Leadership Arts Review

An end of Season 2 update from Kate Arms.

In Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them, Gary Hamel and Michele Zanini explore why top-down governance and rule-bound management are liabilities in the modern business world, what organizational changes are needed to equip and enable everyone in organizations to be their best and to do their best, how to manage transitions safely, and what kind of leadership such transformations demand.Kate Arms leads Alyssa Dickman and Nitya Shekar in a discussion of Humanocracy. We talk about how organizational structures and cultures hold great people back and what leaders need to do to change that.We discuss how human-centred organizational design can engage employees, reduce attrition, and enable better outcomes more quickly and cheaply.Listen in if you want to transform your organization into a powerhouse of the modern economy where the best people want to work.

Rick Andrews, Corporate Trainer and Improvisation Teacher, joins us for a discussion of Susan Cain's latest book, Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole. We look at how people and organizations are enriched and empowered by embracing grief, sorrow, and longing.In Bittersweet, Susan Cain looks at the positive side of unpleasant emotions. We talk about how comfort with unpleasant emotions enables people and organizations to have the hard conversations, how positivity and humor can be toxic, and how authenticity serves as an antidote. Listen in if you are interested in how to lead through hard times with integrity.Featuring Special Guest, Rick Andrews!Rick Andrews is a trainer, instructor, and coach living in NYC and teaching globally. He is Head Instructor at The Magnet Theater and has been studying, performing, and teaching improvisation since 1999. Rick is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, teaching improvisation in the MFA Acting program. As an applied improvisation facilitator and trainer, Rick has worked with hundreds of organizations using improvisation techniques and exercises to help meet their needs and grow their skills. Clients have included Google, Spotify, Salesforce, J.P. Morgan, Bloomberg, NBCUniversal, PepsiCo, Ogilvy, Chief, and many more.You can learn more about him at his website or his LinkedIn.

In Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel H. Pink presents research on effective motivation and the importance of autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Despite the runaway success of the book, corporate management has done a surprisingly poor job of implementing these ideas.  Alyssa Dickman leads a discussion of Drive with Nitya Shekar and Kate Arms. We talk about how people are motivated and the ways organizational structures can inhibit or support motivation.We discuss the relationship between creativity and motivation, the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, how monetizing passion and purpose can backfire, flow, employee engagement, and how to optimize incentives for the goals that matter. We dig into why optimizing for the short term can create long-term challenges and how motivational feedback loops can mislead us.Listen in if you are interested in designing organizations and building teams that enable motivation, innovation, and creativity.

In Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?: (And How to Fix It), Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic discusses why so many organizations equate leadership potential with destructive personality traits like overconfidence, narcissism, and psychopathy. He shares what qualities we should be looking for and valuing instead and suggests new systems and processes that can help organizations put the right people in charge.Kate Arms leads a discussion of Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?: (And How to Fix It) by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic with Alyssa Dickman and Nitya Shekar. We talk about why it is so easy for incompetent men to become leaders and why it is so hard for competent men and women to advance.We discuss the relationship between narcissism and perceived competence, the difference between confidence and competence, why women leaders outperform men, and how to make sure your company hires the right people for leadership.Listen in if you are interested in hiring better leaders or how to get more women into leadership.

In Rebel Talent: Why It Pays to Break the Rules at Work and in Life, Francesca Gino discusses the importance of defying the status quo for both personal life satisfaction and organizational success.Nitya Shekar, Kate Arms, and Alyssa Dickman discuss Rebel Talent and the importance of innovation for organizations and the power of defying the status quo to create personal fulfillment.We discuss risk taking, vulnerability, innovation, and creativity.Listen in if you want to embrace a little more rebellion in your work and life.

Sharon Salzberg is a prominent meditation teacher with a specialization in loving-kindness meditation. In Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World, she discusses how meditation practices give us the energy and motivation to sustain the hard work of driving change.Alyssa Dickman leads a discussion with Kate Arms and Nitya Shekar. We talk about the connection between personal development work and leadership impact.We discuss the relationship between resilience and grief, the gifts of anger, and how mindfulness creates hope and energy when things are difficult.Listen in if you yearn for a more personally sustainable way to have impact.

In Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change, Stacey Abrams shares her story and the tools she has used to build a movement for change as a black woman.Kate Arms and Christine Gautreaux lead a discussion about having influence when you start with a disadvantage. Special guest Christine Gautreaux brings her stories of having worked on campaigns led by Ms. Abrams to this discussion of the special challenges of leading change when you start with the deck stacked against you.Listen in if you want to increase the impact of underrepresented populations in organizations or communities. About Special Guest Christine GautreauxChristine Gautreaux, MSW, is dedicated to the pursuit of play, joy, art & social justice. Christine’s superpowers include connecting people, helping folks manifest their dreams, standing up against injustice, and using art to make a difference in the world. She currently uses Interplay to address issues of oppression and racial justice with people living with severe and persistent mental illness or homelessness, women who are refugees, and women who are incarcerated. Christine believes in the power of body wisdom and somatic play to help heal trauma. She also works with professional caregivers, activists, and artists to maintain balance and self-care during these intense times we find ourselves living in. Christine holds Bachelor's and Master's Degrees in Social Work and is a professional speaker, coach, author, and entrepreneur. She is the co-author of Stillpoint: A Caregivers Playbook and the co-host of the Women Connected in Wisdom Podcast.   Find out more about Christine at her website:  https://www.christinegautreaux.comJoin Christine at an event here:  https://www.linktr.ee/christinegautreauxmswJoin the Women Connected in Wisdom Community here:  https://www.womenconnectedinwisdom.comListen to the Women Connected in Wisdom Podcast here:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/women-connected-in-wisdom-podcast/id1556786980

Nitya Shekar leads a discussion of The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony by Jay J. Van Bavel, PhD and Dominic J. Packer, PhD. How can leaders harness identity to increase effectiveness?In The Power of Us, Jay J. Van Bavel and Dominic J. Packer explore the subtle and not-so-subtle ways our sense of identity shapes our perception and behaviour. And they revise the conclusions from some classic studies in psychology based on more nuanced analysis.NItya, Kate Arms, and Alyssa Dickman discuss how to intentionally create belonging, the impact of leaders' identities on organizations, and how a sense of identity can support or interfere with organizational effectiveness. Listen in if you're interested in creating inclusive cultures and belonging everywhere you are.

In Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You, Anne Morriss and Frances X. Frei discuss not only how to have leadership impact when you are in the room, but also how to keep having impact in your absence.Alyssa Dickman leads a discussion with Kate Arms and Nitya Shekar about the trust triangle, supporting inclusion as a leader, and strategic collaboration with outside organizations -- with a special look at what love looks like at work.Listen in if you are committed to leading others in ways that free them from dependence on you.

A double-feature discussion of Michael Bungay Stanier's books, The Coaching Habit and The Advice Trap. Two books on leading better through talking less.Michael Bungay Stanier shares how to empower others through good questions in The Coaching Habit and how to get better results through giving less advice in The Advice Trap.Kate Arms, Alyssa Dickman, and Nitya Shekar discuss the differences and overlaps between the two books and why they make a powerful pair. We talk about questions that aren't questions, the discomfort of silence, and why giving advice is so tempting.Listen in if you want to get better results by doing less as a leader.

Alyssa Dickman, Kate Arms, and Nitya Shekar discuss themes from the books we read for Season 1 and give a preview of what's coming in Season 2.Hear us discuss themes that crossed the season, which books we loved most, and which ones we use ourselves. We talk about what we've learned and what we are changing. And just a little about the books we have lined up for the next few episodes.

In the final episode of Season 1, Nitya Shekar and Alyssa Dickman are joined by special guest Carmen Ekdahl of Cop Coach and the non-profit Transformational Leadership Collaborative to discuss Living With a Seal by Jesse Itzler. Jesse Itzler invited a Navy SEAL to live with him for a month and put him through extreme fitness training. Living With a SEAL is that story.Special guest Carmen Ekdahl, coach to police officers and other first responders, joins Alyssa and Nitya for a discussion about leadership in the context of daily threats, the power of extreme training to push even the toughest folks past their comfort zones, and how everyone can benefit from being a little (or a lot!) less risk averse. Listen in if you are interested in how far beyond your comfort zones you might be able to go.For more information about Carmen and Cop Coach, visit https://www.cop-coach.com/ or follow her on Instagram at @cop_coach.

