Shows
Polymathic Being PodcastThat's Not My JobWelcome to Polymathic Being, a place to explore counterintuitive insights across multiple domains. These essays take common topics and investigate them from different perspectives and disciplines to come up with unique insights and solutions. Today's topic focuses on being a good team player and when it can go too far. The key is, sometimes it is OK to say “It’s not my job.” We’ll explore when that time is and what tools you have available to ensure that the job gets done the best way possible and by the right person.IntroductionLinkedIn...
2024-05-0506 min
Polymathic Being PodcastBenevolent DictatorshipToday's topic looks at governing structures that humans seem to do best under and explores why we seem inclined toward a benevolent dictator. When we step back, we find that this construct permeates almost all political philosophy whether that dictator is human or divine. Let’s dive in and poke at this odd idiosyncrasy. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-04-2809 min
Polymathic Being PodcastHow to Identify a Good LeaderToday's topic continues to build on our understanding of what I might be so bold as to call ‘true’ leadership. Today we investigate a simple but often very accurate measure of a good vs. a bad leader. It’ll be counterintuitive because it goes against almost all of the corporate processes for rewards. Yet these rewards are almost always focused on the wrong behaviors, not true leadership. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-04-2106 min
Polymathic Being PodcastAn AI Enabled PolymathToday's topic is my answer to from who recently asked: "Can Generative AI make us all Polymaths and company founders?" This essay was first published on his substack under the same title and is modified here to focus more on enabling polymathic thinking. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-04-1408 min
Polymathic Being PodcastJudging a Book by its CoverToday's topic provides an example of real-time analysis, adjustment, and adaptation specifically regarding my debut novel. As much as I talk on these topics of adaptability and change, it still isn’t easy. I hope that sharing my experience can help others. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-04-0706 min
Polymathic Being PodcastHow Many Laws?Today's topic follows up on a previous essay where we explored the structure of Biblical Law. There, I promised to investigate just how many of the Biblical laws we still follow. This essay is another dip into Systems Thinking applied to Theology and how, by stepping back, we can improve the context and better understand what’s actually going on. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-03-3111 min
Polymathic Being PodcastUnderstanding SuccessToday's topic takes a step back from a valuable concept of how we view the elements of success and looks hard at how we even define success and whether those definitions actually align with the outcomes we want. It’s part leadership insight part just a great concept to bear in mind in our personal lives as we face a ‘keeping up with the Joneses’ as we see figments of reality on social media or even in our next-door neighbors. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-03-2406 min
Polymathic Being PodcastTurtles All The Way DownToday's topic addresses the concept that almost everything requires a statement of faith and that we are largely completely comfortable with this. Unless it’s a different statement of faith than our own. Lest we think this applies only to religion, science requires the same so that we can explore the complex world around us. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-03-1705 min
Polymathic Being PodcastAgency vs. AddictionToday's topic focuses on Personal Agency as an antidote to an Addiction Economy. I’ve been contemplating this one for a while, unsure how to write it but knowing it needed to be written. We’ll explore addiction, agency, and how many efforts to regulate behavior just don’t work as well as applying our own personal agency. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-03-1014 min
Polymathic Being PodcastPolymaths UniteToday's topic is motivated by an engagement with a subscriber on Substack chat. (which you all can join via the link at the end) It highlighted that some people view the idea of a Polymath more like a mythical creature than the real and very ordinary humans they are. Today we’ll address that idea and invite everyone to join in breaking down the barriers of silos of expertise and bring the Polymathic mindset everywhere. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-03-0306 min
Polymathic Being PodcastDon't Trust AI... Entrust ItToday's topic started as a much more technical article that I’ve distilled down to capture one of the single most important insights I’ve come across in the conversations around AI and Autonomous Systems. It’s the topic of trust and we’ll explore why that concept is so fickle and how one simple, yet counterintuitive change of perspective can unlock an incredible method to ascertain ethics, complexity, trust, safety, verification and validation, and much more. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-02-2513 min
Polymathic Being PodcastSteelmanToday's topic is about making you into a superhero! We are going to help you improve your strength and agility. You’ll be able to soar above everyone else. People will look for you to solve wickedly complex problems. Even better, it helps to avoid conflicts to begin with and improves your interpersonal engagements. We are going to teach you how to be Steel[wo]man (pick which one you want) Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-02-1807 min
Polymathic Being PodcastChaos and OrderToday's topic is a second exploration into the strength of the feminine and forces us to address something many find problematic in that the ancient archetypes depict the feminine as chaos and the masculine as order. This seems to offend our sensibilities but only because we have a deeply encoded bias that the masculine order is somehow preferred. We’ll dive into the history of the feminine, of our consciousness, and what we’ve lost over the millennia. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-02-1114 min
Polymathic Being PodcastThe Dirty Secret of RecyclingToday's topic is painful for me to write as I’m an environmental conservationist who has spent the better part of my life recycling. Over the past years, I’ve realized that what I thought was helping the environment may not be having any benefit at all. Today we dig into our broken recycling system and find out why we need to forthrightly address and fix these issues versus just feeling good about recycling. This is envisioned to be part one of three. This one will identify the problem and the other two will introduce those who are working to s...
