The Courageous Life

Robin Dreeke is a best-selling author, professional speaker, trainer, facilitator, and retired FBI Special Agent and Chief of the Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program, which has been depicted in TV and movies, including the acclaimed show Mind Hunter on Netflix. Robin has taken his life's work of recruiting spies and broken down the art of leadership, communication, and relationship building into Five Steps to TRUST and Six Signs of who you can TRUST. Since 2010, Robin has been working with large corporations as well as small companies in every aspect of their business. Whether it is newly promoted leaders, executives, sales teams, or customer relations, Robin has crafted his People Formula for quick results and maximum success. He is the author of multiple books, including Sizing People Up, and The Code of Trust. Learn more about Robin at www.peopleformula.com

In this episode Robin shares: 

• His background working in counterintelligence for the FBI
• What he learned about building trust from recruiting spies.
• Why building healthy professional relationships is one of the keys to living a fulfilling and meaningful life
• Strategies for regulating emotions and staying rational and calm under pressure
• Why curiosity may be an antidote to fear
• How to build trust in the face of division and tribalism
• And more!

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Show notes can be found at www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast

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Kelly McGonigal is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University who specializes in understanding the mind-body connection. As a pioneer in the field of "science-help," her mission is to translate insights from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies that support personal well-being and strengthen communities. She is the best-selling author of The Willpower Instinct and The Upside of Stress. Through the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism, she helped create Stanford Compassion Cultivation Training, a program now taught around the world that helps individuals strengthen their empathy, compassion, and self-compassion. You might know her from her TED talk, "How to Make Stress Your Friend," which is one of the most viewed TED talks of all time, with over 20 million views. Her new book, The Joy of Movement, explores why physical exercise is a powerful antidote to the modern epidemics of depression, anxiety, and loneliness. Learn more about Kelly at kellymcgongial.com

In this episode Kelly shares:

• Why reflecting on your values and clarifying what matters most to you can be one of the most powerful practices for changing habits and behavior
• Practical skills for being able to better tolerate distress and discomfort
• Strategies for dealing with fear and cultivating courage including one of Kelly's favorite practices
• More skillful ways to navigate stress
• Why asking for help, and receiving support from others can be a strength, and a form of self-compassion
• How exercise and movement can create hope, courage, connection, and happiness in our lives (and some of the science as to why)
• Her process for creating powerful public talks, writing books, and connecting with audiences

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Cory Muscara is an international speaker and teacher on the topics of presence and wellbeing. He has taught mindfulness-based leadership at Columbia University, and currently serves as an instructor of positive psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, where he completed his graduate work. In 2012, Cory spent six months in silence living as a monk in Burma, meditating 14-20 hours each day under the instruction of the late Sayadaw U Pandita. A frequent guest on the Dr. Oz show, he now aims to bring these teachings to people in a practical and relatable way, presenting to schools, organizations, and healthcare systems, as well as through workshops and retreats for the general public. Cory’s meditations have been heard more than 10 million times in over 50 countries. He looks forward to connecting with you through his first book, Stop Missing Your Life: How to Be Deeply Present in an Un-Present World. For more on Cory visit www.corymuscara.com.

In this episode we explore: 

• Cory’s journey around writing his new book, Stop Missing Your Life
• Insights Cory gained in overcoming roadblocks in the creative process
• What presence is and why it is so important
• 4 pillars for becoming more present in your life and relationships
• Why curiosity is the opposite of fear and how it can help you to deepen presence
• How to let go of old habits that are no longer helpful
• Practical strategies for building, or deepening a meditation practice
• Benefits from practicing meditation more than you think you can

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Parker J. Palmer is a writer, teacher, and activist. Founder and Senior Partner Emeritus of the Center for Courage & Renewal, he has written ten books, including the bestselling Let Your Life Speak, The Courage to Teach, A Hidden Wholeness, Healing the Heart of Democracy, and On the Brink of Everything: Grace, Gravity and Getting Old. He holds a Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, Berkeley, and thirteen honorary doctorates. In 1998, The Leadership Project, a national survey of ten thousand educators, named Palmer as one of the thirty “most influential senior leaders” in higher education and one of the ten key “agenda-setters” of the past decade. Since 2002, the Accrediting Commission for Graduate Medical Education has given annual Parker J. Palmer “Courage to Teach” and “Courage to Lead” Awards to directors of exemplary medical residency programs around the U.S. In 2010, Palmer received the William Rainey Harper Award, whose previous recipients include Margaret Mead, Elie Wiesel, and Paolo Freire. In 2011, the Utne Reader named him one of 25 Visionaries on its annual list of “People Who are Changing the World.” To learn more about Parker and his latest project, The Growing Edge, please visit newcomerpalmer.com

