Dacher Keltner is a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley.  He is also the faculty director of The Greater Good Science Center. Dacher’s research focuses on the biological and evolutionary origins of compassion, love, beauty, power, social class, and inequality.

Do you run towards or away from having more power?  Often perceived as the need to manipulate, coerce or dominate others, it turns out that power is actually the ability to make a difference in the world by influencing others.   As a result power is not something to be taken, but given to us through the practices of empathy, kindness, generosity and gratitude.  The paradox however is that as our power grows from these practices, it often ends up disconnecting us from the very people we serve.  So how can we navigate the power paradox?

Connect with Dacher Keltner:

Website – http://psychology.berkeley.edu/people/dacher-keltner

You’ll Learn:

• [01:35] – Dacher defines “power” as your capacity to influence other people.
• [06:53] – Dacher explains that there are small things you can do to feel more powerful.
• [09:05] – Dacher speaks about Adam Grant’s work on keeping your generosity right for the context.
• [13:06] – Dacher explains how feeling powerful helps ignite your approach system by focusing on rewards, and when you’re not feeling powerful it trigger your inhibition system making you more aware of risks.
• [15:05] – Dacher gives strategies to use to overcome the power paradox.
• [23:32] – Dacher shares some thoughts on servant leadership.
• [24:59] – Dacher explains what a future workplace looks like with shared power.
• [26:40] – The Lightning Round with Dacher Keltner

Your Resources:

• Born to be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life – Dacher Keltner
• The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness – Dacher Keltner
• The Power Paradox: How We Gain and Lose Influence – Dacher Keltner
• Good Natured: The Origins of Right and Wrong in Humans and Other Animals – Frans B. M. de Waal
• The Ethics for a New Millennium – Dalai Lama
• The Greater Good Science Center
• The Varieties of Religious Experience – William James

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.  

Also, please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

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Special thanks to Dacher for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!

Vanessa King is a board member of Action for Happiness, which is a UK-based not-for-profit that focuses on proactively building skills for psychological well-being and resilience. She’s also the architect of the Ten Keys to Happier Living. She joins me on this episode to talk about

In this episode, you will hear Vanessa’s Ten Keys to Happier Living, which form the acronym, GREAT DREAM.  Vanessa lists these ten keys and describes how they can bring about happier living.  She also talks about her program, Doing Well From the Inside Out and describes some of the success she’s seen through that program with building well-being in the workplace.  As technology changes the landscape of business and the future becomes more difficult to predict, getting back to the basics with well-being is more important than ever.

Connect with Vanessa King:

Action for Happiness
Ten Keys to Happier Living

You’ll Learn:

• [01:45] - Vanessa explains that the Ten Keys to Happier Living are areas that we can take action in to help ourselves and other people be happier.  
• [02:14] - GREAT DREAM is the acronym for these ten keys and Vanessa walks us through each of the keys.  
• [05:40] - Vanessa talks about how people can stick with these shifts.  She explains that approaching these changes with an attitude of experimentation rather than lifestyle transformation where to set expectations.
• [06:30] - Vanessa explains how sharing what you’re doing with other people can help create momentum through accountability.
• [08:57] - The evidence is still out on these strategies, but Vanessa shares why she believes it’s possible long-term improvements in people’s well-being.
• [11:40] - Vanessa emphasizes that these are ten keys to happier living, not ten keys to happiness.
• [14:06] - Vanessa talks about her program, Doing Well From the Inside Out, which helps build well-being in the workplace.  
• [15:47] - Vanessa shares a few stories about participants that went through this and other programs who experienced transformations.
• [18:34] - Vanessa explains how she presents these strategies to businesses.  She shares there’s a need to think about organizations systemically.
• [22:30] - Technology makes it difficult to predict the future in business.  Vanessa explains that requires us to get back to the basics with happy living.
• [23:14] - The Lightning Round with Vanessa King.

Your Resources:

• Mindful Compassion: How the Science of Compassion Can Help You Understand Your Emotions, Live in the Present, and Connect Deeply with Others - Paul Gilbert PhD
• Self-Compassion: The Proven Power of Being Kind to Yourself - Kristin Neff
• Play: How it Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination, and Invigorates the Soul - Stuart Brown and Christopher Vaughan

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.  

Also, please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

Special thanks to Vanessa for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!

George Bonanno is professor of clinical psychology, Director of the Lost Trauma and Emotion Lab, and Director of The Resilience Center for Veterans and Families at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College. George’s research focuses on resilience in the fact of loss and traumatic events.  

Most of us have the natural tools to deal with extreme adversities in our lives. We cope well when extreme things happen to us.  To deal with the world around us, it takes a repertoire of behaviors.  Sometimes, this involves what George calls “coping ugly.”  Sometimes we might need to do something that doesn’t seem pretty but is reasonably effective.  

Connect with George Bonanno:

Website for Lost Trauma and Emotion Lab

You’ll Learn:

• [01:55] - George will be presenting on loss, trauma, and resilience at the 5th World Congress on Positive Psychology.  He shares what he would like attendees to take home from his presentation. 
• [03:45] - Media coverage ensures that we are aware of negative events.  The negative psychological consequences can be overcome, and eventually they go away.
• [05:38] - George believes that resilience is natural and speaks to the fact that organizations are spending money on trying to enhance resilience.
• [08:50] - George talks about the behaviors that make us cope better.   
• [11:43] - “Coping ugly” is a phrase that George coined and he talks about what this means.  
• [12:55] - George talks about how laughter can be an example of coping ugly.  
• [14:20] - We all know the famous five stages of grief.  George states that these stages have been harmful to many people.  
• [16:25] - The Lightning Round with George Bonanno

Your Resources:

• 5th World Congress on Positive Psychology
• The Other Side of Sadness: What the New Science of Bereavement Tells Us About Life After Loss - George A. Bonanno
• Frida: A Biography of Frida Kahlo - Hayden Herrera

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.  

