Resilience Unravelled

Keywords

Resilience - Performance Science - Purposeful Thinking - Goals - Decision Making - Brutal Force

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled, Carla Fowler an executive coach and founder of Thaxa shares her unique journey transitioning from a background in medicine and science to performance coaching. Carla emphasises intentional thinking as a skill to develop through practice and stresses the need for structured thinking processes and engaging with dialogue partners to clarify priorities for progress.

Carla outlines strategy or focus, execution efficiency, and mindset resilience as key areas and highlights strategic thinking's role in decision-making amidst uncertainty, focusing on good processes over specific outcomes. She also describes obstacles to decision-making, including rushing decisions or over-analysis, advocating for brutal focus and simplicity over complexity to achieve success with greater intentionality.

Carla's methodology centres on using performance science to help leaders achieve ambitious goals. She urges deliberate thinking development, akin to building a muscle, emphasising time for structured thinking and clear priority setting. Embracing brutal focus, Carla champions doing less with greater intentionality rather than seeking more, challenging the need for complexity when simplicity can lead to success.

Main topics

• Building transferable capabilities.
• Practicing purposeful thinking
• Setting goals and priorities to drive progress.
• Being comfortable with uncertainty in decision-making processes.
• The need for a structured approach to decision-making.
• Considering time constraints and opportunity windows.
• Focusing on simplification and removing unnecessary tasks to enhance decision-making effectiveness.
• The "brutal focus" approach to problem-solving by eliminating distractions and excess initiatives.

Timestamps

1: Introduction to Coaching Methodology. Introduction to a coaching style using performance science to approach ambitious goals. Building transferable capabilities based on science and medical background. 00:59 -03:25

2: Importance of Purposeful Thinking. Challenges of making time for thinking in a fast-paced environment. Practicing purposeful thinking through dialogue and asking important questions. Strategies for sticking with the thinking process and building endurance. 04:14 - 09:00

3: Applying Performance Science. Multidisciplinary nature of performance science, focusing on thought performance. Breakdown of performance science into strategy, execution, and decision-making elements. Importance of mindset in facing uncertainty and making decisions. 11:58 - 15:17

4: Clarity and Focus in Decision-Making. Process for making decisions in uncertain situations and having a clear plan. Common obstacles in decision-making processes and the need for sufficient time.  Importance of focus and brutal prioritisation in problem-solving. 16:23 - 21:20

5: Coaching Process and Cognitive Re-engineering. Explanation of the term "Greek" in relation to tasks and achievements. Cognitive re-engineering in coaching to break down goals for clarity. Sharing resources for learning more about coaching and performance science. 22:46 - 24:53

Action items

Find out more about Carla at www.thaxa.com or visit the welcome page https://www.thaxa.com/p/resilience-unravelled for a free download - The 8 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Choosing a Coach (and how to avoid them!)

You can connect with at https://www.linkedin.com/in/carla-fowler/ or https://twitter.com/DrCarlaFowler

Keywords

Resilience - Adoption - Separation – Developmental Trauma – Relationships - Destiny

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled Dr Stephen Rowley shares his career journey from public education to psychotherapy and his personal experiences as an adopted individual. Stephen suggests that separation from birth mothers can lead to developmental trauma and that adoptees often grapple with questions of identity and belonging. He also talks about the emotional outcome when birth parents and adopted children reunite.

Main topics

• The core experiences adoptees share.
• How separation can lead to developmental trauma
• The power and interpretation of dreams.
• How our perceptions are heavily influenced by our projections.
• The importance of embracing the unknown and the idea that life is not just a single story but a collection of different themes.

Action items

Stephen’s book is: The Lost Coin: A Memoir of Adoption and Destiny or learn more at stephenrowley108.com/memoir/

You can connect with Stephen through his social links:

https://www.facebook.com/srowley108

http://linkedin.com/in/stephen-rowley-ma-lmhc-b83ab811

https://www.instagram.com/stephenrowley108

https://twitter.com/srowley108

Keywords

Resilience - Accountability - Productivity - Coaching

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled Dr Russell Thackeray talks to Ben Kirk, a productivity and high-performance expert. Ben shares his story of how he and his family adapted to the change of moving to Sweden for ten years. He discusses the setback he faced in his entrepreneurial journey and how he bounced back by leveraging those lessons in his current role as a business and executive coach in Australia. Ben goes on to talk about the role of a coach being direct and challenging and how coaching can help individuals identify and overcome procrastination and perfectionism and provide support and accountability, particularly for those who struggle with these issues.

