We make developing people way harder than it needs to be, and in doing so, we often miss what actually helps them grow.

I'm joined by Greg Garner, a learning and performance specialist at a pharmaceutical research company, to talk about what we tend to overcomplicate when it comes to leadership and human development. This isn’t about checklists or frameworks, it’s about mindset, motivation, and how we create the conditions for people to thrive.

Greg brings such a thoughtful, fresh perspective, drawing on his doctoral work at the intersection of education, psychology, and design. He challenges us to think differently about productivity, not as a measure of how much someone can do, but as a reflection of how well they’re supported, understood, and empowered.

If you lead people, work on teams, or just want to think more deeply about how we unlock human potential in today’s world, this conversation will give you so much to chew on.

Resources Mentioned:

Books

Lateral Thinking | by Edward De Bono

Pedagogy of the Oppressed | By Paulo Freire

The Art of Gathering | by Priya Parker

Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice that Shapes What We See, Think, and Do | by Jennifer L. Eberhardt

Connect with Greg:

Greg Garner on Twitter

Greg Garner on LinkedIn

Greg Garner on Instagram (for his golf fans)

More About Building Thinkers: 

I'm your host, Tracy Clark, and this is where potential becomes reality through deliberate curiosity, reflection, practice, and play. The Building Thinkers podcast is based on the realization that there's exponential potential in the things we build.

And so, in my little corner of the internet and podcasting land, I want to take my 12 favorite problems, these are my constant curiosities, and I want to go deeper. I want to build thinkers. This is a community of multi-potentialites who may be disoriented by all the possibilities of success we envision but haven't yet achieved.

If any of that sounds like you, come listen in. Welcome to the Building Thinkers podcast.