My proposal and rationale for the next amendment for the United States Constitution. It will sound crazy, impossible, and too hard at first, as it did with me. But the more you consider it, the more the objections will fade. It is the right tool for the right job. Nothing else is. I'll write more about it later. For now, just the audio. The United States Constitution
"What I do doesn't matter," say many environmentalists as they order steak or buy tickets to fly some place. That's the addiction speaking. I recently heard Alan Mulally speak on how he led turning Ford around from losing tens of billions of dollars to number one in many categories creating joy, teamwork, and fun despite challenging work. Before being CEO of Ford, he led Boeing, among the two greatest promoters of pollution in the world. Nonetheless, because he leads, which I distinguish from telling people facts and numbers, protesting, or cajoling, coercing, or convincing, I contend that he would be…
Those who listen to my podcast or attended my workshops know The Spodek Method, my two-stage interaction to lead someone to share their intrinsic emotions about the environment, think of a way to act on them, and share their results. I find people enjoy the process and results. They share them openly. I contrast it with nearly all other techniques I see people trying to influence others' environmental behavior. I see them relying on techniques like logical debate, instruction, convincing with data, appeal to emotions that aren't intrinsic, and so on. At first I thought my discovery was to appeal…
Here is the wonderful panel discussion we hosted on The Story of Plastic, October 22. https://youtu.be/FWV-Opm5LNg The Panelists Each panelist has appeared on my podcast. I’ll embed their conversations below so you can learn more about them in the context of sustainability leadership (J. B.’s episode is still being edited, but I’ll post a couple videos I recorded of personal reflections on his book). Eric Adams, elected the 19th Borough President of Brooklyn in November 2013, he previously served as New York State Senator for the 20th District. https://player.acast.com/leadership-and-the-environment/episodes/339-brooklyn-borough-president-eric-adams-food-matters#?secret=TvuhrZv3bF J. B. MacKinnon, author of The Once and Future World—a bestseller…
I can't wait for Thursday's Story of Plastic panel. I wish we didn't live in a world that merited it, but we do and I consider the movie and expert panel one of the best things we can do about it. Everyone who has watched tells me they learned more than expected and are glad they watched. I've spoken to several people about the movie, but not yet hundreds so I look forward to seeing you all. We're at triple the registrants we expected with more registering all the time. The Story of Plastic people are happy to accommodate. If…
Ledarskap och miljön Sverige (in English Leadership and the Environment Sweden) launched today! It is "En podd om att agera pÃ¥ sina värderingar för naturen och att finna glädje och mening i det" or "A podcast about acting on your values for nature and finding joy and meaning in it." Beautiful! I'm proud to be the first guest. Here's the first episode: https://shows.acast.com/ledarskap-och-miljon/ Why start a new branch of Leadership and the Environment? I've shared for a while the opportunity to start new branches of Leadership in the Environment X, where X is something you love that I'm not, for…
". . . but what I do doesn't matter . . ." Regular listeners know I can't stand this phrase. If you're like most people, you want to act on the environment. You want to make sure you make a difference and fear wasting your time or doing pointless work. I felt that way before I started the path that led to this podcast. Taking initiative overcame it. I wrote my book, Initiative, on taking initiative based on the course I've taught at corporations and NYU to stellar student reviews and videos. If you want to make a difference on…
Which is more common--an athlete becoming a business or political leader, or a political figure becoming an athlete? Many athletes and become leaders in business, politics, and so on, but the reverse never happens. The difference tells me that sports teaches skills useful and essential to leadership. I had the honor of interviewing Marquis Flowers of the New England Patriots for the Leadership and the Environment podcast. His vulnerability and raw emotion revealed what athletes learn through their struggles, what no school, TED talk, book, or magazine can teach. Only experience borne of competition can. You know Marquis from the highlight reels of last year's Super Bowl: Plays like that on…
