Black Dog Runner

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackdogrunner/message

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackdogrunner/message

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackdogrunner/message

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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/blackdogrunner/message

What is Stoicism? Why is it on the rise? And what can we learn from this ancient philosophy that can help us as we navigate the challenges of modern life? These are just some of the areas I discuss as a newcomer to this topic with John Sellars, not only for my own understanding but also to encourage you to delve deeper into this most practical of philosophies.

John is a Reader in Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, a Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London (where he is an Associate Editor for the Ancient Commentators on Aristotle project), and a member of Wolfson College, Oxford (where he was once a Junior Research Fellow).He is the author of The Art of Living: The Stoics on the Nature and Function of Philosophy (2003; 2nd edn 2009), Stoicism (2006), Hellenistic Philosophy (2018), Lessons in Stoicism (2019), and Marcus Aurelius (2020).He is one of the founder members (and currently Chair) of Modern Stoicism, the group behind Stoic Week and Stoicon.  

http://johnsellars.org.uk

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This episode has been 28 years in the making and an opportunity to dig into what leadership really means in today’s complex and demanding environment. As fresh-faced Officer Cadets, Neil Jurd and I embarked on a lifelong journey of discovery and passion for leadership which we discuss in this episode; one of my favourites so far!

A mix of military anecdote and contemporary thinking on leadership in the modern age, this episode is more than just two old chums having a catch up. Neil explains how his ideas and thoughts on leadership have been forged, honed and challenged by his experiences on operations and latterly as a coach and consultant to the public and private sectors.

Leadership is a simple concept, but often poorly executed and it is Neil’s passion to spread best practice that has driven him to write his first book on the subject and in the hope that more people see leadership as a force for good, rather than self-interest.

“Leadership. It’s about knowing where you’re going and connecting with people.”Neil Jurd

Top Takeaways:

Neil was fascinated with leadership and he has always had a type of leadership role. He believes leadership is a massive force to get things done and he believes in its power. With this curiosity, he finally decided to write a book about his thoughts and put pen to paper with all his findings in the subject of leadership.The most fundamental principle is knowing where you are going and taking people with you. If you know your purpose and are good to people, others will follow and want to be led by you. There needs to be an alignment of where you are going and what you are trying to achieve. You need to throw yourself into what you believe in because that passion will bring an excitement to the work. The passion will be more compelling, and people will be more connected to the work.In politics, you rarely see leadership being for the greater good. You often see selfishness, dominance, and manipulate in politics to be in charge. These styles of leadership will have an impact because people often mimic what they see. If they only see a toxic leader, they will be encouraged to act the same. Instead, you should try breaking the cycle and providing a leadership style that is for the greater good.The standard you walk past is the standard you accept. These deep moral values can shape you as a leader and this type of thinking can reveal what you accept in your moral values. It was all about how to react when things go wrong and taking time to think.Leadership is really just about understanding, revisiting, and applying the basics. It does not require a mastery or a strategic knowledge. Instead, it just about doing the basic things beautifully and wonderfully. You constantly revisit and relearn until you are a master of the basics. Leadership is not about higher knowledge, but instead digging deeper into the basic fundamentals to understand the core of it. Treat people well and know the basics; and repeat!

Key Moments:

[3:52] Neil’s British Citizenship Award.[5:14] Neil’s leadership book and why now?[7:35] How Neil’s beliefs on leadership have evolved.      [11:21] Leadership in politics.    [17:05] The different styles of leading in training.[20:06] The standard you walk past is the standard you accept.    [24:35] Understanding people’s strengths and weaknesses as a leader.   [29:15] Neil’s two biggest leadership influences.[31:44] Mastery is not necessity, but understanding the basics is.  

Neil Contact Information:

http://neiljurd.com

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What is at the true heart of leadership and why do we need to take back the term? In this week’s episode, Chance Stewart, adjunct professor and speaker, dives into the world of Servant Leadership, what a true leader looks like, and what defines a good leader versus someone with positional power.

Chance explains how leadership has played a role in his life and describes how he found leadership in his life, and what defines it from a moral and personal perspective. A subject that can be as divisive as much as it unifies, there is a sense that what it means to be a leader has been lost somehow and now is the time for individuals to re-connect with the term and lead with love and service in mind.

