Coaching Through Stories: Recent Episodes

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Ever feel like your brain is just… full? Emails ping, notifications pile up, meetings blur together, and suddenly you miss something small but important. It's not a lack of care; it's cognitive overload.

In this solo episode, Dr. Eric Bean unpacks what happens when our mental "jar" overflows. Listen as he explores how cognitive overload quietly erodes performance, decision-making, and even empathy. Through neuroscience, psychology, and practical tools, Dr. Bean reveals simple ways to reclaim focus, reduce mental fatigue, and perform at your best without burning out.

Key Takeaways:

• Understanding cognitive load: How constant task-switching, multitasking, and stress reduce your brain's capacity for clear thinking.

• The science of overload

• Inner game strategies: The Parking Lot, Mind the Margins, and Mindful Monotasking

• What high-pressure environments reveal about decision fatigue

• The real cost of mental overload

Highlights:

[00:23] What is cognitive load?

[01:02] Understanding context in performance environments

[03:10] How overload contributes to diagnostic mistakes

[06:18] What happens when working memory is maxed out

[06:55] The myth of multitasking

[08:15] How overload impacts decision-making and creativity

[10:16] Inner vs. outer game of performance

[11:12] The Parking Lot technique

[12:24] Protecting margins and mental space

[13:36] Reducing context switching and attention residue

[14:48] Pause and eliminate interruptions

[16:10] Building transition routines between meetings

[16:47] Integrating micro resets into daily habits

Resources:

• Deep Work by Cal Newport – on focus, flow, and eliminating distraction

• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman – understanding system 1 and system 2 thinking

Connect with Us:

Subscribe on [Apple Podcasts] | [Spotify]

Follow Dr. Eric Bean on [LinkedIn] and [Website]

Share your reflections or insights with #CoachingThroughStories.

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In this episode of Coaching Through Stories, Dr. Eric Bean sits down with Carrie Jones, CEO and co-founder of Mari + Gold, a San Diego–based PR, social media, and creative agency serving hospitality, tourism, and lifestyle brands.

Carrie shares her journey from growing up in Napa Valley’s hospitality world to leading a mission-driven agency that thrives on people, culture, and bold but intentional decision-making. For Carrie, bold moves aren’t reckless — they’re about clarity, courage, and aligning with your values.

You’ll hear how she reframes fear into fuel, why vulnerability creates trust, and how leaders can balance ambition with authenticity while building high-performing teams.

Key Takeaways:

• Lead with loyalty. How loyalty becomes powerful when paired with purpose.
• Use the power of pause to avoid frozen indecision.
• Why “the answer is no until you ask” is advice every young leader needs
• The “power of pause” and how it unlocks confident decision-making
• What it means to put people first without neglecting your own oxygen mask
• Measure risk by appetite and threshold
• Why complacency is creativity’s killer — and how to lean into discomfort
• Culture beats rules when it’s intentional

Highlights:

[01:33] Opening with a hard question about what’s lighting Carrie up

[03:02] Mari & Gold: niche, people-first marketing agency built from agency roots

[05:00] Three defining moments that shaped her leadership

[08:06] Loyalty with purpose, not just blindly following and doing it

[09:49] Competition framed positively: win for progress, not at the expense of culture

[11:26] Purpose shift: success now includes family, presence, and sustainable company building

[12:00] “Put your oxygen mask on first.”

[13:40] Creating an environment that drives purpose

[15:19] Work–life integration and the remote challenge

[16:25] Leadership evolution: flexibility, adaptability, and the reality of CEO responsibility

[20:41] What is the power of pause?

[24:34] Leaving stable roles to build service lines and take risky but intentional moves.

[26:08] Autonomy + clear processes + managers = confident, fast teams

[28:22] “The answer is no until you ask.”

[29:44] Money is just dollars and cents, take out the emotion

[31:41] Complacency vs. comfort: how leaning back out of fear kills creativity

[32:09] Zoom out and focus on where you put your attention and intention

[35:07] Creativity redefined

[36:42] Yes, and” culture at Mari & Gold

[38:00] Using tech as a tool for efficiency without replacing critical human thinking

[44:21] Carrie's responsibility as a CEO when it comes to culture

[47:27] Core values: Own Your Future, Partner Generously, Make It Better

[49:26] The idea of excellence

[52:28] Leadership advice to her younger self

[59:04] Identifying the non-negotiables in the calendar blocking

Learn more about Carrie Jones and Mari&Gold:

Website: https://mariandgold.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonescarrie/

Are you ready to lead with boldness and purpose?

Connect with us at HigherEchelon.com

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In this episode of Coaching Through Stories, Dr. Eric Bean sits down with Dr. Leon Moores, pediatric neurosurgeon, former U.S. Army infantry officer, and author of All Physicians Lead: Redefining Physician Leadership for Better Patient Outcomes.

Dr. Moores combines lessons from combat and the operating room to show why healthcare leadership is more than just the titles. His approach is rooted in what he calls the “three Cs” principles that shape trust, improve teamwork, and ultimately drive better outcomes for patients.

In their conversation, Dr. Moores shares the high school moment that set him on a new path, the challenges of leading in medicine, and why compassion and objectivity are not opposites but partners. He also reflects on how every physician is a leader, whether they recognize it or not, and why culture and trust are just as critical in the OR as they are on the battlefield.

Key Takeaways:

• Why every physician is a leader, regardless of title or role

• How compassion and empathy strengthen objectivity instead of weakening it

• Differences and similarities of being a leader and a surgeon

• Importance of adapting leadership styles across the clinic, OR, and boardroom

• The “three Cs” of leadership: caring, communication, and consistency

• Building psychological safety and trust in high-stakes environments

Highlights:

[01:15] From infantry officer to pediatric neurosurgeon

[03:00] Why leadership isn’t limited to those with formal titles

[05:14] A random high school moment that changed everything

[07:49] Physicians as leaders in every patient interaction

[09:56] The role of his family in the "Team First" mentality

[11:58] The emotional side of pediatric neurosurgery

[15:23] Greater comfort with emotional distance

[16:50] Having empathy and compassion without losing objectivity and skill set

[20:03] The differences and similarities between being a leader and a surgeon

[25:02] Why healthcare requires collaboration and adaptability

[30:43] The “three Cs” of leadership: caring, communication, and consistency

[33:17] “All Physicians Lead”: redefining leadership in medicine

[36:16] How culture and teamwork shape outcomes

[41:13] Improving leadership skills = Improving patient's experience and outcomes

[46:05] Things that build or break down a culture

[49:10] Influence and empathy drive the behavior of trust and confidence

[50:48] Active dismissiveness vs Passive dismissiveness

[54:56] A powerful story of persistence and teamwork in the OR

Learn more about Dr. Leon Moores:

Website: https://www.inova.org/doctors/leon-e-moores-md

Book: All Physicians Lead: Redefining Physician Leadership for Better Patient Outcomes

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leon-moores-383b651b/

Are you seeking to enhance your leadership abilities?

Contact us at HigherEchelon.com

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What does it really mean to win? For one seasoned executive and for many leaders today, it wasn’t about another title or promotion. It was about finding balance, presence, and a sustainable way to lead.

In this solo episode of Coaching Through Stories, Dr. Eric Bean shares a powerful coaching case study of a senior leader navigating the transition between peak performance and the next chapter of life. Through sports metaphors, reflection practices, and practical strategies, this client redefined success in ways that fueled not just results but also recovery, influence, and deeper relationships.

Key Takeaways:

• Why redefining success doesn’t mean losing your edge: How shifting from a “striker” mindset to a “midfielder” mindset allowed him to focus on empowering others while still driving results.

• Satisfaction as a formula: The model of satisfaction = what you have ÷ what you want. How reducing the denominator with gratitude and presence can create long-term fulfillment.

• The fear of change: Why many leaders resist redefining winning because they believe it will lose their edge.

• Using sport to reframe leadership: How soccer metaphors and coaching language helped understand delegation, patience, and reading the field in both business and life.

• Reflection rituals: Why wins often fade too fast while losses linger, and how intentional rituals of gratitude and reflection extend positive energy and build resilience.

• Naming the surge: How asking “Is this a surge or is this status quo?” created shared language for stress management and helped protect margins around sleep, exercise, and recovery.

• Shaping the new leadership perspective: Considering not only his goals but also his fears

• Navigating leadership changes: How curiosity, empathy, and proactive influence turned resistance into opportunity during multiple leadership transitions.

• Presence as practice: Why leaving his laptop at home on a family trip became a pivotal test of trust, recovery, and realignment with what matters most.

• Lasting outcomes: How this client built stronger empathy, improved decision-making, empowered his team, sustained high performance, and reshaped retirement from an endpoint into a new beginning.

Highlights:

• [1:01] The client’s background: elite athlete, coach, and seasoned executive

• [3:07] Initial goals: redefining winning and preparing for retirement

• [4:30] Satisfaction = what you have ÷ what you want

• [5:41] The fear of losing your edge

• [7:27] The soccer metaphor: From striker to midfielder

• [8:39] Making space for emotions, gratitude, compassion, and pride

• [10:14] Extending the energy of wins through reflection rituals

• [12:07] “Is this a surge or is this status quo?”

• [13:46] Focusing heavily on long-term goals leads to missing timely learning opportunities

• [15:00] Reframing leadership changes as opportunities

• [16:02] Strengthening his own credibility while creating space for the team to thrive

• [17:27] Leaving the laptop behind on a family trip

• [18:42] Outcomes: Improved presence, recovery, empathy, influence, and sustained high performance

• [20:42] Presence is a practice, not a trait

• [21:19] Retiring to something, not just from something

Resources:

• What Got You Here Won’t Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith — on why changing behaviors is essential for growth

Connect with Us:

• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify

• Follow Dr. Eric Bean on LinkedIn and Twitter

• Share your thoughts or coaching reflections with #CoachingThroughStories

"Redefining success isn’t about losing your edge—it’s about finding new ways to win that align with your values and fuel your future." — Dr. Eric Bean

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In this episode of Coaching Through Stories, Dr. Eric Bean sits down with Travis Thomas, improv performer turned elite performance coach and founder of LiveYesAnd, to unpack why confidence might be overrated and why courage is essential for true leadership.

Travis blends decades of experience in improvisational comedy and elite sports coaching to reframe leadership through presence, purpose, and courage. He shares a transformative personal story, sparked by a trampoline accident, that led him to redefine his purpose and approach to life and leadership.

Listeners will learn how to cultivate purpose-driven behavior, the mindset shift from confidence to courage, and how embracing uncertainty can fuel growth, connection, and performance. Listen and enjoy the show!

Key Takeaways:

• Why confidence is overrated and behavior matters more

• How courage builds resilient leaders and cultures

• The power of presence and the “Yes, And” mindset

• Improv as a tool for unlocking authenticity and collaboration

• How courage builds resilient leaders and cultures

Highlights:

[01:02] Meet Travis Thomas: Improv performer, leadership coach, and author

[02:48] Building LiveYesAnd and bridging improv with elite sports

[05:05] From Flint to Boston: How improv redefined Travis’ life path

[10:59] Improvisation helps people listen, connect, and train

[13:06] Courage instead of confidence

[15:10] A life-changing accident that sparked transformation

[19:52] Who are you if you strip away your title, accomplishments, and stuff?

[22:13] Travis' word for 2025: Evolve

[26:40] Authenticity vs. people-pleasing in high-stakes environments

[28:48] Choosing courage over comfort in leadership

[34:53] Improv training creates a safe space to celebrate celebrations and failure

[39:08] Why collaboration beats competition for peak performance

[42:40] Collaborative mindset vs competitive mindset

[46:53] The scarcity and abundance mindsets

[52:52] How to bring an improv mindset into your teams and culture

[01:02:16] Creating environments that reward curiosity, not control

[01:06:08] The importance of the "Yes, And" mindset

[01:13:26] Just stop, stay, and listen

[01:17:04] Consequences of consciously controlling the outcome

[01:20:13] The power of psychological safety in elite teams

[01:24:30] How can people step out of their comfort zone even if they are scared or anxious?

[01:27:36] Fear without courage is comfort.

Learn more about Travis’ book, Confidence is Overrated, and other resources:

Website: https://www.liveyesand.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/liveyesand/

X: https://x.com/LiveYesAnd

Are you interested in developing your storytelling and leadership skills? Contact us at HigherEchelon.com

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What does it take to lead a legacy business into something bigger? It’s not just about keeping things running—it’s about vision, resilience, and the courage to lead differently. That’s exactly how Mark Frisch shows up.

In this episode, Dr. Eric Bean sits down with Mark Frisch, Executive Vice President and Co-Owner of Beaver Street Fisheries, one of the largest seafood importers in the U.S. Mark shares what it’s like to lead without a formal title, navigate the complexities of family business, and drive innovation while honoring tradition. Mark’s organization, Sea Best is sponsoring the #10 car in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series. Sea Best, is the primary sponsor for 20 races this year. There are five races remaining in the 2025 sponsorship, including this weekend at Watkins Glen in NY.

Mark gets real about building influence without authority, learning from failure, and what it means to lead with conviction—especially when the stakes are personal and professional. If you're leading something that matters, this conversation will resonate.

Enjoy the episode!

Key Takeaways:

• Navigating through family dynamics, making bold decisions, and being motivated
• Leading with humility and heart
• Driving innovation in a legacy business without losing its soul
• Earning trust and influence when you don’t have the title
• How small wins build influence when you don’t have formal authority
• The importance of challenging your team, but also appreciating them
• Making bold moves—even when they don’t always land

Highlights:

[02:44] Get to know Mark and their family business

[04:25] Lessons from three generations of leadership

[08:44] Navigating resistance and dual roles in a family business

[11:16] What can I control vs what can I not control?

[13:12] Building influence through small wins and smart risks

[17:50] “You’re giving me golf swing advice, and you’ve never played golf.”

[21:53] Outwork, out-serve, and show up for your team

[25:22] Maxing out potentials, talents, and abilities

[29:27] Choosing culture amplifiers over culture vampires

[37:42] Entering the world of NASCAR – What NASCAR taught Mark about bold branding

[41:20] Creating a culture of excellence and when to go big

[46:33] Make decisions fast, even when they’re wrong vs waiting for the perfect time

[51:53] What younger Mark needed to hear: Stop being a people pleaser

[56:00] Showcasing vulnerability, authenticity, and transparency

[01:02:27] Connect with Mark and BSF

Connect with Mark Frisch and BSF:

Beaver Street Fisheries Website: https://www.beaverstreetfisheries.com/

Seab Best Website: https://seabest.com/

Mark’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-frisch-b71943358/

Explore our executive coaching, leadership development workshops, and culture assessment solutions at HigherEchelon.com

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What comes to mind when you think of someone who pushes limits—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally? Grit. Clarity of purpose. A willingness to meet fear with curiosity, not avoidance. That’s exactly who Dr. Jen Schumacher is.

Jen is a world-class mental performance coach whose work spans elite sport, the military, and academia. She’s led mental training programs at West Point and Northwestern Football, and she’s an ultra-endurance athlete who’s literally swum through her fears—once across the 21-mile Catalina Channel, at night, with sharks below.

In this episode of Coaching Through Stories with Dr. Eric Bean, Jen shares how that swim became a turning point—a living lab for the tools she now teaches others. Together, they explore the role of fear, preparation, and self-talk in performance. You’ll hear how discomfort can become a gateway to confidence, and how personal growth often mirrors professional growth in powerful ways.

Whether you’re pursuing a bold goal, facing uncertainty, or simply curious about the mental side of high performance—this conversation is full of insight and inspiration.

Key Takeaways:

• Fear can be trained for—not just tolerated; the power of fear statements and how to create them

• How to ground yourself in purpose before a challenge

• How physical preparation supports mental readiness

• Reflection fuels growth—especially after setbacks: reframing fear through education, routines, and self-talk

• Use your life as a performance lab

Highlights:

[2:21] Jen’s journey from athlete to elite mental performance coach

[5:55] Why she returned to open water swimming and how it shaped her career

[8:04] Treating marathon swimming as a mental performance lab

[12:11] What is marathon swimming?

[14:20] Fear of sharks and how it mirrors other performance fears

[17:11] Keys to navigate fear

[19:14] “The shark you see isn’t the one you need to worry about.”

[20:05] More of fear statements that help Jen with marathon swimming

[24:50] Why mental rehearsal is critical for game-day performance

[28:43] Swimming with a Galapagos shark and putting fear training to the test

[33:16] The mindset of being self-competitive

[37:15] How to respond and manage failure?

[43:52] The skill of dealing with failure

[47:28] At the core of Jen's high-performance philosophy

[52:38] Great leadership is doing what is required for you in that moment

[55:18] A Reflection piece is an important part for high performers

[01:00:27] Being authentic and stretching your comfort zone when you are the only woman in the room

[01:04:50] Attributes necessary to be a great coach or business leader

[01:10:14] Reasons why taking credit for things taken for granted is important:

[01:10:23] Reason #1: It helps build our confidence

[01:10:48] Reason #2: It is easy to remember big wins. Give yourself credit for small wins.

[01:12:11] What is the reset routine?

[01:17:22] Difference between a coach and a consultant

Connect with Jen Schumacher:

Website: https://www.jenschumacher.com/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-schumacher-25b967b5/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenschumacher

At HigherEchelon, we believe mental performance isn't just for elite athletes—it's for anyone striving to lead, grow, and perform at a higher level. If today’s episode sparked something in you, and you're ready to strengthen your mindset, lead with purpose, or build a high-performing culture, our team is here to help.

Explore our executive coaching, leadership development workshops, and culture assessment solutions at HigherEchelon.com

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Purpose isn’t just a buzzword – it's the driving force that powers motivation, builds resilience, and amplifies impact. In this episode of Coaching Through Stories, Dr. Eric Bean dives deep into the meaning and application of purpose, not just as a concept but as a leadership strategy. He explores how leaders can tap into multiple sources of motivation by anchoring work, even the smallest tasks, in a compelling, long-term mission.

Through research and powerful stories like the 17th century, London bricklayers and President Kennedy’s NASA visit during the Space Race, Dr. Bean illustrates how purpose empowers leaders and teams to see beyond tasks and connect with a bigger mission. He offers practical strategies for discovering your “why,” aligning it with your leadership and infusing it into everyday decisions.

Whether searching for more meaning in your work or looking to spark purpose within your team, this conversation will equip you with insight and tools to lead with intention.

Key Takeaways:

• Why perspective matters: How three bricklayers building the same wall saw vastly different meaning in their work—and why you should ask your team “What are you doing?”

• Connecting every role to a grand mission: Lessons from a NASA janitor who saw broom‑sweeping as part of getting a man on the moon.

• The science of meaningful work: Research showing links between purpose, job satisfaction, engagement, and lower burnout.

• Defining your leadership purpose: A clear, evidence‑backed definition and a simple exercise to craft your own “why” in 20 words or less.

• Three levels of impact (Aaron Hurst): Individual contributions, organizational change, and societal transformation—and how to find your sweet spot.

