Richard Atherton - Podcast Details

Shows

Being Human#338 The Alchemy of Creation - with Steven Young▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ In this challenging episode (challenging in a good way), I sit down with Steven Young, author of ‘A Fool’s Wisdom’. Steve’s path is remarkable. From a PhD in nuclear physics, to having all his assumptions about reality turned upside, it’s been emotional. Atomic theory, accepted cosmology, and the theory of gravity - he now questions it all. Steve takes his place amongst a growing cadre of intellectuals rejecting Modernity’s scientific orthodoxies. But this isn’t just about poking...2025-07-302h 03

Being Human#337 Are You Still The Future? - with Piers Fallowfield-Cooper▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ My guest in this episode, Piers Fallowfield-Cooper, was an unlikely city slicker. With keen interest in literature and a qualification in hotel management and hospitality, he got into commodities trading by chance. Once there, he found that he had a considerable knack for it. From trading, he pivoted to a distinguished career in business leadership. We talk: Foundations of high performance Nearly dying as a child Authentic leadership: skirmishes vs battles Why not to set goals Adaptability and adoptability Link...2025-07-151h 55

Being Human#336 The Gratitude Tiger - with Joel Zuckerman▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ In this highly energising episode, I sit down with Joel Zuckerman, author of the new book Gratitude Tiger and a passionate advocate for the power of gratitude. I’ve been a some-time gratitude journaller for a while and I’ve known about the power of gratitude for a long time. Joel has taken this to another level, having written over 280 gratitude letters in a process that started as a one-off and has become the defining theme of his prof...2025-06-291h 11

Being Human#335 Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't - with Jeffrey Pfeffer▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ This week’s episode is perhaps one of the most uncomfortable I’ve yet recorded. A conversation with Jeffrey Pfeffer, the renowned author of "Power: Why Some People Have It and Others Don't" and “Leadership BS: Fixing Workplaces and Careers One Truth at a Time”, and professor at Stanford Graduate School of Business, we dive deep into the principles of power, influence, and career acceleration. Jeffrey offers his view on the raw truth about what it takes to stand out, thrive, and succeed in a wo...2025-06-1949 min

Being Human#334 Discovering the Nature of Longevity - with Douglas Mulhall▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ This week, I sit down with Douglas Mulhall, author of the bestselling book Discovering the Nature of Longevity: Restoring the Heart and Body by Targeting Hidden Stress. Douglas has spent over 30 years creating products that are not only good for people but also the environment, with significant contributions in collaboration with European governments. We take a deep look at elastin, a major area of interest for Douglas. It’s a vital protein key to your body’s resilience. Elastin is in more t...2025-06-091h 04

Being Human#333 The Last 8% - with Bill Benjamin▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ This week, I sit down with Bill Benjamin, co-owner of The Last 8%, to explore the concept of tackling life’s most challenging moments—the “last 8%.” According to Bill, we excel in 92% of situations, but it’s the difficult, high-stakes moments—when tension, conflict, or pressure arise—that define us. Bill shares how leaving a successful career in software to pursue his passion for emotional intelligence transformed his life. He dives into practical strategies for managing emotions, navigating tough conversations, and building thriving teams. Wheth...2025-06-0853 min

Being Human#332 Leadership Wisdom from a 16th Generation Samurai - with Sensei Zen Takai & Edward Olver▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ This week, we are thrilled to feature two remarkable guests: Sensei Zen Takai and Edward Olver. Sensei Zen Takai, is a 16th-generation samurai warrior. After a brief stint as a punk rocker, he chose to return to his roots. With no descendants of his own and to ensure it lives on, he's on a mission to share his family's samurai tradition with the world. He teaches mastery of the familiar samurai arts with creative expressions like calligraphy, poetry, and dance. Dedicated to self-m...2025-05-221h 24

Being Human#331 Doing ‘The Work’ - with Byron Katie▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ Our guest this week is renowned author and speaker Byron Katie. Her work, referred to as 'The Work', is a simple yet profound method of self-inquiry aimed at identifying and questioning negative thoughts that cause suffering. At its core are four questions: Is it true? Can you absolutely know it’s true? How do you react when you believe that thought? Who would you be without it? By moving these thoughts from the mind to paper and reflecting deeply, individuals can acce...2025-05-121h 22

Being Human#330 Love in the Workplace (It's Not What You Think) - with Marcel Schwantes▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ This week we see Marcel Schwantes return to the show. Marcel is an author, leadership coach, and advocate for humane workplace practices. His journey into leadership began during his time working in a toxic hospital environment, where relentless stress landed him in the emergency room—an experience that profoundly shaped his views on leadership and well-being. He now challenges traditional, warlike business narratives, advocating for radical love and humanity in leadership. His work inspires leaders to foster compassionate, thriving...2025-05-0753 min

Being Human#329 BioGeometry Explained: Harmonizing Energy, Life, and Environment - with Dr. Ibrahim Karim▶️ Join a free leadership masterclass: https://www.firsthuman.com/masterclass/ ▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ My guest this week is Dr.Ibrahim Karim, renowned for pioneering BioGeometry, a science that harmonizes energy in living systems and environments. Educated as an architect, Dr. Karim initially followed in his father's footsteps. His talents were recognized by the Egyptian government who asked him to manage the plan for the whole Red Sea area and South Sinai, contributing to a huge rise in tourism. Dr. Karim later began to synthes...2025-04-281h 34

Being Human#328 Unlocking Inner Focus: Wisdom from Walter Russell and Beyond - with Matt Presti▶️ Join a free leadership masterclass: https://www.firsthuman.com/masterclass/ ▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ My guest this week is Matt Presti, a multidisciplinary artist, philosopher, and filmmaker. He has dedicated his life to preserving and promoting the legacy of Walter Russell, a visionary polymath of the early 20th century. Such was Russell’s genius that Nikola Tesla once told him to lock his cosmology in a sepulcher for a thousand years because mankind was not ready for it. Matt is now bringing Ru...2025-04-212h 25

Being Human#327 The Future of Human Growth: Understanding Consciousness - with Peter Merry▶️ Join a free leadership masterclass: https://www.firsthuman.com/masterclass/ ▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ My guest this week is Peter Merry, multifaceted thinker and social entrepreneur with a background in languages and theater. Influenced by radical ideas on sanity and society, Peter's journey blends philosophy, social entrepreneurship, and education. Peter’s extraordinary life path has taken him from avant-garde theatre in Paris, to delivering education in Ghana, to helping an IBM business unit achieve triple-digit business growth. He's now working on cutting-edge...2025-04-111h 45