In the first episode of Season 2 we explore: 

• Some of Parker's personal story including challenges and adversities he has faced and how these have shaped his life
• What wholeness is and the courage it takes live an undivided life
• Parker's insights about writing, speaking, and connecting with an audience
• Lessons Parker has learned about finding courage and working with fear
• The power of reframing situations and circumstances one faces
• How to listen deeply
• Finding one's vocation in life
• How to create conditions that foster courage in others 
• And more!

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For show notes and more visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast

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Mark Coleman has studied mindfulness meditation practices for three decades, and has taught mindfulness workshops and meditation retreats in six continents for the past twenty years.  He is a senior meditation teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center, a trainer for Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute (developed at Google), and holds a MA in Clinical Psychology, drawing on his extensive experience in working with people as a therapist and coach. Mark leads Professional Mindfulness Teacher Trainings in the US and UK annually, and has brought mindfulness training programs to companies and the nonprofit sector across North America and Europe. He also leads wilderness meditation retreats from Alaska to Peru, taking people on inner and outdoor adventures through his organization Awake in the Wild. Mark is the author of several books including From Suffering to Peace: The True Promise of Mindfulness, Make Peace with Your Mind: How Mindfulness and Compassion Can Help Free You from the Inner Critic and Awake in the Wild: Mindfulness in Nature as a Path of Self-Discovery. For more, visit: www.markcoleman.org

In this episode: 

• Evolutionary reasons behind why we have an "inner critic"
• How and why the inner critic can hold us back in our lives
• Mark's own journey with the inner critic, and how meditation has helped free him from it's negative impact
• The importance of humor when dealing with the critic
• Neuroplasticity, and how meditation and compassion practices can change our brains
• Mark's favorite practices for working with the inner critic
• And more!

For show notes and more visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast

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Bill Burnett is the Executive Director of the Design Program at Stanford. He directs the undergraduate and graduate program in design at Stanford, both interdepartmental programs between the Mechanical Engineering department and the Art department. He got his BS and MS in Product Design at Stanford and has worked professionally on a wide variety of projects ranging from award-winning Apple PowerBooks to the original Hasbro Star Wars action figures. Bill co teaches Designing Your Life, one of the most popular elective courses at Stanford. Centered on the principles taught in the Product Design Program and the d.school at Stanford, called “design thinking”, it is a process and a way of thinking about tough-to-solve problems. For more on Bill, his book Designing Your Life, and upcoming events please visit www.designingyour.life

In this episode: 

• We unpack what life design really is, and how design thinking can be used to build a meaningful and fulfilling life
• Learn why "finding your passion" is often bad advice
• Bill shares findings from neuroscience about how the brains of the most creative people in the world are different and what we can learn from them about overcoming fear
• 5 fundamentals of brainstorming that will help unlock innovative new possibilities
• What prototyping is and why it is important to designing your life

 For show notes and more visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast

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Ali Smith co-founded the Holistic Life Foundation in 2001, where he currently serves as Executive Director. He is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and graduate of the Friends School of Baltimore and the University of Maryland, College Park, receiving a BS in Environmental Science and Policy with a Biodiversity specialization.  He has over 15 years of experience teaching yoga and mindfulness to diverse populations. Through his work at the Holistic Life Foundation he has helped develop and pilot yoga and mindfulness programs at public and private schools, drug treatment centers, juvenile detention centers, mental crisis facilities, and retreat centers, nationally and internationally.  Ali has authored a series of children’s books, and co-authored several yoga and mindfulness based curriculum’s, as well as developed numerous workshops and training’s. His work with the Holistic Life Foundation has been featured on Making a Difference on the NBC Nightly News, CNN, and CBS, as well as O the Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, Upworthy, Mindful Magazine, Yoga Journal, Shambala Sun, and many other publications.

