The Rhinomind Coaching podcast is for leaders who want to enhance their leadership capacity, inspire confidence, and develop more effective teams. The host, Todd Iarussi, runs Rhinomind Coaching, and helps leaders in business and sports meet their leadership challenges head-on, and helps them create game-changing team cultures that unleash the potential of their organizations.
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13: Conversation Expert Dr. Cheri Torres on Catalyzing Positive Change
Wednesday, July 24, 2019 • Duration 36:00
Imagine how your life would change if you had a clear and consistent approach to having conversations that would strengthen relationships, resolve conflict, and expand future possibilities? Conversation expert Dr. Cheri Torres and I cover those topics and more in this episode. We also talk about the key principles in her book, Conversations Worth Having, and the philosophy and practice of appreciative inquiry.
If you are a leader, coach, or consultant, or someone curious about shifting any local or national conversation, I highly recommend this episode, as I was immediately able to apply what I learned to my coaching work with leaders.
Show Highlights:
Dr. Cheri Torres explains “appreciative inquiry” [2:22 ] and “generative questions” [3:54]
The nuances of creating a positive frame for a conversation [5:33]
Dr. Cheri Torres provides examples of “generative questions” [7:53]
How these practices may manifest during under-performing employee reviews [9:12]
How to run effective meetings [16:40]
Workshops: “Conversations Worth Having” and “Strategic Conversations” [20:19]
What the “appreciative conversation” with yourself might sound like [22:16]
Identifying and addressing fear and other emotions upfront in conversations [24:00]
Broadening conversations with your neighbor to create positive change [27:51]
Resources:
Book - Conversations Worth Having by Jackie Stavros and Cheri Torres
12: Mental Performance Mastery Coaching in Sports with Brian Cain
Episode 12
Wednesday, May 15, 2019 • Duration 37:10
We can all use a little “tweak” to the habits that make up our lifestyles, especially if we’re interested in optimal performance, endurance, and mastery. Today’s guest has many years’ experience and much wisdom to share, based on what he practices in his own life and how he works with his clients. You don’t want to miss today’s conversation!
Brian Cain is widely regarded as the foremost authority on Mental Performance Mastery Coaching in sports in the US. His client list includes five UFC champions, Olympic medalists, Heisman Trophy winners, and over 100 first round draft selections in professional sports, including the NFL, NHL, and MLB. He’s also coached collegiate national champions. In today’s show, we discuss the evolution of his own high-performance lifestyle, as well as his approach and philosophy. We cover his journey to “walking the walk,” his daily and weekly routine, for competing in triathlons, his sleep routine, and his vision for impacting the most people possible over the next 20 years through his work. Brian has created a new Mental Performance Mastery Coaching Certification, which I will be taking, and you can sign up through the link in our Resources section. Brian and I have crossed paths in several ways over the last 20 years, and I’ve been able to witness his passion and dedication firsthand.
Show Highlights:
Brian’s peak performance life and what his journey has looked like [2:28]
How Brian follows through with his meditation process [8:36]
How Brian uses discipline and obsession in positive ways [13:48]
The impact of endurance sport on Brian’s life [15:48]
What spiritual work means in theory and practice [23:56]
The importance of sleep [26:10]
Brian’s ideal approach to coaching and the future [29:42]
03: Falling and Getting Back Up with Chris Colabello, Part 2
Sunday, August 26, 2018 • Duration 25:13
How does it feel to be at your highest high, on top of the world, and then take the biggest fall you could ever imagine? Can you bounce back? Can you find the mental strength to keep going? What if your very character and integrity are called into question? You’ll find answers to these questions and more in this episode.
Chris Colabello is one of the great Cinderella stories. He was undrafted out of Division II college and played 7 years of independent league baseball in Worchester, MA, for the Tornadoes. He made some swing changes with the help of a hitting coach named Bobby Tewksbary, and the two of them began a meteoric rise to the major league level. Chris ended up hitting in the middle of the Blue Jays lineup in the 2015 ALCS, which was one of the best offenses ever. I wanted to have Chris on the show because he is thoughtful, genuine, and about as open-hearted as a pro athlete gets about the mental game, leadership, and the struggles he’s faced and overcome. He’s also from my hometown of Milford, MA, and our dads grew up playing together in high school and college.
Today we pick up right after Chris found out he had tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs (PED’s) and cover the work he is doing today in educating young ballplayers and making his way back to the majors. Join me now for Part 2 of my conversation with Chris.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
When you feel that your ability to prove yourself is very limited and “you are basically screwed.”