• Purpose‑driven strategies: Embedding purpose in decisions, contests (think PepsiCo’s “Performance with Purpose”), storytelling, rituals, and recognition.

• Empowering your team: Practical tips for helping employees see how daily tasks feed a larger mission (Adam Grant’s call‑center study, and more).

Highlights:

• [0:59] The story of the bricklayers and how perspective shapes purpose

• [3:22] The NASA janitor and the power of connecting small tasks to grand missions

• [4:43] High levels of meaningful work = High levels of job satisfaction, commitment, and engagement

• [5:37] Defining purpose as a long-term, meaningful goal that impacts others

• [9:08] Aaron Hurst’s three levels of impact

• [11:26] Write down your leadership purpose

• [13:01] Turning purpose into action: leadership decisions, values, and communication

• [14:43] “Performance with a Purpose” from Indra Nooyi and PepsiCo

• [16:12] Leveraging storytelling to inspire team alignment

• [17:52] How can we help our team connect to a shared purpose

• [19:03] Adam Grant’s famous study on call center motivation and meaningful work

• [20:03] Infusing purpose into your leadership

Resources:

• Learn more about Aaron Hurst’s research on purpose in the workplace: imperative.com

• Michael F. Steger et al., “Measuring Meaningful Work”: Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes

• Indra Nooyi’s “Performance with Purpose”: PepsiCo’s sustainability & social responsibility framework

• Adam Grant’s study on meaningful work: [Organizational Behavior Journal]

Connect with Us

• Subscribe on Apple Podcasts | Spotify

• Follow on Twitter and LinkedIn

• Share your leadership purpose with #CoachingThroughStories

“Leading with purpose isn’t about prescribing meaning—it’s about inviting others to see the mission in every moment.”

— Dr. Eric Bean

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In this episode of Coaching Through Stories, Dr. Eric Bean sits down with Andrea Sampson, TED-trained speaker coach and founder of Talk Boutique, to explore the art and science of storytelling.

Andrea has spent decades helping scientists, leaders, and change-makers turn data and insight into stories that shift minds and spark action. From shaping global TEDx stages to guiding organizations through change, Andrea reframes storytelling not just as a tool but as a leadership mindset. She breaks down how stories create alignment, bridge the head and the heart, and help teams navigate uncertainty and resistance.

Listeners will learn how to build compelling narratives rooted in purpose, how stories activate empathy and trust, and why everyone can learn to wield stories as a transformative leadership skill.

Key Takeaways:

• Why storytelling is a mindset, not a tactic
• The science behind neuro-coupling and how the story makes your message stick
• How to turn abstract data into emotionally resonant ideas
• Storytelling as a tool for managing change and building value-aligned cultures

Highlights:

[02:24] Stories are part of who we are

[03:49] Why storytelling is more than a tactic

[05:11] Andrea’s origin story: from global advertising executive to TEDx speaker, coach, and founder of Talk Boutique

[10:41] The power of values alignment

[11:25] Understanding the difference between a value and a need

[14:17] How the expert mindset and change-maker mindset both limit impact without storytelling

[15:50] The magic of blending data with emotion

[18:49] Why effective leaders must become professional communicators

[19:49] How to identify your core leadership idea and consistently communicate it

[22:30] Using stories to reduce conflict, clarify purpose, and see commonalities

[24:59] Overcoming resistance to storytelling

[35:28] Why not just tell a metaphor?

[42:45] "Be inside that story."

[44:23] Creating a tension point in storytelling

[49:35] Importance of storytelling at the organizational level

[56:54] There is no such thing as continuity of leadership

[01:01:22] Storytelling to enhance people's comfort with change

[01:02:37] The “mythology” of organizations: Why honoring your past helps you lead people into a shared vision of the future

[01:03:57] Connect with Andrea Sampson

Learn more about storytelling with Andrea's toolkit by visiting their

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@talk.boutique

Website: https://talkboutique.com/

Are you interested in developing your storytelling and leadership skills? Contact us at HigherEchelon.com

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What comes to mind when you think of some of your favorite leaders—those who’ve truly inspired you? Purpose, presence, self-awareness, and care. Leaders who see you as more than your competency but for your character. That description fits today’s guest perfectly.

In the first episode of Season 7 of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, Dr. Eric Bean sits down with Certified Mental Performance Consultant, Alex Hodgins. Alex works with elite athletes in the NHL, Olympic sports, and corporate leadership. Known for his humility, curiosity, and commitment to human excellence, Alex pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to perform—and lead—at the highest level.

Drawing from his experiences with the Vancouver Canucks, Canadian Ski Cross, and the Canadian Women’s National Soccer Team, Alex shares a defining story of how a mentor once told him, “I hired you for your character, not your competence.” That moment set the tone for a career built on authenticity, service, and continuous learning.

This conversation explores how we can create the psychological space for growth, balance high performance with vulnerability, and help people become the best version of themselves—not just the best performers.

Key Takeaways:

• Lead with character: Why who you are matters more than what you know.

• Permission to grow: How authenticity and curiosity fuel long-term excellence.

• Why showing up imperfectly can be a catalyst for real progress.

• How to build safe environments for learning and exploration.

Highlights:

[03:41] What does excellence mean to Alex

[07:28] His origin story that shaped his values and philosophy

[15:20] Creating a space to explore and grow

[29:39] The importance of leadership support in any field

[32:08] What is at the core of Alex's high-performance philosophy?

[37:20] Finding the balance between time pressure, understanding, and supporting people

[43:44] Transforming "dirty fuel" (like anger) into focused, clean energy for high performance

[54:38] Having a growth mindset and delivering team dynamics

[01:01:45] Finding the balance of cohesion and competition within the team

[01:10:17] The parallels between the business environment and leaders and coaches

[01:20:47] Real art and science of knowledge, coaching, and leadership

[01:13:07] The BEAR necessities: Breathe, Eating, Activation, and Reflection

Looking to grow in your leadership? Schedule a complimentary consultation with our Professional Certified Coaches and Certified Mental Performance Consultants at HigherEchelon.com

• HigherEchelon.com - https://www.higherechelon.com/human-capital-solutions/executivecoaching/

Connect with Alex:

• LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhodgins

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When you think of some of your favorite leaders, leaders who've inspired you, what characteristics come to mind? Typically, people want leaders who are purposeful, curious, self-aware, present, engaged, and caring. Your favorite leaders tend to care about you as a person, not just a number. Our guest today – is all of those and more.

In this last episode of season 6 in Coaching Through Stories, Dr. Eric Bean speaks with PharmaPoint’s CEO, Mike Plaia about navigating leadership challenges through bold decisions and resilient mindset shifts.

Mike Plaia, is a seasoned leader with over 30 years of experience in business and leadership. As the CEO of PharmaPoint, a technology-driven, pharmacy management company, Mike has overseen its recognition as one of the fastest-growing private companies and an industry leader in healthcare innovation. Previously, he co-founded Source Medical, the largest provider of IT solutions for ambulatory surgery centers, and Industriaplex, an Inc. 500-ranked company. Mike also spent time at General Electric, leading initiatives in acquisition integration and Six Sigma.

A graduate of West Point, Mike served in the U.S. Army as a Field Artillery Officer, earning multiple commendations. Outside of business, he’s passionate about mentoring youth through sports and serves on several community boards, including Rise Above and gotURback, both focused on supporting local initiatives.

In today’s episode, Mike shares his experiences from West Point, the military, and leading high-growth companies, emphasizing the importance of taking risks and stepping out of comfort zones. He reflects on how failure is a necessary part of success and the critical role of trust and compassion in leadership.

You will gain practical insights into managing fear, building resilient teams, and fostering a culture where both success and failure are embraced as part of growth. Listeners will leave this episode feeling motivated to be bold and take on new challenges.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of boldness and embracing discomfort to achieve growth

• How to build trust and compassion as a leader

• Why failure is essential to long-term success and development

• The value of journaling leadership lessons and learning from both good and bad examples

• Strategies for balancing mental toughness with support and empathy in leadership roles

Highlights:

• [6:00] Mike's journey from West Point to leading high-growth companies

• [10:24] The significance of bold decisions and taking risks

• [14:40] Embracing failure and building resilience in leadership

• [16:46] Trust, compassion, and accountability in leadership

• [23:19] Key leadership lessons from journaling and reflection

• [43:56] Why you need the “keep going” mentality

• [51:16] How Mike evolved as a leader

Resources:

The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt - https://www.amazon.com/Anxious-Generation-Rewiring-Childhood-Epidemic/dp/0593655036

PharmaPoint - www.pharmapoint.com

Connect with Mike Plaia on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-plaia-676b71/

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Whether you’re a new or seasoned leader, it’s universal to experience the challenges that come with balancing competing demands and priorities of an organization. In this episode of Coaching Through Stories, Dr. Eric Bean takes listeners through the art of balancing support and challenge as a leader. He explores the importance of adaptability, focusing on the mental flexibility required to navigate leadership’s paradoxes like stability or innovation and be nurturing or drive results. Dr. Bean helps leaders understand paradoxical leadership, addresses the challenges that arise, and offers practical strategies to develop both supportive and challenging leadership styles.

Listeners will gain valuable tools for building adaptive leadership frameworks, incorporating active listening, and finding creative ways to blend structure with flexibility in their teams.

Key Takeaways:

• How to embrace both supportive and challenge to create a more dynamic and responsive leadership approach

• The three key components of adaptability in leadership

• Instead of “or” use “and” thinking

• How to develop mental flexibility and respond to paradoxes in leadership

• Active listening as the foundation for understanding and supporting your team

• Balancing short-term goals and long-term vision thinking in leadership decisions

Highlights:

• [0:06] The balance between being supportive and challenging

• [1:36] Three main components of adaptability

• [2:10] Developing mental flexibility

• [3:04] The paradox of leadership

• [3:31] Causes of paradoxical challenges in leadership

• [5:56] Active listening as a core leadership skill

• [9:35] Finding creative ways to balance structure and flexibility

• [12:16] Balancing short-term and long-term thinking

Resources:

Episode #49: Unlocking the Power of Adaptability with Ross Thornley - https://open.spotify.com/episode/6unpfrEdrFHTM2XCB66vFJ?si=EmPWsD2CSfmKZA1XNQF8xg

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In this special episode of Coaching Through Stories, Siana Sylvester steps in as co-host alongside Dr. Eric Bean to welcome guest Nicole Bean.

Together, they dive into Nicole’s impressive career journey from pharmaceutical sales to becoming Head of Oncology Marketing. Nicole shares her experiences of personal and professional growth, revealing how she transitioned from a road warrior to a corporate leader while constantly striving to make a bigger impact in healthcare. The episode highlights her leadership philosophy, the challenges of imposter syndrome, and how she fosters a psychologically safe environment for her team.

Key Points:

1. Nicole’s journey from pharmaceutical sales to oncology marketing
2. Leadership insights: empowering teams, fostering collaboration, and creating psychological safety
3. Overcoming imposter syndrome and external criticisms
4. The value of retrospectives for continuous team improvement

Episode Highlights:

•[6:20] Nicole’s background and transition into healthcare

•[9:35] The challenges of moving from a field role to a corporate setting

•[13:35] Leadership lessons: creating a safe space for teams

•[6:44] The value of listening and connecting to your team

•[5:40] Delegating leadership while maintaining individual contributions

•[6:00] DISC assessment: Navigating different leadership styles in the workplace

•[4:25] Cross-departmental collaboration and building coalitions

•[1:02:29] Managing workplace criticism and personal growth through retrospectives

Resources:

•How Women Rise by Sally Helgesen-https://www.amazon.com/How-Women-Rise-Holding-Promotion/dp/0316440124

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In this episode, host Dr. Eric Bean sits down with Andy Riise, Director of Mental Performance and Leadership for the Chicago Bears, to dive into the mental and emotional strategies that separate elite performers from the rest. With years of experience as a mental performance coach in professional sports and the military, Andy shares how training the mind is as crucial as training the body. He unpacks the intangible qualities of leadership and explores the intersection of high performance and joy.

Listen in as Andy reveals how to navigate ego interference, practice courageous conflict, and build resilience in high-pressure environments.

Key Takeaways:

• Developing the intangible attributes of leadership

• The critical elements of mental and emotional performance

• Navigating ego and staying grounded

• The art of courageous conflict in leadership

• Being intentional in everything that you do

Highlights:

•[12:07] How can leaders develop these intangible attributes of leadership?

•[20:34] Training your mind like training your body

•[23:52] The critical elements of high performance when it comes to mental and emotional stance

•[27:32] The ego interference and how to navigate it

•[34:33] The art of courageous conflict

•[35:39] Can high performance and joy co-exist?

•[42:57] What’s Andy’s role in supporting his team and players?

•[1:02:51] Goal setting and how to drive consistency?

For More of Andy:

•Check out Andy on: https://linktr.ee/coachriise

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How do you respond when the pressure is on?

Pressure can cloud judgment and derail performance, turning high-stakes situations into overwhelming challenges. And you need the right mindset to avoid being daunted by it.

In this solo episode of Coaching Through Stories, host Dr. Eric Bean examines the art of leading with poise under pressure. Drawing from psychology and leadership principles, Dr. Bean explores why stress often leads leaders to close off. He delves into the power of loss aversion, which can overshadow the pursuit of gains.

Through thoughtful insights, he guides listeners on how to shift their mindset from seeing threats to recognizing opportunities, and how to actively focus on what can be controlled.

Key Takeaways:

• Performing and leading with poise under pressure
• Understanding why leaders become close-minded under stress
• The power of loss aversion versus the pursuit of gains
• Introduction to "pressure training" and strategies you need to know to minimize pressure

Highlights:

• [2:33] The power of loss aversion
• [4:22] Enhancing poise under pressure
• [9:11] Minimizing the effects of pressure on performance
• [12:15] Distinguishing between consequence and risk
• [14:33] Shifting from threat to opportunity
• [16:32] Focusing on what you can and cannot control

Resources:

Performing Under Pressure The Science of Doing Your Best When It Matters the Most by Hendrie Weisinger - Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When It Matters Most

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In today’s Coaching Through Stories episode, Dr. Eric Bean is joined by one of his favorite people, Zach Brandon, the Head of Mental Performance and Coach Development with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Zach is in his sixth season leading the mental performance department for players, coaches, and staff with the Arizona Diamondbacks. In his role, he also assists the front office and leadership staff with coach development initiatives. He also provides customized coaching and workshops to performers and organizations through his personal company, MVP Mindset Consulting.

Within the first few minutes of this conversation, Zach talks about his main motivation is to help people be the best version of themselves. A lot is covered in today’s episode including, Zach’s framework of high performance that includes 3 overarching components. First is the mind and being able to not only manage but also leverage our thoughts, emotions, and attention. The second piece is the body which for Zach includes our ability to accept when we’re not feeling 100% but having the courage to step in the arena anyway with the self-belief that what you do in this moment is enough and is good enough to compete. And the final prong of his framework is spirit which includes awareness of your mission, your values, and your purpose. And that’s just one of many great lessons Zach shares throughout our conversation.

You will learn how elite performers can accept when they're not feeling 100% and have developed strategies to navigate these uncomfortable moments. In moments of doubt, elite performers muster the courage to step into the arena with the self-belief that what they do in the given moment is enough, despite not feeling their best. This conversation will leave you feeling inspired to take on challenges even when failure is possible.

Key Takeaways:

• Can you have joy and fulfillment alongside high performance?

• Three things to look out for in order to get the most out of your body

• The willingness and readiness to go deeper

• The idea of “quick fixes” and how to work against that

Highlights:

[9:38] Is elite performance and personal joy at odds with each other?

[17:55] Informational vs Educational vs Transformation

[26:07] Zach’s philosophy to high performance

[31:31] The mind being the “surface layer”

[35:01] The disconnect between knowing and doing

[46:38] Simulating the external and internal environment

[53:52] The detrimental effects of sabotaging your own confidence and well being

[58:11] The gap and the gain mindset

[1:06:59] How to shift the mindset of an entire organization?

Resources:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-brandon-40169573/

• The Gap and The Gain by Dan Sullivan: https://www.amazon.com/Gap-Gain-Achievers-Happiness-Confidence/dp/1401964362

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Jim Lemming, CEO and owner of Partners in Building and Houston-based industry veteran, joins us for a candid conversation. With a strong foundation in business management, Jim brings a wealth of experience in home construction, renovations, and residential budgets.

In this episode, Jim takes us on a personal journey, sharing insights into leadership, the homebuilding industry, and the entrepreneurial spirit. Jim details how early in his career he worked for a small home building company in Northern California and when a leadership development opportunity was proposed to him, he jumped at the bit. He goes on to share that he entered into this program as a confident, cocky, egotistical, successful young man to realizing how little he really knew about other people, their experiences, and the way they view the world. He became an empathetic, understanding, and open leader. Jim goes onto share how this experience served as a launching pad for him to become the leader he is today.

In our conversation Jim shares how he built his company and from the moment he took the leap and how he hires for excellence, and works to get the best out of his people without sacrificing engagement and buy-in. Jim has an incredible balance of a leader who is driven and committed to achieving lofty goals, and yet caring with a people-first mentality.

Join us to learn from someone who has put in the work to develop his knowledge in all aspects of his business and as a leader.

Key Takeaways:

• The power of seeing things from different angles
• How your mindset can transform your leadership style
• Building a solid foundation for business growth
• Cultivating entrepreneurial habits and values
• The incredible impact of referrals and accountability

Highlights:

• [5:17] Jim’s personal and professional journey

• [11:29] The game-changing impact of diverse perspectives

• [11:55] How a shift in perspective transformed Jim’s leadership

• [13:51] The mindset and guts it takes to take the plunge
• [17:09] Essential first steps in building a business
• [23:00] Establishing core values and routines
• [26:22] Identifying and nurturing entrepreneurial talent
• [38:51] The magic of referrals in business growth
• [44:09] The importance of delivering results

Resources:

• Partners In Building - https://partnersinbuilding.com/

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This solo episode explores how the way we see things (our perspective) affects everything from our daily interactions to big decisions and relationships. We'll look at how optimists and pessimists view the world differently, the difficulty of seeing things from another's point of view, and how we learn to understand the world around us.

Today we go beyond just positive thinking. We'll discuss the idea of focusing on growth instead of just avoiding mistakes, and how finding meaning beyond ourselves can make a big difference.

Join us to learn how these strategies can help empower you to overcome challenges and approach life with a fresh outlook.

Key Takeaways:

1. Perspective influences our daily interactions, decision-making, and relationships.
2. The significance of the ability to see things from different angles.
3. Insights from the social learning theory.
4. The importance of gap vs. gain thinking.
5. Finding purpose beyond oneself.
6. Perspective beyond short term results

Highlights:

• [01:50] The power of perspective
• [02:52] How perspective influences our daily interactions, decision-making, and relationships
• [03:20] Optimistic vs. pessimistic viewpoints
• [06:53] The lack of ability to see things from a different angle
• [07:33] The social learning theory
• [13:38] The gap vs. the gain thinking
• [18:22] Purpose beyond ourselves
• [20:57] Pursue mastery, not results
• [22:00] Failures and success are just an illusion

Resources:

• The Gap and the Gain by Dan Sullivan
• Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy

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Sanyin Siang, an expert in leadership and a practitioner of what she calls a portfolio career, joins us in this episode. Wearing multiple hats, Sanyin aids leaders in optimizing their unique strengths and creating super teams for next-level success.

