A New Reason I Pick Up Trash Every Day

I've held back on sharing this because it felt too presumptuous. To remind you the context, I've found that to lead on sustainability, you need experience in three areas: LeadingScienceLiving the values you promote I know of almost no one with experience in all three. Not Gore, DiCaprio, Thunberg, or any of the big names people associate with sustainability. Previous guest Alexandra Paul fits the bill. For a while, I've contended that picking up litter gives me experience both leading and living the values I promote. Of course, it reduces the garbage immediately reaching the oceans too. Several other minor…

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458: The Spodek Method: How to Lead Someone to Act Joyfully Sustainably

I’ve taught a half-dozen people the technique I use in this podcast---the hosts of the other branches of the This Sustainable Life podcast. They started calling it The Spodek Method, so now I do too. It's enabled me to reach amazing people, many of global renown, who enjoy the experience. It doesn't alone solve all the world's problems, but it works. The Spodek Method leads a person to share and act on environmental values. You can do it too with communities you’d like to join. You would contribute to a mission of changing culture from seeing stewardship and sustainability as…

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See my webinars on Initiative to Wharton and U. of Chicago Business School alumni.

I recently spoke online to alumni groups from the Wharton and University of Chicago business schools on developing initiative, specifically from my book, Initiative. Here are reviews from NYU students who did the exercises I describe in them. I asked if I could share the videos from the webinars. Here they are. As I say in them, I designed them to give you enough to work with on your own. The book is more comprehensive. Contact me if you're looking for yet more, like coaching. The University of Chicago Business School webinar https://youtu.be/k1pSmCyq8RQ The Wharton webinar and announcement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xStDgI3odiY

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297: RIP James Lipton, a huge influence and inspiration

James Lipton, who started and hosted the show Inside the Actors Studio, died yesterday. Here are the notes I read from for this episode: I could talk about how much I enjoyed the episodes, his humor, and a few things I learned from his guests that only his interviewing could have elicited but I will go deeper, to share how fundamental his work has been to mine. Many times I've said that if my courses existed before I went to business school and someone were teaching them, I would have taken them instead of business school and gotten more of…

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Hear me on the Ask Women podcast

Would you expect me on a podcast called Ask Women Podcast: What Women Want? With an episode title "How To Be A Leader With Women | The BJ Technique"? Yes, 'BJ' meaning what you think. Here are the notes about the hosts, Marni Kinrys and Kristen Carney: What do a female comic and a professional wing girl have in common? The realistically raw and hilarious perspectives on what women ACTUALLY want in a man. Prepare to be offended and awed as Marni Kinrys & Kristen Carney take you through the uncensored and often ridiculous mind of a woman to help…

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Join my free networking webinar Friday: Making Meaningful Connections (noon eastern)

This Friday, join my free webinar, hosted by Columbia College's alumni, open to the public. Register here or click the screen shot below We'll cover how to create meaningful connections with anyone in minutes, even if you're shy or consider yourself an introvert. Everyone loves the exercise, as far as I know. You'll see it in practice and you'll be able to use it in your life with anyone immediately. I still use it at least weekly. It's the exercise from my book Leadership Step by Step that introduces Unit 4: Leading Others. See you Friday! Register here

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Student reviews of my leadership course, summer 2018

Last summer, I taught a short version of my course to working professionals. I taught it through NYU, though it's one of the courses I teach independently online and in corporations. It overlaps with my coaching for leadership clients. Here are the student reviews---as usual, all of them, no cherry-picking. Summer 2018 leadership student reviews Yes, I would definitely recommend this course to others. The combination of interactive classes, consistent feedback loop, historical examples, and in-person troubleshooting made it a very productive use of a mere 12 hours. I will definitely use these techniques in the future both at work…

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Meaningful Connection in other languages

My Meaningful Connection exercise is one of my most popular and effective (they're all effective) from corporate speaking, one-to-one coaching, teaching, my personal practice, and my book. Since I have non-native English speakers in nearly every audience, I've decided to ask some to translate the script into various languages. My leadership class this summer afforded my first two translations. If you can help with others, please let me know. I'd love to feature your work. German Frage was sie neben Beruf und Familie gerne machen. Ich empfehle, "Was ist Deine/Ihre Leidenschaft?" oder "Was sind Deine/Ihre Interessen?" Sie werden erst noch etwas…

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Jordan Harbinger and how rehearsal *improves* spontaneity and authenticity

I'll soon post my podcast interview with Jordan Harbinger, one of the world's top podcasters. First I'm sharing this example of Jordan and how to learn to communicate authentically and genuinely---through practice and rehearsal. Think genuineness and authenticity matter in business? How about marriage? This recording features Jordan's wife talking about how Jordan came off, when she knew he practiced, rehearsed, and taught others to. Practice and rehearsal work because they make you authentic and genuine---the opposite of fake. No one was born with it. Everyone had to learn it. Jordan and Jen show how effective practice is in the…

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Forbes (twice in one week): How Leadership by Authority Can be Counter-Productive (Video)

Forbes' columnist Tim Francis of the company Profit Factory covered me with a video interview, How Leadership by Authority Can be Counter-Productive, at the core of my leadership practice and what I teach. Leading through authority is beyond ineffective. It's generally counterproductive. Watch the video for why. Actually, watch the video for more than why: watch to learn what to use instead of authority and how to develop the relevant skills. Thank you again to Forbes and Tim Francis.

