Shows
The BlissFULL LifeFinding Your Second Wind with Nitya Shekar | Ep 25In this episode of the BlissFULL Life, coach and former HR leader Nitya Shekar joins Regina Lawless to explore the power of creativity, improv, and inner child work in personal and professional growth. Together they unpack how reconnecting with joy, play, and autonomy can help you find your second wind in life and work.🔗 Connect with NITYA: https://www.secondwindgroup.co/ | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nityashekar/🔗 Connect with REGINA: www.reginalawless.com | IG: @regina.lawless | LinkedIn: reginalawless✨ Don’t miss this soulful dialogue on...
2025-10-1354 min
Performance Shift: The Art of Successfully Navigating ChangeLeading from Self with Nitya ShekarJoin us on a compelling journey with leadership expert Nitya Shekar as we challenge conventional wisdom and redefine leadership. Nitya, a New York City-based professional with an eclectic background in law, executive coaching, and neuroscience research, adds an interesting dimension to our discussion with her insights on shaping values-driven company cultures. Together, we take on topics like career mobility, change agility, and the art of communication in leadership while lending a unique perspective to the discussion with the concept of a personal theme song.We love to hear from you about the challenges and changes you are...
2023-12-1840 min
2022-11-1502 minLeadership Arts ReviewHumanocracyIn Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them, Gary Hamel and Michele Zanini explore why top-down governance and rule-bound management are liabilities in the modern business world, what organizational changes are needed to equip and enable everyone in organizations to be their best and to do their best, how to manage transitions safely, and what kind of leadership such transformations demand.Kate Arms leads Alyssa Dickman and Nitya Shekar in a discussion of Humanocracy. We talk about how organizational structures and cultures hold great people back and what leaders need to do to change...
2022-11-0143 minLeadership Arts ReviewBittersweetRick Andrews, Corporate Trainer and Improvisation Teacher, joins us for a discussion of Susan Cain's latest book, Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole. We look at how people and organizations are enriched and empowered by embracing grief, sorrow, and longing.In Bittersweet, Susan Cain looks at the positive side of unpleasant emotions. We talk about how comfort with unpleasant emotions enables people and organizations to have the hard conversations, how positivity and humor can be toxic, and how authenticity serves as an antidote. Listen in if you are interested in how...
2022-10-0459 minLeadership Arts ReviewDriveIn Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, Daniel H. Pink presents research on effective motivation and the importance of autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Despite the runaway success of the book, corporate management has done a surprisingly poor job of implementing these ideas. Alyssa Dickman leads a discussion of Drive with Nitya Shekar and Kate Arms. We talk about how people are motivated and the ways organizational structures can inhibit or support motivation.We discuss the relationship between creativity and motivation, the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivators, how monetizing passion and purpose can b...
2022-09-0637 minLeadership Arts ReviewWhy Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?In Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?: (And How to Fix It), Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic discusses why so many organizations equate leadership potential with destructive personality traits like overconfidence, narcissism, and psychopathy. He shares what qualities we should be looking for and valuing instead and suggests new systems and processes that can help organizations put the right people in charge.Kate Arms leads a discussion of Why Do So Many Incompetent Men Become Leaders?: (And How to Fix It) by Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic with Alyssa Dickman and Nitya Shekar. We talk about why it is so easy...
2022-08-0235 minLeadership Arts ReviewRebel TalentIn Rebel Talent: Why It Pays to Break the Rules at Work and in Life, Francesca Gino discusses the importance of defying the status quo for both personal life satisfaction and organizational success.Nitya Shekar, Kate Arms, and Alyssa Dickman discuss Rebel Talent and the importance of innovation for organizations and the power of defying the status quo to create personal fulfillment.We discuss risk taking, vulnerability, innovation, and creativity.Listen in if you want to embrace a little more rebellion in your work and life.
2022-07-0540 minLeadership Arts ReviewReal ChangeSharon Salzberg is a prominent meditation teacher with a specialization in loving-kindness meditation. In Real Change: Mindfulness to Heal Ourselves and the World, she discusses how meditation practices give us the energy and motivation to sustain the hard work of driving change.Alyssa Dickman leads a discussion with Kate Arms and Nitya Shekar. We talk about the connection between personal development work and leadership impact.We discuss the relationship between resilience and grief, the gifts of anger, and how mindfulness creates hope and energy when things are difficult.Listen in if you yearn...
