Compassionate Accountability Podcast

Dr. Nathan Regier, your host, welcomes Ed O'Malley, the founding president and CEO of the illustrious Kansas Leadership Center, an organization committed to fostering leadership for stronger, healthier, and more prosperous communities, and Julia Fabris McBride, Chief Civic Leadership Development Officer of the KLC.

Ed and Julia embody a Compassion Mindset with their deep caring for people, curiosity, and commitment to excellence. In this episode, they join Dr. Nate to discuss their newest book, When Everyone Leads: How the Toughest Challenges Get Seen and Solved, and the principles of this groundbreaking work.

Key Takeaways:

[5:52] Julia and Ed share how they built KLC.

[7:37] How does When Everyone Leads fit into Ed and Julia's careers?

[10:35] Ed explains how they structured this book.

[13:07] Julia discusses the journey and experiences that led them to write When Everyone Leads.

[15:57] What are the two biggest problems that leaders should and can be ready to solve with this book?

[17:50] Ed and Julia describe the difference between adaptive and technical challenges.

[21:20] Julia highlights the importance of partnering with Dr. Nate since a compassionate mindset is needed in every leadership role to tackle adaptive challenges.

[23:04] Julia and Ed discuss their view on conflict and how we should use it.

[25:50] What is their favorite chapter of When Everyone Leads?

[29:22] Leaders should get vulnerable, ask for help, and be clear about what matters most to their people.

[29:54] What gives Ed and Julia the most hope?

[34:01] What has given Julia and Ed joy and enthusiasm lately?

[36:53] Dr. Nate shares his top three takeaways from a lively conversation with Ed and Julia.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Compassion Mindset

Next-Element.com

Learn more about Ed O'Malley and Julia Fabris McBride.

KansasHealth.org

Tweetables:

"Leadership is an activity." #oncompassion

"One of the biggest challenges in leadership is not to treat adaptive challenges as if they are technical." #oncompassion

"Conflict is an opportunity, and it is energy." #oncompassion

"Conflict is inherent in progress, which is beautiful!." #oncompassion

"Part of exercising leadership is letting go and how to take care of yourself to be able to care for the ones you care most about." #oncompassion

Dr. Nathan Regier, your host, welcomes Kay Sargent to today's episode. Kay is the senior principal and director of the Workplace Team and is on the board of directors of HOK, a global design architecture engineering and planning firm employing 16,000 people.

Kay is making an impact for neuro-diverse individuals in the workplace; she has nearly 40 years of experience and is an award-winning, recognized expert on workplace design and strategy issues. She believes we have a moral and ethical obligation to use our skills for a meaningful and positive impact.

Key Takeaways:

[3:35] Kay shares her professional interest in neurodiverse-friendly design.

[5:03] Kay defines neurodiversity.

[6:49] What are some of the challenges that neurodivergent people face in the workplace?

[8:42] What is Kay currently doing with her clients? Kay is giving them options, choices, and control.

[12:09] Is there a business benefit from this type of inclusive design?

[18:09] Kay describes the built environment's impact on people by listing three naib aspects.

[20:07] What is the flaw in only considering location and flexibility as the main workplace factors?

[22:14] Kay shares some of her current projects.

[26:18] What would Kay advise an influential leader? Give people options!

[32:03] Dr. Nate shares his top three takeaways from an empowering conversation with Kay Sargent.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Compassion Mindset

Compassionate Accountability, How Leaders Build Connections and Get Results, Nate Regier

Next Element Consulting

Visit HOK.com

Tweetables:

"Building and designing environments at the service of people with different sensory profiles" #oncompassion

"Every decision that a designer makes about color and textures impacts individuals with different sensory profiles."

"Since COVID, everyone has a higher sensitivity to their surroundings."

"When you design for the extremes, you benefit the mean; when you design for the average, you benefit no one."

"No single business won't benefit from people being happier, healthier, more engaged, more empowered and productive."

"We have the moral and ethical obligation to really create spaces that are empowering for individuals and inclusive for all."

Dr. Nathan Regier, your host, welcomes Elizabeth 'Liz' Bruno to today's episode. Liz, Vice President and Chief Learning Officer at Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida, oversees an impressive six-hospital system with a staggering 14,000 employees.

She's a force to be reckoned with—a true rebel at heart and a shining example of compassion in the healthcare field.

When it comes to understanding the profound meaning of real compassion in the world of healthcare, Liz gets it.

Key Takeaways:

[3:27] Liz shares how she became a nurse.

[4:40] Liz explains why she likes to be called a 'Learning and Developing Goddess'.

