Episodes
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Today, Jack tackles the issues of sex and gender and how our society and our biology conflict with one another. He will break down how we tend to create norms (i.e. stereotypes in this particular case) that cause many of the problems we see today. He will help us to see past these 'norms' and understand the person underneath. This serves a nice little break from all our leadership talk, so just sit tight for a few more days and we will be back on that hayride! As Jack says, nothing better than enjoying this gorgeous fall weather than enjoying some fresh coffee in a Crack Talk juice box. Head over to our website and click the link to order yours today! https://cracktalk.us
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Be HEROIC. There is so muched packed into such a little word. Of course, being an acronym it is obviously loaded, but think about that word 'heroic' for a moment. Does it instill a sense of awe and amazement? Does it make you think of Superman, Batman, and Captain Marvel? What if we told you that deep inside each and everyone of us, beats the heart of a hero? We are not saying to run into burning buildings, dodge bullets, or eat veggie burgers, but we are saying that the potential to make a difference in someone's life is easily within our grasp. That is what it means to be HEROIC. You can distill any leadership/self-help theory or mantra into any acronym you like (it just so happens, 'HEROIC' is ours...LOL), but they all come out the same. We try to find that thing inside us that gives us the joy in life we all search for and we would almost guarantee interaction with another person is embedded somewhere within your definiton and desire.
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Missing episodes?
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So what attribute would you define as being found in a good leader? There are many, and we don't want to poison the well, but seriously, take a few minutes and think about those qualities or traits you see in leaders you deem 'good.' Any by 'good' we really mean effective. Good implies morality, and as we discussed in the last episode, morality does not necessarily correlate with leadership. In this episode, we stumble onto a million-dollar idea and one that will probably lead to many more episodes (well, at least 6). Join us as we discuss more about this thing called leadership and a new way to make it part of your daily life, so you too can be the leader you've always dreamed of. Not really, but it is a fun topic and one that we feel bears more discussion. Let us know your thoughts and opinions. Follow us Facebook, Twitter, and your favorite podcast app. Get a link to all of this and more at our website: https://cracktalk.us!
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In all this talk about leadership, we have overlooked one key figure in our history who may have a significant contribution, at least from a standpoint of who we acknowledge as effective leaders. Yes, we're talking about Adolf Hitler and whether or not he was an effective leader. Notice we didn't say 'good' or 'bad' because those mean and imply morals, which Hitler was without (at least from our perpsective; he did in fact believe he was acting morally in line with HIS standard of morality). But, the questions remains, was Hitler an EFFECTIVE leader? Effective simply means, was he successful in achieving his desired result? Eradicating Jewish people and becoming a world dictator, no, but was he able to unite a group of people to common cause or goal, absolutely. If we look at that aspect alone, how was hitler any different from Lincoln in uniting a group of people towards a common goal (namely, abolishing slavery)? Again, set morals aside, because at the human level, morality may not have a place in DEFINING leadership. If we want to label it 'good' or 'bad', then okay. but if we're talking basic, fundamental definitonis, Hitler may be a prime example. What do you think? Let us know!
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Well, life has hit and Jack is out this episode as he spends time focusing on school and work (and school-work), so Tobey will keep the conversation going. We do wish safe travels and hunkering down(??) to all of our east coast friends in light of the hurricane. In this episode, Tobey will dive into some issues with using Lincoln, and many others, who are often referred to as 'great' leaders we should emulate or something. The problem is, we are not THEM, in THEIR time, going through THEIR trials, suffering THEIR problems. Leadership, like many other things, is NON-TRANSFERRABLE. What this means is, leadership is 'episodic' and DEPENDENT on the time, place, and those involved and only in THAT environment will leadership blossom, IF IT IS TO BLOSSOM AT ALL. Make sense? Well, it may not, but that's our story and we're stickin' to it! There is much to the study of this thing called 'leadership', and much like Facebook and its terrible news feed algorithm, the acadmeic community of leadership is definitely pushing its own intentions on what IT thinks YOU want. Peace out 'ombres!
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Abraham Lincoln, along with many others, was a great leader. But by what definition? Was he great because of himself, or because of society? Did he make himself great or was greatness thrust upon him? Today we look at the ever-increasing phenomenon of 'superficial aggregation,' or mkaing something out of nothing. What we mean is, Abraham Lincoln is often cast as one of the great leaders in human history. Scores of books, articles, societies, and the like have tried to push the agenda of his greatness based solely on the national stage in which he found himself. And, based on the results, he is labeled a 'great leader.' We're not saying he wasn't, quite the contrary, but his greatness as a leader was due more to the mental struggles he faced rather than anything noble and innate to his being. Our point: if you aren't living in 19th-century America and suffering from sever depression (amongst a plethora of many other issues), trying to discern leaderhsip qualities from Lincoln is like trying to squeeze blood from the proverbial turnip. Happy Squeezing!
