It's an Inside Job

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“Clarity means letting insight be earned, not assumed.”

Have you ever convinced yourself that “this always happens”—only to realise it might just be a coincidence?

In this episode of Seeing Sideways, I explore how our brains connect the dots—even when there’s no real picture to see. We dig into pattern-seeking and apophenia, the bias that fuels superstition, flawed decisions, and false clarity—and I share tools to help you stay curious, grounded, and resilient in a chaotic world.

Key Takeaways and Tools:

• What Pattern-Seeking & Apophenia Really Are
  My brain is built to find structure—even when none exists. From seeing faces in clouds to believing that “everything always goes wrong,” apophenia makes meaning out of random noise.
  [01:32]
• The Evolutionary Purpose Behind It
  It made sense to spot a predator that wasn’t there. The cost of false positives was low. But in modern life, these mental shortcuts often mislead us more than protect us.
  [03:00]
• The Hidden Costs
  Apophenia can drain my energy, warp my judgment, and feed everything from magical thinking to bad decision-making. I explore how this bias shows up at work and in relationships.
  [04:27]
• The Contrarian Move: Curiosity Before Certainty
  I’ve learned to pause when something “clicks” as a pattern. Just because it feels meaningful doesn’t mean it is. Introducing doubt gives space for clarity.
  [06:09]
• Apply the Rule of Three
  For a pattern to be worth trusting, I now look for three things: repetition, relevance, and reason.
  [06:13]
• Track, Don’t Assume
  If I sense a pattern forming, I don’t just believe it—I check it. A quick note, a tally, or a log helps me distinguish story from signal.
  [06:55]
• Mental Maturity Means Not Needing Every Dot to Connect
  Resilience doesn’t come from finding patterns everywhere. It comes from being okay when they don’t exist.
  [08:03]

Resources & Practices I Shared:

• Pause Before Naming the Pattern
  When I catch myself saying, “this always happens,” I now ask: “Always—or just recently?”
• Apply the Rule of Three
  I run new “patterns” through a simple test:
  • Is it repeating?
  • Is it relevant?
  • Does it stand up to reason?
• Track Instead of Assuming
  I log simple observations—like sleep, mood, or patterns in a colleague’s behavior—to separate fact from feeling.

Thought Exercise I Left You With:

Think of a pattern you’ve recently believed in—maybe something about how people treat you, how projects always unfold, or how luck seems to work.
Now ask yourself:

• What’s the actual evidence?
• Where might I be filling in the blanks with story instead of observation?
• What shifts when I stop assuming and just start watching?

What’s Coming Next:

In the next Seeing Sideways episode, I’ll dive into part two of this theme: the stories we tell ourselves, and how narrative biases shape our decisions, identities, and relationships.

If this episode gave you a fresh way to think about your thoughts, please pass it on to someone else. These mental habits aren’t flaws—they’re how our brains try to cope with complexity. But with awareness, we can turn reaction into reflection, and assumptions into intention. Because the real work? Well, it’s all an inside job.

Host Bio

Jason White Birkevold Liem is a resilience coach, author of Seeing Sideways, and host of It’s an Inside Job. He helps leaders, coaches, and professionals strengthen resilience, improve communication, and build clarity from the inside out. Connect with Jason at www.mindtalk.no or follow him on

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“DEI isn’t a cure-all and it isn’t a poison. It’s a tool—and it depends how we use it.”

Is DEI expanding opportunities—or unintentionally fueling resentment and division?

In this solo episode of It’s an Inside Job, I unpack the promise and pitfalls of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). I explore where DEI policies strengthen resilience, where they backfire, and how leaders can rethink fairness, pipelines, and trust to create lasting impact.

Key Takeaway Insights and Tools

• DEI’s true purpose is not quotas, but creating pipelines that prepare people for success. Without investing in preparation, resentment festers.
  [13:24]
• Fairness must be designed upfront, not improvised after the fact. When rules change midstream, trust and credibility collapse.
  [16:09]
• Old vs. new definitions of diversity: Counting boxes (race, gender, disability) vs. cultivating perspectives (background, education, class, experience).
  [18:08]
• Smarter DEI means transparency and contribution. Say what corrective measures are for, and value what people bring rather than just who they are.
  [21:31]
• Pendulum extremes don’t build resilience. DEI swung too far left into wokeism and cancellation culture, now far right with corporations scrapping programs. The balance lies in practical impact, not ideology.
  [23:43]

Detailed Resources & Links

Cases and Examples Mentioned:

• Harvard Admissions (2023 Supreme Court ruling) – Race-conscious admissions ruled unconstitutional.
• UC Berkeley / UCLA (1990s) – Affirmative action and Proposition 209 in California.
• Brazilian University Quotas – Large-scale affirmative action and its effects.
• Canada Indigenous Priorities – Scholarships and hiring carve-outs for Indigenous applicants.
• South Africa Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) – Post-apartheid redistribution and its controversies.
• Ricci v. DeStefano (2009, U.S.) – Firefighter promotion exam and reverse discrimination lawsuit.

