#68: Caring, Communication, and Consistency: Building Meaningful Leadership with Dr. Leon Moores
Coaching Through Stories
In this episode of Coaching Through Stories, Dr. Eric Bean sits down with Dr. Leon Moores, pediatric neurosurgeon, former U.S. Army infantry officer, and author of All Physicians Lead: Redefining Physician Leadership for Better Patient Outcomes. Dr. Moores combines lessons from combat and the operating room to show why healthcare leadership is more than just the titles. His approach is rooted in what he calls the “three Cs” principles that shape trust, improve teamwork, and ultimately drive better outcomes for patients. In their conversation, Dr. Moores shares the high...
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#67: Coaching Case Study: Enabling a Leader to Embrace a Midfielder Mentality with Dr. Eric Bean
Coaching Through Stories
What does it really mean to win? For one seasoned executive and for many leaders today, it wasn’t about another title or promotion. It was about finding balance, presence, and a sustainable way to lead. In this solo episode of Coaching Through Stories, Dr. Eric Bean shares a powerful coaching case study of a senior leader navigating the transition between peak performance and the next chapter of life. Through sports metaphors, reflection practices, and practical strategies, this client redefined success in ways that fueled not just results but also recovery, influence, and deeper...
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#66: Confidence is Overrated, Courage Isn’t with Travis Thomas
Coaching Through Stories
In this episode of Coaching Through Stories, Dr. Eric Bean sits down with Travis Thomas, improv performer turned elite performance coach and founder of LiveYesAnd, to unpack why confidence might be overrated and why courage is essential for true leadership. Travis blends decades of experience in improvisational comedy and elite sports coaching to reframe leadership through presence, purpose, and courage. He shares a transformative personal story, sparked by a trampoline accident, that led him to redefine his purpose and approach to life and leadership. Listeners will learn...
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#65: Why Not Us, Why Not Now? Pursuing Excellence with Heart and Hustle with Mark Frisch
Coaching Through Stories
What does it take to lead a legacy business into something bigger? It’s not just about keeping things running—it’s about vision, resilience, and the courage to lead differently. That’s exactly how Mark Frisch shows up. In this episode, Dr. Eric Bean sits down with Mark Frisch, Executive Vice President and Co-Owner of Beaver Street Fisheries, one of the largest seafood importers in the U.S. Mark shares what it’s like to lead without a formal title, navigate the complexities of family business, and drive innovation while honoring tradition. Mark’s organization, Sea Best is sponsoring...
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#64: Swimming Past Fears, Failures, and Sharks with Jen Schumacher
Coaching Through Stories
What comes to mind when you think of someone who pushes limits—not just physically, but mentally and emotionally? Grit. Clarity of purpose. A willingness to meet fear with curiosity, not avoidance. That’s exactly who Dr. Jen Schumacher is. Jen is a world-class mental performance coach whose work spans elite sport, the military, and academia. She’s led mental training programs at West Point and Northwestern Football, and she’s an ultra-endurance athlete who’s literally swum through her fears—once across the 21-mile Catalina Channel, at night, with sharks below. ...
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#63: The Power of Purpose with Dr. Eric Bean
Coaching Through Stories
Purpose isn’t just a buzzword – it's the driving force that powers motivation, builds resilience, and amplifies impact. In this episode of Coaching Through Stories, Dr. Eric Bean dives deep into the meaning and application of purpose, not just as a concept but as a leadership strategy. He explores how leaders can tap into multiple sources of motivation by anchoring work, even the smallest tasks, in a compelling, long-term mission. Through research and powerful stories like the 17th century, London bricklayers and President Kennedy’s NASA visit during the Space Race, Dr....
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#62: Stories that Move Minds: Insights on Storytelling with Andrea Sampson
Coaching Through Stories
In this episode of Coaching Through Stories, Dr. Eric Bean sits down with Andrea Sampson, TED-trained speaker coach and founder of Talk Boutique, to explore the art and science of storytelling. Andrea has spent decades helping scientists, leaders, and change-makers turn data and insight into stories that shift minds and spark action. From shaping global TEDx stages to guiding organizations through change, Andrea reframes storytelling not just as a tool but as a leadership mindset. She breaks down how stories create alignment, bridge the head and the heart, and help teams navigate...
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#61: Character Before Competence with Alex Hodgins
Coaching Through Stories
What comes to mind when you think of some of your favorite leaders—those who’ve truly inspired you? Purpose, presence, self-awareness, and care. Leaders who see you as more than your competency but for your character. That description fits today’s guest perfectly. In the first episode of Season 7 of the Coaching Through Stories podcast, Dr. Eric Bean sits down with Certified Mental Performance Consultant, Alex Hodgins. Alex works with elite athletes in the NHL, Olympic sports, and corporate leadership. Known for his humility, curiosity, and commitment to human excellence, Alex...
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#60: Be Bold! Get out of your comfort zone, take chances, and win with Mike Plaia
Coaching Through Stories
When you think of some of your favorite leaders, leaders who've inspired you, what characteristics come to mind? Typically, people want leaders who are purposeful, curious, self-aware, present, engaged, and caring. Your favorite leaders tend to care about you as a person, not just a number. Our guest today – is all of those and more. In this last episode of season 6 in Coaching Through Stories, Dr. Eric Bean speaks with PharmaPoint’s CEO, Mike Plaia about navigating leadership challenges through bold decisions and resilient mindset shifts. Mike Plaia, is a seasoned...
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#59: Paradoxical Leadership with Dr. Eric Bean
Coaching Through Stories
Whether you’re a new or seasoned leader, it’s universal to experience the challenges that come with balancing competing demands and priorities of an organization. In this episode of Coaching Through Stories, Dr. Eric Bean takes listeners through the art of balancing support and challenge as a leader. He explores the importance of adaptability, focusing on the mental flexibility required to navigate leadership’s paradoxes like stability or innovation and be nurturing or drive results. Dr. Bean helps leaders understand paradoxical leadership, addresses the challenges that arise, and...
info_outlineThroughout our lives, we're bound to learn and propagate the wrong ideas and beliefs—some even end up harmful to ourselves and others. While humans are an adaptable species, changing our mindset is difficult. How can you fill a cup that’s already full? We have to unlearn.
Unlearning is a powerful and often overlooked concept in personal and professional growth. It is the process of intentionally letting go of knowledge, beliefs, or behaviors that are harmful or obsolete to make room for new perspectives and development.
The ability to unlearn is crucial in a world that constantly changes, allowing individuals and organizations to adapt, innovate, grow, and stay relevant. However, unlearning is not easy—it can be challenging to let go of our established, preconceived ideas and step out of our comfort zone.
By actively engaging in the process of unlearning, we can help open ourselves to new knowledge and growth. Let’s discuss!
Key Points:
- The importance of unlearning.
- The three types of unlearning: routine unlearning or fading, wiping, and deep unlearning
- The process of unlearning: building awareness, and making space for new ideas
Episode Highlights
- [00:00] Introduction to the episode
- [01:13] The story of the Zen master and the cup of tea
- [02:46] Unlearning: how to empty your cup
- [04:14] The first type of unlearning: routine unlearning or fading
- [05:06] The second type of unlearning: wiping
- [06:29] The third type of unlearning: deep unlearning
- [07:50] The first step in unlearning: building awareness of personal biases
- [10:18] The second step in unlearning: making space for new ideas
- [11:41] Conclusion
Resources
- “Unlearning in Healthcare” by Rushmer and Davies: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1765805/