[5:14] Liz talks about her role at Baptist Health.

[7:20] Liz defines compassion as a competency.

[8:35] There can be compassion without empathy.

[11:50] Compassion helps everyone involved feel better.

[12:50] Dr. Nate shares one of the greatest barriers to practicing compassion.

[13:29] How does Liz teach people to behave compassionately in the business of healing?

[16:24] How do we deal with burnout and honor our identities in the process?

[20:02] It's ok to be vulnerable.

[21:00] How does Liz convince people that being vulnerable is the key to more energy and better care?

[23:18] Remembering the times when someone took care of you is a great tool to deal with burnout.

[26:10] Liz discusses the issue of shortages in healthcare.

[29:04] Liz talks about the training she is giving on how to be compassionate virtually.

[31:55] What is Liz looking forward to in the next few years?

[35:26] Dr. Nate shares the highlights of an amazing conversation with Elizabeth Bruno.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Compassion Mindset

Follow Elizabeth 'Liz' Bruno on Linkedin

Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida

Tweetables:

"Compassion makes everything better" #oncompassion

"Compassion improves outcomes and satisfaction." #oncompassion

"Compassion is a learnable and a teachable skill." #oncompassion

Dr. Nathan Regier, your host, welcomes Doug Shapiro, who is the vice president for research and insights at OFS, a family-owned contract furniture manufacturer with a unique mission to bring people together. Doug specializes in imagining physical spaces that promote connection and wellness. He believes that design is compassion manifested in the physical space.

Doug is from an industry people won't naturally associate with compassion, accountability, and Leadership: The commercial Furniture industry, but we all know that thriving cultures are about their people, and those people live, work, and interact within a physical space that has a massive influence on them. Listen to this episode to learn how space and place affect can be an instrument of compassionate accountability.

Key Takeaways:

[2:28] What is the connection between furniture manufacturing and compassion?

[3:15] Doug talks about his work and mission.

[5:25] What makes OFS so unique?

[7:10] What kind of problems does Doug solve? Who does he work with?

[9:39] Doug shares an example of his work.

[11:25] Doug talks about his experience with specific clients.

[12:37] What does not work? What goes against the notion of including people, working together, and helping them to be productive?

[17:16] Doug explains why some spaces work better than others to foster belonging and inclusion.

[18:39] Are there any fundamental principles of design that inspired the work that Doug does?

[20:16] Dr. Nate shares the definition of compassion.

[21:19] How can our physical space support the fact that we are valuable, capable, and responsible?

[24:10] A space can send messages about what is essential and what is not.

[24:24} Doug has published a children's book and is about to launch another.

[26:48] Doug talks about Imagine a Place, his Podcast.

[27:48] Doug shares resources with the audience

[29:33] Doug shares a fun conclusion he found recently.

[31:52] Dr. Nate shares his top three takeaways from a fun conversation with Dough Shapiro.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Compassion Mindset

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel Pink

Imagine a place Podcast.

Design Your World, Doug Shapiro

Tweetables:

"Show people how much you care about them." #oncompassion

"Design and compassion are very closely connected. Compassion is taking action on empathy, and design is compassion that has been manifested after listening and understanding who will inhabit a particular space." #oncompassion

"Compassion has to be demonstrated, we can't just talk about it." #oncompassion

Dr. Nathan Regier, your host, welcomes Dr. Kristin Neff to today's episode.

Dr. Neff is a researcher, an author, and a business owner she's been recognized as one of the world's most influential research psychologists. Dr. Neff is a pioneer in the study of self-compassion, she was the first one to define and measure the construct almost twenty years ago operationally. Dr. Neff received her doctorate from the University of California at Berkley and is currently an associate professor of Educational Psychology at UT Austin. In addition to writing numerous academic articles and chapters on the topic, she is the author of the book Self-compassion: The Proven Power to Being Kind to Yourself and Fierce Self-Compassion: How Women Can Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Their Power and Thrive. In conjunction with her colleague Dr. Chris Germer, she has developed an empirically supported training program called Mindful Self-Compassion which is taught by thousands of teachers worldwide. She's also co-founder of the non-profit Center for Mindful Self-Compassion. Dr. Neff is bringing compassion to the workplace in so many different ways!

In this Episode:

• How Kristin got interested in studying self-compassion.
• How is self-compassion different from other kinds of compassion?
• What are the three components of self-compassion?
• How self-compassion increases responsibility, agency and resilience.
• What's the difference between fierce and tender self-compassion?
• Why is self-compassion more stable than self-efficacy or self-esteem?
• What are the workplace benefits of self-compassion?

Key Takeaways:

[2:18] How did Dr. Neff get interested in the field of self-compassion?

[3:46] Dr. Neff distinguishes self-compassion from other forms of compassion.

[4:11] Dr. Neff shares her three-component model for compassion.

[5:44] Dr. Nate and Dr. Neff talk about the origins of the word compassion: Suffering with others.

[8:50] Do we suffer alone? That thought is scary and isolating.

[9:36] Dr. Neff discusses the number one blockage for self-compassion.

[10:21] Self-compassion is a more effective motivator than self-criticism.

[12:44] Compassion and accountability cannot live without each other.

[13:04] Tender vs. fierce self-compassion.

[15:00] Dr. Neff uses the analogy of being a good and compassionate parent.

[16:17] Dr. Neff addresses the fact that some help is well-intended but ineffective (not alleviating suffering).

[18:03] Self-efficacy, self-esteem, and self-compassion provide a sense of value and worth.

[21:43]. Dr. Neff talks about her new book Fierce Self Compassion.

[24:55] What role does self-compassion play in business?

[27:07] How does conflict fit in the practice of self-compassion?

[29:20] There is a lot of energy in conflict that we are misusing.

[31:55] Dr. Neff advises people on how to start addressing self-compassion.

[34:25] Self-compassion is also a spiritual practice.

[35:40] Dr. Nate shares the top three takeaways from an insightful conversation with Dr. Neff.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Compassion Mindset

Check Dr. Neff's website

Tweetables:

"You can be intentionally kind and supportive to yourself." #oncompassion

"The number one block for self-compassion is people thinking that they have to be tougher and harder with themselves, and giving themselves a break seems like lowering their standards ." #oncompassion

"Self-compassion is a more effective motivator than self-criticism." #oncompassion

"It is not compassionate to let people off the hook." #oncompassion

"Self-compassion reduces burnout and increases work-life balance." #oncompassion

Dr. Nathan Regier, your host, is joined by Marcus Engel in today's episode.

Marcus M.S., CPXP, CSP, is a Certified Speaking Professional and author whose messages provide insight and strategies for excellent patient care. His keynote presentation, The Other End of the Stethoscope, has been witnessed by tens of thousands of healthcare professionals. His books are used in scores of nursing and allied health programs to teach the basic foundations of caregiving.

Marcus shares in this episode how compassion helped to transform pointless agonizing pain and suffering into an amazing journey of recovery and purpose; his story illustrates the transformative power of compassion.

What's In This Episode:

• What happened to Marcus, how it changed his life forever, and how he has used that experience to serve others.
• The two most important words you can say to another human being who is suffering.
• How do you "be here" with others in today's busy and distracting world?
• The three most compassionate things you can say to another person.
• In light of limited resources, how can leaders create more compassionate systems and cultures?

Key Takeaways:

[3:40] What is Marcus' story? Marcus shares his story of survival and healing.

[9:10] "I am here" Marcus talks about the importance of your presence as the greatest gift you can ever give.

[11:42] Marcus shares some key lessons he learned from his near-death experience that he now teaches others.

[13:43] "Hurting people hurt people" Marcus explains how he dealt with the guilt of knowing he hurt others during his recovery (mostly he was hurt).

[15:08] Suffering is an inevitable part of the human experience.

[16:17] Science backs up compassion.

[17:37] Marcus shares some tools for people to be present: I am here, Me too, I got you.

[19:39] Marcus summarizes the scientific research that backs up compassion.

[21:48] Dr. Nate discusses the three switches in a compassion relationship.

[22:30] Marcus believes that the fact that he was deeply hurt proposes he tries to prevent this from happening to others.

[24:00] Burnout can also look like compassion fatigue.

[26:57] What does the Healthcare administration can do right away to improve the patient experience?

[28:32] Everybody wants compassionate leadership.

[28:58] Marcus shares a particular interaction that had a huge effect on him.

[32:16] Are there any barriers that people face inside them that prevent them from being present for others?