Subscribe to It’s an Inside Job on your favourite podcast platform, and join my weeklyIt's an Inside Job Podcast Newsletter for distilled takeaways and practical strategies on resilience, leadership, and well-being.

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“Resilience isn’t built on perfect foresight. It’s built on honest hindsight.”

In this episode of Seeing Sideways, I explore the Hindsight Bias—how the brain tricks us into thinking we “knew it all along.” I share tools to help you separate real insight from illusion, so you can reflect more clearly, lead more fairly, and build true resilience.

Have you ever looked back at a decision and thought, “I should’ve seen it coming”—but did you really?

Key Takeaways and Tools

• What Hindsight Bias Is—and Why It Feels So Convincing
  After something happens—especially something negative—my brain tries to convince me that I saw it coming. But that’s not insight. It’s a trick of memory.
  [01:01]
• Why the Brain Does This
  From an evolutionary point of view, rewriting the past helped us feel more in control. But in modern life, it often keeps us stuck or overly critical.
  [02:52]
• Reconstruct the Moment, Not the Myth
  I’ve learned to challenge hindsight bias by revisiting notes, emails, or journals to remember what I actually knew at the time—not what I think I knew.
  [04:46]
• Separate Outcome from Judgment
  A good decision can still lead to a bad result. That doesn’t mean I made the wrong call. I focus on whether I was thoughtful with what I had, not whether I turned out “right.”
  [06:00]
• Catching the “I Knew It” Reflex
  That inner voice saying “I saw this coming”—I now pause and ask, “Did I really know this before, or am I rewriting the story now?”
  [06:55]

Resources & Practices I Shared:

• Revisit the Record: Go back to notes, messages, or conversations to remember what you actually knew at the time.
• Use Reflection Prompts: I asked, “What did I know? What was unclear? What did I do well, even if the result didn’t land?”
• Shift from Outcome to Process: Judging decisions by results alone distorts learning. I now reflect on my thinking, not just the ending.
• Normalize Uncertainty: I remind myself and my team that “not knowing” is part of the deal. Most meaningful choices live in the gray.
• Pause Before “I Knew It”: That little pause helps me stay honest—and grounded.

7. A Thought Exercise I Left You With:

Think of a moment that didn’t end well—where you’ve told yourself, “I should have seen it coming.”
Now ask:

• What did I truly know at the time?
• What was unclear or incomplete?
• What assumptions did I make?
• What did I actually do well, even if the outcome disappointed me?

Next week, I’ll explore how the brain’s love of pattern-seeking and apophenia can lead us to see meaning where none exists—when connecting the dots becomes creating illusions.

If this episode gave you something to reflect on, share it with someone who might need it. These biases aren’t flaws—they’re part of how we make sense of the world. But the more aware we are, the more clearly we can think, choose, and lead. Because after all, it’s all an inside job.

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“Design thinking is conscious decision-making.” - Kat Mather

In this episode, I discuss design thinking with Kat Mather from Design Linking, a design professional with over 25 years of experience. We explore how design thinking helps teams address root causes instead of surface-level issues, enhancing problem-solving. Kat shares her transition into facilitation and the importance of balancing divergent and convergent thinking. 

We delve into the five phases of design thinking—empathy, defining the problem, ideation, prototyping, and testing—and the critical role of prototyping in fostering learning. The conversation highlights strategies for creating collaborative environments and emphasizes cultivating healthier organizational cultures through design thinking for lasting impact.

Key Takeaway Insights and Tools:

• Design thinking = conscious decision-making: uncover the root problem, map system impacts, and keep humans at the centre. 
• Use the five phases—flexibly: Empathize → Define → Ideate → Prototype → Test; don’t rush discovery and don’t treat the method as rigid steps.
• Prototype to learn, not to impress: a sketch, a model, or role-play—share ideas early, get feedback fast, iterate.
• Balance divergent ↔ convergent thinking (Double Diamond): open wide to explore, then converge to decide—without letting the boss or loudest voice dominate.
• Mindset over mechanics: optimism, empathy, curiosity, growth, collaboration, risk tolerance; progress matters more than being “right.”