Throughout our conversation, Sanyin shares insights on how to navigate imposter syndrome, transition from manager to leader, and the profound impact of the stories we tell ourselves. She also discusses the parallels between leadership and parenting, emphasizing that parenting is indeed an act of leadership. Join us for an enriching discussion packed with valuable leadership lessons and personal growth strategies, as Sanyin imparts wisdom from her extensive experience.

Key Takeaways:

1. Overcoming feelings of imposter syndrome
2. Transitioning from manager to leader for individual contributors
3. The power of the stories we tell ourselves
4. Parenting as a form of leadership

Highlights:

• [5:09] Sanyin’s life updates: current role, passion, and interest
• [17:00] Drawing on diversity
• [20:39] Building a sense of belonging in group settings while being a bridger
• [23:33] Easing leaders' imposter syndrome
• [36:26] The importance of having goals and objectives
• [41:32] Taking the time to get to know your people
• [56:22] The need for experts with deep domain knowledge to step up and lead
• [59:47] Leadership through parenting
• [1:02:25] Moving forward together as a team

For More of Sanyin:

• Sanyin’s Newsletter: https://leadershipplaybook.substack.com/
• Sanyin’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanyin
• Website: www.teamsanyin.com

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As we kick off our sixth season, we are joined by Derin McMains who goes by DMac. Derin McMains is a Mental Performance Coach to some of the highest performing athletes, teams, and business executives in the world. The former professional baseball player and manager began working in the mental performance space in 2012.

Over the past 12 years, he has built out mental performance programs for the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and the University of Notre Dame. He continues to work in professional baseball as a mental performance consultant with the Arizona Diamondbacks. This season with the Diamondbacks will mark his 24th year in professional baseball. In addition to his work in professional baseball, he consults with professional athletes in the NFL, MLS, and professional Tennis. In 2021, he began to take the lessons he’s learned from sports into the corporate space. He's currently the Director of Mental Performance at ReliaQuest. ReliaQuest is a global cybersecurity company headquartered in Tampa, Florida that protects some of the largest corporations in the world. Derin McMains is the Director of Mental Performance at ReliaQuest. The former professional baseball player and manager began working in mental performance in 2012. He has built out mental performance programs with the San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, and the University of Notre Dame. He currently consults with athletes in the NFL and MLS, in addition to consulting with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

In today’s episode, DMac connects the worlds of sport and business, discussing the overlaps and separations between the two industries. In this powerful discussion, DMac shares how you can use the power of mindset to perform your best when it matters the most. Join us as we kickoff our sixth season and get ready to be indulged with great stories and valuable insights on coaching, leadership, and growth.

Key Takeaways:

1. Learn how undisciplined strengths can become our weaknesses
2. Learn how to reframe your view of failure. Do you fear failure or do you fear what people will say about your failure?
3. Focusing just on the results and the things you can't control hurts performance
4. Define the standards of high performance
5. How Mental Performance Coaches are an extension of the CEO when working in the business world
6. Learn how the five love languages apply to better understanding your athletes or people who report to you
7. The difference between athletic coaching and leaders in business
8. We limit ourselves to stories that we tell ourselves.
9. It's important to have a coach or people that you trust who can help you read the label
10. If you want to do things that you are proud of, you need to do the hard things
11. Reflecting on experience is the best teacher.

Highlights:

• [07:40] What sparked DMac’s journey into reexamining his goals
• [16:42] Gaining control and aligning with our goals
• [20:32] Transitioning from a player to a coach
• [24:37] Trusting the process and shifting your values
• [28:49] What holds people back from reaching their potential
• [32:00] Overcoming the fear of public perception
• [35:54] DMac’s role as Director of Mental Performance
• [40:08] The parallels and distinctions between sports and business
• [45:57] The importance of senior leadership
• [48:08] Getting an all-star performance from bench players
• [54:20] Advice to struggling new managers
• [58:35] Distancing oneself from the results
• [01:02:09] Taking care of yourself

For More of DMac:

• LinkedIn: Derin McMains, CMPC
• Instagram: @dmac_mindset
• Podcast: No Show Dogs: Powered by ReliaQuest

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As the curtain falls on our fifth season, we're shaking things up with a Q&A episode. In this episode, Dr. Eric Bean and Certified Mental Performance Consultant, Siana Sylvester will answer questions from listeners. Together they share their valuable insights on executive coaching, stress, flow, and silence. So, join us as we delve into these topics and persist on our path toward achieving high performance.

Key Takeaways:

1. We need truth-tellers in our lives.
2. Stress management is a team sport. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help.
3. Silence doesn’t always have to be bad.

Highlights:

• [04:10] When should you consider getting a coach?
• [06:16] A mentor vs. a coach
• [09:48] The Coaching Industry: Navigating through the Wild West
• [17:48] Knowing the difference between counseling and coaching
• [21:41] What to expect in coaching and measuring its effectiveness
• [34:05] Coping with stress and deadlines
• [44:45] Remote work: Getting into deep work and connecting with your company
• [01:01:45] Understanding the value of silence

References:

• Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World by Cal Newport

For More of Dr. Eric:

• Website: www.higherechelon.com
• E-mail: eric.bean@higherechelon.com
• LinkedIn: Eric Bean, Ph.D.
• Instagram: @ericbeanphd

For More from Siana Sylvester:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sianasylvester/

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We tend to look at change from a linear rather than an exponential perspective. This point of view often leads to the feeling of anxiety and being overwhelmed by the change around us. This episode features Ross Thornley, the CEO and co-founder of AQai, a community of adaptability coaches aiming to transform how people and organizations adapt to change. Moreover, Ross is an author and keynote speaker on adaptability and the future of work.

In this insightful episode, Ross helps us comprehend how fast change is happening and emphasizes the concept of viewing change exponentially. He also delves into AQai’s vision and assessment, the process of unlearning, and how organizations become adaptable. So, join us as we look at change from a new standpoint and prepare ourselves to adapt to the changes brought about by this new year.

Key Takeaways:

1. Most people overestimate what they can achieve in a year and underestimate what they can achieve in ten years.
2. We can completely be at peace or be overwhelmed. It is the choice of which one you want to be in the driving seat.
3. Any collapse is a failure to adapt.

Highlights:

• [04:10] AQai and its vision
• [05:53] The threat of shifting roles and navigating through it
• [12:37] Understanding the rate of change
• [20:43] Looking at change exponentially
• [24:13] What led Ross to innovation and adaptability
• [30:20] AQai and the concept of adaptability
• [39:08] Ways to be more adaptable
• [46:50] Dealing with the challenges of unlearning and building tolerance
• [52:11] Adaptability in organizations
• [01:03:30] Building the adaptability quotient
• [01:11:03] The concept of unique ability

References:

• Adapting to Turbulence: AQ Insights from the OpenAI Leadership Shift by Ross Thornley
• Decoding AQ - Your Greatest Super Power by Ross Thornley

For More of Ross:

• Website: aqai.io
• LinkedIn: Ross Thornley, MABP

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In this episode, discover how high-achievers explore self-compassion with Dr. Shannon Baird. The conversation explores finding balance between ambition and self-care, offering practical tips for cultivating a compassionate mindset amid ambitious pursuits.

Dr. Baird emphasizes acknowledging personal limits while striving for success, providing valuable lessons for those seeking the perfect blend of achievement and self-compassion.

Dr. Baird earned her Ph. D. at the University of Iowa in Sport Psychology after earning a masters and bachelors in Kinesiology. Dr. Baird has over 20 years of applied experiences; more than a decade of which has focused entirely on the Military. In addition to her applied experiences, Dr. Baird is an invited lecturer, keynote presenter, and published author. She currently lives in Washington State with her wife and dog where she actively pursues her dream of running the Big Foot 200.

Those of you who know Dr. Baird, will soon see that this episode is a true and accurate, albeit PG, expression of Shannon. Those of you who don’t know her might be uncomfortable with how open and transparent she is. In our episode we go deep in exploring the origins of her struggles with self-compassion, how some early experiences ingrained values that on the surface are admirable but when taken to the extreme landed her in the hospital… and not just once, and how self-compassion is not only a tool for her but an important tool for the elite warfighters she works with. Take a deep breath. Let go. And enjoy the authenticity of Dr. Shannon Baird.

Key Takeaways:

1. Stories are the foundation of our self-identities.
2. Understanding the boundaries of sacrifice.
3. Finding a way to not let the "bully" drive the bus.
4. How do we embody self-worth, and how do we get there?
5. Building your conscious awareness.
6. The importance of making data-informed decisions not data-determined decisions

Highlights:

• [5:04] Getting to know Dr. Shannon Baird
• [7:03] Forging relationships that are surrounded by trust
• [16:56] Sacrifice can be glorified in so many ways.
• [24:21] What is it like to live on the edge?
• [40:10] Dr. Shannon's philosophy on performance, excellence, and the education of psychological skills
• [46:47] Relying on implementations and intentions
• [53:07] How does Dr. Shannon help high-performers build a more robust mental framework through her frameworks?
• [58:04] The ability to understand your internal environment

Resources:

• Dr. Shannon Baird LinkedIn

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In this Coaching Through Stories episode, Dr. Eric Bean delves into a profound exploration of Tragic Optimism, challenging the idea that life's tragedies and optimism are mutually exclusive. Through thoughtful reflection, he reveals the ability to simultaneously acknowledge and embrace both elements. Dr. Bean shares insights on navigating the delicate equilibrium between despair and hope in our experiences. Additionally, he explores concepts such as cognitive defusion, tragic optimism, and the pursuit of self-improvement.

Join us for this insightful conversation as we navigate the nuanced terrain of embracing both tragedy and optimism in our life's journey.

Key Takeaways:

1. Creating space for two things can be true at once reduces anxiety
2. When we foster self-acceptance we do not rely on societal expectations and validation from others
3. Explore some examples of two things can be true, examine how embracing them can positively influence our life as individuals, team members, and leaders.

Highlights:

• [1:40] The concept of cognitive defusion
• [4:23] Examples of how two things can be true
• [6:13] Be mindful of the words used, "but."
• [8:16] As a leader, you must set high standards for yourself and your team members.
• [8:53] Understanding our team members' strengths and weaknesses
• [18:09] Cultivating a purpose can inspire us to pursue something meaningful and impactful.
• [19:53] What is tragic optimism?

Resources:

• Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy

• ACT Made Simple by Russ Harris

• Master of Change by Brad Stulberg

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As humans, it is our nature to dwell on our deficiencies. We focus on what we are missing and our shortfalls rather than appreciate the positive reality we are in. This behavior is what leads us to the sign that says Welcome to Sucksville. Today, we are with Dr. Brehtt McCabe, the Sports and Performance Psychologist for the University of Alabama Athletic Department and a trusted resource for amateur, collegiate, and professional golfers. Drawing on his experience as a champion athlete and his clinical training as a psychologist, he guides competitors in overcoming persistent challenges and crafting winning strategies in their chosen fields.

Today, he sits with us and shares his insights on breaking free from Sucksville. Dr. McCabe discusses the nature of people to crave competition and look for validation due to pressure. He also talks about success and believing in ourselves and stresses the value of acceptance. This episode is brimming with insights drawn from Dr. Brehtt's extensive coaching experience. Come along with us, and let's delve into yet another insightful episode.

Key Takeaways:

1. Use experience as a learning laboratory and not a validation.
2. Competition is a window and not a mirror. It is a window to look at who you are, not a reflection of what you are missing.
3. Support your team after they fail and coach them hard after they win.
4. Flow with what shows up rather than reaching for what is not there.

Highlights:

• [03:27] Dr. Brehtt's work background

• [09:10] What shifted Dr. Brehtt's view on performance

• [21:05] Believing in yourself vs. seeking validation

• [27:15] Dr. Brehtt's success formula

• [29:58] Detaching from the need for validation

• [36:03] Being intrinsically motivated in the world of sports

• [38:28] Getting stuck in Suckville

• [42:38] Expectations: Living in a fantasy

• [45:45] Opening up about the yips and other challenges

• [54:06] How to kick anxiety's ass

• [01:00:39] About doubting yourself and seeking approval

• [01:06:30] Going with the flow and savoring the moments

• [01:11:06] Success in Dr. Brehtt's viewpoint

References:

• Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment by Robert Wright
• Break Free From Suckville: How a Simple Mental Change Will Spark Your Performance by Dr. Brehtt McCabe
• Kick Anxiety's Ass: Take Control of the Uncontrollable Force in Your Life by Dr. Brehtt McCabe

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How do you deal when someone approaches you with a problem? Do you tend to jump straight into a solution? In this eye-opening episode, we are with licensed clinical and high-performance psychologist Dr. Jonathan Fader, and we delve into the importance of understanding the person to address their situation. Dr. Fader is the co-founder and director of Union Square Practice and SportStrata, a company dedicated to offering sports and performance coaching services across different fields. He is also a keynote speaker, media personality, and author of Life As Sport, a book on the psychology of peak performance.

He dedicates himself to assisting diverse audiences in understanding how to implement the principles of performance psychology in their personal lives and professional pursuits. In today’s episode, he emphasizes the importance of demonstrating empathy and understanding in counseling. He also delves into the power of motivational interviewing, reflective listening, and modeling to help others with their problems.

Key Takeaways:

1. People have to know you care before they care what you know.
2. If people feel good about who they are, they perform better.
3. Ask yourself, “Is what you are saying right now for yourself or the person listening?”
4. What we bring into relationships is more within our control than that of others.

Highlights:

• [03:37] What helps people find their best self
• [06:49] The art of finding the answers within
• [08:48] Looking into Dr. Fader’s multifaceted work
• [10:50] What changed Dr. Fader’s perception of counseling
• [16:00] Dealing with the pressure to perform
• [18:32] Finding the balance between caring and not caring
• [22:57] Dr. Fader’s origin story
• [29:16] Core principles of uncovering one’s best self
• [31:46] Dealing with the challenge of pretending not to know
• [34:47] Learning the process of motivational interviewing
• [38:28] Being patient through the process
• [41:38] Finding calm under pressure
• [49:05] Approaching people who struggle with empathy
• [54:07] The importance of self-awareness and looking inward
• [58:26] Society’s significant shift into finding meaning and purpose
• [01:03:36] Living horizontally vs. vertically
• [01:06:01] Finding gratitude in life

References:

• Life as Sport: What Top Athletes Can Teach You about How to Win in Life by Jonathan Fader

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How should we value achievement? Is it worth prioritizing to the extent that we compromise our wholeness? This insightful episode features one of Evolution’s senior partners, Erin Rocchio, as we find the path to sustainable high performance while living with meaning and fulfillment. Aside from being a coach, Erin is also the author of Wholeness at Work: Free Yourself From Burnout for Good. She has worked with C-level executives and top companies, helping them cultivate teams that perform at a consistently high level.

In this episode, Erin shares her experience of being an achiever, experiencing the burnout cycle herself, and how this equipped her to support her clients. She also delves into looking at burnout from different perspectives in the workplace and emphasizes the pivotal role of leaders in the process. Join us as we seek the path toward success and inner well-being.

Key Takeaways:

1. Check-in with yourself every day. Recognize the gaps and dare to address them.
2. In order to maintain both performance and well-being, it's crucial to consider the issue from the viewpoints of the individual, the community, and the overall structure.
3. Pause and appreciate how much meaning is all around us.
4. How you feel is equal if not more important than what you do.

Highlights:

• [04:40] How Erin found her way to her passion

• [09:27] Assessing your integrity

• [13:24] Looking at the problem holistically

• [16:16] How Erin learned the value of self-compliance

• [23:47] The habit of ignoring the other parts of yourself

• [28:47] Slowing down and being intentional with your time

• [37:06] Erin’s process of helping people find meaning

• [42:06] How to Overcome Burnout and Build Resilience

• [46:15] Aiming for high performance through sustainable habits

• [52:02] Building sustainable work cultures and averting burnout

• [55:23] Leaders embodying the proper values and how they affect the workplace

• [59:12] Social media and how it can contribute to burnout

• [01:03:50] Pieces of advice on the pursuit of wholeness at work

For more of Erin:

• Evolution.team
• ourwholenessatwork.com
• Burnout Assessment – Wholeness at Work

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Are you someone who is concerned about how others perceive you? Do you often prioritize others' needs over yours? Do you feel bad whenever you experience conflicts? In this solo episode, Dr. Eric delves into the behavior called people-pleasing. He discusses the signs of said behavior and how it can be unhealthy and counter-productive. If you are a people-pleaser, these might sound familiar to you. He also highlights the false beliefs that push individuals into people-pleasing behaviors. Moreover, he advises on how to mitigate this behavior and emphasizes the importance of gaining a clear understanding of our values.

If you tend to be driven by a need to be liked by others, this episode is for you. Tune in as we dig deep to understand the origins of this behavior.

Key Takeaways:

1. Conflict can be good. It can generate new ideas and solve problems.
2. We cannot control what others think. We can only control how we act.
3. Getting clarity of your values will help you control your actions.
4. Seek out discomfort. Be comfortable being uncomfortable.

Highlights:

• [01:16] What is people-pleasing?
• [04:37] Distinguishing people-pleasing from other behaviors
• [06:48] Signs that you are a people pleaser
• [11:15] Beliefs driving a people-pleasing behavior
• [15:47] Addressing and getting to the root of the behavior

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In today’s episode, let us take a look at sports psychology from a different perspective and how we can integrate this into our daily lives. Today’s guest is Peter Haberl, a licensed psychologist working with elite athletes as a sports psychologist and a mental performance consultant. He was employed by the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee since 1998, giving him a wealth of experience in sports psychology. He continues to work with U.S. National Teams and athletes, focusing on mindfulness and ACT-based interventions.

In this insightful episode, Peter shares how his experience working with athletes helped him realize the need for a significant shift in his approach to working with athletes. We discuss the fleeting and uncontrollable nature of feelings. Instead of relying on our feelings, it is possible to utilize our values to direct our behavior regardless of how we feel and to develop skills for responding productively to unpleasant emotions no matter how we feel. Throughout, Peter emphasizes the importance of staying connected to the present moment. So let's focus on the moment and take advantage of this opportunity as we learn from Peter Haberl.

Key Takeaways:

1. Success can be deceiving. Bear in mind the importance of continuous improvement.
2. Accept what shows up emotionally and redirect your attention to action that will lead you to successful outcomes. You can choose what you do irrespective of your feelings.
3. Values must serve as a guide to behavior.
4. Attention is the currency of performance.
5. It is essential to build curiosity and stay connected to the present moment.

