Being Human

#167 Rare Breed - with Sunny Bonnell

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/In this episode of Being Human, I speak with author, speaker and CEO Sunny Bonnell.Together with her co-author, Ashleigh Hansberger, she wrote Rare Breed: A Guide to Success for the Defiant, Dangerous, and Different, a book that empowers people to take what society deems as "vices" and turn them into unrivalled assets.Sunny, herself a rare breed, dropped out of pre-veterinary school to start a branding agency with Ashleigh when branding agencies weren't a thing. Together, they built the hugely successful firm Motto around a 'rare breed' mindset.In this episode, we talk:Owning your weirdnessHer Dad's pivotal advice that kept her goingWhat it means to be a rare breedEmbracing your misfits for business agilityThe dark side of the rare breedLinks:Are you a rare breed? Find outSunny's Company - MottoRare Breed - The Book

#166 Cultivating Well-being - with Marion Kiely

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/In this episode of  Being Human, I speak with complexity practitioner and well-being advocate Marion Kiely.Marion has dedicated her career to figuring out how the latest complexity thinking can bring sustained change to organisations.From her home in Cork in Ireland, she talks passionately about how we can truly be well at work.In this episode, we talk:Why yoga and yoghurt is not the answerCould your work culture be a Health & Safety issue?The alternative to Powerpoints and plansThe power of storyHumble leadershipLinks:Marion's Practice - UpstreamThe Cynefin Wiki

#165 Letting Go of Certainty - with Sonja Blignaut

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/In this episode of Being Human, I speak with author and complexity consultant Sonja Blignaut.Meteorologist then IBM consultant, Sonya took a varied path to her latest role as CEO of leading complexity practitioners, Cognitive Edge.Sonja is a born-and-bred South African. As she points out, things don’t get much more complex than in the Rainbow Nation.In this episode, we talk:Complexity and mindfulnessThe individual versus the systemLetting go of the certainty merchantsThe diversity withinFacing your triggers Links:Sonja's Medium PageSonja's Practice - More Beyond

#164 A Strategy for Uncertainty - with Steve McCrone

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/This week on Being Human, I speak with former bomb disposal team leader and pioneer in adaptive strategy Steve McCrone.Adaptive strategy applies complexity thinking to the art of high-level planning to enable firms to build resilience in the face of uncertainties.Steve is a very passionate speaker and presenter and brings this approach to life brilliantly using a strategically placed whiteboard. A good one to watch on video.In this episode, we talk:- Rules of thumb for bomb disposal- The three aspects of adaptive strategy- "Dark constraints" in organisations- The stupidity of current/future state thinking- Riding the new paradigmLinks:Steve's Practice AGLX

#163 Future Sense - with Malcolm Parlett

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/In this episode of Being Human, I speak with psychological researcher, consultant and author, Malcolm Parlett. From an orthodox academic background, at Cambridge then MIT, Malcolm discovered Gestalt psychology, which changed his life and work. It opened up a new sense of connectedness and took him away from more traditional, reductive approaches. Malcolm went on to co-found the UK's Gestalt Psychotherapy and Training Institute and to create the British Gestalt Journal. His book, 'Future Sense: Five explorations of whole intelligence for a world that’s waking up' has been an inspiration for coaches, educators and therapists worldwide.  Malcolm is a powerful, tender soul, and he was a joy to interview.In this episode, we talk:- Getting out of your head- Practical Gestalt- Embodying- Self-Recognising- The power of gardeningEnjoy!To your humanity,RichardLinks:Malcolm's Books

#162 Embodiment Now - with Mark Walsh

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/In this episode of Being Human, I speak with embodiment coaching specialist Mark Walsh. Embodiment is about working through gentle non-athletic movement, posture, awareness, and breathing to pursue deeper, faster and more permanent change. In this conversation, Mark shows us how to make friends with our bodies and feel at home again in our skin.In this episode, we talk:- From drug dealer to aikidoka- The three levels of embodiment- How to be become trauma-aware- Saving lives in the Middle East- Training circus acts in EthiopiaEnjoy!To your humanity,RichardLinks:The Embodiment ConferenceEmbodiment Coaching 

#161 How to Make Optimal Decisions - with Dr. Timothy Yen

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/In this episode of Being Human, I speak with psychologist and former U.S. Army mental health specialist Dr. Timothy Yen.Dr. Yen has used his experience to create a framework that helps you build up your inner decision-making capability and use it successfully to address your most important choices.In this episode, we talk:- How trauma impacts how we make decisions- 5 pillars to help you make great choices- Growing up in an Asian-American family- Dealing with Iraqi vets- Blind spots for Eastern and Western culturesLinks:Dr. Yen's Website

#160 How to Build a Human Business - with Dr. Thomas Juli

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/In this episode of Being Human, our favorite tangoing, mountain-climbing business philosopher Dr. Thomas Juli returns to share the wisdom in his new book 'Human Business: Life and Work in the Digital Age.'As well as being an Agile Transformation Coach for the insurance giant Allianz, Thomas is a regular speaker at international conferences worldwide. These have included the NASA Project Management Challenge, the World Economic Forum and the Corporate Social Responsibility Forum Germany.In this episode, we talk:- Going beyond customer-led business- Infusing your workplace with joy- How to tap your intuition while you sleep- Bringing gratitude to the office- The Golden Rule 2.0 Links:Dr. Thomas' Website 

#159 The End of Jobs - with Jeff Wald

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/In this episode of Being Human, I speak with author, former cop and serial entrepreneur Jeff Wald.After selling WorkMarket, the multi-million dollar labour platform Jeff helped build from scratch, he found some time to pen The End of Jobs: The Rise of On-Demand Workers and Agile Corporations.Jeff claims that we're now entering a fourth great leap forward in technology, after mechanisation, electrification, and computerisation. With robots and AI, we face the first services revolution, meaning we will need to renegotiate the social contract, set clear rules for companies, and provide stability for society.In this episode, we talk:- Jeff's surprising prediction for post-COVID remote working- Staying resilient through start-up highs and lows- How to manage mixed robot and human teams - What it takes to succeed in the NYPD - Is blockchain going to change the world?Links:Jeff's Website

#158 Learning War - with Trent Hone

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/This week on Being Human, I speak with Trent Hone, an authority on the U.S. Navy of the early twentieth century and a leader in applying complexity science to organisational design.Trent hooked me with his powerful story of U.S. Navy's rapid learning techniques in the 'Cyenfin at 21' book, the subject of my recent podcast with Dave Snowden.In our conversation, we talk about how the U.S. Navy was forced to learn some tough lessons combating a stealthy Japanese navy in the Battle of Guadalcanal in WWII and how they adapted and improved their fighting capabilities whilst pursuing combat.Trent helps goliaths like The World Bank and U.S. Government to foster innovation using the simple methods he has learned meticulously researching naval strategy.In this episode, we talk:- Countering Japanese covert tactics- The power of doctrine- When admirals get psychological safety- Creativity under fire- Lessons for corporate agilityLinks:Trent's Website