Disrupt Yourself Podcast With Whitney Johnson

In 15th century Florence, the Medici family was well-known for patronizing great artists, scientists, engineers, and writers. This investment in cross-disciplinary thinking planted the seeds of the Renaissance, a time of extraordinary growth and enlightenment in Europe. Today, we have other words for this practice: Diversity & Inclusion. Author, speaker, and consultant Frans Johansson wrote "The Medici Effect," about how expanding your "surface area" of perspectives can help companies, families, governments, and any organization benefit from the alchemy of diversity. And he has the stories and data to prove it. Frans' book was originally published in 2004, and has exploded in popularity as D&I and social justice conversations move to the front of our culture. In this fascinating conversation, Frans and Whitney unpack the philosophy of intersectional diversity, and focus on very practical ways to activate it in your organization.

Getting your "big break" rarely comes down to luck. But it's also hard to engineer a breakthrough moment. Anne Chow believes it's a combination of science and serendipity: Planning ahead so you can seize a lucky moment when it appears. Her career embodies that philosophy. Anne is the CEO of AT&T Business, and a 2nd generation American. As the daughter of Taiwanese immigrant parents, their outlook on success was tremendously formative for her. She's a Julliard-trained musician who became an engineer before one mentor suggested she try sales as a path to leadership. Despite being rejected multiple times, she credits that unlikely S Curve jump as the key to her long-term success as an executive. Anne and Whitney discuss the resilience it takes to stay with one organization for so long, how to make our inherent human biases work for us, and why it's time to re-think what retirement looks like in the 21st century.

When we spend 50-60 of our waking weekly hours at the office, our "work family" sometimes eclipses our actual one. Companies capitalize on this. Our jobs become our identities. Our work becomes very personal. And this can lead to emotional disaster during career changes, layoffs, and other transactions. What if we valued work differently? What would the world look like if we stopped treating work itself as our purpose, but as a means to enjoy a more important purpose: Family, relationships, hopes, dreams, and love? That’s just the starting point of Sarah Jaffe’s book, "Work Won’t Love You Back." Sarah is a journalist who covers labor issues and social movements, and she’s observed a major shift in the way we view our jobs. She profiles teachers, interns, programmers, and professional athletes to identify which kind of work is valued, and which is not. And as “The Great Resignation” has hinted, many people want out — but where are they actually going?

Any career contains thousands of S Curves, large and small, and Russ Wheeler's journey certainly embodies this. He's the CEO of BBQGuys, a retailer for all things grilling, smoking, and camping, but he's worked as an executive in the home improvement business for decades. That means many tough decisions about how to balance the needs of his employees, customers, and himself. But Russ' core values keep him grounded, even when he's not sure if his decision is right. As he explains in this candid conversation with Whitney, "sharing the gains" with every member of the team was a way for him to take leaps he was initially skeptical about. Russ shares the difficult choice to not take the company public, despite years of work to do so, and why he loves hiring people at the beginning of their careers so they can grow into mastery on the job.

Nobody wants to be sad. We actively avoid it, and use all the technology in our power to distract ourselves from it. But Susan Cain says, maybe we should seek sadness out. She knows a thing or two about it. Her books about introversion and quiet reflection are New York Times bestsellers, and her TED talk has been viewed 40 million times. Her latest book, "Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole," is about what we miss when we stop confronting sad feelings. Susan explains that reflecting on pain -- including the pain of others -- is something we need more of in our lives, especially in a digital world, where we increasingly only see vacation photos, smiling kids, and job promotions. This practice can be about deep personal connection, or simply seeking a sad song or choosing a heartbreaking movie once in a while. After all, there's a reason history's most enduring art is about longing and loss. This episode references Whitney's recent newsletter, which you can read (and subscribe to!) here:  No Time

"The way we've always done it" is often not the best way. This is the very definition of disruption, but getting "stuck" on old habits can sneak up on us — in our personal lives, and our companies. That's what Roger Martin explores in his latest book, "A New Way to Think." Roger has built his career as an author and professor studying disruption, mainly identifying business models that we've relied on for decades, and then asking, "Does this really work?" Roger returns to the show for another rousing discussion about career satisfaction and employee retention, especially in the wake of "The Great Resignation." He also contends that we've structured modern knowledge work too rigidly, and why that can stifle innovation. He also shares the single most discouraging phrase you could ever say to a member of your team, and how to avoid it.

Achieving something that's important to you: That's probably a big reason you're listening to this podcast. But what is it about success that drives us? Do we achieve for its own sake, or is there something more? That's what Marshall Goldsmith is exploring. He's one of the most recognized thinkers and writers on the topic of leadership, but in his latest book, "The Earned Life," he asks: Why are we doing all this? Does success really make us happy? And what if those two things were not so deeply connected? Whitney and Marshall sit down for a conversation that turns traditional Western views of success and happiness on their head. He notes that some of the most successful leaders are great at delaying gratification, only to look back on what they missed out on in life. In fact, after we accomplish something great, we should stop expecting more, but default to a new beginning.