2022-06-0746 minLeadership Arts ReviewLead From The Outside feat. Christine GautreauxIn Lead from the Outside: How to Build Your Future and Make Real Change, Stacey Abrams shares her story and the tools she has used to build a movement for change as a black woman.Kate Arms and Christine Gautreaux lead a discussion about having influence when you start with a disadvantage. Special guest Christine Gautreaux brings her stories of having worked on campaigns led by Ms. Abrams to this discussion of the special challenges of leading change when you start with the deck stacked against you.Listen in if you want to...
2022-05-0341 minLeadership Arts ReviewThe Power Of UsNitya Shekar leads a discussion of The Power of Us: Harnessing Our Shared Identities to Improve Performance, Increase Cooperation, and Promote Social Harmony by Jay J. Van Bavel, PhD and Dominic J. Packer, PhD. How can leaders harness identity to increase effectiveness?In The Power of Us, Jay J. Van Bavel and Dominic J. Packer explore the subtle and not-so-subtle ways our sense of identity shapes our perception and behaviour. And they revise the conclusions from some classic studies in psychology based on more nuanced analysis.NItya, Kate Arms, and Alyssa Dickman discuss how to...
2022-04-0544 minLeadership Arts ReviewUnleashedIn Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You, Anne Morriss and Frances X. Frei discuss not only how to have leadership impact when you are in the room, but also how to keep having impact in your absence.Alyssa Dickman leads a discussion with Kate Arms and Nitya Shekar about the trust triangle, supporting inclusion as a leader, and strategic collaboration with outside organizations -- with a special look at what love looks like at work.Listen in if you are committed to leading others in ways that free them from dependence o...
2022-03-0140 minLeadership Arts ReviewThe Coaching Habit & The Advice TrapA double-feature discussion of Michael Bungay Stanier's books, The Coaching Habit and The Advice Trap. Two books on leading better through talking less.Michael Bungay Stanier shares how to empower others through good questions in The Coaching Habit and how to get better results through giving less advice in The Advice Trap.Kate Arms, Alyssa Dickman, and Nitya Shekar discuss the differences and overlaps between the two books and why they make a powerful pair. We talk about questions that aren't questions, the discomfort of silence, and why giving advice is so tempting....
2022-02-0149 minLeadership Arts ReviewLook Back, Look AheadAlyssa Dickman, Kate Arms, and Nitya Shekar discuss themes from the books we read for Season 1 and give a preview of what's coming in Season 2.Hear us discuss themes that crossed the season, which books we loved most, and which ones we use ourselves. We talk about what we've learned and what we are changing. And just a little about the books we have lined up for the next few episodes.
2022-01-0445 minLeadership Arts ReviewLiving With A SEAL feat. Carmen EkdahlIn the final episode of Season 1, Nitya Shekar and Alyssa Dickman are joined by special guest Carmen Ekdahl of Cop Coach and the non-profit Transformational Leadership Collaborative to discuss Living With a Seal by Jesse Itzler. Jesse Itzler invited a Navy SEAL to live with him for a month and put him through extreme fitness training. Living With a SEAL is that story.Special guest Carmen Ekdahl, coach to police officers and other first responders, joins Alyssa and Nitya for a discussion about leadership in the context of daily threats, the power of extreme training t...
2021-08-0336 minLeadership Arts ReviewEmotional AgilityAlyssa Dickman leads a discussion of Emotional Agility: Get Unstuck, Embrace Change, and Thrive in Work and Life by Susan David. We look at how to engage effectively with our emotions and why leaders need to develop emotional agility.Susan David shares why emotional agility is a crucial leadership skill and teaches a four-part process for working with emotions to extract the wisdom they bring without overwhelming us. Alyssa, Kate Arms, and Nitya Shekar talk about the power of getting to know our emotions and learning how to relate to them without being directed by t...
2021-07-0647 minLeadership Arts ReviewRebootKate Arms leads a discussion of Reboot: Leadership and the Art of Growing Up by Jerry Colonna. We look at what it means as a leader to embrace your demons in service of better relationships and more effective leadership.Jerry Colonna believes that better humans make better leaders. In Reboot, he shares what that means and how we can all become better humans and better leaders.Kate, Nitya Shekar, and Alyssa Dickman talk about the power of radical self-inquiry, becoming fierce with reality, and facing the crucible moments that transform good leaders into great ones...