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The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (commonly seen as 'MBTI') is one of the greatest scams of our generation. Built on the work of Carl Jung, the mother-daughter pair of Katharine Briggs and Isabel Briggs Myers in an effort to simpliply and COMPARTMENTALIZE (EEK!!!) people. Despite their best intentions, that is the inevitable pitfall of this test. Not to mention it is not consistent (reliable, in psycho-speak), let alone misleading. We spend today's episode debunking this popular tool (especially amongst) organizations and shed light on what it really is: A glorified Facebook quiz that is one step better than your IQ being determined by how many backwards words you can read... #puke. And by the way, it is pronounced 'Ni-key'. ;)
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How often do you question the 'brilliance' behind 'great leaders'? How many 'quotes' can we use in a single 'show'? Is it possible these 'great leaders' are more a (by)product of time and place (i.e. culture and environment) rather than of inherent skill or ability? We've always said those 'leaders' who found themselves in those positions obviously knew what to do in thsoe situations, but the truth is, had anyone taken Bill Gates' place at that fateful meeting with IBM execs, would Microsoft be what it is today? Some say 'no', we say 'eh..maybe.' Join us today as we look at a different (and albeit somewhat cynical) view of leadership that we believe is getting overlooked more and more with each new book that is written.
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First it was guns. Then it was 'regert.' Now, it's A First-Rate Madness. Sometimes we just land on a topic that is so good, it bears repeating many times in many episodes. For our season opener, we wanted to spend some time giving you an idea of what to expect in season 5, but instead we seemed to have veered somewhat in movie discussion, social challenges, and of course, A First-Rate Madness. There is so much awesome packed into that book, that it is hard to stop talking about. Howver, we do use its premise to launch into what we will be covering (in part) this season, namely, understanding the environment in which we find ourselves so as to make more accurate reflections and assessments regarding the leadership styles and expectations of ourselves, and those we may follow. This is gonna be a great next couple of weeks, so get your thinking caps on! It's time to get a little nuts.
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We wanted to say a few final things on Dr. Covey's 7 Habits that we didn't get to on the last episode, and of course, we had to talk about A First-Rate Madness a little more. We have some great topics in mind for season 5 and speaking of season 5, we are so very thankful for each and every one of you who listen and have stuck with us either from the beginning of the podcast, or even the beginning of the week. We are having a ton of fun with this and hope you are too. We are anxious to hear your thoughts and feedback so hit us up on Twitter (@cracktalkus) and Facebook (cracktalk.us) or when in doubt, the website has it all! (https://cracktalk.us). Season 5 is gonna be off the hook! (as the kids used to say)
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As per the usual, we veered a little on this one. So you may have heard us discuss 'A First-Rate Madness' by Dr. Nassir Ghaemi on the last episode, and since Jack went out and bought it, we just HAD to discuss it this episode. Don't worry, we still cover Dr. Covey's seventh habit, 'Sharpen The Saw' and all its chewy goodness, however, we did have to talk about Dr. Ghaemi's book for a but because it is just that darn good! There is much crossover between the two, believe it or not, and there is a lot of crossover with those two books and all of our podcast episodes, believe it or not. Is it extraordinary or expected though? You may have heard the ol' management adage, 'What gets measured, gets done.' In a very similar fashion with psychology, 'What gets studied, gets diagnosed,' so it does beg the question, do all of the topics really correlate and corraborate or do the topics themselves manifest in these books? Chicken or the egg, elephant or the horse? You decide.
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Well, despite our rant regarding Dr. Covey's reference to Sir Winston Churchill somehow being relevant to the topic of synergy (spoiler alert...it isn't), the point of synergy is WORKING TOGETHER. It naturally feeds off of habits 4 and 5, 'Think Win-Win' and 'Seek First to Understand', synergey is about putting the plans and ideas created in those two habits into action. It is not just collaboration, although it kind of is, syngery is about mutually beneficial goals, almost dependent (where collaboration could have independent goals, even though all parties got what they wanted): A campaign manager and a nominee working towards the the election is synergy; Coke and Pepsi agreeing to put soda machines next to each other is collaboration. There is much to be said on this topic as we close in on the end, so get settled in, we get a little fired up in this one!
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Habit #5 seeks to have us look past our own mis- (or pre-) conceptions and engage our empathic system to better ascertain and appropriate what the underlying reasons are for a person's behavior. Catch that? Basically, our erudite vernacular is simply saying it is better to listen first, respond second. We take further issue with Dr. Covey's application of a registered trademark to common English phrases for the sake of marketing and profit, but he is writing a book after all. That aside, we do agree with the fact that when in conversation or conflict, we should try to understand the other person's point-of-view and realize there is usually more than one way to skin a cat, right? This kinda falls back on 'Think Win-Win' in that we should be empathetic (as we should in practially all of the habits...) because by doing so, we should the other person we genuinely care about them and their opinions, even if we disagree. Give a shot and let us know how it works for you!
