The Smart Thinking Podcast is geared toward everyone and anyone who has an interest in the future of a child. The goal is to support personal reflection, develop greater understanding and grow personally and professionally in our missions to help kids. This school year we will be interviewing politicians, physicians, policy makers, authors, kids, parents and teachers and having deep discussions about the future of kids. Podcasts of 7 to 10 minutes will be released every Monday morning, and podcasts of 35 to 40 minutes featuring a guest will be released twice a month.
Contact me: ted@cesa6.org
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There is a fine balance between confidence and arrogance and that is the subject of this week’s podcast.
Leadership is not always easy and sometimes the hardest part of being a leader/parent is that you have to let others do what they need to do in order to find success. Take a listen to this episode as we explore the decisions parents and leaders make that can hinder those they serve.
While we are all quick to recall or judge kids who are freshman – we have a lot in common with them. Take a listen to this discussion on how we all approach change – just like a freshman.
Take a listen to this fun and engaging strategy to get people to reflect upon the people who influenced their leadership.
It is truly heroic to go to school every year for your entire life with an attitude that you can save the day. That is what a teacher does and that is why they have superpowers.
Too often we try to identify a solution without understanding the problem. Take a walk with me and explore a strategy to support greater empathy and reflection so that you can address the issue and support those you serve. Two strategies will be explored – one Six Sigma and one from David Bowie.
When you come upon two roads – do you take time to appreciate who paved them? Listen this week to hear about our role as road builders for others.
Celebrating the 75th episode by reminding us why it is so important to lead with zeal.
Everyone labors in his or her work – however, did you ever notice how tired you are when you get to lead others? This episode explores the strategies and mindset you need to employ in order to strengthen your emotions.
Leaders are not allowed to have bad days. When we have bad days, so do others – and that is not leadership. Take a listen to this episode as I discuss strategies and mindsets to help you better serve others.
Focus on defining yourself this New Year. This episode explores the mindset of sticking to who you are and focusing on getting better by clearly defining who you are and what you stand for so that you can be a great leader each day.
How are you investing in joy for others? This episode explores the ways in which you can use your leadership to support the future of all those around you.
Leadership is not a title we are given – it is a way of life. In this episode, we explore how someone who appears ordinary — turns out to be extraordinary.
This episode details four texts that I recommend you read or gift over the break.
The two most important steps in the change process are creating and communicating a plan. Too often we forget the need to be simple and elegant in our processes. This episode discusses a way to support change in your professional and personal life.
In this episode we will explore a strategy to support your leadership by practicing one of the most important behaviors of a leader: reflection. Learn how to use a quick tool to increase your leadership health and set your mind straight.
This episode explores the importance of recognizing the journey when people fail. We reflect upon the importance of looking at things that don’t work out so that we can coach others to the next level of success by building off of failed experiences.
This episode explores the W.A.I.T. strategy for when we are in conversations with others (Why Am I Talking?) We also explore tools you can employ to foster a culture that allows all voices to be heard.
This episode is a discussion on how to approach performance results and new information by shaping the mindset of those you serve. We will explore fixed mindset verses a continuous improvement mindset and review strategies to help you set the stage for success.
This episode focuses on what happens when leadership grows from within. We discuss the importance of supporting others by creating a culture around three values and then watching as the energy creates electrifying leadership.
This episode is a conversation around the importance of being resilient in your minutes, days, actions, projects and leadership. Defy the pessimists by being more Churchill.
As a leader are you focusing on the long view or the short term? This episode explores the behaviors of leaders who look to the future, focus on the success of others, and find the energy to get over the obstacles they face.
It is critical to create conditions so that the people you serve can be vulnerable. It is a leader’s responsibility to employ strategies for success, and this episode explores how to use tools to avoid embarrassing moments for everyone.
This episode is an interview with Mike, the older brother of Amy. Amy is special because she is fun, funny and loving and also has Down syndrome. This interview is an inspirational story of how three siblings love and care for their 49-year-old sister Amy. Listen as you hear how they work with, care for, and live with all the gifts that Amy brings to them.
Friend: https://www.facebook.com/PORT-YAMAHA-162375717686
This episode is a great activity that will support both your own reflection and those that you serve. Be prepared for a wonderful and emotional opportunity to think about who made you – you!
The leadership profile in this episode is going to take a little bit of a different angle. I want to reflect with you upon the people — behind great leaders and review the idea that leadership is everywhere.
Too often we believe that great leaders are born, that there is truly a thing called an overnight sensation. In reality, no one gets where they are without great mentoring, role models or unique life experiences.
This episode is dedicated to a process that will allow you and those you serve to be in a position to reevaluate how you lead, when you address change, and how you maintain your capacity for leading by developing a map to support your system.