How this ripped his life apart and caused him to scrutinize every detail to figure out how he could have ingested any banned substances
Why he went in 5 days early that season for his physical and drug test, never suspecting that he would end up with a positive result
The suspension, the ramifications, and the presumptions from the outside world
The fear that his character and integrity would be questioned
Why he won’t apologize for something he didn’t do and why he doesn’t feel that he deserves this
After his suspension, Chris was optioned down to AAA and did not perform well
02: Leadership and the Mental Game of Baseball with Chris Colabello, Part 1
Wednesday, August 22, 2018 • Duration 27:36
Chris Colabello is one of the great Cinderella stories in baseball. He was undrafted out of Division II college and played 7 years of independent league baseball in Worchester, MA, for the Tornadoes. He made some swing changes with the help of a hitting coach named Bobby Tewksbary, and the two of them began a meteoric rise to the major league level. Chris ended up hitting in the middle of the Blue Jays lineup in the 2015 ALCS, which was one of the best offenses ever. I wanted to have Chris on the show because he is about as thoughtful as a pro athlete gets about the mental game, leadership, and the struggles he’s faced and overcome. He’s also from my hometown of Milford, MA, and our dads grew up playing together in high school and college. We had never actually met until this conversation, so we have a lot to talk about--so much so that we’ve cut the interview into Part 1 and Part 2. Join us!
What you’ll hear in this episode:
How Chris started out hot in the minor leagues in New Britain, CT. He was the MVP of the team, made the all-star team, and was on to winter ball in Mexico
How Chris got invited to big league camp and really felt relaxed going into AAA after playing in the World Baseball Classic
The mental struggle of performing well at each level--day in and day out
Why Chris says that a 21-22 year-old kid who is drafted is in NO WAY prepared for the challenges ahead
Why you MUST have support systems in place and not “go it alone”
Playing for high stakes at the highest level when someone is always ready to take your job can take the fun out of the game
2013: in AAA with the Twins, where Chris made a name for himself and combined talent with confidence
The major league mentality, turning the corner, and how Chris didn’t let an 0-for-2 start in a game bother him
No one is immune from the small seed of doubt that starts to take root and grow in your mind
How he found out about the call to the big leagues - the quick flight to Atlanta and a start in right field
2014-2015: Why Chris turned down an offer to play in Korea to pursue his MLB dream
01: Mindfulness in Leadership, Education, Sports, and Cancer Recovery with Doug Worthen
Tuesday, July 17, 2018 • Duration 58:04
Think back to your high school days. How would your life have been different if Mindfulness was offered as a course? It’s mind-boggling, isn’t it? Believe it or not, there are numerous schools across the country that are seeing the need for this training and offering it as part of the curriculum. Today’s show is about one man who is making mindfulness an integral part of the curriculum at his school, and he’s working to bring it about in other schools across the US.
Doug Worthen is the Director of Mindfulness and Head Boys Lacrosse Coach at Middlesex School, an independent high school in Concord, Massachusetts. He is the first person to hold the title of Director of Mindfulness at a major independent school in the US. He also has an epic life story that he’s never before revealed so fully in an interview. Once upon a time, Doug was on a very different path. He went from being a national champion lacrosse player at the University of Virginia to sailing around the Caribbean for two years with a friend to working in the family business---all of this before a Stage 4 Lymphoma stopped him in his tracks and awakened him to a mindfulness practice.
Relying on this practice is what got him through a very long and difficult recovery and an eventual relapse. That experience set him on a new path to following a dream to teach mindfulness practice at his alma mater and look for ways to help other schools expose their communities to the power of contemplative learning and practice. Doug and I met five years ago when I worked in Contemplative Studies at Brown, and we connected over a shared excitement about combining mindfulness practice and sports. Since then we’ve worked multi-week retreats together on leadership and a few week-long retreats on meditation. He shares his story because he genuinely believes that it can serve people.
What you’ll hear in this episode:
What Doug does as Director of Mindfulness at Middlesex School
How new students are required to take a semester of mindfulness and “are invited to practice in an atmosphere of healthy skepticism”
11: How Men and Women Can Partner in Powerful Ways with Creative Empowerment Coach Calee Lucht – Part 2
Episode 11
Tuesday, March 19, 2019 • Duration 28:07
Episode 11 of the Rhinomind Coaching Podcast is Part 2 of my conversation with creative empowerment coach Calee Lucht. In this episode, Calee shares her perspectives on “callout” culture, the difference between soul work and spiritual work, and the relationship between sex and leadership potential. We also talk about ways in which men and women can partner together in more powerful ways.
For over 17 years at Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School, Calee helped many school leaders and alumni around the world tell their stories. Calee leveraged that experienced to build a coaching practice that helps people and performers find their true creative power, and live into their potential. Please enjoy Part 2 of my conversation with Calee!
Show Highlights:
Calee’s thoughts on today’s “callout” culture [:58]
How a man can become a powerful partner [9:42]
Challenges to sex and sexuality in our culture [10:20]
The connection between sex and leadership [16:50]
What soul work is and why it’s valuable [20:02]
How to bring new thinking into traditional organizations [22:33]
10: Coaching Men and Undoing Systems of Domination with Creative Empowerment Coach Calee Lucht – Part 1
Tuesday, March 5, 2019 • Duration 25:27
On Episode 10 of the Rhinomind Coaching Podcast, I’m joined by creative empowerment coach Calee Lucht. Calee also specializes in coaching men, and has some very interesting thoughts about moving away from the “patriarchy” label, and in shifting from systems of domination to systems of partnership in organizations.
Previously, for over 17 years at Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School, Calee helped many school leaders and alumni around the world tell their stories. Calee has leveraged that experienced to build a coaching practice that helps people and performers find their true creative power, and live into their potential. Please enjoy Part 1 of my conversation with Calee!
Show Highlights:
How Calee followed art and creativity on her path to empowerment [3:35]
How Calee learned about the kind of leader she wanted to be [5:46]
The process Calee uses to help people connect to their purpose, based on core values [10:06]
What it means to be a values-driven leader [13:01]
Why Calee chose to work with men in coaching [16:46]
What “above the line” behavior looks like in systems of partnership [22:42]
09: Five-Time Olympian Frances Houghton on Teamwork and Leadership
Tuesday, December 18, 2018 • Duration 49:24
On Episode 9 of the Rhinomind Coaching Podcast, I’m joined by five-time Olympian Frances Houghton, formerly of the Team Great Britain Rowing team. From Sydney in 2000 to Rio in 2016, Frances won three silver medals and multiple world championships during her time in competition. With her towering 6’4” frame and ability to build high-trust relationships, Frances physically and spiritually wrapped her arms around her teammates during her career.
On this episode, Frances shares incredibly insightful leadership and teambuilding lessons from her 20+ years of experience competing at the highest level. As Frances transitions out of the world of elite competition, we also hear about what’s next for her, and her dream for what is possible in developing people through sport.
Show Highlights:
Frances’ background and the love of rowing began at age 11 when she was tired of not being successful in other sports [4:50]
What happens when you clearly define who you’re trying to become---and a key moment that organized Frances’ life around a goal [11:17]
Shifting your mindset from the awe and wonder of “being there” to focus on the competition, with the process sandwiched between the passion moments [15:45]
Frances on connection, trust, and vulnerability in building teams [31:42]
Frances’ last Olympics, her new perspective and leadership role, and making it to the podium [36:41]
The transition to “life after sport” and what’s coming up next for Frances [39:47]
Frances’ dream for what’s possible in sport [46:11]
08: Former Special Assistant to President Obama for National Security Affairs and Retired Navy SEAL Jeff Eggers
Monday, December 10, 2018 • Duration 49:53
On Episode 8 of the Rhinomind Coaching Podcast, I’m joined by Jeff Eggers, a retired Navy SEAL, former Special Assistant to President Obama for national security affairs, and the current Executive Director of The Leadership Institute at The McChrystal Group. In this interview, Jeff shares stories from his time as a Navy SEAL, and also describes what he feels were President Obama’s most effective leadership behaviors. We also discuss why Jeff feels that redefining leadership around the realities of behavioral science is the key to unlocking future American prosperity.
Jeff, General Stanley McChrystal, and Jay Mangone also recently wrote a book, Leaders: Myth and Reality, where the authors show us that leadership isn’t what we think it is…and never was! We discuss the book and a whole lot more, so please enjoy a conversation with someone working at an exceptionally high level to help people develop more effective leaders and teams!
Show Highlights:
Jeff’s background, family life, path to the Naval Academy, and how he “one-upped” his Air Force dad [2:58]
Discovering a new level of hunger for understanding leadership [6:51] and what Jeff learned about leadership and teams [10:35]
The old leadership model, a new threat, and learning to perform under pressure in war [14:54]
How Jeff ended up working for President Obama [19:07] and what kept him on the National Security Council for five years [21:30]
The #1 leadership skill of President Obama [24:17]
Jeff’s plan to start with executive coaching and studying behavioral science---and what he discovered [30:10]
The idea for the book---where it came from and how the journey progressed [32:15]
Jeff’s burning questions around leadership that still exist [40:11]
Jeff’s dream and hope for our culture regarding leadership [45:39]
07: High-Performance Leadership with Former PepsiCo Chief People Officer Mike Feiner
Friday, November 9, 2018 • Duration 31:59
On Episode 7 of the Rhinomind Coaching Podcast, I am joined by one of the world’s foremost experts on high-performance leadership. Mike Feiner was an SVP and Chief People Officer at PepsiCo before spending a decade teaching high-performance leadership at Columbia Business School.
Mike is also the author of The Feiner Points of Leadership, where he breaks leadership down into 50 laws across easy-to-use categories, including leading subordinates and bosses, peers and teams, as well as leading in situations that include change, conflict, and leading with values. Mike is now an executive coach and trusted consultant to senior organizational leaders through his company, Michael Feiner Consulting.
Show Highlights:
Mike shares how he was very driven to rise to the top of People Operations at PepsiCo. [04:11]
Critical feedback may be uncomfortable, but it’s necessary in high-peformance leadership. [07:42]
Some upper-level managers lead from the ways they were socialized as kids. [08:21]
A leader also has to be a coach. [11:29]
What does it take to lead bosses? [19:00]
Command and control is still alive today. [21:49]
The importance of values conversations [29:18]
Leadership is not about power and authority. [30:12]
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Why Chris saw a psychologist because he needed extra support
Last year, he signed with Cleveland, went to Spring Training, and was sent to AAA
When Chris needed help again because of the anxiety attacks and depression that kept him from enjoying the game
Let go by Cleveland and signed by Milwaukee to a wonderful experience in AAA
Why Chris’ baseball career is on hold right now
The book he wrote with Bobby Tewksbary: Be a Hitter
Being a good hitter is so much more than good mechanics, but takes mental and emotional preparation. Baseball is truly “the thinking-man’s game.”
What Chris says about the opportunities he has had at the highest level: “To put becoming a great human at the forefront of your daily life is everything. With that comes leadership. Figure out how to have a positive impact on the people around you and make the world a better place.”
What it means for Chris to live with “no regrets”
What Chris says about his life today:
“I’m secure in who I am and how I feel
People are more likely to listen to me
My platform has expanded
I can better the game on a broader level with today’s youth”
The training available to faculty, staff, students, and parents through different levels of mindfulness
How the program started at the school in 2009 and has grown each year since then
Why mindfulness practice is a required course at Middlesex School
Defining mindfulness: the ability to understand and stabilize attention and the relationships we have to what arises around us in experience and acceptance
How empathy and self-compassion fit into mindfulness practice
What Doug’s life was like at Middlesex School---way before mindfulness!
Doug’s transition to UVA as a lacrosse player
How pressure on the field and a book prompted Doug to mindfulness and helped his anxiety and athletic performance
The idea to sail the Caribbean with a friend and what the experience taught Doug
Why Doug went to Hawaii to scuba dive and teach others--but still wasn’t happy
How his insight led him to Australia and then home to Boston and the family business
With plans in place to attend business school in Hong Kong, he received a Stage 4 Lympoma diagnosis
How mindfulness practice became a lifeline as Doug fought the disease
Two years of full-blown treatment, including chemo, radiation, and a bone marrow transplant
The lessons of isolation and learning impermanence
How Doug’s calling became clear: to share mindfulness practice with youth
The dream to have a Director of Mindfulness in every school, so everyone can be introduced to it as a teenager
The teachers and retreats that have been most influential in Doug’s life
The benefits of Maha Mudra practice in noticing thoughts, feelings, and contractions in the body
A powerful week in December of 2009 that eventually led him to meet his wife
How Doug weaves mindfulness into sports as Head Lacrosse Coach
The challenges Doug has faced as a coach and how he teaches poise and bringing attention back to the moment at hand
Doug’s vision for the future with mindfulness education and making it the norm
The organization started by two former students that matches interested schools with experienced practitioners
What a “no regrets” life looks like for Doug over the next 5-7 years
Doug’s recommendation to get started in mindfulness: “Get started with a retreat. There is no substitute for it.”
