Stuck in the grip of bad habits? Me too. In this episode, we dive into the challenge of altering entrenched habits, starting with my own terrible phone habits, ending with my friend who is shifting her company from a rigid, top-down culture to one driven by collaboration and innovation. Both scenarios highlight a common theme: despite knowing what needs to change, actual transformation is elusive.

Our discussion will center on the science behind motivation and behavior change, drawing on Chip and Dan Heath's influential book, Switch. We'll dissect their "Rider and Elephant" analogy, exploring how our rational and emotional sides interplay. You'll learn strategies to direct the "Rider," motivate the "Elephant," and shape the "Path" to facilitate change.

Resources:

• We’d love to see you at book club! https://www.irenesalter.com/leaders-campfire
• Switch by Chip and Dan Heath: https://heathbrothers.com/books/switch/
• Or check out the 16 minute summary video by the author: https://vimeo.com/191668697
• Leaders' Playground Episodes 6 and 10 discuss cognitive load and working memory capacity
• Thinking fast and slow by Daniel Kahneman: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11468377-thinking-fast-and-slow
• Atomic habits by James Clear: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40121378-atomic-habits
• Positive psychology on the science of motivation: https://positivepsychology.com/improving-motivation-at-work/
• Attuned.ai has a beautiful, easy to read, free white paper comparing extrinsic and intrinsic motivation: https://www.attuned.ai/whitepaper-intrinsic-motivation-download
• Motivation pyramid graphic can be found under podcast resources on my website: https://www.irenesalter.com/podcast

For complete show notes, transcript, and free downloadable resources go to: https://www.irenesalter.com/podcast

Ready to ditch the "super-mom" cape and toss out those impossible workplace expectations? The newest episode of eaders' Playground" is here to shake things up!

We're diving into the wild world of social norms and asking the big questions: Can anyone really "have it all"? Why do we keep tying ourselves in knots to please everyone? And what does Barbie have to say about it all?

Join us for a fun, science-filled ride (yes, fun and science belong together) as we explore the myths we've all bought into - from the "ideal worker" (hello, 24/7 email responder!) to "ideal success" (TED talk, anyone?). We'll chat about cognitive biases, share stories, and even draw our own "ideal" selves (spoiler: mine looked suspiciously like Legally Blonde's Elle Woods).

So grab a coffee, put your feet up, and let's rewrite those old-school rules together. It's time to turn work into play and find success on our own terms. Who's in?

Resources:

The Barbie movie: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517268/

America Ferrera’s monologue: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBqlDWHkdHk

Psychology 101 primer on social norms: https://www.simplypsychology.org/social-roles.html

All about that persnickety anchoring bias: https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/anchoring-bias

Great Forbes article on the bandwagon effect: https://www.forbes.com/sites/brycehoffman/2024/05/26/bandwagon-effect-what-it-is-and-how-to-overcome-it/

Find Brigid Schulte’s fabulous books and TED talk here: https://www.brigidschulte.com/

Why Women Still Can’t Have it All by Anne-Marie Slaughter: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/07/why-women-still-cant-have-it-all/309020/

William Ouchi’s Theory Z merges Japanese and American management philosophies: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_Z_of_Ouchi

If ideals show up for you in the form of impostor syndrome, then check this out: https://www.irenesalter.com/post/how-to-get-good-at-impostor-syndrome

For complete show notes, transcript, and free downloadable resources go to: https://www.irenesalter.com/podcast

Can anyone truly become a master, or is it a talent reserved for the naturally gifted? This episode of the Leader's Playground promises to shatter the myth that genius is inborn by drawing upon Robert Greene's book "Mastery" and the lives of icons like Zora Neale Hurston, Albert Einstein, Marie Curie, and Ben Franklin. We'll reveal the hidden truths behind their extraordinary achievements—truths rooted in relentless dedication, practice, and the honing of unique talents.

And of course we'll dive into the neuroscience of mastery! Are new neurons are born in adult brains? How did bird brains help change the minds of an entire field? What actually happens to a master's brain as they hone their craft? How long does it take?

Ultimately, we find that mastery is within reach for all of us.

For complete show notes, transcript, and free downloadable resources go to: https://www.irenesalter.com/podcast

Tick-tock goes the clock, echoing the relentlessly busy pace of life. From my early days as a teacher to life as a principal juggling a young family, my obsession with time management and productivity twisted my days into a chaotic, multitasking, exhausting whirlwind.