2024-02-0414 min
Polymathic Being PodcastRediscovering the GoddessToday's topic is going to explore something that I think is drastically missing from feminism: the feminine. It’s a complicated topic that has to peel back some sensitive layers, biases, history, and politics to uncover the core of the feminine. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-01-2811 min
Polymathic Being PodcastNuclear MeltdownToday's topic attempts to energize interest in an incredible technology that many view negatively; Nuclear Power. We’ll introduce the cutting-edge advances in energy production, miniaturization of reactors, massive safety improvements, and best of all, the wonderful environmental benefits that nuclear can offer us in the future. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-01-2109 min
Polymathic Being PodcastAcknowledge and IgnoreToday's topic is one more on leadership but this time pivots to one of the most effective followership tactics I’ve ever heard and struggle to do. It’s a simple mantra that allows you to gain the good graces of almost any leader while, at the same time, allowing you to do what you planned on anyway. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-01-1406 min
Polymathic Being PodcastClothing and SexToday's topic is another sociological and psychological investigation into how the clothing we wear sends complex signals that can be interpreted differently by different people. We’ll explore human sexuality and whether we fully appreciate or articulate the implications of how we clothe ourselves. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2024-01-0716 min
Polymathic Being PodcastAmazon Exposed!Welcome to Polymathic Being, a place to explore counterintuitive insights across multiple domains. These essays take common topics and investigate them from different perspectives and disciplines to come up with unique insights and solutions. Today's topic explores the monster of an organization that is Amazon. Why an analysis of a commercial enterprise? Because most people don’t fully understand or appreciate what Amazon has done to transform our buying and selling. We’ll dive in and demonstrate how much more revolutionary Amazon is and then step back and consider what that’s done to our daily lives.Wha...
2023-12-3109 min
The Power to Pivot PodcastWhat Makes Us Human? - with Michael Woudenberg
What influences creativity?
How does AI work?
What truly makes us human?
We have some big questions coming up today on The Power to Pivot Podcast. Meet award-winning author and aspiring polymath Michael Woudenberg as we discuss these topics and Michael's newest book Paradox: Book One of The Singularity Chronicles.
Michael has an extensive background in advanced technologies such as autonomy, artificial intelligence, blockchain, cyber, aerospace, national security, and weapon systems across a variety of companies from tech startups to Fortune 150 companies. On the show, he gives an informative, high-level overview of how AI...
2023-12-1755 min
Polymathic Being PodcastCapture Your ImaginationToday's topic is a special request asking for fiction authors to share tips and tricks of their creative writing process for those who have spent more time in nonfiction and technical writing. To many, the art of fictional narrative seems just too far out of reach. Yet I’ve found that good fiction wasn’t so much different from writing these essays. In fact, so many topics we’ve covered here are baked into my fiction. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-12-1710 min
Polymathic Being PodcastAn Ode to BeerToday's topic is another collaboration with Andrew Smith who writes Goatfury Writes We partnered recently on An Ode to Coffee where we did a fun historical, cultural, and scientific analysis of one of America’s favorite drinks. This one follows the same recipe and shifts the focus to beer. You’ll also get a sneak peek at my homebrew kegerator that keeps this delicious elixir flowing for friends and family. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-12-1014 min
Polymathic Being PodcastThe Uterine LotteryToday's topic builds off a concept we introduced in The Beauty Quandary, namely that our existence is somehow random, part of a ‘Uterine Lottery’ of sorts. Except this really isn’t true. This analysis is part evolutionary biology, part sociology, with a dash of economics and geopolitics just to round it out. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-12-0307 min
Polymathic Being PodcastNot So IdolatrousToday's topic investigates a story that many of us are familiar with from Sunday School or at least within the larger fabric of Western Culture; the Golden Calf from the time of Moses. While it looks like an egregious violation of paganism, when we dive in a little, we find it’s not quite so simple, nor as disobedient as it appears. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-11-2609 min
Polymathic Being PodcastI Hate AI!Today's topic wrangles with my love/hate relationship with Artificial Intelligence (AI). On the one hand, I feel like the interwebs are chock full of absolute rubbish about AI, snake-oil salesmen selling AI, and people who should know better but are still freaking out about AI. On the other hand, it makes a fantastic literary foil that accentuates and draws attention to the qualities of what it means to be human. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-11-1906 min
Polymathic Being PodcastStop Aiming at the Wrong TargetsToday's topic ties together some of my experience in the Army and how it helps with the very same Systems Thinking in technology and business that we’ve covered here before. Simply put it’s the idea that, in war, you have to look up and across at targets both right in front of you and also those targets that you can’t even see over the horizon to be successful. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-11-1204 min
Polymathic Being PodcastAre Humans Natural or Supernatural?Today's topic plays around with an interestingly complex problem about human existence. Often we are told that what humans are doing is not natural. Yet this quickly becomes an interesting problem because it implies we are somehow separate from nature and what we are doing differs dramatically from nature. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-11-0509 min