Bio:

Kat Mather is the founder of Design Linking, helping leaders and teams solve complex collaboration and communication challenges through creative problem-solving and facilitation. With nearly 30 years of experience spanning design, communication, and cross-departmental teamwork, Kat helps organizations unlock clarity, ownership, and action in even the most high-stakes environments.

She designs and facilitates bespoke workshops that blend creativity with strategy, drawing on Design Sprints, design thinking, and systems mapping to spark innovation and drive change. Known for bringing structure to complexity while keeping things engaging, Kat shares insights through her Design Linking blog and speaking engagements—expect energy, fresh thinking, and a touch of maverick spirit as she explores how design helps teams thrive.

Links:

Website: https://www.designlinking.no/
Substack blog: https://designlinking.substack.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designlinking/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katmather/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/design-linking
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61579423581534

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“The negativity bias doesn't just distort your mood—it reshapes your attention.”

Why does your mind hold onto criticism more than compliments? In this episode of Seeing Sideways, Jason Birkevold Liem explores The Negativity Bias—your brain’s built-in tendency to focus on what’s wrong—and offers practical strategies to shift from survival-mode thinking to emotional clarity and resilience.

Why does one small mistake outweigh a dozen wins—and how can you retrain your brain to see the full picture?

Key Takeaway Insights and Tools (with Timestamps):

• Negativity Bias: Why the Brain Fixates on What's Wrong
  Our brains evolved to prioritize threats over rewards—making negative input stickier and more dominant than positive input.
  [01:02]
• The Cost: Shrinking Perspective and Chronic Self-Doubt
  This bias narrows attention, amplifies stress, and turns minor discomforts into perceived dangers—impacting work, relationships, and well-being.
  [03:36]
• The 5:1 Rule – Rebalance Emotional Weight
  Because one negative interaction outweighs five positive ones, use this ratio as a loose mental guide to help recalibrate your attention.
  [05:22]
• Expand the Frame – Ask “What Else Is True?”
  This simple reframing question prevents tunnel vision and allows for more nuanced, balanced thinking, even in difficult moments.
  [05:50]
• Celebrate Small Wins to Rewire Your Perspective
  By tracking small moments of progress, you help your nervous system register safety and strength—essential for building emotional resilience.
  [06:36]

Tools & Practices Mentioned:

• The 5:1 Rule – Counteract negativity by intentionally registering more positive inputs
• “What Else Is True?” Reframe – Restore nuance during emotionally charged moments
• Daily Reflection Practice – Name what worked, what you’re proud of, and small wins
• Paper Tiger Analogy – Notice when emotional responses are out of proportion to real threat

Bio:

Jason Birkevold Liem is a leadership coach, resilience trainer, and the author of Seeing Sideways: The Hidden Patterns Behind How We Think, Choose, and React. Through his podcast It’s an Inside Job, Jason helps listeners build the mindset and emotional tools to lead with intention and respond to life’s challenges with clarity.

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“Generational clashes at work aren’t just inevitable—they’re opportunities to learn new ways of thinking.” - Nick Sheirff

In this episode of It’s an Inside Job, I sit down with workplace strategist Nick Sheriff to explore how we can bring together technology, empathy, and generational diversity to create workplaces that are both efficient and deeply human. You’ll hear practical strategies to adapt to rapid tech change, build inclusive cultures, and support well-being at work.

What if the real secret to thriving in the age of technology isn’t more tools, but more empathy?

Key Takeaway Insights and Tools

• Technology is only a tool—creativity makes it valuable.
  Nick explains that the biggest barrier isn’t tech itself but the lack of creative training in how to use it. (00:05:00)
• Early adopters show how small tech habits save time and reduce stress.
  We talked about examples like AI transcription and automated meeting summaries that free people to listen fully instead of multitasking. (00:09:18)
• Generational diversity is both a challenge and an opportunity.
  Nick shares how boomers, Gen X, millennials, and Gen Z bring different values and work habits—and how technology can bridge these divides when used thoughtfully. (00:13:18)
• Inclusion works best when it’s genuine, not tokenistic.
  We dug into why organizations thrive when roles are filled based on merit, passion, and values rather than demographics. (00:24:29)
• Workplace well-being requires reflection spaces and cultural shifts.
  Nick described how quiet rooms, walk-and-talks, and leadership-led breaks can transform burnout into breakthrough. (00:39:34)

Nick Sheriff is a workplace strategist and the founder of Media Monday Oslo, a platform he first developed in Dubai during the financial crisis to reframe challenges as opportunities. Nick now helps organisations harness technology, bridge generational divides, and foster inclusive workplace cultures. 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-sheriff/
Website: https://www.disrupt.no/

If this conversation sparked some ideas for you, share the episode with a colleague and hit subscribe to It’s an Inside Job. That way you won’t miss future episodes where we explore the tools and stories that help us build resilience, lead with intent, and strengthen well-being.

