What is Wrong with Leadership Training for Sustainable Success?

Chris Salem hosts the Sustainable Success radio show on Voice America, Wednesdays at 11am. He interviewed me yesterday and posted the interview. Live radio means no retakes or editing, which makes everything more dynamic. Also, we practice the Meaningful Connection exercise from Chapter 17 of my book and leadership course, so if you're working on them and want to hear it in action, listen to this episode. Here's the episode description: There is the knowledge of leadership and then actually how it is applied in a real world environment. Everyone talks about what it takes to be an effective leader…

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Published in the Leader to Leader journal

I just got my copies of the summer 2017 edition of the Leader to Leader Journal, published by the Frances Hesselbein Leadership Institute (formerly named for Peter Drucker). The journal is a many-times winner of the APEX award for publication excellence. In other words, it's prestigious. My article, "Leadership Step by Step," is on page 25. Here are some scans to whet your appetite: To whet your appetite more, the article begins The movie The Iron Lady shows an acting coach teach Margaret Thatcher to speak, dress, and act more like a leader. Some may have dismissed such training as…

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The Conscious Millionaire: How to Develop Effective Leadership Skills

J V Crum III hosts a podcast called the Conscious Millionaire. He helps purpose-driven entrepreneurs succeed. He also interviewed me and posted our conversation today. He and I have talked before and since and I like his mission and approach, which I've learned from. For example, he's inspired me to include him in my Leadership and the Environment slide show for his using a diabetes diagnosis and vastly improve his life. We spoke about the shortcomings of traditional education and our common experiences learning more effectively through experience, which develops authenticity, genuineness, integrity, etc. I walked through exercises from my…

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Call for action to you – for a new path to reduce climate change

Prepare for one of my most important podcasts from someone who knows the science behind the environment. Want to improve the environment? You may remember Balint, a fellow scientist who got a PhD in physics became an entrepreneur got passionate about improving in business, and teaches experiential project-based learning. from his first podcast interview of me, which covered leadership and education. We continued our conversation and spoke the way only physics PhDs can. I shared what I've posted here about my developing plans to start a movement on leadership and the environment. We decided to record another conversation on it…

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Nelson Mandela: leadership doesn’t come from authority [video]

You can learn to uplead. When you do you'll be able to lead in all directions more effectively. You'll realize that relying on authority tends to undermine your ability to lead. Check out the second video with American Management Association Books, my publisher, which distinguishes between leadership and authority and illustrates the difference with Nelson Mandela. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4YB4Rf2SX4 Read my book and take my courses to learn to lead without authority, which means being able to lead your boss, people hiring you, clients, your spouse, and others. If you think leading means ordering people around, you have a lot to learn…

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A problem with leadership education and how I teach differently [video]

I met with my publisher, American Management Association Books to record some topics on my book and how I teach. Check out the first video, which answers What's a problem with current leadership education? and How do I teach differently? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_P-NAHqjkw Read my book and take my course to overcome the shortcomings of traditional education.

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Listen to me on The Entrepreneur Way podcast with Neil Ball

Take the Initiative and Start Acting on Something with Joshua Spodek Founder and Owner of Spodek Academy Neil Ball is a fascinating, probing host of the podcast The Entrepreneur Way. We spoke recently and today he posted our conversation. The conversation covers more of my entrepreneurial background, lessons, and views than any podcast I remember doing lately, which was a refreshing change from focusing on leadership, though we talked about leadership too. This conversation also marked one of my first times publicly considering taking a leadership role in the environment. Listen to the interview! Anyway, I recommend listening to the…

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Reinvention Radio with Steve Olsher interviewed me

I'm honored and privileged for Reinvention Radio with Steve Olsher to have interviewed me. There's nothing like live radio to make a conversation exciting and spontaneous. We did exercises from the book on the air. Now the conversation is online for you to listen to at your leisure. About Reinvention Radio: Reinvention Radio … Obliterates the limits of possibility Boldly reinvents average Unequivocally expands your knowledge Massively impacts the trajectory of your business (and your life) Where ‘normal’ comes to die; ‘mediocrity’ meets its final demise; and, ‘the status quo’ is unabashedly dismantled. Each guest boldly reinvents average, obliterates the…

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The Inspirational Chronicles with Emilio Ron, parts 1 and 2: Building Discipline and Become an Exceptional Communicator