Being Human#326 The Magic of Surrender: Finding the Courage to Let Go - with Kute Blackson▶️ Join a free leadership masterclass: https://www.firsthuman.com/masterclass/ ▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ My guest this week is Kute Blackson, a transformational teacher and author. At 8, he was giving impromptu sermons in his famous father’s megachurch. At 18, he was expected to follow in his father’s footsteps. Instead, he left everything behind in Ghana to pursue his dreams in Los Angeles with just two suitcases and $800. Renouncing an ordained ministry that wasn't his true calling, Kute embraced the realm of personal growth and se...2025-03-2157 min

Being Human#325 Discovering the Secrets of Cerebrospinal Fluid - with Dr. Mauro Zapaterra▶️ Join a free leadership masterclass: https://www.firsthuman.com/masterclass/ ▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ My guest this week is Dr. Mauro Zapaterra, a Harvard-trained MD and PhD, directing Multidisciplinary Catatonic Research at the Innovation Medical Group. An expert in cerebrospinal fluid, his work explores its role in the human system, combining insights from both science and spirituality. Dr. Zapaterra's research highlights the dynamic nature of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), its importance during brain development, and its complex composition. We discuss: The 'aha' moment when Mauro...2025-03-181h 28

Being Human#324 The Dreaming Arts - with Joel Schafer▶️ Join a free leadership masterclass: https://www.firsthuman.com/masterclass/ ▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ My guest this week is Joel Schafer, a personal empowerment mentor & shamanic dreaming arts teacher. Joel’s work is rooted in Toltec knowledge - source of renowned book ‘The Four Agreements’. His approach involves waiting for moments of clarity and receiving visions to guide his actions, rather than traditional planning, focusing on personal growth, stress reduction, and accessing higher states of consciousness through shamanic practices and life experiences. We discuss: G...2025-02-242h 25

Being Human#323 12 Tools for Managing a Selfish Leader - with Josefine Campbell▶️ Join a free leadership masterclass: https://www.firsthuman.com/masterclass/ ▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ Executive coach, ju-jitsu champion, and author Josefine Campbell joins us for a second appearance. She shares insights from her new book ‘12 Tools for Managing a Selfish Leader’ outlining practical strategies for dealing with leaders who exhibit dark personality traits in the workplace. We discuss: The prevalence of sociopathy in organisations Finding resilience to stand-up to bad bosses Tools for handling selfish leaders when you're an introvert Is there a role for sociopath...2025-01-2958 min

Being Human#322 Beyond Conventional Medicine: A Deep Dive into Homeopathy - with Lisa Strbac▶️ Join a free leadership masterclass: https://www.firsthuman.com/masterclass/ ▶️ Connect with Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardatherton-firsthuman/ My guest this week is Lisa Strbac, a person with an incredible life story. Lisa's life took an unexpected turn when conventional medicine failed to help her daughter's autoimmune condition. Skeptical but desperate, she explored homeopathy on a nutritionist's recommendation. The immediate, profound reaction her daughter had to a homeopathic remedy left Lisa astounded. This experience ignited a burning curiosity that led her to abandon her 12-year corporate career as an accountant at Deloitte (where I was al...2025-01-211h 24

Master LeadershipML323: Richard Atherton (Co-Founder of First Human)Richard Atherton is the Co-Founder of FirstHuman (firsthuman.com), where he’s on a mission to help CEOs, leaders, and top executives hit leadership breakthroughs with a human-first approach that prioritizes happiness, empowerment, and communication. FirstHuman has worked with standout clients like Adidas, Volkswagen, Heineken, PwC, UNICEF, and the Olympics. Richard’s leadership journey is rooted in his own story of overcoming personal addictions and healing trauma. For nearly 10 years now, he’s been a transformative figure in leadership coaching, helping people make big shifts in their careers — whether they're leveling up within their orga...2025-01-0725 min

Lead to SucceedLeading with Humanity with Richard Atherton: Lead to Succeed 155 Episode Summary:Effective leadership demands a return to our human roots. How can leaders embrace a human-first approach to foster meaningful connections, drive organizational goals, and inspire their teams? In this episode, our guest Richard Atherton explores how leading with humanity can unlock breakthrough potential and transform our approach to leadership within organizations. Richard is a Partner at FirstHuman, a business coaching firm that helps CEOs, leaders, and top executives achieve leadership breakthroughs and organizational goals with a human-first approach. Its clients include Adidas, Volkswagen, Heineken, PwC, UNICEF and the Olympics. Richard has ne...2024-10-0938 min

Creating Powerful ImpactLeading with Intuition and Insight with Richard AthertonHave you ever wondered what it takes to break free from leadership stagnation and truly inspire your team? Join us as we welcome Richard Atherton, partner at First Human, who shares his profound insights into achieving leadership breakthroughs. Richard encourages leaders to step away from their routine and rational mindset to make room for intuition and deeper insights. Through practices like journaling, spending time in nature, meditation, and seeking counsel, Richard explains how to unlock new perspectives and solutions, fostering a more dynamic and inspired leadership style.In this episode, we also delve...2024-09-0329 min

What Are You Made Of?Richard Atherton's Journey of Healing and Self-DiscoveryJoin C-Roc on a deeply introspective journey with guest Richard Atherton, founder of First Human and renowned master coach. Richard shares his profound life story, beginning with a tumultuous childhood marked by trauma and a near-death experience at birth. He candidly discusses his journey through a successful yet troubled corporate career, battling high-functioning alcoholism while striving for external success. Richard reveals pivotal moments of awakening that propelled him from a path of self-destruction to one of profound personal growth and leadership. He explores the transformative power of self-awareness, love, and healing, offering listeners invaluable...2024-06-2836 min

You Should Read ThisS02E06: The Tyranny of Merit: Michael J. Sandel▶️ Book a free strategy call for your life, leadership or business with Richard https://calendly.com/richard-firsthuman/30min __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tom and I review "The Tyranny of Merit", a thought-provoking book by Michael J. Sandel that challenges the prevailing notion of meritocracy and explores its unintended consequences. Sandel argues that in our modern societies, the idea that individual success is solely based on merit has led to a growing divide and a sense of unfairness. The book delves into the history of the meritocratic ideal and examines its impact on social and economic inequality. Dra...2023-06-2854 min

