, is built on the foundational principle that "performance is a behavior, not an outcome," In our conversation, he offers profound insights into how we can shift our focus from results to actions—actions that, when consistently applied, lead to lasting success.

We also explored his unique philosophy on need-centered coaching, which differs from the traditional athlete- or person-centered models, as well as the symbiotic relationship between performance and wellness. Mark argues that many organizations treat wellness as a safety net rather than a proactive investment, and that shift in mindset is critical to maximizing potential.

There are plenty of tools and strategies you will walk away with in this episode such as the Action Review Process, a tool that improves judgment and self-awareness in real-time, an essential foundation for anyone seeking to better themselves and their skillset, whether in sports or business.

Mark’s approach is deeply rooted in the fundamental believe that we are the drivers of our own growth and learning and that once we make a decision we must fully commit to it and execute. Regardless of success or failure, fully committing and executing is the key to this process of learning which is also deeply rooted in honest, genuine reflection that allows us to truly unpack what went well and what we might do better next time around. You’ll find out about this and so much more in our conversation today.

Thank you for listening this episode and please do share it with anyone who you feel will benefit from tuning in.

Connect with Mark Bennett:
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25% Discount Code for Mark's Online Training Resources- yourlife25
You can access his training here

Find out about Edge Golf College here

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In today's episode, you'll hear from Charles Feltman, a trust expert and leadership coach known for his work on building and sustaining trust in relationships, particularly in the workplace. His book, The Thin Book of Trust, is widely recognized for breaking down trust into four key distinctions: sincerity, reliability, competence, and care. What I most appreciate about Charles’ work is how practical and actionable it is, making it highly applicable in live time for leaders who want to foster trust, improve communication, and create stronger, more cohesive teams. His insights are particularly valuable in helping leaders navigate difficult conversations and maintain trust during challenging situations.

World renowned, best-selling author Brene Brown herself has embraced Charles’ work over the years, recently saying that one of her favourite books on trust is the Thin Book of Trust by Charles Feltman. He definitions so beautifully capture what emerged from our data on trust. The 3rd edition of the book is now available and very much worth the read….

In the conversation you are about to hear, we not only talk about what’s new in the 3rd edition of his book, we also take a deep dive into how the best leaders are able to build, maintain and most importantly, repair trust when it has been ruptured.

It was a special treat to be able to spend time face to face with Charles recording this podcast. I hope you find as much value as I did in our conversation. You can find out how to contact Charles and where to buy his Thin Book of Trust by checking the links below.

Connect With Charles
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LinkedIn
His Trust on Purpose Podcast

You can buy the 3rd edition of his Thin Book of Trust here.

I appeared on Charles Feltman and Ila Edgar's Trust on Purpose earlier in 2024. You can find part 1 and 2 of our episode below:

Trust Around The World Part 1
Trust Around the World Part 2

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It gives me great pleasure to introduce Kevin Bartlett, the Founding Director of the Common Ground Collaborative. This episode is part of my 'Perspectives on Pedagogy' podcast series which are education-based in nature, but rooted deeply in what it means to lead and learn with purpose and intentionality.

A quote comes to mind when I think about Kevin:

"A great educational leader possesses a unique set of qualities and skills that enable them to effectively guide and shape the educational institutions they oversee."

Kevin does just that and has done it for decades in the field of education. He has a long history of creating true change in educational institutions. Throughout his decades of experience in the field of education, Kevin has learned to combine visionary thinking, strong communication, empathy and his genuine commitment to learning and growth into everything he does both personally and professionally in his life.

He leads with integrity and is a true advocate for inclusivity which is evidenced by the schools he's helped transform over the years. Not only does he speak his truth with clarity and conviction, he is probably one of the biggest supporters of teachers I have ever come across. As a very experienced educational leader, Kevin has committed himself to making the professional lives of teachers more meaningful, manageable and rewarding. He knows how difficult a teacher’s job is and, as a consultant, he works on the ground with them, in their own space. He choses to teach and learn alongside them rather than from an ivory tower preaching about what good teaching practice is.

In our conversation today, Kevin shares his thoughts on educational leadership and what each leader's role/responsibility is in creating schools that truly prioritize meaningful learning. We also dive into Kevin’s story and what drives him in the work that he does.

Kevin also shares a genuine example of what a great school actually looks like in action, using one of the organizations that he works closely with through his consulting role. You will hear all about this school in our podcast today.

