Leadership And The Environment

If you're here for leadership, especially personal leadership, you're going to hear about one of the most important things you can do to improve.What Joel talks about and how he lives are how you develop skills people think you can't learn, such as integrity, discipline, and resilience. You can, but you have to act---specifically to challenge yourself, not just passively read about or watch.We talk about cold showers, a big sidcha of mine, and one of the simplest ways to challenge yourself. If you've read about my cold shower practice and found it confusing, our conversation brings a couple experienced guys talking about it.You are your habits. Joel turned his life around with his, which is what this podcast is about. From nothing, he lived world class accomplishments, setting records running ultramarathons and starting schools in the process.I recommend watching his TEDx talk to see how much you can change your life.If you want to affect the environment, you will face "I want to act but if no one else does i

Many people excuse themselves from acting on the environment with the complaint "but acting on the environment will distract me from getting ahead."There is national and global demand for environmental leadership. How they miss that opportunity to advance at any level if they act, I don't know. Maybe fear?I think they're expressing a lack of imagination. Most of these people who think they are choosing leadership are actually following traditional paths set by others' values also known as the rat race.Today's guest shows what opportunity you can create for yourself.With no industry experience, connections, or money, Sandy Reisky followed the huge demand he saw for renewable energy production. Without relevant background he just attended industry events, learned, connected, and planned.The results? How about starting a company from scratch in 2009 that now builds about 10% of Americas new wind energy installations (on average over the past three years).Listen for his story and to learn where he sees new o

Alisa Cohn is at the top of the leadership coaching and speaking game. Inc. Magazine named her a top 100 speaker. Marshall Goldsmith selected her as a top 100 coach.Since I've known her for a while, I also happen to know she's a charming, fun, engaging person. Since I think a lot of listeners want to lead more effectively, I wanted to share how someone who is at the top of the game is a regular person at heart, just who worked persistently and with dedication.In our conversation she shares how she chose leadership coaching as a direction, how she reached where she is, and the importance of service when leading others.I think this conversation had the most laughter so far, which is probably related to her success.It relates to how she took on her challenge. I recommend listening for how much she enjoys it---at least that was my impression. She's already acted in several ways to live by her environmental values. Here she takes another step.It's food-related and I think one many listeners are thinking of, so if

Our world is filled with systems based on beliefs that made sense in the past, but that evidence contradicts.Growth and technology are contributing to environmental degradation. The invisible hand doesn't win against the tragedy of the commons. And so on.We didn't create these systems but we can act to create new ones based on new beliefs, such as accepting having enough, or considering the results of our actions on others more, say, when we pollute or expand into new territory.Actions are easier when we adopt beliefs that will work in the future, based on what we know about the planet that we didn't before.In this episode I look at our world from a future where we've made things work to guide our actions today. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

David Biello is one of the few people I've met who understands environmental issues, doesn't complain or vent doom and gloom. Instead he approaches with a simple, but responsible and thoughtful perspective.I met David after reading a review of his book, The Unnatural World: The Race to Remake Civilization in Earth's Newest Age, saying that David says:we already have the money and technology to make profound environmental change; what we need is large-scale motivation. With a defiantly hopeful tone, he profiles some of the most effective change-makers.Large-scale motivation means leadership to me. Having heard this view almost nowhere, but considering it the most important, I contacted him. He writes for Scientific American and elsewhere and is the Science Curator for TED.If you want to know about what's happening environmentally in a straightforward, no nonsense way, listen. Also read his book. He knows the issues and he cares. He's thought about the issues people's motivations, what holds people back, what c

Michael's schedule turned a modest one-month challenge into a five-month one.Many would give up. I suspect most people respond that way to environmental challenges---when it gets harder or unpredictable, they abandon it.I wondered how Michael would handle it.Needless to say, he stuck to it---amid the extra time, involving his wife, travel, and more.What do you know, the challenge was easy. Not trivial, but something he could have done earlier.HabitsMichael is an expert at creating habits, so if you're listening in part to learn to create yours, his story will help.He called some conventional wisdom on habit formation "bollocks," which made me cringe. Until I heard his explanation, which taught me new things and made more sense than what I thought before. I consider myself knowledgeable and experienced on habit formation.As usual, success involved turning community into a teammate. In Michael's case, he enlisted his wife's help and (mutual) support. Sound obvious? It is with experience, but most people find ot