You Should Read ThisS02E05: The Palliative Society: Byung-Chul Han▶️ Book a free strategy call for your life, leadership or business with Richard https://calendly.com/richard-firsthuman/30min __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tom and I review "The Palliative Society: Pain Today" by Byung-Chul Han, a Korean-born Professor of Philosophy and Cultural Studies who teaches at the Berlin University of the Arts. The author chronicles how our societies today are characterized by a universal algophobia: a generalized fear of pain. We strive to avoid all painful conditions – even the pain of love is treated as suspect. This algophobia extends into society: less and less space is given to conflic...2023-06-1655 min

You Should Read ThisS02E04: The Man Who Broke Capitalism: David Gelles▶️ Book a free strategy call for your life, leadership or business with Richard https://calendly.com/richard-firsthuman/30min __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tom and I review "The Man Who Broke Capitalism: How Jack Welch Gutted the Heartland and Crushed the Soul of Corporate America—and How to Undo His Legacy" by David Gelles. The book examines the impact of one of the United States’ most powerful chief executives, Jack Welch of General Electric (GE). The author chronicles Welch's aggressive measures to increase profits, which included eliminating hundreds of thousands of jobs, resulting in the decline of the manufactu...2023-06-0758 min

You Should Read ThisS02E03: Four Thousand Weeks: Oliver Burkeman▶️ Book a free strategy call for your life, leadership or business with Richard https://calendly.com/richard-firsthuman/30min __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tom and I review "4000 Weeks: Time Management for Mortals" by Oliver Burkeman. The book explores the concept of time and provides insights on how to make the most of our limited time on Earth, with the title referring to the approximate number of weeks in an average human lifespan. Drawing on philosophical and psychological perspectives, Burkeman delves into topics such as the fear of missing out, the illusion of multitasking, the value of boredom, and the...2023-05-2451 min

You Should Read ThisS02E02: The Dawn of Everything: David Graeber & David Wengrow▶️ Book a free strategy call for your life, leadership or business with Richard https://calendly.com/richard-firsthuman/30min __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tom and I review "The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity", a book written by David Graeber and David Wengrow. The book challenges the traditional narratives of human history, which tend to focus on the rise of civilization and the development of agriculture. Instead, Graeber and Wengrow argue that the traditional narrative of human history is flawed and that there is evidence of a much longer and more diverse human history. The...2023-05-1056 min

The Inquisitive Wren PodcastElevating Well-Being: A Journey of Transformation with Coach and Consultant Richard Atherton | s2e15This week I have the pleasure of speaking with the wonderful Richard Atherton, a coach, consultant, well-being enthusiast, and partner and leadership development specialist for FirstHuman, a firm dedicated to unleashing human potential in the workplace. FirstHuman provides services such as Leadership Development, Change Management, Team Building, Executive Coaching, and Management Consulting. In this episode Richard talks about his work, his life and gives some great insights into his therapeutic journey, specifically with primal therapy. Follow Richard here:Being Human First Human LinkedIn Your Host: I work as...2023-04-301h 05

You Should Read ThisS02E01: Nazi Billionaires: David De Jong▶️ Book a free strategy call for your life, leadership or business with Richard https://calendly.com/richard-firsthuman/30min __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tom and I delve into the highly-rated 'Nazi Billionaires' by David de Jong. The book explores the stories of wealthy German industrialists and financiers who supported and benefited from the Nazi regime. The author provides a detailed account of the rise of these families, their close ties to the Nazi Party, their financial support of Hitler's war machine, and their roles in perpetrating the Holocaust. The author draws on extensive archival resea...2023-04-2657 min

Being Human#246 Developing Trauma Awareness - with Richard Atherton> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ This week I go solo to share my perspective on the topic of trauma awareness in the workplace. Taking hints from the work of Dr Ingeborg Bosch and Daniela Seiff, both previous guests on the show, I talk: Defining trauma Why awareness is important How we defend against trauma Signs that people are triggered Links: Dr. Ingeborg Bosch's Episode Daniela Seiff's Episode 2023-03-0816 min

Being Human#227 Communicating Beyond Language - with Richard Newman> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ This week, I speak with Richard Newman, one of the world's foremost communication trainers. Richard's extraordinary career journey began with a stint in a Tibetan monastery. The challenges he faced there set him on a path to helping others to communicate powerfully. We talk: teaching monks that spoke no English overcoming his autism turning his business around in the middle of the pandemic his potent morning routine how communication starts with mindset Links: UKBodyTalk - Richard's website Richard...2022-09-1351 min

Being Human#226 My Meditation Journey (So Far) - with Richard Atherton> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ This week, I go solo to share my experiences of the last year practising Vedic meditation. Previous guest Jillian Lavender first introduced me to this style of meditation in her book 'Why Meditate?'. My new habit has transformed my life and especially my well-being. I share: How Vedic meditation is so easy Sleep vs meditation What is and what is not meditation Links: Jillian's book - Why Meditate? Because It Works Jillian's London Meditation Centre Narada...2022-08-1510 min

You Should Read ThisS01E07: Small Is Beautiful: E.F. Schumacher▶️ Book a free strategy call for your life, leadership or business with Richard https://calendly.com/richard-firsthuman/30min __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tom and I review one of the most influential books of 70’s, Small Is Beautiful, written by the economist E F Schumacher. Schumacher’s central thesis is that the way we approach economics improves our living standards whilst degrading our culture. In this episode, we explore several aspects of Schumacher’s thinking: – Buddhist economics – Education as our greatest asset – Economic reductionism – Man and machine – The role of the State 2022-07-211h 02

You Should Read ThisS01E06: Antifragile: Nassim Nicholas Taleb▶️ Book a free strategy call for your life, leadership or business with Richard https://calendly.com/richard-firsthuman/30min __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tom and I explore the book that gave us a new word: antifragile, things that gain from disorder. Many consider Nassim Nicholas Taleb to be one of the greatest thinkers of his generation. We take a dive into Taleb’s radical case to embrace uncertainty in a new way and what it means for us in business. 2022-07-0844 min

You Should Read ThisS01E05: Humanocracy: Gary Hammel & Michele Zanini▶️ Book a free strategy call for your life, leadership or business with Richard https://calendly.com/richard-firsthuman/30min __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Author Gary Hamel is consistently rated one of the most influential business thinkers today. In this, his latest tome, Gary argues that we should be creating organisations as awesome as the people in them. Tom and I explore the five ‘m’s of Hamel’s blueprint for humanocracies: - motivation to bust bureaucracies - models for profitability in this new paradigm - mindsets to escape industrial age thinking - mobili...2022-06-2357 min