Polymathic Being PodcastBorn or TrainedToday's topic squares off on a long-touted platitude that leaders are trained, not born. Out of the gate, this makes logical sense; my Army Officer training made me a much better leader. Also, no one just emerges from the womb as the next Martin Luther King. Yet is that training all there is to the equation? What risks or limitations exist that the simple platitude hides? We cover all that today in understanding leadership. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-10-2909 min
Polymathic Being PodcastThe Genius MythToday's topic is part book review and part exploration into the foundational elements of the Polymathic Mindset. Namely that innovation occurs across and between domains and disciplines and is, more often, not found in silos of expertise. It’s a finding that’s only counterintuitive because of the myths about innovation permeating our cultures. Yet these myths end up falling apart on closer scrutiny.This is Part 5 of the Keys to Innovation Series. You can find the other Keys here:* Part 1: Embrace the Divergents* Part 2: Face the Fear* Part 3: Rethink the Wisd...
2023-10-2207 min
Polymathic Being PodcastLooking Into a MirrorToday's topic attempts to crack the code of how so many conversations can get sidewise despite our intent. We’ll look at how some people respond in ways that just seem out of sync with the topic. Then we’ll flip the focus back on ourselves to see when we might be guilty of the same thing. It’s a dive into psychology and how we interpret things. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-10-1506 min
Polymathic Being PodcastThe No True AI FallacyToday's topic is a twist on a challenge I’ve faced in the Autonomy / AI world for half a decade. It’s based on the No True Scotsman Fallacy and is a continuous shift of the goalposts as systems get smarter. We’ll also tie back into some of our previous looks at the opposite reaction where we claim AI is already cognizant and self-aware. In doing so, we can hopefully avoid two of the major logical pitfalls around our emerging technology. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-10-0806 min
Polymathic Being PodcastGrowing, Learning, CreatingA Call to Action Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-10-0404 min
Polymathic Being PodcastEmbracing My White BeltToday's topic addresses one of the more frustrating retorts I sometimes get on social media. “Never trust someone who claims to be a polymath.” To be fair, the title of Polymath is one we bestow on some of the intellectual greats from the past and it does seem a little hubristic to claim myself among those ranks. Yet this essay will delve into how I don’t think any of us should claim we’ve reached the status of Polymath but instead, aspire to what a Polymath is and adopt the philosophies and thought processes that make this aspiration so power...
2023-10-0107 min
Polymathic Being PodcastMoney BurnToday's topic focuses on an odd behavior we have as humans where we are incredibly picky about providing money to those in need while not thinking twice about overpaying for indulgent, and largely unnecessary surplus. We hold back on paying fair prices to some while forking over crazy money for a Tesla that makes Elon Musk one of the richest men in the world. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-09-2404 min
Polymathic Being PodcastThe Beauty QuandaryToday's topic dives straight into something many would like to overlook: Beauty. The problem is we might like to overlook it but we look at it all the time. And we judge it. We’ll have the difficult conversation about what ‘looking good’ means and then attempt to unpack so much more of the implications and deep-rooted attraction we have to good looks. Hang on for an interesting ride as we look into a mirror of the paradox of beauty. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-09-1710 min
Polymathic Being PodcastExegesis: A Powerful Analytical ToolToday's topic highlights the power of an analytical concept called Exegesis. It’s an amazing tool to help shift perspective and demonstrates how digging a little deeper can illuminate something really interesting and profound that people are largely ignorant of. It’s a bit of a deep dive into an esoteric religious topic but one that highlights the criticality of analysis. Furthermore, if we’re successful for a topic like this, we can do it for any topic and thereby challenge our assumptions. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-09-1016 min
Polymathic Being PodcastTrauma and AntifragilityToday's topic expands on a concept known as Antifragility and how, without trauma, antifragile systems cannot get better with time. The challenge is that the human body and brain are naturally antifragile and so pathologizing most of what we might call life deprives us of the very stimulus we need to grow stronger and unlock our full potential as human beings. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-09-0312 min
Polymathic Being PodcastComposable Architectures and LegoToday's topic introduces the concept of composability in design and connects the popular Lego model to both what is so good about composability and modularity as well as how we can lose focus over time. Simply put, composability is a method by which modular parts can be combined and recombined from one design to another. It’s a powerful capability in both physical design and Polymathic thinking as we do the same thing with information in forming, unforming, and reforming ideas. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-08-2708 min
Polymathic Being PodcastKnowledge [Transfer] is PowerToday's topic pushes back on the problematic trope of “Knowledge is Power.” We’ll explore a couple of examples of the terrible behaviors and gatekeeping that occur when people follow this mantra. Then we’ll unlock the true power that leverages humanity’s superpower as social learners so that we all can continue to grow. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-08-2006 min
Polymathic Being PodcastWho Are You to ____?Today's topic pushes back on the idea that you have to have a certain credential or education to have an informed opinion on a topic. We’ve discussed the strength of the Polymath before and this addresses one of the biggest frustrations of having that broad range of knowledge, weaving it together into new insights, and then being challenged for having an opinion at all. We’ll explore how it is really just a logical fallacy and then go into a bit of my own background and how I weave that together into my Polymathic aspirations. Get...