How you start out the relationship of a team is critical. This episode will provide you the strategies you need in order to more quickly build connections that lead to greater collaboration.
This episode focuses on a strategy that can be employed to help you maintain a positive mindset throughout the entire year.
Leadership is everywhere and anyone who has influence over another person is a leader. Human beings learn best from the example of others and when you have an influential platform you have an opportunity to impact others. This episode profiles a princess who changed the world with a simple gesture.
This episode is a discussion about having a “you first” attitude for those you serve. When you have a “you first” mindset, you are looking for ways to improve others, you are looking for doors to open in other people’s leadership, and you are looking for strategies to support them so that they realize their potential.
This episode focuses on a process that will allow leaders to support the learning of those they serve. The process allows the audience to think, talk, and work with the new information in a simple way that will encourage collaboration as well as the retention of knowledge.
Did you ever notice that just about halfway through any journey, project or task – you lose a little motivation? In this episode we are going to look at a quick strategy to help leaders reflect upon how far they’ve come and provide some fuel for you or those you serve to get to the finish line.
Leaders need to have an understanding of history, understand the immediate situation and have a strong vision for the future. Too often leaders are good at one of the three critical components needed to make good decisions and in this episode we will explore how one man understood the past, lived in the present and envisioned the future in an eerily accurate fashion.
What do you do when you have a sense of optimism and you find yourself being actively anchored by pessimists? This episode will explore the mindset of improvement and how important it is to maintain an optimistic train of thought.
This week’s episode is entitled: Graduate and Grow. I explore how we should use every experience each day to review our learning and reflect to be better tomorrow.
As we approach the summer, I want to give you a few texts that I would recommend you read in order to grow your leadership. Each book I have read and I am recommending for a different reason – but each is interesting and will allow you to grow as a leader.
Books:
This episode explores a process that allows you to intentionally collect feedback so that you can pivot quickly, improve, and reflect for greater success.
In life and leadership many of us individually are working very hard to support and serve others. But what are we doing as leaders each day to prepare those around us to lead and keep the momentum going in our world? This week let’s do some smart thinking on how we can prepare others to be successful by reflecting upon how to support succession.
This week in the United States is teacher appreciation week and I wanted us to do some smart thinking and reflection around those that ensure that we have the ability to be one of the most educated cultures in the world.
Everywhere you go and everything you do — people are watching, people are paying attention, and people are formulating judgments. So what do you do with that type of knowledge and how do you lead knowing that the world is watching?
This episode explores the need for leaders to reinforce the energy and effort of others. Take a listen as we discuss the real way to get people to be their best.
Too often we do not confront the ideas and stories swirling around in our heads. This episode describes two strategies that can be employed to support your ability to make informed decisions and grow your ability to coach yourself and others.
Leading others is never easy. Leadership is: rewarding, difficult, engaging, stressful, heart swelling and heartbreaking. However, there is one trait that takes leaders from one level to the next – commitment.
This episode is a conversation with two parents whose daughter grew up to co-found The Well Pennies. Join me for a conversation with two ordinary parents who have an extraordinary mindset. Hear how a 90-cent tip leads to a parenting philosophy around gardening and acceptance. This episode is filled with wisdom and explores how two parents approached raising a talented and confident woman.
This episode is going to explore the need to be patient in both actions and decision-making. We will discuss the two extremes of people around patience and look at strategies to support you and them on the journey of excellence.
This episode is about the power of having a coach to support you in your leadership. We will explore self-coaching as well as having a coach. Never underestimate the power of having someone else in your life to support your leadership in a candid and honest way.
Everyone has bad moments or days. But what you choose to do once this occurs makes a difference. Listen this week as we discuss the importance of being able to rebound. Rebounders have three core behaviors – they persevere, use instinct and have courage.
Note: sound quality is not as good as normal – this was recorded at a Holiday Inn in Indianapolis and I had to buffer a lot of noises from the neighboring interstate.
Email: ted@cesa6.org
Twitter: @tneitzke
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Why is it so hard to listen to other people? Join me this week as we explore the science behind our inability to always pay attention and be attentive with intention.
No reflections — just a challenge this week!
Twitter: @tneitzke
Facebook: @smrtthnkng
What happens when you get two obnoxiously optimistic people together for a conversation about being positive? Join me and find out as I have a great discussion with Supt. Aaron Sadoff, one of the most positive people I’ve ever met. Aaron works each day to transform the lives of everyone he meets with his messages of happiness as well as his optimistic outlook on every situation.