[36:00] Dr. Nate shares the highlights of an amazing conversation with Marcus Engel.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Compassion Mindset

The Other End Of The Stethoscope - 33 Insights for Excellent Patient Care, Marcus Engel

Compassion & Courage: Conversations in Healthcare Podcast

Learn more about Marcus Engel

Tweetables:

"Our presence is the greatest gift we can give to another human being." #oncompassion

"Hurting, pain, and suffering are part of the human experience." #oncompassion

"Non-judgemental awareness is another way to define compassion." #oncompassion

Is the human heart just an organ that pumps blood? Or does it have a brain of its own? Is it just a metaphor for human connection? Or does it actually impact the energy around us? Dr. Nathan Regier welcomes Mark C. Crowley, who has dedicated his career to figuring this out and has discovered unique concepts that will surprise you, challenge you, validate your experience, and invite you to consider so much more than you ever imagined. Mark's passion for leadership was ahead of his time, and his message needs to be shared. Mark spent 25 years in the financial services industry, and he had the chance to observe and experience plenty of leadership styles, some did not work, but he showed more interest in what actually worked. There was something about his own way of leading that seemed to get good results, so he began exploring what others were doing. After many years of studying and practicing, he became an expert in heart-based leadership. Mark is an international consultant, speaker, coach, and author, helping leaders and their companies unlock the power of leading from the heart.

Mark talks in this episode about the second edition of his book: Lead From The Heart: Transformational Leadership For The 21st Century, which brings tons of new resources and stories.

Key Takeaways:

[3:08] Where did Mark acquire his passion for heart-based leadership?

[8:59] What did Mark notice about how leadership was approached? What is the problem with the current methods of leadership?

[11:55] What is the heart? What role does it play? How does the heart relate to leadership?

[15:18] Mark explains the connection between the heart and the mind.

[17:23] Mark talks about shocking research that he found.

[20:30] What is the science proving that if we lead from the heart and make real connections with people, that would improve their performance and how they feel at work?

[24:27] People are valuable, capable, and responsible.

[24:46] Mark talks about compassion and leadership.

[27:45] Mark highlights some particular strategies from his book.

[32:28] Mark shares a piece of knowledge about positive emotions that the world needs to know.

[35:18] Dr. Nate shares the top three takeaways from a fantastic conversation with Mark.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Compassion Mindset

Learn more about Mark C Crowley

Lead From The Heart: Transformational Leadership For The 21st Century, Mark C Crowley

Tweetables:

"Feelings and emotions drive our behavior, we think we are rational beings, but we are not." #oncompassion

"We are hard-wired to reciprocate." #oncompassion

"Compassion is a potent motivator for people." #oncompassion

"Let people marinate in positive emotions, which sets them up for optimal performance." #oncompassion

Dr. Nathan Regier, your host, is joined by Jonathan Keyser in today's episode. He is an entrepreneur, a family man both at home and at work, and a truly authentic human being.

Life is full of transformation stories but we rarely get to see the rest of the story, the longing, the choices, and the challenges that come after a transformation. If you are a leader who is looking for inspiration and hope as well as a practical, down-to-earth road map to bringing more compassion and accountability to your workplace, this episode is just for you.

Jonathan is the founder and thought leader behind Keyser, a real estate firm located in Arizona which, by using the selfless service model, became the largest commercial Real Estate brokerage firm in Arizona in just 6 years. It is one of the fastest-growing in the country. Jonathan is the author of You Don't Have to Be Ruthless to Win: The Art of Badass Selfless Service which he talks about during today's conversations.

Key Takeaways:

[2:37] Jonathan talks about the journey that led him into real estate.

[7:17] Jonathan speaks of the transformation he experienced.

[9:37] Jonathan started helping as many people as it was possible.

[13:10] What is the philosophy of selfless service about?

[16:11] Finding three distinct ways to serve someone at the moment is transformative.

[17:51] You have to be good at asking questions if you want to be a selfless serving leader.

[19:10] How do selfless serving and higher levels of burnout reconcile?

[20:35] Jonathan explains why selfless is selfish.

[25:36] There is a way to create extraordinary success by caring and helping others.

[27:20] Jonathan confesses he believes in loving, serving, and winning,

[28:50] Jonathan gives some strategies to reinvent an organization's culture starting with you as a leader.

[32:17] Jonathan emphasizes the importance of being trustworthy.

[34:03] What did Jonathan learn he had to adjust in order to keep this philosophy going?

[38:23] Dr. Nate shares the highlights of an insightful conversation with Jonathan Keyser.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Compassion Mindset

Tweetables:

"From looking at work as a strategy to take it all in by serving and loving people." #oncompassion

"Adopting a new identity can't be done overnight." #oncompassion

"Selfless service is doing something for someone else without any expectation." #oncompassion

"Finding three distinct ways to serve someone at the moment is transformative." #oncompassion

"To be a serving leader you have to be good at asking questions." #oncompassion

"Love, serve, and win." #oncompassion

Dr. Nathan Regier is delighted to be joined by Massimo Backus who has dedicated his career to helping leaders to bring more compassion into their lives, his purpose is to help others achieve their maximum potential and impact both personally and professionally as leaders. Massimo believes that self-compassion is the foundational common denominator of effective leadership.