Highlights:

• [04:24] Peter’s passion and how it excites him
• [06:39] What inspired Peter to switch his approach to sports psychology
• [09:44] How success can be deceiving
• [10:37] Misperceptions of feelings
• [12:30] Function Over Form: Dispelling the myth of emotions in athletics
• [24:55] Values as a guide to behavior
• [31:29] How to be aware and navigate through emotional traps [34:33] Acceptance and being open with unpleasant emotions
• [39:32] Psychological flexibility and how you can build it
• [41:03] Building the ability to contact the present moment
• [43:45] Striking the balance between mindfulness and experiential avoidance
• [46:50] Training the mind to slow down
• [49:35] Building a state of curiosity with the present moment
• [51:35] The thin line between reacting and responding
• [53:10] Guiding teams towards cohesion through social mindfulness
• [57:38] Most impactful piece of advice for Peter

Contact Peter Haberl: Peter Haberl, Ed. D. | LinkedIn

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What habits get in your way at work? Are there any instances in the workplace that may be limiting you? Are you comfortable sharing your achievements and discussing how you specifically generated a result? Would you rather let your accomplishments speak for themselves? This habit of being reluctant to claim your achievements may resonate more with women. However, this episode is for everyone. Not only did these habits resonate with me, but I also became keenly aware of how our organizational structures can make it difficult for women to break them.

Today's guest is best-selling author, speaker, and leadership coach Sally Helgesen. Sally was cited by Forbes as the world's premier expert on women's leadership and was inducted into the Thinkers 50 Hall of Fame. Her latest book, Rising Together: How We Can Bridge Divides and Create a More Inclusive Workplace, offers practical ways to build more inclusive relationships, teams, and workplaces. It examines the behaviors most likely to get in the way of successful women as they move forward in their careers.

In today's episode, we examine how Sally's early experiences working in corporate America sparked her journey of becoming a women's leadership expert. We dive into the beliefs that can provide a foundation for habits that get in the way of women's efforts to rise. We also discuss her new book, Rising Together, and what we can do to build better work cultures of belonging and inclusion.

Let's get some integrity in our spines, bring our attention to this moment, and learn from Sally Helgesen.

Key Points:

1. We cannot control what others think; we can only control how we act.
2. It is essential to have honest conversations. Communicate what you're interested in. Being reluctant to talk about your aspirations doesn't serve you.
3. Making a simple request is not always leveraging. It can be a chance to give others an opportunity to feel good about themselves.
4. Set boundaries based on your values, and learn to say no without elaboration.
5. During difficult situations, build awareness of your reaction and find a path where you can move more productively.

Episode Highlights:

• [00:56] Getting to know Sally Helgensen and her passion
• [02:44] Sally's Origin Story
• [07:38] Looking at exclusivity from both the individual and organizational standpoint
• [10:15] What keeps Sally going
• [11:52] Building awareness on beliefs that lead us to resist growth
• [17:54] Taking responsibility for getting your work noticed
• [25:49] Building relationships in the workplace and getting over the either-or thinking
• [30:28] Coping with the disease to please
• [31:00] Overcoming either/or thinking
• [38:58] How to give people the benefit of our goodwill
• [49:21] Managing diversity and creating psychological safety in the workplace
• [58:23] The most impactful advice for Sally

Resources:

• "The Female Advantage: Women's Ways of Leadership" by Sally Helgensen www.amazon.com/Female-Advantage-Womens-Ways-Leadership/dp/0385419112
• “How Women Rise” by Marshall Goldsmith and Sally Helgesen
• "Rising Together: How We Can Bridge Divides and Create a More Inclusive Workplace" by Sally Helgensen www.amazon.com/Rising-Together-Divides-Inclusive-Workplace/dp/0306828308

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Do you struggle with staying focused and achieving your goals because of both internal and external pressures to fit into a specific mold? Our guest today is Dr. Angie Winter, a Senior High-Performance Consultant and Certified Change Management Practitioner at HigherEchelon, Inc. She specializes in mental performance coaching, working with individuals and organizations in sports and both government and private sectors to improve their leadership, cognitive abilities, and overall performance.

In this episode, Dr. Winter shares her philosophy of high performance, which centers around the importance of authenticity and emotional processing. She emphasizes the benefit of feeling and discussing our emotions to encourage better performance and provides insights on how to help individuals overcome challenges such as lack of confidence, impostor syndrome, leaving one’s comfort zone, and ineffective time management.

Dr. Winter earned her master’s degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology from California State University at Fullerton and a Ph.D. in Sport and Exercise Psychology from Michigan State University. She is also a certified mental performance consultant through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) and an Associate level coach through the International Coaching Federation (ICF).

Join us as Dr. Winter shares her expertise on improving your mental fitness and achieving your goals through authenticity and confidence.

Key Points:

1. Focusing on authenticity in Dr. Angie Winters’ philosophy of high performance.
2. The benefit of feeling, processing, and discussing our emotions in encouraging better performance
3. How to help people beyond some of the challenges that get in the way of one’s mental fitness: (1) the lack of confidence, (2) Impostor’s Symdrome, and (3) ineffective time management

Episode Highlights

• [00:00] Introduction
• [03:54] What inspired Dr. Angie Winter to pursue performance psychology
• [09:59] How she would coach her younger self
• [12:39] What inspired her to broaden her work beyond sports
• [19:05] What drives Dr. Angie Winter through her work
• [19:48] The focus of authenticity in Dr. Angie Winter’s philosophy of high performance
• [25:08] Having the balance of masculine and feminine voices in each individual for mental fitness and high performance
• [26:09] The issue of managing confidence as one of the biggest challenges in the way of an individual’s mental fitness
• [33:23] Other issues commonly encountered in the realm of coaching
• [38:42] Defining success
• [40:47] Helping people get outside of their comfort zone
• [42:43] On leadership
• [45:43] Advice for people who want to be more focused on their goal instead of worrying
• [48:48] Book recommendation for the listeners

Resources

• The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups by Daniel Coyle https://www.amazon.com/Culture-Code-Secrets-Highly-Successful/dp/1847941265
• HigherEchelon: https://www.higherechelon.com/human-capital-services/

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What would your life look like if you had no expectations? If you showed up to every event, movie, dinner party, work meeting, or performance with NO expectations of how it would go? For some, this very idea might give you the shakes. You might be saying to yourself, “but expectations help me prepare” or “I need to have expectations of myself otherwise I will just phone it in, I won’t try hard.”

In today’s Coaching Through Stories episode, you’ll learn how having no expectations can unlock great performances, reduce your stress and increase your overall well-being.

Expectations are defined as a process by which we leverage past experiences and knowledge to predict future outcomes. In other words, expectations are beliefs about the future with conditions – what we believe SHOULD happen. For example, I worked hard on this proposal, I got the right team in place, we partnered with the best vendor, we should win the contract. If you hear yourself saying this “should” happen – then that is an expectation. Expectations are fixed and frozen, they are limited to our previous experiences, and they generate an unhealthy attachment to the outcome which can cause us to miss opportunities and fully experience reality as it is, not as we wish it to be. People with high expectations are attached to the outcome, their feelings are attached to the outcome, and their happiness is dependent on the outcome. All of which is interfering with their ability to perform in the present moment.

Key Takeaways:

1. We cannot deny the fact that our mind is a powerful asset in generating the right conditions to achieve our goals. It’s the reason why the placebo effect is so powerful.
2. Keep your belief about your ability, about your goals, and about your dreams extremely high, just do so without the word “should.”
3. Our minds are constantly generating expectations – our brains love patterns and are searching for patterns, being overly attached and expecting this result just because it’s happened in the past limits our ability to perform in the present and be consumed by the process.

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According to the World Health Organization (WHO), an estimated 12 billion workdays are lost annually due to depression and anxiety costing the global economy nearly US $1 trillion.

What is your organization doing to accommodate the needs of workers with mental health conditions? Mental health is becoming more and more of a focus for many people as they become more aware of its role in their overall health. However, beyond the remaining stigma for mental health, some do not give it the priority it deserves—mental healthcare is treated more as a response rather than a preventative practice.

We tend to forgo mental healthcare practices until we encounter stressors or challenges in our lives. But just like how we regularly exercise and maintain healthy diets for our bodies, our minds also require good habits to stay healthy. So, what can we do to put more preventative mental self-care methods into our lives?

Our guest today is Dr. Kensa Gunter of Gunter Psychological Services. She is a renowned Clinical and Sport Psychologist (CMPC) based in Atlanta, Georgia, with a mission to humanize mental health and performance discussions while reducing stigma in the world of sports. She is the Director of the NBA Mind Health, an initiative focusing on the league's mental health and wellness. She has also served as the immediate Past President of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology and membership in the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee's External Mental Health Taskforce, demonstrating her commitment to advancing mental health initiatives on a larger scale.

Join us as Dr. Gunter talks about how we can improve our care for ourselves and, in turn, our performance.

Key Points:

1. We should humanize the discussion surrounding mental health and performance in any context.
2. There is no such thing as a quick fix regarding mental health and performance. It takes commitment and consistent maintenance
3. We should maintain our mental health through healthy habits and preventative measures like (1) proper sleep, (2) movement, (3) social support, (4) mindfulness, and (5) activities that help us disconnect from noise and connect with the moment.

Episode Highlights

• [01:34] Introducing Dr. Kensa Gunter
• [05:38] The stigma surrounding mental healthcare
• [07:05] Dr. Gunter’s current roles and passions
• [14:19] How Dr. Gunter developed her passion for mental health
• [20:07] How Dr. Gunter responded to the hardship she experienced
• [23:50] Dr. Gunter on humanizing the discussions in the overlapping circles of mental health, performance, wellness, culture, and sports
• [30:23] Humanity as the center of Dr. Gunter’s philosophy of high-performance
• [35:05] How Dr. Gunter helps individuals who are having difficulty reaching their desired level of performance [41:53] The “Quick Fix” misconception about sports psychology
• [45:30] The difference between mental health and mental performance
• [50:09] On how to further reduce the stigma about mental health
• [54:38] How a leader can balance challenge and support for their team
• [59:59] Strategies individuals can do to maintain their mental health.
• [1:04:45] Recommended reading

Resources

• “The Four Agreements: A Practical to Personal Freedom” by Don Miguel Ruiz https://www.amazon.com/Four-Agreements-Practical-Personal-Freedom/dp/1878424319

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Very often, our minds are actively focused on different things—events that have already happened, have yet to happen, or something we judge as either positive or negative. We rarely find our minds neutral, and that, in turn, affects how we interact in the present.

A neutral mind leaves us fully in the moment, allowing us to accept what is, not wishing it were something else. Presence enables the mind to focus on what we can control. Our guest today is going to help you and your team find neutrality so that you can achieve your personal and professional goals.

Josh Lifrak has been in the coaching field for 18 years. He has worked with elite athletes and corporate leaders in achieving peak performance and contributed to optimizing many organizational cultures for growth. He is the current Director of Performance and Coaching for Limitless Minds, a health and wellness technology company founded by Denver Broncos quarterback, Russell Wilson and the acclaimed Trevor Moawad, the author of “It Takes What It Takes.” Josh is also the president of Lift-Up Consulting from 2014 to 2019 and has worked in Major League Baseball with the Chicago Cubs and the New York Mets, helping both teams with mental performance—even helping the Cubs win a World Series.

Today's episode delves into the importance of a neutral mind and understanding our internal narratives, providing strategies and habits used by elite athletes to excel. Join us!

Key Points:

• The importance of having a neutral mind
• There is no single factor that yields good performance. It is the accumulation of several things that you can notice by building self-awareness.
• Achieving a neutral mind through (1) distancing yourself from what is occurring, and (2) noticing your behavior, what contributed to it, and the things you are grateful for

Episode Highlights

• [00:00] Introduction to the episode
• [05:02] Josh’s work with Limited Minds and the power of a neutral mind
• [08:46] Why Josh got into sports psychology and why he decided to leave it
• [15:52] What drove Josh in his previous and current work
• [21:39] What contributes to high performance in both sports and business?
• [23:50] What are some behaviors that can help an individual reach a state of high performance?
• [26:47] What Josh learned while working in professional baseball
• [30:03] Why having work-life balance helps Josh mentally
• [35:37] How Josh helps his clients navigate the ups and downs of work by encouraging focus on the moment no matter the outcome, and why there is no singular factor that yields great performance
• [41:08] Arriving at neutral thinking through distance and noticing
• [46:54] Josh’s recommended readings
• [47:41] Conclusion

Resources

• “It Takes What It Takes” by Trevor Moawad: https://www.amazon.com/Takes-What-Think-Neutrally-Control-ebook/dp/B07R8VDNMJ
• “Getting to Neutral: How to Conquer Negativity and Thrive in a Chaotic World“ by Trevor Moawad and Andy Staples: https://www.amazon.com/Getting-Neutral-Conquer-Negativity-Chaotic/dp/006311190X
• “The Bomber Mafia” by Malcolm Gladwell: https://www.amazon.com/Bomber-Mafia-Temptation-Longest-Second/dp/0316296619

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Throughout our lives, we're bound to learn and propagate the wrong ideas and beliefs—some even end up harmful to ourselves and others. While humans are an adaptable species, changing our mindset is difficult. How can you fill a cup that’s already full? We have to unlearn.

Unlearning is a powerful and often overlooked concept in personal and professional growth. It is the process of intentionally letting go of knowledge, beliefs, or behaviors that are harmful or obsolete to make room for new perspectives and development.

The ability to unlearn is crucial in a world that constantly changes, allowing individuals and organizations to adapt, innovate, grow, and stay relevant. However, unlearning is not easy—it can be challenging to let go of our established, preconceived ideas and step out of our comfort zone.

By actively engaging in the process of unlearning, we can help open ourselves to new knowledge and growth. Let’s discuss!

Key Points:

1. The importance of unlearning.

2. The three types of unlearning: routine unlearning or fading, wiping, and deep unlearning

3. The process of unlearning: building awareness, and making space for new ideas

Episode Highlights

• [00:00] Introduction to the episode
• [01:13] The story of the Zen master and the cup of tea
• [02:46] Unlearning: how to empty your cup
• [04:14] The first type of unlearning: routine unlearning or fading

• [05:06] The second type of unlearning: wiping

• [06:29] The third type of unlearning: deep unlearning

• [07:50] The first step in unlearning: building awareness of personal biases
• [10:18] The second step in unlearning: making space for new ideas
• [11:41] Conclusion

Resources

• “Unlearning in Healthcare” by Rushmer and Davies: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1765805/

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When you think of the word "resilience," what do you picture? Historically, it has meant the ability to withstand challenges and keep going. However, it can also be misunderstood to mean ignoring or suppressing negative emotions in order to seem strong.

This can lead to unhealthy habits of hiding or ignoring negative feelings rather than taking the time and care to properly address them. True resilience includes acknowledging and dealing with your emotions, not just powering through difficult situations.

Today, we are joined by Dr. Mustafa Sarkar, a leading expert in the study of resilience in both sporting and business settings. Dr. Sarkar is an associate professor of sport and performance psychology at Nottingham Trent University in the UK, and his research and consulting focuses on how high achievers thrive under pressure and maintain success and well-being, with a particular emphasis on resilience at the individual, team, and organizational levels. He also focuses on psychological safety.

As a chartered psychologist with the British Psychological Society, Dr. Sarkar works with organizations such as Google, the Premier League, the English Football Association, and various international Olympic Committees to create environments and cultures that promote resilience and psychological safety. In this episode, we will learn about how Mustapha followed his own path into the field of sports and performance psychology, despite expectations from his family and friends. We will also discuss the role that the environment plays in influencing resilience and provide practical tools that individuals can use to build their own resilience. Mustafa is a skilled researcher and practitioner, and I'm sure you'll enjoy the depth and insight he brings to the topic of resilience.

Key Points:

1. Resilience is not the sole responsibility of the individual but rather, the environment and relationships play a meaningful role in one’s resilience.

2. Resilience can be situational and can vary over time; Resilience is not a stable construct but rather varies.

3. Resilience is a capacity that needs to be trained, not just reliant on one’s experiences.

Episode Highlights

• [00:00] Introduction
• [01:27] Dr. Mustafa Sakar and his work.
• [06:47] The value of research and putting it into practice
• [09:36] Why Mustafa got into his career and work in sports psychology.
• [14:44] Balancing pressure and passion
• [19:42] Mustafa’s current motivations in his work and on making an impact
• [26:56] On resilience
• [32:08] Understanding resilience
• [37:21] The impact of resilience in an individual
• [42:30] Emotional experiences and how they affect one’s resilience and how perspective can help.
• [44:39] Leaders and how they can help build team resilience.
• [47:27] How leaders can balance challenge and support
• [51:02] The effect of one’s environment and how it can affect resilience, and what to do when present in a negative environment
• [58:33] Habits that matter the most for high performance: (1) consistency and (2) building self-awareness.

Resources * The Long Win by Cath Bishop * Website: https://www.ntu.ac.uk/staff-profiles/science-technology/mustafa-sarkar

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Discussions about leadership are often hyper-focused on goal setting, communication, and the development of the self and others. While those specific factors are important, leadership is more than that, and as leaders and coaches, we must become willing to broaden our leadership principles.

Even broader than how we define leadership, humanity is made up of people who come from all walks of life, and part of our duty is to expand our frameworks to encompass the people we connect with.

Dr. Tanya Martinez-Gallinucci is here today to discuss Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEI&B) and how we can integrate them into our leadership principles. She is the Executive Director for the Office for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging for the New York City Bar Association. She got her BA from Yale and her Master’s from City College before earning her Law degree from Columbia Law School. Beyond her professional duty, Tanya is passionate about making DEI and B more prevalent in the discussion of leadership, educating people, and developing programs for young associates and students to help diversify the industry.

Catch the full discussion in this episode of Coaching Through Stories.

Key Points:

• Shifting leadership frameworks to include Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging best practices.
• The impact of creating spaces where people can belong, and why we should direct more energy into improving these efforts.
• The benefits of coaching as a tool for intrapersonal and interpersonal development.

Episode Highlights

• [00:00] Introduction
• [01:25] Dr. Tanya Martinez-Gallinucci, her background, and work
• [05:17] Building awareness on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
• [07:40] Tanya as the Director for the Office for DEI and B
• [16:15] On the impact of coaching on Tanya’s life
• [19:55] The shift in Tanya’s story from not belonging to belonging
• [24:12] How Tanya moved beyond the limiting external biases that can hinder complete belonging
• [30:40] On misconceptions about coaching and the benefits of it at every professional level
• [37:18] Tanya’s advice on how to move on from your limiting stories
• [41:43] On continuing to navigate external challenges to show up as her whole self
• [45:56] Balancing boundaries in a way that doesn’t compromise your career
• [51:09] On the challenges and progress she has faced and achieved regarding DEI and B.
• [56:49] Becoming more intentional when growing beyond your personal unconscious biases
• [1:01:08] How leaders can be part of changing systems to become more inclusive
• [1:04:17] What aspiring leaders can do to further their career growth while helping uncover the unconscious biases
• [1:06:18] Tanya’s one-book recommendation: there’s no one book.

