Best of MBS Michael Bungay Stanier

Bina Venkataraman is the editorial page editor of The Boston Globe and a fellow at New America. She served as a senior adviser for climate change innovation in the Obama White House, was the director of Global Policy Initiatives at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. She is the author of a terrific book, The Optimist's Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age. In our conversation we talk about the power of a vividly imagined future; how to deal with vulnerable decision points; lessons learned from professional poker players; and both the flaws and usefulness of the marshmallow test.

After 10 years of heading Leadership Development at Walmart, where he was responsible for CEO onboarding, executive development and intelligent management across all levels of the organization, Neil Pasricha now serves as director of the Institute for Global Happiness. He has dedicated the past 15 years of his life to developing leaders and creating global programs inside the world’s largest companies.

If you’ve ever felt that someone has been rude or uncivil to you at work, I think you’ll really enjoy today’s conversation. My guest is Christine Porath, associate professor of management at McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University and author of the new book Mastering Civility: A Manifesto for the Workplace. It’s a fantastic read in which Christine gets to the heart of what’s behind on-the-job rudeness, what it costs us all and what we can do about it. I’m thrilled to dive into this meaty — and very timely — topic with her.

Bonnie St. John was the first African American to win medals in a winter Olympic competition, a Rhodes Scholar, and served in the White House as a Director of the National Economic Council. Today, Bonnie travels the globe as a keynote speaker, Fortune 500 leadership expert, and bestselling author. In our conversation we dive into the principles, strategies and tactics of micro-resilience; explore how someone from San Diego ends up winning skiing medals; look into the power of what happens in between the moments of performance; and how to stay focused on “the next turn”, whatever that may be for you.

Dr. Lisette Nieves is an experienced social entrepreneur, a leader in the world of education and a clinical professor at NYU, where she teaches education leadership and policy. See how she helps people learn, develop their potential and spark something new.

The Simplicity Survival Handbook, I got the opposite: a book that is practical, easy to read and focused at the heart of what matters. It’s worth picking up even if it’s just for the tip on how to delete 75% of your emails. In this interview Bill and I tackle why editing is a critical skill in today’s world, how to use a courage-a-meter, why 1440 is the most important number you need to know … and advice on who should mentor you. If you are looking for tips on how to simplify your life and focus on your true purpose, this interview is for you. https://www.mbs.works/