How to Brave the New Normal Together Through Personal Agency & Conscious Collective Action with Paul Napper & Aaron Dignan
Original Air Date Wednesday, November 11, 2020
Do you ever take time to consider the synchronicities and connections you may not notice because you are too busy?
Humans are subtly, nuanced creatures who are part of the heavens and the earth, but our new, highly-stimulated environments leave little time for magic or deep thought. Our minds are continuously bombarded with branded messages designed to make us take action in a direction we may not want to go. To discover how we can regain personal agency and reduce the amount of control industry-focused cultures have over us in the new normal, Positive Psychology Podcast Host, Lisa Cypers Kamen speaks with two changemakers who encourage humans to discover their personal truth and carry it proudly throughout the day. Dr. Paul Napper works with individuals and companies to foster behavioral changes that promote better decision making through strengthening personal agency and reducing stimuli. And, Aaron Dignan guides notable Fortune 500 companies through leadership techniques that encourage heart-nourishing, human-focused decisions.
Paul Napper — Maintaining Personal Agency:
- When branding is king how do we maintain personal agency? [2:55]
- How mindfulness promotes agency. [6:42]
- Feelings come to us automatically but thinking takes work. [10:36]
- Paul shares an example from a book he co-authored, The Power of Agency, about navigating personal agency. [14:25]
- Changing the complexion of corporate leadership by applying agency. [18:06]
- How stress can cause ‘learned helplessness’ and how to manage anxiety through behavioral changes. [20:13]
PAUL NAPPER, Psy.D., leads a management psychology practice. His client list includes Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, universities, and start-ups. He has held an advanced fellowship during a three-year academic appointment at Harvard Medical School.
Book: The Power of Agency: The 7 Principles to Conquer Obstacles, Make Effective Decisions, and Create a Life on Your Own Terms
Aaron Dignan — Braving the New Normal:
- Aaron describes his book, Brave New Work, a leadership book that touches on the sweet spot of humanity. [28:49]
- As Founder of The Ready, Aaron helps companies change the way they work and keep their magic. [31:33]
- The new landmark for teamwork and collective action in a virtual world. [39:46]
- Aaron shares an example of a company that created value by leading with the heart. [44:57]
- How small businesses can apply the operating system framework. [49:26]
Aaron Dignan is the founder of The Ready, an organization design and transformation firm that helps institutions like Johnson & Johnson, Charles Schwab, and Microsoft change the way they work. He is a co-founder of responsive.org, an investor in purpose-driven startups, and a friend of misfit toys.
Book: Brave New Work: Are You Ready to Reinvent Your Organization?
Aaron Dignan Website & The Ready Website
This episode of Harvesting Happiness Talk Radio about the new normal, personal agency, and collective action is sponsored by:
Indeed.com is the number one Jobsite platform in the world because Indeed gets you the best people, fast. Unlike other sites, Indeed gives you full control and payment flexibility in your hiring process. Only pay for what you need and pause at any time. Right now, Indeed is offering Harvesting Happiness Listeners a FREE $75.00 credit to boost your post, which means qualified candidates will see it fast! Visit www.indeed.com/hh today!
Are We Happy Yet? Eight Keys to Unlocking a Joyful Life — A boot camp manual for greater emotional fitness. Happiness waits for no one and sometimes we all need support. What is getting in the way of your sustainable well-being and happiness right now?
H–Factor: Where is Your Heart? — Lisa’s documentary film that explores the journey of human happiness. Emotions are contagious and happiness is a universally desired state. We tend to forget we all have the freedom to be happy or the liberty to be miserable each day.
“The ability to have greater agency is directly related to emotional regulation.” @LisaKamen on @HHTalkRadio Click To Tweet“We as humans are all gullible and we all can be easily manipulated.” @drpaulnapper on @HHTalkRadio Click To Tweet“To have a healthy level of personal agency it requires a certain amount of skepticism.” @drpaulnapper on @HHTalkRadio Click To Tweet“Agency is perhaps the most important thing you have never heard of before.” @drpaulnapper on @HHTalkRadio Click To Tweet “Most of the information we take in is designed to influence our decisions or to get us to buy something.” @drpaulnapper on @HHTalkRadio Click To Tweet“Setting boundaries for yourself is an important part of agency.” @drpaulnapper on @HHTalkRadio Click To Tweet“20% of Americans are diagnosed with a clinical anxiety disorder. The United Nations has ranked the United States as the most anxious nation on earth.” @drpaulnapper on @HHTalkRadio Click To Tweet“We are so obsessed with tuning the machine of industry we seldom talk about that it's made up entirely of people.” @aarondignan on @HHTalkRadio Click To Tweet“One of the reasons we make bad decisions is that we don’t have enough information.” @aarondignan on @HHTalkRadio Click To Tweet“An organization is a system so you can’t make one move without thinking about the others.” @aarondignan on @HHTalkRadio Click To Tweet“Information symmetry is a requirement if you want an organization to be stellar.” @aarondignan on @HHTalkRadio Click To Tweet“Equal talk time is one of the best predictors of success.” @aarondignan on @HHTalkRadio Click To Tweet“We need to decentralize. The center’s job is to support the edge.” @aarondignan on @HHTalkRadio Click To Tweet“I believe we should give up on the idea of perfection or a machine-like outcome and start thinking about ourselves as gardeners.” @aarondignan on @HHTalkRadio Click To Tweet
CONTINUE YOUR JOURNEY
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