Resources Mentioned:

• What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshall Goldwin
• How to Be an Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi
• The Wake Up: Closing the Gap Between Good Intentions and Real Change by Michelle Mijung Kim

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Perhaps at some point, you wondered what work was all about or tried to determine what was most important. Have you considered making a fresh start in life? But you discovered that you lack the skills necessary to be an effective leader for something significant in life. Finding your mission can be more challenging than it needs to be. For us to be able to begin our journey in life in a pleasant and engaging way today, let's find out what unlocks your best self with Dr. Eric Bean.

The stories from mythology, current events, research, and popular literature that Dr. Eric Bean, a published author with peer review and Certified Mental Performance Trainer, uses to coach listeners provide a window into high performance and effective leadership. Dr. Bean invites experts from business, sports, and the military to share advice and tactics from their personal experiences with listeners. His intention is to arm you with useful resources that will help you realize your leadership potential and develop into a more resilient and flexible leader.

Key Points

1. Create aimlessness and the ability to recognize it in order to find solutions to escape the abyss.
2. The value of aimlessness and how to consciously create it.
3. Benefits of having a purpose in life.

Episode Highlights

[00:07] Dr. Eric Bean

[00:40] How to be aimless?

[01:20] Dr. Eric Bean’s Mental performance coaching

[01:54] Definition of aimlessness and what it generates

[02:49] Generating a mission statement

[03:31] Viktor Frankl

[05:35] What is a shadow mission?

[07:39] What causes you to be apathetic?

[08:32] Discovering the purpose of life

[12:50] Reflection about the short story Purpose of Life

[15:08] Two paths to go down when you’re on a state of aimlessness

Resources Mentioned:

• Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
• Purpose of Life - Short Story

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It’s likely that, at some point, you have helped somebody make a change in their life. But while you may have meant well, you might have gone about it the wrong way–approaching the person as someone to be “fixed” instead of inspiring them to learn and create positive change.

Coaching somebody for the sake of compliance more often than not ends up being a band aid solution. Results become temporary to appease an immediate need, but people are likely to return to their old ways if not invested in the change.

Sustainable change happens when we deeply engage somebody with a positive vision of themselves–called by our guest as “Coaching with Compassion.”

Today’s guest is Dr. Richard Boyatzis, a professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior, Psychology, and Cognitive Science at Case Western Reserve University. He has written books and numerous articles in the field of neuroscience, coaching, management education, and more, as well as Coursera MOOCs with over one and a half million enrollees. Armed with a PhD in Social Psychology from Harvard and a passion for development, Dr. Boyatzis is dedicated to providing ways to help people change that are leveraged with the latest in neuroscience.

**Key Points:**

1. Nurture human capital through motivation and inspiration.

2. Emotional intelligence is an essential trait in leadership and coaching.

3. Create sustainable change through encouraging introspection and learning.

Episode Highlights

[00:57] On creating sustainable, positive change in people

[02:26] Dr. Richard Boyatzis

[10:26] Effective leadership and activating the human capital

[17:24] Dr. Boyatzis in Aerospace Engineering and finding his passion in Organizational Psychology

[27:54] Dr. Boyatzis’ personal philosophy of shared visions and equal opportunity that applies to his body of work

[34:44] The important role of emotional intelligence in leadership in both having self-awareness and dealing with others’ emotions

[41:24] Recovering from the buildup of stress which affects your emotional intelligence

[46:42] On goals sometimes having a negative emotional tractor

[50:01] On choosing jobs based on the characteristics of it and the environment, instead of based on the job itself

[52:03] Intentional Change Theory, applying it into one’s life, and creating sustainable change

[1:02:41] Advice for leaders on how they can become better at coaching

[1:06:16] Intentional Change Theory and applying it at the organizational level

[1:08:41] Advice for people who want to become leaders: (1) stay consistent with practicing their personal vision; (2) have conversations about your vision, innovation, etc.;

[1:10:58] Questions to stimulate a dissonant leader

[1:12:31] On finding a medium that inspires you in leadership

**Resources Mentioned:**

• Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman, RIchard Boyatzis, and Annie McKee
• Helping People Change: Coaching with Compassion for Lifelong Learning and Growth by Richard Boyatzis, Melvin Smith, and Ellen Van Oosten
• Becoming a Resonant Leader: Develop Your Emotional Intelligence, Renew Your Relationships, Sustain Your Effectiveness by Annie McKee, Richard Boyatzis, Fran Johnson
• Richard Boyatzis’ MOOCs on Coursera

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Have you ever held yourself back from airing out a grievance to a team member or leader? Have you ever kept yourself from giving something your 100%, or reprimanded yourself too hard for a simple mistake?

The fear of making mistakes is one of the main problems that holds us back from achieving our full potential. It makes us more passive, lose confidence, or become perfectionists to the point of being too hard on ourselves.

Our guest today provides concrete tools to help us be more self-aware of having this fear and how to navigate through it to authenticity and optimization.

In this episode, you will hear from Dr. Graig Chow, a Certified Mental Performance Consultant and the Director of Mental Performance & Leadership Development at Cal Athletics. His portfolio of expertise is nothing short of impressive, broadly focusing on the optimization of mindset, mental skills, performance, involvement, enjoyment, culture, team dynamics, and leadership in sport and other performance domains. At Cal Athletics, he provides comprehensive sport and performance psychology services to student-athletes, teams, and coaches. In his private practice, he works with professional athletes and C-level business professionals, by providing valuable mental consultation and coaching to optimize the individual’s mindset into peak performance.

Key Points:

1. The fear of making mistakes keeps an individual from reaching their full potential.
2. Authenticity creates opportunities for development and performance optimization.

3. Tools that promote self-awareness, self-compassion, and acceptance mitigate the fear of failure and improve focus.

   Episode Highlights

4. [00:00] Introduction

5. [02:43] Dr. Graig Chow and his background and work
6. [07:39] How Dr. Graig Chow started in sports psychology
7. [11:18] His sports psychology work being the blending of two passions
8. [14:34] How cultivating team culture creates better teams
9. [16:10] Switching from education and into the application of his studies
10. [21:20] How supporting athletes drives and challenges Dr. Graig Chow
11. [27:39] On having the core value of commitment and accepting challenges
12. [30:47] On the fear of pushback affecting athlete identity and application of their personal skillset
13. [33:22] Why self-handicapping as a coping mechanism for failure mitigates accurate feedback on athlete performance
14. [39:20] On being a scientist-practitioner, and his research on maladaptive perfectionism
15. [45:28] Better and more sustainable techniques for motivation and building mental game
16. [49:46] Frameworks of self-awareness, acceptance, and refocus and how they help develop an individual’s performance
17. [56:21] On maintaining balance and focus on performance when it matters as found in professionals in both sport and business, and how forming routines help develop that focus.
18. [1:02:43] Having intentions and how it sets a foundation for: (1) consistency and focus, and (2) performing to your identity
19. [1:06:35] On developing a balance of not being too attached to results while remaining focused on achieving results without becoming lax
20. [1:12:54] Dr. Graig Chow’s chosen medium of staying up-to-date on data that directly impacts his evidence-based research

21. [1:15:43] Dr. Graig Chow’s one-book recommendation: Atomic Habits by James Clear

    Resources Mentioned:

    • Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones

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To learn more about how you can take your leadership to the next level, check out HigherEchelon service offerings: Resilient and Adaptable Leadership, Executive Coaching, and Change Management.

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Can you think of a time when you jump to conclusions and imagine all the worst-case scenarios even before they happened? Well, that, my friend, is part of making assumptions.

If you want to be an effective leader, you must learn how to stop making assumptions. Otherwise, you risk harming your credibility and workplace relationships. Issues come up when a leaders responds to a situation in the absence of sufficient knowledge – particularly when emotions are high. Similarly, expectations are typically fueled by an emotion and when that expectation is not met, we feel let down. When we set goals, we provide time to develop strategy and execution plans to achieve them instead of having unrealistic expectations that are thoughtlessly assessed in the moment.

In today’s podcast, you’ll learn how to address three meaningful topics to enhance your leadership. Dr. Eric Bean discusses (1) how to avoid treating assumptions as facts, (2) how to understand the difference between expectations and goals, and (3) how to remove or limit judgements.

The story of the Chinese farmer by Alan Watts serves as a reminder that we live in a complex world. And when we can withhold from making immediate judgments about our experiences, challenge our assumptions, manage expectations, and be open to reality, we can find greater inner peace and be more in the flow of life.

Key Points: 1. Get clarity that you’re making an assumption and then challenge it by asking questions. 2. Embracing the practice of letting go of expectations. 3. Move past the rejection of reality to a place of acceptance.

Episode Highlights * [0:15] Unraveling the dangers of assumption * [1:15] The story of a Chinese Farmer * [2:13] The whole process of nature is an integrated process of immense complexity, and it’s tough to tell if the consequences result to good or bad * [2:40] The practice of removing judgments in one’s life * [3:31] The three elements that are core to Eric’s coaching approach (1) Don’t make assumptions, (2) Understand the difference between expectations and goals, (3) The three possible responses to what happens in life * [3:49] The idea of making no assumptions * [7:10] You have to recognize that you don’t have to believe every thought that comes into your mind * [8:18] Not treating our automatic assumptions as data or as truth * [8:31] Understanding the difference between expectations and goals * [10:21] Expectations should happen, but goals are the target * [11:43] Three ways to respond to reality: Reject it, Accept it, or Appreciate it * [12:31] Acceptance is simply acknowledging what happened

Resources Mentioned: * The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz * The Happiness Hypothesis Book by Jonathan Haidt

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Watching the winter Olympics this year, you may have noticed that there is a slim difference between an athlete taking goal and not making the podium at all. This year, the best of the best athletes performed on the world’s stage despite the unique challenges of a politically charged environment and Covid-19 protocols. Consider the mental and emotional skills that are needed for athletes to manage significant distractions and the added stress perform, similar to the modern business environment, it's obvious that there is heightened stress and conflicting demands.

Today’s guest, Jean François Ménard (JF) is widely recognized for his contributions to the field of performance psychology. At the age of 25 and fresh out of graduate school, he joined the world-famous entertainment company Cirque Du Soleil, where he coached circus artists to deal with pressure and perform at their best, on demand, up to 450 times a year. Five years later, he founded Kambio Performance and has since become one of the most sought-after mental performance specialists in the country. During the 2016, 2018, and 2020 Olympic Games, his clients stepped on the podium eleven times and received 5 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze medals. He is a bestselling author, a radio personality and professional speaker with over 750 keynote speeches delivered to organizations such as the FBI, PepsiCo, RedBull, SunLife Financial, and NASA. His private clients are proven winners: Olympic Gold Medalists, SuperBowl and X-Games champions, professional athletes, surgeons, pop stars, and corporate leaders.

In this Coaching Through Stories episode, JF shares why clowns were his favorite artists with Cirque Du Soleil, how visualization helped him with his work with a pediatric surgeon, why reinventing himself is a part of his philosophy, and how there’s always a "no" attached to a "yes." Additionally, JF and Dr. Eric Bean discuss his new book, Train Your Brain Like an Olympian: Gold Medal Techniques to Unleash Your Potential at Work. Listeners leave this episode feeling energized by JF's colorful stories and real-life takeaways to implement.

Highlights

• [5:02] His current role and what he's passionate about?
• [8:16] What are the underlying principles of helping people change?
• [13:49] A quick overview of his life story
• [19:47] What is his experience in Cirque du Soleil where he helped somebody see through a new lens?
• [29:49] What drives and motivates him to do what he’s been doing?
• [37:23] What’s his philosophy on high performance for himself?
• [49:57] How did it come about for this company, and what are some of the benefits of having a deep-focused time block and eliminating distractions?

Resources Mentioned:

• Kambio Performance-http://www.kambioperformance.com
• Train (Your Brain) Like an Olympian: Gold Medal Techniques to Unleash Your Potential at Work

Profile Links:

• JF Menard’s LinkedIn-https://www.linkedin.com/in/jfmenardconsultant?originalSubdomain=ca

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A company, business, or a team needs leaders to drive it towards a productive result. Therefore, leaders are essential for all lines of the field, especially since with good leadership, you can create a vision and make it a reality. But, of course, you don't have to be faultless to become a leader. All of us have quirks and fatal flaws that are inevitable. Sometimes these flaws may overshadow leadership strengths, but that doesn't end there. Building complementary skills for your abilities is the best way to dissolve any hindrance and make up for your shortcomings. "Progress not perfection" is the best way to go. Making yourself indispensable and taking charge of who you are, what you do, and how you do it is one of the most proven paths in building trust from the people around you. You can go beyond the extra mile and develop your nature as a leader with these abilities. The best leaders come from those who have the drive, determination, and heart to compete and become the best version of themselves.

Today we will be sitting down with Joe Folkman, the co-founder and President of Zenger Folkman. Join us in this episode as we will have a conversation on how you can be a great leader by following the Zenger Folkman leadership competency model. Joe also shares how his research has shown that you don't have to be "perfect" to be extraordinary.

Highlights:

• [3:24] How we can be great leaders and have a tremendous impact on the people we lead, even if we have gaps.
• [5:22] Joe’s role in his corporation and what does he do?
• [10:00] It’s your strengths that really help you succeed.
• [25:16] You don’t have to be perfect to be a good leader. Progress not perfection.
• [25:49] The role of competitiveness in leadership and how a leader can use these competencies on their own?
• [26:45] On how the best leaders are both empathetic and competitive.
• [27:50] Figuring out who your enemy is and who you are competing against?
• [34:46] Addressing your fatal flaws.
• [39:52] Asking people to do hard things is a great formula for you to be inspired.
• [46:40] Joe’s take on leadership trends and development for the next five to ten years.
• [55:50] High level of trust is an important factor in leadership.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Extraordinary Leader Book by John H Zenger and Joseph Folkman- https://zengerfolkman.com/books/the-new-extraordinary-leader/
• The Trifecta of Trust- https://zengerfolkman.com/webinars/trifecta-of-trust/
• Zenger Folkman- https://zengerfolkman.com/

Profile Links

• Joe Folkman - https://zengerfolkman.com/joe-folkman/#:~:text=Measuring%20Leadership%20To%20Inspire%20Change,assessments%2C%20leadership%20and%20organizational%20development.

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The journey of self-discovery takes a lifetime to unfold. Considering the adversities that are guaranteed along with it, how can we sharpen our axes with resilience? What does a mitigation strategy entail for us to get through and eventually overcome what we must go through?

Humanity has an innate potential to face life's most overwhelming moments, regardless of what aspect in life it is. One's ability to regain presence in times of anxiety and negative thought dictates the reaction we can muster towards the situation at hand. Developing this skill paves the mentality of resilience and healthy coping to any problem thrown at our way.

Join us in this episode to hear from Dr. Karen MacNeill about her journey from years of sports psychology and as an athlete herself. She imparts the life lessons of freeing oneself from a psychological prison and maintaining recovery strategies in the midst of challenges.

Highlights:

• [3:54] The importance of accepting challenging situations as Dr. MacNeill tells about her role and passion
• [5:23] On how how her passion came to be transitioning to to and fro between Sports psychology and her own career in playfield hockey
• [9:15] Starting the practice of mindfulness during events and prioritizing her emotional regulation in dealing with the athletes under her
• [11:46] Space between the space: having that buffer of mental clarity in deciding how you want to respond to a situation and developing a recovery strategy through mindfulness
• [15:14] On being in the Canadian Olympic Committee, a performance consultant and an advocate for resilience through talks
• [17:55] She quotes George Mumford in saying "failure is feedback" and explains how painful moments and hard-earned lessons shape your career
• [19:32] The three phases in breaking free from one's psychological prison and cites the counseling psychology lifeline exercise
• [24:03] On understanding how you think and the essence of resilience in the workplace
• [27:03] Preparing for the challenge before it even happens and building resilience through the three C's
• [31:14] She talks about core contributions and the process of stepping into the unknown
• [34:37] Her take on protecting resiliency despite the pandemic and the use of psychological hygiene tools
• [39:00] Dr. MacNeill emphasizes the skill of connecting to yourself
• [44:48] The demand for mental well-being coaching considering the people are the biggest asset in today's economy
• [48:16] Knowing oneself on a deeper level is the most crucial action to start on building resilience

Resources Mentioned:

Canadian Olympic Committee - https://olympic.ca/

Mindflow performance - https://www.mindflowperformance.com/karen-macneill

Brené Brown - https://brenebrown.com/

Profile Links

Karen MacNeil -

https://ca.linkedin.com/in/drkarenmacneill

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One question that leaders ask themselves over and over again is, "Where am I?" Imagine that a black line could serve as your guide to answering this question? There are times in leadership where we live above or below this line.

In today's Coaching Through Stories episode with your host, Dr. Eric Bean, you'll learn the difference between leading above or below the line. Above the line leaders are: Open, Curious, and Committed to learning. Below the line leaders are: Closed, Defensive and Committed to being right. Additionally, the way that you listen can impact where you are as a leader. Leaders who are above the line understand the difference between self-focused listening, content-focused listening, and whole-person listening.

Leaders who interact with self-focused listening are listening for their own agenda; they are listening for what’s important to them and not what’s important to you. Leaders who interact with content focused listening have suspended their own agenda and are listening for what is being said but missing critical elements. Leaders who are practicing whole person listening are giving their full consciousness to the other person; they have suspended their own agenda and are listening to what is unsaid. We have all experienced times where we know when someone is listening to us with their whole self; when we feel like the most important person in the world to that listener, because for the moment you are. We all also know what it feels like when another person is only partially listening and when they’re listening to you for their agenda.

The key to this topic is not that leaders won’t go below the line, but instead knowing when we drift below the line and take action to come back above the line. Once leaders find themselves below the line, they must ask themselves: Am I willing to shift? This is a powerful question because sometimes leaders are not ready to shift above the line. Dr. Eric Bean discusses some approaches that leaders can take to get back above the line even when they're not quite ready.

Key Points: 1. Above the line leaders are: Open, Curious, and Committed to learning. 2. Below the line leaders are: Closed, Defensive and Committed to being right. 3. Leaders who practice whole person listening, give their full consciousness to the other person.

• [01:39] “The sound of the forest”: how is it related to coaching and leadership
• [05:00] The three types of listening people engage in

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It is important that we are our authentic selves and be seen as leaders in control. But, as a leader, how often do you think about how people perceive you? Also, do you contemplate how to change their perception of you?

We all lead differently. Your leadership style influences how you interact with people, how they perceive you, and ultimately how they respond to you. Becoming a good leader means being aware of your own “style” and developing others.

In this episode, join me and Dr. Suzanne J. Peterson as she talks about different leadership styles and shares her secrets on how leaders can recognize and flex their authentic style.