In this episode, we explore the concept of "Time Confetti," a term coined by Brigid Schulte, representing the way time in our modern lives gets chopped up into tiny scraps like confetti. Through a series of experiments (try it with me!) and surprising studies (featuring a unicycling clown?!?) we'll explore the science of task switching and multitasking, revealing how they drain energy, increase errors, and reduce productivity.

We'll end with practical tips for reclaiming your time, from focused time blocking to batching small tasks. Transform your scattered days into a balanced flow, achieving what time researchers call "Time Serenity."

Resources:

• Read Brigid Schulte’s book Overwhelmed! It’s great. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17934399-overwhelmed?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=dej8btydIc&rank=3
• In this episode I mention...
  • Episode 5 about avoiding overwhelm https://leadersplayground.buzzsprout.com/2282726/14850884-5-how-to-cut-one-million-to-do-items-down-to-just-three
  • Episode 6 where we talk about decision fatigue https://leadersplayground.buzzsprout.com/2282726/14967365-6-how-to-dump-delegate-date-do-re-define-your-to-do-list
  • Episode 9 about executive attention and default mode https://leadersplayground.buzzsprout.com/2282726/15196587-9-four-ways-to-make-conferences-worth-the-effort-with-the-science-of-creativity
• Here’s a link to some NYTimes coverage about that WWU study on task switching https://archive.nytimes.com/well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/22/what-clown-on-a-unicycle-studying-cell-phone-distraction/
• To learn more about time blocking and bunching the little things, see this blog post https://www.irenesalter.com/post/overwhelmed-by-your-to-do-list-5d-s-to-the-rescue
• Learn about pulsing in Tony Schwarts’s book The Power of Full Engagement https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/68985.The_Power_of_Full_Engagement?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=m3DBV1malu&rank=1

For complete show notes, transcript, and free downloadable resources go to: https://www.irenesalter.com/podcast

Why do we endure the hassle of conferences and retreats with time away from family, expensive travel, noisy venues, and exhausting days? The allure of online professional development is strong. Yet, something magical happens at the best events that leave us feeling rejuvenated and inspired. Why?

In this episode, we’ll learn what makes some conferences and retreats so powerfully invigorating. After attending a playful and creative DnD convention, I began to see a pattern. The best events reignite our creativity. We explore three unique professional gatherings I experienced this year, dive into the four stages of creativity, and learn how to harness this power to make our future conferences and everyday lives more creative and fulfilling.

Join us to discover the top 4 ways to transform your next conference into a creativity-fueled adventure!

Resources:

• Links to the four conferences I mention in the episode:
  • Join me in Mendocino for the annual women’s leadership retreat! https://www.irenesalter.com/leadership-retreat
  • Charter School Development Center’s annual Leadership Update and other trainings https://www.chartercenter.org/support/leadership-trainings
  • DunDraCon an annual Dungeons & Dragons convention takes place Presidents Day weekend every year https://www.dundracon.com/
  • Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference https://www.bookpassage.com/travel
• This BYU article offers a great introduction to Graham Wallas’ four stages of creativity https://www.designreview.byu.edu/collections/graham-wallas-the-creative-process
• This is a surprisingly readable research report on the neuroscience of creativity in the premier scientific journal, Nature: https://www.nature.com/articles/srep10964.pdf
• Anna Abraham’s book, The Neuroscience of Creativity, is a great deep dive http://www.anna-abraham.com/book-the-neuroscience-of-creativity-2018.html
• For more on the stuck cycle vs inquiry cycle https://www.irenesalter.com/post/are-you-stuck

For complete show notes, transcript, and free downloadable resources go to: https://www.irenesalter.com/podcast

Why can music move you to tears, while other times you walk right by it, not noticing? Why does some art freeze you in your tracks, but other times it's just a desktop screensaver? How does beauty happen in the brain?

In this episode we visit Paris! We'll explore museums, chapels, and subway stations on an expedition to understand your brain on beauty. You'll meet several neuroscientists who specialize in neuroaesthetics such as Andrew Chatterjee and Samir Zeki, as well as violinist Joshua Bell who conducted a social experiment in the subway that reveals a lot about how to prime your brain to find more beauty. Together, we'll learn practical ways to shift your perspective in order to find beauty even in the most mundane everyday moments.

