An Interview with Ellen Langer: The Power of Mindfulness in Health and Life

The script features an interview with Ellen Langer, the first woman to be tenured in psychology at Harvard. Known worldwide as the mother of mindfulness and the mother of Positive Psychology, she shares insights from her esteemed career and her latest book, 'The Mindful Body Thinking, our Way to Lasting Health'. Langer discusses her role in pioneering research in Mind Body Unity and emphasizes the importance of mindfulness as a way of enhancing health. She explains how attitudes and personal perspectives can often influence our physical and mental well-being, including how we perceive and treat stress, illnesses like cancer, chronic diseases and even factors like age and physical appearance. She emphasizes the power of perception, contextual considerations, and the important role that language plays in mediating our experiences.

00:00 Introduction to the Guest and Her Work

00:48 Understanding Mindfulness and Its Impact

01:34 Exploring the Concept of Mindfulness

02:25 The Power of Being Mindful

03:27 The Prevalence of Mindlessness

04:10 The Benefits of Noticing Change

05:24 The Journey to Mindfulness

05:47 The Impact of Personal Experiences on Research

06:40 Exploring the Mind-Body Unity Concept

08:25 The Power of Mindset in Physical Health

10:54 The Influence of Perception on Healing

11:32 The Role of Mind-Body Unity in Chronic Illness

19:05 The Power of Attention to Symptom Variability

23:40 Understanding and Addressing Addictions

28:50 The Impact of Perception on Sleep

28:57 The Power of Perception in Sleep and Attitude

29:37 The Impact of Clothing on Perception and Age

30:33 The Influence of Uniforms and Balding on Age Perception

31:41 The Mind-Body Connection and Personal Experiences

33:57 The Power of Placebos and the Challenge of Social Conditioning

39:27 The Role of Stress in Health and Disease

43:23 Challenging the Rules and Embracing Innovation

46:30 The Power of Language in Shaping Our Reality

52:16 The Illusion of Control and the Role of Risk in Decision Making

Ellen Langer, Social Psychology, Stress Management, Health Awareness, Thinking habits, Motivational Interview, Personal Development, Positive Psychology, Mind-Behaviour Connection, Chronic Health, Lifestyle, Habitual Behaviour, Carrying out tasks, Confidence Building, Empowerment

Find Ellen here:

https://www.ellenlanger.me

In this final of a 4-part episode, Rita McGrath discusses her upcoming book focused on how organisations can design structures that empower decision-making at all levels, embracing a 'permissionless' approach to innovation. She elaborates on the importance of engaging disengaged workforces and optimising for transient competitive advantages. Rita provides insightful tactics for assessing competitive landscapes, using various strategies like onslaughts, guerrilla campaigns, feints, and gambits. She also touches on leadership practices for fostering innovation, including managing personal agendas, devoting time to new ventures, and employing a range of leadership practices to navigate uncertainty and encourage a culture of opportunity-seeking within organisations. Rita advocates for 'intelligent failure' and explores how technology can redefine management to promote human flourishing at work. The episode concludes with an insight into her new book's core thesis, aiming for a release in 2024 or 2025.

00:00 Welcome & Introduction to Rita McGrath's Insights

00:16 Sneak Peek: Rita McGrath's Upcoming Book on Organisational Design

00:57 Decoding Competitive Strategies and Responses

03:53 Exploring Competitive Moves: Onslaughts to Guerrilla Campaigns

09:35 The Art of Feints and Gambits in Business Strategy

14:32 Entrepreneurial Leadership: Driving Innovation from the Top

22:05 Orchestrating Practices for Entrepreneurial Success

28:04 Path Clearing and Handling Failure in Entrepreneurial Ventures

40:40 Anticipating Rita McGrath's New Book & Final Thoughts

Find Rita: www.RitaMcGrath.com

Find Valize: www.Valize.com

Find Aidan McCullen for Keynote talks on Innovation, Transformation and Change: www.AidanMcCullen.Com

More on the Innovation Show: www.TheInnovationShow.IO

The Power of Collective Intelligence with Simon Hill

Harnessing Global Creativity for Innovation: A Wazoku Story

This episode examines the power of collective intelligence and open innovation, focusing on Wazoku, a company that facilitates innovation through technology. The discussion highlights a story where an individual from India solved a carbonated drink company's bubble manipulation challenge, exemplifying global problem-solving capabilities. Simon Hill, Wazoku's CEO, elaborates on the importance of embracing external ideas, utilising software for innovation efficiency, and fostering a culture that supports innovation. Emphasising the potential of AI and crowdsourcing, the narrative showcases examples where unexpected solutions emerged from non-obvious sources, including a violinist providing a solution for a potato chip company. The episode underscores the significance of asking the right questions, timing for ideas, and structuring organisations to tap into external creativity effectively.

00:00 The Spark of Innovation: A Global Call for Ideas

00:56 The Power of Crowdsourcing in Innovation

01:30 Introducing Simon Hill: Innovator and Corporate Explorer

02:09 Exploring the Nuts and Bolts of Challenge-Driven Innovation

02:56 The Role of AI and Technology in Shaping Innovation

08:19 The Human Element: Culture, Mindset, and Organisational Change

12:57 Harnessing External Ideas: The Case of Manish and Beyond

16:19 The Future of Work and Innovation: A Circular Ecosystem

23:56 Real-World Success Stories: From Violinists to Potato Chips

26:45 Wazoku: Envisioning a World of Collective Intelligence

Find Wazoku at www.Wazoku.com