Superpowers School - Self Improvement Podcast Like Diary of a CEO Self-Improvement podcast for technology professionals to build superpowers at work, and thrive in the age of AI
-
- Educación
Do you want to future-proof your technology career? Building human skills (soft skills) that AI can't easily replicate is what makes us unique and stand out.
Join Paddy Dhanda for a weekly dose of self-improvement. Each episode focuses on a different human superpower at work, helping you upgrade your soft skills and beat AI anxiety.
If knowledge is power, then make learning your superpower!
www.superpowers.school
-
Refactor Your Brain: How to Reprogram Your Brain for Success - Dagna Bieda E147
Dagna Bieda, a career coach and author of 'Brain Refactor', explores the parallels between human cognition and computer programming.
Dagna, who transitioned from a software engineer to a coach, shares how programming principles can be applied to reprogramming the human mind.
The discussion delves into the importance of feedback, changing perspectives, and leveraging cultural differences for professional growth.
Dagna offers practical insights into overcoming imposter syndrome, burnout, and enhancing interpersonal skills.
The episode also touches on the significance of habit-building and self-awareness in achieving personal and career goals.
00:00 Guest Introduction and Superpower Discussion
02:27 Dagna's Book: Brain Refactor
03:56 Dagna's Journey from Robotics to Programming
08:02 Cultural Differences in the Workplace
16:41 The Concept of Refactoring the Human Mind
21:53 The Importance of Feedback and Perspective
28:34 Practical Steps to Reprogram Your Mind
36:28 The Role of Coaching in Personal and Professional Growth
42:03 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Guest: Dagna Bieda
Dagna is an engineer turned coach for engineers and ambitious tech professionals. With 10+ years of coding experience and coaching since 2019, she’s the tough love, “been in your shoes” kinda Coach. Her clients’ backgrounds include a spectrum ranging from ICs to CTOs, from small startups to FAANG+ companies, from 2 to 20+ years of experience, and from self-taught devs through career-changing Bootcamp grads to college grads and PhDs. She helps her clients reach their potential and exciting career opportunities by refactoring their brains. To learn more about her work, visit www.themindfuldev.com.
Links:
www.themindfuldev.com
www.themindfuldev.com/book
www.linkedin.com/in/dagnabieda/
x.com/dagnabieda
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superpowers.school -
Tongue Fu: Powerful Words to Diffuse Any Verbal Conflict with Sam Horn - E146
Sam Horn introduces concepts from her books, including 'Tongue Fu' and 'Talking on Eggshells', providing practical advice on handling challenging situations. We explore effective communication strategies like replacing negative words with positive alternatives to shape behaviour and foster respect.
Key tips include how to request promotions, manage workplace interactions, and handle personal and parenting scenarios with effective use of language.
Sam emphasises the importance of structured communication and understanding the perspectives of others to achieve success in both personal and professional settings.
00:00 Introduction to Tongue Fu
00:30 Meet Sam Horn: The Communication Expert
01:03 Practical Tips for Effective Communication
03:31 The Power of Words: Real-Life Examples
05:41 Handling Disagreements and Mistakes
14:49 Influence and Respect in Communication
20:41 Saying No Effectively
22:39 The Power of Positive Language
24:10 Sports and Language: A Personal Anecdote
25:31 The Impact of Words in Coaching
29:18 Effective Communication in the Workplace
35:53 The W5 Form: A Framework for Success
40:29 Final Thoughts and Resources
Sam Horn
Sam Horn has over 20 years of experience as an intrigue expert and has spent those years cultivating great communication and branding strategies for companies such as CISCO, Intel, and NASA. Her writing has appeared in various publications such as Businessweek, Forbes, and the Huffington Post. Her books include Pop: Create the Perfect Pitch, Title, and Tagline for Anything, What’s Holding You Back? and Tongue Fu!: How to Deflect, Disarm, and Defuse Any Verbal Conflict.
⚡️ In each episode, Paddy Dhanda deep dives into a new human Superpower to help you thrive in the age of AI.
🎧 Listen now on:
👉 Apple
👉 Spotify
👉 YouTube
👉 Newsletter
★ BUY ME A COFFEE ★
☕️ If you enjoy the podcast, then you can donate a small amount here as a token of your appreciation and BUY PADDY A COFFEE 👉🏽 https://ko-fi.com/paddydhanda
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superpowers.school -
What is Career Storytelling? E145
Ricardo Brito shares insights on the power of storytelling in making sense of our career and working identity. The discussion delves into the scientific underpinnings of storytelling, cultural differences in professional roles, and how personal stories shape our professional lives.