2023-08-1310 min
Biz-SoulsEpisode 76: Will We Lose Our Humanity or Learn What Makes Us Human with Author Michael WoudenbergMichael Woudenberg joins us again on Biz-Souls. In this podcast, Michael talks about his debut novel ‘Paradox: Book One of The Singularity Chronicles.’ Paradox takes us on a future journey and the human battle over our deepening relationship with artificial intelligence.
Michael Woudenberg, a graduate of Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering, shares his writing process, the impact of his polymathic discipline, and his years of experience in systems engineering, program management, and military leadership.
Rona and Jeffrey have not been this excited for a series since ‘The Ray Bradbury Chronicles.’
Listen in as Rona...
2023-08-0728 min
Polymathic Being PodcastProviding Top Cover Part 2Welcome to Polymathic Being, a place to explore counterintuitive insights across multiple domains. These essays take common topics and investigate them from different perspectives and disciplines to come up with unique insights and solutions. Today's topic is the second of two parts on providing Top Cover. The first essay covered the concept of creating stability and consistency in execution to protect your teams from the chaos of many organizations. This part will cover providing psychological safety and standing up for your team when they come under criticism. We’ll investigate the right way to stand up for your...
2023-08-0614 min
Polymathic Being PodcastProviding Top Cover Part 1Today's topic is the first of two parts on providing Top Cover. This essay will cover the concept of creating stability and consistency in execution to protect your teams from the chaos of many organizations. The second part will cover providing psychological safety and standing up for your team when they come under criticism. Since Part Two requires the foundation of providing stability, we’ll investigate how to do that today so we can expand on it in the future. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-07-3011 min
Polymathic Being PodcastBeware the BinaryToday's topic is a collaboration with Andrew Smith who also writes on tech topics at GoatFury's FutureScape. He wrote a piece recently that caught my attention and sparked a conversation resulting in this essay. What we’ll explore today is the challenge that, all too often, conversations around AI reflect an either/or binary between humans and machines. Either AI or a Doctor. Either AI or a Coder. Either AI or an Artist. Instead, if we analyze where our current systems could benefit from AI we can find better pairings between humans and machines. Join us as we explore wh...
2023-07-2313 min
Polymathic Being PodcastDesign Like a SailorToday's topic Looks at Product Development and Program Managment from the perspective of sailing. More specifically, why it always seems like we are changing direction with no idea of where we are going or how to get there? Join in as we tackle the headwinds of change and understand how to achieve true innovation by learning to design like a sailor. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-07-1608 min
Polymathic Being PodcastTradition!Today's topic grapples with what’s really behind tradition and what the challenges are when we remove them without considering what problems they are solving. Yes, some old expectations or behaviors need to be adapted. Yes, we also need to be careful at how quickly we change things so we don’t unlock chaos. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-07-0915 min
Polymathic Being PodcastFail Early, Fail Often... Or Maybe Not?Today's topic takes the recent OceanGate catastrophe and demonstrates how it is quite literally the hardware manifestation of Silicon Valley software start-up mentalities. We’ll explore how these simple tropes lead to terrible behaviors, myopic designs, and are behind the vast majority of failures of start-ups to get out of the seed rounds of funding. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-07-0208 min
Polymathic Being PodcastAI Is[n't] Killing ArtistsToday's topic is one I’m still debating whether I should get into since it’s about social media engagement and AI. I won’t deny, I feel like I keep talking about AI when there’s so much more to look at. Yet it also highlights so many topics of human psychology that are part of the Polymathic mindset. So it makes a nice backdrop to discuss. This essay will explore a LinkedIn thread about Art and AI. While I should have known better, it still highlights the way people are reacting to this technology and why it’s so impor...
2023-06-2511 min
Polymathic Being PodcastLead as if You Won't Survive the EngagementToday's topic is a philosophical approach to leadership that rethinks where we put the value in our output. It’s an ego killer in some ways but I think it’s more about an ego focus. This time from the leader to the team they are empowering. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-06-1807 min
Polymathic Being PodcastAI Computes; Humans ThinkToday's topic unlocks humanity’s superpower; The ability to critically think, ask questions, and form, unform, and reform ideas. It’s a key aspect that AI currently can’t do and one that underpins Polymathic thinking and feeds into learning, unlearning, and relearning. Once we understand this ability, we can properly contextualize AI into the useful, but limited assistant that it is. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-06-1107 min
Polymathic Being PodcastBrain StretchToday's topic is a bit of a book review plus a critical element that I’m finding essential for those interested in the Polymathic mindset. The book is Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World and the caveat is to really know who you are so that we can best team together to solve wicked problems.This is Part 3 of the Keys to Innovation Series. You can find the other Keys here:* Part 1: Embrace the Divergents* Part 2: Face the Fear* Part 3: Rethink the Wisdom of Crowds Get fu...
2023-06-0411 min
Polymathic Being PodcastWe Poop WrongToday's topic is an exploration of poor biomechanics and probes the way we poop. I know, this is not what most consider polite conversation but bear with me. We already covered how we breathe wrong and how we walk wrong. This wrongness suffers the same first-world problems of technological convenience. Yet it actually has some serious implications as we grow older. This essay plumbs the nuance of the problem so that we can improve one more aspect of our health. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-05-3108 min
Polymathic Being PodcastSlow is Smooth and Smooth is FastToday's topic introduces an old Military Special Operations adage that I’ve found to be incredibly useful throughout my entire career. It’s a phrase I remind myself and others of quite regularly so that we can ensure the proper execution of a strategy or a task. It’s the ability to take it slow, make it smooth, and finish fast. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-05-2807 min
Polymathic Being PodcastWe Walk WrongToday's topic is an exploration of poor biomechanics and tackles the way we walk and run. I’ll admit, I fell victim to the ideas of running promoted by shoe companies and suffered the consequences in my age. We already covered how we breathe wrong and so this essay will explore walking and share my experiences with how I’ve solved it and the benefits that are provided. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-05-2409 min
Polymathic Being PodcastWe Breathe WrongToday's topic is an exploration of poor biomechanics and explores breathing. As simple as this might sound, most of us do it wrong, including myself. We’ll explore what we do wrong, how it affects our health, and then show what is possible if we can improve this basic human biomechanical function. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-05-2109 min
Polymathic Being PodcastThe Biggest Threat from AI is Us!Today's topic faces the distinctly human characteristic to project our own emotional states on animals and, in the case of AI, inanimate objects. While the first can be cute and innocuous, the second creates an incredible amount of risk in the advancement of AI and the well beings of humans. It doesn’t have to be this way and the first step is to acknowledge what we are doing and what impact that can have. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-05-1409 min
Polymathic Being PodcastNothing Good Happens After 4PMToday's topic pokes at a problem I see all too often in businesses. It revolves around all the talk of alignment, execution, and stability and yet, when the first deviation or last-minute request appears, the leadership turns into reaction mode and throws it all out the window. This essay explores that phenomenon and weaves together some of the previously discussed counterintuitive opportunities so that anyone can provide a safe, stable, and productive work environment.Referenced Essay:Systems Thinking Process Band-aidsThe Successfully UnsuccessfulFunctional Stupidity Direction, Energy...
2023-05-0709 min
Polymathic Being PodcastDo You Really Think Critically?Today's topic is another collaboration with and delves into what we call Critical Thinking and, in doing so, uncover the core of Polymathic Disciplines captured as the ability to “Learn, Unlearn, and Relearn.” We’ll contextualize the push for, and against Critical Thinking and dive into what we really mean with these two words. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-04-3017 min
Polymathic Being PodcastThreatcastingToday's topic is an introduction to a very important capability called Threatcasting. We’ll get into the goals, the model that runs it, and an example I just participated in this past week. Fundamentally the goal of Threatcasting is to imagine terrible futures so that we can do things today to prevent them from happening. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-04-2311 min
Polymathic Being PodcastThe Layers of AIWelcome to Polymathic Being, a place to explore counterintuitive insights across multiple domains. These essays take common topics and investigate them from different perspectives and disciplines to come up with unique insights and solutions. Today's topic looks at Artificial Intelligence (AI) from a systems perspective and strives to understand the layers, the relationships, and the implications of this incredibly broad topic. Doing so helps us understand where we are and to better identify the risks of moving forward or stepping back from the current rates of development.IntroductionArtificial Intelligence (AI) is constantly in...