"Fear of Missing Out" or "FOMO" is wired into our brains for a reason. When our ancestors flocked to greener pastures, it was advantageous to follow. FOMO can inform modern, strategic decisions as well, but Patrick McGinnis says we should be vigilant against its more dangerous sibling, FOBO: "Fear of Better Options." This is a kind of decision paralysis that's catastrophic for personal well-being and companies. Patrick has studied it closely. After all, he invented the term "FOMO" back in 2004, written multiple books on the topic, and hosts the podcast FOMO Sapiens. He and Whitney discuss how the breakneck speed of 21st century FOMO can trick us into "fear-based decision making," and why outsourcing low-stakes choices to Siri or a coin flip can be incredibly liberating.

John David Mann is a writer and the co-author of more than 30 books. Ana Gabriel Mann is a professional therapist, speaker and coach. Together, they’ve been married for more than 25 years, which also happens to be the subject of their latest work. The Go-Giver Marriage is rooted in a framework of gratitude, kindness and self-disruption that John has been writing about for years. When Ana thought to apply this to relationships, it was a “light bulb” moment for both of them. They join Whitney to discuss the 5 secrets that don't just apply to relationships in trouble, but can help an already good relationship (marriage or professional) become great.

Running a marathon, writing a book, or learning piano. These are big undertakings that require discipline and practice. The harder we work each day, the faster we'll succeed, right? Wrong, say authors and podcasters Jami and Jeffery Downs. Biting off more than our daily chew can lead to a cycle of discouragement. Instead, commit to laughably small steps: Write one sentence a day. Practice for five minutes. These micro goals are much easier to sustain, and when you keep the streak going, you'll find that sentences turn into pages, and minutes turn into skills. A revelation in their personal lives lead this husband and wife team to develop "Streaking," a philosophy of personal accountability that applies to anything: Learning, personal relationships, and health. Jami and Jeffery speak with Whitney about the myths of habit forming, and why some tasks — no matter how often you repeat them — will never become automatic.

We've covered bias in previous episodes, but this week we tackle it head-on — specifically, how our language choices affect people, and the difference between bias, prejudice, and bullying. Kim Scott is a coach to some of Silicon Valley's most influential CEOs, and known for her groundbreaking book Radical Candor, about the complexity of giving critical feedback, even when it's hard. Trier Bryant is the CEO of Just Work, a consultancy specializing in identifying harmful bias and injustice in the workplace, and providing the tools to overcome it. Together, they help employees and managers develop a shared vocabulary so everyone feels safe to say, "that word/phrase is not OK." It's a crucial, but often missing step on the path toward true diversity, equity, and inclusion. It's harder than it seems, but making the effort to own your language — even during this very interview — is a great first step. Kim, Trier, and Whitney go deep on how caring for others can go hand-in-hand with challenging them directly, and w

Hybrid offices. Work-from-home. Unlimited vacation. Parental and sick leave. Diversity, equity, and inclusion. The scrutiny of company culture has intensified during the pandemic as millions ask: Is there a better way to work? Johnny C. Taylor set out to write a book about this in March 2020 when we all expected a 2-3 week "pause" in normalcy. Two years of pandemic later, the thesis of his book transformed. RESET: A Leader’s Guide to Work in an Age of Upheaval is Johnny's analysis of a radical post-COVID re-think. But he's not just an observer. Johnny is a lawyer, longtime HR pro, and currently the CEO of the Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM), an organization that educates and advises HR professionals. And while HR was previously viewed as the team to nag about payroll and benefits, Johnny says they've become the "emotional first responders" in a time of unprecedented uncertainty. Johnny explains what workers want and expect from companies in 2022, the power of the perfect CHRO + CEO partnership,

If you feel like the world is "speeding up" technologically and culturally, you're not alone. "Future shock" is real. We are faced with daily decisions that our grandparents could never conceive. This makes planning your life, career, and family rather hard. Amy Webb is a quantitative futurist, who uses data to imagine the unimaginable. She doesn't predict the future, but plans for every possible outcome so companies can be better prepared. One area she's been particularly fascinated with is synthetic biology. It's the merging of computer science and genetics. Imagine a world where we can program cells like tiny computers to cure diseases, grow corn in a city warehouse, and manufacture real meat without ever killing animal. It's already happening, and the benefits are huge. But when people hear about modifying DNA and growing chicken cells in a bio-reactor, they bristle. The "newness" of this science, filtered through politics, media and social media, often disrupts honest discourse about it. In her new book,