Ricardo shares his journey from a fine arts student to a UX designer and coach, emphasizing how understanding and articulating our own stories can help us navigate career transitions and stay relevant in a rapidly changing world.
The episode offers practical advice on using storytelling to reflect on career achievements, overcome professional challenges, and prepare for a future increasingly influenced by AI.
00:00 Introduction to Storytelling and Neuroscience
03:30 Ricardo's Background and Early Life
05:57 The Journey of Career Reinvention
11:19 The Power of Storytelling in Shaping Identity
21:46 Simplifying Complex Concepts
23:08 Client Success Story
25:01 Reflecting on Past Experiences
26:45 The Power of Personal Storytelling
30:15 Embracing Differences at Work
39:12 Recommended Resources for Storytelling
41:16 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Ricardo Brito
Ricardo Brito is a career and life coach with a unique approach: helping people pave their way to personal and professional fulfilling balance through what he calls the PATH Method. Ricardo’s journey began back in 2021, when deeply entrenched in the corporate tech world as a UX design lead he found himself battling burnout, disillusionment, and defeat. The turning point came when he reached a breaking point and sought medical help, realizing that something needed to change. This led him on an unexpected path of rediscovering himself through therapy, coaching, and experimentation. As he delved into coaching, Ricardo found a renewed sense of purpose and direction, ultimately choosing to downgrade his role in the corporate world. This decision brought him a profound revelation - that his self-worth was not tied to his title or status, but rather in the impact he made and the quality of his work… and more than products or businesses, it was always about the people and their growth. Through his own journey, Ricardo developed a unique approach to help others navigate professional transitions and transformations, culminating in the creation of the PATH Method.
Ricardo’s links:
https://www.ricardobrito.me/gift
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ribrito/
https://ricardobrito.substack.com/
hello@ricardobrito.me
Ricardo Brito is a career and life coach with a unique approach: helping people pave their way to personal and professional fulfilling balance through what he calls the PATH Method. Ricardo’s journey began back in 2021, when deeply entrenched in the corporate tech world as a UX design lead he found himself battling burnout, disillusionment, and defeat. The turning point came when he reached a breaking point and sought medical help, realizing that something needed to change. This led him on an unexpected path of rediscovering himself through therapy, coaching, and experimentation. As he delved into coaching, Ricardo found a renewed sense of purpose and direction, ultimately choosing to downgrade his role in the corporate world. This decision brought him a profound revelation - that his self-worth was not tied to his title or status, but rather in the impact he made and the quality of his work… and more than products or businesses, it was always about the people and their growth. Through his own journey, Ricardo developed a unique approach to help others navigate professional transitions and transformations, culminating in the creation of the PATH Method.
Ricardo’s links:
https://www.ricardobrito.me/gift
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ribrito/
https://ricardobrito.substack.com/
hello@ricardobrito.me
⚡️ In each episode, Paddy Dhanda deep dives into a new human Superpower to help you thrive in the age of AI.
🎧 Listen now on:
👉 Apple
👉 Spotify
👉 YouTube
👉 Newslet -
Greatest Leader in History: What Can Agile Leaders Learn? E144
I discuss who is the greatest leader in history with historian Matthew Lockwood. We discuss the profound impact and historical significance of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, whom Matthew nominated in a BBC poll as the greatest leader in world history. We explore Ranjit Singh's unifying leadership, multicultural administration, and remarkable modernizing efforts. We address themes of tolerance, leadership, and the historical connections that resonate with today's world.
00:00 Introduction
03:04 Special Guest Matthew Lockwood: A Deep Dive into History
05:41 Exploring the Legacy of Maharaja Ranjit Singh
06:57 The Global Impact of Ranjit Singh's Leadership
29:00 The Personal Journey of Maharaja Duleep Singh
38:14 Reflecting on Maharaja Ranjit Singh's Contributions and Legacy
44:39 Future Projects and Closing Thoughts
⚡️ In each episode, Paddy Dhanda deep dives into a new human Superpower to help you thrive in the age of AI.
🎧 Listen now on:
👉 Apple
👉 Spotify
👉 YouTube
👉 Newsletter
★ BUY ME A COFFEE ★
☕️ If you enjoy the podcast, then you can donate a small amount here as a token of your appreciation and BUY PADDY A COFFEE 👉🏽 https://ko-fi.com/paddydhanda
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superpowers.school -
Avoid Death by PowerPoint in Presentations - Danielle Hennis - E143
In this episode, we discuss strategies on how to avoid 'death by PowerPoint'.