2023-04-1617 min
Polymathic Being PodcastWhat's In A Brain?Today's topic looks into how our brains capture, process, store, and recall memories and how that relates to the recent advancements in AI. We’ll explore our ‘second brain', memory recall, and how this ties together with something near and dear to me; PTSD in veterans. This essay provides insight and awareness to help anyone improve their mental health and emotional regulation. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-04-0914 min
Polymathic Being PodcastThe Enemy's Gate is DownToday's topic explores some interesting stories from my time in the Army and how those lessons apply to my work in the professional world. This intentional reconceptualization of The Enemy’s Gate is Down has also become one of Polymathic Disciplines’ key elements in Systems Thinking and so it’s appropriate to dive deeper in. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-04-0224 min
Polymathic Being PodcastThe Art of STEMToday’s topic picks apart the popular trope of inserting Art into Science Technology Engineering, and Math, otherwise known as STEM. We’ll look at why trying to piggyback on the STEM initiatives not only harms Art, but totally misses the point of the relationship between Art and STEM. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-03-2610 min
Polymathic Being PodcastYou Know Nothing...Today's topic takes a different look at our brain, how it operates, and what this means for us in work, life, and play. Hang tight as we explore the things we see and don’t see, and the fictions we create to make sense of the world around us. Don’t worry though, at the end, you’ll also have some tools on hand to check your blind spots and reframe your reality to ensure a solid foundation. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-03-1917 min
Polymathic Being PodcastA Waste of Time?Today's topic is a historical exploration of Daylight Savings Time (DST). We dive into the history of time, the surprisingly inconsistent application of DST throughout history and across the world and explore ideas for how we could better align our time zones to our advantage. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-03-1214 min
Polymathic Being PodcastMasks Do WorkToday's topic has the singular goal of saving lives and when it comes to the past three years’ debates on masks, this requires a much more complex systems analysis than we’ve been offered. We’ll investigate what we missed in the binary debate on whether masks work or not and uncover the truth of how the science of masks, mask protocols, and our own psychology actually led to increased deaths in the US population. I want to clarify that I fully understand and appreciate the contentiousness of this discussion. I think it is critical to set aside our biases...
2023-03-0519 min
Polymathic Being PodcastTaoism and Proofs of ConceptToday's topic investigates the failure of so many proofs of concept, minimum viable products, innovation initiatives, and systems in general. The underlying reason might actually surprise you because very often the details look great, the people worked together really well, and all of the processes and artifacts were tip top. It’s only when we step back and look at the whole system that we discover that the main failure happened long beforehand, back in design, or the lack thereof. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-02-2613 min
Polymathic Being PodcastThe Con[of]textToday's topic probes the trend of so much of our communications moving from voice to text. We’ll look at the patterns, the psychology of data ingestion, common pitfalls of text communications, and recommend some key opportunities to avoid the Con[of]text and ensure true context. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-02-1915 min
Polymathic Being PodcastResume Inflation - Playing the GameToday's topic looks at the hiring process and the tools, techniques, and tactics that are used in order to screen candidates and how these can lead to actually terrible behaviors. We’ll look at some of the current trends, how technology is being applied that drives this, and recommend a few new ways to look at hiring the right people with the right behaviors. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-02-1211 min
Biz-SoulsEpisode 50: The Battle for Your Brain - Continuing the Polymath Discussion with Michael WoudenbergOur exciting Biz-Souls conversation with Michael Woudenberg led to new thoughts and new questions and how it manifests in real world challenges.
Join Rona and Jeffrey as they dive into polymath applications in change and innovation.
The best place left for human power may be the space in between complex subjects and problems. Michael Woudenberg is one individual offering guidance in our journey.
2023-02-0726 min
Polymathic Being PodcastZen and the Art (and Science) of FreedivingToday's topic shifts gears and explores the interesting sport of freediving I immersed myself in while living in Florida. Let’s plunge into the psychological and physiological challenges of the sport as well as the beauty of relaxing, being in the moment, and letting things go. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-02-0513 min
Polymathic Being PodcastSystems ThinkingToday's topic is another collaboration, introducing co-author C.J. Unis, a Space Force systems engineer, aspiring polymath, and complexity wizard. It’s actually a double collaboration where this essay also sets a foundation for STO Realities from Progressive Plan Inc. to build on to optimize key processes in the petroleum industry. So what is this topic that has garnered so much interest and collaboration? It’s the concept we’ve been poking at in a lot of the previous essays: Systems thinking. While we think we understand systems most often analysis misses the mark in application in technical and non-te...
