How many of us believe conflict should be avoided at all costs? Our guest, George Kohlreiser, shares how openly facing conflict helps us progress through our most difficult challenges.

George Kohlrieser is an organizational and clinical psychologist, hostage negotiator, and international best-selling author. He is Distinguished Professor of Leadership and Organizational Behaviour at IMD Business School in Lausanne, Switzerland, and a consultant to a plethora of Fortune 500 companies around the world. Moreover, Prof. Kohlrieser is a regular speaker at international management and professional conferences around including the World Business Forum, the World Economic Forum, and the United Nations.

At the height of the AIDS epidemic, Karen Ziegler was senior pastor of an LGBTQ church in Greenwich Village. In this interview she shares how she led her congregation through a period of intense conflict.

Karen led the church from 1978-1988 and then was a full-time organizer for several years in the AIDS community before becoming a nurse. Since retiring from work as a Nurse Practitioner 6 years ago she has been as a volunteer activist, serving as lead organizer for Democracy Out Loud Indivisible. She also works with the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival and several other organizations. Having meditated on her own since 1979, she finally found a teacher in 1989 and since then has studied with teachers of vedic trantra, Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Insight Meditation, plant medicine, and Tibetan Buddhism. She holds an MDiv from Union Theological Seminary, DMin from New York Theological Seminary, and an MSN from Duke University. Since 1917 Lama Rod Owens has been her primary teacher.

In this episode, Hanuman and our guest, Aaron Wolf discuss conflict management. He's a water resources geographer at Oregon State University and a trained mediator. Wolf facilitates dialogue between groups to help them find a shared vision around some big issues. Faith that gets to the core of our identity and water rights, which govern our very survival. 

First the hosts discuss Dan Goleman's own experience with conflict, sharing how he had to manage a conflict with his department at Harvard before they would endorse his plan to submit a thesis on meditation.

Then we talk about Aaron Wolf's career mediating conflicts around the world. They discuss lessons learned from international conflicts over pollution, cultural faux pas, finding humility in conflict and what it feels like when there is change in the room, 

We finish up with another installment of Ask Dan. This time the question is about how to love and know one's self. 

Athlete and entrepreneur, Sasha Dingle joins Liz Solomon to discuss her experience learning to live in harmony with her drive to excel. 

Dingle is a high achiever in many facets of her life. She is the Founder and Director of Mountain Mind Project. She is a qualified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher by the UCSD School of Medicine MBPTI. As a meditation teacher she facilitates mindfulness programs to an international client audience in the areas of leadership development, healthcare, education, and sports mental fitness.

This is the second conversation in our three part series on achievement, one of four self-management competencies in Dan Goleman’s framework of emotional intelligence.

Our guest, Peter Haberl, joined the United States Olympic Committee in 1998. In his current position as senior sport psychologist, he provides individual and team consultations and mental training sessions to various national team athletes with a specific specialization in team sports. Haberl has enjoyed the privilege of having worked at nine Olympic Games, four Pan American Games, and one Paralympic Games with U.S. athletes. Prior to joining the Olympic Movement in the U.S., Haberl played professional ice hockey in Austria. Born in Austria, Haberl received his bachelor’s degree in sports science from the University of Vienna, Austria. He later earned his master's degree in counseling and his Ed. D. in counseling psychology at Boston University. A licensed psychologist, Haberl focuses on mindfulness and ACT-based interventions. He enjoys using his daughter’s art work in his presentations.

In this episode, Peter Haberl joins Liz Solomon to discuss how US Olympic athletes, coaches and staff unlock achievement within the system of their teams.

Ruth Malloy gives an insightful look into how leaders arouse the achievement motivation in others through feedback, affiliation and standards of excellence - and how that motivation can run amok. Focusing too much on achievement can diminish trust and erode morale.

Ruth Malloy, Ph.D., is a leadership advisory consultant and Spencer Stuart’s global assessment solutions leader. She is based in Boston. For more than 25 years, Ruth has helped Fortune 500 companies, across multiple industries, achieve their strategic goals through the assessment, development and alignment of their leadership and talent. She brings deep expertise in executive assessment and succession, executive coaching, top team effectiveness and talent management. Prior to joining Spencer Stuart, Ruth was the global managing director of the leadership and talent practice at Hay Group. She also served as Director of Research and Technology for the McClelland Center for Innovation, and started up Leadership and Talent Direct at Hay Group, which offered on-line assessments including the ESCI, development tools and accreditation programs for individual practitioners, executive coaches and clients. She has published and presented on topics including women in leadership, motivation and leadership effectiveness. Ruth spoke at TEDx Fenway, presenting “From Leaning In to All In: What Organizations Can Do to Advance Women,” and co-authored “Leadership Run Amok: The Destructive Potential of Overachievers,” which was cited as one the most popular articles in Harvard Business Review (HBR) in 2006. Ruth has a B.A. in psychology from Vassar College. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. from Boston University, under the mentorship of Dr. David McClelland. 