I'm joined by Danielle Hennis a presentation expert. We explore:
👉 How we can focus on audience needs
👉 Simplify presentations to one idea per slide
👉 Support presentations with visuals rather than text
Danielle shares her journey and how she transitioned from graphic design to presentation coaching, driven by witnessing ineffective presentations.
Practical advice is shared on how to prepare for presentations, including structuring content and utilizing visuals effectively. The conversation also touches on the importance of storytelling in business, managing presentation anxiety, eliminating filler words, and the role of AI as a tool in presentation preparation.
Danielle also provides recommendations for resources on data visualization, storytelling, presentation anxiety, and general presentation skills.
The episode wraps up with tips for gradually improving presentation skills by seeking feedback and starting with lower-stakes opportunities.
00:00 The Journey from Graphic Design to Presentation Mastery
04:19 Unlocking the Secrets of Effective Presentations
06:02 Harnessing Attention in the Age of TikTok
10:04 Crafting Engaging Presentations: Tips and Strategies
18:45 Overcoming Presentation Anxiety: Strategies for Confidence
31:34 Leveraging AI for Enhanced Presentations
34:41 Eliminating Workplace Silos for Creative Synergy
36:07 Resources and Final Thoughts
Danielle Hennis is a Raleigh, NC native who has travelled around the world only to settle back down in Durham, NC. She is a graphic designer and presentation specialist. She loves helping businesses, groups or individuals tell their message. She is the owner of Make It Memorable, LLC.
Email: drhennis@gmail.com
⚡️ In each episode, Paddy Dhanda deep dives into a new human Superpower to help you thrive in the age of AI.
🎧 Listen now on:
👉 Apple
👉 Spotify
👉 YouTube
👉 Newsletter
★ BUY ME A COFFEE ★
☕️ If you enjoy the podcast, then you can donate a small amount here as a token of your appreciation and BUY PADDY A COFFEE 👉🏽 https://ko-fi.com/paddydhanda
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superpowers.school -
Facilitation makes workshops work - Myriam Hadnes - E142
A deep and insightful conversation with Myriam Hadnes, a self-described facilitation evangelist and the host of the 'Workshops Work' podcast. Myriam shares her journey from an academic background in behavioral economics to embracing facilitation as her superpower, aiming to help others learn and apply it effectively.
She highlights her experiences living and working in different parts of the world, emphasizing the role of travel in gaining insights into diverse cultures, which she finds crucial in her work.
The conversation delves into the essence of facilitation, contrasting it with coaching, and explores its application in making group processes easy and engaging.
Myriam also shares practical tips and strategies for effective facilitation, including dealing with disruptive participants and designing workshops that create a safe and inclusive environment for all participants.
The episode concludes with resources and ways to connect with Miriam for those interested in learning more about the art and science of facilitation.
00:00 The Journey of a Facilitation Evangelist
04:03 Embracing the Digital Shift in Facilitation
05:20 Cultural Nuances in Facilitation
08:02 The Essence and Impact of Facilitation
10:40 Navigating Group Dynamics as a Facilitator
16:13 Designing Effective Workshops
18:50 Managing Disruptive Participants
22:41 Exploring Facilitation Techniques and Ground Rules
24:00 The Art of Icebreakers and Energizers
27:49 Engagement and Attention Span in Meetings
28:25 Effective Session Lengths and Participant Engagement
30:16 Innovative Facilitation Techniques and Tools
33:03 Virtual Facilitation and Preferred Platforms
36:46 The Power of Listening and Authenticity in Work
38:07 Connecting with the Facilitation Community
39:05 Personal Insights and Closing Thoughts
Myriam Hadnes
Facilitation Evangelist: "An expert in the field of facilitation who actively promotes its importance and benefits. This person is passionate about the power of effective group collaboration and aims to spread the word, advocating for the adoption of facilitation techniques in various settings.
https://workshops.work/
⚡️ In each episode, Paddy Dhanda deep dives into a new human Superpower to help you thrive in the age of AI.
🎧 Listen now on:
👉 Apple
👉 Spotify
👉 YouTube
👉 Newsletter
★ BUY ME A COFFEE ★
☕️ If you enjoy the podcast, then you can donate a small amount here as a token of your appreciation and BUY PADDY A COFFEE 👉🏽 https://ko-fi.com/paddydhanda
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.superpowers.school