You Should Read ThisS01E04: Mission Economy: Mariana Mazzucato▶️ Book a free strategy call for your life, leadership or business with Richard https://calendly.com/richard-firsthuman/30min __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Taking her inspiration from the 'moonshot' programmes which successfully co-ordinated public and private sectors on a massive scale, Mariana Mazzucato calls for the same level of boldness and experimentation to be applied to the biggest problems of our time. We must, she argues, rethink the capacities and role of government within the economy and society, and above all recover a sense of public purpose. Tom and I critique Mazzcuato's views on how we...2022-06-0958 min

You Should Read ThisS01E03: The Fearless Organization: Amy C. Edmondson▶️ Book a free strategy call for your life, leadership or business with Richard https://calendly.com/richard-firsthuman/30min __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ The study of psychological safety has become a major theme in business since Google first discovered that it was the determining factor in team performance through their famed Project Aristotle study. Tom and I look at this book from Amy C. Edmondson, the pioneer of the field and explore how her findings can be applied in any team. 2022-05-2544 min

You Should Read ThisS01E02: Reinventing Organizations: Frédéric Laloux▶️ Book a free strategy call for your life, leadership or business with Richard https://calendly.com/richard-firsthuman/30min __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Tom and I review arguably most of the influential books of the last decade: Frédéric Laloux’s Reinventing Organizations. Laloux makes the case not that we need more enlightened leaders, but that “we need something more: enlightened organizational structures and practices.” He asks whether a shift in consciousness can help us “invent a radically more soulful and purposeful way to run our businesses and nonprofits, schools and hospitals?” 2022-04-2246 min

You Should Read ThisS01E01: Thinking, Fast and Slow: Daniel Kahneman▶️ Book a free strategy call for your life, leadership or business with Richard https://calendly.com/richard-firsthuman/30min __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Why is there more chance we'll believe something if it's in a bold type face? Why are judges more likely to deny parole before lunch? Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent? The answer lies in the two ways we make choices: fast, intuitive thinking, and slow, rational thinking. This iconic book reveals how our minds are tripped up by error and prejudice (even when we think we are being logical). Tom a...2022-04-0654 min

Being Human#198 From the Ashes – with Jesse Thistle> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ This week's guest is Jesse Thistle, author of the inspiring debut memoir, From the Ashes. Abandoned by his parents before becoming a high school dropout, Jesse is now a rising Indigenous scholar. His book charts the story of his life on the streets and how Jesse overcame trauma and addiction to discover the truth about who he is. We talk: Hiding from the police as a toddler Attempting to get killed by his dealer Finding redemption in prison From undergrad to professor in 7...2022-01-141h 24

Being Human#197 Cured – with Jeffrey Rediger, MD> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ This week's guest is Dr. Jeffrey Rediger, instructor in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and medical director for the McLean South East Adult Psychiatric Programs. A licensed physician and board-certified psychiatrist, he also has a Master of Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary. Observing the common denominators of people who have beaten the odds, Dr. Rediger reveals the immense power of our immune system and unlocks the secrets of the mind-body connection. We talk: Remarkable recoveries The curse of sugar Overcoming Decartes’ mind...2022-01-0856 min

Being Human#196 The Seventh Power – with Kevin Hancock> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ This week’s guest is Kevin Hancock, CEO of one of the oldest family businesses in the United States. Kevin used to be a hard-charging, traditional leader, until one day, when felt his throat tightening and found it difficult to speak or be understood. His diagnosis: spasmodic dysphonia, an incurable and rare condition that causes throat spasms. Out of this adversity came a radical shift in leadership and a brand new set of ideas that focused on him doing less, flipping the script on the leader...2021-12-301h 10

Being Human#195 Leverage Change – with Jake Jacobs> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ This week’s guest is perhaps one of the most experienced change leaders and advisors on the planet, Jake Jacobs. For over 35 years, he has worked in 61 industries, helping over 210.000 people implement changes in their businesses. What I love about Jake is his fearlessness in calling out what leaders really must do to achieve change in their businesses. We talk: The importance of leverage Thinking and acting as if the future were now Following the energy (you don’t always have to start at...2021-12-301h 21

Being Human#163 Future Sense - with Malcolm Parlett> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ In this episode of Being Human, I speak with psychological researcher, consultant and author, Malcolm Parlett. From an orthodox academic background, at Cambridge then MIT, Malcolm discovered Gestalt psychology, which changed his life and work. It opened up a new sense of connectedness and took him away from more traditional, reductive approaches. Malcolm went on to co-found the UK's Gestalt Psychotherapy and Training Institute and to create the British Gestalt Journal. His book, 'Future Sense: Five explorations of whole intelligence for a world that’s wak...2021-05-141h 04

Being Human#162 Embodiment Now - with Mark Walsh> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ In this episode of Being Human, I speak with embodiment coaching specialist Mark Walsh. Embodiment is about working through gentle non-athletic movement, posture, awareness, and breathing to pursue deeper, faster and more permanent change. In this conversation, Mark shows us how to make friends with our bodies and feel at home again in our skin. In this episode, we talk: - From drug dealer to aikidoka - The three levels of embodiment - How to be become trauma-aware - Saving...2021-05-0740 min

Being Human#152 Be Kind - with Jack Parsons> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ This week on Being Human, we talk with Jack Parsons. He's an entrepreneur, public speaker and subject expert on youth, and serves as CEO of The Big Youth Group. Jack has made it his mission to help young people better themselves, in order to help them take advantages of opportunities in the business world. Jack's efforts have paid off, as he has become publicly known as the UK’s Chief Youth Officer. In this episode, we explore: - Overcoming an alcoholic mother - See...2021-02-2640 min

Being Human#151 Kick Out Your Budget - with Bjarte Bogsnes> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ In this episode of Being Human, we talk with Bjarte Bogsnes, Chairman of The Beyond Budgeting Institute and an HBR/McKinsey Management Innovation Award winner. Beyond Budgeting is a movement from CFOs themselves to kick out budgets from corporations. Yes, you read that correctly, CFOs burning budgets, and Bjarte was ripping them up before Beyond Budgeting was a thing. How does this relate to Being Human, you might ask? Well, the budgeting process, when you really think about it, is one of the most stifling and h...2021-02-1956 min

Being Human#150 The Smartest Person in The Room - with Christian Espinosa> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ In this episode of Being Human, we discuss cybersecurity with expert in the field and author Christian Espinosa. Don't worry, we're not talking about bits, bytes, and firewalls. We're talking about the biggest security threat of them all. The one between the keyboard and the chair. Christian shares with us his journey becoming a world-renowned cyber security coordinator, managing on one hand the whims of extremely brilliant, but fickle security specialists, and on the other hand the needs of major clients like the US Army. Chr...2021-02-1252 min