In this podcast, Malloy joins Daniel Goleman to discuss the how empathy tempers achievement. Tune in for this insightful conversation about: 

• The pluses and minuses of high achievers.
• What inspires high achievement.
• How risk factors into achievement.
• Leadership run amok.
• Antidotes to micromanagement.
• Three social motives: achievement, power and affiliation.
• The importance of a leader's focus.
• The impact of self awareness on leadership.

Today, on First Person Plural, therapist Akhila Kolesar shares her awareness of multiple self identities and how her understanding of them has grown throughout her life.

Kolesar is a clinical psychologist specializing in trauma, relationship dynamics, identity development, anxiety and depression and difficult transitions. With a doctorate from the Institute of transpersonal psychology, she takes a whole person approach to psychotherapy, addressing the physical, mental, and spiritual self of each of her clients. She currently serves clients through her private practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. 

In this episode we train our awareness on systems. Like individuals, systems have an unconscious reality. Constellation theory  is a tool for helping us to understand that unconscious space.

Our guest is Rev. Leslie Nipps, MDiv, is the founder of Convivium Constellations. She is a Systemic Constellations and Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner and trainer. She has also been an Episcopal minister for over twenty years. She is a regular contributor to the professional journal of Constellations, The Knowing Field. 

An author, podcaster and entrepreneur Dan Harris (@danbharris) spent 21 years as an anchor and correspondent for ABC News, hosting such shows as Nightline and the weekend editions of Good Morning America. Dan has reported from all over the world covering wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and producing investigative reports in Haiti,Cambodia, and the Amazon.

After having a nationally televised panic attack on Good Morning America, Dan discovered meditation and he went on to write the best selling book 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works--A True Story. This marked the beginning of Harris' transition from a media icon to a mindfulness expert. 

The book was a welcome contribution to the mindfulness movement, as it provided a way for meditation skeptics like Harris himself, to give the practice a shot. That first book led to the 10% Happier app, a second book and Dan's podcast, where he interviews celebrities, entrepreneurs, authors, scientists, and meditation teachers about how to do life better.

That's half the story. In this episode, you’ll hear Dan talk about how other people see you, and how that fits or doesn't fit with how you see yourself. 

That's another kind of self awareness and self discovery that is both painful —and a rare treasure —to get that information.

For the last act in our series on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, we hear from Britna Bennett who shares the challenges she has faced as a Black woman, first-generation immigrant, and first generation college graduate navigating discrimination in corporate America. She also shares the importance of finding internal champions who will go up to bat for underrepresented employees and emphasizes the need for finding a workplace that authentically celebrates your identity and fosters psychological safety. 

To continue our conversation on the importance of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB), we met with two folks from the Great Place to Work Institute—the consultancy and research institute behind Fortune’s 100 Best Places to Work. Executive Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Tony Bond, and their Head of Data Science and Innovation, Marcus Erb, shed light on the connection between DEIB (what they call 4ALL culture) and companies that are more innovative, creative, and are more likely to thrive during economic recessions. 

Daniel Goleman speaks to Modupe Akinola, Associate Professor of Management and Director of the Sanford C. Bernstein and Co. Center for Leadership and Ethics at Columbia Business School. Professor Akinola shares some of the research on workforce diversity and the biases that affect the recruitment and retention of women and people of color in organizations.

What can co-ops teach us about how to live and work outside of the capitalistic structure? Two Western-Massachusetts based Co-op Worker/ Owners, Ruthy Woodring and Trenda Loftin, reflect on how cooperatives and community-based initiatives can massively reframe the structures of capitalism to support social justice, housing equality, economic opportunity, and human dignity.

What if the positive effects of development—better schools, infrastructure, and culture— celebrated and supported the communities of color that have long called spaces home? Social Entrepreneur, Ismail Samad, tells us about his initiatives to reinvent a system that can empower his hometown of East Cleveland to build generational wealth for Black and Brown folks. 

