Belonging, Ego & High Performing Teams

In this thought-provoking episode, Jessy Grossman and Ashly Williams discuss the intricate dynamics of ego, competition, and fear in the workplace, shedding light on how these elements perpetuate toxic environments.

Ashly Williams shares poignant anecdotes highlighting the systemic disparities and racism prevalent in many workplaces, emphasizing the urgent need to create a sense of belonging. They stress the importance of cultivating a culture of psychological safety, where everyone's contributions are valued, and authenticity is celebrated.

The episode also addresses the critical role of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in dismantling negative workplace dynamics. Grossman and Williams dissect how using DEIB as coded language often perpetuates division and defensiveness, hindering progress to true belonging. To initiate change, Ashly Williams advocates for building a culture of feedback and fostering a growth mindset as essential steps toward achieving these goals.

Tune in to be enlightened on all things ego, belonging, and psychological safety to build a better future.

Key Topics:

- Impact on competitive environments & teamwork

- Backlash to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging (DEIB)

- Creating a Culture of Belonging & Psychological Safety

- Impact of effectively giving and receiving feedback

- Adopting a Learning Mindset

- Reimagining Work

- Belonging and Organizational Performance

- Fostering Belonging in Organizations

Want to start giving effective feedback? You can find the scripts here: https://thejolt.myflodesk.com/feedback

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Leadership that Unlocks Peak Performance

In this episode, host Jessy Grossman interviews Brian Gelber, a successful trader, visionary leader and Co-Founder of the proprietary trading firm Gelber Group. Gelber emphasizes that to achieve higher performance, one must cultivate self-awareness and prioritize well-being. This episode dives into Brian Gelber's journey, from being a successful trader to leading Gelber Group, and the lessons Gelber learned along the way. Brian Gelber shares personal stories of failure, decision making and resilience, highlighting the importance of learning from setbacks. Gelber also discusses his leadership style and the value of creating a supportive and empowering culture. The episode concludes with host Jessy introducing the SOAR framework, which emphasizes strength, optimization, agility, and resonance in achieving sustainable high performance.

Download the SOAR visual! https://thejolt.myflodesk.com/soartoperform

Key Topics:

- The importance of balancing high performance and well-being

- Brian Gelber's reflections on his enduring legacy from the interview in "Market Wizards.

- Gelbers perspective on handling setbacks and learning from failures

- An anecdote about a significant trading loss and the lessons learned from it.

- The importance of poise and making the right decisions under pressure.

- The distinction between traditional learning and experiential learning.

- Brian Gelber's natural leadership tendencies and how they've evolved.

- The importance of listening and adapting leadership styles to different generations.

- Gelber Group's culture of opportunity & the importance of allowing employees to make mistakes and learn from them.

- The characteristics of millennial leaders

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Resources:

• Schwager, J. D. (1989). Broker turned trader: Brian Gelber. In Market Wizards: Interviews with Top Traders (pp. 325-341). New York, NY: New York Institute of Finance.

• Gelber Group: https://www.gelbergroup.com/

Exploring the Interplay of Mind and Body for Wellbeing

In this conversation, Jessy interviews Nicole Belica, a yoga teacher and mindfulness coach, about the importance of embodiment and its role in leadership. They discuss how embodied leadership allows us to be present in the moment and respond to stressors in a healthy way.

Nicole shares practical tips for cultivating embodied leadership, such as deep breathing and paying attention to physical sensations. They also explore the challenges faced by leaders who are caught between managing expectations from above and supporting their team members. The conversation concludes with a 12 min guided movement practice led by Nicole.

Feel free to move with this audio only option – listening and flowing to the cues. But if you want more visual cues, you can find the guided movement here: https://youtu.be/XFNWJvlSqIo

Key Topics for Embodied Leadership

• Embodiment and its Importance

• Impact of Dissociation

• Key Aspects of Embodied Leadership

• Practical Tips for Embodiment

• Understanding & Managing Stress as a Leader

• 12 min Guided Movement from 26 - 38 min mark

References:

Gross, J. J. (1998). The emerging field of emotion regulation: An integrative review. Review of General Psychology, 2(3), 271-299.

https://coachingfederation.org/blog/cultivating-embodied-leadership

Embracing Mistakes for Growth

In episode #3 of Too Millennial, Eve & Jessy explore ways to move forward from mistakes, emphasizing the importance of self-care, grace, and self-compassion while striving for excellence.

Jessy starts the episode by delving into the struggle many leaders face: trapped in a whiplash cycle that moves from chaos (too much empathy) to rigidity (too much accountability). To navigate this challenge, she introduces a practical 4-step approach with scripts, helping leaders embody both empathy and accountability simultaneously.

In the interview with Eve, the discussion centers on viewing mistakes as chances for growth rather than assigning blame, whether it's self-blame or team blame. Drawing from Amy Edmonson's failure spectrum, Eve & Jessy discuss their diverse leadership approaches for guiding team members through mistakes, emphasizing the value of learning opportunities over feelings of embarrassment.

The episode ends with Eve sharing actionable strategies for leadership growth and addressing the climate crisis through mindset shifts and eating habit changes. These empower listeners to make meaningful contributions professionally and collectively towards solving environmental challenges, leaving them ready to create positive change.

