The Art of Insubordination with Todd Kashdan

The Evolving Leader

This week, co-hosts Jean Gomes and Scott Allender are in conversation with Dr Todd Kashdan, one of the world’s leading experts in the psychology of well-being, curiosity, mental flexibility and social relationships. In addition to having written more than 200 published scientific articles, Todd has also written three books, the most recent being ‘The Art Of Insubordination: How to Dissent and Defy Effectively’ (Bantam), a book described as being ‘a research-based toolbox for anyone who wants to create a world with more justice, creativity, and courage.’

0’00 Introduction

3.41 You describe your personal mantra as being a life devoted to the scientific exploration of unchartered human behaviour and its practical application to improve lives. What was it that set you on that course?

5.25 What are you trying to discover through your well-being lab?

8.50 How can we take care of our own sense of psychological well-being when in a situation surrounded by social divisiveness?

12.33 When you go into a situation where you have a strong belief that someone is wrong, how do you avoid going into that situation emotionally as non-curious?

16.40 Tell us the story of your children, the knife and the watermelon.

20.43 Is there any advice that you can give in a practical way of adopting the mindset of curiosity?

25.26 Tell us about your new book ‘The Art Of Insubordination’

29.25 From your perspective, what role do emotions play in the certainty that people have around their beliefs?

33.24 While you are at the top of the intellectual ladder in terms of development, do you still find that there are areas where you are not allowed to talk, is political correctness dominating your environment?

39.29 If we focus on identity’s role in certainty and the threat that people experience, from a psychological perspective is it people with a really strong identity that feel most threatened?

43.25 What would you say are the top three things that leaders need to think about in terms of evolving their mindset, that you think would help them most?

Social:
Instagram @evolvingleader
LinkedIn The Evolving Leader Podcast
Twitter @Evolving_Leader
The Evolving Leader is researched, written and presented by Jean Gomes and Scott Allender with production by Phil Kerby. It is an Outside production.