Tom Heffner, host of the Next Year Now podcast, just posted his interview of me.
Tom and I got to be friends following up this podcast, based on our mutual passion for learning and practicing leadership skills, education, values, and many of the things you read about here, so you’ll hear the chemistry. Plus, he came to these areas from a science and aerospace background, as I did.
As Tom wrote:
Today might be our most important episode ever. That’s because we’re going to talk about leadership.  Few things are as impactful in our life as good leadership – be it at work, in our personal lives, on the sports field – whatever the domain is. Good leadership has the potential to produce so much positive change that it’s impossible for us to ignore it anymore.
Our guest today is Joshua Spodek – bestselling author, podcast host, and NYU professor. We’ll be discussing leadership in detail. Specifically, we’ll talk about what it is, how we can get better at it and the amazing impact it can have on our lives. If you’re looking for a fool-proof way to thrive in life and at work, then you don’t want to miss this episode.
From the show notes:
In today’s episode, Joshua and I discuss:
- How taking cold showers is the foundation for becoming great at anything – seriously, you’ll want to listen to Josh’ own experience about this one
- The how of becoming a great leader – which is super important because most books just focus on the what … that is, what is good leadership
- The biggest challenges we face in leadership and how to overcome them
- The most effective habits and practices we can cultivate to improve our leadership
- Book recommendations to help you understand the importance of leadership in our life
- And so much more!
Books Joshua Recommends
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In by Roger Fisher and William Ury
Getting Right With Tao: A Contemporary Spin on the Tao Te Ching by Ron Hogan
Check Out These Resources Mentioned
The best place to find out more about Joshua Spodek is at his website.
Ron Hogan’s translation of the Tao Te Ching
Connect with Joshua Spodek on Twitter
About the Next Year Now podcast:
The Next Year Now Podcast is based on the belief that everyday, purposeful habits and practices are vital for you to thrive at work and in life.â€
Each week, I interview some of the brightest and most successful people, with expertise in topics like Personal Development, Health & Well-being, Business, Productivity, Creativity and Entrepreneurship. My goal is to help you thrive by identifying the most successful habits and practices and to share the secrets of their success. Think of me as your virtual coach and The Next Year Now Podcast as our weekly practice session.
My hope is that you bring a strong sense of curiosity and a passionate desire to learn and improve. If you do that for each episode, I promise you will be build habits and practices that will have you thriving at work and in life in no time!
Finally, I want to draw your attention to some important links I’d like you to be aware of.
We haven’t launched on iTunes yet, but when we do, I would consider it a personal favor if you would rate and review the podcast. This is critical in the early life of a podcast in helping it spread and get noticed amidst all the other content. To rate and review the show, you will simply click this iTunes link. If you rate it with 5 stars, I’ll be mentioning you in a future episode as a small way of saying thank you.
You can also share it via Facebook or Twitter. To tweet about the podcast and share it with your friends, just click this Twitter link. To visit, like, and share Next Year Now’s Facebook page, just click this FaceBook link.
About Tom, from his about page:
Hi, I’m Tom Heffner – podcaster, author, speaker, and innovation expert. My goal is to help you thrive at work and in life. I believe that every day, purposeful habits and practices are vital to this pursuit.
I do this by sharing my professional insights, and the insights of the most successful people around the world, in areas like Personal Development, Health & Well-being, Business, Productivity, Creativity and Entrepreneurship. I share these ideas and learning’s through my weekly podcast (The Next Year Now Podcast), blog, and speaking engagements.
Before starting The Next Year Now podcast, I spent 15 years working as an engineer, helping design complex military systems to protect US and coalition soldiers around the world. Over the last 5 years working as a design strategist, I have worked hard to master the skills of innovation and design, to help our military services to become more innovative and creative.
I’ve learned that the same skills you need to design innovative products are the same skills you need to design a life where you thrive. Along the way, I’ll share these with you alongside the insights, habits, and practices I learn from my podcast interviewees.
Outside of podcasting, my next favorite activity is writing. I love to share my professional and personal insights, as well as stories, to help others. I’ve been fortunate to have my writing published in both books and online articles.
You can find my books and online articles listed below.
BooksÂ
- Infusing Innovation Into Organizations: A Systems Engineering Approach
- Character Strengths Matter: How To Live a Full Life
- Postive Health: Flourishing Lives, Well-being in Doctors
Online Articles
In addition to writing, I also enjoy sharing my insights through speaking engagements and workshop facilitation. Below is a selected list of recent speaking engagements and workshops I have given.
Selected Speaking Engagements
- International Positive Psychology Association World Congress in Los Angeles, CA
- Design Strategy Conference in Chicago, IL
- Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory Colloquium in Laurel, MD
- SEAM Design Conference in Baltimore, MD
- Association of Old Crows in Adelaide, Australia
- International Council on Systems Engineering in Baltimore, MD
Workshop Design and Facilitation
- Creating vision, strategy, and execution statements for organizations
- Brainstorming and rapid prototyping of innovation spaces for engineers & scientists
- Creating mission statements for organizations
- Leadership development programs & concepts
- Design Thinking 101: What is it and how to apply it
- And many more wonderful engagements …