Who doesn't have a dream car?If you can afford it, especially if you've aspired to it your whole life, isn't owning and driving your dream car one of the great joys and well-earned accomplishments in life?What if you found something better? What if what you liked better was not having the car?Does the idea of getting rid of one of your highest value sound crazy?That's the value of knowing your values. You learn what's better for you.Dov loves his Jaguar. He worked his whole life to get it. His personal challenge led him to consider that letting go of it could improve his life more than keeping it?Sound crazy? Listen to this episode to learn how his greater experience led him to see greater values than his car---in freedom, consciousness, responsibility, and things many people with authority talk about but few live.Speaking of values, freedom, responsibility, and so on, I've read a lot of leadership books. They all talk about values and so on, abstractly. In this episode Dov talks about them in his life---genu

John Lee Dumas and I met at a talk at the New York Public Library a week after the hurricanes hit his home in Puerto Rico. I was surprised at how that context affected his perception of the environment.When I teach leadership based on people's existing motivations and passions, people often ask, "What if the person has no motivation or passion." I usually answer that people care about things more than they let on at first. To share what you care about makes you vulnerable, so many people protect their vulnerabilities by hiding them.When I first asked him for what he cared about the environment, he gave me very little to work with. You'll hear how I handled it. If you're here in part to improve your leadership, I think you'll hear things to learn from.John ended up sharing something he noticed, thought about, and cared about a lot, but never thought about acting on. By the end, he committed to one of the biggest, most enduring challenges of the podcast so far. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out info

During a book launch, Emily still turned off her computer in a stressful time. Book launches are crazy and people want your time like crazy. She still did it.Despite her defining environmental differently than I expected, her experience was similar. As others found, it's not what you avoid, it's what you replace it with. I didn't hear her describe the experience negatively.Instead I heard her talk about ritual, alignment, values, relationships, family, and other things the experience contributed to. As others found, acting on values leads to finding value and wanting to do more.We also talked about bravery, her just-released book, and the experiences that led to it.Beyond her challenge and book, you'll hear her sign up for another personal challenge. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I describe the big picture of this podcast. So far I've influenced a few people to make modest changes.The big picture for this podcast is systemic change on a national, even global level.I'm not just hoping to achieve it. I have a strategy. It's different and I expect it to work more than the existing strategies.I describe how you can help. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

I've been part of Emily's community since she interviewed me on her podcast in June. I've seen support, growth, openness, and everything you'd expect from a group formed around bare naked bravery.Learning more about her just-released book, Bare Naked Bravery: How to Be Creatively Courageous, I see why I like her methods of developing bravery. They're based on the same effective techniques I base mine on for developing leadership---active, experiential learning, starting with the basics and building. She brings her techniques from music---the Suzuki Method in particular---which makes sense. Think of the bravery to perform in front of an audience, to reveal your truth and beauty, knowing others will critique and criticize.If you want to be more brave, I recommend listening. We talk about how acting---to be brave, to act on your environmental values---apply everywhere in life. Explore her community online and read her book.Emily's personal challengeEmily interpreted environment differently than others, which giv

I coined the term Enron Environmentalism to explain the gap between what people say they value about the environment and what they do.If you're an American, you probably practice Enron Environmentalism. Sadly, it's the opposite of self-awareness and integrity, as this episode of the podcast shows.Here are the articles I mention:My Inc. article: Are You an Enron Environmentalist?From Energy Policy Journal: Does pro-environmental behaviour affect carbon emissions?From Environment and Behavior Journal: Good Intents, but Low Impacts: Diverging Importance of Motivational and Socioeconomic Determinants Explaining Pro-Environmental Behavior, Energy Use, and Carbon FootprintEnjoy the episode. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Talk about a generous conversation!Dorie Clark shares about how to make yourself known, to become a leader, and to connect with others.She shares her personal experiences, since she didn't start with any advantages, and some of what she shares in her books. We talked about one of my big questions: do you need to go through a major life challenge---a crucible---to achieve greatness or to become a leader.When we got to talking about the environment and her personal challenge, you can hear in how she takes on hers that she's taken on many challenges before. If you want to improve your skills in taking on challenges and succeeding at them, her perspective reveals a lot to learn from.Her challenge is, I think, the longest challenge someone committed to as her first. Listen to hear it. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Not often when two men chat on the internet do tears well up and they get choked up.I loved this conversation for its being unscripted and unguarded. Daniel allowed himself to be vulnerable. He asked about posting this interview on his podcast because of the rawness of the emotion that came up.My leadership mistakeI recorded this conversation early and I dropped the ball on leading Daniel.If you listen to this podcast in part to learn to lead, when we reach talking about the environment, you'll hear me make big mistakes that provoked resistance. I led him to do the opposite of committing to a personal challenge---he lectured me on what I should and shouldn't do.Someone you're trying to influence lecturing at you means you didn't lead effectively. See if you can listen to where and how I lost him. Learn from my mistake.Notice how I lead others differently. For example, listen to my interview with John Lee Dumas to hear how I led someone who said he didn't care about the environment to identify something he car