In this episode: 

• Ali’s story about growing up, learning meditation, and starting a movement of bringing meditation and yoga into schools in Baltimore
• How Ali thinks about influencing and connecting with people
• How meditation, and connecting with oneself can foster hope and inspire people to dream
• The origin story of the Holistic Life Foundation, from humble beginnings in the basement of one school to teaching contemplative practices to students around the world
• The transformative effects of meditation and yoga programs in schools including large scale reductions in fights, detentions, and suspensions
• Moving from reaction to choice through learning meditation and yoga practices
• And more!

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Show notes can be found at www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast

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Oren Jay Sofer is the author of the acclaimed new book Say What You Mean: A Mindful Approach to Nonviolent Communication, a practical guidebook for having more effective, satisfying conversations. He is also co-author of two books on teaching mindfulness to teens and adolescents: The Mindful Schools Curriculum for Adolescents and Teaching Mindfulness to Empower Teens. Oren leads retreats and workshops on mindful communication and meditation at retreat centers and educational settings around the United States. A member of the Spirit Rock Teacher's Council, he holds a degree in Comparative Religion from Columbia University, teaches in the Insight Meditation community, and is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and a Certified Trainer of Nonviolent Communication. Oren creates mindfulness training programs for a number of organizations, including Mindful Schools, Kaiser Permanente, Calm, SImple Habit, and 10% Happier. He is also the founder of Next Step Dharma and Mindful Healthcare. For more information, visit www.OrenJaySofer.com.

In this episode:

• Oren shares his story of finding meditation and why he is so passionate about mindfulness and communication
• Oren discusses how mindfulness can be applied to communication to support more satisfying and effective conversations
• We discuss how to have difficult conversations including practical strategies for regulating your emotions, your body, and your mind when stressed, triggered, or upset
• We explore moving from reaction to choice
• We explore how to listen deeply

For show notes visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast

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Douglas Stone is a Founder of Triad Consulting Group and a Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School, where he teaches negotiation. Through Triad, he consults to a wide range of organizations, including Fidelity, Honda, HP, IBM, Merck, Microsoft, and Shell. Doug is co-author of the New York Times bestsellers Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most (Penguin 2000), and Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well (Even When It’s Off-Base, Unfair, Poorly Delivered and Frankly, You’re Not in the Mood) (Viking/Penguin 2014). His articles on negotiation and conflict resolution have appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and the Boston Globe. He has appeared on many TV and radio shows, including Oprah. For more on Doug please visit www.triadconsultinggroup.com

In this episode we cover a wide array of topics including:
-The three types of feedback (coaching, evaluation, and recognition), what they are, why they are important, and why we so often miss the mark with feedback
-What gets in the way of receiving feedback
-How to deliver feedback more effectively
-The importance of moving from judgment to curiosity (and compassion) to foster learning
-Why stories are so important in difficult conversations
-Strategies and insights for engaging in difficult conversations more skillfully
-And much more!

For show notes and more please visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast

Take a moment and let us know what you think about the show by rating it on iTunes or writing a review. 

Thanks for listening and enjoy the show!

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Amy C. Edmondson, PhD, is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, a chair established to support the study of human interactions that lead to the creation of successful enterprises that contribute to the betterment of society. Edmondson has been recognized by the biannual Thinkers50 global ranking of management thinkers in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017 and was honored with the Talent Award in 2017. If you are not familiar with Thinkers50 it has been described as “The Oscars of Management Thinking.” This year (2019) Amy Edmondson is nominated for the Breakthrough Idea award. Her work on psychological safety is considered to be thinking that has the potential to change the world.

Dr. Edmondson studies teaming, psychological safety, and leadership. Her new book,The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation and Growth (Wiley, 2018), offers a practical guide for organizations serious about success in the modern economy.

In this episode we explore:

-Amy's unexpected journey to discovering the importance of psychological safety
-Why fear is not an effective motivator for learning, teamwork, and innovation
-A closer look at organizations like Pixar and how they have built strong psychological safety within their teams
-How psychological safety is a catalyst for courage
-Practical strategies for creating psychological safety
-How leaders can make, or break, psychological safety within organizational cultures
-And more!

Please take a moment and rate the show on iTunes!

For show notes and all other episodes visit www.joshuasteinfeldt.com/podcast

Thanks for listening!

Support the show