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“Clarity is resilience. Resilient thinkers don’t lock themselves into a decision just because it was the first one available.”

Why do first impressions and initial numbers have such a strong grip on our thinking? In this episode of Seeing Sideways, I unpack The Anchoring Bias—how our brains latch onto early information—and shares practical tools to reclaim clarity, flexibility, and sound judgment in everyday decisions.

What if the first thing you heard—or thought—was quietly steering every decision you've made since?

Key Takeaway Insights and Tools (with Timestamps):

• Anchoring Bias: When the Beginning Becomes the Benchmark
  The first number, impression, or idea becomes the mental anchor—shaping how we judge everything that follows.
  [01:03]
• The Trap of the First Input
  Whether it's pricing, people, or predictions, anchoring bias distorts judgment—even if the starting point is random or irrelevant.
  [02:09]
• Mental Reversals to Break the Frame
  Ask: “What if the first number had been different?” or “What if I’d heard praise instead of criticism first?” These exercises reveal how much the anchor influences your view.
  [06:29]
• Delay Judgment and Let Experience Lead
  Instead of jumping to conclusions, allow space for context to develop. A second impression often tells you more than the first.
  [06:54]
• Clarity Is Resilience
  Resilient thinkers don’t treat the first input as sacred—they stay flexible, compare perspectives, and make better-calibrated decisions.
  [07:48]

5. Additional Suggested Sections:

Referenced Tools & Concepts:

• Mental Reversals: Imagine the first input was totally different
• First Impression Filter: Ask yourself, “Would I feel differently if I heard this second?”
• Information Expansion: Deliberately seek out additional data points
• Delay Rule: Wait before reacting to emotionally charged first impressions

Bio:

Jason Birkevold Liem is a resilience and leadership coach, keynote speaker, and author of Seeing Sideways. He helps individuals and teams think more clearly, lead more intentionally, and make better choices in uncertain environments. His podcast It’s an Inside Job explores the psychology behind mindset, emotion, and decision-making.

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"Your self-doubt isn’t you. It’s your survival brain talking.” - Mitchell Weisburgh

Discover how to break free from survival mode with Mitchell Weisberg, creator of the Mind-Shifting Method. Learn practical tools to quiet self-doubt, reframe stress, and build long-term resilience, creativity, and collaboration.

Have you ever wondered if your self-doubt is really you—or just your survival brain talking?

Key Takeaway Insights and Tools

• Recognize the Survival Trap (00:08:51)
  Stress triggers the limbic system—your brain’s survival mode—which floods your system with cortisol and adrenaline. This shuts down creativity and clear thinking, leaving you stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or herd responses.
• Third-Party Your Thoughts (00:22:02)
  Label negative self-talk as your “limbic brain” or “Part X” instead of identifying with it. This creates distance and makes it easier to choose a constructive response.
• Practical Techniques for Resetting (00:24:03–00:25:57)
  Four core strategies:
  • Self-awareness/metacognition (“Am I in limbic mode?”)
  • Healthy distraction (mindfulness, movement, or sensory resets)
  • Positive self-talk that opens possibilities (“Perhaps I can…”)
  • Trusted sparring partners for perspective and grounding
• The “Perhaps I Can” Technique (00:32:10–00:37:05)
  A powerful reframe that shifts the brain from “I can’t” to possibility. This simple phrase helps unlock self-efficacy and problem-solving capacity.
• Compound Growth of Resilience (00:42:16–00:43:04)
  Practice one or two techniques consistently for months. Small improvements compound over time, shifting emotional patterns and building lasting resilience.

Bio:

Mitchell Weisburgh is on a mission to free high-achieving leaders from the invisible survival-mode traps that sabotage creativity, resilience, and leadership. After eight years of deep research across neuroscience, cognitive psychology, military strategy, and organizational development, he developed the Mind Shifting Method — a practical system for rewiring the brain for calm power, critical thinking, and collaborative success.

Unlike traditional motivation or mindset hacks, Mitchell’s work focuses on upgrading a leader’s internal operating system. His method empowers entrepreneurs, executives, and coaches to lead and create from sustainable strength, not stress. By shifting the way leaders respond under pressure, they gain clarity, authority, and the ability to stay grounded through challenges.

Detailed Resources & Links

Mind Shifting: Stop Your Brain from Sabotaging Your Happiness and Success (Amazon)
Website: https://www.mindshiftingwithmitch.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mweisburgh
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/weisburghm/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mweisburgh/
X: https://x.com/weisburghm

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“What grabs your attention is not always what deserves it.”