Twitter: @tneitzke
Facebook: @smrtthnkng
Before we are too quick to find a solution – we need to make certain that we have first identified the problem. We have to ask ourselves, “Are we trying to solve the problem or are we trying to find the problem?” We should always be trying to find the problem. Without an understanding of the issue we cannot solve anything.
Twitter: @tneitzke
Facebook: @smrtthnkng
The key to finding elegance in complexity is to embrace as many people as possible. People have all different talents and perspective – very few times is one person correct in their assumptions – but as soon as you infuse diversity in the decision – you get rich, deep and meaningful solutions.
The research behind diversity in the workplace is pretty clear. Companies that have a woman on their Board of Directors out perform companies without female leadership and teams that have diversity go even further in performance.
Twitter: @tneitzke
Facebook: @smrtthnkng
Behind each champion there are other people who are championing for him or her. Each of us as leaders has the opportunity to be part of that story when we choose our leadership behaviors and actions. Champions have characteristics that are universal – they are resilient, committed, driven, talented, strong. But champions are not only athletes – they’re ordinary leaders and people who every day demonstrate the skills and mindsets necessary to be their best for others.
Twitter: @tneitzke
Facebook: @smrtthnkng
Smart Summary: The Power of Moments
The path of least resistance is paved with things forgotten – no one remembers the ordinary things we do – we remember the extraordinary moments of courage and risk. The path of reward is paved with the chances we took and filled with memories, emotions, tears and joy. Join us this week for a conversation about risk and regret.
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There is a lot of research that shows the act of forgiveness in leadership and life makes you a better and stronger person. This episode will help you to develop the practice of forgiveness in your leadership.
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What is it like to be a professional musician? How do you start? What are the obstacles and lessons when you take on the leadership of following your passions?
Join us for an extended conversation with two extraordinary people as we discuss their journey and their motivations. The Well Pennies provide the theme music for the Smart Thinking podcast and the founders are also a remarkable couple that demonstrates buffalo leadership behaviors.
This episode is especially insightful and powerful for those aspiring to have a life in the arts.
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One of the greatest qualities of leadership is reflection, and we often forget to take a second and elevate ourselves out of the micro moment and move ourselves to the macro analysis. Join us for a conversation of how to step back from your situation and look at it differently and/or with another person to gain perspective.
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True collaboration has to be defined and modeled. In a multi-generational world we do a poor job of demonstrating collaboration. I suggest that you start by showing popular examples of collaboration and then breaking down the roles that people play in truly collaborative environments and then asking the team members to identify what they can contribute.
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Happy New Year and welcome to 2018 and goodbye 2017. This podcast is about growing yourself as a person and a leader in the upcoming year, as well as developing a process to help you be better. Go small to go big and find yourself content in 365 days.
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Listen on the ride in between traditions this holiday season. This is an active reflection podcast for the people in the car! Take some time to discuss what is good about being friends and family and plan a moment for the future.
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This podcast is dedicated to making you think differently and reflectively about your roles with your friends, your colleagues and your family. Every culture has traditions and they are key to our culture. They’re important because they are the fabric of a family, a community, a workplace, a classroom and civilization.
Buy the Well Pennies Holiday Song Jingle Bells here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/jingle-bells-single/575053297
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Join us for a discussion that explores your legacy and how two headstones in a colonial graveyard sparked deep reflection. We will explore how you and the way you lead and live define your legacy.
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Happiness is a key driver for success, engagement, and satisfaction. This episode focuses on the keys to being a happy leader. They are: friendship, kindness, movement, getting caught up in what you are doing, purposeful reflection, having a set of guiding principles and being optimistic.
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Leaders are always on the look out for opportunities to find buffalos and emulate their behavior, learn from their choices, and observe them in their natural settings. We ourselves gain courage from seeing others take a risk or doing something different. Join us for an episode where we explore how the main character from the book WONDER can inspire us all to be a little more buffalo.
See Sharon’s story at: www.graymatter-matters.com
WONDER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob7fPOzbmzE
This episode is a conversation with Dr. Dan Hagerman. We learn about his education and how he formed his thinking around many of the issues facing parents and children today. We discuss everything from peanut allergies to autism, ADHD to picky eaters as well as why he believes things are a little bit the same and different for today’s children and parents.
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How do we take the tradition of Thanksgiving and shift it a little to increase the true nature of giving thanks? Join me for a discussion on how to make sure that those around you recognize what it is they’ve done for you.
Giving Tuesday – help me help others:
https://join.riveredgenaturecenter.org/campaign/riveredge-nature-center-giving-tuesday-2017/c153271
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Episode 16 explores thinking and more specifically – divergent thinking. When did all the creativity and ability for adults to come up with bold new ideas slow down or even stop? We explore the need for adults to stop interfering in the creativity of children and work together through collaboration to be divergent in our thinking.
