Leadership And The Environment

I'm trying something new for my third conversation with John: releasing the conversation unedited. While no editing means the sound is raw, you also hear everything.Why?Because you can hear how our relationship is developing into a friendship. in contrast to most conversations about the environment that I hear. They're about facts, doom, gloom, what the government should do, how nothing matters, and other analytic, academic, abstract, philosophical stuff.Anything but saying, "I'm going to act and do something new."John acted. He led me back to act. We both enjoyed our new actions though neither of us would have loved picking up garbage for no compensation for no reason. When connected to our values and our little race to the top, we both love it.We both still pollute more than we need to, but when you enjoy each step, you take more steps. Even after a year, you'll hear he's still just starting. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

David and I could have talked about growth and how many people think growth is sustainable and non-growth isn't, which seems based on a system hurtling toward collapse, whereas a steady-state economy and population can be sustainable.Instead we just talked about the fun of riding more and getting outside. He lives in Colorado with hills. What looked like a challenge before starting became part of the joy. The natural environment is like that. I see it over and over with guests.We talk about how one joyful thing leads to another when you shift from making excuses to avoid acting to acting. David's stronger than before, finding things about his neighborhood and himself.One of my life's great experiences was riding my bike from Philadelphia to Maine and back the summer between high school and college, with tents on our bikes at 16 years old.After listening to David, I recommend listening to some of these episodes:Dov Baron found something similar in his conversation, considering getting rid of his Jaguar.Danny B

Sally plays a big role leading an iconic brand, with her team taking it in directions no one has taken media before. She's also played major roles in the New York Times and other major media outlets.In this first part of my conversation with her you’ll hear Sally’s passion about the art of storytelling, what evolves and what stays the same as media evolve, and how she leads people and teams.Sally shares about caring and passion, which are integral to success in business, at least how she does it. I think you’ll appreciate her take on fashion's reputation regarding the environment.The conversation went long enough -- I think we both enjoyed it that much -- that I couldn’t fit it all into one episode. This episode ismore about leadership, journalism, fashion, Sally's growth and personal development, and a bit of Chelsea Manning.Stay tuned for episode two, on her challenge and her takes on leadership and the environment. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out inform

You've heard that with social media, Google, and most free services, you're the product. The idea probably provoked thought when you heard it. Now it probably feels old, an ending point.What if you considered it a starting point? Where does it lead? What does it tell you about yourself, society, the internet, markets, humanity?Doug Rushkoff follows dozens of ideas like it and weaves them together into a tapestry of a new way of looking at media, individuality, advertising, algorithms, and more.For example: the internet began as a medium to unite people. Over and over its innovations with the most promise to bring people together instead came to separate us -- Google and Facebook being the biggest examples. They are now the greatest advertising media ever, increasingly getting in your business and personal life as much as you can. Their executives have to testify to Congress for undermining democracy.How did such results happen? What do they mean? What can we do about it?A few months ago friends started tellin

Would you expect the army to change sooner or later than other institutions---say business, traditional education, or non-profits?Col. Spain committed to using less plastic bottled water for 30 days. He reduced his typical use from 40 bottles to 1. At what cost? It sounds to me like the "cost" was of practicing discipline and selflessness, which sounds positive to me, what leads to long-term change.I suggest listening for the emotional timbre of his change. Would you say he considers his life better or worse? He practiced personal leadership. He affected his family in a way I think he'd call positive. I heard him sounding satisfied for leaving the world better for his new behavior. I heard him want to continue.For those looking to learn leadership, you'll hear me explain, about 15 minutes in, my leadership technique from my book and practicing here my emerging Leadership and the Environment technique to motivate people through intrinsic motivation.Why not follow the leader of the leadership department of one

I learned a lot in this conversation. That's a euphemism for it being challenging for me, since her values and working style differs from mine. You'll probably hear me struggling to listen and learn her experience and perspective.Part of why I invited her and value our friendship is our different values. Different values mean we balance them differently. Leadership means listening, making people feel understood, and supporting them as people, even when you disagree, at least my style.Listening now, I don't think I listened as much as I could have. I could have learned more about a different perspective that many people share. This conversation led to several monologue posts I put up on awareness often leading to inaction, rather assertive ones.As always with Ann-Marie, enjoyed the conversation and valued her being herself. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Before acting on my environmental values, I felt guilty and helpless. I didn't like those feelings. All the analyzing, raising awareness, and planning, I now look back and see that I was occupying my mind, making busy work for it, to distract myself from those feelings. I could feel I was doing something even when I wasn't.I kept trying to ascribe the cause of the guilt and helplessness to others, but it didn't go away. It couldn't, because they were purely internal: my behavior was inconsistent with my values. No blaming others or waiting for awareness or planning or analysis would change that conflict. On the contrary, they kept me from addressing it.Today's episode tells my emotional journey liberating me from guilt, blame, and insecurity, replacing it with determination, expectation of success, and action. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dave saw the problems with growth to local communities, the national economy, the global economy, and the environment. He questioned the the nearly unquestioned belief that growth is good, especially GDP and population growth.Once you question it, like a sweater unraveling, you start seeing the problems it causes. I haven't been able to communicate its problems to someone who disagreed, so I won't try here, though if you've also tugged at any of its loose ends, Dave's documentary, his podcast, and this conversation will help you feel like you're not alone.You're not crazy. There's plenty of evidence that I find conclusive that for whatever it helped before, growth of a certain percent a year---that is, exponential---is unsustainable and the more we push to keep it up, the more problems we create for ourselves. Sadly, people who believe growth solves problems, when they see problems that growth causes, push for more growth.You'll be glad to know that not pursuing growth doesn't mean returning to the stone age.

