Being Human

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/In this episode of Being Human, I speak with John Kay, one of Britain's leading economists, whose career has spanned the academic world, business and public affairsIn his recent book, Radical Uncertainty with Mervyn King, he describes how, as a society, we regularly crave certainties which cannot exist and invent knowledge we cannot have. We forget that humans are successful because we have adapted to an environment that we understand only imperfectly and that, throughout history we have developed a variety of ways of coping with the radical uncertainty that defines our lives. In this episode, we talk:The problem with bias-obsessed behavioural economicsThe power of abductive reasoningUnderstanding economics' failing recordOur love for doomsday scenariosThe folly of misapplying probabilistic reasoningLinks:Radical UncertaintyJohn's Website

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/In this episode of Being Human, I speak with Paul Collier, the author of the barn-storming new economic treatise 'The Future of Capitalism'.From humble beginnings in Sheffield, England, to life as an Oxford don, Paul understands the power and limitations of capitalism from both sides of the tracks. In our conversation, Paul reflects on the role businesses must play in creating a more sustainable version of capitalism.Packed with great anecdotes and some sobering insights, I really enjoyed this oneWe talk:From England's poorest city to celebrated academicWhy 'oughts' trump 'wants'How General Motors failed at LeanHow the capitalism that has brought us closer is now pushing us apartWhy we can't treat humans like catsLinks:Paul's The Future of CapitalismNicholas A. Christakis - Blueprint: The Evolutionary Origins of a Good SocietyMichael J. Sandel - The Tyranny of MeritRobert D. Putnam - The UpswingPaul Collier, John Kay - Greed Is

This is an interview with Tom van der Lubbe around the theme of self-management. We get into the history of his founding of Viisi on self-management principles. We also take several practical questions for the webinar audience members. Well worth a watch/listen if you want to learn more about this topic.

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/In this episode of Being Human, I speak with Gabriel Jurj, who is a complexity practitioner and seasoned executive working in Romania. He didn't take the standard path, dropping out of University to join a monastic order, running hostels in Budapest.Still practising some of his monkish disciplines, Gabriel leans on these to help him lead. He also sees the strong links between a spiritual appreciation and the ability to embrace and work in an uncertain world.In this episode, we talk:What he learnt being a monkRetrospective cohesionThe links between self-work and complexity thinkingSpiritual practice in business lifeLetting go of goalsLinks:Cynefin at 21 - The BookAnanda Marga

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/In this episode of Being Human, I speak with David Woods, a professor at Ohio State University who discovered and pioneered the concept of Graceful Extensibility.As the opposite of brittleness, graceful extensibility is the ability of a system to extend its capacity to adapt when surprise events challenge its boundaries.In this episode, we talk:Dealing with shockThe need to stretch at the boundariesHow all systems are fragileStaying alive to 'weak signals'How viability requires extensibilityLinks:The Theory of Graceful Extensibility: basic rulesGraceful Extensibility - short presentationThe Strategic Agility Gap

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/This week on Being Human, I speak with Nigel Thurlow, ex-Chief of Agile at Toyota and co-author of The Flow System.Tired of the framework merchants and the over-commercialisation of the Agile movement, Nigel could see that a new approach was needed. A philosophy that went beyond Lean and Agile to embrace complexity thinking, team science and the critical question of leadership.He believes, first and foremost, in education as the driver of change. Present people with the science and trust them to apply it in their context.In this episode, we talk:The holy triad of complexity, team science and distributed leadershipWhy leadership training must changeGoing beyond Systems ThinkingNew physicsHow information is upstream of energyLinks:The Flow System - Read the BookThe Flow System - Buy the BookFlow Guides

> 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

> 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

> 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

> 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

> 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

> 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 

> 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

> 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 

> 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

> 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

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/This week on Being Human, I speak with Dr. Kevin Dutton, University of Oxford Research Psychologist, Bestselling Author and Elite Performance Consultant, also known as The Psychology Guy.The topic might seem odd for a show dedicated to humanising people’s lives and workplaces, but psychopaths are part of the forest of humanity. As we’ll explore in this episode, they can and often do take on productive roles in our society, but it’s important to understand how psychopaths operate and what we can and can’t expect from them.Like his charming psychopathic father, Dr. Dutton is hugely charismatic and it was a joy to spend tme with him.In this episode, we talk:- Growing up with 'Del Boy'- Hot vs cold empathy- Saying 'no' like a psycho- The positive role of psychopaths in society- How psychopathic are you?Links:Dr. Dutton's WebsiteThe Wisdom of Psychopaths - The Book

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/In this episode of Being Human, I speak with Karin Tenelius, one of the world's leading experts in self-managing organisations, or, in her own words, "workspaces that work for people and bring out the best in them."Karin not only trains others to lead through self-managing principles, but she has served as CEO to several businesses that she has managed in this way.For those of you who loved our episode with Lisa Gill, her co-author of Moose Heads on The Table, this is a brilliant follow up, diving into real-world examples of fully empowered teams delivering explosive results.In this episode, we talk:- Letting go of driving- Who are you being?- Creating the right environment- Straight talking- The extraordinary gains of self-managementLinks:Karin's WebsiteMoose Heads on the Table

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/My guest this week, Jos de Blok, has been on the bucket list of Being Human for a number of years. He's the founder of Buurtzorg, a community nursing organisation that has embracing the self-organising principle to stunning effect.In recognition of his contributions, Jos shares the RSA's Albert Award with the likes of Tim Berners-Lee and Stephen Hawking. Recently, having grown Buurtzorg to become an international operation, he is taking an interest in applying his principles to politics.A big thank you to Tom van der Lubbe to helping to make this happen.In this episode, we talk:- Letting go of products and activities- The ‘needing’ principle- Forgetting your MBA- Ditching risk thinking- The human societyLinks:Buurtzorg

> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/This week on Being Human, we talk with Robin Rice, an internationally published author, transformational speaker, social change artist and mentor to leaders.A big thank you to renowned Transformation Coach Lyssa Adkins who recommended Robin to me as a guest. Our conversation was a powerful reminder for me of that paradox that developing enhancing our personal impact rests in dropping our 'I' in service of the 'We'.Robin offers what she calls consciousness training to executives, artists, medical professionals, civic leaders, and entrepreneurs. I hope our conversation might help you to see a path to new insights and perspectives.In this episode, we explore:- Your 'Little Gen' vs Big Brain- Personal evolution vs social pressure- Your 'Minimum Viable Change'- Interrupting your patterns- Dissolving SelfLinks:Robin's book