Harvard Business School professor and author of "Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire," Rebecca Henderson reflects on where capitalism has failed us and her vision for a new model for a more sustainable, equitable, and just future. 

What is it like navigating attention and focus in an emergency situation? Nurse of 40 years and Emergency Response Coordinator at Mass General Hospital Clinic, Patricia Simpson, talks about the complexities that arose as the city of Chelsea, MA addressed diverse and urgent needs at the height of the COVID19 pandemic. She shares that the success of their response team stemmed from having Emotionally Intelligent leaders who supported complex teams through kindness and empathy. 

What detracts from a staying focused on a cohesive organizational mission? Retired Consultant, George Pitagorsky, reflects on his more than 40 years of experience working within wide-ranging industries. He shares the ways in which large or growing organizations can prioritize mindfulness and self-awareness to work towards a collective goal.

What does it take to find and maintain focus in a world of distractions? Neuroscientist, Amishi Jha and Daniel Goleman discuss the Key Attention Systems and expands the key activities that individuals can do to strengthen their overall focus and attention. 

Stress can have significant damage to our overall wellbeing including on a physical, mental and spiritual level. It can decrease our ability to fight illness, reduce our creative thinking, and deplete our energies. But according to research, not only can you find ways to reduce stress through renewal activities, but you can also foster improved wellbeing overall. Today,  Daniel Goleman and Richard Boyatzis discuss the science behind renewal as well as their latest assessment, the Personal Sustainability Index (PSI), which can serve as a self-monitoring tool for stress levels and make recommendations for renewal activities. 

What does Spirituality and Faith have to do with happiness? Pastor and community organizer in Greensboro, NC, Wesley Morris, shares how faith helps him and his community seeking peace, joy, and fulfillment—not despite the darkness, but through it and because of it. 

In our second episode in our series on happiness, Elizabeth Solomon speaks with Natalie Nahai, whose work explores persuasive technology, ethics and the psychology behind evolving consumer behaviors. They delve into the system of consumerism and how it supports or impedes a fulfilling life, as well as the role of corporate brands in fostering societal happiness. 

Are we chasing happiness in the wrong places? Material possessions, wealth, and physical attractiveness are superficial and fleeting sources of dopamine. But to maintain a sense of happiness — particularly through times of change — we need to access something more meaningful. For the first segment in our 3 part series on happiness, Dr. Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology and Head of Silliman College at Yale University, joins us to share some of the science-backed recommendations for living a joyful and content life.

We started First Person Plural with the intention to foster a new kind of conversation about Emotional Intelligence ‒ one that applies to our daily lives in a meaningful and tangible way. In our final episode of our inaugural season, we're pulling back the curtain behind the scenes so you can get to know the people who make the show possible. Join our production team as we reflect on our favorite episodes, how we’ve evolved as we learned along the way, and where we’re headed in season 2.

Constant change can lead to overwhelm, which in turn impacts our ability to make strategic decisions. Today's episode features an excerpt from our Thriving on Change video course, featuring Elad Levinson and Daniel Goleman as they discuss how leaders can protect their focus and attention and help them adapt through change.

What does Emotional Intelligence look like on an organizational level? We take an in-depth look in today's episode. Daniel Goleman speaks with Dr. Vanessa Druskat, Associate Professor of Organizational Behavior and Management at the University of New Hampshire, on the elements of Emotional Intelligence which foster top-performing teams. Together, they tackle a wide range of topics from influence and belonging, to nonverbal communication in the age of digital conferencing.

Hungry for even more explorations of the emotional landscape of teams? Team Emotional Intelligence with Vanessa Druskat and Daniel Goleman is a deep-dive into decades of national and international research on group and team EI. Use code FPP50 for 50% off purchase price.

For guest bios, transcripts, and resources mentioned in today’s episode, check out our episode notes on our website firstpersonplural.com.

What happens when a crisis (let’s say, a global pandemic) forces an organization to completely rethink its values and workplace ethic?

Today on First Person Plural, we dive into all things Empathy with two leaders who have experienced that shift firsthand. 

Dan Goleman interviews Brad Brooks, CEO of OneLogin, and Courtney Harrison, OneLogin’s Head of HR, on how their company supported employees through turbulent times, and why Emotional Intelligence (EI), with a particular emphasis on Empathy, became their greatest tool.

Can anger be a constructive emotion? According to Daniel Goelman, “YES” —especially when it comes to creating change for the better. Today’s guests, Lama Rod Owens (Author and Activist), Shayna Renee Hammond and Lauryn Henley (Racial Justice Coaches and Advocates), and Asli Ali (Student and Poet), each share how anger fuels them to take action on issues that matter.