You will not forget this conversation. Dov brings his full self intellectually and emotionally, especially starting about 20 minutes in.I guarantee you will hear a person speaking a way you want to---unfiltered yet thoughtful, enthusiastic yet measured.Dov shares details of his life, authentically and raw, even when it hurts. He shares how he developed his authenticity, radically so because he wasn't always.He shares examples and stories most of us wish we could emulate in our lives. I don't know about you, but hearing someone living it leads me to raise my standards for myself.In regular life I talk a lot but Dov left me speechless several times.He also thought of his personal environmental challenge before we spoke. Not all guests do, but doing so suggests the underlying values, enthusiasm, or both mean more to the guest. I'd say both with Dov. You'll enjoy hearing his challenge and look forward to his results in his second conversation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

My friend told me this show angered him -- hearing people act as if little changes were significant... not knowing not to get new plastic bags.I shared some of my thoughts on people making trivial changes and what motivates me.I expect I'll share more personal thoughts on leadership and the environment as I develop my voice. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Dan Pink's second conversation was short and sweet, like his personal challenge.After a few guests learning, growing, and leading from having to overcome big challenges, Dan shared an easy, simple experience.The story was that there was no story. While many portray changing your diet as impossible or a big challenge, Dan and his wife simply stopped eating most meat.That's it.He stopped. He could have stopped earlier. What problems arose were small and he solved quickly.If you're thinking of committing to a personal challenge, sometimes it's easy.Listen to the conversation for how to choose challenges so they're easy for you. You can always build to harder ones.Dan's new book When and TEDDan's book was released a few days ago. You may have also seen him in the news.We talked about writing, marketing big releases, and preparing for TED talks. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This conversation was fun and engaging since Judith is charismatic, experienced, and cheerful, even though it started solemnly, owing to a terrorist attack in Manhattan the day before. We covered politics a bit -- now that I think of it, one of this podcast's few forays there.We talked about leadership from many perspectives, including her storied experience, given her experience with globally known leaders (Donna Karan, etc) and top organizations (Harvard, Apple, etc). Most of us rarely get to talk to people with such connections and history.I continued to follow Judith's lead from our first conversation to use her definition of "environment," which wasn't my usual one, roughly meaning the air, land, and water we share. Her definition is more about people and relationships.I treated the conversation as somewhat challenging, to enter someone else's world. I went into this podcast as much to learn as to influence, expecting everyone to have unique views on the environment, leadership, community, and other subj

Tanner's third conversation continues his project beyond just polluting less himself to influencing a store, in fact a whole grocery store chain. You can hear his growing enthusiasm, that the more he works on his project, the more he finds parts of it to love and act on.Do you think because he's a gold medal winner things come easier for him?On the contrary, things don't go his way. But he doesn't give up.If you try projects and they don't work out, which describes me, I think it will help to see that people as successful as Tanner don't succeed on their first tries either. I don't know about you, but when I read their books or see them on TV, their success seems more given. Here Tanner reveals that he had to regroup and restart.From my perspective, he sounds like he holds himself overly accountable, including for things outside of his control, but I also read that he found ways that work for him. Some may look for the positive. Tanner seems to look for the accountable.But listen to how his perspective turns

In conversation 1, Jim shared his values and committed to live by one.In conversation 1.5, he shared problems with the challenge and how he overcame them.In this conversation he shares how it worked. Listen to hear how persevering through challenges to live by your values leads to a better life.Judge for yourself what you find from his experience. I heard:More time with his familyQuality time with his familyFunFinding more challenges (why not, if they're fun?)Things became easier than beforeTake off your wet socksI introduce my wet socks analogy for not living by your values in this episode, which is:Say you step in a puddle and get your socks wet in the morning. You can still go about your day. If you're busy, you might not notice them.It's still a relief when you get home and take them off at the end of the day. Finally you feel fresh, clean air against your skin instead of wet sock. You look back and realize they've been annoying you all day. Making yourself busy distracted you from noticing them, but neve