2021-06-0143 minLeadership Arts ReviewThink AgainWhat would change if you celebrated learning you were wrong about something in service of being right? Nitya Shekar leads a discussion of Think Again by Adam Grant. We look at how questioning our beliefs makes us more effective leaders.Nitya, Alyssa Dickman, and Kate Arms, talk about why leaders need to be comfortable changing their minds for the right reasons, how to cultivate a scientific mindset, and why rethinking your positions is valuable even when you don't change your mind.Listen in if you have ever wondered how you can change your...
2021-05-0448 minLeadership Arts ReviewThe Truth About LeadershipIf you only remembered 10 things about leadership, what should they be?Alyssa Dickman leads a discussion of The Truth About Leadership by Barry Posner and James M. Kouzes. We look at the ten fundamental truths about leadership that tend to remain constant over time.Alyssa, Kate Arms, and Nitya Shekar talk about the fundamental truths about leadership that tend not to change over time. We also discuss the three elements that create the conditions for trust, the relationship between values and employee engagement, and what love has to do with leadership.Listen in...
2021-04-0643 minLeadership Arts ReviewThe First 90 DaysWhat do you need to do in the first few months in a new leadership role to set yourself up for success?Kate Arms leads a discussion of The First 90 Days by Michael D. Watkins. We look at the skills and processes you need to get off to a good start in a new leadership role.Kate, Nitya Shekar, and Alyssa Dickman talk about the process Michael D. Watkins recommends for navigating the first three months on a job without falling into the common traps and pitfalls. We discuss his suggested techniques and some of...
2021-03-0241 minLeadership Arts ReviewThe Four Agreements feat. Margaret LeahyWhat does it mean to take seriously the idea that words matter?Nitya Shekar leads a discussion of The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz. We look at why words matter and how leaders can build presence and trust through these four simple agreements they can make with themselves. Featuring special guest Margaret Leahy.Nitya, Kate Arms, and special guest Margaret Leahy talk about the four ways Don Miguel Ruiz says serve as guideposts for leaders to speak and act with integrity and pay attention to their impact.Listen in if you have...
2021-02-0232 minLeadership Arts ReviewThe Outward MindsetHow would you like to have more influence in your organization or in the world?Alyssa Dickman leads a discussion of The Outward Mindset by The Arbinger Institute. We discuss how looking outside yourself, your team, or your organization and focusing on the impact you have on others makes you more effective and influential.Alyssa, Nitya Shekar, and Kate Arms talk about how an outward mindset enables individuals, teams, and organizations to be more effective. The discussion includes a description of the outward mindset and how to cultivate it, stories of outward mindsets in action...
2021-01-0543 minLeadership Arts ReviewWho Do We Choose To Be?What is required of leaders when the world feels like it is falling apart? How can facing reality and claiming leadership equip everyone to face the complex problems of the modern world?Kate Arms leads a discussion of Who Do We Choose To Be? by Margaret J. Wheatley. We discuss the leadership challenges of the modern world and Wheatley's call for everyone to face reality, claim leadership, and restore sanity.Kate, Nitya Shekar, and Alyssa Dickman talk about what it means to put the human spirit first in a world that often feels overwhelming and...
2020-12-0147 minLeadership Arts ReviewNo Hard FeelingsWhat goes wrong when we think that having emotions is unprofessional? How can embracing emotions at work make us more effective at our jobs and drive better business results?Nitya Shekar leads a discussion of No Hard Feelings by Liz Fosslien and Mollie West Duffy. We discuss how accepting emotions at work increases productivity and effectiveness for individuals and organizations.Nitya, Kate Arms, and Alyssa Dickman talk about what emotions are, how they impact behavior, and what true emotional intelligence really takes in the workplace.Listen in if you have ever wondered how...
2020-11-0335 minLeadership Arts ReviewManaging TransitionsHow many times have you been through an organizational change that didn't stick?Alyssa Dickman leads a discussion of Managing Transitions by William Bridges and Susan Bridges. We discuss how changing processes and systems is different from leading people through transitions, and why change fails if the transition isn't managed well.Alyssa, Nitya Shekar, and Kate Arms talk about the psychology of how people deal with change and what that means for leaders. The discussion covers endings, new beginnings, and the messy time in the middle. The episode is full of stories of transitions including...
