LeanMind

You’ve met the voice in your head. You’ve named it—“I see you, Mara.” Now comes the harder bit: meeting it with kindness. In this final part of the Know it, Name it, Love it series, Ben shares what it really means to love that inner critic—not with grand gestures, but with grounded, daily rituals that shift your chemistry, build your capacity, and grow your happy.

We talk about resetting after the metaphorical punch in the face. Why oxytocin matters. What elite athletes and ancient monks have in common. And how one simple gesture—hand to chest—can transform cortisol into calm.

This is for thoughtful men leading with strength and humility. Who get triggered. Who wrestle with self-doubt, procrastination, judgment. Who want to lead better at work, at home, and inside their own heads.

Welcome to Clearer, Calmer, Wiser — a short daily reset for thoughtful men navigating leadership, life, and family with strength and humility. In this episode, the second of a two parter, Ben Johnson explores the subtle sabotage of the inner voice — the one that undermines your choices, fuels procrastination, and echoes past criticisms. Drawing on Buddhist wisdom and lessons from elite athletes like Serena Williams, Ben introduces a powerful practice to create pause, reset your nervous system, and reclaim your clarity. If your mind races at 3:42 a.m., or you're stuck at a decision point, this one's for you.

Tools. Clarity. Calm. Let’s lead wisely.

Everything we offer here available over at LeanMind

This episode of Clearer Calmer Wiser is for thoughtful people who lead with strength and humility, and sometimes feel overwhelmed by self-doubt, procrastination, or pressure to get everything right. Ben introduces “Mara,” the ancient Buddhist name for that internal voice that creeps in at 3:42 a.m. or triggers anxiety before tough decisions. Through grounded tools and stories—from executive clients to Serena Williams—Ben offers a daily reset to help you think clearer, act calmer, and lead wiser. Part one of a three-part series on the voice in your head: Know it. Name it. Love it.

Everything we cover here is drawn from LeanMind. Head on over for tools and teachings and to join a community of like minded others.

In this episode of Clearer, Calmer, Wiser, Ben explores how to stay grounded when someone else's anxiety triggers your own. Whether you're facing tension at work, unpredictability in a new venture, or chaos at home, this episode introduces one simple but powerful tool: just three breaths. Learn how to interrupt reactive spirals, return to clarity and calm, and lead wisely—even when it feels like everything’s unraveling. For thoughtful men who lead with strength.

Everything we cover here available over at LeanMind  

In this episode of Clearer, Calmer, Wiser, Ben shares a follow up simple tool for calm leadership, emotional regulation, and clear thinking under pressure. Using the metaphor of "Redhead vs. Bluehead" — impulsive reaction versus cool calculation — he offers practical ways to manage stress, improve communication skills, and handle difficult conversations. Building on the "WAIT" method ("Why Am I Talking?") and the "Three Breaths" tool to build resilience, stay steady in conflict, and lead with strength and humility - today he shares the Red / Blue Line - a tool to help you reset in even the most complex, challenging high stakes meeting or negotiation. Perfect for thoughtful men (and anyone really!) seeking better stress management, responsive leadership, and emotional clarity in business, family, and life.

Everything we share is available over at LeanMind.

In this episode of Clearer, Calmer, Wiser, Ben shares simple tools for calm leadership, emotional regulation, and clear thinking under pressure. Using the metaphor of "Redhead vs. Bluehead" — impulsive reaction versus cool calculation — he offers practical ways to manage stress, improve communication skills, and handle difficult conversations. Learn the "WAIT" method ("Why Am I Talking?") and the "Three Breaths" tool to build resilience, stay steady in conflict, and lead with strength and humility. Perfect for thoughtful men seeking better stress management, responsive leadership, and emotional clarity in business, family, and life.

Today’s episode is a raw, honest moment from Ben — struggling to record the podcast itself became the very topic of reflection. What do you do when you're stuck, when your plans won’t take shape, when the puzzle pieces won’t click? For Ben, the answer became clear in the midst of the fog: just start.

This is a short, grounding reset for thoughtful men — especially those navigating leadership, fatherhood, or inner overwhelm. Whether you’re facing a creative block, a difficult decision, or the paralysis of overthinking, this is your reminder: clarity comes through action.

🧭 Think less. Act more.

👥 If this lands with you, share it with someone who might need a breath of calm and courage today.

🔗 Join the LeanMind community: leanmind.com

In this episode of Clearer, Calmer, Wiser, Ben explores how to stay grounded amidst a relentless stream of daily stress—what one friend calls “an endless stream of minor catastrophes.” Through the lens of a Real Madrid vs Arsenal football match, Ben reflects on the balance between frantic redhead energy and cool bluehead clarity, and why the sweet spot between them—what the Buddha might call the “middle way”—is where wise leadership lives. He offers a simple but powerful technique using breath and peripheral vision to reset your nervous system when life gets overwhelming. For thoughtful men navigating work, family, and life—this is a practical invitation to pause, settle, and lead with strength and humility.

What if the path to better leadership and more meaningful connection wasn’t in doing more, but in doing differently? In this episode, Ben explores the power of presence and the courage it takes to sit with discomfort rather than rush to fix it. Drawing on Buddhist principles and the work of performance psychologist Dr. Ceri Evans, he shares how finding the “middle way” between effort and ease can reshape how we lead, work, and live. Learn about redhead vs. bluehead thinking, the superpower of pausing, and practical tools from LeanMind to build resilience when the heat is on.Whether you're navigating tricky conversations, feeling undermined, or just trying to stay calm when your kids are pushing your buttons — this one’s for you.

What happens when success feels hollow? In this deeply personal episode, Ben shares the origin story behind LeanMind — a tale of two parallel tracks: external success and inner seeking. After a transformative business win, an unexpected thought ("maybe my work here is done") sparked a quiet shift. What followed was a journey through Buddhism, Taoism, meditation, and discomfort — toward a new kind of clarity.

Ben reflects on the tension between the noisy grind of work and the quiet power of stillness. He explores how practicing presence, simplicity, and small daily rituals can radically shift how we show up as leaders, parents, and partners. This is a call to cut through complexity and realign with what truly matters.