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The 20/80 Rule, Leadership, and Integrity

My Inc. post today, "The 20/80 Rule, Leadership, and Integrity," begins The 20/80 Rule, Leadership, and Integrity In a leader's relationships, the 20/80 rule counts, not the 80/20 rule. Leadership means people watch you--not to what you want to say or do, or mean to, but what you actually say and do. Attention to detail counts. Not sometimes, but always. What Vince Lombardi said about winning applies to leadership: Leading is not a sometime thing; it's an all the time thing. You don't lead once in a while; you don't do things right once in a while; you do them right all of the time. Leading is a habit. Unfortunately, so is…

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Reviews and reflections from guest speaking recently

I recently guest hosted an online seminar for Park Howell's course in the Executive Masters of Sustainability Leadership program at ASU. The student reviews and reflections touched and inspired me. I can't help sharing them. I described and performed one exercise from my Leadership Step by Step book and course. You can imagine that if these results come from one session, how much doing all the exercises in the book or course would give. Enough from me. Here are the students. I thoroughly enjoyed Joshua Spodek’s perspective and angle he took to engage through experience to train leaders. I purchased…

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Join my workshop at the New York Public Library, Saturday September 9

You've heard about my book, Leadership Step by Step, its 60+ 5-star reviews, and how its exercises change lives. I may have told you about the standing ovations I get at workshops. Now you can see me at a public workshop where I'll cover one of my book's most popular (and fun to learn) exercises. Here are the details. Be sure to register! (You can buy a copy of Leadership Step by Step first to prepare for it and for me to sign there.) Meaningful Connection: A Workshop Time: Saturday, September 9, 2017, 3 - 5 pm Location: Tompkins Square…

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Nelson Mandela on sidchas

Yesterday was the 100th anniversary of Nelson Mandela's birth. I've waited to share something I discovered reading his autobiography a few months ago. First some context. It's the day of your release. You're a revolutionary, fighting Apartheid, imprisoned for 27 years, much of it in an 8 foot by 7 foot cell or, if outside, breaking rocks. Meanwhile, you've become a global celebrity. Over 200 million people watched your London birthday event in absentia. Meanwhile, you're a 72-year-old man, recently recovering from tuberculosis and have barely seen your family for decades. On the day of your release, what do you…

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How to coach leadership and executives actively and experientially [video]

I led a webinar at this year's World Business and Executive Coach Summit (WBECS) online summit earlier this month. If you coach, you'll find value in the annual summit and my talk in particular. My talk, "Experiential Learning and Coaching," was popular, with nearly 5,000 registrants. I put the video below. I find this active, experiential way of coaching helpful. If you learn from the video and practice it, please let me know your results. About WBECS: With more than 20,000 attendees from 150 Countries in 2016, WBECS is the world's largest online gathering of business and executive coaches. Our…

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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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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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Learning social and emotional skills is hard but worth it

Ultimately all the advice in the world leads to one simple starting point: You have to act, practice, and rehearse new skills to get their benefit and those first acts, as with any new skill, will be clumsy, embarrassing, and full of other challenges that will lead the novice to feel bad. If you try, you will fail and feel bad, worse than if you never tried, but if you stick with it, you can overcome the failures. You'll never lose access to the skills you now have it you don't want to feel or act social, but you can…

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Absurdly Useful Leadership Tactics That You Can Use Today: the second interview with Jim Harshaw

I don't know if the interviewers are getting better, if I'm developing in conversation, or if I'm just enjoying podcast conversations more, but it feels like the interviews are getting better all the time. Yesterday, Jim Harshaw (scroll down to learn more about him) of the Success Through Failure podcast posted our second conversation. Second conversations lead to greater comfort, depth, trust, and intimacy, so I recommend listening. We cover a couple exercises from the book, connecting leadership to everyday living, sports, and more. Jim was a division 1 athlete and coach, among many other achievements so he knows leadership…

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Leadership Step by Step spotted in the wild!

Seen at the Barnes and Noble in Union Square! Some are in the business section, aside Richard Branson, some are downstairs, on the first floor, center. If you're looking for a copy of Leadership Step by Step, and you should get one if you don't, I recommend buying these copies. I signed them. I have to say, most of the stages I've passed---signing an agent, signing a publisher, finishing drafts, getting blurbs from prominent people, going on sale online---were meaningful, but seeing it on the shelf at a bookstore, and on a table, surprised me most with the intensity of…

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The Benefits of Experiential Learning for Leaders with Rocket Scientist Joshua Spodek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-DZIZxl1IM Mark Bidwell, founder and podcast host of Innovation Ecosystem, posted today a wonderful interview about Leadership Step by Step, experiential learning, exercises, and more. I can only describe Mark as someone who gets it. He ascended the corporate ladder, where he drove innovation, built teams, and so on, then found there was more to life and is creating resources to enable others to. If you are looking to improve your leadership, social, and emotional skills, Mark gets to the heart of how to, covering techniques that work, as well as the problems of traditional education that suppress learning these…

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How To Lead Better Through Practice: Watch a video with me and David Burkus

David Burkus is a writer, speaker, and coach on leadership and creativity. A mutual friend put us in touch and he's helped me with my book, coaching, and writing since. He's also hosting the Work Smarter Summit, an online summit of speakers, interviews, teachers, and thought leaders. I'm one of the speakers! ... That means it's quality. Here's a screen shot: My conversation with him is full of useful information, background, and tips. Here's a screenshot of my talking to him: Click here to view the video, which covers leadership techniques, perspectives, and a lot of what is in my…

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