Why do we fear shark attacks more than slipping in the bathtub? In this episode of Seeing Sideways, I explore The Availability Heuristic—a cognitive bias that tricks us into overestimating the importance of what’s most vivid, recent, or emotionally charged—and offers practical tools to reclaim clarity and balanced thinking.

Are your fears and decisions based on facts—or just what’s easiest to recall?

Key Takeaway Insights and Tools (with Timestamps):

• The Brain Confuses Vivid with True
  The availability heuristic makes rare, dramatic events feel more likely simply because they’re easier to recall—like fearing plane crashes over car accidents.
  [01:03]
• Emotional Urgency Isn't the Same as Relevance
  What grabs your attention doesn’t always deserve it. Ask yourself: “Would this still matter if I hadn’t just seen it?”
  [05:24]
• Zoom Out to See Patterns, Not Just Stories
  One viral video or negative review isn’t the full picture. Anchor your thinking in broader data and long-term trends.
  [05:55]
• Introduce Delay Before Reacting
  Strong emotional reactions distort decision-making. Build a habit of waiting 24 hours before acting on emotionally charged information. [06:37]
• Diversify Your Inputs
  Relying on one feed or viewpoint skews your perspective. Seek out varied, quieter sources to gain a more accurate picture of reality.
  [07:14]

If this episode gave you a fresh way to reflect on your decisions, share it with someone who could use more clarity in a noisy world—and follow It’s an Inside Job for weekly tools to help you lead from the inside out.

Jason Birkevold Liem is a leadership coach, speaker, and author of Seeing Sideways. He specializes in helping professionals build emotional resilience, lead with intention, and reframe unhelpful thinking patterns. Through his podcast It’s an Inside Job, Jason explores the psychology and tools behind leading oneself and others through complexity and change.

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“It’s not about adapting to chaos—it’s about reinventing ourselves and our organizations from the ground up.” - Caroline Stokes

What if the leadership frameworks you rely on today are the very reason your organization won’t survive the next decade?

In this episode, I speak with Caroline Stokes, author of Aftershock to 2030: A CEO’s Guide to Reinvention in the Age of AI, Climate and Societal Collapse. Together we explore why outdated leadership models no longer work, how to embrace radical reinvention, and how AI, trauma-aware systems, and resilience can prepare leaders and organisations for the seismic challenges ahead.

Key Takeaway Insights and Tools

• The BANI Framework replaces VUCA – Leadership must move beyond volatility, uncertainty, complexity, ambiguity to face a world that is brittle, anxious, nonlinear, and incomprehensible. (00:09:37)
• Shareholder confidence depends on reinvention – Companies clinging to quarterly results risk irrelevance; resilient organizations align with climate, AI, and societal disruption. (00:15:49)
• Radical Listening with AI – Using AI as a tool for systematic listening across employees and stakeholders enables leaders to identify gaps, opportunities, and emerging risks. (00:19:14)
• Reinvention requires a reset – Leaders need to let go of outdated models and adopt new cognitive scaffolding, shared language, and trauma-informed systems to thrive. (00:22:48)
• Resilience is rooted in neuroplasticity – Leaders can cultivate adaptability by embracing growth as a practice, rewiring their brains through learning, reflection, and constructive conversation. (00:55:28)

Bio:

Carolyn Stokes is a leadership strategist for the 5th Industrial Revolution and author of AfterShock to 2030: A CEO’s Guide to Reinvention in the Age of AI, Climate, and Societal Collapse. Her work offers a radical roadmap for navigating disruption, grounded in trauma-aware systems, emotionally intelligent AI, and adaptive intelligence.

A Sony alum who helped launch PlayStation, Caroline has evolved from executive headhunter to a globally recognized authority on psychological and strategic leadership reinvention. She works with CEOs, boards, and executive teams to build sovereign, trust-based systems that align with today’s complex, polycrisis environment.

She is also the author of Elephants Before Unicorns (Entrepreneur Press, 2019), co-author of the HBR Guide to Navigating the Toxic Workplace (2024), and contributor to Coach Me! (Wiley, 2022). Her insights have appeared in outlets including Harvard Business Review, Fast Company, Forbes, and The Globe and Mail.

Books & Concepts Mentioned:

• Carolyn Stokes – Aftershock to 2030: A CEO’s Guide to Reinvention in the Age of AI, Climate and Societal Collapse
• Carolyn Stokes – Elephants Before Unicorns: Emotionally Intelligent Strategies to Save Your Company

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