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We can sum up habit number 4 in one word: empathy. That's right. It's all about truly understanding the other person to really be able to come to a mutual and mutually beneficial resolution because let's be honest, no one likes conflict and to lose a 'conflict situation' feels like we lose part of our stake in life, right? We have to learn to let go of our deisres to best the other person, or get to the front of the line, or have the highest grossing podcast on the planet. Let's take a look at how we can help others and in doing so, we will find that we have helped our own purposes much more than anything else we could have done. Yes, there are those who seem to succeed (or get away with) everything they do, but they are the exceptions, not the rules. Be rulers (as in, measurement tools) people! Peace out coconuts.
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This episode, we focus on habit number 3, which despite Dr. Covey's insistance it is about imagination, it is really about prioritization (per him). Anyway, the idea is really about focusing on what matters and eliminating what doesn't. We certianly agree with this idea and they are words to live by, but hte interesting thing about weeding out the non-important things is, if all of your non-priority things have been removed, then what is left to prioritize?? We discuss this interesting aspect and much more on this episode, so be sure to join us as we make our way through. Also, be sure to tune in next episode as we drop the bomb on a nifty new feature of the podcast that is sure to get you on the edge of your seat, or at the very least, get you thinking a little more. Stick around coconuts, it only gets better!
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Dr. Stephen Covey's second habit of seven tells us to 'begin with the end in mind'. We do like the idea behind it, basically saying have an idea of where you're going. Well, what happens when you don't know where you are going? We all have times where we feel compelled to do something bigger, better, grander, whatever, but we may not know what that is. It isn't as simple as Dr. Covey states in having clarity or vision. Sometimes, the end is all about the journey. We need to take time to understand what we are going through and how it impacts our lives. Sometimes we need to be told 'You're not The One' (The Matrix) to find out what being 'The One' really means to us (and not someone else). It is about making our own luck or creating our own destination, but do not forsake the journey in getting there. It isn't about arriving. Take the time to stop and smell the roses and listen to the clock ticking in the other room. Of course, if you are one of the lucky ones that knows exactly what it is you want to do with your life, bully for you! Now go help someone else find their passion. Buckle up coconuts, this one gets deep!
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Well, we had a small technical difficulty with Jack's microphone, i.e. the cable is bad and we dont' have a replacement. We know, we should have extras, but we don't so we're stuck. We are going to pick back up on Thursday due to travel committments, so stay tuned and we'll talk to you then!
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There is much to be said for Dr. Stephen Covey's book, 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.' This episode marks the first of seven (see what we did there?) where we look at each habit and dissect it a little bit. We don't disagree with Dr. Covey's thoughts and ideas, we just believe they need to be unpacked a little and made a little less 'drive-thru.' What do you think when you hear the term 'proactive?' Does it conjur up images of fortune-telling and telepathic clairvoyance? Probably not, but we would bet dollars to ducks that you think being 'proactive' is an admirable trait. Well, if you think about it for a few seconds, you should come to the same conclusion we did, which is 'being proactive' is really just 'reacting' to something, right? You can't truly be proactive. We hear you screaming though, you're saying, 'Being proactive means no one is telling you to do something,' and we absolutely agree. However, why don't we just say, 'Be active, not lazy!' Because it isn't pithy enough to put on a bumper sticker. So, be ACTIVE and fire up your podcast app and get listening!
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We know you are sad that we are done and moving on from regert, but every good thing must come to an end. And to that end, we are gonna shift our focus a little bit onto the topic of habits. Specifically, we're gonna dig into Stephen Covey's 7 Habits and see if we can unpack them a little more and expose some their soft under-bellies. Not that we think they're wrong, far from it. We just believe there may be more to them than the nice little package they are so neatly wrapped up in. We're going to start by just talking 'bout habits (not love): how they're formed, why they're hard to change, and what we can do to change them (if they even need changing!). There is much to be said for the power of our brains and it isn't about being lazy, as much as it is about understanding what is going on and what may be getting in our way. This should be a fun ride for sure. Hit us up on Twitter and let us know what you're thinking!
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Okay, we know you're probably getting sick of hearing us say 'regert' instead of 'regret', but hey, it is what it is and that's all it is. Right? Right. However, rather than just talk about it, we're gonna talk about how to deal with it. We're gonna apply a common organizational planning technique that helps deal with change systematically. You may have heard it called PDCA, OPDCA, FACTUAL, DMAIC, ABLE, etc. ad nauseum. We're gonna walk our way through a process of journaling, reflecting, seeking feedback, making a plan, acting on the plan, and being accountable for that plan. We know, long-winded, but hey, the episodes are smaller now so win-win! We want to send a very special 'thank you' out to all of our lovely coconuts for helping us get to the front page on Apple Podcasts. You are the reason we are there because it was a team effort! Share Crack Talk with all your homies and welcome in some new nuts to the family. Hit us up on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and of course, you're favorite podcast app. We are here for you! Peace out Coconuts!
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