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Episode 15 is a conversation with Wisconsin State Superintendent Tony Evers. We discuss everything from his days growing up on the grounds of a hospital, to making cheese and the current state of public education in Wisconsin and the nation. Join us for a great discussion around educational practices and the future of learning. This episode was recorded in the summer of 2017 in Madison, Wisconsin.
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Episode 14 asks you to reflect on your mission and describes the difference between choices and decisions. The distinction is great and we need to know the difference. So take a listen and be prepared to write your mission.
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Fun – why is it such a big deal when something turns out to be fun? Why is it when people tell you “it’s going to be fun” so many of us sigh? Life should be purposeful. Life should be engaging. Life should have deep meaning. Shouldn’t life also be fun?
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Today’s podcast is one of our bi-weekly interview episodes. Today’s guest is Jim Brindley. Jim beat three types of cancer — four times. Listen as he discusses and describes his journey and shares a great mindset for all of us to learn from.
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Today’s podcast is about you reflecting on your history and what influenced you to love – what you love and who fueled that passion. The episode is also a tribute to one of the people in my life that sent me in a new direction.
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Episode 10 investigates how you approach change and your perception when faced with a “new normal.” Leadership, on all levels, is about looking at the changes around us and seeking the why. Driving your mind to understanding the change and working within the new reality is a core skill of leaders. Victims cast blame while leaders cast solutions.
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Senator Lena Taylor, representing the 4th Senate district from Milwaukee, is this week’s extended conversation. Join us as we talk about everything from her education in grade school and high school to her journey to law school and the state Senate in Madison. This conversation was recorded in the summer of 2017 and is part of a series of conversations with elected officials in Wisconsin. These episodes are designed to build a better understanding of the policy and lawmakers guiding our future in Wisconsin.
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This episode explores your attitude towards serving others. Service to others is a core principle of all religions and cultures. Yet the idea of service for others is constantly talked about and measured. Service is interpreted by so many in so many ways, but it boils down to one simple principle: selflessness. The concept of putting everyone you meet first.
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Episode 7: Oh, to be in High School again
This year at homecoming, will you be criticizing this generation and their traditions or will you be appreciating their unique contributions? Listen this week as we explore homecoming and the ways that we can support our children with a little wisdom and empathy.
Episode 6 is the journey of one parent and how she and her family worked through incredibly difficult times and the impacts addiction have on a family. You will reflect on your own role in the lives of others and the empathy you need to have to support people in your life. As you’ll hear, too many of us judge people with addictions and we fail to remember that that is someone’s child. As Em points out, we are way too quick to judge and extremely slow to understand.
Episode 5: Motivation or Motionless
The key to motivating yourself is through small victories, positive experiences and the intrinsic spark you feel when you find success. By taking the time to fix what is bugging you, slowing down and taking a gentle step forward, you allow yourself the greatest opportunity for success. This leads to a spark within and overrides the magnetism of pessimism.
When you flip your perspective on your problems you begin to appreciate them in a new way. Mindset matters and it changes your outlook and gives you energy.Are you framing your problems as opportunities or obstacles? Are you truly putting the nature of your current issues into perspective? Are you listening to others and helping them grow through their situation? How are you modeling gratitude and motivating others with your positive perspective? Are you surrounding yourself with those that fuel your gratitude or those that drain your motivation?
Episode 3: A Conversation With Governor Scott Walker
Episode 3 is one of my conversations with interesting people that I will post bi-monthly. I am fortunate to get into some interesting environments and meet fascinating people. This is my effort to share these conversations so that you can be a part of my unique experiences and learn along with me. I am inquisitive by nature and believe that we can all grow and learn from anyone we meet.This episode is the conversation I had with Gov. Scott Walker during the summer of 2017. We discuss everything from Star Wars to Barry Manilow as well as his appreciation for teachers. Gov. Walker shares his vision for Wisconsin and his journey from Colorado Springs to becoming the Governor of Wisconsin.
Episode 2: Relevant or relaxed
Are you staying relevant or are you relaxed? Paul McCartney is the epitome of reinvention to remain relevant. After the Beatles broke up, who would have thought Sir Paul would be as relevant nearly five decades later? What are you going to do differently so you can remain relevant? What behaviors in yourself will you work to grow? How will you stay relevant so you can better serve others?
Episode 1: Buffalo V. Cow
How to develop an optimistic mindset: Are you a buffalo or a cow? Optimistic or pessimistic? The two animals respond very differently when facing Rocky Mountain storms. Listen to how you can be a buffalo and face issues head-on. Problems that are procrastinated on are only amplified; waiting only makes it worse.