2023-01-2923 min
Polymathic Being PodcastFunctional Stupidity and How to Avoid itToday's topic straightforwardly addresses a lot of the underlying issues we’ve covered in essays thus far, specifically underlying the concept of the Successfully Unsuccessful. This essay looks to pull back the curtain of what allows the status quo to not only survive but thrive in most modern businesses. It actually has a pretty blunt name to describe the concept of this apathy? malaise? at a minimum, just a mediocre standard. It’s called Functional Stupidity and it has nothing to do with individual intelligence. Today we’ll explore what it is and how we can intentionally avoid it.
2023-01-2217 min
Polymathic Being PodcastRethink the Wisdom of CrowdsToday's topic evaluates a trite and therefore, often wrong concept known as the Wisdom of Crowds. This concept suggests that large groups of people are smarter than an elite few, no matter how brilliant, and are better at solving problems, fostering innovation, coming to wise decisions, and even predicting the future. While this appears to be very aligned with the Polymathic mindset, in application it misses the nuance of how this idea is grossly misapplied to our detriment. We’ll detail the concept, explain the limitations, and introduce other options to extract wisdom in a true Polymathic manner.
2023-01-1517 min
Polymathic Being PodcastCan AI be Creative?Today's topic tackles the recent discussion around whether AI can be creative when it comes to art, writing, and other content creation. We’ll dig into what being creative really means, and how creative we really are. Throughout this essay, we’ll actually have a conversation with ChatGPT to discuss and test whether it can be creative. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-01-0814 min
Polymathic Being PodcastWhen Does a New Year Start?Today's topic is a collaboration with co-author Joshua Deiches, a fellow aspiring Polymath, and looks at our tradition of celebrating the New Year on January 1st in the Western World. What we uncover is a fantastic look at history as we chase the shifting of when the New Year actually occurred, why 11 days were removed in 1752, and the traditions that surround this holiday. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2023-01-0117 min
Polymathic Being PodcastWho is Santa Claus?Today's topic is holiday inspired and investigates the history behind Christmas, the fusion of traditions, who Santa is, how it ties into our culture, and what it all means for us throughout the year. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-12-1810 min
Polymathic Being PodcastFace the FearToday's topic Builds on our first essay on the Keys to Innovation, Embrace the Divergents, which shares insights for inviting the divergents, pirates, and rebels to rethink the way we do innovation. The next step is probably the first toward actual change; you have to face the fear of change. We’ll investigate the basis of these fears and propose some opportunities to not only overcome the fear but leverage that concern into amazing innovation. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-12-1111 min
Polymathic Being PodcastStereotyping ProperlyToday's topic challenges the over simplified assumption that stereotyping is bad. In this exploration we look at what stereotypes are, how they are applied and misapplied, and how to leverage the strengths and avoid the pitfalls of this powerful social tool. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-12-0416 min
Polymathic Being PodcastBlockchain and GovernmentToday's topic dives into crypto currency and blockchain in general to look at the positives and negatives of where these technologies can take us in the future. We’ll introduce blockchains, cryptocurrency, and blockchain analytics and then focus on what can happen when governments begin leveraging blockchains and some of the risks involved. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-11-2713 min
Polymathic Being PodcastThe Climate is ChangingToday's topic looks at climate science in an effort to contextualize what we are seeing from climate change within the larger realm of what we should be expecting. I’m not trying to be absolute or prescriptive. I’m just trying to investigate a topic that I feel has a lot of questions we are ignoring. Therefore, this essay will attempt to investigate the baseline of where we are measuring the change in climate from, against the larger historic record. I hope I can open up questions and discussion because I think we have a chance to identify brilliant and...
2022-11-2020 min
Polymathic Being PodcastWhat Data Science ForgotToday's topic tackles my consistent frustrations with the Data Science community and how they apply machine learning algorithms and other tools to data without fully understanding the rest of the context. While this problem isn’t constrained to Data Science specifically, this discipline does lead the pack in examples. To understand this problem we’ll focus on three things that have been forgotten. The first thing forgotten is the history of where Data Science came from and the second two things forgotten derives from the first, and leads to the majority of the issues with applying Data Science solutions.