Being Human#149 Cynefin at 21 - with Dave Snowden> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ In this episode Being Human, we have a return visit of one of our most popular guests, Dave Snowden. Dave is by far my favourite Welsh National Treasure. He's a philosopher-cum-management thinker and developer of the Cynefin framework, a decision making framework that has transformed the way people work and think from the military generals to software developers to humble business coaches like me. Professor Snowden is part academic, part entrepreneur, part raconteur and a brilliant conversationalist. He's back to discuss the book created to c...2021-02-061h 27

Being Human#148 Eating for Energy - with David ”Avocado” Wolfe> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ This week on Being Human, I speak with someone who's significantly influenced my lifestyle and how I eat. I think many of us understand that our diets aren't as healthy as they could be. But what if we were able to eat in a way that had us experiencing an abundance of energy from dawn till dusk? David 'Avocado' Wolfe is that possibility made manifest. He has spent a lifetime researching and seeking out the most nutritious foods on the planet. If you we...2021-01-3000 min

Being Human#147 Building a Start-up Culture - with Richard Stobart> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ In this episode of Being Human, I speak with Richard Stobart, an old friend and the CEO of successful start-up char.gy, a business devoted to transforming lampposts across Britain to start charging our electric cars. If you want to learn more about building a start-up culture within your business, this is the episode for you. Richard shares candidly about how he initially failed to create good start-up ideas within his existing consulting firm. He then tells us what worked in creating his fast growing char...2021-01-2257 min

Being Human#146 Small Is Beautiful - with Tom van der Lubbe> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ In this episode of Being Human, we're doing a little experiment with my friend and regular guest Tom van der Lubbe. Tom is a fellow traveller seeking to humanise the workplace. He's also a historian with a huge brain. He is Dutch, but let's not hold that against him. Tom and I review one of the most influential books of 70's, Small Is Beautiful, written by the economist E F Schumacher. Schumacher's central thesis is that the way we approach economics improves our l...2021-01-151h 02

Being Human#145 Detox, Declutter, Dominate - with Perry Marshall> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ A conversation with Perry Marshall, a man who runs several companies, has written a string of best-selling books and who founded the world's biggest science prize. If you want to get the essence of building a life where you make an extraordinary impact, this could be the episode. It gets a little repetitive, but his message bears repeating. We talk: - The curse of our digital devices - What to start eliminating - Renaissance time - Your $1k-per-hour time 2021-01-0954 min

Being Human#144 Looking Forward to 2021 - with Richard Atherton> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ A very Happy New Year to you all. We kick off 2021 with a brief message. I share a few thoughts on where to focus to show this year and a call to action. In the episode, I talk: - Food as medicine - Community - Taking Being Human to a new level Enjoy! To your humanity, Richard 2021-01-0204 min

Being Human#143 Zone of Genius - with Anna Liebel> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ I hope that you're all enjoying your Christmas break. This week my guest is Anna Liebel. Anna is a on mission to empower professionals to thrive by helping get into what she calls one's Zone of Genius. This particular episode is a special one, as it has an addendum where Anna goes into detail with a subject close to my heart: journaling. Just watch out for it at the end of the recording. In the episode, we talk: - Your 'zone o...2020-12-2554 min

Being Human#142 Interviewing The Interviewer - with Richard Atherton> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ This week we turn the tables and I become the interviewee. Jan Ake Johnsson is my interviewer. He's the star of episode #64 and a man who cured himself of epilepsy through trauma release work. Jan is 80 and still in excellent health - an inspiration to us all. In the episode, we talk: - Preparing for interviews - Childhood influences - Idols - Medicalisation of society - Returning to the earth Enjoy and a Merry Christmas to all o...2020-12-1846 min

Being Human#141 Management 3.0 - with Ralph van Roosmalen> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ If Management 1.0 was how we managed how factories functioned in the Industrial Age, then what’s management for a Knowledge Economy, or even a Transformation Economy? Enter Management 3.0 – an approach that represents a major cultural shift, empowering team members to take on more decision-making responsibilities, while encouraging managers to create a collaborative work environment. My guest this week is Ralph van Roosmalen. When the current team inherited the company from founder Jurgen Appelo, they needed a new leader. In the spirit of the approach, the team asked...2020-12-1144 min

Being Human#140 Remember You Will Die - with Tom van der Lubbe> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ If you're a frequent listener of the podcast, you're probably familiar with our guest this week, Tom van der Lubbe. For those of you who don't know him, Tom is the Lead Link of Dutch mortgage broker Viisi, one of the companies that have implemented the radical business operating system Holacracy to create an extraordinary high-trust culture. Today's episode is a recording of an interview with Tom that was part of the Forward management conference, organised by Management 3.0. We talk: - Tom's battle...2020-12-0435 min

Being Human#139 Drive Your Career - with Ed Evarts> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ In 2008, my guest this week Ed Evarts was unexpectedly laid off from his job as a senior HR director at records management giant Iron Mountain. In the middle of a recession and with no network outside his former employer, he set about building his own coaching practice Excellius. It’s now thriving and Ed tells us how he made it happen. Often my pods can get a bit philosophical, but this one is packed with practical advice, whether you’re building your career within a proper j...2020-11-2746 min

Being Human#138 Weapon of Mass Creation - with David Chislett> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ My guest this week, David Chislett, dropped out of private school in South Africa to become a rocker. From playing punk to managing bands he ultimately made his way to Utrecht in the Netherlands to become a self-proclaimed Weapon of Mass Creation. He teaches people how we can put creativity at the heart of our armoury of workplace skills. Doing this can help us become not just better innovators, but better decision makers. We cover: - Preconditions for creativity - Punk rock in South...2020-11-2038 min

Being Human#137 Think Like Janus - with Loizos Heracleous> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ My guest this week is Loizos Heracleous, Professor of Strategy and Organisation at the Warwick Business School and author of the recently published book, Janus Strategy. After serving as an advisor to major international companies for years, he started to observe that some companies got a competitive edge when adopting a more flexible strategic approach, as opposed to companies that stuck to tight, orthodox strategies. Loizos has called this type of thinking The Janus Strategy, after the Roman god Janus who surveys two or more directions simul...2020-11-131h 01

