“The World Works When Generosity Is Present”

Join me and my guest Cynthia Kersey, CEO and Founder of Unstoppable Foundation (https://unstoppablefoundation.org). Since 2008, the Unstoppable Foundation has been instrumental in the successful transition of 17 Kenyan communities to sustainability – positively impacting the lives of more than 500,000 men, women and children. She has dedicated her life to improving the lives of others, inspiring millions worldwide through her speaking engagements and best-selling books that include Unstoppable and Unstoppable Women. In this episode we go in depth on her latest book The Generosity Effect and theripple impact of generosity as a practice – both personally and professionally.

Summary

In this milestone 200th episode of 'The Soul of Business,” host Blaine Bartlett welcomes his first guest, Cynthia Kersey, to discuss the profound impact of generosity on personal and professional lives. They explore Cynthia's journey of discovering generosity during a challenging time, the transformative power of giving, and how it can lead to healing and purpose. The conversation delves into the 'Generosity Effect,' emphasizing the reciprocal nature of giving and receiving, and the importance of maintaining faith and an abundance mindset in the face of adversity. Cynthia shares her personal experiences, including her battle with a serious health diagnosis, and how gratitude and generosity have played crucial roles in her healing journey. The episode concludes with a call to action for listeners to become centers of distribution rather than accumulation, fostering a mindset of abundance and connection.

Keywords

generosity, philanthropy, personal growth, healing, purpose, faith, abundance, business, impact, community

Takeaways

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“The Trust Factor in Leadership”

Join me and my guest Doland White, (https://dolandwhite.com). In this conversation, Doland White and Blaine Bartlett explore the nuances of leadership, emphasizing the importance of trust, the distinction between managing and leading, and the art of creating meaningful contexts for teams. They discuss their upcoming mastermind program aimed at developing leadership skills over a year, focusing on practical applications and continuous learning. The dialogue highlights the significance of relationships in leadership and the commitment to excellence as a pathway to personal and professional growth.

Summary

In this conversation, Doland and Blaine explore the nuances of leadership, emphasizing the importance of trust, the distinction between managing and leading, and the art of creating meaningful contexts for teams. They share anecdotes from their friendship, discuss the evolution of their careers, and emphasize the significance of building strong relationships in business. The dialogue is filled with humor, insights, and reflections on the challenges and rewards of leadership. They discuss their upcoming mastermind program aimed at developing leadership skills over a year, focusing on practical applications and continuous learning. The dialogue highlights the significance of relationships in leadership and the commitment to excellence as a pathway to personal and professional growth.

Takeaways

Sound Bites

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“Designing For Sustainable Success”

Join me and my guest Mark LaScola, Founder of On The Mark (https://on-the-mark.com). Working with clients like Nestle, AMX, Qualcomm, Dolby, and Fitbit, he has successfully delivered over 300 redesigns and 600 engagements, and has trained and developed approximately 5,000 executives, managers and internal change agents in organizational design – across a broad and diverse range of industries on 6 continents and over 20 countries. He is the author of one of the industry’s most integrated and comprehensive re-design/transformation solution.

SHOW NOTES

Summary

In this conversation, Blaine and Mark LaScola explore the concept of the 'soul of business' and its relationship to organizational design. They discuss the importance of understanding the informal and formal aspects of a business, the distinction between complexity and complication, and the role of relationships in managing change. The conversation also delves into effective communication, problem-solving strategies, rapid prototyping in design, and the significance of scenario planning for future uncertainties. Mark shares insights from his experience in organizational design and highlights the upcoming release of his book on modernizing operating models.

Takeaways

Chapters

00:00 The Soul of Business: An Introduction

08:58 Understanding Organizational Design

14:19   The Role of Relationships in Change

20:39  Communication and Common Meaning

24:43  Problem Solving and Innovation

29:40  Scenario Planning for the Future

32:22  Modernizing Operating Models

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This is a reprise edition of one of the first interviews I did for this podcast in 2019. I'm republishing it in honor of an extraordinary human being. It's well worth your time.

Elisabet Sahtouris, Ph.D. was an evolution biologist, futurist, author, speaker and consultant on Living Systems Design. Showing the relevance of evolving biological systems to organizational design, she traveled the world as a speaker, offering speeches and workshops. 

Dr. Sahtouris was a citizen of the United States and of Greece, with a Canadian Ph.D. She did her post-doctoral work at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, taught at the University of Massachusetts and M.I.T., was a science writer for the HORIZON/ NOVA TV series. She was invited to China by the Chinese National Science Association, organized Earth Celebrations 2000 in Athens, Greece, and was a United Nations consultant on indigenous peoples. She was a participant in the Humanity 3000 dialogues of the Foundation for the Future, the Synthesis Dialogues with the Dalai Lama in Dharamsala, and consulted with corporations and government organizations in Australia, Brazil and the USA. 

Her books include Biology Revisioned; A Walk Through Time: From Stardust to Us; and EarthDance: Living Systems in Evolution; as well as our Evolutionary Leaders anthology, Our Moment of Choice. She recently completed a book recounting the amazing adventure that was her life, Vista: Life and Getting to Where You Want to Be.

Elisabet used nature's principles and practice, revealed in biological evolution, as useful models for organizational change. She applied them in the corporate world, in global politics and economics, in our efforts to create sustainable health and well-being for humanity within the larger living systems of Earth.

Elisabet was well known for popularizing the butterfly story of transformation, which she never claimed to have discovered. In recent years, she put forth her powerful keyboard metaphor of the spectrum of consciousness.

