Potential Psychology

In this episode, Ellen from Potential Psychology introduces the concept of purpose-driven leadership in the first of a new series of 10-minute leadership learning mini-podcast episodes. Ellen explores what purpose-driven leadership means, how to practice it, and the benefits it offers. She discusses the importance of having a clearly articulated purpose in organisations and shares challenges faced by leaders in connecting with their organisation's purpose. Ellen provides an example of Atlassian's mission and offers strategies for uncovering and articulating an organisation's purpose, emphasizing the significance of purpose as a guiding framework for leadership decisions and practices.00:00 Introduction to Leadership Learning Mini Podcast00:23 Understanding Purpose Driven Leadership02:47 Challenges in Connecting with Organizational Purpose04:03 Defining Organizational Purpose05:07 The Importance of a Clear Purpose Statement07:36 Case Study: Atlassian's Purpose Statement09:42 Crafting Your Organization's Purpos

In this episode, Ellen introduces systems thinking as a powerful tool for personal and professional growth and development. She provides a worksheet and an example to help you start applying systems thinking in your life. Ellen also shares her personal journey and the reasons behind her decision to pivot the podcast towards systems thinking.Links and Resources: Download the systems thinking worksheet at potential.com.au/podcast Learn more about systems thinking at https://thesystemsthinker.com/introduction-to-systems-thinking/ Subscribe to Ellen's newsletter for updates and additional resources at https://potentialpsychology.substack.com/Contact: Send feedback or questions to podcast@potential.com.auSocial Media: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellenjacksonpotential/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/potentialpsychology/Credits: This episode is brought to you by Potential Psychology but if you'd like to sponsor the show, let us know - podcast@potential.com.au Audio editing by Andy M

Our guest for this episode is a long time friend of the show. This is her third appearance and we love having her here. Dr. Sarah McKay, neuroscientist, science communicator, online educator and author of the new book "Baby Brain: The surprising neuroscience of how pregnancy and motherhood sculpt our brains and change our minds (for the better)" In this illuminating conversation Sarah and I chat about:The paradox of 'baby brain' - women's experience versus the science.The many factors at play in the early life of a new mumHow hormones 'resculpt and rewire' our brains in pregnancy - and whyThose weird intrusive thoughts about 'breaking' your baby - What's that about?Alloparenting - What is it and why is it important to new parentsDoes having a baby affect other caregivers neurologically sense too?And so much more!Are You Ready to Fulfil Your Potential?Download your FREE copy of ‘Creating Thriving, Motivated Teams: A How To Guide’ by entering your details belowCLICK HERE TO VIEW THE INTERVIEW TRANSC

"Performance is about focusing on the most important thing at the most important time" My guest today on the Potential Psychology Podcast is sports and performance psychologist, Michael Inglis. Michael is Director and Co-founder of The Mind Room. He works with athletes, coaches and teams to build high performance environments and develop key mental skills to enhance performance.  In this episode, Michael and I take a peek at the fascinating world of sport and performance psychology and dig into:What a sports and performance psychologist does and why you might seek one out.Your values as your guardrails for performing, whatever that looks like for youThe evershifting dynamic between performance and wellbeingWhy the present moment is critical to achieving your goalsTolerating discomfort in pursuit of your goalsHow your values bring meaning to challenging moments  Are You Ready to Fulfil Your Potential?Download your FREE copy of ‘Creating Thriving, Motivated Teams: A How To Guide’ by entering your de

Part 2 of my interview with Bea Boccalandro, author of Do Good at Work: How Simple Acts of Social Purpose Drive Success and Wellbeing. Bea and I discuss: The importance of empathic connection  What is Corporate Social Responsibility and how is it different to job purposing?  How to use your strengths to drive success and wellbeing  Examples of simple acts that drive purpose and meaning   If you’re interested in seeing Bea speak live and attending a workshop on job purposing with her she will be doing both of those things in Ballarat, Victoria on the 23rd of March 2023. She is the keynote speaker for the Committee for Ballarat’s Corporate Citizenship Conference. Come and join us in beautiful Ballarat!   If you enjoyed this episode, please give us a rating over at Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Feedback? We want to hear from you. Email podcast@potential.com.au Want to hear more? It's all at potential.com.au/podcast --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/potentialpsych