In Today’s episode, Daniel Goleman speaks with Executive Coach Sanjay Rao Chaganti who shares a story about his client, Laila, a woman with a vibrant career which took her to all corners of the globe.  When Laila returns home, she realizes  that she no longer fit into the world she left behind.

In this episode, Liz and Hanuman also discuss the many ways they have had to adapt during the global pandemic.  For guest bios, transcripts, and resources mentioned in today’s episode, check out our episode notes on our website.

Today we examine what it will take for us to tackle the urgent environmental crisis. We begin with a look at where we're directing our resources, not just our financial resources, but also our time, energy and attention. Sharing their insights with us today are supply chain expert Scott Kling, regenerative farmer Jake Takiff and indigenous ecophysiologist, Danielle Ignace. Listen Here.

What happens when your team is failing and it turns out...the problem is your own leadership style? 

In Today’s episode, Daniel Goleman speaks with Executive Coach Matthew Taylor. Matt shares a case study on Luke, a school principal who discovers that self-awareness is the first step towards improving employee morale, retention and overall effectiveness. 

For guest bios, transcripts, and resources mentioned in today’s episode, check out our episode notes here.

Initially, we set out to talk about Social Emotional Learning (SEL) at a time when millions of kids have been home, attending school online and missing out on valuable time with their peers. But we quickly realized COVID is far from the only thing kids and educators are grappling with—racial inequity, trauma, isolation, social unrest, and overworked parents are a significant part of the equation.

In this episode we talk with Adjunct Professor at Columbia University, Linda Lantieri, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) specialist, Amber Pleasant and early career High School teacher, Ben Chase— three people actively involved with implementing and evaluating SEL in the classroom.

For full episode bios, transcripts and links to resources referenced in today's episode visit our episode notes on our website here.

In many ways, being driven to achieve our goals is a good thing. But what happens when being a high-achiever causes us to lose sight of our larger objectives like being kind or leading a team? In this episode, the author of “How to Be Happy at Work: The Power of Purpose, Hope, and Friendship,” Annie Mckee, PhD joins Dan for a conversation around the ups and downs of achievement orientation.

Co-hosts Daniel Goleman and Hanuman Goleman reflect on the role of purpose in our overall wellbeing, looking at how purpose is fostered within an organization, and the many ways (big and small) it shows up in our lives.

Today’s episode features a wide-range of guest appearances including Psychologist Richard Davidson, Former Ernst & Young Partner and Executive Coach Dot Proux, Oncologist Petra Rietschel, and Executive Coach Kully Jaswal. Each guest provides a distinct perspective on the role of purpose and how we can foster more meaning for a greater sense of wellbeing. For a full transcript and guest bios, check out our episode notes.

Dan reviews the basics of emotional intelligence by sharing his model, which breaks down EI into four domains and twelve competencies. Check out the episode notes for a visual of his thinking – a graphic we affectionately call, "the bubble map," which outlines each competency and the domain it falls under. If you're interested in delving deeper into emotional intelligence and EI research, including the neuroscience behind it, you may enjoy the crucial competence video series.

We’d love to hear from our listeners! Please share your questions, feedback, insights, and stories with us via our Speakpipe voicemail app for a chance to be included in a future episode.

In this introductory episode, Daniel Goleman and his co-host (and son), Hanuman Goleman, begin to explore Emotional Intelligence in all of its depth and complexity, including how this work has evolved in relationship to mindfulness, neuroscience, and the growing need for social change. Learn a bit more about who we are, what you can expect from our first season, and how we plan to look at the theory of emotional intelligence when it's applied to our lives and the systems we are a part of. For transcripts and resources mentioned in today’s episode, check out our episode notes.

We’d love to hear from our listeners! Please share your questions, feedback, insights, and stories with us via our Speakpipe voicemail app for a chance to be included in a future episode.

Empathy. Positive mindset. An awareness of how our actions influence others. These are some of the traits that make us good partners, leaders, and community members. They are also key components of what is known as emotional intelligence (EI)—a term popularized by Dr. Daniel Goleman in the mid-’90s to describe our capacity for self and social awareness.

On the cusp of the 25th anniversary of his New York Times best-selling book, Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, Daniel Goleman is partnering with his son Hanuman Goleman and Key Step Media to bring you a podcast that will tackle some of the most critical issues influencing the future of humanity.

Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/firstpersonplural)