Main topics

• The significance of resilience and learning from mistakes in the context of accountability.
• The importance of continuous improvement and goal achievement and this approach promotes learning and progress, even in the face of setbacks.
• How coaching can help individuals identify and overcome procrastination and perfectionism.
• The importance of creating habits and routines, understanding triggers, and increasing clarity.
• Implementing strategies for personal and professional growth and the concept of weekly review.

Action items

• Explore Bens website, wintheday.com.au
• Connect with Ben at https://www.linkedin.com/in/benkirk/ 

Keywords

Resilience - End-of-life - Planning - Communication - Spirituality

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled Dr Russell Thackeray talks to Dr Bob Uslander from Empowered Endings, an organisation that supports people through their end of life. Bob talks about his transition from emergency medicine to palliative care and hospice care, and his motivation to have deeper connections with patients and a desire to bridge the gaps in the healthcare system.

Bob also discusses end-of-life care, the role of hospices, and the need for improved communication and planning around end-of-life decisions. He emphasises the importance of spirituality and religion in end-of-life decisions, the need for planning, and the challenges faced when there are disagreements between patients and their families.

Main topics

• Why discomfort about end-of-life care, often leads to a reluctance to discuss it.
• The importance of providing patients with options and dignity at the end of life.
• The need for better support and planning for patients and their families during these times.
• The role of spirituality and religion in end-of-life decisions, particularly in relation to medical aid in dying.
• The importance of supporting families, providing therapy, counselling, and bereavement support.
• The challenges faced when there are disagreements between patients and their families.
• The need for open conversations about death to reduce the stigma associated with it.
• The importance of having advocates who understand and can communicate one's wishes in challenging situations.
• The psychological impact on loved ones when making end-of-life decisions and the importance of having a supportive community to navigate those decisions.

Action items

You can find out more at  https://empoweredendings.com/

Keywords

Resilience - Writing - Memory Consolidation - Narrative - Self-reflection - Identifying Emotions - Developing Connections - Mental Contructs and Patterns

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled Dr Jacqueline Heller, MD shares her journey of writing a book following the grief of losing her mother. Jacqueline feels writing helped her consolidate memory and connect emotions to visual memory and in this podcast, she discusses the power of self-reflection through writing and emphasises the importance of identifying emotions for better judgment.

Main topics

• The benefits of writing for memory consolidation and creating a cogent narrative.
• How writing helps in self-reflection, identifying emotions, and developing connections to past experiences.
• The importance of managing emotions to prevent outbursts.
• How reflective writing helps in understanding automatic mental constructs and patterns.

Timestamps

1. Introduction. Introduction to the podcast and guest, Dr Jacqueline Heller, MD. 00.02 - 00:27.

2.The Power of Writing. The benefits of writing for memory consolidation and creating a coherent narrative. How writing became a cathartic and connecting process for Jacqueline. Writing as a tool for consolidating memory and connecting emotions to visual memory. 00.27 – 03.15

3. Reflective Communities and Parenting. Jacqueline's background in attachment theory and Reflective Communities. Bringing reflective parenting programs to schools. How Jacqueline's book is resonating with people and helping them 03.16 – 05.07

4. Self-Reflection and Introspection. Exploring the concept of introspecting and identifying emotions. The importance of identifying and understanding emotions for self-reflection. Connecting emotions and past experiences through writing. 05.08 – 08.28

5. The Process of Writing. The circular nature of self-examination and creating new connections through writing. Writing as a tool for developing new insights and connections over time. Managing emotions through writing and promoting higher cortical functions. 08.29 – 12.25

6. Personal Reflection and Journaling. Jacqueline's personal experience with mental journaling and reflection. The pressure to journal and the various forms of self-reflection beyond writing. 12.26 – 15.34

7. Writing Process and Book Creation. The organic process of writing Jacqueline's book. The importance of a well-being narrative and stability in one's self-story. Target audience and potential benefits of reading the book. 15.35 – 19.38

8. Book Overview. Jacqueline gives an overview of the book's content, including triggers, psychological principles, consciousness, and parenting. Chapters on defence mechanisms, cognitive distortions, and neuroscience of attachment. Example chapter "Dana's invisible trigger" and writing style. 19.39 – 25.37