In this episode I'm talking about purpose with my fabulous guest Bea Boccalandro, the author of Do Good at Work: How Simple Acts of Social Purpose Drive Success and Wellbeing (New York: Morgan James Publishing, 2021). Her book has received critical acclaim and she is a joy to talk to. In our conversation, Bea and I discuss:Social purpose - What is it and why does it matter?The difference between sense of purpose and meaning.How purpose can be woven into our working lives.How small social acts of purpose create a huge impact on yourself and others.Tips for workplace leaders on finding social purpose.Stories of job purposing and how other people found opportunities to find meaning on their work.Bea is also founder and president of the global purpose advisory firm, VeraWorks, Bea has two decades of experience helping businesses make customer interactions more human, products more inclusive, operations more environmentally sustainable, marketing more charitable or otherwise make work more meaningful. If you’re in

We're back for season 14 and celebrating this month as the Potential Psychology Podcast has now been on the air for 5 years. Half a decade of great conversations, insights and ideas all helping you to fulfil your potential. This is our 123rd episode, so, let's dive in 1-2-3, go!In this brief 'welcome back' episode, I talk about: What's in store in our upcoming conversations Our fabulous guest line upI also get nerdy with some podcast proliferation facts and my question for you - 'How we should celebrate the podcast's birthday?'Thank you for listening in as we get back into the swing of things here at PPHQ. We appreciate you spreading the word about our podcast.*****************************If you liked this episode, please consider giving us a 5-star rating over at Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.Feedback? We want to hear from you. Email podcast@potential.com.auWant to hear more? It's all at potential.com.au/podcastCheck out our Potential Psychology YouTube Channel here--- Send in a voice message: ht

"Will the robots replace us? The future is very hard to predict, but we're very adaptive." It's a wrap! This is our last episode on our mini-series on 'The Future of Work." Big thanks to my co-host this season, Dr. Joe Sweeney, who is a long time friend of the show and our guest expert in the areas of education and AI. You can learn more about him here. In our survey "Parenting, Education, and The Future of Work," we asked parents about their worries and concerns as well as their hopes for their children in the future workplace. One fascinating question that sums up the fears parents have is "will the robots replace us"? Joe and I have fun answering this question and discussing:Parents' answers to "what jobs might come up in the future?" (lot's of fun answers like: AI Prompt Developer, Chief Productivity Officer, Robot Consultant)Will AI, Machine Learning, and Automation eliminate current jobs?How will machines and humans work together in the future workplaceWhat jobs will be replaced and what jobs will stay 

"Antifragility is more than just resilience. It means you can lean into uncertainty and stress and that you've got what it takes to be able to embrace change." From the results of our recently concluded survey on "Parenting, Education, and The Future of Work," we found that 79% of parents are worried about their kids ability to thrive in the future workplace, and that doesn't come as a surprise. As humans, we're all fearful of things that are outside of our control. We've also had some major disruptions (like the pandemic) that have had an impact on our view of the future. But there's always a silver lining. We dug a bit further and asked parents how they see the future workplace and found that a lot of the parents were actually hopeful that society will thrive and that businesses will prosper in the future of work. In this episode, Joe and I explore these worries and discuss:How do we prepare our kids for thriving in the future environment?Mega trends that can impact change in the future.Scenario planning an

"We have the components of psychological hope to drive and motivate us - the will and the way" We're at the half-way point of our podcast series on "The Future of Work." My co-host, Dr. Joe Sweeney, and I explore the answers to questions we put to parents in our recently concluded survey on "Parenting, Education, and The Future of Work." Here are some interesting talking points of the study: The top 5 most important personal traits parents think their kids should have in the future workplace are:FlexibleFocusedDedicatedEthicalResilientThe top 5 most important skills parents think their kids should have in the future workplace are:CommunicationStress ManagementComplex Problem SolvingCreativityCognitive flexibilityAside from these interesting stats, Joe and I also discuss:What is Hope Theory?What are the components of psychological hope and how do those help us prepare our children for the future workplace?Activities and steps to establishing helpful pathways to achieve goalsWillpower, Why-power, and We-power T

