How do leaders, innovators, and successful entrepreneurs practice resilience? How does resilience help to create success (and how do we even define success)? My guest on this week's episode is best-selling author, CEO, management expert and technology entrepreneur Faisal Hoque. Faisal currently runs a company called Shadoka and is a regular contributor for Fast Company. Faisal has a very interesting background. He moved from Bangladesh to the USA when he was 17 and by the age of 22, started his own company and was on the way to achieve tremendous success. However, he eventually had to deal with tremendous adversity and that's when he started to make a number of changes in his life and approach. We get into all of that, and much more.

We discuss:

•Entrepreneurship •Resilience •Mindfulness •Meditation •Life paths and trajectories •Emotional intelligence and systemic thinking •Success •Risk and living in uncertainty •Overcoming adversity

And much more!

Show notes:

Faisal's website: http://faisalhoque.com/

Shadoka: http://shadoka.com/

Faisal on Twitter: https://twitter.com/faisal_hoque

Faisal in Fast Company: http://www.fastcompany.com/user/faisal-hoque

Faisal in Business Insider: http://uk.businessinsider.com/author/faisal-hoque

Survive to Thrive: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Survive-Thrive-Practices-Entrepreneurs-Innovators-ebook/dp/B0101FI78A/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1466638185&sr=8-5&keywords=survive+to+thrive

Everything Connects: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Everything-Connects-Creativity-Innovation-Sustainability-ebook/dp/B00HSO0YIE/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1466638220&sr=8-1&keywords=everything+connects

Lydia Dishman article on having mulitple jobs: http://www.fastcompany.com/3060326/the-future-of-work/in-the-future-well-all-have-multiple-jobs

Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Zen-Mind-Beginners-Shunryu-Suzuki-ebook/dp/B00I8USOM0/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1466638892&sr=1-1&keywords=zen+mind+beginners+mind

River Monsters: http://www.animalplanet.com/tv-shows/river-monsters/

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This is a short in-betweenisode in which I discuss grit and motivation.  I offer four tips and steps around how to push through when a lack of motivation is a factor.

 

Show notes:

Article on negative thoughts: http://business.financialpost.com/entrepreneur/three-techniques-to-manage-40000-negative-thoughts

Article on how action creates emotion: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/insight-therapy/201010/action-creates-emotion

Article on habits: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-happiness-project/200910/stop-expecting-change-your-habit-in-21-days

Tim Ferriss on habits: http://fourhourworkweek.com/2009/01/07/the-power-of-less-leo-babauta-zen-habits

Rich Roll: www.richroll.com 

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Does leading counter-insurgency operations against the Taliban have any application to a purely civilian realm?  Yes, and more than you can probably imagine.  I explore this question in this episode and there is so much wrapped into the answers, that it makes for an enthralling discussion about leadership, war, discipline, decision-making in the midst of uncertainty and so much more.  I think you’ll love it!

My guest is Nick Copperwaite.  Nick currently works in the finance sector here in London.  However, prior to this he spent 17 years in the Parachute Regiment of the British Army, rising to the rank of Major.  He led operations in Northern Ireland, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan. 

I know many of you have a wide range of views on war, foreign policy and military intervention.  However, regardless of your perspective, I am certain that you will get a lot out of this conversation.

Nick is a great guy, with a huge amount of knowledge and insights and a very interesting journey from the battle fields of Afghanistan to the his current role working in the office complexes of Canary Wharf.  I have a great amount of admiration and respect for him.

In this episode, we discuss:

•Nick’s background and what led him to joining the military – and to be clear, it is not an interest in fighting or conflict!; •The benefits of military training; •His time doing counter-insurgency operations, particularly in Afghanistan against the Taliban.  I found this to be a fascinating discussion on Nick’s efforts in winning hearts and minds, armed conflict in the 21st Century, working with local Mullahs and local communities, and the broader limitations of counter-insurgency.  •Leading men and women into war and how he prepared for the prospect of losing lives •Transitioning to a civilian life; •Things he learned in the military that are highly applicable to civilian organisations, particularly: •Leadership and how to motivate and treat others; •Planning in the midst of uncertainty •Decision-making •Whether or not we (as in Western governments) do enough to help service leavers transitions to a civilian life •And much more!

This is an amazing conversation and I am sure you will enjoy and get a lot out of it!

Show notes:

Nick on Linkedin: http://bit.ly/1TSqCwe 

The book “The Utility of Force” by Rupert Smith: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/211972.The_Utility_of_Force?ac=1&from_search=true

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Today we talk history, international diplomacy, and the life of a foreign correspondent in the USA.  My guest is Stéphane Bussard.  Stéphane is the US correspondent at Le Temps (www.letemps.ch), the leading French-language newspaper in Switzerland and a world-class publication. 

Stéphane has a very interesting background which has included being an exchange student in Leipzig, in late 1989 when it was still known as East Germany or the German Democratic Republic, and being an eye witness to the fall of the Berlin Wall, one of the most monumental events in the history of the 20th Century.  This event greatly influenced Stéphane’s decision to become a journalist and a foreign correspondent in particular.

We talk about this in the episode, as well as loads of other interesting topics:

•Geneva, and its place in world diplomacy; •Uncovering secret talks between the United States, the EU and Iran; •Being a foreign correspondent in the USA; •Stéphane’s work tracing Barack Obama’s youth and how it shaped him as a President; •Stéphane’s take on Obama’s legacy, including thoughts on Iran and Cuba; •His coverage of the civil rights movement; •The Ferguson riots; •The upcoming US elections; •The role of the media and journalism •And more!

Show notes:

Stéphane on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BussardS

Stéphane on Linkedin: http://bit.ly/1UbXQpP

Some of Stéphane’s work:

http://www.letemps.ch/societe/2013/08/06/traces-barack-obama  

http://www.letemps.ch/societe/2013/08/06/traces-barack-obama  

http://www.letemps.ch/monde/2014/07/30/amerique-noire-barack-obama   

http://www.letemps.ch/monde/2014/07/29/lyndon-johnson-guide-revolution-droits-civiques  

http://www.letemps.ch/monde/2014/07/28/selma-montgomery-marche-une-citoyennete-part-entiere  

http://www.letemps.ch/monde/2014/07/27/route-droits-civiques  

http://www.letemps.ch/monde/2014/07/27/james-meredith-cet-anti-heros  

http://www.letemps.ch/monde/2014/11/21/reportage-ferguson-menacee-un-verdict-explosif  

http://www.letemps.ch/monde/2009/04/07/discussions-secretes-geneve   

http://www.letemps.ch/monde/2014/12/14/cuba-etats-unis-un-obstacle-ouverture 

http://www.letemps.ch/monde/2014/12/17/pari-ouverture  

http://www.letemps.ch/monde/2014/12/14/cubains-ont-un-mode-pensee-beaucoup-plus-independant  

http://www.letemps.ch/no-section/2015/05/18/cuba-un-peuple-entre-espoir-crainte-veille-grand-basculement  

http://www.letemps.ch/no-section/2015/05/18/el-paquete-internet-pauvre-fureur-cuba  

http://www.letemps.ch/monde/2015/07/01/cuba-etats-unis-percee-diplomatique-historique    

http://www.letemps.ch/monde/2016/03/11/negociations-secretes-brisent-un-mythe   

http://www.letemps.ch/suisse/2010/10/23/negociations-secretes-ombre-geneve

Track Andre Goeritz, one of my listeners, as he attempts a world record cycling: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0HovQyalscNazqL9rXbQunbbqhUot4PlK 

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This is a short "inbetweenisode" in which I discuss how to take risks intelligently through knowing the difference between the "zone of regret" and the "zone of disappointment".  I also leverage a quote from Hagakure: The Book of the Samurai, as read by Forest Whitaker in the 1999 movie "Ghost Dog".

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How did everything come to be the way it is? My guest in Episode 12 of the podcast (I very deliberately decided to post this conversation in Episode 12 – listen to the episode to find out why), runs a blog and is working on a forthcoming book that attempts to answer this very question. 

Kevin Knabe is a User Experience Designer. He has worked at Apple (although not when Steve Jobs was there as Kevin points out!), Rodale and other leading organisations . He designs and improves the way we work with products. His blog (and book by the same name) is called “The Making of Sense” (www.themakingofsense.com).  It’s awesome.  

In it, Kevin applies his design background to all kinds of things and asks the simple question, “why did they design it like that?”  When you read his posts, you come to understand that many of the things that we take for granted and our quite common in our everyday experience were actually designed on the basis of randomness, quirks of history, the needs or other factors present whenever the thing was invented, and many other interesting phenomena.  I find the whole concept behind his blog and book to be strangely empowering.

In this episode, Kevin share many of the excerpts from his blog and forthcoming book and it makes for a very interesting and fun conversation.  We talk about:

•The origin of language and writing; •Numbers •The origin of the calendar – and how it could be improved (including a proposal to celebrate Festivus); •The concept of time – where Kevin discusses Einstein and the theory of relativity, a very trippy part of the conversation; •Music •Art •Randomness and risk in design •And more

I am sure that you will enjoy it!

Show notes:

•Kevin’s site – “The Making of Sense” - http://www.themakingofsense.com/ •Find Kevin professionally - http://www.knabedesign.com/ •Kevin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/makingofsense •The backwards brain bicycle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFzDaBzBlL0 •Track Andre Goeritz, one of my listeners, as he attempts a world record cycling: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0HovQyalscNazqL9rXbQunbbqhUot4PlK 

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Have you been to the theatre lately?  Perhaps you’ve attended a performance at the National Theatre in London, or watched a broadcast of one at your local cinema.  If so, you’ll know that they do some amazing things at these live productions - performers float or even ”fly”, shows have live birds flying, and they even set things on fire.  How do these productions do these things within the confines of a theatre or arts centre, and how do they balance risk while maintaining the artistic integrity of the production?

