The Greg McKeown Podcast Greg McKeown

What if you could design a personalized essentialist daily routine in seconds? This is part three of a multi-part series about how to use AI to make a more essentialist, effortless lifestyle. By the end of this episode, you will be able to make AI your servant rather than your master in setting up your daily routine.

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Do you ever feel that your life is becoming more and more reactive? Even where you get good things done in a day, you still feel like your life is living you rather than you intentionally living your life? Well, in today's episode, I'm going to share with you the 1-2-3 Method. It's simple, it's clear, and it's something that you can utilize today and every day to be able to design a more essential life.
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About the Guest:
Ginni Rometty is the former Chairman and CEO of IBM, where she led one of the most significant transformations in the company’s history. She reinvented half of IBM's portfolio and launched a $25 billion hybrid cloud business, positioning IBM as a leader in AI and quantum computing. Beyond her technical prowess, Ginni initiated innovative educational programs and redefined corporate ethos through the business roundtable. She's also co-chair of One Ten, a nonprofit committed to providing substantial employment opportunities for individuals without college degrees. Recognized as Fortune's number one most powerful woman for three consecutive years, Ginni's journey is detailed in her memoir, "Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World."
Episode Summary:
Greg engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Ginni Rometty, delving into the dynamics of leadership, teamwork, and organizational transformation. Rometty shares valuable insights drawn from her extensive experience at the helm of IBM, shedding light on the importance of being in service of a greater purpose, building belief, managing change, leveraging technology responsibly, and cultivating resilience. The episode underscores the significance of embracing resilience, fostering meaningful relationships, and navigating challenges with a growth mindset.
Key takeaways from the episode include:
Being in service of a greater purpose leads to meaningful and enduring impact.
Building belief requires appealing to both the head and the heart of individuals.
Distinguishing between what should change and what should endure is crucial for sustained success.
The stewardship of technology plays a vital role in driving positive societal impacts.
Resilience is a key attribute for overcoming hardships and pursuing long-term goals.
Notable Quotes:
"Be sure you're in service of something."
"Building belief means talking to people's head and heart."
"Learning the difference between what should change and what should endure."
"Resilience is the importance of your attitude and relationships."
Resources:
Ginni Rometty’s Book: Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World
110 Nonprofit Organization: 110.org

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Learn more about my books and courses.
Join The Essentialism Academy.
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About the Guest:
Ginni Rometty is the former Chairman and CEO of IBM, where she led one of the most significant transformations in the company’s history. She reinvented half of IBM's portfolio and launched a $25 billion hybrid cloud business, positioning IBM as a leader in AI and quantum computing. Beyond her technical prowess, Ginni initiated innovative educational programs and redefined corporate ethos through the business roundtable. She's also co-chair of One Ten, a nonprofit committed to providing substantial employment opportunities for individuals without college degrees. Recognized as Fortune's number one most powerful woman for three consecutive years, Ginni's journey is detailed in her memoir, "Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World."
Episode Summary:
Greg engages in a profound conversation with Ginni Rometty, former CEO of IBM, who shares insights from her new book, "Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World." The discussion dives deep into the themes of resilience, leadership, and personal growth, illustrated through Ginni's compelling life story and professional achievements. Evan as Ginni steered IBM through major transformations, her personal journey of overcoming adversity shines through, offering valuable lessons on redefining power and leadership in both personal and professional domains.
Greg and Ginni explore the concept of the "intergenerational self", emphasizing how our past, including influences from family and early life experiences, shapes our identity and capacity for resilience. Through anecdotes about her family's struggles and triumphs, Ginni articulates how these experiences cultivated her determination and leadership style. She talks about the importance of relationships in building resilience, a key aspect often overlooked in discussions about personal and professional growth. Ginni's philosophy of "good power" incorporates respecting others, avoiding fear-based actions, and celebrating progress over perfection, providing a roadmap for modern leadership.
Key Takeaways:
Intergenerational Influence: Our identity and resilience are profoundly shaped by the experiences and hardships of our family.
Good Power: Effective leadership involves harnessing power for positive change, respectful conflict resolution, and celebrating incremental progress.
Resilience Components: Strong resilience comes from both a positive attitude and robust, quality relationships.
Conflict Resolution: Approaching conflict positively and respectfully can transform adversarial relationships into constructive ones.
Access vs. Aptitude: There's a significant gap between talent and access to opportunities, which leaders should strive to bridge.
Notable Quotes:
"When they had nothing, they had power." - Ginni Rometty
"Bad is homeless and bad is having nothing. Nothing else will ever meet that bar." - Ginni Rometty
"Good power is about loving tension, not dividing people but bringing them together respectfully." - Ginni Rometty
"You can love tension, but you can do it respectfully, not from a source of fear." - Ginni Rometty
"Transformation should be celebrated, not endured." - Ginni Rometty
Resources:
Ginni Rometty’s Book: Good Power: Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World
110 Nonprofit Organization: 110.org

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Learn more about my books and courses.
Join The Essentialism Academy.
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Join me as we ponder the turning of the calendar to 2024, a time for introspection and goal-setting. But this year, we're taking a different approach, asking not just 'what' but 'who' is important in our lives. I discuss the profound shift from a task-driven to a people-centric perspective, exploring how this reorientation affects leadership, team management, and personal relationships.
Leadership and virtual team performance: A meta-analytic investigation

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Join me as I explore the transformative power of building deep, meaningful connections in our lives, especially poignant in an age where superficial online interactions are often mistaken for genuine relationships. I reflect on Erik Newton's heartfelt Twitter story about the profound love he shared with his late wife, revealing the timeless truth that at life's end, it's the depth of our relationships that truly matters. This touching narrative serves as a profound reminder of the importance of fostering and nurturing our most significant relationships, and how they shape the legacy of love we leave behind.
I also discuss the insights of early psychologists and the groundbreaking work of British psychiatrist John Bowlby, who pioneered the concept of attachment theory. The historical journey from the 18th century to Bowlby's 20th-century research, including the Strange Situation experiment and Harry Harlow's primate studies, illuminates the critical need for emotional connections in our development. This conversation underscores the essential nature of these bonds for our psychological well-being, urging us to prioritize and deepen our connections with those who are important to us.

Join my weekly newsletter.
Learn more about my books and courses.
Join The Essentialism Academy.
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