Being Human#136 Improv For Connection - with Remy Bertrand> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ My guest this week is Remy Bertrand, a Frenchman in London and an improvisation facilitator. Kicked out of school at 15, Remy worked a succession of jobs that never quite fulfilled him. Nearing 40, he realised that improv was his passion and it was time to plunge in and build a business around it. With a loan from the bank, Remy gave himself a year to build a business. It took another three before he had something that regularly paid the bills. He now has a thriving imp...2020-11-101h 11

Being Human#135 500% - with Julian Wilson> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ My guest this week is Julian Wilson, CEO of British engineering firm Matt Black Systems and author of "500%: How Two Pioneers Transformed Productivity". Along with his business partner, through a series of counter-intuitive steps, he experimented his way to a 500% gain in productivity. The change saw his staff triple their income, come alive as human beings, whilst delivering extraordinary returns for him and his co-investors. His is a story of returning to the original translations of Taiichi Ohno's pioneering work at Toyota to apply its e...2020-10-312h 26

Being Human#134 The Art of Compassionate Business - with Bruno Cignacco> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ My guest this week is Bruno Cignacco, international speaker, coach and author of 'The Art of Compassionate Business'. Bruno is committed to putting love at the centre of our business relationships. First and foremost, Bruno is an advocate of what he calls The Human Oriented Enterprise, a type of business that prioritizes human interaction over everything else. We talk: - Love in the office - Generosity - Natural conversations - Passion and resilience Enjoy! To your hum...2020-10-2337 min

Being Human#133 Trust-Based Leadership - with Mike Ettore> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ My guest this week is Mike Ettore, leadership coach and ex-infantry officer with the US Marines. He's the author of 'Trust-Based Leadership', where he explains how he adapted and applied military leadership concepts while serving as a business leader. After leaving the Marines, Mike has served as a top executive for the staffing company Kforce, where he rose to the position of Chief Information Officer, despite not having any formal tech training. Over his years in corporate life, Mike learned how to apply the Marines Cor...2020-10-161h 19

Being Human#131 Cracking the Leadership Code - with Alain Hunkins> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ My guest this week is Alain Hunkins, a veteran leadership coach. He's worked with over 2,000 groups of leaders in 25 countries, and he's author of the just-published 'Cracking the Leadership Code: Three Secrets to Building Leaders'. Alain was raised by a mother and grandmother who were both Holocaust survivors. Their trauma-bound personalities were his first experiences of leadership. This sowed the seed for his life-long quest to discover better ways to lead. Over years of working in men's groups, Alain learned to identify and reframe his be...2020-10-0258 min

Being Human#130 Feel Fully - with Pete Walker> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ My guest this week, Pete Walker, is a man who has travelled far physically and metaphorically. A Vietnam War veteran, he sought spiritual salvation in India before finally confronting his inner grief at an Encounter group workshop. Learning to feel and grieve deeply set Pete on a path to dealing with his Complex PTSD. He has since written several books on these themes and treated hundreds of others as a deep feeling therapist. Pete and I have walked similar paths and talk frankly about the jo...2020-09-251h 13

Being Human#129 Google, Eggs and Inspiration - with Craig Fenton> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ Perhaps the phrase 'A Man of Many Hats' was created for my guest this week. A Google Exec, investor, record label boss, YouTuber, I give you Kiwi-in-London Craig Fenton. Craig began life as a barrister, then switched to consulting before landing as Director of Strategy and Operations at Google in the UK. We talk: - Phone-only podcasting - Managing multiple pursuits - The evolving Google culture - Discovering music talent - The upside of Glass-holes Enjoy! To...2020-09-1845 min

Being Human#128 Facing The Wolf - with Theresa Sheppard Alexander> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ In this week's episode, I speak with therapist Theresa Sheppard Alexander, author of 'Facing The Wolf: Inside The Process of Deep Feeling Therapy'. Theresa shares her story of finding Primal Therapy in her early twenties and how she helps clients climb down ‘the staircase of feeling’ to experience their deepest pain, and ultimately, to find more joy and light in their lives. I found this one of my most challenging conversations so far on Being Human. As a veteran of Primal Therapy myself, I reveal more abo...2020-09-111h 22

Being Human#127 Moose Heads on the Table - with Lisa Gill> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ My guest this week is Lisa Gill, host of the ground-breaking podcast Leaderphormosis. She’s also co-author of the just-released 'Moose Heads on the Table: Stories About Self-Managing Organisations from Sweden'. Lisa has helped businesses across Europe to let go of their boss culture. Her approach, along with fellow liberator Karin Tenelius, is to focus on creating different forms of dialogues between employees within companies, as opposed to looking at complicated the structures and processes. We talk: - The benefits of moving to boss-fre...2020-09-041h 16

Being Human#126 5-Minute Selling - with Alex Goldfayn> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ My return guest this week, Alex Goldfayn, is back with a new book '5-Minute Selling', which is already an Amazon bestseller. Now, I hate sales. I've always hated sales and yet it's an absolutely critical skill in my business life. In fact, it's crucial even if you're not a proper salesperson, but someone who needs to be able to influence and persuade others. What I love about Alex his approach is that it's the antithesis of 'oily' or 'pushy'. At its core, s...2020-08-2849 min

Being Human#123 Building the Joyful Organisation - with Richard Sheridan> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ This episode's guest, Rich Sheridan, was a VP in a successful software firm in Michigan when he brought his daughter to work. She was impressed. She figured her Dad must have been very important, as for anything to get done, he had to give his say so. He was "The Answer Man". And yet for Rich, this was a devastating moment. He was a hero in a hero culture. The only way to scale Hero Organisations is to scale the hero, which would mean longer hours for R...2020-08-071h 00

Inspirational Insights Podcast - Insight To ActionObservations on COVID, Complexity and Care w Richard AthertonRichard Atherton, host of the Being Human, First Human podcast and Dawna talk about what he's learned from his guests about a range of topics: dealing with Covid, complexity, how grounding and other outlier concepts bring stability to people and how all this helps in his work supporting companies and executives through transformation. Find Richard at https://www.firsthuman.com/meet-the-team/ Richard Atherton interviewed Dawna on Being Human Episode #105: Life Interrupted https://youtu.be/LOsIoDwjUpESupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/insight-to-action-inspirational-insights-podcast. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out info...2020-07-3147 min

Inspirational Insights to Action PodcastObservations on COVID, Complexity and Care w Richard AthertonRichard Atherton, host of the Being Human, First Human podcast and Dawna talk about what he's learned from his guests about a range of topics: dealing with Covid, complexity, how grounding and other outlier concepts bring stability to people and how all this helps in his work supporting companies and executives through transformation. Find Richard at https://www.firsthuman.com/meet-the-team/ Richard Atherton interviewed Dawna on Being Human Episode #105: Life Interrupted https://youtu.be/LOsIoDwjUpESupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/insight-to-action-inspirational-insights-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...2020-07-3147 min

