Shaping an Environment of Resilience with Prof. Mustafa Sarkar | Episode 7

Explicit content warning

10/24/23 • 42 min

In today’s episode of the Bouncebackability Podcast, we have the pleasure of talking to Associate Professor of Sport and Performance Psychology, Dr Mustafa Sarkar. Join us as we take a deep-dive into the parallels and learning opportunities that come from elite sport, with special focus on how the environment shapes the performance and resilience of team productivity and mindset.

Mustafa shares his own experience and some fantastic real-life examples highlighting the importance of defining resilience within organisations; the symbiosis between performance and well-being, and the benefits that come from re-framing the way we view pressure and developing a healthy challenge mindset.

Mustafa is a Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society. He works closely with teams and organisations to create environments and cultures that develop resilience and psychological safety. His impressive client list includes Google, the Premier League, the English Football Association and numerous international Olympic Committees.

Enjoy the show!

In this episode:

[00:07:13] Changing the mindset - should we re-frame resilience as how we handle pressure and is it important to be challenged?

[00:18:31] How creating a positive and comfortable environment can foster an open and honest conversation within teams and individuals.

[00:20:51] Changing a culture takes time and buy-in. Proactive development leads to resilience.

[00:37:21] Has resilience lost its meaning? The importance of defining resilience in organisations.

[00:41:05] Why balancing performance and well-being is essential for individual and organisational growth.

You can connect with Mustafa here:

LinkedIn:

Dr Mustafa Sarkar | LinkedIn

Twitter: @MusSarkar

Nottingham Trent University Profile

Please like, subscribe or follow, so you're notified of any new episodes coming up, and if you're keen to reach Rusty or Simon with any suggestions, feedback or comments, you can contact them via the show's LinkedIn page here:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-bouncebackability-podcast/

Enjoy the show!

In this episode:

[00:07:13] Changing the mindset - should we re-frame resilience as how we handle pressure and is it important to be challenged?

[00:18:31] How creating a positive and comfortable environment can foster an open and honest conversation within teams and individuals.

[00:20:51] Changing a culture takes time and buy-in. Proactive development leads to resilience.

[00:37:21] Has resilience lost its meaning? The importance of defining resilience in organisations.

[00:41:05] Why balancing performance and well-being is essential for individual and organisational growth.

You can connect with Mustafa here:

LinkedIn:

Dr Mustafa Sarkar | LinkedIn

Twitter: @MusSarkar

Nottingham Trent University Profile

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-bouncebackability-podcast/

Previous Episode

Overcoming Setbacks to Achieve Dreams with Military Commander Justin Reuter | Episode 6

In this episode of the Bouncebackability Podcast with Simon and Rusty, we welcome an incredible guest – a senior defense consultant and Tornado F3 fighter pilot, Justin Reuter. Drawing on his own personal journey as a military weapons instructor (think the UK’s equivalent of ‘Top Gun’) and Commander of the UK Air Forces in the Middle East, Justin shares his insights on how civilians can adopt military techniques to aid bounce back from setbacks and develop resilience within their organisations and teams.

He talks to us about the importance of mentors and how brutal honesty from all ranks in his team have benefited his own growth; how he has applied the concept of funnels and delegation to optimise leadership roles of corporates across the UK, and the effect environment can have on the outlook of your team.

We also dive into the military's approach to planning, debriefing, and reassessment, and how businesses can incorporate these strategies to become more productive and resilient. Justin's wealth of knowledge and practical examples provide invaluable lessons for leaders in any field. Get ready to gain valuable insights on building resilience and creating a culture of challenge within your teams. Let's dive in!

In this episode:

[00:03:18] Resilience - Overcoming setbacks to achieve dreams.

[00:08:14] Military training methods – building strong teams and the importance of trust between team members.

[00:18:25] Maintaining composure in face of challenges – the complexities of managing the Afghanistan base.

[00:38:09] Justin's lessons on delegation, broadening horizons and the impact of good leaders.

You can connect with Justin here:

LinkedIn:

Justin Reuter | LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-bouncebackability-podcast/

Next Episode

The Power of Storytelling: Connecting, Healing, and Transforming Lives with Clare Murphy | Episode 8

Today on the Bouncebackability Podcast, we speak to the international speaker and storyteller, Clare Murphy. Clare has an impressive CV. Not only is she the Director of Story at the Mission Critical Institute in the USA, she’s also a consultant and trainer for worldwide organisation, such as the National Theatre, The Royal Shakespeare Company, BLESMA Limbless Veterans, and University of Bristol. Clare has performed in over 20 countries with the former president of Ireland, Mary Robinson and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory among the notable guests in her audience.

In this episode, she shares her experience of storytelling as a medium that extends beyond the personal experience. Clare explains the crucial role it plays in creating connection and fostering a sense of belonging in teams and organisations. From the legacy built by coaches like Alex Ferguson to the profound physiological and neurological impacts on doctors and nurses, storytelling reinforces culture, builds connections, and provides the much-needed space for reflection and processing.

Join us for this thought-provoking episode, sharing unique perspectives on the power of stories to bring positive change.

In this episode:

09:57 Storytelling and culture in organisations – how we can share the legacy in a meaningful way through storytelling.

18:50 The Rishi Network – established by Dr. Rachel Reman to combat isolation and depression in medical professionals and the importance of addressing the emotional impact of extreme situations.

20:17 The DRIVE project - storytelling to train veterans with various injuries, including limb loss to share their life before and after the incident.

23:28 The impact and importance of personal experiences over measuring output efficiency - has social media created a disconnect?

28:57 Storytelling as transformation - helping people overcome trauma, heal from past experiences and even alleviate pain through sharing their story.

45:09 Digital excess - how information overload is affecting our emotional processing response and how stories are the antidote.

57:55 Storytelling as an emotional gym – the impact of telling stories as a collaborative experience can build resilience.

You can connect with Clare here:

www.claremurphy.org

Instagram: Clare Murphy (@storyclare)

LinkedIn: Clare Murphy | LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-bouncebackability-podcast/

The Bouncebackability Podcast - Shaping an Environment of Resilience with Prof. Mustafa Sarkar | Episode 7

Transcript

Simon Ursell [00:00:01]:
Simon and Rusty here with the Bounce Back Ability podcast. The podcast that explores how to deal with obstacles, setbacks, and challenges.
Rusty Earnshaw [00:00:08]:
Hope you enjoy the pod.
Simon Ursell [00:00:09]:
Looking forward to it. Listen on. Hi. Welcome to the pod. We're, gonna be talking to Mustafa shortly. Really Excited about this one. He's such such an interesting guy.
Rusty Earnshaw [00:00:22]:
Well, let's hope his interest doesn't wane