Also, please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

Special thanks to George for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!

Jeffrey Auerbach designs and delivers executive coaching and emotionally intelligent leadership programs.  He is the founder and President of The College of Executive Coaching, and past Vice President of the International Coach Federation Global Board of Directors.

In this conversation, you will hear Jeffrey talk about the well-being coaching he does with people in the workplace.  The biggest part of well-being is career well-being.  Jeffrey explains the importance of using strengths intelligently, and when one can’t rely on their strengths, doing the work to learn something new.  A weakness is sometimes a strength that is overplayed.  Jeffrey shares examples of coaching clients to demonstrate how these strategies can be implemented to make positive lifestyle changes.

Connect with Jeffrey Auerbach:

Website: http://executivecoachcollege.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffrey-e-auerbach-4155722b/

You’ll Learn:

• [01:45] - Jeffrey will be presenting at the 5th World Congress on Positive Psychology. He’ll be talking about coaching for executive well-being.  He shares what he hopes attendees will take away from his presentation.  
• [03:10] - Jeffrey shares how he coaches people to make changes to achieve well-being. He talks about a few practical applications people can implement.
• [06:02] - Jeffrey talks about his new book, Positive Psychology in Coaching: Applying Science to Executive and Personal Coaching.
• [07:59] - In his new book, Jeffrey talks about the dangers of over-using strengths.  In the world of leadership, people are hired and promotion because of their strengths.  But, when their careers fail, it’s because they rely on those strengths rather than being an agile learner.
• [10:50] - Jeffrey shares how he coaches individuals to build on their strengths, but also be aware of and owning their limitations.  
• [14:49] - Jeffrey cites Barbara Fredrickson’s work on the upward spiral of lifestyle change. He shares an example of how positive emotions can make lifestyle changes more likely.
• [19:33] - Jeffrey talks about situations where well-being or strength-based coaching approaches are not appropriate.  
• [21:07] - Group coaching situations are becoming more common. Jeffrey explains the reasons that he likes this approach.  
• [25:08] - The Lightning Round with Jeffrey Auerbach

Your Resources:

• 5th World Congress on Positive Psychology
• Personal and Executive Coaching: The Complete Guide for Mental Health Professionals - Jeffrey E. Auerbach
• Positive Psychology in Coaching: Applying Science to Executive and Personal Coaching - Jeffrey E. Auerbach and Sandra L. Foster
• Good Business: Leadership, Flow, and the Making of Meaning - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
• A Dog’s Purpose: A Novel for Humans - W. Bruce Cameron

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.  

Also, please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

Special thanks to Jeffrey for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!

Angela Duckworth is a professor at The University of Pennsylvania. She is also the founder and scientific director of The Character Lab. She has advised the White House, professional sports teams and Fortune 500 CEO’s.  

In this conversation, you will hear Angela discuss the research that she is doing on character with children and teachers in middle schools.  Character is not one thing, it is many.  Various character strengths fall into three dimensions: interpersonal character, intellectual character, and intrapersonal character.  Angela also talks about these types of characters in regards to the workplace.  You will also hear Angela talk about grit, and her opinions on the things workplaces are doing to try to cultivate grit. 

Connect with Angela Duckworth:

CharacterLab.org

You’ll Learn:

• [01:59] - Angela shares some of the takeaways from her upcoming presentation on character at the 5th World Congress in Positive Psychology.  
• [03:53] - In Angela’s research, she looked at a subsets of strengths in the VIA (Values in Action Inventory).
• [05:31] - Angela says that self-control and grit are in the strength of will family.  
• [06:41] - Angela describes the interpersonal strengths.  These allow you to appreciate other human beings.  
• [07:36] - Angela lists some characteristics that she defines as intellectual character.
• [09:26] - Angela talks about determining where students are in their strengths in these areas of character.  
• [10:42] - Angela believes that these areas of character strengths are relevant to adults, in addition to youth.  She describes how these translate to the workplace.
• [12:36] - Angela talks about the relationship between grit and character and their roles in achievement.
• [14:00] - Grit is sought-after in the workplaces, and Angela talks about the idea that the role of character will grow in businesses.  She explains how strengths in some areas of character can lead to the individual being likelier to have or develop strengths in other areas of character.
• [16:31] - Angela talks about what workplaces are doing to successfully cultivate grit.
• [19:42] - Angela shares some concerns she has with workplaces implementing grit exercises.
• [22:09] - The Lightning Round with Angela Duckworth.

Your Resources:

• 5th World Congress in Positive Psychology
• CharacterLab.org
• Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance - Angela Duckworth
• Getting Grit: The Evidence-Based Approach to Cultivating Passion, Perseverance, and Purpose - Caroline Adams Miller
• Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise - Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining me again this week.  If you enjoyed this episode, please share it using the social media buttons you see at the bottom of this post.  

Also, please leave an honest review for the Making Positive Psychology Work Podcast on iTunes. Ratings and reviews are extremely helpful and greatly appreciated. They do matter in the rankings of the show, and I read each and every one of them.

And finally, don’t forget to subscribe to the show on iTunes to get automatic updates. It’s free!

Special thanks to Angela for joining me this week. Until next time, take care!