I met Emilio Ron at an event for public speakers. We started talking and he invited me to be a guest on his new podcast, Inspirational Chronicles. The following fits into the conversation we recorded: He invited me to record in the studio he set up. Somehow, despite living in Manhattan, I agreed to take the train---not even the subway, but the Long Island Railroad---all the way out to Long Island, where he had to drive me from the station to the studio. Manhattanites expect the world to come to us! Once I saw the studio I could tell he…

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Leadership and the Environment: It starts here

I'm talking more about the lack of leadership I see regarding the environment and global warming. I've never met anyone who didn't want to make the world a better place or who opposed clean air and water, but we were born into a world that makes it difficult to avoid polluting it. As everyone knows, if billions of us don't change our behavior, we could face big natural problems. Since no one else is stepping up, or don't have the skills, awareness, and credentials to, I am. My friend Lee Kuczewski and I have talked about the topic. He's wanted…

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Malcolm Gladwell, Seth Godin, Google, and a Harvard Expert: Colleges and Universities Are Broken

My Inc. article today, "Malcolm Gladwell, Seth Godin, Google, and a Harvard Expert: Colleges and Universities Are Broken," begins Malcolm Gladwell, Seth Godin, Google, and a Harvard Expert: Colleges and Universities Are Broken They aren't just complaining. They're offering alternatives. Malcolm Gladwell couldn't be more clear in his podcast about a school ranked by some as the number one liberal arts college: There's only one solution. If you're looking at liberal arts colleges, don't go to Bowdoin. Don't let your kids go to Bowdoin. Don't let your friends go to Bowdoin. Gladwell's podcast gave the context, about the school's values.…

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Op/ed Friday: How climate change scientists are undermining efforts to slow global warming

I wrote how much my visit to Columbia's Department of Earth and Environmental Studies left me. The scientists, who know more about global warming than anyone, 1) didn't seem to change their polluting behavior and 2) to the extent they tried to influence others, did so ineffectively, or even counterproductively. They shared information, expecting that people would change their behavior for learning the information. Not only did the information not influence their own behavior, facts rarely change behavior, especially away from comfort and convenience, as evidenced by the global obesity rates in the face of our knowing more about nutrition…

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John Mattone’s Expert Interview Series: Joshua Spodek of Spodek Academy About Embracing a “Just Do It” Attitude Toward Leadership Coaching

I am honored that John Mattone interviewed me as part of his Expert Interview Series and posted the interview, "Joshua Spodek of Spodek Academy About Embracing a “Just Do It” Attitude Toward Leadership Coaching." I'll tease you with the first few interview questions. For the answers, read the whole interview! As someone who is well-educated in a variety of disciplines, could you tell us what drew you to the study of leadership? Since you’re one of the relatively few Americans who has visited North Korea, could you tell us whether the portrayal of that country in the media is accurate?…

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Farnoosh Torabi interviews me for her So Money podcast

I'd heard about and listened to the award-winning #1 So Money podcast for a while, so I felt honored and flattered to be a guest. This morning Farnoosh posted the interview! She covers money more specifically than most. Since I grew up keeping talk about private finances quiet, she led me to speak about some things I rarely do, which led to some life-level realizations I am grateful to her for uncovering. I was surprised to find myself sharing some things publicly I didn't even realize about myself. Listen to the podcast! From Farnoosh's about page: My audience has been…

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“4 Skills Not Taught in the Ivy Leagues that Every Great Leader Must Master”: Inc. on me!

Inc.'s columnist and bestselling author Kevin Daum wrote about me and Leadership Step by Step today. Usually when I post Inc. article's they're by me. This one is about me. It begins: 4 Skills Not Taught in the Ivy Leagues that Every Great Leader Must Master People don't just wake up as leaders. Like any athlete or artists, they must acquire certain techniques to become masters of the art of leadership. Here are some of those skills. Joshua Spodek, author of the bestselling Leadership Step by Step: Become the Person Others Follow, got his MBA at the Columbia Business School…

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Ron Potter’s short, no-nonsense review of Leadership Step by Step

I'm honored for Ron Potter of TLC | TeamLeadershipCulture.com to have written one of his short, no-nonsense reviews of Leadership Step by Step. He and I also recorded a conversation on a science and engineering approach to developing social and emotional skills in ourselves and others based on our collective experience. I'm editing the audio, so stay tuned to hear that conversation when I post it here. I posted his background from his about page below. His short review: Leadership Step by Step: Become the person others follow written by Ron April 1, 2017 Ron’s Short Review: Can you develop leadership?…