Lately, I've thought of people who say they can't avoid plastic bags, bottles, flying. I suggest just declining, but they say they can't. Saying no reminds me of Rosa Parks.She said no. She didn't just act on her own as the campaign was planned and strategized, but she did it. She was arrested, which no one will be for declining a water bottle.Why do we honor someone if not to follow when the chips are down? Why remember her if when we feel it's right to say no, we don't?Her actions also suggest that even when many people agree and want to act, a spark helps. It seems everyone wants cleaner air, land, and water. As long as everyone thinks, "If I act but no one else does then what I do doesn't matter," everyone keeps sleepwalking, keeping polluting.She was a leader who accepted her fate of arrest, risking more in context of activists being lynched and killed. We have it easy in comparison. We can say no and lead others at no risk.Also like her, saying no is the beginning or a big escalation. For her it escalat

People see my apartment and often describe me or my lifestyle as minimalist.I don't like labeling people or being labeled, but if anything, a more apt label would be maximalist.You might see the lack of stuff, but my focus is on values, relationships, self-awareness, free time, fun, joy, mental freedom, physical freedom, simplicity, space, delicious food, beauty, fitness, social and emotional skills, happiness, emotional reward, and so on.You can't see those things, but I focus on them. The more joy I create in my life, the more I want to create more, which a TV gets in the way of for me. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you haven't started plogging, I recommend it.What's plogging? It's a term the Swedish created for picking up garbage when you run.I've picked up at least one piece of trash per day for a few years. In fact, this podcast began from a former student who, when he heard of my practice, committed to picking up 10 pieces of trash per day for a month.Most people do it by bringing a bag to collect the garbage with. I wasn't sure how to start plogging in New York because there's so much garbage. If I picked up everything I passed I might not make a block.Also, I don't want to run with a bag.Listen to my second conversation with John Lee Dumas and you'll hear how his commitment to picking up trash from the beach near his home inspired me to stop analyzing, planning, and thinking, and act. I have to relearn that lesson over and over.Action raises awareness more than raising awareness leads to action. Actually, planning, analysis, and raising awareness delays action, at least environmental action given that everyone i

A friend who treats opioid addicts told me about the squalor they live in. They don't see it because they're thinking about their next hit, which will bring them euphoria. They'll steal and prostitute themselves to maintain their habit, not thinking about the filth they live in or whom they hurt to bring their next hit.People don't seem to see the filth we've turned our world into. People seem willing to ignore whom they hurt with their single-use plastic and the jet exhaust they impose on billions of others.The longer I go without packaged food and flying the more people talking about them sounds like people talking about heroin. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

"To start, I need to build awareness."Who hasn't said that about polluting less? It seems the standard starting point. On the contrary, it's the standard delay tactic.In a world where environmental issues are front page news and everyone sees the pollution that they create, claiming a goal of awareness more often delays action. You're already aware. Plenty aware.Action creates awareness more than awareness creates action.Beth shows personal leadership---accountability, responsibility, openness, honesty, and more---in revealing that someone who is plenty aware, when she chooses to act, reaches whole new levels of awarenessI believe most people delay action because they anticipate how much awareness of themselves they know action will create. They'll realize they could have acted long before and will feel bad about it.She got hit over the head with how much more she depends on plastic than she expected. She didn't hide from it. Unlike most people, instead of giving up, she used the opportunity to grow, to try t

Jeff teaches a class in making a living through a creative life. I've sat in on his class for years for his interviews and the guests. I don't need more formal education. Look at some of the people he's interviewedRalph Lauren, Halston, Brooke Astor, Liza Minnelli, Donna Karen, Martha Graham, Tom Brokaw, Tony Bennett, Renee Fleming, Tyra Banks, Heidi Klum, Gisele Bundchen, Adriana Lima, Candice Swanepoel, Miranda Kerr, Karlie Kloss, Doutzen Kroes, Alessandra Ambrosio, Justin Bieber, Usher, Black Eyed Peas, Maroon 5, Katy Perry, Akon, Halle Berry, Salma Hayek, Ray Kurzweil, Sanford Weill, Tim Ferris, and Peter DiamandisThe celebrities are not the main reason I like his class. You know how no matter how productive you feel, when you take a vacation, things resolve themselves and you realize your priorities?I get that from his class in an hour or two nearly every time. Jeff brings out creative thoughts, reflection, and solutions. I wanted to bring that culture to the podcast.This episode is about leadership, esp