Highlights:

• [03:38] The foundations of understanding leadership style and how can one make a long-term lasting change in their stop
• [05:35] What leaders can do to make a shift if they are looking to make a change
• [06:52] How can a leader maintain their authenticity while being adaptable to the needs of their team
• [08:28] Dr. Suzanne’s career and passion
• [19:30] How do we define leadership style and how has style informed by our personality
• [21:33] How do we add to our resources in areas where we're not as comfortable, confident and experienced
• [23:17] A deeper understanding of the status markers: Verbal vs. Non-verbal styles
• [26:11] How to choose your own style to make people perceive you differently
• [30:40] The argument around authenticity and blended leadership style
• [34:58] How can CEO’s and seniors adopt and embrace new styles of leadership
• [37:37] Why do you need to be slightly more peer-like
• [40:14] Finding the right balance for women and minorities
• [45:31] What the study “Developing and Validating a Scale of Eudaimonic Workplace Wellbeing” is about
• [48:44] Dr. Suzanne’s book recommendation

Resources Mentioned:

Understanding well-being at work: Development and validation of the eudaimonic workplace well-being scale https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0215957

Leading with the Heart: Coach K's Successful Strategies for Basketball, Business, and Life https://www.leadershipnow.com/leadershop/7678-0.html

Higher Echelon, Inc. https://www.higherechelon.com/

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Values are important to any organization. Values motivate, inspire, and provide guidance for decision-making in the organization. Organizations that communicate their values to their members perform better than businesses that fail to do so.

Today's guest, Paul Barrett, is the managing partner and founder of a new healthcare-focused private equity firm at Argosy Healthcare Partners. He once worked in a private equity firm and eventually started his own. Interestingly, from years of working for these firms, Paul realized that many organizations and the private equity industry are not values-driven and overly focused on shareholder value without considering value to all stakeholders.

In this episode, Paul shares what made him step into the shoes of the leaders he has worked with for so many years to start something of his own. More importantly, we'll get to know his values as a leader and how it is important to have his values drive his approach to his work - something far more different from what he's had when working within a firm. This episode shows how important values are as a foundation in any organization.

Key Takeaways:

• What led Paul to build his firm
• How does he evaluate and develop leaders in an organization
• His experiences and how he developed good values from them
• His vision for his firm
• What are his core values and philosophies
• How does he see his role in evaluating culture and leaders
• What gets under his skin as a leader
• The importance of treating people better and valuing them
• How can private equity firms change their management processes
• How can organizations build a team with the right values and principles that align with them
• What culture should leaders cultivate in their organization

Resources:

HigherEchelon, Inc.

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Have you ever found yourself stuck in a rut, with your learning? Whether it’s about your career or a new topic, we’re all trapped sometimes. You feel as though you’ve learned the best way to do something without ever considering there could be a better or faster way to achieve the same results. We become so biased! It’s natural to be biased. We are creatures that must survive and oftentimes perfecting our current ways is where our attention should be, right?

But why are we biased? Largely because uncertainty stresses us out. We crave comfort. We crave the way it's always been done. And that's a recipe for disaster when it comes to learning anything new.

So what makes people more likely to adapt to change? How might the environment influence our ability to adapt? And how can we improve our ability to adapt?

In this episode, I want to share a story of Hansel Emmanuel, a young basketball player who, at a young age, experienced a fatal accident. But did this stop him from learning and pursuing his dream? No. He simply learned to adapt to the change in his life.

Highlights:

• [01:55] Hansel's fatal childhood accident and how he’s able to adapt in this change
• [02:43] Pursuing his dream to be a basketball player despite physical disability
• [05:22] What exactly is mental flexibility
• [06:29] Recent research study on adaptation: monkeys vs. human
• [08:37] Why are we biased?
• [10:14] How to improve your mental flexibility and adaptability
• [10:45] The secret to mental toughness
• [13:16] The importance of mindfulness meditation

Resources Mentioned:

HigherEchelon, Inc.

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In this episode, Dr. Eric Bean invites Sue Sommer, President and CEO of Cordant Health Solutions. Here, she shares how important it is to have someone that believes in you and what you can do in pursuing the things you want to do in life.

Though the cliche’ statement goes like this: “You need to believe in yourself first so others will believe in you,” Sue believes the other way. For her, the accomplishment is different if you have someone behind your back, cheering you on to take that leap of faith and challenge yourself.

Back in the old days, Sue worked at a hospital as a nurse and from there, she recognized the challenges in the healthcare system. Now, almost ten years later, Sue has still been leading one of the best companies in the world. This is despite the fact that the business started as a private equity backed company.

Her success is not pure luck. It is a mix of determination, hard work, patience, and the confidence to dominate as a female CEO.

Highlights

[4:19] Getting to know more Sue Sommer

[7:26] Sue’s experience and the significant phone call

[12:28] Overcoming fears and recognizing your potential

[15:55] The importance of confidence

[17:29] Finding answers to one’s own “why”

[18:11] The role of her nursing experience

[23:13] Why passion and teamwork matter?

[29:04] Challenges in the role

[34:44] Having “thick skin” and how it helped Sue

[54:55] The Bikram yoga

Resources Mentioned

Good to Great by Jim Collins

Listen to Belle Curve on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever you download podcasts and leave us a review!

Belle Curve Podcast is sponsored by HigherEchelon, Inc. and produced and co-hosted by HigherEchelon Director of Marketing & Communications Rachel Bryars.

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Today’s guest, Jim Knowlton, is the Director of Athletics at the University of California, Berkeley. He previously served in the same role at the US Air Force Academy, Rensselaer (Ren-Suh-Leer) Polytechnic Institute and as an interim at the US Military Academy at West Point. After 26 years on active duty in the US Army he retired as a Colonel and began his career leading Athletic Departments. In this episode you’re going to hear how he formed his leadership philosophy, which is very much a servant leader approach, and how he led Cal Athletics through the pandemic by being comfortable with not knowing but having his strategic plan serve as their guide. Jim shares why a strategic plan is critical and the unique approach they took to develop their plan.

Highlights

10:28 Going to West Point was a defining moment for him

13:38 West Point opened his eyes to leadership

15:16 His family also expected commitment from him as he entered West Point.

17:34 He loves his work as Director of Athletics because he can help student-athletes to be successful in life

18:58 He got the position at Cal because of the many people who helped him along the way

27:25 He suggests celebrating small victories

28:04 He developed core leadership core values by serving many bosses

29:08 Servant leadership, leadership by example, hands-on leadership, and caring for others are the things learned along the way

29:30 His leadership philosophy is taking care of people

30:22 The importance of the organizational vision

32:56 The importance of shared ownership of the plan

38:15 He switched early from crisis management to recovery management during the pandemic

40:00 He emphasizes the need to communicate plans and goals in the pandemic

42:52 Threats to the strategic plan: changes in the landscape and financial support

46:14 He believes in work-life integration.

Resources Mentioned

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don’t by Jim Collins

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change by Stephen R. Covey

The Bomber Mafia by Malcolm Gladwell

Listen to Coaching Through Stories on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or wherever you download podcasts and leave us a review!

Coaching Through Stories is sponsored by HigherEchelon, Inc. hosted and co-produced by HigherEchelon’s Director of High Performance, Dr. Eric Bean and co-produced by Siana Sylvester.

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Today’s Coaching Through Stories episode features former VA Secretary, Robert “Bob” McDonald. Dr. Eric Bean is also joined by guest co-host, University of South Carolina President, Robert “Bob” Caslen. Learn how McDonald placed character at the heart of culture change to deliver Veterans with consistent, high-quality experiences and achieve sales metrics as the CEO at The Procter & Gamble Company. Listen to this episode and get the dose of depth and inspiration you need!

McDonald is credited with rescuing the VA from the brink and transforming the VA culturally to provide better and faster care for the nation’s veterans. Prior to serving as the VA Secretary, McDonald led Procter and Gamble (P&G) and significantly impacted their product portfolio, “expanded the marketing footprint by adding nearly one billion people to its global customer base, and grew the firm’s organic sales by an average of three percent per year.”

Caslen is a retired Three-Star Lt. General who served 43 years in the U.S. Army and as the former Superintendent at West Point. He is the current President of the University of South Carolina and a co-author of the phenomenal book entitled The Character Edge: Leading and Winning with Integrity.

Episode Highlights:

• How McDonald got far in his career and what he is working on
• McDonald’s purpose in achieving more in his life and career
• What happened earlier that drives McDonald to strive
• What McDonald believes in and what he thinks is most important looking back
• Why McDonald thinks that character is an essential trait of leadership
• McDonald’s encounter with non-driven employees and how he deals with them
• What the Leaders Developing Leaders Program is
• McDonald’s principles and values that drive his leadership philosophy
• McDonald’s role in transforming the culture of VA and the process he went through
• How the Leaders Developing Leaders Program impact cultural change in VA
• What challenges McDonald encountered and the strengths he draws on
• How McDonald focuses on character development on the senior level leadership
• The annual McDonald Leadership Development Conference
• How to strike a healthy balance between fostering positive relationships and keeping sight of priorities and goals
• McDonald’s recommended books

Three Key Points:

1. Character is an essential trait of a leader as well as integrating it in the organization.
2. Having the purpose and driving values to the leaders and employees are the foundation of high-performance organizations.
3. Understanding culture and the situation you are in and having a principle-based culture are keys in transforming an organization.

Quotes:

“I think it’s a shame that too many people waste their time reacting rather than leading to where you want to go.”

“Character is defined as putting the needs of the organization above yourself.”

“If your ambition is for yourself, chances are you are not going to win in the long term. If your ambition is for the organization, you stand a much better chance of winning.”

“Choose the harder right rather than the easier wrong.”

“Purpose and values are the foundation of any high performance in the organization.”

“In the sense you are taking initiative based on the values, you’re guided by the values, you are not guided by the rules.”

Taking the quote from Theodore Roosevelt’s The man in the arena: “Basically, it’s easy to be the man in the arena. But if you are the man in the arena, you are getting the bloody nose, you’re getting knocked down, you get up again… Who’s better? What Leads to a more fulfilling life? The person standing outside of the arena throwing the stones or the person in the arena constantly getting up? You know you gotta apologize one or twice, I’d rather be in the arena. I think it leads to a more fulfilling life.”

“As you grow within the company and as you train on culture and purpose and it’s all written down, then you’re promoted based on that.”

“I stopped the military culture that had developed in VA. No more tent cards, no more standing up with my come in the room, no more calling me secretary. I am Bob and I want to have an ultimate relationship with you. So intimate that when something goes wrong you’ll tell me it goes wrong.”

Resources Mentioned:

• The Character Edge: Leading and Winning with Integrity
• If Disney Ran Your Hospital by Fred Lee
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey
• Leaders by Stanley McChrystal
• The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge
• The Westpoint Way of Leadership by Larry Donithorne
• Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor E. Frankl

Link:

• Robert McDonald Website

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Today’s Coaching Through Stories episode features Dr. Angus Mugford, the Vice President of High Performance for the Toronto Blue Jays. In this podcast, Dr. Mugford shares with us how high performance doesn’t just lead to the metrics we all are typically seeking but also improves our relationships, connection, and inner joy in pursuit of the outcomes. Dr. Mugford helps build a high performance and collaborative culture within the Blue Jays organization. He is passionate about developing a team that is truly interdisciplinary in nature, composed of great and passionate leaders who serve others to fulfill their potential. In this episode you will learn how failure challenges one to own their values and how you can embrace the process.

Episode Highlights:

• Angus shared a personal experience that required him to adapt his mindset in order to overcome fear and exercise his commitment to go all out.
• Angus’ goal is to collaborate as a team to help the Blue Jay’s organization reach their potential including the players, strength and conditioning staff, maintenance staff, etc.
• With positive effort and positive intent, good things usually happen
• Angus’ leadership style is focused on empowerment and the servant leadership model
• Angus shares how he feels humility and confidence coexist in a leader
• Leaving everything on the field was a powerful transformation that has influenced Angus’ confidence in taking positive risks
• Accept that failure is ok if you are willing to learn from it
• Be ok being uncomfortable
• VUCA: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous
• How Angus gets back up on days when he struggles
• The mental and emotional skills and competencies that separate a great leader from an average one
• Mission, Vision, and Values can serve as a compass during uncertain times
• Lean into difficult things by seeking support rather than avoiding or internalizing it, navigating difficulty is normal but there is a positive learning experience that can come from that
• Humility is the foundation for learning
• Emotional Intelligence is crucial to being an effective leader
• Urgency can inhibit your ability to reflect
• How Angus gauges if a culture is winning
• What accountability looks like for Angus
• What the next level is for them and the organization
• One book Angus recommends

Three Key Points:

1. With positive effort and positive intent, good things usually happen.
2. It’s okay to be wrong. It’s okay to fail if you are learning something from it.
3. Failure will challenge you to own your values, embrace the process.

Quotes:

“However, our process, our commitment is to everybody in the organization being able to fulfill their potential."

“It is the team and the people that drive me and excite me.”

“I think collaboration, learning, and empowerment are really core to the way I operate and see things.”

“Navigating difficulty is normal but there’s always something positive to be gained out of that.”

Resources Mentioned:

• HigherEchelon
• Ego is the enemy by Ryan Holiday
• Team of Teams by General Stanley McChrystal

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Today’s Coaching Through Stories episode features Sonia Rhodes, the founder and CEO of the Experience Lab, a one-of-a-kind experience design firm that's committed to transforming every aspect of the health care experience from the inside out. The Experience Lab is also the place where visionary health care leaders and systems design, collaborate, and explore the future for health care. Sonia and her team are committed to healing healthcare from the inside out.

Take a moment to reflect on the best experience you have had. In today’s podcast, Sonia discussed how being authentic led her on the path she wanted rather than being distracted by those who offered her other opportunities or doubted her ideas. From this episode, you will walk away with clarity on how your connection and intention when providing a service (scratch that), when providing an experience, can have on your customers.

Episode Highlights:

• Sonia shared her story and how this event served as a wake up call for her to explore how to create connections and positively impact patient experience.
• Typical hospital experiences are charged with high emotion, focused on healing physical symptoms, and discharging you.
• Authentic positive employee experience will yield better patient outcomes and patient experience.
• How to gain clarity of your intent regarding the feeling you want an employee or customer to have.
• How integrity shows up in Sonia’s life.
• Sonia’s core leadership values and her leadership philosophy.
• How Sonia lifts herself and others up.
• Sonia’s personal practices as a leader.
• How to understand, define, and design a feeling.
• How people can overcome negative chatter like self-doubt in order to be in the present moment.
• How Sonia highlights the value and the effectiveness of the human experience as it relates to performance.
• One thing that can be done to reshape an experience.
• How to embody the employee experience in a virtual environment.
• Sonia’s vision for the Experience Lab.
• Books Sonia recommends.

Three Key Points:

1. Better patient experience leads to better patient outcomes and patient experience is directly influenced by employee experience. Positive patient experience cannot emanate from a poor employee experience.
2. Identifying your intention and feeling you want your customer to have can guide you in designing the ideal experience you want your customer to have.
3. Being in the present moment is critical to providing a meaningful experience.

Quotes:

“We are dedicated to fully transforming the human experience in healthcare for team members, providers, patients, guests, and the community and every single day, we get up passionate and striving to help make healthcare better.”

“You are who you say you are.”

“Who am I as a leader? Is someone called to something higher than myself and someone who can call others to their highest selves as well.”

“We are memory makers in this work and that matters.”

Resources Mentioned:

• HigherEchelon
• The Experience Lab
• The Experience Economy by B. Joseph Pine

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Today’s Coaching Through Stories episode features Dr. Dean Taylor, a professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, the Director of the Duke Sports Medicine Fellowship Program, and team physician for Duke University. He is also actively involved in leadership initiatives in the Duke School of Medicine and the chairman of the Feagin Leadership Program. Prior to earning his MD from Duke University, Dr. Taylor received his B.S. degree from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and served in the United States Army for 24 years.

In today’s podcast, Dr. Taylor points out the role of emotional intelligence in leadership and why it is especially important today while leading through a Pandemic. Dr. Taylor emphasizes how his approach is more than patient-centered and requires teamwork, critical thinking, integrity, and trust within the team he is leading in order to have success.

Episode Highlights:

• Dr. Taylor’s current role and passion
• Story that started Dr. Taylor on the path he’s currently on
• How Dr. Taylor got into his profession
• What pushes Dr. Taylor to pursue a career in orthopedic surgery and leadership development
• How Dr. Taylor maintains trust in himself while remaining empathetic by asking himself, what does this person need from me right now?
• Great leaders understand when to shift their focus on each stakeholder dependent on the situation which requires strong self-awareness and presence
• Lack of commitment to get better and learning from failure impacts our ability to grow
• Dr. Taylor shares his definition of leadership: it begins with ethically influencing others for the benefits of patients
• Influence provides a leader with the role to make things better for the population you are working with rather than focusing on authority
• Executive coaching provides health care professionals with the ability to reflect on their experiences and maximize learning and growth
• The difference between a great leader and an average leader is time and commitment to growth
• Dr. Taylor shares an experience where he was accidentally injured in the operating room while observing a resident and how his reaction to this accident impacted the resident’s performance and patient’s experience.
• Dr. Taylor’s ability to control his emotions and behavior during an event that could have ended his career motivated him to learn more about leadership development.
• The pandemic has challenged our comfort zone, focusing on what we can do for others and looking outward rather than inward improves our ability to take care of our own well-being
• Selfless service means to prioritize other’s needs over individual wants and desires while maintaining personal and professional balance.
• Self care is the foundation of selfless service and it begins with self-awareness.
• Dr. Taylor defines emotional intelligence within 4 buckets, (1) self, (2) others, (3) awareness, and (4) management. The ability to recognize and understand thinking and emotions effectively in self and in others and to use this awareness to effectively manage your behavior and relationships.
• Dr. Taylor discusses a time where he lacked emotional intelligence and how that could have impacted patient care should his colleague not provided some important information regarding the patient’s needs in that moment
• Leaders in healthcare must strike a balance between empathy without setting themselves up for compassion fatigue

Three Key Points:

1. Self-awareness and empathy are critical to performance and leadership
2. Emotional Intelligence is a critical component for interpersonal and professional effectiveness.
3. Commitment to growth and learning sets great leaders apart from average ones.

Resources Mentioned:

• Patient Stories: Humans of the Hospital
• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap . . . And Others Don’t by Jim Collins
• The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery
• Attending: Medicine, Mindfulness, and Humanity by Dr. Ronald Epstein M.D.
• Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

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During this episode Coaching Through Stories, host Dr. Eric Bean coaches us on how to effectively manage and eventually overcome a paralyzing pattern of behavior most people have: fear. Discover how you can look at fear from a totally different perspective—something that can lead to growth and joy rather than a feeling that’s triggered by danger, pain, or threats.

Episode Highlights:

• People are much more comfortable choosing the familiar over the unknown.
• While fear is one of the seven universal emotions, it manifests behaviorally and psychologically in several different ways.
• Managing fear is a learned response.
• Generally, without the gift of experience, managing emotions comes down to space.
• It is necessary to create space in between the stimulus that’s creating the fear so you can choose your response.
• Developing the ability to create the space and measure and create your response is critical to high performance and will take some work.
• To change your relationship with fear, you need to get clarity on what you’re truly reacting to.
• The biggest fear of all is the idea that you can’t handle it.
• Part of changing your relationship with fear is shifting your mindset from one of threat to one of opportunity.
• Before you face your fears, examine them.
• Instead of focusing on the worst case scenario, ask yourself what the best case scenario is.
• You can practice engaging your fears by getting out of your comfort zone.