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Mastering Leadership Concepts: My conversation with Skip Prichard on his blog

I'm honored today for Skip Prichard to feature a conversation we had on leadership and leadership development on his blog. I love working with experienced people. He got right to the point and kept the conversation focused, engaging, and meaningful, at least to me. For a teaser, the post begins: Mastering Leadership Concepts Learning how to lead. It’s the focus of many lectures, articles, blog posts, and books. Joshua Spodek prefers the active to the passive, teaching with exercises designed to master leadership concepts. He recently wrote a book titled Leadership Step by Step: Become the Person Others Follow that takes…

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The experience and results of Leadership Step by Step

You've read the reviews of Leadership Step by Step---51 so far on Amazon, 98% 5-star---and are interested. You wonder how they got so positive. Chris is a professional who did all the exercises in the book as an online course from SpodekAcademy.com. I interviewed him to learn his experiences taking the course and his results afterward. I edited the interview. Here are the highlights (I recommend listening): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0ODcbJarCM The full interview is available here.

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How you learn is as important as what you learn, part 2

Today follows up last week's post, "How you learn is as important as what you learn, part 1," with the second part of my conversation with transformative principal Jethro Jones. Click here to listen to part 1 of that conversation. Click here to listen to part 2 of that conversation. The concept that how you learn is as important as what you learn is one of the fundamental principles behind my change from teaching through traditional educational and coaching techniques that may challenge and develop students and clients intellectually, but stagnate emotionally and socially. Leadership, entrepreneurship, influence, persuasion, and much…

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Advice I would and wouldn’t give Trump: My radio interview with Matt Townsend

Matt Townsend of BYU radio interviewed me today. I found Matt engaging. He did his research and he asked meaningful questions. Here's some background on his show: Matt Townsend specializes in energizing and involving audiences with his unique approach to building and maintaining successful relationships. Known as one of America's top presenters in the field of Human Relations and Development, Matt blends humor and story telling with interactive, real-life solutions that motivate and inspire his listeners. New episodes Monday through Friday at 9 am Eastern. The show notes said Leadership Step by Step: Become the Person Others Follow (16:32) Joshua Spodek,…

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How you learn is as important as what you learn, part 1

The concept that how you learn is as important as what you learn is one of the fundamental principles behind my change from teaching through traditional educational and coaching techniques that may challenge and develop students and clients intellectually, but stagnate emotionally and socially. Leadership, entrepreneurship, influence, persuasion, and much of human relations are fundamentally emotional and social. Not activating students and clients socially and emotionally deprives them of the challenges necessary to develop the social and emotional skills of those disciplines. Jethro Jones, principal and host of the podcast Transformative Principal, led a conversation on this topic, how I…

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The best way to improve your teaching (and possibly your leadership): the SLA Summer Teaching Institute, July 17-21, 2017

I know my readership includes many educators, from K-12 through university through executive coaches. If you want to improve your teaching, no matter what level you teach, the best resource I've come across is Science Leadership Academy's Summer Teaching Institute. I highly recommend spending a week this summer learning SLA-style teaching---no matter what level you teach, from K-12 through university and adult learning. I've attended, taught at, consulted to, and led workshops at half the Ivy League, at elite boarding schools, at inner city public schools, in corporations, and more, and Science Leadership Academy is at least the equal learning…

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My disillusion from visiting Columbia’s Earth and Environmental Science Department

I'll get in trouble for describing this visit as one of the most disillusioning interactions I've had for a long time. This post is part of a work in progress, of me disentangling my thoughts and impressions to figure out how to act in a community I'm partly an outsider, but whose involvement I consider critical for achieving goals I consider important. I welcome perspectives. I know I didn't write that clearly. You can tell from the date in the picture below that I've taken nearly a month to process my thoughts to reach this level. It will take a…

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Watch Callie Schweitzer, of Arianna Huffington’s Thrive Global, interview of me

Yesterday Callie Schweitzer---Global Managing Editor for Arianna Huffington's Thrive Global, where I write a column---interviewed me about Leadership Step by Step and leadership in general. Click here or on the image below for the interview. She described it after as the best interview she'd done. Over 4,000 people have watched it already, so it's one of my biggest exposures so far. I recommend watching it!

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