Massimo Backus is a certified professional coach, a powerful speaker, and has expertise in organizational behavior psychology, emotional intelligence, and team dynamics.

What's in this Episode

• Massimo shares his definition of self-compassion
• Why is self-compassion relevant to leadership?
• How do we reconcile servant-leadership and self-compassion?
• How did your personal journey bring you to this place?
• How is self-compassion different from empathy or mindfulness?
• Learn about the six on-ramps to self-compassion for leaders

Key Takeaways:

[2:22] Massimo talks about his company, what he does, and what he is currently dedicating his efforts to.

[3:33] How does Massimo define self-compassion?

[4:18] Massimo lists the elements of self-compassion.

[5:17] What is the research telling us about leadership and self-compassion?

[6:35] Massimo addresses the paradox between leaders serving and practicing self-compassion.

[9:48] Often leaders find themself in a place where they are not comfortable being with their own struggle and as a result, they continue looking outward.

[10:57] Massimo speaks of the challenges frequently presented by our own internal narratives.

[12:59] Massimo shares some of his own journey and personal work.

[18:09] How is self-compassion different from mindfulness or empathy?

[20:27] Dr. Nate talks about how compassion and empathy are related.

[24:20] Dr. Nate shares how powerful is people's responses to someone being vulnerable.

[25:32] What are the myths about the meaning of self-compassion?

[28:26] Stay curious!

[29:21] Massimo shares an example of how he works with leaders toward reaching self-compassion.

[33:28] Massimo talks about how leaders tend to feel alone in their challenges.

[36:53] Dr. Nate shares the top key takeaways from an amazing conversation with Massimo Backus.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Compassion Mindset

Learn more about Massimo Backus

The Leadership Mind Podcast with Massimo Backus

Tweetables:

"Leaders need to learn how to take care of themselves." #oncompassion

"In order to be able to serve, a leader must be at his best, and that can only be reached by practicing self-compassion." #oncompassion

"Our emotions are data." #oncompassion

"It takes curiosity to empathize." #oncompassion

Dr. Nathan Regier welcomes you to another episode of the On Compassion Podcast.

Most of the time, leaders feel like victims of the system in which they work, even though they can be deeply connected to their work and care about the mission, the stress takes its toll. These leaders are looking for a better way to stay energized, find hope, and take care of their health in the process.

Today's guest, Amy Balog, understands the struggle; she is an experienced executive coach who specializes in working with leaders who are struggling to survive, let alone thrive in crashing workplace environments.

How does Amy help leaders? Her method is called Peace Over Performance which is a philosophy that truly embodies the principles of compassion and accountability.

In today's conversation Dr. Nate and Amy are focusing on a very specific group: Middle Managers who are trapped in a "No win, no way out purgatory", these leaders are struggling in the transactional nature of corporate leadership roles to effectively advocate for themselves and gain better and more support for the area of accountability.

In This Episode

• Amy describes the no-win-no-way-out purgatory that middle managers are experiencing, and why.
• Learn the four internal balance behaviors to stay resilience during stress.
• Which comes first in relationships; trust or conflict?
• What should managers be held accountable for?
• What does it mean to own your leadership craft?

Key Takeaways:

[2:48] What is Amy working on currently?

[5:18] What is this "No win, no way out purgatory" for middle managers?

[7:15] Amy talks about the ability to use conflict as an advantage point.

[8:50] Amy shares a story to exemplify how to use conflict powerfully.

[12:45] How to use conflict as a catalyst for positive change.

[13:58] Amy talks about the crucial importance of self-acceptance.

[16:10] Learn how to work from a place of mutual help.

[19:47] How we ask for help matters.

[22:15] Amy addresses the missing conversations and how it takes work to make them happen.

[23:48] Amy exemplifies a truth-exploring behavior.

[27:16] What is the key to success in today's environment?

[29:10] You have to be a very powerful advocate for yourself in the reality that you are living to create an advocate for yourself.

[29:38] Managers vs. Leaders.

[30:20] What it takes for middle managers to hone their leadership craft?

[34:15] Dr. Nate shares his top key takeaways from an insightful conversation with Amy Balog.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Compassion Mindset

Listen to Peace Over Performance with Amy Balog

Follow Amy on Linkedin

Tweetables:

"Conflict is the predecessor to building relationships and influences." #oncompassion

"Practicing deep self-acceptance lies in knowing that we are not going to please everybody all the time." #oncompassion

"Your job is not your identity." #oncompassion

"Our value as human beings never changes." #oncompassion

"Asking for help is the healthiest thing not only for yourself but for the entire environment." #oncompassion