In today's episode, Matt and Eric cover the topic of boundaries. How to set them in both your personal and professional life? When do you quit a toxic relationship and when do you give it another chance? Also discussed is the idea of being accountable for your own emotions and "red flags" - how to spot them not just in others but also in yourself.

Three things
1. Question to ponder
Are there any emotions that you are suppressing in yourself without even realizing it?

2. Action to take
Take an inventory of yourself both physically and mentally. Check in physically and emotionally.

3. Topic to explore
Be Here Now, book by Ram Dass

In Episode 8, Matt and Eric explore the concept of "sapient leadership" and what it means to be a leader in a constantly changing and accelerating world. "A Sapient Leader is characterized by being wise, sagacious, and discerning in navigating change while also being humane in the face of change that can often feel alien. This kind of leadership emphasizes — counterintuitively — an anti-heroic leader. " Matt and Eric explore the main 4 pillars of this style of leadership and discuss in-depth how to deploy these methods yourself.

Further reading for "sapient leadership":

https://hbr.org/2020/10/what-it-takes-to-lead-through-an-era-of-exponential-change#:~:text=A%20Sapient%20Leader%20is%20characterized,%E2%80%94%20an%20anti%2Dheroic%20leader.

Episode 7 of Leading Well introduces our very first guest: Christina Liedtke. Christina is the Founder, CEO, and Creative Director of ASTOURI, an artistically curated, multifunctional, travel-friendly women’s ready-to-wear brand.

In this episode, we dive into the importance of creativity, playfulness, and exercising self-care through thinking back to and to and nurturing the inner child with whom we may have lost contact. We also cover the topic of meditation and the importance of rituals and habits for self-understanding.

Connect with Christina

Astouri.com

Instagram

Three things

1. Question to ponder

Who am I? Who was I meant to be, before my inner child got lost somewhere along the way?

2. Topic to explore

Christina's recommended book "Women Who Run With The Wolves" by Clarissa Pinkola Estés which can be read by women and men alike. 

3. Action to take

Make sure that you find time for yourself in the coming weeks and months for being playful and for being creative! These two activities are definitive of youth and a youthful disposition. 

In this episode, using Charles Duhigg's "The Power of Habit" as a springboard,  Matt and Eric explore the importance of creating habits of self care. What makes us get stuck in negative behavior loops and how to break the cycle? Matt and Eric share some personal anecdotes about dealing with the same issue and explore the psychological research behind positive habit formation. 

Three things: 

1. Question to consider 
What habit loop are you currently experiencing in your own life?
Why have you become stuck in this loop?

2. Topic to explore 
Take a look at Duhigg's book "The Power of Habit" and explore the research behind 
habit formation

3. Action to take 
Once you realize what is behind your (negative) habits, think about 
how you you can break the loop. Try and pay attention to the specific triggers that make you enact your habit. 

In Episode 5, Matt and Eric discuss how to have a healthy relationship with your own self.  Do you have a good relationship with yourself or are you working yourself to death pursuing external goals and validation? What is your true destination and true purpose?  Matt and Eric discuss how to avoid the noise, how to really pay attention to yourself and focus in on what is important.

The three things for Episode 5 are:

1. Question to ponder: Why are you choosing to better yourself? What is the driving factor behind your self-improvement?

2. Action to take: Once you have your "why" continue to meditate on this. Write it down and identify whether this "why" is serving you or are you serving it.

3. Topic to explore: Read "Notes from (Over) the Edge: Unmasking the Truth to End Your Suffering by Jim Palmer". 

https://www.amazon.com/Notes-Over-Edge-Unmasking-Suffering/dp/149372052X

The first topic Eric and Matt dive into is Radical Self-Transparency. Learning to be completely honest with yourself.

The three things for this episode are:

1. Question to Ponder: How honest am I with myself?
   
   
2. Topic to Explore: Check out the book Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence
   
   
3. Action to Take: Find a time to pause, stop, be quiet and listen to yourself. Ask yourself the question what am I being motivated by?

Eric and Matt discuss what "Leading Well" is all about. They discuss what the show IS and what the show ISN'T and they define what they mean by "leading" and "well".

The three things for this episode are:

1. Question to Ponder: Who are you leading? Who do you have influence over?
   
   
2. Topic to Explore: Define "wellness" for yourself (write it down)
   Check out the book The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzero
   
   
3. Action to Take: Chart out your sphere of influence, who's following you, who is around you (your peer group), who you are following

In this episode, co-host Eric Cedo shares his journey from burned out to restored. From losing a child, losing a mentee, working two "full-time" jobs and never taking a break, he shares the "breaking point" that came and the drastic steps he took to get well.

The "Three Things" for this episode are:

1. Question to Ponder: What indicators does your body give you that let you know you are stressed?
   
   
2. Topic to Explore: Check out the book The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk M.D.
   
   
3. Actions to Take: Work on deep breathing exercises.
   8 Deep Breathing Exercises

In this premiere episode, Co-host Matt Laginess walks us through his journey of health and wellness, that started off with a (spoiler alert) heart attack before the age of 40. 

In each episode we leave our listeners with three things: A question to ponder, a topic to explore and an action to take. In this episode, here are those three things:

1. Question to Ponder: Are there any warning bells your body is giving you?
2. Topic to Explore: Self-care - What does this mean to you?
   1. Resources:
      Brené Brown TED Talk: The Power of Vulnerability
3. Action to Take: What can you say "no" to in order to say "yes" to a self-care practice?