Want to get better at work? At managing others? Managing yourself? Gayle Allen interviews experts who take your performance to the next level. Each episode features a book with insights to help you achieve your goals.
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Opportunities for human connection are all around us. When we’re in a café. At a restaurant. In a checkout line. Each instance is an opportunity for small talk with a stranger. And these interactions can yield big benefits. Unfortunately, most of us are missing out. We’re not aware of how powerful these experiences can be. And that’s where researchers are sharing some incredible findings.…
Most of us ruminate. We get caught in a loop of thoughts that replay over and over again. It’s as if our brain is stuck in a place we don’t want to be, yet we can’t break free. Over time, those repetitive thoughts can become the lens through which we see ourselves, other people, and the world—and that lens is often shaped more by fear than reality. Donna Jackson Nakazawa can help us break the…
Most of what we hear about the middle part of our lives is untrue. It’s focused on the myth of the midlife crisis rather than the realities of these years. This can create a sense of dread for a period of time with tremendous upside. Margie Lachman has spent her career studying midlife. She's author of the book, Primetime: A New Vision for Midlife, Professor of Psychology at Brandeis University,…
There are times in our lives where we feel stuck, be it personally or professionally. It might be in our career. It might in a relationship. We’re smart, so we try to think our way out of it. But when we’re really stuck, thinking can turn into ruminating. And the more we think, the more we stay stuck. That’s when the labeling kicks in. The voice in our head labels us lazy, or crazy, or just plain…
No one wants to feel like a sucker. In fact, the very thought of being one – of playing the fool – shapes our behavior in powerful ways. But what if our fear causes us to make choices that aren’t good for us? Or worse, what if people weaponize our fear in order to dominate or disempower us? Tess Wilkinson-Ryan has written a stunning book on the topic called, Fool Proof: How Fear of Playing the…
Runners have pacers to help them manage their energy throughout a race. They couple that with a training program that balances extreme and moderate effort with rest. Research shows that this balanced approach ensures a stronger performance. Like professional athletes, we, too, seek high performance. But we may not realize that, like runners, we need to manage the pace of our lives. That’s where…
There’s a lot to be said for the excitement we feel when we first set a goal for ourselves. The sense of exhilaration can give us the momentum we need to get started. But when the exhilaration wears off – and it usually does – we’re faced with a choice. Will we revert to old habits or develop new ones? These moments are what Jonathan Rhodes calls choice points, and the decisions we make can really…
We think we need complete freedom to achieve our goals. But maybe freedom is the problem. What if, instead, constraints are what we really need? That’s the question David Epstein was curious about. David Epstein is author of the bestselling books, Range and The Sports Gene. In his latest book, Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better, he combs through the research and tracks down the stories…
We live in a world of markets. The ones we can easily see, like grocery stores or restaurants. And the ones that are less obvious, like college admission, waitlists, even your schedule. Yet these less obvious markets play an important role in our lives. That’s why I wanted to speak with University of Pennsylvania economist, Judd Kessler, author of the book, Lucky by Design: The Hidden Economics…
It would be great if we could gain success overnight. In a matter of hours, we’d be happier, smarter, maybe even wealthier. But when we step back and assess how much time success actually takes, we can feel overwhelmed. Those are the feelings Eric Zimmer certainly had. Faced with his own challenges, he knew he needed to change. And, over time, his curiosity about what change actually requires led…
When life gets hard, humor can feel like a luxury. Like an indulgence we don’t deserve or have time for. But science tells a different story. Researchers have learned that humor can help with healing and grief, and it can improve our social connections. And innovators often call out the role fun plays in getting curious and acting on their ideas. One of these innovators is Chris Duffy, a stand-up…