First, if you haven't watched Story of Stuff, as much as I love my podcast, watch the videos from the organization Michael O'Heaney leads---the Story of Stuff.You'll hear that simple things he could have always done are available and doing them improves his life, as I heard.As experienced leaders often do, he involves others---in particular, his daughter---in contrast to many others, who tend to think of other people as problems. They think, "I can't stop flying because of family," or because of work. Always someone else.Leaders involve others solutions that affect them a strategy that usually works, at least among this podcast's guests.He's not the first to find acting on his environmental values overcomes separation with children. I recommend listening to Jim Harshaw's episodes for another example of a parent using acting on his environmental values to connect with people he cares about.The links Michael mentioned:The first group is TEJAS, based in Houston.Yvette, a staffer, was featured in the first short

First, watch the video Sandy made through Generation 180, the nonprofit he started to promote reducing consumption. His for-profit companies are already responsible for significant increases in solar, wind, and other renewable.I think you'll find the video effective in reaching people in ways the environmental movement have neglected, but work. It presents a new way of looking at renewables: freedom, independence, and creating jobs, coming from an actual veteran experienced in energy.https://youtu.be/jtX-lGOUP8AI'm pleased to announce that the Leonardo DiCaprio foundation tweeted Sandy's last conversation, leading to a big surge in its downloads.Our second conversation covers the origin of video and his vision driving it.Note that reducing consumption achieves more than providing more energy, hence Generation 180 and my focus.Sandy's challenge of reducing his meat consumption is yet another case of someone finding it easier than expected and rewarding---something he wants to continue. Listen for yourself, but

If you're like me, you've heard of Bulletproof coffee. Since I don't drink coffee I didn't think much of it, but since I heard about it, I figured the guy behind it was good at internet marketing.I'd come to hear Dave name. Also I kept hearing about people losing weight on it and saying they had tons of energy. Still, I didn't pay too much attention? Was it keto?When I found out he was speaking at the coworking space where I was hosting one of my famous no-packaging vegetable stew and sustainability events, Assemblage, I decided to go and learn more.I was surprised several times over. First, the place was more packed than any event there that I'd seen. Second, everyone was rapt with attention. Third, he wasn't trying to entertain to get that attention. He just talked. Fourth, a lot of people stayed well after it officially ended.He talked a lot about supplements, eating habits, and behavioral change. I thought:Some so-called leaders lead poorly, even if they have authority.Some leaders lead okay.His followers

You'll love how I met Ann-Marie, a friend whose perspective I value despite not having met in person yet.After the 2016 election, I posted a piece on Inc., If You Voted for Trump, Let's Meet, because living in lower Manhattan means what Trump voters are around get bullied, effectively, into keep quiet about it. I disagree with many Trump policies, to say the least, especially on the environment, but he won. I wanted to know more about him and his voters.She responded, among others, as I wrote in a follow-up Inc. piece, Leaders Listen: Crossing the Political Divide, What happened when I spoke to people on the opposite pole of everyone around me. I think we both pleasantly surprised each other on our civility, curiosity, and mutual unhappiness with our nation's level of political conversation, if you can call it that.We've kept in touch. My podcast conversation with Jonathan Haidt and reading his book led me to want to bring more diverse views on the podcast. I thought of Ann-Marie, invited her on, and here is

Bethany made her name as the first to report that Enron was overpriced, which meant going deep into the numbers and people, understanding them, and then facing overwhelming criticism. Turns out she was right, but can you imagine the friction and hostility she must have faced?Now she's looking at fracking. We want journalists like her investigating and reporting what's happening that we don't know about. Are we increasing our nation's security?She looks at the people and numbers, makes sense of them, and wrote a short, colorful, informative book on it.The short answer is that it doesn't make sense except for some economic anomalies, but getting into more detail helps you understand the direction of the country. She explains the short-term perspective of oil and gas, though the main point seems that the U.S. has no energy policy. This is our world.If you want to influence fracking, environment is not the most effective lever. If you want to understand this critical part of the U.S. becoming an exporter again an

Marion Nestle is a hero for me. Food may be the greatest interest that got me into acting on my environmental action. Avoiding packaged food emerged from avoiding fiber-removed foods, which emerged from reading Diet for a Small Planet in the 80s, which also motivated her.She, her books, and blog, Food Politics, are voices of sense in a crowded field. Her most recent book is The Unsavory Truth: How the Food Companies Skew the Science of What We Eat. I've read most of it and seeing her present on it led to meeting her in person. I recommend it.Her other books include What to Eat, Food Politics, Why Calories Count, Soda Politics: Taking on Big Soda, and Safe Food. I've read about half of each of the first three, expecting to finish all, and recommend any to start---whether your interests include food, the environment, acting on your values, health, or nearly anything, really. There's a big overlap between food and the environment regarding leadership, which she and I talk about.This conversation covers the path