TOUGH TALKS: Conversations on Mental Toughness

How has my life been impacted because of the world that I live in? How do I want to impact the world because I have lived in it?
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These are the questions that today’s Tough Talks guest, Dr. J’Lein Liese, has committed her life to challenging people across the globe to answer. Dr. Liese is an international expert in leadership, strategy execution, communication, change management, and conflict resolution. She works extensively in acute-conflict areas. Most recently, in the Middle East and previously throughout Africa.
The bottom line, really, is that J’Lein is a global servant and her mission is to have us live together peacefully and productively.
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J’Lein is about as interesting a person as you can ever meet. She’s a master of distinctions. And that all comes through abundantly clearly, as usual, in this fascinating dialog during which we touch upon:

• 9:00 – The distinction between Attachment and Preference and how this distinction can govern our happiness
• 17:30 – The magic of Mirror Neurons en route to a gorilla trek in Uganda
• 20:00 – The difference between Positive and Negative Resilience and the importance of putting a Positive Resiliency practice in your life to avoid becoming depressed or becoming a victim thinker
• 31:00 – The beauty and blessing of Neuroplasticity and how huge change doesn’t need to take forever
• 32:45 – The 5 Step Process of changing your inner stories (capitalizing upon that neuroplasticity) and freeing yourself from old restrictive thought patterns

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J’Lein is a true genius and a gift to the world in which we live. I know you’ll love her and enjoy this poignant discussion.

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http://www.leadwithconversations.com

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https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-jlein-liese-ph-d/

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My guest in this episode of Tough Talks is the was the CEO of Core Security, and currently is President & GM, One Identity, David Earhart. Core is a private computer and network security company. David is a lifelong disciple of mental training.

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He's been practicing meditation for decades, he was the captain of the tennis team at Texas Tech, and he is and always has been committed to personal and physical growth and empowering people. His commitment to perpetual growth and service are two of his main keys to his incredible success on ALL levels.

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He has a beautiful family, loves cycling, and is a master fly fisherman. You're gonna be fascinated by his wisdom and soothed by his energy and transparency. I'm blown away by his ability to choose peace amidst chaos. Enjoy!

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https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-david-earhart-ceo-core-security/

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In December of 2019, Sal Ponzio was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer of the esophagus, liver, stomach, intestines, and lymph nodes. He was given three months to live and was told to sell off his assets and prepare to live the best he could for those 3 months.

After spending one of those months in disbelief, he had an epiphany and he made a decision, "I'm not going out like this." He has been recovering now for about 15 months and things are looking good but he isn't out of the woods.

He uses an American Football analogy. When he was given his diagnosis and prognosis, the rival team (death) was on the one-yard line about to score the winning blow that would seal the game. Now he's turned it around. He stopped them and now he's - as he calls it - in field goal range on second down. If you don't get football, suffice it to say this, that's a hell of a turn-around, AND it's far from over. Sal talks to us about how he chooses to live now and what he does both physically and mentally to conquer the beast of cancer.

https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-the-biology-of-belief-with-sal-ponzio/

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"If we're out on the ocean in rough seas and you're leaning over the rail getting seasick and I come over to you and put my arm around you and say, 'I'm so sorry you're feeling so crappy' - that's sympathy. If I start puking with you, THAT'S empathy!"

That was what the CEO of The WD-40 Company, Garry Ridge, said in response to my question, "How do you define empathy?"

Garry relies heavily upon empathy as one of the most powerful skills that great leaders use to create a work environment characterized by emotional safety. And he refers to his leaders as coaches. In fact, he refers to ALL of his employees as coaches.

The employees at The WD-40 Company aren't a "team" - they're a TRIBE. Garry's leadership approach is based upon his deep research on Tribal cultures and the 7 characteristics that show up in any tribal group you can name. And that approach works! The company is killing it and the employees are pretty pumped to be there. In fact, 99% of employees say that they love to tell people that they work for WD-40 Company.

The company doesn't sell oil in a can. That's boring. They don't stop squeaking. That's boring. They create positive, lasting memories. That's amazing. And I can attest to that. I share my own amazing WD-40 memory at the end of the interview.

If at all possible, be ready to take notes. Garry drops a lot of wisdom here.

More about Garry:

Website: https://thelearningmoment.net/

Personal LinkedIn: Https://www.linkedin.com/in/garryridge Company

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/wd-40-company

Twitter: https://twitter.com/learningmoment

https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-creating-safety-and-success-with-the-tribe-culture-with-garry-ridge/

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Inherent within your passions are the mechanics for stratospheric success.

Sam Calagione, founder and brewer at Dogfish Head Brewery, is proof of that. Sam trusted his passion for crafting what he refers to as “off-centered” beers and 26 years later he has literally created a food and beverage (and lodging) dynasty! And he’s having a boatload of fun doing it. He is meticulous about a lot of things. The level of creativity he puts into his creations is astounding. He travels the planet to meet people and discover ingredients that have never before been used or combined, to create some of the most unusual brews in history.

He uses that same level of meticulousness in creating his remarkable culture. I’ve experienced it firsthand. It’s epic. The quality of customer service is remarkable. The lightness of being is intoxicating – even before your first sip!

I define success as having your life on your terms. We have a lot to learn from Sam about this!

More about Sam:

Website: https://www.dogfish.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dogfishheadbeer/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dogfish-head-craft-brewery/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dogfishhead/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/dogfishbeer

Link to the episode: https://christopherdorris.com/tough-talks-beer-boarding-in-the-scrapple-belt-with-dogfish-head-sam-calagione/

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