Enter, stage right, my guest on today’s episode, Ms. Anna Glover.  Anna leads the Safety Risk and Fire Management team at the world renowned National Theatre here in London.  As you will soon find out, Anna does NOT do Health and Safety risk.  Rather, she and her team are a core part of these internationally acclaimed shows – full stop. The work she does embodies what great risk management is all about – taking risk with intelligence and confidence – and achieving great things in the process. We obviously cover this fascinating line of work in the episode – including her work with top directors, choreographers, designers, and actors, and on some amazing shows. 

But, there is much more to Anna than this.  We have a great conversation around how Anna got into this line of work.  This is a wonderful example of how to find your path – or more precisely, how to let it find you. We move on to have a great discussion about Anna’s philosophy on risk, fear, and many other things.  We also cover:

•What she learned from working with Juliette Binoche •Her time in North Wales from studying to running an outdoor pursuits on a military base •Her “run in” with Sir Ranulph Fiennes •Martial arts – Anna is a second dan in the Korean art of hapkido •Finding your path •And much, much more

This is an amazing episode and I am sure you will enjoy it!

 

Show notes:

Anna Glover's website - http://annagloverconsulting.com/ 

On Twitter: https://twitter.com/annajglover 

On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/annagloverconsulting/ 

Some people Anna has worked with:

•Phyllida Lloyd, CBE is a British director, best known for her work in theatre and as the director of Mamma Mia! and The Iron Lady - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phyllida_Lloyd •Paule Constable is a British lighting designer who won the 2005, 2006, 2009, and 2013 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Lighting Design. She was also a nominee for four further productions and for a 2007 Tony Award on Broadway - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paule_Constable •Catherine Mallyon - Executive Director of the Royal Shakespeare Company - https://www.rsc.org.uk/about-us/whos-who/catherine-mallyon-executive-director •Mark Dakin Technical -Director of the Royal Opera House - http://www.theatrecraft.org/leaders/mark-dakin/ •”War Horse” – http://www.warhorseonstage.com/

“The Light Princess” – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Light-Princess-Original-Cast-Recording/dp/B0131W0S4Q

Book recommendation – Creativity, Inc.by Ed Catmull - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18077903-creativity-inc?from_search=true&search_version=service

Book recommendation – The Organised Mind by Daniel Levitin - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18693669-the-organized-mind?ac=1&from_search=true

Joint Service Mountain Training Centre - http://www.nuffieldanglesey.org.uk/

Llanfairpwllgwyngyll - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llanfairpwllgwyngyll

Chang’s Hapkido Academy - http://www.changshapkido.net/

Poem – “The Bright Field” by RS Thomas: http://emilyspoetryblog.com/2013/10/23/the-bright-field-by-r-s-thomas/

I have seen the sun break through to illuminate a small field for a while, and gone my way and forgotten it. But that was the pearl of great price, the one field that had treasure in it. I realise now that I must give all that I have to possess it. Life is not hurrying

on to a receding future, nor hankering after an imagined past. It is the turning aside like Moses to the miracle of the lit bush, to a brightness that seemed as transitory as your youth once, but is the eternity that awaits you.

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Today we talk geopolitics, career paths, and much more with my guest Daniel Wagner.  Daniel is the founder and CEO of Country Risk Solutions and a veteran of country and political risk management.  He has been a practitioner in this fascinating area of risk for many years – he has written a couple of books on the topic and several articles.  He frequently appears on CNN, RT, the Huffington Post, and other media outlets to offer his views on international affairs.

What is country and political risk?  If you are new to this field, or don’t know much about it, it is basically the management of risks created by political actors or political conditions. So, it might be things like the prospect of war or political violence in a country in which your organisation is working, policy uncertainty, or things of that nature.  I have worked in this area, and it is certainly fascinating.

Like many great conversations however, this one starts with Robert Plant and Led Zeppelin.  Daniel interviewed Robert Plant in the early 1980s on MTV - an interesting story. From there, we move into how Daniel got into country risk and his career path to date.  We also riff about a number of interesting topics such as the role of China, multilateral institutions, and the upcoming US elections (Bernie Sanders, Hilary Clinton, Donald Trump). Daniel also offers his thoughts and philosophies on risk management generally and we discuss his upcoming book Global Risk Agility and Decision-Making.  We will have Daniel and his co-author Dante Disparte on a future episode to get more into the nuts and bolts of the book.

Show notes:

Country Risk Solutions: www.countryrisksolutions.com

Daniel’s book, Country Risk, A Practitioner’s Guide: http://www.amazon.com/Managing-Country-Risk-Practitioners-Cross-Border/dp/1466500476/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1462225124&sr=1-3

Daniel’s forthcoming book: Global Risk Agility and Decision Making (Macmillan, July 2016): http://www.amazon.com/Global-Risk-Agility-Decision-Making/dp/1349948594/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1456840522&sr=8-1&keywords=global+risk+agility+and+decision+making

Articles written by Daniel: http://countryrisksolutions.com/publications.html

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Country-Risk-Solutions/206650596087696?sk=wall

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/in/danielwagnercrs

Twitter: http://twitter.com/countryriskmgmt

Daniel on You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/user/CountryRiskSolutions

Daniel’s interview with Robert Plant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIvEBNf5TfA

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