9. Conclusion. Closing remarks and information on where to find Jacqueline's book and website. 25.38

Action items

• Jacqueline’s new book is , Yesterday Never Sleeps 
• You can find out more about Jacqueline at jackieheller.com

Keywords

Resilience - Journaling - Leadership - Self-awareness - Growth

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled Antonio Garrido, an expert in leadership transformation and Founder and President of My Daily Leadership, discusses the importance of journaling for self-awareness and personal growth. Antonio explains how he was led to journaling, how it helps develop emotional intelligence and resilience, and identify blind spots. He emphasises the need to be intentional and specific in writing down thoughts and beliefs, and how important it is in building self-awareness and gratitude. Antonio also provides practical steps for starting journaling, including affirmations, setting goals, and reflecting on progress.

Main topics

• The importance of journaling and how to start it.
• How journaling can enhance learning and personal development.
• Prompts and exercises for journaling.
• How journaling helps with self-awareness, resilience, emotional intelligence, etc.
• Journaling to help in setting goals and affirmations, beliefs, and commitments.

Timestamps

1: Introductions - 00:02-00:18

2: Antonio's Background - Antonio shares a brief overview of his background, including his Spanish and Greek heritage, his experience working for large organisations, and his decision to become a coach - 00:50-02:34

3: The Conversation with the Group Chairman - Antonio recounts a conversation he had with the group chairman, where he was asked to write down the characteristics of a terrible boss. This conversation serves as a practical exercise - 12:09-15:38

4: The Importance of Journaling - Antonio discusses the significance of journaling and how it can enhance learning and personal development. He shares his own experience of journaling and explains different models that can be followed - 19:40-26:59

5: Setting Goals and Closing Gaps - Antonio emphasises the importance of setting goals and closing gaps. He suggests starting with affirmations, core values, and personal and business goals, and encourages the audience to write about them - 28:01-31:47

6: Commitments and Evaluation - Antonio introduces the concept of making daily commitments and evaluating progress. He explains the process of morning momentum and evening evaluation, encouraging the audience to give themselves a report card - 33:13-35:12

7: Resources and Conclusion - Antonio provides information about his book, website, and resources related to leadership and journaling. He expresses gratitude for the conversation and concludes the podcast - 36:31-37:26

Action items

• For more information and resources on journaling and leadership development visit mydailyleadership.com
• Antonio's latest book is My Daily Leadership

Keywords

Resilience - Intentionality - Building Relationships - Mindset Shifts - Behaviour Shifts - Intentional Action

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled John Miles, a leading authority on intentional behaviour change and personal growth, discusses his career path and experiences in various industries. John emphasises the importance of being intentional and deliberate in building relationships and adapting to different organisational sizes and sectors. He also highlights the significance of passion, purpose, emotional intelligence, self-awareness, and adaptability for future leaders.

 Main topics

• Being intentional and setting life goals.
• Why building relationships and emotional intelligence are important skills for success.
• Adaptability in a changing world.
• Intentionality in making deliberate choices and taking deliberate actions.
• How different voices and perspectives can resonate with people in different ways.

Timestamps

1: Introduction to John Miles. 00:02-02:35

2: The Power of Intentionality. John explains the importance of being intentional in one's career and decision-making process. He discusses how commonalities exist in various business sectors and emphasizes the need to be intentional about personal and professional goals. 03:40-08:30

3: Building Brilliant Relationships. John explores the secret to building successful relationships, highlighting the importance of trust, communication, and perseverance. He mentions the need to develop core elements often overlooked in leadership and management textbooks. 10:01-13:34

4: Mindset Shifts for Success. John introduces six mindset shifts that can be applied to overcome challenges and achieve success. He emphasizes the significance of passion, perseverance, and deliberate action in developing a growth mindset. 14:22-16:45

5: Behaviour Shifts for Personal Growth. John discusses six behaviour shifts that can lead to personal growth and development. He shares stories and examples of individuals who have successfully implemented these shifts in their lives. 23:15-24:30

6: Taking Intentional Action. John explains his approach to taking intentional action and outlines a step-by-step process for readers to follow. He provides a quiz to help readers understand their starting points and offers additional resources, such as eBooks and templates, to support implementation. 24:58-27:06

7: Conclusion and Call to Action. 27:27-29:58

Action items

You can find out more about John at https://johnrmiles.com/ and his podcast is Passion Struck with John R Miles

Keywords

Resilience - Hypergrowth - Customer Behaviour - Focus - Success - Building Brands - Brand Promise

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled Jeffrey Hayzlett, a global business celebrity, speaker, best-selling author, and Chairman and CEO of C-Suite Network, talks about hypergrowth and the importance of capturing customer behaviour and input. He also talks about building brands particularly the importance of a brands promise and of delivering on that promises.

