Men's leadership

Episode 66: Men’s Sexual Shadow At Work With Keith Witt [The Amiel Show]

by amiel · Apr 4, 2017

Men who are conscious of their sexual shadows at work are better leaders. They are less likely to do stupid things like sexually harass women or have illicit affairs. By spending less energy fighting their shadows, they can use their human superpowers to do good things like build great teams and guide them toward a better future.

People don’t talk a lot about this. Not in day to day work. And not even in classes about diversity and inclusion—or women in leadership.

That’s why I was so excited to talk with this week’s guest, Keith Witt, about his new book Shadow Light: Illuminations At the Edge Of Darkness.

His book and our conversation are about everyone (not just men) and all types of shadow (not just the sexual one). Still, the part I found most valuable was about straight guys who still haven’t gotten over their teenage crush on Suzie next door. Yes, we actually riff on this for 15 minutes!

Keith and I previously spoke about creating a marital love affair. You might say that this time we talk about loving your shadow.

For integral folks, we also talk about your personal moral system. How does this system change as we grow? What happens to our bodies when we violate it?

As if that weren’t enough, we also look at how healthy and unhealthy nationalism differ. Hint: it has to do with the collective shadow!

Highlights

The shame of violating your moral system
Constructive versus destructive shadow
Human superpowers
The roots of sexual harassment
Evaluating potential employees for their willingness to be influenced
Healthy and unhealthy nationalism

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Episode 60: Being A Good Guy, Breaking With The Bro Code With Janet Crawford [The Amiel Show]

by amiel · Oct 14, 2016

Are you a man who wants to support women and under-represented minorities in your organization?

In short, would you like to be a good guy?

If so, then you may wonder How exactly can I be a good guy?

The answer may surprise you.

It is not enough to track numbers or avoid discrimination and other offensive behaviors—much less sexual assault, which many of us are now discussing due to the U.S. presidential race. (Here is my take on the election.)

There are a series of positive steps you can take that go well beyond avoiding harm.

Some actions won’t pose risks for your public identity or career. Others require breaking from the Bro Code.

This week, Janet Crawford is back on the podcast to share her insights and practical tips for everyone who wants to be a good guy.

Janet is helping lead this conversation in Silicon Valley. Among all the executive coaches I know, she is the most knowledgeable about how the brain works and why this matters for leadership and unconscious bias. In episode 1 of this podcast, she talked about leaders’ brains, emotional literacy, and power.

Janet is unique because she not only works with organizations but also stays up to date on the latest brain and social science research. In fact, in just the past two years, she has updated her own views. For example, if a man sees a woman apologizing when it seems unwarranted, what can he do that will be helpful? Janet’s thoughts have changed—and, after listening to her, so have mine.

I can’t think of a more timely topic. If you find this conversation to be useful, please share it with colleagues and friends. That will help a lot.

Highlights:

10:00 Biologically, the experiences of women and under-represented minorities is very different
19:00 African American women are better prepared for bias than Caucasian women
24:30 CEO of AT&T sets a model for candidly sharing vulnerable stories
29:00 Proactive steps to make it safe to take risks and innovate
35:00 Sponsorship is very different from mentorship
39:00 New research on how the power hierarchy influences behavior
46:00 The leader sets a norm for civil behavior
51:00 What is the Bro Code?
57:00 A woman’s brain changes when a man stands up for her
1:04:00 Breaking from the Bro Code is courageous
1:09:00 It’s not about infantilizing women

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There is an overt Bro Code and a subtle form.

–Janet Crawford Tweet this quote

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“How to be a Good Guy” by Janet Crawford and Lisa Marshall

Talk by Randall Stephenson, CEO of AT&T, about starting a dialogue about race

Janet Crawford, Cascadance

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Episode 51: The Manly Apology, A Jedi Leadership Trick [The Amiel Show]

by amiel · Jun 27, 2016

Women apologize too often. Men apologize too little. Not just at home, but in the workplace. Maybe even more so in the workplace.

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In this episode, I challenge men to give more apologies, to do it in a real way, and to stop making lame excuses for not apologizing. I also weave in clips from my interview last year with Robert Augustus Masters, author of To Be A Man: A Guide to True Masculine Power. Robert spoke movingly and compassionately about the power of apologies, and how apologizing requires power. I riff off of his comments.

This is a Jedi Leadership Trick, so you’ll also get the Five Steps to a Manly Apology.

This episode is 15 minutes long.

Highlights

5:30 Five lame excuses for not apologizing
10:20 Five steps to a manly apology: Get Clear, Get Still, Get In Touch, Get Real, Get It Done

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“I’m sorry if this made you angry” is not an apology. It’s the opposite of an apology.

–Amiel Handelsman Tweet this quote

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Episode 31: Hilary Bradbury On Women, Men, Power, And Eros [The Amiel Show]

by amiel · Nov 9, 2015

Ready for a candid and edgy conversation about power relationships between women and men in the workplace?

Then you’ll want to download this episode and listen on your next car ride, walk, or flight.

Hilary Bradbury joins me to discuss her provocative and inspiring new book, Eros/Power: Love In The Spirit of Inquiry, which you can purchase here. In this book, Hilary and her coauthor, Bill Torbert, a previous guest on the podcast, use their own autobiographical stories to reveal important yet often hidden dynamics that trip up leaders at work and in the rest of life.

Join me as I talk with this trailblazing leadership coach, organizational consultant, and professor.

Highlights

First, second, and third person conversations (7:55)
The day Hilary got fired, then met Bill Torbert (18:00)
The “odd duality” women have about telling the truth (22:00)
Being an “eros bomb”, evoking confusion in Bill, and not realizing it (26:30)
Having crushes at work is different from acting them out (32:30)
Hilary and Bill’s most painful conflict with each other (38:50)
How Hilary’s Enneagram type–The Challenger–shows up in her work (48:30)
Bill’s great advice for Hilary on handling sexual harassment from a senior colleague of hers (55:10)
Hilary’s heartfelt apology and Bill’s graceful response (1:01.00)
Hilary’s angrily tells her life partner “I’m not your junior partner” (1:05.00)
Hilary and her partner’s weekly relationship-enhancing practice (1:11.00)