How to change a system (and enjoy the process)

[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.
Leadership and the Environment
Helping people achieve goals they care about is the foundation of the leadership I teach.
Enjoying the Earth’s bounty while protecting it is the foundation of my environmental work. (Actually, delicious is my main association with it. You’ll hear why in the first episode.)
Society’s systems make stopping harming the environment hard, even for people who want to stop. Systems can make us feel powerless and discouraged to change them.
Changing systems is a big part of leadership. Knowing how will get you hired, funded, and promoted. My podcast is a first step on changing the systemic mess we’re in. I work on the key leverage point of a system’s beliefs and goals, not just elements like technology.
Each episode shows to lead a person. The series shows how to change a system.
You’ll hear guests say, “Thank you for prompting me to act on what I care about. I wish I’d done it sooner,” and look to do more.
How would you like to be able to lead people so they thank you for their working hard? If you think you can’t, listen to the podcast. It’s the core of what I teach. The podcast shows it in action.

There’s no magic. On the contrary, I want you to learn it. I’m looking for leaders to reach audiences I can’t, to lead them. The goal is to reach billions.
Stay tuned. Tomorrow I’ll preview examples from the podcast. Thursday I’ll post the first episodes.
Yours,
Josh
P.S. Interested in acting, not just passively listening?
The next step for getting the most from the podcast: After thinking about what you cared about regarding the environment from yesterday’s email, today, think about something you can do to act on what you care about. The podcast interviews taught me to simplify the task with a few guidelines.

  • What you do doesn’t have to solve all the world’s problems overnight
  • You have to come up with it
  • You can’t be doing it already
  • It has to make a measurable difference, not just “raise awareness”
  • You have to do it, not tell someone else

Many people have something they could do that they never acted on. Some have to think for a while, but they come up with something. If you do, write back the task you thought of. If you don’t, I created the podcast to inspire people like you with examples.

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