2020-10-0643 minLeadership Arts ReviewSay What You MeanHave you ever struggled to get your point across in a conversation? Kate Arms leads a discussion of Say What You Mean by Oren Jay Sofer. We discuss how mindfulness and non-violent communication skills help leaders have more impact and build better relationships through more effective and satisfying conversations.Kate, Nitya Shekar, Margaret Leahy, and Alyssa Dickman talk about listening as the key to being heard, self-awareness as the key to speaking clearly, empathy as the key to effectiveness, and presence as the key to putting them all together.Listen in if you h...
2020-09-0143 minLeadership Arts ReviewThe Untethered SoulHow does spiritual wisdom about the self and the soul turn into real-world leadership advice? Nitya Shekar leads a discussion of The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer. We discuss how mindfulness and self-awareness help leaders increase their options.Nitya, Kate Arms, Margaret Leahy, and Alyssa Dickman have a lively discussion about self-awareness as the seat of personal power, leadership presence, and how we can cultivate the freedom to choose what we do in each moment. Listen in if you have ever wondered why so many leaders have come to embrace mindfulness practices.
2020-08-0444 minLeadership Arts ReviewThinking, Fast and SlowNitya Shekar leads a discussion of Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman. Nitya, Alyssa Dickman, and Kate Arms talk about the power of intuition, how it fails, and how to train it. We discuss the various cognitive biases that influence how the human brain functions and some ways that we can either counter or "be with" them.We also discuss the psychology of dealing with rare events, tips for hiring better, how to plan projects so that you have happy memories, and how all this applies to behavioral change and change management.
2020-07-0744 minLeadership Arts ReviewThe 15 Commitments Of Conscious LeadershipAlyssa Dickman, Kate Arms, and Nitya Shekar talk about trust-based leadership, the power of taking responsibility for everything that happens to us, the stories we make up, and the importance of play in this discussion of The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Warner Klemp. We share our personal experiences with some of the commitments and ideas of how to use other commitments. You'll hear our "think-away" suggestions and how we characterize this book according to our leadership tree metaphor. For additional information and tools from Conscious Leadership Group, visit...
2020-06-0246 minLeadership Arts ReviewDare To Lead In this discussion of Brené Brown's Dare to Lead, Alyssa, Kate, and Nitya talk about the myths that persist around vulnerability, how leaders can show up wholeheartedly, and what it means to really show empathy to others. We discuss rumbling with vulnerability, empathy, shame, daring leadership, and more. We also share our favorite tools from the book for rumbling with vulnerability and what the BRAVING acronym looks like in action. You'll hear our "think-away" suggestions and how we characterize this book according to our leadership tree metaphor. For additional information and tools from Brené Brown, visit the Dar...
2020-05-0546 min
Empjoyment: Real-life stories from diverse career changers into non-technical jobs in digital tech companies. Join Nemo Ashong in empowering diversity in tech by helping career changers transition into non-technical roles in tech companies.26: Practice Mindfulness to Adapt Quickly in Rapidly Changing Tech Environments (Nitya Shekar - Learning and Development Manager, AppNexus)Listen to this episode now to learn how to: Incorporate mindfulness into your daily activities (without having to add a brand new meditation practice) Design impactful experiences based on best practices Nitya has discovered first-hand Adapt to constantly changing work environments so you can navigate shifts in priorities, team structures, and budget and focus on the work that you need to get done do in the midst of it all Enjoy full episode notes, discussions, and takeaways at https://empjoyment.com/nityashekar Additional Resources for your Empjoyment Complimentary 1-on-1 Tech Career Coaching:Â I'm o...
2017-10-1100 min
Actuarial Journey with Nemo Ashong62: Bloom where you are planted (Nitya Shekar, Learning and Development Expert and Co-active Coach)About Today's Guest Nitya Shekar works in Learning & Development at AppNexus, designing and facilitating programs focused on “smart skills,” including emotional intelligence, team effectiveness, good management, and personal and professional growth. She is also a Co-Active coach currently getting her certification through the Coaches Training Institute. Originally from Houston, TX and now based in New York, NY, her background is in Psychology (Rice ’07) and Law (Harvard ’10). Nitya is passionate about the mind sciences and hopes to branch into neuroleadership and other brain-based human capital work. Her other interests include improv and travel. Visit ...
2016-07-2600 min