I want to thank Kevin for his time and energy and agreeing to come on my podcast. It was an honor to have this conversation with him. I hope that any educational leader out there listening to this learns something new from Kevin today that they can immediately applied in their own leadership practice.

Thanks for listening and please share this episode and my new podcast with any educator who you feel will benefit from tuning in.

About Kevin:
Kevin has held leadership positions in the UK, Tanzania, Namibia, Austria, and Belgium, where he was most recently Director of the International School of Brussels from 2001-2015.

Kevin has co-designed accreditation systems for the European Council of International Schools (ECIS), the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEAS&C) and is currently engaged with a small team developing ACE, an innovative new accreditation protocol for NEAS&C.

Kevin is a regular author of articles on a range of topics, a keynoter/workshop leader at multiple international and national conferences, and on-site consultant on a wide range of topics.

He is a writer and trainer in the field of curriculum design and leadership for learning for the Principals’ Training Center. As a curriculum designer, he was the initiator and early leader of the IB Primary Years Programme.

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In the latest Wisdom of Alignment series, we explore the intrinsic and extrinsic motivations driving people to pursue leadership roles. While some leaders may be motivated by career advancement or recognition, many seek to drive positive change, mentor others, and bring out the best in their teams. However, leaders often face barriers that lead to complacency and stagnation, hindering their ability to inspire and motivate.

The greatest leaders are aware of these barriers and consistently align their actions with a cause greater than themselves. They excel at connecting with their teams, making informed decisions, developing talent, and keeping empathy and compassion at the forefront.

A powerful story from the Finding Mastery podcast with Dr. Michael Gervais illustrates this. A young pilot, after a series of mistakes, is supported empathetically by his commanders, who guide him through reflection and learning. This approach creates a psychologically safe environment, fostering growth and connection.

The episode emphasizes that human-centered leadership, grounded in empathy and compassion, is the key to success. True leaders mentor, guide, and create platforms where everyone can thrive, learning from both successes and failures.

Reflective questions are provided to help listeners assess their own leadership approach:

1. To what extent do you choose empathy, compassion, and kindness over control and compliance?
2. To what extent do you mentor those you lead, guiding them toward better versions of themselves?
3. To what extent do you take full accountability for your own growth as a leader, admitting shortcomings and seeking support?

Listeners are encouraged to share their thoughts and experiences on building trust and mentoring in the workplace. Thanks so much for your support.

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In today's Wisdom of Alignment episode, we explore Joseph Campbell's idea that "invisible hands" help us when we're on the right path in life. Delving into Aristotle's ancient teachings on eudaimonic well-being, we discuss how aligning our actions with our true purpose brings much deeper fulfillment and purpose in our pursuit of things that matter most to us. In today's episode, we'll also reflect on personal growth, meaningful goals, self-acceptance, positive relationships, autonomy, and environmental mastery.

Through the story of a first responder finding a new career path, we see the courage required to pursue the right path for us based not only on our unique context, but also on the skills, talents and values we possess. I hope you enjoy this episode and that it helps you to reflect on your own path and discover ways to live more authentically in your life. Thanks for listening.

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Today, we have an inspiring guest, Munashe Masawi, whose journey from Zimbabwe to Canada is a powerful testament to discipline, commitment, adaptability, and resilience. Known as Mu by his close friends and family, his story is nothing short of inspiring.

Growing up in Zimbabwe, Mu faced numerous challenges and barriers. His mother’s courageous decision to seek a better life led her to Canada, leaving Mu and his sister behind for three years. Reuniting in Ontario at the age of 12, Mu had to navigate a completely new lifestyle. Despite the difficulties, his passion for sports, especially basketball and later football, became his guiding light.

Mu’s athletic prowess earned him a successful collegiate career at Queen's University, but his story doesn’t end there. Beyond sports, he embraced health, wellness, and fitness, continually striving for personal growth. Meeting his partner, Sav, introduced him to the world of long driving in golf, where he is making significant strides with a personal best of 416 yards.

In this episode, we delve into what high performance means to Mu, how he cultivates the conditions to pursue his best self, and the profound role spirituality plays in his life. Mu's journey is a remarkable example of what is possible when we are disciplined for greatness.

Join us as we explore the inspiring story of Munashe Masawi and uncover valuable insights on resilience, commitment, and the pursuit of excellence.

Connect with Munashi Masawi
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