Listen in to discover the hard questions you should be asking yourself to see how you could be a better leader and how to benefit the world around you.

“Authority and power are the antithesis of leadership because if that is what you are relying on that means you’ve lost the battle.”Chance Stewart

Top Takeaways:

Chance explains that leadership is not about making others do what you want. Instead, it is about making the choice to figure out what you can do, what steps you can make to create change and benefit others around you. What do you choose to do?Leadership is not necessary following a series of boxes or checking off a list. It is about showing the world your best self and being the best version of yourself. How is the world going to be better because you were around? What is the world going to say about you the last time they say your name?Leadership is something that happens when you’re not around!A position of power does not determine someone’s leadership because if you rely on your authority to have leadership than you are missing the point. Leadership is how you live your life and treat others instead of the title you have.Chance came to the realization that leadership to him was treating people with love and respect. He always felt his leadership role, but it was not necessarily apparent in his life. Sometimes finding where you need to go means opening your mind up to who you have been the whole time even if it is not obvious at first.A definition of leadership is not always clear, but when a leader walks in a room we feel their presence. Servant leadership is not about being soft, but the question should be how are we taking care of people first? Servant leadership should be the decision to serve first.Leaders eat last. When you make sure people are taken care of first, you are putting your best version of yourself forward. When you put others first, they will then look after you as well. This type of love feeds off of one another and it’s not about one single person. Instead, it is about the team and how they take care of one another. Leadership is controlling what you can control, be the best version of what you can do, and it creates one more person who is doing right by others. What kind of person do you want to be? Am I going to be a person of love? What kind of hard decisions are you going to make? The hard thing to do is doing the right thing when everyone is looking, but no one else is prepared to.Leadership is not about being perfect, but it is about being the best you can be to serve others. Leadership is not always about knowing the way or being perfect or having all the knowledge. Instead, it is about being vulnerable, admitting mistakes, and finding the way together.

Key Moments:

[2:32] Why leadership is a choice.[6:10] Leadership as a way of life.[9:34] Leadership is not a position of power.     [12:35] Chance’s experience with leadership.  [18:16] Servant leadership  [23:08] Leaders eat last.   [26:49] Leadership is a choice, and you can only control yourself.  [30:28] Leadership is not about knowing the way but about finding the way together.[33:36] Language is symbology.

Chance Contact Information:

https://www.chancedstewart.com

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Matt Mills is a speaker, trainer, and professional running and leadership coach, who coaches runners and leaders who are ready to take bold action for major change in their life, and are eager to accomplish their top running and self-leadership goals.

As a former Hollywood executive turned coach, Matt focuses on helping runners stay committed to their top goals, and create results with great speed so that they can experience more mental and physical self-mastery, becoming more purposeful, powerful and passionate in their life – on their own terms.

During the course of this interview we discuss what running and triathlon has taught us both. The highs and many lows experienced during races and ultimately how it has delivered key lessons in self-leadership and personal resilience.

“Running serves a huge purpose beyond just racing.”Matt Mills

Top Takeaways:

Matt was always really focused in his coaching career on helping others who were stuck and could not meet their wanted goals in their lives. While he was training for one of his marathons, he decided to start posting on social media about how he used running to help himself with his goals and help him be better in life. That’s how ‘Coaching on the Run’ was born!Matt decided to apply the principles he learned in pushing himself during his runs, races, and marathons in other aspects of his life. How could he challenge himself? What steps can you take to be one step further? These questions applied to both his exercising and his career all while benefiting his mental health.Running is not just about taking care of yourself physically but also mentally and emotionally. Whether it’s running or walking, if you need to get away from family for a bit and get time to yourself running can be one of the easiest ways.Running is one of the greatest forms of self-leadership because you do not have to wait on anyone else. You can do it by yourself, you can accomplish it by yourself, and you do not have to wait for someone else’s permission. This can give you an immediate feeling of accomplishment and success that can benefit your well-being and self-esteem instantly.Matt explains how he reframed his outlook. When he runs in the morning, he frames his mind to remind him that it will help him feel ready for the day and accomplished before even taking a shower. When he runs in the afternoons or after work, he explains that he puts himself in the mindset of washing away his worries or struggles from that day. These two mindsets help him stay motivated no matter when he decides to go for a run.Matt and Peter both explain how during some of their early marathons, they both made the mistake of running too fast and keeping a pace that was too fast for the distance. In that experience, Matt learned the hard way that marathons require lots of preparation and you have to put in the work to get the end result that you want. Everyone can run a marathon if they are just willing to put in the work whether they enjoy running or not.It’s your mind that will get you through, not your body. Reframing your mind about running is vital to being successful when you hit your lowest point, and this applies to other areas in your life as well, not just running. You first want to visualize what you want to accomplish. How would you feel, or what do you want to do? It’s about reframing your mind to not just think about your run time but how you want to feel when you reach your goals.First thing to always thing about, what do you want to accomplish? You should always be thinking first about the person they want to become at the end of their goals, and this applies to both running and life. Then you should ask yourself some hard questions such as, what are your limiting beliefs? What is holding you back?