2022-11-1314 min
Polymathic Being PodcastThe Successfully UnsuccessfulToday's topic gets into something that is not only counterintuitive, but really frustrating for so many people. It’s the behaviors, over and over, that everyone says they don’t want, but keep doing, and keep getting rewarded for, while so many, who try to break the cycle, are penalized. It’s the paradox of the successfully unsuccessful. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-11-0607 min
Polymathic Being PodcastMaturing Product, Process, and People for Startup SuccessToday's topic addresses a common perspective that I’m finding in the Startup world that they are somehow unique in how they execute and how they need to focus on shipping features at high velocity and, more often than not, overlook the product, process, and people maturation that is essential to long term growth. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-10-3013 min
Polymathic Being PodcastDirection, Energy, and AccountabilityToday's topic looks at three common fallacies that I’ve found leaders tell themselves thinking they’ll provide success. Yet I find them as the primary causes of organizational inefficiency. If I see one of them, I typically see two or more as they seem to build off of each other. These three failure modes also have a simple solution to remedy, or better yet, prevent any leader from falling victim to these fallacies and improve overall performance. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-10-2312 min
Polymathic Being PodcastWhen Zero Food is HealthyToday's topic addresses accepted tropes of eating, diet, and insights into how little we really know about something as simple as eating / or not eating. I’ll share some of my experience on this topic culminating with my most recent 10-day fast. Yes, that’s 10 days of nothing but water, coffee, and electrolytes. I’ll share things I’ve learned along the way about the benefits, and lessons learned about what not to do. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-10-1620 min
Polymathic Being PodcastEliminating Bias in AI/MLToday's topic engages the idea of bias in artificial intelligence (AI) and looks at how such a simple term actually isn’t, and leads to a fundamental misunderstanding of how to achieve the outcomes we desire from AI. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-10-0914 min
Polymathic Being PodcastYes, Do Quiet QuitToday's topic will explore the current ‘phenomena’ of Quiet Quitting and questions whether our current cultural expectations for work are actually good for us. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-10-0208 min
Polymathic Being PodcastProcess SurgeryToday's topic is a follow on to The Band-Aid Paradigm and we look at what to do, after removing the band-aids, to achieve true, sustained, process improvement. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-09-2505 min
Polymathic Being PodcastEmbrace the DivergentsToday's topic highlights how you can't just want innovation; you have to think innovation so that you can unlock the true capabilities in your existing systems and chart a course for the stars. This is part one of an envisioned series of insights into innovation. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-09-1815 min
Polymathic Being PodcastReligion as a PsychologyToday's topic introduces a controversial concept that divorces religion from theology and shows how even the atheistic are vulnerable to a psychology. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-09-1113 min
Polymathic Being PodcastInvestigating Personality ProclivitiesToday's topic shifts from leadership and steps back and introduces myself to you. Not my background, but introduce you to my brain. That crazy, idiosyncratic, sometimes fractured, often nuts, but always curious chunk of gray matter between my ears.It’s taken me a few years to get to know myself and I thought I’d share my findings and hopefully motivate you to consider similar introspection. I’ve found knowing myself has been essential to grounding, tempering, and exploiting my super-powers. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-09-0412 min
Polymathic Being PodcastMaximizing Authority through Leadership - Part 2Today's topic is part 3 in a series on leadership. Part 1, Leading Without Authority, breaks apart a common trope and reorients a better understanding of authority. Part 2 How to Maximize Authority Through Leadership explored techniques to maximize your leadership potential through organizational alignment. This essay will explore maximizing authority through your own leadership. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-08-2812 min
Polymathic Being PodcastMaximizing Authority through Leadership - Part 1Today's topic is part 2 in a series on leadership. Part 1, Leading Without Authority, breaks apart a common trope and reorients a better understanding of authority. This part will explore techniques to maximize your leadership potential! Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-08-2105 min
Polymathic Being PodcastLeading Without AuthorityToday's topic breaks apart a pernicious idea that keeps floating around businesses regarding leadership opportunities ‘without authority.’ We investigate what this means, whether it can actually happen, and propose some insights for success. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-08-1405 min
Polymathic Being PodcastQuantum Superposition and PoliticsToday's topic cracks into a quantum superposition problem, how it applies to everyday life, and why binaries are the wrong way to look at things. In this case, we discuss the application to politics and tease out a nuance few slow down to appreciate. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-08-0713 min
Polymathic Being PodcastThe Great Cover Up - A Band-Aid ParadigmToday's topic discusses an insight I gleaned years ago on the perpetual problems with process fixes that don’t address the root cause. This situation will probably be a timeless classic but hopefully we can start to break the paradigm one improvement at a time. Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-08-0104 min
Polymathic Being PodcastLazy LeadershipToday's topic delves into a favorite counter-intuitive concept: the benefits of lazy leadership. Buckle in and find out how industrious leaders are often not as successful to business results as we’d like to think! Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-07-2412 min
Polymathic Being PodcastThe Bane of Specialization: Defense of the Polymath Get full access to Polymathic Being at www.polymathicbeing.com/subscribe
2022-07-1719 min
UnstructuredMichael Woudenberg: Iraq War VeteranMeet Michael Woudenberg. He is an engineer, an Iraqi War veteran, a father, and most importantly to your humble host, a home brewer. We discuss processes, life, and courtship. Oh, and we also had a nice chat about home brewing.
2018-04-171h 24