Alyssa Dickman leads a discussion of Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life by Susan David. We look at how to engage effectively with our emotions and why leaders need to develop emotional agility.Susan David shares why emotional agility is a crucial leadership skill and teaches a four-part process for working with emotions to extract the wisdom they bring without overwhelming us. Alyssa, Kate Arms, and Nitya Shekar talk about the power of getting to know our emotions and learning how to relate to them without being directed by them. We share some personal stories and some patterns we have seen in our work developing leaders.Listen in if you have ever wondered how to be more relaxed at work or help your employees and direct reports be more engaged and creative.

Kate Arms leads a discussion of Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up by Jerry Colonna. We look at what it means as a leader to embrace your demons in service of better relationships and more effective leadership.Jerry Colonna believes that better humans make better leaders. In Reboot, he shares what that means and how we can all become better humans and better leaders.Kate, Nitya Shekar, and Alyssa Dickman talk about the power of radical self-inquiry, becoming fierce with reality, and facing the crucible moments that transform good leaders into great ones. This conversation gets more personal than usual as we discuss Jerry Colonna's coaching questions and the personal challenges they inspire us to embrace. Listen in if you have ever wondered how to achieve success and feel good about who you are in the process.

What would change if you celebrated learning you were wrong about something in service of being right? Nitya Shekar leads a discussion of Think Again by Adam Grant. We look at how questioning our beliefs makes us more effective leaders.Nitya, Alyssa Dickman, and Kate Arms, talk about why leaders need to be comfortable changing their minds for the right reasons, how to cultivate a scientific mindset, and why rethinking your positions is valuable even when you don't change your mind.Listen in if you have ever wondered how you can change your mind without looking weak or foolish.

If you only remembered 10 things about leadership, what should they be?Alyssa Dickman leads a discussion of The Truth About Leadership by Barry Posner and James M. Kouzes. We look at the ten fundamental truths about leadership that tend to remain constant over time.Alyssa, Kate Arms, and Nitya Shekar talk about the fundamental truths about leadership that tend not to change over time. We also discuss the three elements that create the conditions for trust, the relationship between values and employee engagement, and what love has to do with leadership.Listen in if you have ever wondered what stays constant as leadership fads and trends change.

What do you need to do in the first few months in a new leadership role to set yourself up for success?Kate Arms leads a discussion of The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins. We look at the skills and processes you need to get off to a good start in a new leadership role.Kate, Nitya Shekar, and Alyssa Dickman talk about the process Michael D. Watkins recommends for navigating the first three months on a job without falling into the common traps and pitfalls. We discuss his suggested techniques and some of the real-world challenges that make them hard to do. And we share some personal stories of both success and struggle in starting new jobs on a strong footing.Listen in if you have ever wondered how to move into a leadership role in a new organization confidently and without arrogance.

What does it mean to take seriously the idea that words matter?Nitya Shekar leads a discussion of The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. We look at why words matter and how leaders can build presence and trust through these four simple agreements they can make with themselves. Featuring special guest Margaret Leahy.Nitya, Kate Arms, and special guest Margaret Leahy talk about the four ways Don Miguel Ruiz says serve as guideposts for leaders to speak and act with integrity and pay attention to their impact.Listen in if you have ever wondered how to become more trustworthy, more at peace with yourself or others, or more confident that you are speaking with integrity.

How would you like to have more influence in your organization or in the world?Alyssa Dickman leads a discussion of The Outward Mindset by The Arbinger Institute. We discuss how looking outside yourself, your team, or your organization and focusing on the impact you have on others makes you more effective and influential.Alyssa, Nitya Shekar, and Kate Arms talk about how an outward mindset enables individuals, teams, and organizations to be more effective. The discussion includes a description of the outward mindset and how to cultivate it, stories of outward mindsets in action, and a few words about why it can initially be hard to make the shift from a so-called inward mindset. Includes pro tips on "managing up" effectively.Listen in if you have ever wondered how to have more influence.Find additional resources about The Outward Mindset including a Study Guide and printable versions of the diagrams at: https://arbingerinstitute.com/Landing/TheOutwardMindset.html