This week’s episode of Flourishing Together challenges you to be true to your values. It takes a healthy dose of introspection and self-awareness to recognize when you’re not standing up for your convictions in both business and personal settings. Joe Rice, Co-founder and Managing Director of Acliviti, and long-time mentor Brian Burkhart sat down with Raman to discuss why it’s vital that you stay true to your beliefs, even when that means going against the grain.

Our first guest, Joe Rice is an alumnus of the Junto Institute and has been using the skills learned in the program to navigate his journey toward greater self-awareness. He shares his struggle with people pleasing and his desire to have greater confidence to stand up for his beliefs. Joe also discusses his belief that empowerment is the key to healthy leadership.

Next, Raman speaks with Brian Burkhart, Founder and Chief Word Guy at Square Planet. Brian has been a Junto mentor since 2013 and teaches classes on leadership communications for the institute. Brian’s new book, Stand for Something, teaches readers the value and importance of living an authentic life in harmony with core beliefs. He discusses how your beliefs dictate your actions and why it’s important that you know what you stand for.

Raman closes out the episode with a reflection on the intersection between standing up for your convictions while still being generous to others.

• [01:00] - Welcoming Junto alumnus Joe Rice
  • [02:09] - Emotion wheel
  • [03:12] - What is your first recollection of leadership?
  • [05:03] - What was behind the deep personal drive to go through the Junto Program?
  • [07:09] - How do you define healthy leadership?
  • [08:10] - What have you learned about yourself through the experience of starting your first company?
  • [10:00] - What have you learned about being a people pleaser and how are you mitigating it as you continue to build relationships?
  • [13:57] - Can you think of a recent example where you didn't succumb to pleasing someone?
  • [15:35] - How do you give your best to your personal and professional relationships?
  • [17:04] - What mental, emotional, and spiritual practices do you engage in to fuel personal growth?
  • [20:02] - Closing appreciations
• [22:20] - Welcoming Junto mentor Brian Burkhart
  • [23:33] - Emotion wheel
  • [24:06] - What is your first recollection of leadership?
  • [27:23] - What is the difference between speaking (up) and leadership?
  • [29:17] - What range of emotions have you been feeling and what's driving them?
  • [31:37] - Have you felt anger, sadness, and fear in relation to your book launch?
  • [33:15] - What did you learn from the experience of moving your company to Phoenix?
  • [35:51] - How is this experience with 100% turnover shaping you as a leader?
  • [37:38] - Stand for Something: The Power of Building a Brand People Authentically Love
  • [40:34] - Life is too long to get it wrong
  • [41:59] - How have you been bold and how has that philosophy served you well?
  • [44:39] - How has being bold served you in a leadership capacity?
  • [47:20] - Junto-centric stories in Stand for Something
  • [48:40] - Closing appreciations
• [51:17] - Closing Reflections with Raman

The Junto Institute runs a structured, designed Apprenticeship Program that is built on deep mentorship, emotional intelligence training, and teams learning together. Originating in 2012 in Chicago, IL, over 30 companies have participated in the Junto Apprenticeship program.

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This podcast episode was produced by Dante32.