"Artificial intelligence can change the world and that's not entirely a bad thing." In our study on "parenting, education, and the future of work", we asked parents about their most pressing concerns for their children. This is what's on their minds: "Will there be enough jobs for our kids in the future?""What will the quality of jobs be?""Will humans and machines work together?""What industries will be in demand in the future workplace?""Will machines replace people's jobs or make present jobs obsolete?""How will technology impact future employment options?" At the heart of these questions is our very human fear of the uncertain. Technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning are evolving rapidly but for many of us it feels like science fiction. It's a very normal human response for these changes to bring uncertainty and it's why in today's discussion, Joe and I answer some pressing questions and focus on the jobs and skills that will always be needed no matter how much things change. Listen

 "Job crafting is something we should be teaching to school students. How do I craft my job in the smallest way to maximise my purpose in life?"  Do you worry about your children's ability to thrive in the future workplace? In the survey that my co-host for this podcast series Dr. Joe Sweeney ran to give us some juicy data for our conversations, an overwhelming 79% of parents answered 'YES' to that very question. Understandably, a key concern that came up was about job security for our future workforce. Parents are asking:Will my kids have the same secure work experience that I had or will their life be constantly adapting, changing jobs, scrambling to find employment? To answer this question, Joe and I embarked on a conversation about "the dynamic nature of the future of work" and the skills that kids (and all of us) will need as the nature of work changes into the future. And because the joy of podcast conversations is that they are rarely linear, we also explore:The purpose of purpose at work and the role

"Hope, in the psychological sense, is a combination of pathways and agency. What we're doing is creating HOPE. " Welcome to our new podcast series: "The Future of Work", with guest expert Dr. Joe Sweeney. I'm really excited about this series as not only do I get to talk to a great friend of the show, but he and his team have done some very cool research with parents to explore their hopes and worries when it comes to future employment for our kids. The extensive survey work that Joe has done informs our discussion. It's research in action and makes for a great conversation. A bit about Doc Joe.Joe is first and foremost an educator, but he is also a technologist, advisor, writer, game designer, and an expert in workforce transformation. His particular area of interest is around pathways to employment, which makes him the perfect co-host for this podcast series exploring the future of work. He's been on the Potential Psychology Podcast twice before, once in episode 17 in which we talk about "Kids, Education and

We’re revisiting our How to Thrive series co-hosted with positive psychotherapist Marie McLeod for Mental Health Month.This series initially went live in late 2021 - almost 12 months ago - while How to Thrive, the documentary, was still in production. It is now out in the world and showing in cinemas all over the country."A good night's sleep starts the moment we wake up."We're almost at the end of Season 11 with 2 more episodes left. Today, we're back with our second to the last episode of our new weekly podcast series "How To Thrive", a collaboration with positive psychology coach Marie McLeod. We're exploring the last beam of the BEACON model; a model of thriving that Marie has developed to guide us through the simple steps to thriving and flourishing in life.In this episode, we talk about Nurture - the one and only beam of the BEACON model that is about our physical health and how it interplays with our mental health. Nurture focuses on four aspects: eating, moving, sleeping, and being mindful. All of whi

We’re revisiting our How to Thrive series co-hosted with positive psychotherapist Marie McLeod for Mental Health Month. This series first went to air in late 2021 - almost 12 months ago - while How to Thrive, the documentary, was still in production. It is now out in the world and showing in cinemas all over the country."When we feel a moment of hope, pride, love, serenity, gratitude, inspiration... we actually open up and quite literally. We broaden our peripheral vision and expand our brain."In the 6th episode of our new weekly podcast series "How To Thrive," co-hosts Marie and Ellen explore the fifth "beam" of the BEACON model: Optimism.To recap, the first four beams are: Belonging, Engagement, Accountability, and Compassion. They are discussed in detail in the past 4 episodes of season 11. In each episode, Marie and Ellen talk about the science behind each beam and key you in on how each of these can help you thrive as they share practical applications and real-life experiences.In this exquisitely optimis

