On the 75th episode of the What is a Good Life? podcast, I am delighted to introduce our guest, Michael Bungay Stanier. Michael is best known for his book The Coaching Habit, which has sold over a million copies. His most recent book, How to Work with (Almost) Anyone, shows how to create psychological safety by building the Best Possible Relationship with key people at work. He founded Box of Crayons, a learning and development company that has trained hundreds of thousands of managers to be more coach-like. He was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University and recently won the coaching award from Thinkers50.

In this insightful conversation, Michael shares the origin and meaning of his big goal of infecting a billion people with the possibility virus and the significance of feeling deeply defeated by ever greater things. He notes the importance of sharing the spotlight with others, maintaining humility while knowing what we are good at, and amplifying that. Throughout this conversation, he highlights the inherent value and worth of us all as human beings and his desire to embolden people by making them more aware of this truth.

If you sense you are playing it too safe or are fearful of what potential failure may say about you or your value as a person, this conversation will offer perspectives, experiences, and anecdotes that may liberate you to live more of the life you are yearning for and that is much more possible than you think.

Subscribe for weekly episodes, every Tuesday, and check out my YouTube channel (link below) for clips and shorts.

For further content and information check out the following:

Michael's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelbungaystanier/

Michael's website: https://www.mbs.works/
The Coaching Habit: https://www.mbs.works/coaching-habit-book/#buy
How to Work with (almost) Anyone: https://www.mbs.works/how-to-work-with-almost-anyone-book/

- For the podcast's YouTube page: https://www.youtube.com/@whatisagoodlife/videos
- My newsletter: https://www.whatisagood.life/
- My LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-mccartney-14b0161b4/

Contact me at [email protected] if you'd like to further explore your own lines of self-inquiry or create experiences that lead to more connecting and genuine conversations amongst groups of people.

Running Order:

03:02 Wrestling with angels

08:41 Infecting a billion people with the possibility virus

12:07 Allowing others to take the spot light

15:42 Humility in success and our strengths

18:45 You’re awesome and you’re doing great

23:17 An awareness of the bigger picture and paradox

31:22 Engaging with emotions and men’s work

34:37 Having a healthy relationship with failure

38:07 Reflections on authenticity and amplifying your difference

47:37 The gift of feeling worthy

51:37 What is a good life for Michael?