LINK TO THE SCRIPTS: https://thejolt.myflodesk.com/yr6xxydl7q

Topics

Introduction to the Podcast

• The leadership whiplash between accountability & empathy

• Balancing empathy and accountability with a clear expectation-setting strategy while being open to multiple ways of knowing

• Implementing a 4-step approach for accountability and empathy

• Practical Scripts for holding productive conversations

• Firm Empathy by Kim Scott and quote from Bell Hooks

Interview with Eve

• Moving forward from mistakes by reframing it into an opportunity for growth

• Finding the balance between self-care, grace and self-love and still encouraging high-quality work

• Differentiating didn't types of failure specifically the intentions and outcomes

• Practicing leading team challenges with presence and self-compassion

• Eve and Jessy talk about their failures and reactions

• Balancing Business Needs, emotional attachment & the desire to take care of others as leaders

• “You can’t know it until you live it...”

• What is Millennial about Eve & Jessy!

• Eve's Call to Action -- ways to make a difference with climate change

Resources & References

• Jocko Willink, "Discipline equals freedom" (2017)

• Edmondson, Amy. Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well. New York, NY: Atria Books, 2023.

• Scott, K. (2017). Radical Candor: Be a Kick-Ass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.

• Brach, T. (2003). Radical acceptance: Embracing your life with the heart of a Buddha. New York, NY: Bantam Books.

• Bell Hooks in Conversation with Maya Angelou http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/249.html

…because we can't solve earth's most pressing issue without a healthy team.

In part 1 of my episode, with Executive Director & Author Eve Turow-Paul, we explore how having healthy people is crucial for organizations to innovatively tackle pressing threats of climate change.

Together, Jessy and Eve explore concepts from Eve’s book, "Hungry" and self-determination theory, relating them to her approach to leadership at Food for Climate League. Eve further elaborates on her transition from a “do the work” role in a startup environment to a leadership position that builds team, culture and processes. She shares strategies such as the Sustainable Self Initiative, highlighting the significance of self-care amid busy schedules, resource constraints, and the importance of normalizing breaks.

At the heart of Eve's leadership philosophy lies a profound belief in the power of thriving people and cultivating a workplace environment - truly propels the mission forward.

Show Topics:

• Introduction to Self-Determination: Autonomy, Master/Competence, Relatedness

• Transitioning from Author to Leader

• Building Sustainable Self for Mental Health in Low Resource, Triggering Environments

• Developing Healthy Teams Aligned with Mission

• Understanding the impact of White Supremacy Culture of Urgency and Perfectionism

• Managing Persuasive Self-Judgment and Self-Imposed Urgency

Reference: Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1985). Intrinsic motivation and self-determination in human behavior. Springer Science & Business Media. Rigby, C. S., & Ryan, R. M. (2018). Self-determination theory in human resource development: New directions and practical considerations. Advances in Developing Human Resources, 20(2), 133-147.

In the inaugural episode of 'Too Millennial,' Jessy embarks on a quest to uncover the truth: is she still considered “Too Millennial”?

As Millennials step into their prime years of adulthood, it's high time for a reassessment. They’re no longer the fresh-faced rookies demanding a seat at the table; instead, they’re at the table, grappling with the newest crop of Gen Z.

Join Jessy as she debunks stereotypes like ‘trophy kids’, shedding light on the current researched traits, like digital nativism. But more so Jessy seeks to understand, in what ways have the traits of the generation shaped critical leadership skills?

Whether you're a Millennial yourself, curious about our generation, or leading Millennials, buckle up and join me on this exploration of what it truly means to be 'Too Millennial.'"

Topics:

• Why Too Millennial?
• How technology and culture drive generational differences
• Jokes about my favorite stereotypes like disruptive self-interested, entitled & job hopping
• Current validated traits like happy as teens but depressed as adults, digital natives, high earners
• Deep dive into how self-esteem movement and empty praise has impacted adulting and mental health
• Discuss the ways technology affects our communication
• Asses the readiness of Millennials as we move up the organizational ladder

If you found this episode as insightful as a participation trophy, don't forget to hit that subscribe/follow button and share it with your squad.

For more Millennial musings and leadership insights, follow me on IG @coachjessygrossman.

Special Thanks to Minor Seas for the intro Song Touch of Madness

References:

Twenge, Jean M.. Generations: The Real Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents—and What They Mean for America's Future. Atria Books. Kindle Edition.

Sergio Galdames & Laura Guihen (2020): Millennials and leadership: a systematic literature review, Total Quality Management & Business Excellence, DOI: 10.1080/14783363.2020.181238}

Bennett, Nathan. (2020). Readying millennials for the C-suite: A key to future organizational performance. Business Horizons. 63. 10.1016/j.bushor.2020.02.005.

After countless sessions of leadership coaching and team consulting, Jessy knows that leadership needs to be reimagined. Fueled by frustration with outdated work norms and witnessing clients on the edge of burnout, she's left with a burning desire for a better way of working. And so, this podcast is on a mission – a mission to explore what leadership looks like as Millennials, the "snowflake, self-centered generation", grow up and step into prominent positions of influence.

In each episode, Jessy interviews a diverse range of guests, from seasoned executives to rising stars, who share their leadership stories and strategies. Whether you're an accomplished leader, an emerging talent, or just curious about millennial leadership dynamics,, we'll uncover invaluable insights about the future of Millennial leadership.

Join Jessy as she shares personal anecdotes, highlights game-changing research insights, and infuses the conversation with light-hearted, sarcastic banter to keep you laughing. Together, let's unleash the next generation of leaders – embracing the spirit of being just a little 'Too Millennial.