Neither the environment nor your life responds to your awareness. They respond to your behavior. People who speak the truth say, "I'm telling the truth." People who lie say the same thing. People who are aware say they are aware. People who are unaware say the same thing too. Only we're all unaware of what we're unaware of. Saying we're aware only reveals our ignorance of our unawareness. That's pride. If you want to improve the environment or your life, claiming awareness may sound like progress and may get you social approval, but in more cases it stops people from…
EDIT: I recorded a podcast version of this post (episode 63) that covered same views beyond this post: If anything marked the beginning of the industrial revolution, it was James Watt's steam engine. It wasn't the first steam engine, but was more efficient than any before. More efficient means using less energy and less pollution, right? Wrong. Each engine, yes, but more people used engines, so Watt engines used more energy and polluted more than anything. They drained mines, which helped collect more coal, which fed more engines. The direct result is today's polluted world. If you fantasize that technological…
David has helped me many times. I felt honored to host him and, I hope, help start his environmental legacy. We covered two main things. First, his new book, Friend of a Friend, on networking. His background as a professor and practitioner means he approaches networking systematically and practically, so beyond learning to network more effectively, you understand networking as a process. Second, his environmental commitment. I loved his choice for reasons you'll hear when you listen. I believe it will improve his life beyond just living by his environmental values. David is direct, knowledgeable, experienced, and plain-spoken. Enjoy!
Yesterday was the Leadership and the Environment podcast's first Expert Panel, on a path to turn the podcast into a movement of people enjoying acting on their environmental values. Expert panelists Vincent Stanley, Robin Nagle, and RJ Khalaf topped the reasons making yesterday so successful. They openly shared their struggles and triumphs in vivid, colorful stories. Each time I looked at the audience, everyone seemed engaged and enraptured. We started early at 6pm. By the intended end of the panel at 7:30pm, a sizable number of attendees seemed as engaged as ever. Many stayed until at least 8:30pm with many…
RJ and I talk about the early success of LEAD Palestine, the organization he began to teach leadership to youths that most of the world abandoned in Palestine. Where their environment made it natural to respond with hopelessness and what comes from it---desperation to the point of aspiring to blow oneself up---RJ is bringing social and emotional development to create hope themselves. They happen to have been born into a world where leadership meant in politics authoritarianism and militarism, which bled into personal relationships. Nobody taught alternatives and those who acted on those models succeeded, however much at others' costs.…
EDIT: We recorded the panel, which you can listen to: Here's the original announcement: Do you care about the environment? Do you care about leading? The Leadership and the Environment podcast NYU's School of Liberal Studies invite you to improve both at a Panel of Leadership and Environment Experts Tuesday, April 3, 6pm – 8pm NYU Silver Building, 100 Washington Sq E (at Washington Sq N), room 405 Free, register here Featuring  Vincent Stanley Vincent, co-author with Yvon Chouinard of The Responsible Company, has been with Patagonia since its beginning in 1973, including executive roles as head of sales or…
The hero's journey 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. Listen to the conversation Judge for yourself what you find from his experience. I heard: More time with his family Quality time with his family Fun Finding more challenges (why not, if they're fun?) Things became easier than before What are you waiting for? Commit…
Stop the presses Today's episode of Leadership and the Environment is Player FM's Podcast of the Day! ... a great honor for a new podcast. It features conversation #1 with Tanner Gers -- Paralympic U.S. Gold Medalist, Beep Baseball (baseball for the blind) star, TEDx speaker, coach, podcaster, and more. The credit goes to: All of you, for subscribing and reviewing, helping it reach #38, with 70+ reviews, overwhelmingly 5-star. Tanner, for an inspirational conversation. You'll hear the chemistry that began when he first hosted me on his show. I'm more reserved, so he gets credit. He's open, vulnerable, caring,…
Thanks to all of you---listeners and guests---Leadership and the Environment launched at 38: to overwhelmingly 5-star reviews: I don't know how many people listened and subscribed, but it's short of the billions whose beliefs and behavior have to change to clean the air, water, and land we share, so we have a way to go. The measure of success is not ranking, but measurables like amount of litter, number of extinctions, depth of topsoil, wars over resources, as well as people's happiness, joy, and deliciousness resulting from their new beliefs and behaviors. Social Media shares Please help share about Leadership…