Key Moments:

[2:56] How Matt decided to combine running and leadership.[5:46] Matt explains how he uses the principles of running in other parts of his life.  [7:32] Mental health and well

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Jamie Woodhouse, author, campaigner, vegan and Sentientist tackles two of the biggest questions in philosophy; what is real and what matters from a moral perspective? In this week’s episode, Jamie discusses at length Sentientism, how Jamie discovered it, his goals and his thoughts on how many people already practice Sentientism in small ways.

Simply put, Sentientism is evidence, reason, and compassion for all beings; going beyond and further developing ideas grounded in atheism and humanism. Growing up in a traditionally religious household Jamie later discovered other religions and after much learning and researching, he came to the realisation that religion was more than likely man made. This eventually led him to finding a moral ground and evidence-based perspective in Sentientism.

Listen in to discover how this new perspective could shape your worldview and provide ideas on how to look at the world from a different point of view.

“And I think nearly everybody is compassionate, but we find it very easy to be compassionate with people that agree with us.”Jamie Woodhouse

Top Takeaways:

One of the biggest questions is what is real and should be believed? The other big question is what truly matters at the end of the day? By using evidence to find what is real, by using reason to determine what should be believed, and by using compassion to find what matters, Sentientism is the sum of reason, evidence, and compassion to answer these two important questions.The idea of suffering and of moral circles should not be limited to just humans. The moral circle should be widened.Peter and Jamie both have explored religion in their lives. However, they both discovered that they felt like there was a lack of evidence and a certain amount of belief or faith to be committed. Peter described how he could find more comfort and joy in what he could explain and see with his own eyes. Jamie then debunks the idea that atheism is cold, lonely, or dark, and he explains how he is comforted in his certainty.Jamie is in favour of total freedom of belief, but people should be able to respect one another’s differences without forcing a religion down someone’s throat. He explains that sometimes corrupt ethics or harm is being caused and that’s where modern society needs to re-evaluate their standings. A religion or belief is not bad, but warped teachings can create harm to others that should not be tolerated today.In religion, good and bad is often determined by the deity, but when people move away from religion there are two ways of thinking morally.Jamie explains that in Sentientism there is a moral baseline where suffering and pain is bad where flourishing and growth is good. He believes this can also be extended beyond humans, and that life is life. Life is good and pain is bad. Suffering is not just about physical pain and flourishing is not just about success. Emotions, life situations, relationships, and every aspect of your life can reveal suffering or flourishing in your world.There are many beliefs that posit a need to achieve this perfect ethical state as a worthwhile goal, but it is also a dangerous mindset. This is because almost everything we do causes harm to another. The idea of purity is not achievable, but that does not mean the idea is not worthy of trying. We should always be working to be better, but we need to be realistic and honest that we cannot attain perfection.

Key Moments:

[1:08] Definition of Sentientism.[2:32] Jamie’s path to finding Sentientism.[6:54] Peter discusses the ideas of religion and questioning different beliefs.   [11:16] Jamie explains people’s evidence in the cases of religion or their beliefs.  [14:41] The importance of respecting one another’s different beliefs.[18:00] The fundamentals of the moral clause in Sentientism.[26:44] Jamie gives ideas about the contradictions of being vegan yet giving dogs a meat-based diet. He also has some treat tips for those interested in g

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