The Smart Thinking Podcast

Episode 303: Finish Strong (Leadership and Process)

How will you remember this school year? Take a listen as Ted explains a process to use to help you and your system reflect - with intention - in an effort to create a realistic memory of the year. Learn how to identify the peaks, the pits and the transitions so that you can celebrate and acknowledge the real journey and use the information to better serve your classroom, school or system in the future.
 
Describe how you can increase the awareness of others while on the journey.
List who would benefit from reviewing the peaks, pits, and transitions.
Describe how you can solidify the memory of the end. 

Episode 302: A Conversation with Neuroscientist Dr. Jared Horvath: Emotions, Reading, Parenting, AI & More! (Reflection & Leadership)

Ever wonder how memory is impacted by emotions, or how the amount of books in your home informs your child's intellectual skills, or how electronics are impacting development or what AI is doing to the brain? Wonder no longer -- these and many more questions are answered in this conversation with Jared as we explore the brain and his newest research and discoveries. 
Find him: https://www.youtube.com/@JaredCooney
Song: Andrew Hoyt - Dance with Somebody 
 

Episode 301: Leadership AND Followership (Reflection)

We all need to be both leaders and followers and we can do that if we CARE. Listen as Ted explains the need for us each to be in two lanes at once - lead and follow. CARE is a simple way of explaining what a good follower does.
 
Collaborate
Accept responsibility
Resilient
Engagement with intention

Episode 300: Celebration of 300 “You Should Absorb The Nudge” (Reflection)

Listen as Ted reminds us of the power of listening to the "nudges." This is the 300th episode of the podcast and Ted walks through how important it is to listen to the ideas of others and shares a simple process to support coaching yourself to higher levels of engagement and happiness.
Song: Sunflower Bouquet by Anderson Coates - Golden Bear Studios
 
Reflections: 
List the "should’s" you heard this past week.
Describe who in your life nudges you towards excellence.
List the people and the nudges that have changed your life.
 

Episode 299: The Real Narrative: "Our Story" (Reflection & Tool)

Too often in our organizations, we forget to provide the leadership so that we have a strong cultural understanding of our journey. As a result, we need a process. Join Ted as he explains why and how to create a unified story(narrative) so that more people can celebrate all they've done together so that you can end the year together! 
 
Process prompts: 
Celebrations (Internal)
Celebrations (External)
Grow my engagement
Professional development WE need
Elephants in the room
Recognitions
Can you believe?

Episode 298: Your Individual Advocacy Plan (IAP) (Leadership & Process)

What is your process for advocating for yourself and your strengths? Too often other people judge us and do not understand us so we need a process to help others see our strengths. Join Ted as he shares a process to employ for you to create your own self advocacy plan or IAP. 
Identify your strengths and soft strengths.
Describe who in your world needs to be coached to self-advocacy.
List ways in which you can support others through their strengths and weaknesses.

Episode 297: “Stop Being Afraid of Being Afraid” A Conversation with Greg Harden (Leadership & Reflection)

This conversation with author and mental fitness guru Greg Harden is going to change you, your leadership and maybe even your life. His book is fantastic, his career is amazing, and this conversation is a game changer. Take a listen as Greg and Ted – two obnoxious optimists – discuss how to support your own journey and how to focus on being your own best friend.
 
Book: Stay Sane in an Insane World: How To Control the Controllables and Thrive

Episode 296: Empathy Diminishes Fear: The Appendix Episode (Reflection and Leadership)

Join us for a discussion of how an emergency surgery supercharged Ted's belief that empathy is the greatest leadership quality. Hear as he discusses the great care he received and how the healthcare workers supporting him diminished his vulnerability by being empathetic. You'll be inspired to think about how you matter in the moments when others need you the most! 
Describe the last time you felt vulnerable and how you overcame that emotion
List the people in your life that would benefit from your empathy
Describe how you can increase your empathy in your actions
 

Episode 295: Conversations with Outcomes- An Discussion with Author Craig Weber

What is your intentional process to ensure you get the best from an interaction with someone else? Seriously, people you like, people you work with, people you over and even people on the opposite side of politics?
Join us a for a great conversation where Craig and Ted trade a ton of strategies and tactics to support you in developing a stronger ability to have great conversations. 

Episode 294: Six Books For Spring! (Learning & Growing)

As we look to the start of spring and a break for many of us, I want to give you some texts to read to invest in yourself and others! This list of texts is best read in the order explained and below. However, each book, by itself, is fantastic!
 
Stay Sane In An Insane World, Greg Harden
A New Kind Of Diversity, Tim Elmore
Yes To The Mess, Frank Barrett
How To Know A Person, David Brooks
The Little Liar, Mitch Albom
Maybe, Kobi Yamada