Coaching for Leaders

Chris Bailey: Intentional Chris Bailey is an author and lecturer who explores the science behind living a more productive and intentional life. He has written hundreds of articles on the subject and is the bestselling author of The Productivity Project, Hyperfocus, and How to Calm Your Mind. His newest book is Intentional: How to Finish What You Start (Amazon, Bookshop)*. Starting is often a lot easier than finishing. Our mindsets and our tactics can make a big difference in how far we really go. In this conversation, Chris and I discuss the best ways to finish what we begin. Key Points Procrastination is triggered by six characteristics of aversion: boring, unpleasant, frustrating, far off in the future, unstructured, and/or meaningless. The more we activate the logical centers in our brain, the less aversion we run into. Almost everything can be more fun if we put the right structure around it. Gamification, countdown timers, and artificial deadlines can drive our behaviors in substantial ways. Make goals about others. Rather than simply “reading 10 pages,” shift to “reading ten pages to be a better mentor.” Most of us have a preference for either performance goals or learning goals. Identify which works better for you and for the people you lead. Define a target pace and map your progress against it. We often do this with organizational projects, but rarely for our own goals. Pair joyful tasks together with the ones that don’t bring joy as a means to keep you moving. Resources Mentioned Intentional: How to Finish What You Start by Chris Bailey (Amazon, Bookshop)* Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Become the Person You Want to Be, with James Clear (episode 376) How to Change Your Behavior, with BJ Fogg (episode 507) Make Your Task List Work for You, with Liane Davey (episode 785) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Linda Hill: Genius at Scale Linda Hill is the Wallace Brett Donham Professor of Business Administration and Faculty Chair of the Leadership Initiative at Harvard Business School. Globally recognized as a top leadership and innovation expert, Linda has been named by Thinkers50 as one of the world’s top five management thinkers. She is the co-author, along with Emily Tedards and Jason Wild, of Genius at Scale: How Great Leaders Drive Innovation (Amazon, Bookshop)* We all want to think of ourselves as innovative, but it’s often not easy to know exactly what that means in practice. In this conversation, Linda and I explore what her research shows that leaders do to drive innovation successfully – and how each of us can get just a bit better. Key Points Rather than coming up with a vision and asking people to follow it, innovation is about creating the culture and capabilities to create the future together. Innovation leadership shows up in three ways within organizations: the Architects, the Bridge Builders, and the Catalysts. Instead of setting the stage for themselves, innovative leaders set the stage for others. Often, we view horizontal relationships through the lens of organizational politics. The most effective innovation leaders view these relationships as leadership opportunities. Traditional team structures are a starting point, but not an ending point. Leaders at Mastercard, Pfizer, and Cleveland Clinic all brought in team members from both inside and outside the organization. Rather than thinking about a decision as final, it’s helpful for innovation leaders to frame it as a “working hypothesis.” Resources Mentioned Genius at Scale: How Great Leaders Drive Innovation by Linda Hill, Emily Tedards, and Jason Wild (Amazon, Bookshop)* Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Build an Invincible Company, with Alex Osterwalder (episode 470) The Way Innovators Get Traction, with Tendayi Viki (episode 512) Doing Better Than Zero-Sum Thinking, with Renée Mauborgne (episode 641) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Nir Eyal: Beyond Belief Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches about the intersection of psychology, technology, and business. He is the author of two bestselling books, Hooked and Indistractable, selling more than a million copies and translated in over 30 languages. He is the author of the new book, Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Breakthrough Results (Amazon, Bookshop)*. Most of us recognize that a huge part of what motivates us – or not – is our own thinking. In this conversation, Nir and I explore where our beliefs get in the way and how we can align them just a bit to help us move forward. Key Points A sentence starting with “I am…” can be among the most dangerous in any language. Often, our beliefs limit us. Belief is the foundation of the motivation triangle that includes benefit and behavior. Yet, we often overlook beliefs. Curt Richter’s study of rats in the 1950s shows how an animal’s belief system can massively influence its behavior. The real question isn’t “Is this belief true?” but rather, “Does this belief serve me?” You can choose beliefs based on usefulness, not certainty. Difficulty may mean we are not cut out for something, but it might also be evidence of growth. Too often, we quit too soon. Progress comes from consistent action, not perfect plans. Resources Mentioned Beyond Belief: The Science-Backed Way to Stop Limiting Yourself and Achieve Breakthrough Results (Amazon, Bookshop)* by Nir Eyal. Interview Notes Download my interview notes in PDF format (free membership required). Related Episodes How to Win the Long Game When the Short-Term Seems Bleak, with Dorie Clark (episode 550) How to Quit Bad Stuff Faster, with Annie Duke (episode 607) How to Better Manage Your Emotions, with Ethan Kross (episode 719) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.