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104: Dr. Amy Edmondson — The Science of Failing Well

February 22, 2024 by Cal Walters in Leadership, Courageous Leadership, Intentional Living

The views expressed on this podcast and page are those of the host and guests and do not necessarily reflect the official policy, position, or endorsement of the US Army, DoD, or the US Government.

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We used to think of failure as the opposite of success. Now, we’re often torn between two “failure cultures”: one that says to avoid failure at all costs, the other that says fail fast, fail often. The trouble is that both approaches lack the crucial distinctions to help us separate good failure from bad. As a result, we miss the opportunity to fail well.

After decades of award-winning research, Amy Edmondson is here to upend our understanding of failure and make it work for us. In Right Kind of Wrong, Edmondson provides the framework to think, discuss, and practice failure wisely. Outlining the three archetypes of failure—basic, complex, and intelligent—Amy showcases how to minimize unproductive failure while maximizing what we gain from flubs of all stripes. She illustrates how we and our organizations can embrace our human fallibility, learn exactly when failure is our friend, and prevent most of it when it is not. This is the key to pursuing smart risks and preventing avoidable harm.

With vivid, real-life stories from business, pop culture, history, and more, Edmondson gives us specifically tailored practices, skills, and mindsets to help us replace shame and blame with curiosity, vulnerability, and personal growth. You’ll never look at failure the same way again.

Amy C. Edmondson is the Novartis Professor of Leadership and Management at the Harvard Business School, renowned for her research on psychological safety over twenty years. Her award-winning work has appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times, Psychology Today, Fast Company, Harvard Business Review, and more. Named by Thinkers50 in 2021 as the #1 Management Thinker in the world, Edmondson’s Ted Talk “How to Turn a Group of Strangers into a Team” has been viewed over three million times. She received her PhD, AM, and AB from Harvard University. She lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and is the author of Right Kind of Wrong, The Fearless Organization, and Teaming.

The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the Workplace for Learning, Innovation, and Growth
By Edmondson, Amy C.
Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well
By Edmondson, Amy C.

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If you’re interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader


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February 22, 2024 /Cal Walters
failure, growth, resilience, grit, psychological safety
Leadership, Courageous Leadership, Intentional Living
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98: Simone Askew — On Being the First Black Female First Captain at West Point, Authentic Leadership, and Advice for Mentors

January 11, 2023 by Cal Walters in Leadership, Servant Leadership, Courageous Leadership

It's great to be back after taking a few months off!  I'm really excited about all we can learn together in 2023!  

Today I have the privilege of sharing my interview with Simone Askew. In 2017, she became the first African American woman to earn the role of First Captain, the leader of the Corps of Cadets at the United States Military Academy at West Point.  This is regarded as a major step in racial and gender equality within the United States military. She was also named by Glamour magazine as one of the top 10 College Women of the Year. She is also a Rhodes Scholar.  Askew earned a MSc with merit in refugee and forced migration studies from the Refugee Studies Centre and a MPP from the Blavatnik School of Government at University of Oxford.

She also recently published her first book, Citizen Skyland, a compelling story of a young black woman finding herself, her courage and her legacy when the world needs it most.  If you'd like to learn more about Military Mentors and their upcoming event, The MMoment III, visit militarymentors.org.  


If you’re interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader


Listen to some of our most popular podcast episodes here!

Help us grow by leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts

Help us close the gap in leadership instruction by partnering with us financially at Patreon

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January 11, 2023 /Cal Walters
resilience, vulnerability, mentors, diversity, inclusion, equity, struggle
Leadership, Servant Leadership, Courageous Leadership
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83: Mike Bassett — On Getting Out of the Ditch, Overcoming Shame, and Finding Redemption

March 02, 2022 by Cal Walters in Servant Leadership, Intentional Living, Leadership

Unapologetically passionate and transparent, Mike Bassett has never stopped believing in the power of his team, truth, and doing the next good thing. He is a civil litigation attorney who has practiced law for nearly four decades. In 2002 he founded The Bassett Firm, a Dallas-based boutique law firm specializing in defending catastrophic injury cases.

Mike has tried nearly 200 cases to verdict and is a highly sought-after national speaker, consultant, and mediator. He is also the host and co-creator of the Podcast, Legal Grounds: Conversations on Life, Leadership, and Law, whose guests have included everyone from bishops to military leaders and New York Times bestselling authors.

In his time as an attorney, Mike has embraced the hard path of grace and believes in second chances as much as he believes in honesty to his clients.

On this episode, we discuss his new book, The Man in the Ditch: A Redemption Story for Today.

The Man in The Ditch is a story about undeserved privilege, unlimited potential, hard work, and hustle. A story about self-inflicted wounds, hubris, insecurity, shame, and abandonment. A story, ultimately, about the Operation of Divine Grace that manifests itself as unapologetic joy. 

And while this is a story told by a lawyer, father, husband, and practicing Catholic, it is a story for all of us. A story that teaches us that our darkest moments don't define us, but have the power to radically change us for the worse or for the better. 

The Ditch will break us, but in that brokenness lies the potential for raw and radical transformation. 

Do we stay stuck in darkness, or do we overcome it? And once we overcome it, how do we emerge? Bitter and beaten down, or a stronger, better version of ourselves?

The Man in The Ditch: A Redemption Story for Today
By Bassett, Mike H
 

Are you interested in writing a book or finding your voice online?

Alexandra Davis at Davis Legal Media can help! She helped Mike make his book a reality.


If you’re interested in growing in your leadership practice and being inspired to think differently and unlock greater personal potential, we want to give you a gift. Just click the link below and tell us where to send you 12 Ideas That Will Make You A Better Leader In 2022.


Listen to some of our most popular podcast episodes here!

Help us grow by leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts

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March 02, 2022 /Cal Walters
resilience, grit, failure, silence, solitude, shame, vulnerability, courage, redemption, grace
Servant Leadership, Intentional Living, Leadership
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