Pursue What Matters

As humans, we are hardwired to simplify decision-making and move to extremes with our thinking when stressed and facing uncertain situations. When stressed, there is a tendency to react to the extreme. Join me on the podcast as I discuss what gets in the way of curiosity.   This podcast will help you: Learn the distress & externalizing behaviors How detachment & internalizing behaviors work About...

You can have all the tactical leadership skills in the world, but if you don't have self-awareness, no one will want to be led by you.   Tune into the podcast as we discuss the importance of leading with curiosity. We will dive deep to ensure you have what you need to Lead yourself and others well.     This podcast will help you: Why curiosity is essential to leading confidently Understand the dem...

When facing life's challenges, do you feel like you're battling uphill? Maybe you feel like you've tried everything to slay your demons. Join me as I review Tara Brach PhD, book Radical Acceptance, to learn what's so radical about radical acceptance. This podcast will help you: With strategies to manage the pain of inadequacy Learn the wings of acceptance Be attuned and aware of the cues of our bo...

To succeed, we need to get delegation right, but most of us have no clear process for ensuring we delegate effectively in order to drive better results. A clear process pins down task ownership, communicates why a task matters and what it entails, and, perhaps best, it empowers teams to bring autonomy and skill to task execution.  Tune into my latest podcast to learn how having a clear delegation...

The best teams get more done through effective delegation. Leaders who fail to delegate fail to develop their teams. This week we will continue our conversation about delegation. We will learn 3 common delegation errors and what to do about them. This podcast will help you: Identify 3 common delegation errors Learn how effective task assignment accelerates team effectiveness and efficiency  Improv...

Tell me I’m not the only one. Delegation can be so challenging and yet it is critical to effective leadership. If you tend to be a control freak or wear perfectionism as a badge of honor, delegation may be your last resort at work.  Join me this week to learn more about how to delegate and why it really matters. Your future self will thank you. This podcast will help you: Learn how failure to dele...

If you've been listening to the podcasts recently, you know we are experiencing a loneliness epidemic. As humans, we are hard-wired for connection and yet too many of us feel alone and adrift even if we can name folks we love and care about. Today, I've got an excellent new book to share with you Plotonic, by Marisa G. Franco. It's all about how understanding the science of attachment can help you...

We’ve been taught that fitting in is the name of the game if you want love, affection, and connection. Ironically, however, these efforts lead to the exact opposite outcome: loneliness and disconnection.    Join me on the podcast to learn the difference between fitting in and true belonging.    This podcast will help you: Identify how belonging requires our basic safety needs to be met Learn why i...

Our society is experiencing a loneliness crisis, which carries high costs for health and well-being. Loneliness is a natural outgrowth of not feeling a sense of belonging. It’s the experience of feeling lonely even when surrounded by people you know and care about. Today we'll explore fitting in as a false substitute for belonging.    This podcast will help you: Understand why fitting in is a poor...

What does it mean to have a life well-lived? No, it's not money, power, looks, or influence. Join me on the podcast as I discuss what 40 years of research points to.   This podcast will help you: Understand the research of "what makes life worth living" Learn 13 sources of well-being Clarify that well-being doesn't mean you're happy all the time

We all want to reach our potential, but it can be challenging. Join me as I review Transcend by Scott Barry Kaufman, an excellent book about the new science of self-actualization.   This podcast will help you: Learn how to reach your potential Understand two categories of human needs Identify why purpose is essential to your potential

It's time to create a more nuanced understanding of your needs. Are you getting your needs met? How would you even know? Join me Today as we explore 3 keys to understanding and meeting your needs.    This podcast will help you:  3 Keys to understanding your needs Understand why you are driven by some needs more than others Learn how you can meet your needs effectively

Are you tired of your unhelpful patterns? The ways you get emotionally hooked? Maybe you lash out, perhaps you shut down. Join me today as I share an excellent tool to help you overcome your miserable patterns.    This podcast will help you: Learn how you get emotionally hooked in relationships  Slow down emotional reactions for greater calm  Understand how self-awareness and self-care lead to gre...