You can learn about her keyboard metaphor and many other aspects of Elisabet’s philosophy in this fascinating dialogue with fellow evolution biologist, Dr. Bruce H. Lipton: www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxx8UHJ54eY.

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“It’s The Dark Matter Of Business”

Join me and my guest Charlie Gilkey (charliegilkey.com), CEO of Productive Flourishing (productiveflourishing.com). Charlie has advised hundreds of teams, from Fortune 100 companies to tiny nonprofits and is the author of the critically acclaimed Start Finishing: How to Go From Idea to Done and his current book, Team Habits: How Small Actions Lead to Extraordinary Results. We explore the concept of Compassionate Capitalism and its implications for team dynamics and performance – especially the role of team habits in achieving extraordinary results.

Summary

In this conversation, Blaine Bartlett and Charlie Gilkey explore the concept of compassionate capitalism and its implications for team dynamics and performance. They discuss the importance of understanding the "soul of business" as a living organism, the role of team habits in achieving extraordinary results, and the significance of belonging and communication within teams. The dialogue emphasizes the need for explicit communication of goals and conditions of satisfaction, as well as the challenges of maintaining excellence in a comfortable environment. Ultimately, they highlight the distinction between groups and teams, advocating for a culture of interdependence and shared commitment to improvement.

Takeaways

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“Learning The Ropes Without Hanging Yourself”

Join me and my guest Elizabeth Freedman, Vice President Executives and Team Performance at BTS (bts.com). She is the author of Learning the Ropes of the Workplace Without Hanging Yourself and a regular contributor to Forbes, where she writes about leadership strategies for C-suite executives. Her expertise on leadership has also appeared in Chief Executive, The New York Times, Fortune, The Boston Globe, and the Rotman Management Journal. We discuss the challenges faced by leaders in maintaining connection to their organization's core values amidst changing demographics in the C-suite and the need for continuous self-development. Our dialogue also highlights practical strategies for developing future leaders and fostering a culture of ownership and engagement within organizations. 

Summary

In this conversation, Blaine Bartlett and Elizabeth Freedman explore the multifaceted nature of leadership, emphasizing the importance of understanding the soul of a business, the role of values, and the necessity of creating meaning in the workplace. They discuss the challenges faced by leaders in maintaining connection to their organization's core values amidst changing demographics in the C-suite and the need for continuous self-development. The dialogue also highlights practical strategies for developing future leaders and fostering a culture of ownership and engagement within organizations.

Takeaways

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Chris Sinkinson - Entrepreneurship: A Hero's Journey

Join me and my guest Chris Sinkinson, Co-Author of Startup Different (startupdifferent.com), and former CTO and Co-Founder of AppArmor. In 2022, AppArmor was acquired by Rave Mobile Safety for $40 million, and later that year, both were acquired for over $550 Million by Motorola Solutions. In this episode we discuss the hero's journey that defines being a successful entrepreneur, focusing on the importance of empathy, company culture, and myth-busting in startups. Chris shares his experiences of starting a business with his brother, the challenges they faced, and the lessons learned along the way. He emphasizes the need for continuous improvement, the significance of intentionally building a strong company culture, and how empathy can be a powerful tool for leaders. We do a deep dive on the importance of being adaptable and willing to pivot in response to changing circumstances.

Takeaways

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“Diversity Is Essential To Thriving”

Join me and my guest Dr. Joel A. Davis Brown (joeldavisbrown.com), an attorney with a doctorate in educational leadership. Joel is Founder and Chief Visionary Officer of Pneumos LLC, a management consulting and coaching firm based in San Francisco and Nairobi. In this wide ranging conversation we explore the critical role of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in business leadership. We discuss how personal experiences shape leadership perspectives, the challenges organizations face in implementing DEI initiatives, and the importance of understanding equity versus equality. Additionally, we highlight the power of storytelling as a tool for leaders to connect with their teams and foster an inclusive workplace culture.

Takeaways

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“Your Mindset Is A Miracle Worker”

Join me and my guest Phillip Goldfine (phillipbgoldfine.com), founder of Hollywood Media Bridge, a film and television studio based in Hollywood with over 200 film credits and numerous television series. A winner of numerous awards including an Oscar, an Emmy, and a Tony, Phil has worked producing films and television for every major film studio and network in Hollywood, including Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, Walt Disney, Sony, MGM, Paramount and Lions Gate Films. Phil has had the great privilege of working with and has relationships with Actors such as Hilary Swank, Katherine Heigl, Jack Black, Jerry O’Connell, Denise Richards, Wesley Snipes, Dolph Lundgren, Ray Liotta, and Val Kilmer.

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“Heart Centered Business”

Join me and my guest Mark Silver, M.Div., Founder of Heart of Business (heartofbusiness.com) where he works with his clients in the realization that “every act of business can be an act of love.” In this fascinating conversation Mark and I explore the concept of marketing as being the process of creating safety and power of building relationships based on care and support. Mark shares his insights on prioritizing and making choices that align with compassion and love. The result being the realization of the profound significance of relationships and the impact they have on the success of a business. Mark's book, Heart-Centered Business: Healing from Toxic Business Culture So Your Small Business Can Thrive, is heartily recommended by me.

Summary

In this conversation, I interview Mark Silver about heart-centered business and the role of compassion and love in business. We discuss the importance of understanding the soul of business and how every act of business can be an act of love. We also explore the concept of marketing as being the process of creating safety and building relationships based on care and support. Mark shares his insights on prioritizing and making choices that align with compassion and love. They emphasize the significance of relationships and the impact they have on the success of a business. Mark's book, 'Heart-Centered Business: Healing from Toxic Business Culture So Your Small Business Can Thrive,' is recommended for further exploration.

Sound Bites

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