Professor and Author Amy Edmondson Discusses the Benefits of Psychological Safety in the Workplace and What She Believes to Be the “Right Kind of Wrong”
Release Date: 02/12/2025
Historian and Author Martin Gutmann Discusses Optimism, History, and His Appreciation for “Unseen Leaders”
Blue Sky
Martin Gutmann is an expert on the history of business and has written extensively about styles of past leaders. In this episode, he shares his thoughts on everything from today’s political climate, to whether he thinks Ernest Shackleton is overrated (spoiler alert – he does), to the underrated excellence of less well-known figures in history. Chapters: 02:27 Meet Martin Gutmann Bill welcomes Martin Gutmann to the podcast, exploring his diverse background and extensive experience in various countries. Martin shares how his journey has shaped his...
info_outline
Blayne Smith and Brandon Young Explain Why Perseverance Is Greater Than Endurance
Blue Sky
Blayne Smith and Brandon Young are two US Army combat veterans who came together in civilian life to start their own company. They’ve now published a new book, co-authors of Perseverance > Endurance: Lead with Resilience. Grow Through Adversity. Win Together., in which they describe invaluable le
info_outline
Cheryl Dorsey Describes the Remarkable Work of Echoing Green
Blue Sky
This episode explores the work of Echoing Green, an international non-profit that invests in social entrepreneurs and their dreams and ideas. An accomplished leader and executive herself, Cheryl Dorsey explains how she first came to the organization and the great work they continue to do under her leadership.
Chapters:
02:22 Meet Cheryl Dorsey
Cheryl
A True Confession Episode – Falling Off the Optimism Wagon
Blue Sky
In this very special edition of “the mini podcast with major optimism,” host Bill Burke confesses to falling off the optimism bandwagon. Yes, this can even happen to the founder of The Optimism Institute! He describes a doom-scrolling session that left him feeling lousy and explains how – with advice we can all use – he pulled himself up and out of his predicament.
info_outline
David McCullough III Shares the Story of The American Exchange Project and His Optimistic Vision for Its Future
Blue Sky
David McCullough got the idea for The American Exchange Project (AEP) after a cross-country trip showed him how diverse and accepting were the people he met. Today, AEP creates opportunities for recent high school graduates to experience life in a different part of the US, building bridges of understanding and creating lifelong friendships. It’s McCullough’s hope that these trips will someday be a
info_outline
Erica Halverson Describes Her Optimistic Belief That Arts Educators Can Save the World
Blue Sky
While studying acting in college, Erica Halverson decided that while she loved the theater, being on stage would not be for her. Instead, she moved into different areas and now is teaching arts education at the University of Wisconsin. She also hosts a terrific podcast, "Arts Educators Save the World,” on which artists are joined by teachers and mentors to reflect on the transformative impact that thes
info_outline
Earl B. Hunter, Jr. Discusses His Optimistic Approach to Helping Grow the Outdoor Industry Through His Work at Black Folks Camp Too
Blue Sky
When Earl B. Hunter’s son was seven years old, he took him on three-month, multi-state camping. It was a positive, life-changing experience for them both. But Earl was struck by the fact that over the entire trip, they saw just one other black family. As someone who was working in sales in the outdoor industry, Earl saw an opportunity and went on to found the for-profit company, Black Folks Camp Too. <
info_outline
Celebrating Optimism Month and Blue Sky’s 2nd Anniversary
Blue Sky
On this month’s installment of “A Bit of Blue Sky,” and in honor of National Optimism Month, host Bill Burke reflects on lessons learned from two years of hosting the Blue Sky podcast.
info_outline
Khan Academy’s Sal Khan Describes Why He’s So Optimistic About the Future of AI and Education
Blue Sky
Sal Khan is one of the great innovators in education and in this Blue Sky episode, he discusses his book, Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That’s a Good Thing). He and his colleagues at Khan Academy are well on their way to creating powerful AI teaching assistant called
info_outline
Leslie and Richard Strauss Describe How Their In-School Program, Spirit Series, Builds a Better Future with Wisdom from the Past
Blue Sky
Leslie and Richard Strauss are a husband-and-wife team who oversee Spirit Series, an innovative educational program in which young students perform plays about timeless stories. Through Spirit Series’ immersive and rigorous process, participants gain confidence in themselves and improve their teamwork, higher order thinking and focus in the classroom. The program has served more than 60,000 students and research shows that it has improved their cognitive and social/emotional skills and even lowered
info_outlineBusiness school professor and author Amy Edmondson shares her views on how we can make our workplace more productive, enriching, and positive for everyone. By creating an environment with “psychological safety,” Amy says that organizations allow people to do their best work by not fearing to make the “right kinds” of mistakes and/or speaking up when things go wrong.
Order Amy's book Right Kind of Wrong
Chapters:
01:08 Introduction of Amy Edmondson
Host Bill Burke introduces guest Amy Edmondson, a renowned professor at Harvard Business School, known for her work on psychological safety.
06:50 The Role of Managers in Psychological Safety
The conversation shifts to the role of managers in understanding human behavior and fostering an environment where employees feel motivated to contribute
09:15 Hierarchy and Its Challenges
The discussion delves into the impact of organizational hierarchy on psychological safety, with Edmondson explaining how it can inhibit open communication.
12:25 Creating a Safe Environment for Mistakes
Edmondson discusses the importance of allowing employees to make mistakes and learn from them as a pathway to innovation.
16:30 Navigating Political Divisions at Work
The conversation touches on the challenges of political divisions in the workplace and the importance of maintaining professionalism.
18:01 The Impact of Remote Work on Culture
Edmondson reflects on how remote and hybrid work environments affect psychological safety and workplace culture. She discusses the need for face-to-face interactions to foster relationships and connectedness among team members.
23:41 Exploring the Right Kind of Wrong
The focus shifts to Edmondson’s recent book, ‘Right Kind of Wrong,’ where she explores the concept of failing well.
28:40 Understanding Different Types of Failures
In this chapter, we explore the distinctions between basic, complex, and intelligent failures, emphasizing the importance of recognizing these differences. The conversation highlights how basic failures stem from single mistakes, while complex failures arise from multiple contributing factors.
31:50 The Value of Intelligent Failures
The discussion shifts to intelligent failures, which are the results of thoughtful experiments aimed at innovation. The speakers discuss how organizations can learn from these failures and even budget for them in research and development.
33:49 Learning from Failure: A Difficult Process
This chapter delves into the challenges of learning from failure, emphasizing the emotional aversion many people have towards it.
35:29 Reframing Failure: Insights from Ted Turner
The conversation highlights Ted Turner’s perspective on failure, illustrating how he framed losses as learning opportunities. This chapter discusses the cultural shift needed to embrace mistakes as part of the journey towards success.
36:31 The Role of Optimism in Leadership
In this chapter, the speakers explore the significance of optimism in effective leadership, contrasting it with blind optimism. They introduce the Stockdale Paradox, emphasizing the balance between maintaining hope while facing harsh realities.
41:49 Optimism vs. Realism in Leadership
The discussion continues on the interplay between optimism and realism in leadership, highlighting research findings on how these traits affect team dynamics. The speakers share insights from their studies during the COVID-19 pandemic, illustrating the importance of transparent communication.
44:08 The Future of Business Leadership
As the conversation wraps up, the speakers reflect on the qualities of young leaders entering the business world.