A recurring theme for Jeffrey is that of change, adapt or die and the importance of learning from previous change. He uses the downfall of companies like Kodak who forgot their true purpose and were too focused on past successes to illustrate this. Jeffrey feels it’s important to strive for success and to be persistent until success is achieved and highlights that times of crisis such as COVID-19 can present opportunities for growth for organisations with a defined strategy and investments.

 Main topics

• Why its important to capture customer behaviour and input.
• How businesses can adapt and evolve to avoid becoming outdated like Kodak
• The importance of striving for perfection
• Finding opportunities in a crisis
• Learning from past change

Timestamps

1: Introductions - 00:00-00:28

2: Jeffrey's background as a former Fortune 100 officer and TV personality. Jeffrey's current work with the C-Suite Network. Jeffrey's executive consulting work in hypergrowth - 02:26-04.12

3: Capturing Customer Behaviour. Jeffrey's approach to capturing customer behaviour. The importance of asking customers for input - 05:02-06:42

4: Lessons in Change. Jeffrey's recurring theme in his books of "change, adapt or die". The importance of learning from past changes - 14:14-16.22

5: Strategies for Success. The importance of striving for perfection. The importance of persistence and surviving until success is achieved - 17:54-18:57

6: Finding Opportunities in Crisis. The importance of thinking about strategy and investments during a crisis. Examples of companies that found opportunities during past crisis - 21:08-23.15

7: Conclusion. Jeffrey's final thought on focusing on the things that will lead to success. Closing remarks and goodbyes - 23:26-23.53

Action items

To find out more visit https://c-suitenetwork.com/ or  https://hayzlett.com/ Alternatively follow him on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Keywords

Resilience - Addiction - Transformation - Trauma - Positive Change - Connection

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled Don Cummins, a transformational coach, speaker, and author, discusses his journey of overcoming addiction, rebuilding his life, and finding success in a professional career after serving a 20-year prison sentence for bank robbery.

Don shares his experiences of overcoming addiction and rebuilding his life and discusses how trauma and a desire to fit in led him down a destructive path of drug use and criminal behaviour. He emphasises the importance of self-acceptance, support, insight, and of recognising when you reach the bottom in making positive change and highlights the need to address underlying issues rather than solely focusing on addictive behaviours.

Main topics

• Why hitting rock bottom can be the turning point in making positive change.
• Why you need support, insight, and self-awareness to make progress.
• The challenges of re-entering society and finding a job after prison
• Why it’s difficult to relate trauma experiences with others who haven't been through it.
• Finding understanding and connection with people who have shared similar struggles.
• Finding true purpose and meaning

Timestamps

1: Introduction and Background - Overview of the podcast episode and introduction of the guest, Don Cummins. Don briefly shares his background and what he does as a coach - 00:05-01:41

2: From Trauma to Prison - Don discusses the traumatic experiences he went through as a youth and how it led him into a cycle of addiction and involvement with the criminal justice system. He shares that this ultimately resulted in him serving a 20-year prison sentence for bank robbery - 01:41-02:03

3: Rebuilding a Life - Don talks about his journey of recovery and the challenges he faced in rebuilding his life after being at the lowest point. He emphasises the importance of support, gaining insight, and discovering one's true purpose and meaning - 02:03-03:10

4: Unpacking the Downfall - Don Cummins reflects on the factors that contributed to his downfall, acknowledging that it is a complex process to unpack. He mentions the struggle of staying clean and employable, and the emotional challenges he faced - 03:10-05:02

5: Gaining Resilience - Discussion on the importance of support, gaining insight, and developing resilience to overcome difficult circumstances. Don shares his perspective on hitting rock bottom and how it can be a turning point for positive change - 05:22-07:05