Being Human#121 The Agile CEO - with Mark Creighton> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ Late last year, my guest this week, Mark Creighton, CEO of Avado, listened to a proposal from his CTO to bring the Agile practices into his management team. Although a bit sceptical, Mark accepted the challenge. They shifted from a 90-minute weekly management team meeting to a daily stand-up, plus an end-of-week retrospective. This tweak to their practices had a significant impact on Mark's leadership style. It was also instrumental in their successful navigation of the COVID crisis. In this episode, we talk:2020-07-2452 min

Being Human#120 Gettin‘ (un)Busy - with Garland Vance> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ In this episode, we talk with Garland Vance, author of 'Gettin' (un)Busy' on: - The secret to purpose, productivity and peace - Elon Musk: examplar of un-busyness? - Transitions and batching - Taking a sabbath - Wisdom in business Enjoy! To your humanity, Richard Links: Garland's website 2020-07-1759 min

Being Human#119 Uncommon Sense in Unusual Times - with Csaba Toth> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ My guest this week, Csaba Toth arrived in the UK from Hungary in 2004 with enough money for a couple of nights in a hostel. After a stint in hospitality, Csaba co-created a highly successful table-booking start-up. But despite his academic training in personality differences, he was unable to resolve his issues the CEO, which ultimately led to him leaving the business. This spurred him to create Global DISC, a powerful assessment tool endorsed by John Mattone, coach to the late Steve Jobs. In this...2020-07-1050 min

Being Human#118 The Post-COVID Ecomony - Nick Bloom> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ This episode's guest is Nick Bloom, a fellow Brit and professor in economics at Stanford. He's been an avid researcher in remote working since 2014. Pre-COVID likely only 8% of employees worked from home. Nick expects this to be 40% in the aftermath of the pandemic, an extraordinary transformation of economic life. In this episode, we talk: - What Nick learned studying working from home at 'China's Expedia' Ctrip - The optimum set-up for home working - The shape and drivers of inequality in to...2020-07-0335 min

Being Human#117 Chasing Black Unicorns - with Marek Zmyslowski> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ On 14 January 2018, as he attempted to board a flight to London, my guest this week, Marek Zmyslowski, felt a hand on his shoulder from the Polish customs agents. His business partner in Nigeria had bribed the local police to get him placed on Interpol's Most Wanted List. This is just one of many extraordinary incidents during his adventures in building start-ups in Poland and Africa, including co-founding 'The Amazon of Africa' Jumia. We talk: - Defending accusations of being a 'white saviour' ...2020-06-2659 min

Being Human#116 The Ostrich Paradox - with Robert Meyer> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ A conversation with Wharton scholar Robert Meyer on his book 'The Ostrich Paradox'. In this episode, we talk: - Why we fail to learn from past disasters - The biases that stop us making investments for the long term - How we can use herding and other biases in our favour - How we must change our approach to managing risk - The truth about ostriches Enjoy! To your humanity, Richard Links: The Ostric...2020-06-1957 min

Being Human#115 Sanity Correspondent - with Tanmoy Goswami> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ My guest this week on Being Human is Tanmoy Goswami, who holds that rare distinction of being the world's only 'Sanity Correspondent' for, well, The Correspondent. He is a passionate advocate for us talking more openly about mental health. He first got on my radar with his article "From the myth of meritocracy to the rise of bullshit jobs – it's time we admit work doesn't make us happy" in which he lays out how our workplaces can not only make us unhappy but send us to an...2020-06-121h 04

Being Human#114 Emerging from a Trauma World - with Daniela Sieff> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ Author and speaker Daniela Sieff is a former student of evolution under Richard Dawkins. She has turned her attention to trauma and its impacts. She brilliantly articulates the way adverse events and conditions shape our lives and how we can emerge from a Trauma World. In this highly personal conversation, we cover: - The definition of trauma - Daniela's own turning point in her facing her past - Healing versus curing trauma - How society ignores the magnitude of child abuse, ne...2020-06-051h 48

Being Human#113 Liberating Collective Wisdom - with Phil Driver> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ This episode is with Phil Driver, author of 'From Woe to Flow: Validating and Implementing Strategies'. In it, he sets a way that anyone can think about strategy based on decades of work with a wide range of organisations. Let Phil take you through a fresh way to think about strategy from his cabin in rural New Zealand. We talk: - Living the permaculture life - The art of strategising 'right to left' - How to get three hundred people t...2020-05-2955 min

Being Human#112 What If da Vinci Built Companies? - with Michael J. Gelb> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ This episode's guest, Michael J. Gelb, has published 17 books, including 'How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci' and 'The Healing Organization', which he co-authored with recent guest Raj Sisodia. He takes the view that our intellects are highly malleable, even into later life, and by using specific exercises, we can better integrate our left and right brains to enhance our reasoning and creative powers. In this conversation, we take a tour through three of his books, from 'How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci', the...2020-05-221h 14

Being Human#111 Taming The Corporate Psychopath - with Mike Lee> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ As well as researching psychological safety with his colleague Amy Edmondson , my guest this week, Mike Lee, Professor in Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD, takes a deep interest in how company structure affects how people act. In this episode, we cover: - Psychological safety defined - How changing the default choices managers make can improve psychological safety for others - The radically flat business operating system Holacracy: its benefits and limitations - How getting to know your colleagues improves productivity - Mi...2020-05-1554 min

Being Human#110 Metagility - with David A. Bishop> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ A conversation with Dr. David A. Bishop, author of "Metagility: Managing Agile Development for Competitive Advantage". We talk: - How we must now reconsider the Agile Manifesto - The concept of "Agile Vorticity" - How to change as fast as your market - How the rise of smart devices is changing the rules for agility - A happy marriage of Agile and Waterfall techniques - Agility as your Product Engine Enjoy and have a great weekend, ...2020-05-081h 12

Being Human#109 The Healing Organization - with Raj Sisodia> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ Author and business philosopher Raj Sisodia is back with a new book, The Healing Organization, which takes a deep look at the role of a business within its community. In this episode, we talk: - The four energies we must balance when building Healing Organisations - What The Founders missed when learning from the Iroquois to write the American Constitution - Saving lives by baking cookies - A call centre boss' epiphany - Raj's take on Amazon's business practices 2020-05-0144 min