We’re revisiting our How to Thrive series co-hosted with positive psychotherapist Marie McLeod for Mental Health Month. This series first went to air in late 2021 - almost 12 months ago - while How to Thrive, the documentary, was still in production. It is now out in the world and showing in cinemas all over the country."If only each of us realized the full extent to which all our problems, fears, and desires are shared by the rest of humanity, we'd all be so much more connected, self-forgiving, vulnerable, open, and free." In this, the 5th episode of our new weekly podcast series "How To Thrive" Marie and Ellen explore the fourth "beam" of the BEACON model: Compassion. It's relatively easy to feel compassion for others but practicing self-compassion is more challenging. Why, when we would give a friend facing struggle words of encouragement, do we beat ourselves up for not reaching expectations? And how is self compassion a super power? We discuss the answers and more in this episode.Listen in to hear Marie

We’re revisiting our How to Thrive series co-hosted with positive psychotherapist Marie McLeod for Mental Health Month.This series initially went live in late 2021 - almost 12 months ago - while How to Thrive, the documentary, was still in production. It is now out in the world and showing in cinemas all over the country."Thriving is not a spectator sport. You can't sit back and watch it happen."This is the 4th episode of our new weekly podcast series "How To Thrive", a collaboration with positive psychology coach Marie McLeod. This series is all about exploring how to thrive and practicing the BEACON model; a model that Marie has developed to guide us through the simple steps to thriving and flourishing in life.In this week's episode we explore the third "beam" of the BEACON model: Accountability.This might seem an unusual element of thriving but there is no thriving without doing - and sometimes we need to hold ourselves accountable to get the doing, done.Listen in as Marie and Ellen discuss: What accountab

We’re revisiting our How to Thrive series co-hosted with positive psychotherapist Marie McLeod for Mental Health Month.This series initially went live in late 2021 - almost 12 months ago - while How to Thrive, the documentary, was still in production. It is now out in the world and showing in cinemas all over the country."Flow requires us to use our strengths. Sadly many of us don't really know what those are. One of the first things that you must do is to identify these strengths. What are those things that your brain is wired to do, those things that you love doing?"This is the 3rd episode of our new weekly podcast series "How To Thrive", a collaboration with positive psychology coach Marie McLeod. This series is all about exploring how to thrive and practicing the BEACON model; a model that Marie has developed to guide us through the simple steps to thriving and flourishing in life.Today, we recap what we learned about Belonging and talk about how we did on our weekly quest. We then explore the second "bea

We’re revisiting our How to Thrive series co-hosted with positive psychotherapist Marie McLeod for Mental Health Month.This series initially went live in late 2021 - almost 12 months ago - while How to Thrive, the documentary, was still in production. It is now out in the world and showing in cinemas all over the country.In this episode, we talk about the first "beam" of the BEACON model: Belonging. We ask: What do we mean by belonging? How important is having close connections to others to our wellbeing? What is a Thrive Tribe and how do we cultivate and sustain one? Who gets to be in our "thrive tribe?" What's a micro-moment of connection? And how does it help us to build relationships?Your quest for this week: Find opportunities to create micro-moments of connection and tell us about them!Resources mentioned in this episode:Marie's website - needtoseesomeone.com and resources here.Positivity resonance - Watch this video from Dr. Barbara Fredrickson about Positivity Resonance and Positive ConnectionRober

We’re revisiting our How to Thrive series co-hosted with positive psychotherapist Marie McLeod for Mental Health Month.This series initially went live in late 2021 - almost 12 months ago - while How to Thrive, the documentary, was still in production. It is now out in the world and showing in cinemas all over the country.In this podcast series, Marie and I go deep into the practice of positive psychology and wellbeing science, sharing how we live what we teach in our work and in our lives. We dive into what it means to thrive and dissect a beam of the BEACON model, Marie's evidence-based model of thriving, in each episode. We even have do-at-home exercises for you to complete along with us. That means YOU get to participate in this fabulous collaboration too.In this episode, you will learn: What the BEACON Model is and how it helps you to thrive What each beam of BEACON stands for What we mean by well-being literacy The history and origin of the positive psychology About finding emotional equilibrium Why is