6: Rebuilding Relationships - Don talks about his experience in rebuilding relationships and finding understanding and connection with others who have shared similar struggles. He shares how counselling and communication skills helped in improving his relationship with his partner - 07:28-09:25

7: Sharing the Journey Through Writing - Don discusses his motivation to write a memoir, "The Prison Within: A Memoir of Breaking Free," to share his story and help others who may be going through similar challenges. He talks about the impact of his book and his upcoming book, "Awaken, Connect, Transform: The Universal Path to Happiness and Success.” - 09:25-14:23

8: The Universal Path to Happiness and Success - Don explains the concept of the universal path to happiness and success, emphasizing the importance of connection and recognizing our interconnectedness. He invites listeners to explore his work and learn more about his books - 14:23-21:41

9: Conclusion and Call to Action - Final thoughts on the power of resilience and the potential for personal growth and transformation - 21:41-24:10

Action items 

• Visit doncummins.com to learn more about his work and pre-order or order his books.
• Find Don on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to connect with him and stay updated on his work.
• Don’s upcoming book is "Awaken, Connect, Transform: The Universal Path to Happiness and Success,"
• Don’s memoir is, "The Prison Within: A Memoir of Breaking Free”

Keywords

Resilience - Trauma - Mental Health - Fulfilment - Purpose - Self-awareness - Safe Conversations

In this episode of Resilience Unravelled Bill Carson, a visionary leader in mental health, wellbeing, and resilience, shares his personal experience of childhood trauma and how he overcame it through therapy and understanding brain chemistry. Bill emphasises the importance of taking care of our mental health by focusing on both psychological and physical well-being and also discusses the significance of finding a sense of purpose in life and serving others as part of building resilience. The conversation highlights the need for a holistic approach to mental health that includes addressing biological, psychological, social, and existential factors.

Bill also discusses his experience as a volunteer crisis supporter and the fulfilment he receives from helping others. He emphasises the importance of not letting external factors overshadow one's own identity, relationships, and sense of connectedness and concept of finding purpose through the three levels of happiness: pleasure, passion, and purpose. He also touches on psychological safety in conversations at work and how it contributes to overall well-being.

Main topics

• The importance of managing automatic negative thoughts (ANTs).
• The process of negating harm from a childhood incident.
• Cognitive repair and the importance of positive thinking.
• The importance of purpose and learning to learn.
• The importance of self-awareness and identifying suitable resources.
• How safe conversations can still be robust and professional.
• The importance of creating a safe and healthy culture for conversations.

 Timestamps

1: Introductions - 00:02 - 01:08

2: Impact of Childhood Trauma. Bill discusses the challenges of childhood trauma and how it can affect people's lives, often without their conscious memory of the original incident. He emphasises the importance of learning to manage and change perceptions of trauma - 01.08 - 04:23

3: Overcoming Childhood Trauma. Bill shares his personal experience of dealing with childhood trauma and how he discovered helpful approaches - 04:29 - 06:46

4: Finding Purpose. Bill explores the concept of finding purpose in life and how it relates to resilience. He highlights the importance of having a sense of belonging to a higher purpose and aligning personal actions with that purpose – 06:47 - 14:23

5: Discovering Personal Purpose. Bill discusses the process of uncovering one's purpose and offers an example of building a cathedral as a metaphor for finding purpose through meaningful work – 14:24 - 19:03

6: Psychological Safety and Safe Conversations. Russell raises the topic of psychological safety and safe conversations in the workplace and asks the guest, Bill, to share his insights. Bill explains the importance of creating a safe environment for open and honest conversations to support individual growth and performance - 19.04-25:03

7: Safe Conversations Skills for Managers. Bill introduces his book, "Safe Conversations for Work and Life," which focuses on developing safe conversation skills for managers to foster a culture of psychological safety in the workplace. He explains the process of helping team members become self-aware and identify suitable resources for support - 25.04 – 27.46

8: Emotional Fitness and Resilience. Russell briefly mentions a model of resilience and emotional fitness on Bill's website. They express interest in exploring this topic in more detail and provide information on how listeners can access the resources and contact Bill - 27:47 - 29:24

9: Conclusion: The host thanks Bill for the conversation and provides information on where listeners can find more about Bill's work and his book - 29:35 - 29:50

Action items

You can find out more about Bill at https://inspirelearning.au/skills-for-leaders-managers/

Bill's book is Safe Conversations for Work and Life.