Forbes article #1 this week Cheryl Snapp Conner, who has written posts with tens of millions of views, profiled me today in Forbes, Influence: How To Get It, Keep It, Use It For Business, (which came out just after my morning burpees). If you came here from that story, you know my passion for helping people change their environmental beliefs and behavior embodied in the new podcast, Leadership and the Environment. Forbes article #2 this week Tim Francis posted a video interview of me on Forbes, How Leadership by Authority Can be Counter-Productive. If you came here from that story, you…
Here is an email I'm sending tomorrow, relevant to people who care about Leadership and the Environment: Hello friends, family, and people I've worked with this year​, I'm writing you who have seen my passion evolve in 2017 from launching my book to launching my podcast, Leadership and the Environment.​ Please listen if you haven't, especially Episode Zero, which gives its back story. But first read on. The podcast goal and my great passion is to help people change how they see acting on the environment from sacrifice and lonely to rewarding and part of a large, growing community. I'm interviewing…
Apple approved my podcast, Leadership and the Environment, for iTunes yesterday. If you want to help the environment, I hope you'll review it there. Why review Leadership and the Environment? Leadership and the Environment helps people who want to change their behavior but feel discouraged. Americans pollute and degrade the environment more than almost anyone. Everyone I know wants to degrade less, but does little. I see a leadership vacuum---someone to help people achieve their goals. Leaders help people find meaning and purpose. Leaders help change beliefs and goals. The mainstream belief that growth solves most problems is exacerbating the…
Readers responded more thoughtfully and with more variety and sensitivity than I expected when I asked them: If you care about the environment, what do you think of when you think about caring about it? Some people think of childhood memories, others the Grand Canyon, others fishing, and so on. Can you email me what caring about the environment makes you think of? in my post "Do you want to make the world a better place (and yourself)?", announcing my launching my podcast, Leadership and the Environment. Here are some of their responses: Jared Angaza: To answer your question about…
[Below is the content of my fourth email announcement of my podcast, which I just released. It’s over 12 years in design, based on 3 years of testing the underlying techniques and 1 year making the podcast. I intend for it to change culture, I hope broadly and fast enough.] Hello all, Leadership and the Environment is live! The first four episodes are up, featuring Dan Pink, multiple #1 NY Times bestseller, over 40 million TED views Marshall Goldsmith, multiple #1 bestseller, #1 rated leadership coach Elizabeth Kolbert, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and New Yorker writer Michael Bungay Stanier, WSJ bestselling…
[Below is the content of my third email announcement of my podcast, which I’m releasing tomorrow. It’s over 12 years in design, based on 3 years of testing the underlying techniques and 1 year making the podcast. I intend for it to change culture, I hope broadly and fast enough.] Hello all, It's my second-to-last email on my podcast launch. I'm enjoying the email dialogs on leadership and the environment arising from my last email, especially the diversity in views. Thank you for emailing and sharing! ... I'm happy to answer more. We were talking about leading people and systemic…
[Below is the content of my second email announcement of my podcast, which I’m releasing this Thursday. It’s over 12 years in design, based on 3 years of testing the underlying techniques and 1 year making the podcast. I intend for it to change culture, I hope broadly and fast enough.] Hello all, Thank you to all who responded with their passions on the environment. I was pleasantly surprised by how many wrote, and the feeling behind the notes. You're the reason for the podcast. Helping people achieve goals they care about is the foundation of the leadership I teach.…
[Below is the content of my first email announcement of my podcast, which I'm releasing this Thursday. It's over 12 years in design, based on 3 years of testing the underlying techniques and 1 year making the podcast. I intend for it to change culture, I hope broadly and fast enough.] Hello all, Do you want to improve your leadership skills? To be part of a team building something greater than yourself? To leave the world better than you found it? People around me are like that. It's what I teach through my book and courses. I'm writing to announce…