The Smart Thinking Podcast

Welcome to Season 7! On this episode Ted shares a process to help you preplan for the unexpected. Ted describes the behaviors needed to have an engaged group of leaders and talks about an accident where he observed random buffalo leaders charge into a WAHBL situation. Listen as he discusses the best of the buffaloes -- a 3rd grade teacher who was everything to everyone at this accident scene. Burn...

In this episode Ted shares the importance of doing a personal strategic review in the summer by utilizing process and taking clarity breaks. Too often we are not taking time to reflect on what works, what needs iteration and what we need to stop doing in our lives. Take a listen as he shares a simple and tested process to support you growing forward. List when you will take clarity breaks. Describ...

Too often in summer or between projects we employ retreats to look at results and we create a bunch of documents that rarely get deployed.  This usually occurs because people are using lagging data and negotiating on what the culture will allow. This episode will help frame the need for cultural languages and tools to ensure that what we want to stick - -stays stuck and works. Organizations create...

Ted is sharing books that he believes must be read this summer to help us all grow as leaders. Especially, those that serve children or have children. The curated list of texts are meant to be read in order to help each of us grow. There is a growing crisis on how children are learning and behaving, and these books will help you help the children in your life. Take a listen as Ted shares seven boo...

When the seasons change, it provides us the opportunity to seek improvement through process. Take a listen as Ted describes a process to help you find the joy in your life. We choose to enJOY our work and there are two hungers we have to feed- ourselves and our passions.   Describe what your passions are. List the people who could be coached to reflect upon their passions. List who you trust to gu...

How do we get more children and adults to read? Take a listen as Ted shares a strategy for increasing the amount of children reading. It all boils down to one key idea -- if we want children to read - -the adults have to read! List who you should read with. Describe the books you like to read verses the books others like to read. . List the books you'd like to read with others. 

How will you remember this school year? Take a listen as Ted explains a process to use to help you and your system reflect - with intention - in an effort to create a realistic memory of the year. Learn how to identify the peaks, the pits and the transitions so that you can celebrate and acknowledge the real journey and use the information to better serve your classroom, school or system in the fu...

Ever wonder how memory is impacted by emotions, or how the amount of books in your home informs your child's intellectual skills, or how electronics are impacting development or what AI is doing to the brain? Wonder no longer -- these and many more questions are answered in this conversation with Jared as we explore the brain and his newest research and discoveries.  Find him: https://www.youtube....

We all need to be both leaders and followers and we can do that if we CARE. Listen as Ted explains the need for us each to be in two lanes at once - lead and follow. CARE is a simple way of explaining what a good follower does.   Collaborate Accept responsibility Resilient Engagement with intention

Listen as Ted reminds us of the power of listening to the "nudges." This is the 300th episode of the podcast and Ted walks through how important it is to listen to the ideas of others and shares a simple process to support coaching yourself to higher levels of engagement and happiness. Song: Sunflower Bouquet by Anderson Coates - Golden Bear Studios   Reflections:  List the "should’s" you heard th...

Too often in our organizations, we forget to provide the leadership so that we have a strong cultural understanding of our journey. As a result, we need a process. Join Ted as he explains why and how to create a unified story(narrative) so that more people can celebrate all they've done together so that you can end the year together!    Process prompts:  Celebrations (Internal) Celebrations (Exter...

What is your process for advocating for yourself and your strengths? Too often other people judge us and do not understand us so we need a process to help others see our strengths. Join Ted as he shares a process to employ for you to create your own self advocacy plan or IAP.  Identify your strengths and soft strengths. Describe who in your world needs to be coached to self-advocacy. List ways in...

This conversation with author and mental fitness guru Greg Harden is going to change you, your leadership and maybe even your life. His book is fantastic, his career is amazing, and this conversation is a game changer. Take a listen as Greg and Ted – two obnoxious optimists – discuss how to support your own journey and how to focus on being your own best friend.   Book: Stay Sane in an Insane Worl...

Join us for a discussion of how an emergency surgery supercharged Ted's belief that empathy is the greatest leadership quality. Hear as he discusses the great care he received and how the healthcare workers supporting him diminished his vulnerability by being empathetic. You'll be inspired to think about how you matter in the moments when others need you the most!  Describe the last time you felt...

What is your intentional process to ensure you get the best from an interaction with someone else? Seriously, people you like, people you work with, people you over and even people on the opposite side of politics? Join us a for a great conversation where Craig and Ted trade a ton of strategies and tactics to support you in developing a stronger ability to have great conversations. 

As we look to the start of spring and a break for many of us, I want to give you some texts to read to invest in yourself and others! This list of texts is best read in the order explained and below. However, each book, by itself, is fantastic!   Stay Sane In An Insane World, Greg Harden A New Kind Of Diversity, Tim Elmore Yes To The Mess, Frank Barrett How To Know A Person, David Brooks The Littl...

Gallup has so many great resources and one of my favorites is the Clifton Strength Finder. Join me for a conversation with Dr. Tim Hodges who over sees the Clifton Strengths Institute and learn how to apply your strengths and utilize the tool in new and rewarding ways. 

Maybe we all need to learn a new habit. Short-term memory when leading. In other words, how to move ourselves along quickly so that we don't get trapped in a narrative that causes us more stress and pressure. Well, as Ted Lasso says: be a goldfish.   Use the four f's to get you there: fast, forgive, forget and forward!

Join me for a conversation with author Tim Elmore as we discuss his newest book: A New Kind of Diversity. Our conversation focuses on how to bridge the gap between generations and become more empathetic for those you serve.  I highly recommend his book and exploring his website: growingleaders.com

Too often we miss the opportunity to SHOW our teams why we need to change. Take a listen as we explore the impact of taking organizational field trips. Where do you need to go and visit? Describe a process you could employ to increase collective empathy and understanding. List who needs to go on a field trip.   Book: The Power of Moments- Chip and Dan Heath

Do you have an intentional strategy to bring energy to the staff and students as you enter the second half of the year? You do now. Take a listen and hear a few ways in which you can provide the energy and motivation to take you through the rest of the year.  Describe your strategy to create mid-year energy List the activities you’ll do or do to create lift mid-year Describe how you can energize a...

This year, we need to practice being better to ourselves. Take a listen as we explore a great communication process for self reflection and goal setting. Hear why we need to be more generous -- not necessarily to others -- - but to ourselves. List ways you can increase generosity towards yourself Describe a process you can use to set your goals List other ways you can use this process to support o...

I thought I’d turn on the mic and sit down with my kids and ask them to describe their experiences as college students and why they want to be teachers.    

It is the time of the year for us to focus on belief. Belief in ourselves, our abilities and the future. That is - hope. Take a listen as we explore the research behind hope and utilize two great people and two great coaches to frame hope for this season!  Describe your hope strategies List people that need to know they matter Describe a process you can employ to utilize this learning  

Are you good at being coached? Do you have the courage and vulnerability needed to improve to be the best version of yourself? This episode offers reflections, tips, and looks at specific ways to become more coachable as well as be a better coach for others.  Describe your willingness to be coached. List the people in your life that you would want coaching from. Describe how you have traditionally...