Three Key Points:

1. To change your relationship with fear, you need to get clarity on what you’re truly reacting to.
2. Part of changing your relationship with fear is shifting your mindset from one of threat to one of opportunity.
3. You can practice engaging your fears by getting out of your comfort zone.

Resources Mentioned:

• HigherEchelon
• Inside Out (Pixar Film)
• The Gift of Fear: And Other Survival Signals That Protect Us from Violence by Gavin de Becker
• Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers
• Challenge vs. Threat: The Effect of Appraisal Type on Resource Depletion by Erin N. Palmwood and Christine Mcbride
• Lazarus and Folkman’s Psychological Stress and Coping Theory
• Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions by Barbara L. Fredrickson
• Google’s Study on Psychological Safety (Project Aristotle)
• Building a Pyschologically Safe Workplace by Amy Edmondson

Quotes:

“Moving toward our fears could actually set us free. Unchecked, our fears would continue to quietly run over our life and steer us away from our goals, hopes, and dreams.”

“To maximize our performance, we’ve gotta get better at creating the space."

“Part of changing your relationship with fear is exposing the illogical catastrophizing that is triggering our situationally excessive fear response."

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Today’s Coaching Through Stories episode features Dr. Nohelani (Lani) Lawrence, a Clinical and Sport Psychologist and the current Director of Wellness and Clinical Services for the New York Giants. Prior to joining the Giants, her background in sport and clinical psychology has given her a unique insight and perspective on the concerns of student-athletes.

In today’s podcast, Lani shares how she navigates challenges, how she builds trust and connections, and her advice for those who are dealing with uncertainty and discomfort. Lani discusses how we all need an outlet to feel understood and it helps for someone to bear witness to the challenges we experience in life. Developing trust and listening are critical for helping others feel understood. Do you have the listening skills that create the space needed for others to share their stories?

Episode Highlights:

• Lani current role and passions
• The story that started Lani on the path she’s currently on
• What Lani messaging was growing up
• What excites Lani the most about her new role as the Director of Player Engagement and Sport Psychologist for the NY Giants
• How Lani navigates challenges to achieve her personal goals and that of the organization
• How Lani goes about building trust and connection
• What being heard, accepted, and understood enables one to do
• Challenges Lani faced as a leader
• Lani thoughts on intrinsic motivation
• Lani advice for people who need to deal with uncertainty and discomfort
• The self-care practices that has helped Lani focus on the controllables
• Character traits, values, and virtues tend to shine when we reflect on what really matters to us rather than our accomplishments and awards
• Two books Nohelani recommends: Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein and The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance by George Mumford

Three Key Points:

1. Trust is crucial when it comes to building connections.
2. Being heard, accepted, and understood can be life-saving; provide space to listen.
3. Knowing your WHY can help you push through challenging times.

Resources Mentioned:

• HigherEchelon
• Foundations of Self for Women of Color by Nohelani Lawrence
• Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein
• The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance by George Mumford
• The Last Dance - Michael Jordan Documentary on Netflix

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Today's Coaching Through Stories episode features Anthony Noto, the current CEO at SoFi, a unique finance company whose goal is to help clients “get their money right.” Anthony shares the challenges that helped shape him, the early failures and setbacks that propelled him to move forward, and how he goes about building a great culture. Anthony says the secret to success is to “work as hard as you can, do the right thing, and take care of others.”

Anthony Noto is the former COO of Twitter and the former Co-Head of Global Telecommunications, Media and Technology Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs. He also served as the National Football League’s CFO and Executive Vice President for nearly three years. His past experience also includes his service as a Captain in the U.S. Army.

Episode Highlights:

• Story that has a significant impact on Anthony’s life, values, and leadership philosophy
• How the challenges Anthony has experienced has helped shape him and his values
• The messaging of Anthony’s mom about being good enough
• Anthony’s thoughts on the dark side of the independent mindset
• The early failure and setbacks that has propelled Anthony to move forward
• What drives Anthony today
• How much Anthony tries to craft and control his professional life
• What Anthony learned about being a leader during his time as COO of Twitter
• How leaders should go about completing their visions and desires
• What keeps Anthony up at night and what gets in his skin as a leader
• Anthony’s leadership philosophy
• The mental and emotional skills Anthony believes are critical to becoming a great leader
• How Anthony manages himself and maintains his composure
• How Anthony creates a space for his emotions
• What Anthony did first in terms of culture when he first joined SoFi
• How Anthony goes about building a great culture

Three Key Points:

1. There’s a thin line between success and failure. Those that chase problems rather than run from them are more likely to succeed.
2. To succeed as a leader, one needs to show composure, drive structure, and bring people together that are worried or scared.
3. To be a great leader in uncertain times, you need to have the ability to keep everyone calm.

Resources Mentioned:

• HigherEchelon.com
• The Man in the Arena by Theodore Roosevelt
• The Fighting Spirit: A Championship Season at Notre Dame by Lou Holtz
• Anthony Noto LinkedIn

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During this episode of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, host Dr. Eric Bean coaches us on how to free ourselves from the habitual emotions, thoughts, and energy patterns that limit our consciousness using Michael A. Singer’s book "The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself." Learn how to free yourself from limitations, transcend your perceived boundaries, and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving self-realization and happiness.

Episode Highlights:

• Many people resort to merely adjusting their lives rather than addressing their thorns.
• The ability to see a broader perspective is crucial because it will enable you to see your thoughts alongside the rest of the situation.
• When you can see things from a broader perspective, it’s easy to see thoughts for what they really are—a transient piece of data that you can choose to respond to or not.
• It is important to remember that you are not your thoughts. Therefore, you don’t have to be led by them.
• Awareness of your thorns is important so you can minimize their impact.
• If you address the thorns underneath the surface, theoretically, you won’t have any negative thoughts to deal with.
• The first step to rewiring the brain is to examine the thoughts and emotions that show up.
• When making a commitment to look within, you can try helpful techniques like journaling.

Three Key Points:

1. Removing an inner thorn is doable but it’s not always easy.
2. As with most situations, the key to removing the thorns is through self-awareness and looking within.
3. The idea is to face the thorns head-on and do the inner work first. Nothing changes until you do.

Quotes:

• “Remember, a thought is just an idea or opinion produced by thinking. It’s not a directive. It’s not an official or authoritative instruction.”
• “If we are not our thoughts, then we don’t have to be led by them. We can instead be led by our values or by our identity.”
• “We’ve got to become aware of our buttons, or thorns, or triggers and we can address the thoughts that emerge as a result of those to minimise their impact.”

Resources Mentioned:

• HigherEchelon
• Cognitive Defusion Technique
• James W. Pennebaker
• Pennebaker’s Expressive Writing Paradigm
• The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer

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On today’s Coaching Through Stories episode, our guest, Dr. Cindra Kamphoff, Ph.D., shares how you can use your experiences to make you a better person and leader and how you can train your mind to think powerfully, on purpose. Dr. Cindra Kamphoff, Ph.D., CMPC, is an award-winning keynote speaker, University Professor, and the author of the Amazon bestseller, Beyond Grit: Ten Powerful Practices to Gain the High-Performance Edge.

For the past four years, Dr. Kamphoff has provided mental training for the Minnesota Vikings players in team and individual settings and also provides mental skills training to business professionals and executives. You can learn more about Dr. Kamphoff by checking out her top tanked podcast, the “High Performance Mindset.”

Key Points:

1. Deliberately cultivating your energy and attitude is a process and requires effort.
2. One can find their purpose by exploring three questions (Why am I still here? What difference do I make? Why do I do what I do?).
3. Leadership is about doing the work yourself first and allowing it to impact others in a way through modelling and not directing.
4. To be our best, we don’t need to eliminate fear but instead, we can make a deliberate choice to choose courage over fear.

Episode Highlights:

• The unifying thread that keeps Cindra on her true north
• Cindra shares how her experience at the 2013 Boston Marathon that led her to the path she is currently on
• What Cindra had within her that enabled her to use her experiences as a springboard to her future
• What Cindra recommends to people who would like to let go of being small
• Cindra shares how her inner critic shows up and how she silences it
• What Cindra recommends to people who want to stay in the right frame of mind during challenging times
• Cindra’s advice to those who want to be less reactive and more proactive in terms of their emotions
• Cindra’s recommendations for leaders who want to build a resilient culture

Cindra’s advice to those who want to be deliberate with their energy and the way they show up

Books Cindra recommends to those who want to level up

Cindra shares where people can find her and connect with her

Resources Mentioned:

• HigherEchelon
• Dr. Cindra Kamphoff Website
• High Performance Mindset Podcast
• Dr. Cindra Kamphoff, PhD Twitter

Books:

• Beyond Grit: Ten Powerful Practices to Gain the High-Performance Edge by Cindra Kamphoff
• The Power of Purpose: Find Meaning, Live Longer, Better by Richard J. Leider
• Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization by Scott Barry Kaufman, Ph.D.
• The Success Principles: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be by Jack Canfield
• Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brené Brown

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Today's Coaching Through Stories episode features guest Chip Huth who has been an active member of the Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) for the past 28 years. Currently, Chip serves as a Major for KCPD's Traffic Division, the State of Missouri’s defensive tactics subject matter expert, and as a senior consultant with Arbinger Institute. Chip has planned, coordinated, and executed over 2500 high-risk tactical operations and takes the lessons he learned on the force and shares them through powerful stories and speaking engagements. In today's podcast, Chip discusses how he shifted his mindset to become a high performing leader in the field, at home, and as a father.

Three Key Points:

1. Leading with an outward mindset allows a leader to support others and be open to new solutions and possibilities.
2. Having more research-based training is ideal so we can see what really works.
3. From the outward mindset perspective, leaders should incentivize members of the team not based on what they did but based on what other people were able to accomplish because of what they did.

Episode Highlights:

• Chip reflects on some of his life’s transformative experiences.
• Chip talks about his experience leading the Street Crimes Tactical Enforcement Team for a decade and why he feels it’s one of his life’s defining moments.
• Chip points out what it means to “grow where you are planted.”
• There are two kinds of people in an organization: the person in charge and the person that knows what’s going on.
• What’s inside Chip that has enabled him to look within?
• How Chip handles missteps and inconsistencies by becoming vulnerable.
• Chip discusses a moment that he defines as his “tipping point.”
• Chip shares how leaders can help their teams exercise discretion.
• Chip shares concrete tips leaders can try to lead with an outward mindset.
• Chip identifies ways that leaders can make relationships better and what the acronym S.A.M. (See People, Adjust Efforts, Measure Impact) is all about.

Resources Mentioned:

• The Outward Mindset: How to Change Lives and Transform Organizations (book)
• Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box (book)
• Man’s Search for Meaning (book)
• Chip Huth Website, LinkedIn, Twitter

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During this episode of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, host Eric Bean interviews Becky Halstead, a retired brigadier general who founded her own leadership consultancy company, STEADFAST Leadership. Becky has endured a lot of adversity throughout her life and her career. Learn how Becky overcame that adversity to become a deliberate leader who earned respect beyond her rank through helping others succeed.

Episode Highlights:

• Becky speaks about adapting and overcoming during the pandemic.
• Becky shares the devastating story that after her high school coach died, her light went out.
• When we're going through adversity, we don't always understand the impact it will have on the future.
• Becky read the recommendation her coach wrote for her when she applied to be in the second group of women admitted to West Point and her light went back on.
• Her family focused on faith as they hoped for her switch to go back on after the tragedy.
• You can't always be the cheerleader and you can't always be the butt-kicker.
• When you need to turn your light back on, uncover what's turning that light switch off and then expose the faulty thinking in how you're addressing that problem.
• We all have regrets. Becky works with people and gives them the benefit of the doubt.
• When Becky looks at people, she tries to remember all the connections behind them.
• If we would all look at other people and see the host of people behind them, we will remember that how we're interacting with the person in front of us will affect other people.
• Becky is extremely deliberate in order to make the best use of every moment.
• She had a mentor that taught her two think about two jobs out and one promotion up. This helped her look at other jobs and absorb what other people were doing well.
• You'll never feel whole or feel peace if you define yourself by external rewards.
• Humor played a huge role in how Becky approached her male-dominated workplace.
• What disappoints Becky is when women turn into the men they couldn't stand.
• She earned respect with connection and relationships.
• People respect you when you listen to their ideas and hear their perspective. They will also look for more ways they can be influential.
• When a three-star general questioned her ability to lead, she first wondered if he was right. She pulled in 4-6 people she trusted in confidence to explore the truth and make a plan.
• You may never change your critics. All you can do is work to earn their respect.
• Leading others as she would like to be led is at the heart of Becky’s leadership philosophy.
• People forget that leadership is about the people you lead, not about the status, the paycheck, and the title.
• Never forget those you lead.
• Becky thinks that discipline is the most important trait of a leader.
• Discipline keeps your attitude positive.
• Discipline is an internal construct. Start within and keep your word to yourself.
• Ask if your behaviors are what you'd like your workforce to repeat. Be the example.
• She chose certain people in her life that would hold her accountable. Sometimes we don't see ourselves and need feedback.
• We need to be a calming force while being honest, truthful, and transparent.
• Have one foot in current operations and one foot in future operations.
• Her advice to corporate leaders right now is to bring in experts to consider all the possible solutions for helping your team.
• You can deliver bad news in a calm and transparent way.
• Becky incorporates her physical, mental, and spiritual health into her self care practice. She uses a personal battle rhythm to keep herself accountable to her personal goals.
• When she was in the military she used a matrix. She numbered 1-31 and had 12 different things across the top. This matrix kept her centered.
• Becky recommends her top resources for leaders.

3 Key Points:

1. When you’re a leader helping someone through adversity, align around problem solving.
2. You can earn respect as a leader through connection and empathy.
3. Lead others as you would like to be led.

Resources Mentioned:

• 24/7: The First Person You Must Lead Is You (book)
• The Maxwell Leadership Bible (book)
• Becky Halstead website, LinkedIn

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During this episode of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, host Eric Bean interviews Austin Moss, Director of Player Engagement with the San Francisco 49ers. Austin shares how he uses his role to educate, empower, and guide players to reach their potential both on and off the field. Austin demonstrates his passion for greatness throughout this conversation as we discuss hard work, the importance of bringing more diversity to the NFL, and the value of creating a culture with a team first approach.

Episode Highlights:

• Austin shares about his experience growing up in the small town of Hopkinsville, Kentucky in a multi-generational household.
• His family instilled a work ethic in him that helped him achieve his goals.
• He first fell in love with football while competing with his older brother. They both dreamed of playing for the University of Kentucky. He went there as a preferred walk-on and was eventually awarded a scholarship.
• Having a strong work ethic, teamwork, perseverance, and faith were emphasized in his home growing up.
• Faith helped him respond to doubt.
• When you practice, you can gain the ability to achieve at a high level.
• Austin believes his passion for the game was given to him for a reason.
• He knew his odds of making it to the NFL were slim but he wanted to stay as close to the game as he could without playing.
• Austin grew up in a small town without much diversity. He was often the only black person in his class.
• Looking at the history of executives in the NFL, there's a lack of diversity. Austin set out to be part of changing that as his next goal when he stopped playing.
• Austin received an MBA and a master’s degree in Sports Management at the University of Central Florida. This program focused on bringing diversity and equality to sports.
• In his role with the 49ers, Austin is responsible for building culture. He is also responsible for helping players with personal development, decision making, life skills, financial education, continuing education, and career development.
• The average NFL career is three years. They help players see possibilities outside the game.
• He starts with rookies to help them find balance and broaden their thinking about their lives. They talk about the on-field component, but they also talk about the off-field.
• The 49ers create touchpoints for their players with tech companies in Silicon Valley.
• When they're talking to veteran players they talk about what they want to do when they're done with the game.
• They also encourage peer-to-peer conversations between veterans and younger players.
• The biggest transition from being an amateur to a pro is understanding the time and dedication it requires to be elite.
• Many people grow up naturally gifted but in the NFL you can set yourself apart with your mindset and how you take care of your body.
• You've got to love doing the stuff that people don't see. That's part of the process to become elite.
• In the 49ers' culture, they want contagious competitiveness and people who are passionate about the game.
• They believe that smarter football players make better teams.
• Everyone focuses on doing their part and it isn't about who receives the credit. This is key.
• To buy into a team first mentality, you must be self-critical.
• In their business, film is the #1 evaluator. Leaders can think about their meetings and assess what would undeniably show up on tape if their meetings were recorded in a similar manner.
• Successful athletes hold themselves to a high standard and put systems and processes in place to consistently meet those standards.
• Even after a successful year, you have to re-evaluate yourself to make sure you approach each day with intensity.
• Players will make mistakes. It's important to make sure they know how their decisions can impact their goals and their team.
• Austin wants to be the best player engagement director in the league that he can be. He knows if he can take his skill set and apply it to any business or industry.
• Great leaders clearly communicate their standards, create a team environment, and stay ahead of the game.
• Austin recommends helpful books on leadership.

3 Key Points:

1. Working hard will help you achieve your goals. Success is earned, not given.
2. Pros differentiate themselves from amateurs by their level of commitment and dedication.
3. Great leaders cultivate a team first mentality where everyone focuses on doing their part.

Resources Mentioned:

• Leaders Eat Last (book)
• Can’t Hurt Me (book)
• Detail: Peyton Manning (documentary)
• Austin Moss LinkedIn

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During this episode of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, host Eric Bean speaks with Rocky Novak, CEO of Fallon, a fully-integrated creative, media and production agency, headquartered in Minneapolis. Rocky's perspective on leadership is refreshing because he delicately strikes a balance between being focused on results while emphasizing relationships and vulnerability. He leads from a place of authenticity and does it with humility. Rocky discusses how he has risen in the company by staying focused solely on the company's needs. His authenticity is palpable throughout the conversation.

This episode was recorded prior to COVID-19.

Episode Highlights:

• Rocky describes Fallon's history as a successful agency in flyover territory.
• If we do work we're proud of, a lot of the noise starts to sort itself out.
• Rocky took on the role of CEO about a year ago. He describes reconciling the human element of his job with business decisions.
• In his view, the spotlights that are good are not where the leaders should be standing.
• Making the distinction between leadership and humanity feels inauthentic to him.
• When you come from the inside of an organization, suddenly coming up with new leadership frameworks can feel false.

• He doesn't pull punches but there's also a personal relationship.

• He hires people for the weird side of them. He wants people to approach problems as humans.