The writer Leo Tolstoy said, “We are accustomed to understand art to be only what we hear and see in theatres, concerts, and exhibitions... But all this is but the smallest part of the art by which we communicate with each other in life.” By understanding the neuroscience of beauty, we can understand how to find beauty everywhere.

Resources:

• Learn more about my book at https://www.irenesalterbooks.com
• Original Joshua Bell in the subway video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnOPu0_YWhw
• Joshua Bell returns to the subway 10 years later: ​​https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJhZ0J3bIYc
• Anjan Chatterjee’s book, TED talk, and research on the three components to beauty in the brain https://www.ted.com/speakers/anjan_chatterjee
• Semir Zeki’s work on beauty and the mOFC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlzanAw0RP4
• The fMRI research on how shifting perspective shifts the perception of beauty https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2009-22048-052
• If you’re in Paris, go visit the Musee D’Orsay https://www.musee-orsay.fr/en
• And go see Rodin’s Dance at the Moulin de la Galette https://mymodernmet.com/renoir-bal-du-moulin-de-la-galette/
• Or listen to a concert in Saint Chapelle https://www.classictic.com/en/special/concerts-in-la-sainte-chapelle/216/

For complete show notes, transcript, and free downloadable resources go to: https://www.irenesalter.com/podcast

In this episode of the Leaders' Playground, we'll examine how the craft of storytelling can inspire the art of leading. We'll begin by comparing and contrasting two dramatic arcs used by bards from Homer to Steven Spielberg: the well-trodden hero's journey versus the often-overlooked heroine's journey.

We traverse through familiar tales and myths, pondering the archetype of the solitary superhero or Jedi knight and wondering whether the stories of community and collaboration found in Harry Potter and heist flicks might offer a different way to triumph, a different way to lead. This episode peels back the layers of these narrative arcs, revealing how they sculpt our understanding of leadership and champion the idea that strength can be collective, not just a lone conquest. What kind of leadership journey are you on?


Resources:

• Heroine’s journey leadership retreat https://www.irenesalter.com/leadership-retreat
• Learn more about the book I’m writing at https://www.irenesalterbooks.com (and sign up for updates by joining my newsletter)
• I highly recommend Gail Carriger's book, The Heroine’s Journey https://gailcarriger.com/books/the-heroines-journey-for-authors-book/
• Maureen Murdock’s book by the same title is also quite good https://maureenmurdock.com/
• Joseph Campbell's book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/588138.The_Hero_With_a_Thousand_Faces
• Meet my agent, Kimberley Cameron’s website https://kimberleycameron.com/
  And meet my writing mentor, Allison K Williams https://allisonkwilliams.com/
• Learn more about dramatic arc in storytelling with Allison's blog post https://brevity.wordpress.com/2023/11/10/five-scenes/
• More than you ever wanted to know about Star Wars https://starwars.fandom.com
• And Harry Potter https://www.wizardingworld.com/

For complete show notes, transcript, and free downloadable resources go to: https://www.irenesalter.com/podcast

Follow me through my day as I declutter my to-do list. In an era where adults on average make 35,000 decisions in a single day (it's true!), this episode peels back the curtain on a process you can use to not just manage your overwhelm, but fix it. Learn about the actual capacity of your working memory and the impact of cognitive load.

We've all felt the weight of an overflowing inbox and the endless stream of tasks vying for our attention. Me too. With an overwhelming to do list of my own, it's time to use the 5Ds, my personal strategy for task prioritization, delegation, and completion. This episode is "a day in the life" of Irene capturing the thirty minutes where I sat down to get a grip on my overwhelm. I use three tools that you too can use: 1) staying true to my purpose, 2) managing my energy with a break after each bout of deep thinking, and 3) using the 5Ds to dump, delegate, date, do or re-define each and every item on my list.

Resources:

• For the 5D handout, download it from irenesalter.com/podcast
• Link to episode 3 on character creation
• Link to episode 4 with movement break
• Link to episode 5, part 1 of overwhelm!
• Decision fatigue https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1359105318763510
• My blog post on how to 5D your to do list https://www.irenesalter.com/post/overwhelmed-by-your-to-do-list-5d-s-to-the-rescue
• All about time confetti from Cosmopolitan Magazine https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/health/a38696205/time-confetti/
• Overwhelmed by Brigid Schulte https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/17934399
• Retreat website! https://www.irenesalter.com/leadership-retreat

For complete show notes, transcript, and free downloadable resources go to: https://www.irenesalter.com/podcast