When you look at your own life, maybe you don't consider that you have a trauma history. Maybe you don't. But when it comes to our families, we can often experience death by a thousand cuts, or relational trauma.    Join me today to learn what you need to know about relational trauma.   This podcast will help you: Understand the impact of relational trauma Learn 4 types of psychological trauma Ide...

The word trauma has been thrown around a lot in our society in recent years. And it's easy to be confused about what that term actually means. And, in fairness, the way the term has been used has shifted over the years.    Today, I don't want to get into that debate - it's a contentious one with strong positions on either side. But I do want to get practical in terms of helping you understand your...

The most successful marriages know this truth: You cannot love from above or below.   Partners must be equal. They make decisions together and see life's decisions as shared. This doesn't mean that everything is fair and perfectly equitable, but it means that you're approaching life as US, not ME. And this approach makes ALL the difference.   Join me on the podcast as I review Terrence Real's book...

If there's one thing you could do to create more happiness, security, and peace in your life, focus on strengthening your marriage. And yet most of us are woefully neglectful of our marriages. We believe love is enough, and I assure you it is not.   You reap what you sow. If you aren't daily attending to your marriage, don't be surprised when your relationship is full of thorny weeds.    This podc...

In the past two years, our use of technology has skyrocketed with some big impacts. Don't worry, I'm not here to tell you to throw your desktop in the trash in favor of paper and pen, but I want to share some numbers from a large scale survey to help you assess how you are doing when it comes to digital exhaustion and what you might want to do moving forward.    This podcast will help you: Identif...

Do you know the factor that makes the biggest difference in whether your team will succeed or fail? It’s all about engagement. Join me for today's podcast to learn how the team leader’s engagement can make or break a team.    This podcast will help you: Understand what matters most to ensure an effective team Learn why team leader engagement is so important Learn 5 traits of engaged team leaders  ...

You owe it to your teams to organize your meetings, engage team members, and invite everyone to prepare for a focused, effective meeting. Tune in today as I review Michael Hyatt’s excellent book, No Fail Meetings.    This podcast will help you: Learn 5 Steps for No-Fail Meetings Sync up your team for success  Have better questions for better meetings   Connect on Instagram @dr.melissasmith   Don't...

Most of us accomplish our work on teams. But is your team effective? As a leader, you play a key role in engaging team members and making your teams more effective. Join me on the podcast to learn how to have a more effective team.    This podcast will help you: Identify why it’s imperative to lead your team Bring more discipline to decision-making Understand the power of effective team decisions ...

Today I want to help you assess your team size and effectiveness. Because when it comes to teams, size does matter.    This podcast will help you: Understand the value of team-based work Identify the ideal team size for better decisions  Organize your teams based on effectiveness, not status    Connect on Instagram @dr.melissasmith   Don't miss out on weekly podcast episodes. Subscribe here to rec...

For the past few weeks, we've been talking about conflict management. We all have conflict, whether at work or home. And, let me tell you, it's not a great thing if you don't have conflict. Conflict can be healthy and necessary to get to better solutions, tackle big challenges, and strengthen teams. Today, in Part 3 of this series, we're going to focus on the 3rd task of conflict management–proble...

Tune in for my favorite reads of 2022. I hope you find something on the list that captures your imagination, shifts your understanding of yourself or others, and offers you an escape that is connecting.    5 favorite books of 2022: The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles Radical Compassion by Tara Brach Burial Rites By Hannah Kent The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'fa...

When it comes to conflict with others, it is a human tendency to jump to the defense. Last week we talked about how the stress response kicks up during conflict. Today, we're going to focus on the second task of conflict management, seeking understanding.   This podcast will help you: Understand why you feel threatened in conflict situations Decrease defensiveness in conversations  Learn three way...