Navigating conflict is part of everything: Family, relationships, business. Productive disagreement can lead to innovation, compromise, and inclusion. But investigative journalist Amanda Ripley has spent much of her career studying what she calls "high conflict." This is where disagreements get so entrenched that they become identities, and a cycle of blame. People are quickly sucked into a tribal mentality: "It's Us verses Them." This is what has become of our politics, our online discourse, and actual warfare, as we've sadly seen in recent weeks. But there's hope. After covering disasters, warzones, and local politics for years, Amanda has identified specific signals that turn good conflict into high conflict. And there are tactics we can use to break the cycles of tribalism. Through this lens, Amanda and Whitney discuss ways to address intractable conflict at any scale: Marriages, co-workers, neighborhoods, government, and even the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

When we think of high-performance jobs like pro athletes and the military, practice is 90% of the work. An NFL quarterback trains a lot longer than the handful of games he plays, and benefits from a team of coaches. Yet in the professional world, we are thrown into the deep end, often learning on the job. This has its benefits, but also creates uncertainty, stress, and burnout. With mental health in sharp focus recently, so too has professional coaching become more important. But not everyone has access to it. That's the problem Alexi Robichaux has been trying to solve as the co-founder and CEO of BetterUp. It's an online platform that connects thousands of people to coaches to maximize their potential. But figuring out what the world wanted from a company like this was a confusing, bumpy ride. "There is no hack," Alexi says, when re-framing leadership coaching as a well-being practice, rather than a corporate band-aide. Alexi shares the "gentle intervention" he received from a colleague that lead him to re-t

We never stop learning on this show, but this week's topic is about the formal structures of education we all grew up in: school. It comes in many flavors these days, but in a world of rapid technological and social acceleration, many teachers, parents, and students wonder if the current model is still working. Dr. Ulcca Joshi Hansen is a teacher, author, researcher, and the Chief Program Officer at Grantmakers for Education. Her new book is called "The Future of Smart," and it looks at history, psychology, and our current technological moment and asks: “What if school was more dynamic, more inclusive, and more empowering for all kids?” We all want this. But getting there isn't a 3-5 year tweak to the curriculum. Dr. Hansen argues it's a generational project that could take 20 years — but there's no better time to start than right now. Dr. Hansen and Whitney discuss the history of modern education, and how a holistic, mastery-based approach might better prepare students for a world of rapid change.

You're in the sweet spot. You've mastered your role. Everything is going right. And then: You're laid off. The market shifts. A company goes under. These are always looming threats, but they came into sharp focus during the pandemic. Matthew Swaney has been an airline pilot for more than 35 years. When travel patterns shifted at the height of COVID, he was let go from his job with limited prospects for a new one. Re-inventing yourself early in your career is one thing. But Swaney built a lifetime of experience around flying, only to have it taken away so close to retirement. As a regular listener of "Disrupt Yourself," he reached out to Whitney for advice. The result is this candid conversation about grieving the loss of your identity, and the fear of jumping to a completely unknown S Curve in uncertain times.

Sometimes, we're racing forward at 35 mph. Everything is going right. Momentum has kicked in. We're flying past the competition And then: WHAM. This week's guest knows this figuratively, and literally. Apolo Ohno is a world champion speed skater and Olympian with 8 medals, two of them gold. Even as one of the world's greatest athletes, he's hit his share of walls — sometimes on the ice, and sometimes in business, personal relationships, and in his challenging transition away from sport. As part of the recent "Begin, Grow, Pivot & Learn" event, Whitney had a chance to interview Ohno about his life after the Olympics (a time he calls "The Great Divorce"), which taught him to stop saying "no" to new experiences and explore strengths and weaknesses he never knew he had. Ohno also shares insights from his new book, "Hard Pivot," which is available everywhere on February 22.

Jumping to a new S Curve is hardest when your identity hangs in the balance. This happens often with professional athletes and members of the military who have trained their entire life for one job ... until it's gone. Our guest this week is Angela Ruggiero, one of the greatest ice hockey players in the world. She has represented the U.S. at four Olympic games, brought home multiple medals (including the gold), and served on the International Olympic Committee. But one of the greatest challenges of her life was reinventing herself after all that came to an end. A lot of soul-searching and more hard work resulted in the Sports Innovation Lab, a market research firm devoted to understanding 21st century fandom. Angela shares the hard lessons about teamwork she learned on the ice, the time she gave herself permission to walk away from hockey (and eventually return), why CEOs must get used to hearing "no," and the advice her father gave her as a young player that informs every decision she makes to this day.

Finding the gift that makes each of us special is apparent to some, and a long, difficult journey for others. Waking up every day and choosing growth as our default setting goes a long way toward this self-actualization. So says Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman, a cognitive scientist who has written several books on the subject of human potential, and hosts the Psychology Podcast, which has received more than 20 million downloads. And even when you do self-actualize, you'll likely need to jump to new S Curves later in life. After all, Scott was an opera singer and American Idol contestant before he found his true instruments: writing and listening. Whitney talks with Scott about his popular sailboat metaphor for emotional wellbeing, why exploring your own mind is just as important as exploring the world, and the importance of letting go of shame from the past.