Teamcast

This conversation originally aired December 6, 2022.Dr. Michael Platt is a Professor of Neuroscience, Psychology, and Marketing at the University of Pennsylvania and holds joint appointments at the Perelman School of Medicine, the School of Arts and Sciences, and the Wharton School. He is the founder of the Wharton Neuroscience Initiative and the author of The Leader's Brain.Preston and Michael work through the neuroscience underneath three questions: Why do emotional interventions sometimes produce learning, and sometimes just produce resentment? What does it actually mean to have a "social brain," and what happens to it when you cut people off from each other? And what are the neurological precursors to the thing teams call flow?Listen to learn the marble metaphor for habit and development, the default mode network as a muscle that atrophies without boredom, the role of synchrony in what rowers call "swing," and a standing challenge to the introverts in the audience (go talk to your neighbors).Michael's closing recommendations are three things most likely to keep your brain and your team's brains healthy under pressure.

In this episode, Preston discusses mission critical teams with Dr. Dawn Kernagis, the Scientific Director at DEEP. DEEP is an extreme environment technology and exploration organization with a mission to "Make Humans Aquatic." They explore the complexities and dynamics of individuals and teams working in undersea habitats and submersible systems. Dawn shares insights from her extensive experience, including participation in NASA's Extreme Environment Mission Operation (NEMO) project as a crew member for mission 21 and research on optimizing human performance under pressure.Preston and Dawn cover an array of topics, including the importance of team cohesion, situational awareness, and the psychological and physiological challenges these teams face. Dawn also emphasizes the critical role of effective communication and leadership in maintaining team safety and performance. The episode concludes with practical advice for building and managing resilient, high-functioning teams.If you value this discussion, the best way to support our work and stay up to date on future episodes is to subscribe and leave us a quick rating or review. It helps us reach more people who need to hear these conversations.

In this episode, our Chief Medical Officer Dan Dworkis works with Alex Hodson, a seasoned critical care physician assistant, to explore the dynamics of high-functioning multi-professional healthcare teams, the training pipeline for APPs, and the importance of feedback and teamwork across disciplines. Gain insights into the challenges and rewards of working in high-stress environments and understand how multidisciplinary and multi-professional collaboration shapes effective patient care.

In today’s Teamcast, Harry and Martin Jones discuss the role of psychologists as servants in high-performance environments, the rule of thirds in learning, psychological performance and speed cameras, and how high-quality sleep is still a work in progress and is not the last thing we do at night, but the first thing we do in our day.Martin is a sport and exercise psychologist. He is also a sleep specialist with over 20 years of experience supporting coaches, performance directors, elite athletes, military personnel, business leaders, and recording artists. He holds postgraduate degrees in sport psychology from Loughborough University and sleep medicine from the University of Oxford. Martin has published over 50 peer-reviewed papers and taught at universities in the UK and Canada. He holds an honorary professorial position at Hartbury University and is the creator and co-host of the Optimising Human Performance podcast.Check out Martin’s own podcast – Optimising Human Performance – at https://www.ophp.co.uk/. If you find value in this discussion, the best way to support our work and stay up-to-date with future episodes is to subscribe and leave us a quick rating or review. It helps us reach more people who need to hear these conversations.

Today, we welcome Dave Robson, Chief Engineer at Atlassian Williams Racing. Dave shares his extensive career journey spanning 25 years in F1, starting with McLaren and now at Williams. He delves into topics such as leadership, team organization, and the balance between data and intuition in high-pressure environments. The conversation also explores the challenges of training new engineers without traditional test teams, the importance of building intuition, and maintaining high performance under stress. Dave and Harry discuss  the dynamics within racing teams and strategies behind building instinctual decision-making in pit teams, toggling between flat and hierarchical team structures. They talk about the need to build a “war chest” of social capital to spend in the hard time. Dave closes by sharing some of the books that have influenced his career.Dave holds a Master of Engineering from the University of Oxford and has deep experience and expertise in stress analysis, laboratory testing, F1 engineering and racing, as well as how to lead and manage teams in one of the most high-pressure environments in sports.This episode has insight into high performance, engineering, leadership, and the inner workings of teams in demanding environments.Dave’s book recommendations: The Art of Action: How Leaders Close the Gaps between Plans, Actions and Results by Stephen Bungay; Legacy: What the All Blacks Can Teach Us About the Business of Life by James Kerr If you find value in this discussion, the best way to support our work and stay up-to-date with future episodes is to subscribe and leave us a quick rating or review. It helps us reach more people who need to hear these conversations.

“Find those people who are your allies, have confidence in yourself, have confidence in your competence.”This episode features an in-depth conversation with FDNY Deputy Chief Michele Fitzsimmons, who shares her career journey and discusses the evolution of the department. Michele shares her journey from working with HIV/AIDS patients to becoming a firefighter and eventually rising through the ranks to Deputy Chief. Preston and Michele discuss the critical role of trust, teamwork, and communication in mission-critical situations, as well as the fundamental changes that followed the events of 9/11. Michele offers valuable insights into the significance of training and communal meals, as well as the evolving safety protocols for modern firefighters. This episode is an inspiring look into the life and career of a dedicated leader who has helped shape the future of fire service. If you find value in this discussion, the best way to support our work and stay up-to-date with future episodes is to subscribe and leave us a quick rating or review. It helps us reach more people who need to hear these conversations.

In this episode, Chief Medical Officer Dan Dworkis interviews Dr. Sean Griffiths, who shares his experiences and insights from his training and career in emergency medicine, both within the United States Air Force and civilian practice. The two talk through the stark differences between various emergency care environments, the importance of leadership, and the challenges of preparing for high-stakes medical emergencies in diverse settings. Dr. Griffiths emphasizes the significance of character in medical training and offers practical advice on creating a thriving medical team culture. This episode is ideal for anyone passionate about improving emergency care and leadership in healthcare.If you find value in this discussion, the best way to support our work and ensure you don't miss future episodes is to subscribe and leave us a quick rating or review. It helps us reach more people who need to hear these conversations.

On this episode, initially released in March 2025 as a collaboration with The Emergency Mind Podcast, Chief Medical Officer Dan Dworkis speaks with Dr. Jeremy Cannon. They delve deeply into military medical readiness and the intriguing concept of the "peacetime effect”. Whether you're in the military or a civilian, you'll gain insights into optimizing medical readiness and saving lives on and off the battlefield.Dr. Cannon is a Professor of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania, where he champions the Penn Medicine-US Navy Trauma Training Partnership. A graduate of the US Air Force Academy and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Cannon also holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from MIT. He's a former President of the Excelsior Surgical Society and edited the 2024 Edition of Edward D. Churchill's Surgeon to Soldiers. Currently, he's a Veteran Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, focusing on military health policy.Listen and explore the steep learning curves experienced in past conflicts and why it's so crucial to maintain and improve readiness in military medical systems. This conversation covers the necessity of military-civilian partnerships, the evolution of trauma care, and the critical need for effective policy.