Being Human#107 The Art of (Online) Meetings - with Matthew Homann> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ This week, I speak with Matt Homann, CEO of Filament, a firm dedicated to faciliating great meetings in-person or online. We talk: - the fundamental principles that make for an excellent meeting - how to make meetings work online - the common mistakes that people make in offline meetings that you should not transfer online - a future of Chief Collaboration Officers - humanising virtual working Enjoy! Best wishes Richard Links: Filament website 2020-04-1747 min

Being Human#102 Work from Home! - with Sara Perry> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ As I upload this video, many people are facing working from home fulltime for the first time in their careers. In this episode, I speak with Dr. Sara Perry from Baylor University, a leading researcher in the field. We talk: - How to be a successful remote worker - When remote working works and when it doesn't - What remote working could mean for our society - The personality types that struggle with it - What to do t...2020-03-1353 min

Being Human#98 Leading Bomb Disposal and Other Stories - with Ben Sawyer - part II> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ In this episode, I present to you Part II of my conversation with ex-Bomb Disposal Officer, Change Manager and leadership author, Ben Sawyer. Ben has an incredible story. He fulfilled his boyhood dream to be the guy in the big suit walking down the street to defuse the explosive threat. He now works as a Change Manager with one of the largest publishers in the world, The Oxford University Press. In this concluding segment, we talk: - His favoured strategy for change m...2020-02-141h 06

Being Human#97 Leading Bomb Disposal and Other Stories - with Ben Sawyer - part I> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ In this episode, I talk with ex-Bomb Disposal Officer and leadership author Ben Sawyer. Ben has an incredible story. He fulfilled his boyhood dream to be the guy in the big suit walking down the street to defuse the explosive threat. He now works as a Change Manager with one of the largest publishers in the world, The Oxford University Press. The conversation was so fruitful that we've split this into two parts. In this first part, we talk: - C...2020-02-051h 00

Being Human#96 Leadership Lessons from Alexander The Great - with Richard Atherton> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ In this episode, I go solo to take a brief dip into the life of that extraordinary human Alexander The Great to pick out some lessons for leadership today. In this episode, I share: - How he won 23 battles without an org chart - What Alexander learned from his tutor Aristotle on strategy - What Lean Manufacturing and Alexander's leadership style have in common Enjoy! Best, Richard Links: Arrian's "The Campaigns of Alexander"2020-01-2608 min

Being Human#95 Stories from a Start-Up Success - with Ilya Bodner> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ Ilya Bodner, was an immigrant to the US from Uzbekistan. Growing up around his farther's sewing company and his Uncle's cab firm, entrepreneurship was in Ilya's blood. Ilya now runs Bold Penguin, a breakthrough start-up in the insurance industry, transforming the value chain with their digital platform. In this episode, we talk: - Lessons from start-up failures before his breakthrough - The importance of wise counsel - Why team trust is so important Enjoy and have an a...2020-01-1725 min

Being Human#94 Getting Aligned - with Lindsay Uittenbogaard> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ What's going on? Who's in charge? Annual objectives? What? Hey? For many of us in the daily grind, this can be the norm. "The Fog" is what our guest this week, Lindsay Uittenbogaard, calls it. The ambiguity, the differing assumptions, the miscommunication. Lindsay has a path out of the pea soup, it's called MirrorMirror: a platform and process for achieving alignment in teams. In this episode, we talk: - Making the leap from a small company to the Big L...2020-01-1052 min

Being Human#91 Zone to Win - with Geoffrey Moore> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ Geoffrey Moore's "Crossing the Chasm" is a bible for start-ups in how to get their wares out to the masses. Geoffrey's latest book, "Zone to Win" advises how established players can successfully defend against disrupters and ultimately transform to survive and thrive. We talk: - The four zones that companies must manage when facing disruption - Why an "Agile" culture isn't right for all parts of an organisation - The importance of making only one big bet for transformation ...2019-12-2053 min

Being Human#88 Running Business on Love - with Marcel Schwantes> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ Marcel Schwantes is a speaker, executive coach, podcaster and syndicated columnist for Inc.com. He joins me in this episode to talk: - His epiphany overcoming a narcissist boss - The core tenets of Servant Leadership - How Servant Leaders must still lead - When to start and when to wait - Love in the workplace Enjoy! Best, Richard Links: http://www.leadershipfromthecore.com/ 2019-11-2951 min

The Ideas Lab PodcastComedy, therapy, and the healing potential of business with Richard Atherton of First HumanRichard Atherton was a consultant at Deloitte when I ran into him in the basement of a SOHO comedy club. He ended up quitting Deloitte to try his hand at Standup comedy. He also created a Burlesque comedy night called 'Bonobo Presents'. It was then that he embarked on a deep psycho-therapeutic journey before he founded First Human with some colleagues. First Human takes parts from what Richard learnt in the consulting world and the therapeutic world and brings the humanity back into corporations. For links and show notes p...2019-11-2700 min

Being Human#59 Inside Handelsbanken - with Richard Winder> Sign Up For Our Newsletter: http://www.firsthuman.com/being-human-newsletter/ In this episode, I take a deep dive into the culture of the radically decentralised Handelsbanken, with its Global Head of External Affairs, Richard Winder. We talk: - The story of their radical transformation in the early 1970s under the incoming CEO Jan Wallander - How local branches both compete and co-operate - How a leftist mindset has contributed to their success at capitalism - Their winning formula of high trust and high transparency - Why Richard's doing OK without a...2019-05-1048 min

Onefish Culture & Comms: build a high trust, adult-to-adult, high performance workplace cultureRichard Atherton: the exciting/painful truth about how to change culture in a real businessCulture Change Paradoxes Podcast Series Episode 1With Onefish expert on agile culture change in the workplace, Richard Atherton.Richard Atherton is one of the most experienced culture change ‘do-ers’ and the host of the popular Being Human podcast on iTunes. A regular contributor to Onefish Twofish culture transformation projects, he talks candidly about his experiences of going deep with leaders, hacking small successes and a possibly a few trip ups along the way. Show notes:From getting to the heart...2019-01-1652 min

Being Human#7 Getting Things Done: Clear Those Buckets! - with David AllenRichard delves into David Allen's renowned productivity system 'Getting Things Done'. We talk about the importance of 'emptying our buckets', addiction to the stress of overwhelm and how creatives such as Howard Stern have adopted David's system. To learn more about the Getting Things Done method, head to www.gettingthingsdone.com Being Human is a FirstHuman production. For more on FirstHuman's coaching and leadership programmes, head to firsthuman.com. 2018-05-1044 min