Disrupt Yourself Podcast With Whitney Johnson

Joining us this week is Executive Advisor and Diversity Strategist Stacey Gordon. Stacey is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Rework Work, and author of UNBIAS: Addressing Unconscious Bias at Work.

Tom Peters has walked many, many paths in life, more than many of us can claim. He's been a Navy Seabee overseas in Vietnam, a White House advisor, a McKinsey consultant, even a PBS show host. You might know him as the author of the 80s management bestseller, "In Search of Excellence." Recently, Tom had the idea to start up a podcast of his own, and asked our host Whitney to be his first guest. Tom even had a name for the podcast ready: "Extreme Humanism," after another of his books. The two friends talked in front of microphones for over an hour, and then Tom retired, deservedly so. With Tom's permission, we're happy to polish up that tape and present a bonus episode of Disrupt Yourself, one where Whitney actually won't be doing the interviewing. Join us (and Whitney's daughter, Miranda!) for a thoughtful dialogue about drawing maps to nowhere, five-star generals in the Indian military, and everything in between.

Mental health has never been more top-of-mind than in recent years, and Emma McAdam has built an extraordinary therapeutic resource in an unlikely place: YouTube. Emma is a licensed marriage and family therapist best known for her incredibly popular "Therapy in a Nutshell" videos that demystify things like anxiety, depression, and emotional regulation. This candid conversation will completely change your perspective on stress, happiness, and why our brains perceive stuff like email as a constant survival threat. Emma also has very practical tips on how to form new pathways in our brains and break the "anxiety loops" that can trap us.

We tend to associate the word surrender with quitting or giving up. Something less than honorable. In his book, The Magic of Surrender: Finding the Courage to Let Go, transformational teacher and bestselling author Kute Blackson endeavors to change how we view the word. Kute joins us this week to discuss how the book came about and what exactly should we be surrendering to.  

Leaping to a new S-Curve of learning can be an overwhelming experience. As we transition from being at the top of our field into a new and less experienced trajectory, our emotions and anxieties can get the best of us. Our guest this week believes science, specifically the discipline of rocket science, can help us better navigate personal and professional disruption. Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned award-winning law professor and bestselling author. A renowned professor, author, and speaker, Ozan writes and speaks often about creativity and critical thinking. He's authored many book chapters and law review articles, and now he has a new book: Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life. In this episode we learn how Ozan stays attune to his mind and body, sensing when it is time to disrupt. He shares how important it is to see yourself through a forgiving lens and discusses the importance of failure in the trajectory of success.

Anxiety isn’t bad….it’s just data. For some it can even serve as a catalyst, driving them to achieve. Morra Aarons-Mele is the founder of the communications firm Women Online, and hosts the award-winning Anxious Achiever podcast for LinkedIn Presents. Her book, The Anxious Achiever: Turn Your Biggest Fears into Your Leadership Superpower, is out next month. Morra would like to put an end to the demonizing of anxiety, and her argument is pretty compelling.

This week we’re chatting with Tony O’Driscoll, professor at Duke University’s School of Business. Tony is co-author of the graphic novel,  Everyday Superhero: How You Can Inspire Everyone And Create Real Change at Work.  

Tim Harrison knows a thing or two about growth. At a young age, doctors said Tim would be physically behind all his peers. He outgrew every single one. During his time playing basketball in college, Tim faced significant  on and off court challenges, propelling him to…grow. Today, Tim strives to instill that same growth mentality into underserved high school students via his non-profit organization, EPOG Academy.  

Mauro Porcini was the first Chief Design Officer at both 3M and PepsiCo. He’s also  author of the book, The Human Side of Innovation: The Power of People in Love with People On this week's show, Mauro shares with us his insights on how we can identify and deal with  hidden rejection, as well as how companies can cultivate a Unicorn Culture. 

Stewardship. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Servant leadership. Not the first things that come to mind when thinking about leadership in the corporate world, but our guest today sees these as indispensable core values that served as guides throughout her career. Angela Ahrendts is the former C.E.O. of Burberry, former head of retail at Apple, and is currently chairwoman of the board at Save the Children.  

Joining us this week is Tina Opie, author of “Shared Sisterhood: How to Take Collective Action for Racial and Gender Equity at Work”. My conversation with Tina was a tough one, but I hope it’s just as meaningful for you as it was for me.  

Victor Frankl once said, “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In that response lies our growth and freedom”. Our guest this week seeks to help us optimize that space. Carol Kauffman, founder of the Institute of Coaching at Harvard Medical School, and co-author of the soon to be released Real-Time Leadership: Find Your Winning Moves When the Stakes Are High, joins us to talk about the new book, her super power, and so much more!   

Andre Menezes is the CEO of Next Gen Foods. On this week’s episode, Andre will share insights from his  journey of becoming a visionary in the world of sustainable food production. We’ll also learn how Andre developed a broader perspective about the world and how he learned at an early age to be the protagonist of his  story and not succumb to the victim mentality. In Andre’s words, “There’s no way to solve death. For all the other things in life, there’s something we can do about it.”  

What is special about you and what you know how to do, and how  do you scale yourself ? How do you make sure you spend most of your time doing that thing? Jennifer Smith, C.E.O. and co-founder of Scribe joins Whitney to discuss this and so much more.

Happiness...at work. A novel concept? An oxymoron? Far from it. Jon Clifton is the CEO of Gallup, and author of Blind Spot: The Global Rise of Unhappiness and How Leaders Missed It. Jon joins Whitney this week to discuss how happiness in the workplace is not elusive as some may think.

Joining Whitney this week is Mbali Maseko, Head of Well Being at Sasol South Africa, a global chemical and energy company. Mbali has a Masters in Public Health, a Masters in Business Administration and an Honors degree in Dietetics, attained through grit, hard work,  and the support and sacrifice of her family.

This week Whitney shares a portion of one of her recent LinkedIn Live sessions.  Joining Whitney this week is  NY Times best-selling author, Seth Godin – his most famous books being This is Marketing and Linchpin. In this episode, Whitney and Seth talk about one of his latest projects, The Carbon Almanac, the idea of imposter syndrome, and of course, marketing.

Innovation doesn't have to be world-changing. In fact, Garry Turner says it's crucial, even if you’ve been doing the same job at the same company for decades. Garry is a fierce advocate for internal disruption: Challenging the status quo within an organization (and within yourself!) to get better results. And for Garry, better results doesn’t just mean efficiency and profit. It means sustainability, equity, fairness, diversity and more. Garry’s work at a global chemical distribution company touches nearly everything in our lives – the products we buy, the food we eat, and the global supply chains that keep everything moving. For Garry, it’s not a question of whether to innovate. He feels it’s his responsibility.

A wise man once said, “ Listening is the ultimate mark of respect, Listening is the heart and soul of engagement.” On the commemoration of our 300th episode, the Disruptive Advisors team would like to thank you for your respect, as we strive to provide you with engaging content.  Our guest this week is management icon  Tom Peters. Tom, the aforementioned wise man, has a new book out titled ,” Tom Peters' Compact Guide to Excellence. “ Join me as I talk to Tom about the new  book, lessons he’s learned through the years and the power of listening.