• He tries to be human whenever possible. Empathy and humanity work regardless of the situation you are in.
• Rocky talks about the role of common sense in leadership.
• He always tries to approach his day with genuine enthusiasm, genuine intent, genuinely trying to do the right thing for the business and the clients.
• He started in media strategy and planning. Then he was moved where he led the digital and social practice. After that, he was a managing director.
• Rocky found success by recognizing needs for the agency and trying to meet those needs.
• He wants to build a place that engenders that kind of growth in others.
• There's a generation that has been focused on individual success. But now Rocky sees some movement toward people growing tired of that and wanting to be part of something larger.
• One of the Fallon values is family as a business model.
• Advertising has been in a liminal space for about twenty years with the major disruption of the internet.
• He needs employees to love the work. If you're not genuinely excited to do the work every day, advertising is a tough job to do.
• When people are having fun and enjoy their work, you can feel that in the end product.
• Have great people that do great work and control what you can.
• The success of taking a familial approach to company culture may depend on the industry.
• He can't ask people to be vulnerable without insisting on a familial approach.
• Rocky describes working with a young female copywriter on work for a bourbon brand.
• You can push for vulnerability and show people that there's something in them that will make the organization better.
• Rocky recommends resources for further study.

3 Key Points:

1. Leading from authenticity privileges humanity and empathy.
2. You can create opportunities for growth by identifying needs in your company and trying genuinely to fulfill them.
3. A familial approach can allow you to push for vulnerability that can improve the organization.

Resources Mentioned:

• Fallon Worldwide
• The West Wing
• The Ride of a Lifetime (book)
• Rocky Novak LinkedIn
• HigherEchelon.com

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During this episode of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, host Dr. Eric Bean discusses how to get the most out of your time at home and the office and why that matters. Dr. Bean challenges the eight-hour workday and asks questions you can reflect on so you can become more aware of how you're spending your time as a leader or as an employee but also how you're spending your time in other areas of your life, using the “1000 Marbles” story to inspire us.

Episode Highlights:

• Eric reads the “1,000 Marbles” story. This story comes down to presence, priorities, and perspective. How many marbles do you have left and how are you going to spend them?
• How are you using your time? Are you in it, or are you elsewhere?
• What are your priorities in life? What really matters to you and those you love?
• Eric shares the history of the eight-hour workday.
• On average, people are focused for 2 hours and 53 minutes of their workday.
• How can we be more productive and present at work so we can complete our daily duties in a timely fashion and leave work at work?
• Employees reported positive results on productivity, team engagement, work-life balance, and more when their company implemented a flexible 4-day work week.
• Eric works with high performers to maximize the time they spend in a flow state.
• Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task.
• Most people surveyed said they were five times more productive in a peak state.
• What are you like at your best? What enables you to be at your best?
• Focus and concentration allow you to be at your best.
• Protect periods of high-quality focus.
• Temporally, when are you at your best? What time of day? Identify that time and figure out how to protect it.
• You could establish office hours instead of having an open-door policy.
• Establish a pre-performance routine. Examine the activity you're about to embark on and determine the ideal mental, physical, and emotional state.
• If you're present and focused, you can complete more work during your workweek, in turn making your time at home more meaningful.
• Fear can hinder your best interests and the best interests of your team.
• One way to discover your true priorities is to look at your values and look at what's really important to you.
• The NFL is filled with hard working coaches who take pride in prioritizing football over other aspects of their life. Eric shares a moving quote from a coach who told his staff to prioritize time with their children.
• Explore your own definition of success.
• Sometimes you will have to use your marble for work, but be conscious about that choice.
• Kevin Hart talked about how his priorities completely shifted after experiencing a life-altering accident.
• Shift your mindset by examining your true definition of success.
• Be thoughtful about how you're choosing to spend your time.
• The answer to better productivity is less waste and fewer things that induce distraction and stress.

3 Key Points:

1. When you are present, you can be more productive.
2. Learn to protect periods of high-quality focus.
3. Evaluate your priorities. Spend your time and energy on what really matters to you.

Resources Mentioned:

• Deep Work (book)
• The Only Way to Win (book)
• It Doesn't Have to Be Crazy at Work (book)
• HigherEchelon.com

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During this episode of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, host Eric Bean coaches us on how to overcome self-imposed limitations using a story from Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. Learn about how to push through plateaus, set goals that drive you, and how to be emotionally agile to overcome your perceived limitations.

Episode Highlights:

• Today's story is taken from Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman. This story deals with Thor and Loki. They visit the land of the giants and lose every impossible challenge they are presented. However, their efforts still create massive changes that demonstrate their power, although they don't see these consequences at first.
• Takeaway #1: Big, audacious goals can have a tremendous impact on our performance even if we fall short of achieving our goal.
• Takeaway #2: Knowing our strengths and weaknesses is critical to true self-awareness.
• Takeaway #3: If we only focus on results, we might miss indicators of improvement and growth.
• If you think of a big goal but then you stop yourself before you even start, that's an indicator of a psychological barrier you've imposed on yourself.
• Shooting for goals beyond our reach allows us to test where our limits are and push beyond them.
• This will help us rethink the process by which we attain goals which can lead to leaps in innovation.
• Jim Collins talks about "big, hairy, audacious goals" in his book Good to Great.
• Roger Bannister's effort to run a four-minute mile is an example of a BHAG.
• We have to understand that when we're looking at psychological barriers most of it exists only in our mind.
• Stretch goals are tools to get us past our barriers.
• Dr. Susan David discusses how the human mind is a meaning-making machine that creates narratives.
• What is the core belief that is the source of your negative self-talk?
• What are the false beliefs that are driving your behavior and decision making?
• Dr. David says that we can get unhooked from our false beliefs by living our values.
• Dr. David also encourages us to try mental contrasting. This technique requires visualizing challenges in your way when overcoming a psychological barrier.
• Locke and Latham found that subjects with difficult to reach goals failed to reach their goals more often than those with easier goals. However, those with more difficult goals consistently performed at a higher level.
• Get comfortable with failure because it's an indicator that we're pushing ourselves.
• Setting difficult goals enhances task interest.
• Where are there opportunities for you to create a stretch goal?
• How can you leverage your values and mental contrasting to support you in the process of reaching those stretch goals?
• How many of us know what we're really, really good at?
• How well do you know yourself? What is your understanding of how others experience and think of you?
• There's a prevailing belief that the only way to get better is to focus on our weaknesses. But it turns out, that's not always the most effective feedback for growth and development and for learning.
• We must look beyond outcomes and results.
• Looking beyond wins and losses provides you the opportunity to uncover developmental gains, find teachable moments, and move past the pain of losing.
• A growth mindset leads to a desire for mastery. People with a growth mindset persist in facing challenges.
• If you're not failing, you haven't challenged yourself enough.
• What are times or situations where you largely employ a growth mindset? How about a fixed mindset?
• Take stock of moments when you'll be challenged. Envision yourself in those situations and imagine how you might adopt a growth mindset in that moment.
• While there are limits to what our bodies can do, we often put self-imposed limits on ourselves usually based on false beliefs.
• Overcoming limits can lead to a huge breakthrough in your performance.

3 Key Points:

1. Big, audacious goals can have a tremendous impact on our performance even if we fall short of achieving our goal.
2. Knowing our strengths and weaknesses is critical to true self-awareness.
3. If we only focus on results, we might miss indicators of improvement and growth.

Tweetable Quotes:

• “We have to understand that when we're looking at psychological barriers or any barrier of any kind, most of it exists only in our mind.” – Eric Bean
• “The problem isn't so much that we make assumptions. The problem is when we treat assumptions as if they were data.” – Eric Bean
• “There's a prevailing belief that the only way to get better is to focus on our weaknesses. But it turns out, that's not always the most effective feedback for growth and development and for learning." – Eric Bean
• “If you haven't failed this week, you haven't pushed yourself this week.” – Eric Bean
• “Pushing past our psychological limits means overcoming our default ways of thinking...and having the psychological strength to see a new path.” – Eric Bean

Resources Mentioned:

• Norse Mythology (book)
• Good to Great (book)
• Measure What Matters (book)
• Emotional Agility (book)
• Insight (book)

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During this episode of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, host Dr. Eric Bean speaks with Miguel Gallego, President and CEO of Precision Diagnostics. Miguel shares with listeners how he took risks financially and career wise to start his success at Precision Diagnostics. Miguel has the ability to go all in because he has a high level of trust in himself coupled with humility because he is secure enough to admit when he doesn’t know. Miguel shares how his career path shifted from one direction to another after receiving some advice from a mentor. Miguel discusses his perceptions on how companies must shift through periods of growth. This episode will help you think about how companies balance their priorities as they grow and innovate.

Episode Highlights:

• Learn how Miguel got started at Precision Diagnostics.

• From 2005-2011 Miguel was in a Ph.D. program doing stem cell research. He started doing genetic testing on the side. In his thesis defense, he was told that he had presented a sales pitch. This ultimately encouraged him to shift his perspective.

• Miguel shares how he shifted career paths and initially approached sales and business.
• They discuss the initial pain points Precision Diagnostics faced.
• Miguel offers his perspective on how growing companies need to shift from a builder mindset to an innovation mindset.

• When you consistently stress the system it can force innovation.

• Hear Miguel’s thoughts on culture and why aiming for a “family feel” may not be helpful.

• In athletics, they talk about task cohesion and social cohesion. For performance, social cohesion is not as necessary as task cohesion.
• It's still possible to have high levels of support and care while challenging each other to innovate.
• Miguel shares how the company’s culture has shifted with changing priorities.

• To foster a culture that sees challenges as opportunities, demonstrate your track record of achievement.

• Balancing task completion and relationships is a moving target for Miguel.

• Learn what happened when Precision Diagnostics adopted the OKR (Objectives and Key Results) approach and how that shift altered team cohesion.
• Miguel describes his shift from working in operations to becoming the CEO.
• Hear about Precision’s purpose.

• Miguel shares his core values: growth and improvement.

• Miguel provides recommendations for other CEOs who may feel insulated from feedback.

• They discuss recovery, being in the moment, and the satisfaction of deep work.

3 Key Points:

1. At a certain point, growing companies must shift their mindset from a focus on building to a focus on innovation.
2. In a culture that prioritizes innovation, social cohesion may not be as essential as task cohesion.
3. When the focus is on numbers, culture may erode. The balance between social and task cohesion is a moving target.

Resources Mentioned:

• Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard by Chip Heath

• Miguel Gallego LinkedIn

• To learn more about how to become a resilient and adaptable leader please visit https://www.higherechelon.com/

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COL. Katherine Graef is the current  Logistics Director of Special Operations Command Africa. Graef  has also served as the Director of Logistics in  Qatar, she commanded the  Combat Sustainment Support Battalion, and  taught as a  Military Professor at  the  Nava l War College in Newport, RI.  In this episode, Graef discusses how leading a group of high performers can  sometimes  be more challenging than leading  a group of mixed ability level.  Graef also presents how authenticity  became an explicit value for overcoming  her own adversity and through her experiences of  working with other leaders that lacked integrity and consistency.  She even admits how there were even parts of her career where she felt like a hypocrite. Listen to this Coaching Through Stories episode and learn how  Graef found her way to  authenticity  and how you can discover your own authentic path  and be your true self in the workplace. 

NOTE: This podcast was recorded in January 2020, shortly after an attack on US forces in Kenya. Kathy mentions this attack contemporaneously as a current event in January. This attack did not occur in April when this podcast airs. Views presented in the podcast as reflective of COL. Katherine Graef’s personal opinions and are not those of the Department of Defense or any of its components. 

Episode Highlights:  

• Graef’s current role as Logistics Director of Special Operations Command Africa has been the most challenging but the most reward role so far in her career

• “It takes moral courage to look somebody in the eye and say, ‘Hey, you’re not meeting the standard.”

• When leaders are faced with an employee who does not meet expectations, focus on the outcome you seek.
• Reflect as a leader and ask yourself: 1. Are you providing the right instruction for your subordinates to be successful? 2. Are you as a leader giving an underperforming subordinate the tools needed to be successful? 3. Is your training or leadership style working for all of your subordinates?
• Humans in general tend to gravitate toward problem-focused solutions to resolve issues rather than solution-focused. High performers approach problems with a solution-focused mindset.

• Graef will test people if she feels integrity in compromised in someone and discusses how a lack of integrity is a deal breaker for her.

• Leadership authenticity shows up in a leader’s ability to be consistent in the treatment of their superiors, peers, and subordinates. “You have to model and reward the behavior you seek.” A lack of consistency in leadership reduces credibility in the organization and the organization’s values.

• A lack of alignment of authenticity creates stress, Graef discusses her journey of being fully authentic and how it empowered her to fully enjoy life
• As a leader, you must understand what an organization needs from you and under what competencies are required to prioritize, perform, and thrive.
• Understand what your followers need from you as a leader.

• A leader must set the pace to avoid burnout and live a balanced life.

• A high performing leader has the ability to balance humility and confidence.

• Self-awareness is critical, a leader much learn the physical symptoms that come with self-doubt and lack of confidence.
• Sometimes it takes a situation or some kind of adversity to occur in order to provide the opportunity for a leader to be great instead of just average

Resources Mentioned: 

• How We Decide  by Jonah Lehrer
• Whistling Vivaldi: How Stereotypes Affect Us and What We Can Do  by Claude Steele
• To learn more about how to become a resilient and adaptable leader please visit https://www.higherechelon.com/

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To learn more on how you can take your leadership to the next level, check out our service offerings: Resilient and Adaptable Leadership, Executive Coaching, and Change Management.

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Today’s episode features Ret. Lt. Gen. Robert (Bob) Caslen. Caslen is the current University of South Carolina President, he served 43 years in the U.S. Army, and is the former Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Rarely leaders' step into a position with unanimous support, Caslen will discuss how he overcame strong opposition during the hiring process to become the President for University of South Carolina. Our host, Dr. Eric Bean brings out tips and stories from Caslen on how a leader can be resilient, improve buy-in, and create a strong collaborative culture even in an unsupportive environment. To learn more about building your winning work culture, reach out to higherechelon.com.

NOTE: This episode was recorded prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic

Episode Highlights:

• Caslen faced strong opposition during the hiring process for University of South Carolina President

• Character is a set of values that you embrace and define you

• Selflessness is critical for effective leadership

• Honor is to embrace the integrity to do the right thing when no one is looking in both your personal and professional life

• Make the case why winning is important, create a culture of winning, live a life of excellence

• Perform to the upper level of your potential in everything that you do; perform well, consistently

• Strive for excellence and success will naturally happen

• Build a culture of winning by rewarding excellence

• The opposite of average or mediocrity is excellence

• A leader needs to lead change by articulating a purpose and vision, put the plan in place, assess and make changes to move in the direction you want

• How to work through oppositions and face critics that you have regular contact with, in order to do your job

• Be transparent and collaborate to unify the group and secure buy-in

• Transparency, engagement, and communication

• You’re always part of someone else’s team, leaders need to earn their bosses trust and be able to understand when the boss wants the subordinate's subject matter expertise and when your boss has made a decision and wants the subordinate to understand the decision and execute it

• Culture needs to align and support strategy in order to achieve excellence

Resources Mentioned:

• From Good to Great Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins

• The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey

Caslen’s Upcoming Book:

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During the  third  episode of the  Coaching Through Stories  podcast, host Eric Bean coaches us on the importance of mission using the 1980s Tylenol crisis as a case study. Learn about the power of having a mission, especially during a crisis. This episode will help you consider why missions are meaningful and why they should be used when you encounter non-routine situations. 

NOTE: This episode was recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic 

Episode Highlights:  

• Learn the story of the 1980s Tylenol crisis that proved the value of Johnson & Johnson’s mission.
• Learn how Johnson & Johnson managed the crisis using their mission statement to filter their decision-making.

• Missions matter and need to be used.

• Eric defines vision, mission, and philosophy.

• Your behavior is a good indication of your values.
• Organizations need to leverage their mission.
• If you’re a leader, review your mission with your employees regularly.

• 11,000 senior managers were asked their company's top 3-5 priorities and only about 1/3 could name their company's top three goals.

• Get to know your priorities and reflect on them.

• Mission improves strategic alignment.
• Leaders must consider if they are rewarding behaviors that are aligned with company values.
• Employees can align their work with the company’s values.

• We want to have purpose and meaning in our lives.

• Why we’re working matters.

• Meaning attracts talent.
• A strong mission fosters customer engagement.
• You have control over your mission, value, purpose, and philosophy.

• Gallup found that margin and mission are not at odds with each other.

• The why matters because the why will get others to buy into your ideas and initiatives.

• Finding purpose as an employee will give you opportunities to lead.
• Challenge your mission from time to time.
• Your mission can serve as a guide to make decisions during challenging and non-routine situations.
• Eric recommends The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle for additional reading.

3 Key Points: 

1.  Mission matters and needs to be known to help employees align their work. 

2.  There are major benefits to showing up to work with a purpose. 

3.  Your mission can serve as a guide to make decisions during challenging and non-routine situations. 

Resources Mentioned: 

• Simon Sinek’s “Start With Why” TED talk

• The Culture Code by Daniel Coyle

• HigherEchelon

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Today’s podcast features guest Gary Denham, who was a Navy SEAL for 21 years, and more recently was the Director of Instructor Development for the Naval Special Warfare Center. Currently, Gary helps others improve their performance with his business, Gary Denham Consulting. Gary also teaches leadership through public speaking and effective presentations. In today’s podcast, Gary talks about how he got into public speaking and how he leveraged his core values and principles to shift away from the identity that previously defined him.

NOTE: This episode was recorded prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic 

Episode Highlights:  

• Denham speaks to his most impactful experiences in his career.

• Denham discusses about his progression from serving in the Navy SEALs to public speaking and giving presentations.

• Denham talks about how he has re-written his identity to align with his values.
• As a Navy SEAL, there is a mentality of mission, team, and me, in that order. As a SEAL, what did you learn about leadership in a team?
• Where does leadership and your mentality of leadership come into play?

• If the focus is on the mission, then everything else will fall into line.

• Leadership is taking responsibility for the solution.

• Denham talks about what it means to say, “you can’t give away what you don’t own.”
• Denham talks about his coaching role in the Navy SEALs, and how it evolved into the “better person” course.
• How does ethos (credibility, trust) play a role in the Navy SEALs and creating a strong culture?

• What makes the culture for a company or team?

• Can you talk more about your role now as a public speaking coach? How do you “be you” louder?

• Know your material, the audience is the main consideration, have a conversation, and be a good listener.
• What kind of attitude shows up when you “have to” do something versus when you “get to” do something?
• Regarding the MLK principle of “Head, Heart, Mouth,” how do you know it went through the heart?

3 Key Points: 

1. Aligning your identity with your values may take you through major shifts in life.

2. What leadership means and how Denham’s past as a Navy SEAL shaped his view of leadership.

3. Always tailor your message to the people you are talking to, but you always need to be “being you.” Audience first.

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To learn more on how you can take your leadership to the next level, check out our service offerings: Resilient and Adaptable Leadership, Executive Coaching, and Change Management.

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Introducing the Coaching Through Stories podcast! The goal of this podcast is to explore stories from leaders and high performers in a variety of fields in order to inspire, spark insights, and help you step up! This season we're going to explore stories from a retired Navy SEAL, a CEO, a University President, and other high performing leaders. We'll also share stories from history, mythology, or popular literature to explore lessons on resilience, adaptability, and leadership. Coaching Through Stories is hosted by Dr. Eric Bean who is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant and a high-performance coach who helps people push through internal and external barriers in order to perform at their best when it matters the most.