315: Willie Pietersen’s “Leadership: The Inside Story

10/21/24 • 37 min

Heather talks to Willie Pietersen about his book "Leadership: The Inside Story" They discuss the transformative power of asking the right questions and how storytelling can elevate leadership practices.

Willie Pietersen is a seasoned consultant for CEOs and teaches at Columbia University.

In this insightful episode, you'll learn:

How Evolution, Philosophy, and Astrophysics Influence Leadership

Willie shares how his interest in evolution, philosophy, and astrophysics has influenced his leadership, thinking and approach. Willie explains how these fields have helped him understand the importance of continuous learning, adaptation, and humility in leadership.

Learning and Memory

Willie discusses the importance of writing down and reviewing learnings and shares research on memory retention. Willie also shares his experience of keeping a learning journal since he was 16 and how it has helped him retain knowledge and insights.

Asking the Right Question

Willie shares a historical example of how asking the right questions can lead to breakthroughs. He emphasizes the importance of framing questions correctly in leadership and how it can help leaders avoid getting stuck in a particular mindset or approach.

Storytelling in Leadership

Willie shares the power of storytelling in leadership. He highlights the importance of storytelling and how it can help leaders convey complex ideas and values simply and memorably.

In this episode for Libsyn:

[0.00 - 3.24] Introduction and Background

[3.25 - 7.28] Influences on Leadership Thinking

[12.34 - 16.03] Learning and Memory

[20.00 - 28.32] Asking the Right Questions

[28.33 - 34.54] Storytelling in Leadership

Connect with Heather:

The Elegant Warrior Podcast and content posted by Heather Hansen is presented solely for general informational, educational, and entertainment purposes. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast or website is at the user’s own risk. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician, professional coach, psychotherapist, or other qualified professional, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical or mental health condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions.

Willie Pietersen is a seasoned consultant for CEOs and teaches at Columbia University.

In this insightful episode, you'll learn:

How Evolution, Philosophy, and Astrophysics Influence Leadership

Learning and Memory

Asking the Right Question

Storytelling in Leadership

Willie shares the power of storytelling in leadership. He highlights the importance of storytelling and how it can help leaders convey complex ideas and values simply and memorably.

In this episode for Libsyn:

[0.00 - 3.24] Introduction and Background

[3.25 - 7.28] Influences on Leadership Thinking

[12.34 - 16.03] Learning and Memory

[20.00 - 28.32] Asking the Right Questions

[28.33 - 34.54] Storytelling in Leadership

Connect with Heather:

Previous Episode

314: Jodi Wellman's "You Only Die Once: How To Make it to the End With No Regrets"

This week Heather and Jodi are in a heartfelt conversation about Jodi’s book “You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets”, and the importance of living with intention and urgency in light of mortality. They explored themes such as Memento Mori, personal specialness, and the impact of habits on zest for life.

Jodi Wellman has a Master of Applied Positive Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania. She’s a professor at the University of Pennsylvania, a certified coach, and the author of the “You Only Die Once: How to make it to the end with no regrets”.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

Overview of “You Only Die Once: How to make it to the end with no regrets.” - Heather and Jodi provide insights into the book, which explores how acknowledging our mortality can motivate us to live more fulfilling lives without regrets.
Memento Mori: In this interesting topic, Heather and Jodi explain the concept of Memento Mori, encouraging listeners to remember their mortality to enhance their lives richness.
Balancing Health and Experiences: Heather and Jodi examine the tension between making health-conscious choices and the desire to engage in fulfilling life experiences.
Hazards of Habits: Jodi and Heather warn against the dangers of falling into habitual routines that may lead to a lack of fulfillment and a sense of living on autopilot.
The Role of Zest: They highlight the importance of zest and vitality in life, encouraging listeners to seek out experiences that energize them.
Impact of Screens on Connection: Both Heather and Jodi reflect on how excessive screen time can detract from human connection and personal zest, urging a conscious approach to technology.
Conclusion and final thought - The episode wraps up with a reflection on the key insights shared, along with Jodi’s theme song that embodies the spirit of adventure.

Connect with Heather:

In this episode:

[08.03] Overview of Jodi’s book, “You Only Die Once.”

[10.57] Memento Mori - 10:57

[19.27] Balancing Health and Experiences - 19:27

[33.20] Hazards of Habits - 33:20

[36.48] The Role of Zest - 36:48

[39.57] Impact of Screens on Connection - 39:57

[46.03] Conclusion, theme song, and final thoughts - 46:03

Next Episode

316: Henna Pryor and her book "Good Awkward"

Today, you’ll hear from workplace performance expert and author Henna Pryor about her book "Good Awkward: How to Embrace the Embarrassing and Celebrate the Cringe to Become the Bravest You." In this insightful conversation, Henna and Heather delve into the nuances of awkwardness and embarrassment, the importance of self-awareness, and the role of reframing negative experiences.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

The Difference Between Awkwardness and Embarrassment: Henna clarifies the distinctions between these two social emotions, emphasizing that while they share similarities, embarrassment tends to be more fleeting and shared, while awkwardness can be adopted as an identity.
The Power of Reframing: Learn how to shift your perspective on awkward moments from contamination stories to redemption stories, enabling you to embrace challenges and grow from them.
The Importance of Self-Awareness: Discover the difference between self-consciousness and self-awareness and how cultivating self-awareness can empower you to navigate uncomfortable situations more confidently.
Overcoming Social Muscle Atrophy: Understand the impact of technology on our social skills and how to combat the tendency to retreat into our phones. Henna encourages listeners to practice social interactions in small, everyday moments.

Guest: Henna Pryor, workplace performance expert, executive coach, and author of "Good Awkward"

Podcast: The Elegant Warrior Podcast

Topic: Embracing awkwardness, self-awareness, and reframing negative experiences

Key quotes:

"There is no such thing as a factually awkward person."
"It's the start that stops. Most people don't even give themselves a chance to become publicly self-conscious."
"We have small moments that we can practice giving ourselves a social push-up."

Henna Pryor's book: "Good Awkward: The Self-Consciousness Scale”

Henna’s book choice is Say What They Can’t Unhear by Tamsen Webster.

Her song is Damn It Feels Good to Be a Gangster by Geto Boys

In this episode, Heather and Henna uncovered:

[0:00] Introduction

[0:49] Introducing Henna

[2:22] awkward versus embarrassing

[6:48] Easily, empathetically embarrassed

[14:57] Self conscious and. Self aware

[26:29] Social push up

Connect with Henna Pryor:

Connect with Heather: