Staff Leadership Book Pick of the Month: International Podcast Day

September 30, 2019 is International Podcast Day (IPD), a day to celebrate the power of this important way of communicating. You may wonder how to get involved in this event:

• Are you a podcaster? If so...
  • Post a new episode on September 30
  • Connect with other podcasters or podcast listeners
• Are you a podcast listener? If so...
  • Reach out to a podcaster
  • Listen to a new episode of your favorite podcast
  • Try listening to a new podcast
  • Recommend a podcast to a friend or on social media
  • Or start a podcast of your own

Although I would like to start a podcast soon, I don’t think I am ready just yet. But, I definitely plan on listening to one of my favorites on International Podcast Day.

Right now, I’d like to share my favorite podcaster with you.

Adam Grant is a professor at Wharton College of Business. He’s also a psychologist, New York Times best-selling author and podcaster. He has spent a lifetime studying ways to improve people’s leadership skills at home and in their “WorkLife” (which is the name of his podcast).

Grant feels that since we spend, on average, eight hours at work each day (about a quarter of our lives), we should enjoy it! He produced two seasons of his podcast, only 10 per year due to the sophistication. These podcasts share evidence-based recommendations to improve your leadership by changing or adjusting behaviors. He has covered topics such as:

• How to love criticism
• Secret to creativity
• Problem with all-stars
• The power of misfits
• Bouncing back from rejection
• Being friends with your rivals

Just to name a few of my favorites.

Now, these are not your typical podcast episodes that often consist of you listening to someone speak or interviewing someone for five or 10 minutes. No, each episode is 30 minutes or more of Grant exploring topics with prominent people in different industries.

For example, during one of my favorite episodes, titled “The Secret to Creativity,” Grant explores creativity by following Trevor Noah, the Daily Show host, for a day to find where Trevor gets his creativity.

Grant’s mission is to create unique podcasts that inspire others to improve as a leader, no matter if they are an individual or an organization.

So, now that I have done my part for IPD, what are you going to do?