Libsyn Directory

Dr. Michelle K. Johnston - Stop Losing Your Team to Digital Burnout

Release Date: 12/03/2025

[ScaleX Bite-Size] – Brian Solis: What Leaders Get Wrong About AI

ScaleX™ Insider Podcast

In this clip from ScaleX™ Insider, Brian Solis breaks down what leaders really need to understand about AI in 2026 — and why most people are approaching it the wrong way. Rather than chasing tools or fearing disruption, Brian explains that AI is best understood as a thinking partner. One that helps founders test ideas, expand their thinking, and move faster without waiting for permission, funding, or technical expertise. This conversation reframes AI not as technology to master, but as a mindset shift — one that rewards curiosity, experimentation, and a willingness to learn in public....

[ScaleX Bite-Size] – Brian Solis: Why Being Busy Is Keeping You Stuck

ScaleX™ Insider Podcast

In this ScaleX™ Insider clip, Brian Solis unpacks one of the most overlooked reasons people feel stuck despite working hard: they’re saying yes to the wrong things. Drawing from his books Life Scale and Mind Shift, Brian explains why progress isn’t about doing more — it’s about aligning daily actions with long-term direction. Without that alignment, even the busiest people slowly drift further away from the life and impact they want. KEY INSIGHTS Being busy often masks a lack of direction Progress only happens when daily actions align with long-term vision Distractions don’t...

Brian Solis: The Mind Shift Every Leader Must Make

ScaleX™ Insider Podcast

What if the greatest challenge facing leaders today isn’t technology itself — but how we think about it? In this episode of ScaleX™ Insider, Brendan McGurgan is joined by world-renowned digital anthropologist, futurist, and author Brian Solis for a powerful conversation on mindset, leadership, and navigating growth in an era defined by AI, acceleration, and constant disruption. Brian shares why meaningful scale begins not with tools or tactics, but with how leaders think, perceive, and make decisions. Drawing from his bestselling books Life Scale and Mind Shift, he explains how founders...

[ScaleX Bite-Size] – Claire Colvin: Define Success, Lead with Values

ScaleX™ Insider Podcast

In this insightful episode of ScaleX™ Insider, Brendan McGurgan sits down with Claire Colvin, business partner, leadership strategist, and expert in scaling people-centred businesses, as they wrap up Season 18. Claire reflects on the most powerful lessons from the season and shares her personal and professional intentions for 2026, offering practical advice for leaders navigating growth, connection, and success in a noisy world. KEY INSIGHTS: Be clear on what success looks like—define it personally and professionally before getting distracted by tools, trends, or AI. Align with your...

[ScaleX Bite-Size] – Claire Colvin: Confidence Isn’t What You Think

ScaleX™ Insider Podcast

In this standout episode of ScaleX™ Insider, Brendan McGurgan is joined by Claire Colvin — business partner, leadership strategist, and expert in scaling people-centred businesses — to unpack one of the most powerful insights from Season 18: how presence, confidence, and intentionality can transform the way leaders show up. Claire reflects on a key message shared by guest Jim Murphy about confidence — and why all the usual advice around nutrition, sleep, exercise, and relationships, while important, misses one crucial element: being fully present in the moment. She explains how anxiety...

Claire Colvin Wraps Season 18: Insights Every Leader Needs

ScaleX™ Insider Podcast

In this standout Season 18 wrap-up of ScaleX™ Insider, Brendan McGurgan is joined by Claire Colvin — business partner, leadership strategist, and expert in scaling people-centred businesses — to reflect on the most powerful themes, insights, and lessons from the season. Claire shares the key takeaways from conversations with high-performing leaders, founders, and experts, highlighting what drives success, authenticity, and growth in both business and life. From courage and confidence to presence, intentional connection, and leveraging AI wisely, Claire unpacks the insights that resonated...

[ScaleX Bite-Size] - Mollie Eastman - Sleep Is a Skill

ScaleX™ Insider Podcast

Many leaders believe scaling starts with strategy—but in this ScaleX Bite-Size episode, sleep is revealed as the true foundation of mindset, resilience, and ambition. Drawing from personal experience and years of research, Mollie Eastman shares how chronic insomnia reshaped her life, health, and leadership capacity, and why sleep is not passive rest but a learnable skill that powers performance and growth. From identifying as a “night owl” and “short sleeper” to navigating debilitating insomnia as a high-performing entrepreneur, Mollie’s journey challenges fixed beliefs about sleep...

[ScaleX Bite-Size]- Mollie Eastman - Fix Your Sleep, Fix Your Life

ScaleX™ Insider Podcast

Many people think sleep is just rest—but it secretly controls your health, brain, and every area of life. In this clip, Mollie Eastman explains how poor sleep impacts cognition, emotional regulation, and even long-term neurological health—and why optimizing sleep is the foundation for performing at your best. KEY INSIGHTS: Poor sleep affects every area of life: health, relationships, career, and decision-making Glymphatic drainage during sleep cleans your brain; poor sleep may contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia Just a few short nights of sleep can spike glucose levels and...

[REPLAY - From the archive] Mollie Eastman- Are You Sabotaging Your Sleep — And Your Success?

ScaleX™ Insider Podcast

In this standout episode from last season of ScaleX™ Insider, Brendan McGurgan is joined by Mollie Eastman, sleep expert, creator of Sleep Is A Skill, and host of , to unpack why so many leaders are unknowingly sabotaging their sleep — and how mastering this forgotten skill can transform energy, focus, and performance in business and life. Mollie shares why sleep is a skill you can learn, how daily behaviors unknowingly sabotage rest, and why circadian alignment, light exposure, and consistent wake-up routines are critical to performing at your best. Drawing on her journey from...

[ScaleX Bite-Size] – Nancy Duarte: The Do’s & Don’ts of Presentations That Actually Land

ScaleX™ Insider Podcast

Nancy Duarte breaks down the biggest mistakes leaders make when preparing presentations—and the simple mindset shift that changes everything. In this clip, she explains why empathy matters more than slides, how message always beats visuals, and why most leaders are using the wrong format for the wrong moment. KEY INSIGHTS: Empathy is the starting point of every great presentation—know how your audience consumes information Slides should never come before strategy; message and delivery matter more than visuals Not every meeting needs a PowerPoint—sometimes a whiteboard or diagram...

More Episodes

Dr. Michelle K. Johnston, bestselling author of The Seismic Shift in Leadership, shares how authentic human connection can help leaders stop losing their team to digital burnout and transform organisational performance. From advising top executives to speaking on global stages, Michelle reveals the strategies that make connection a driver for trust, engagement, and sustainable growth.

In this episode, host Brendan McGurgan dives into Michelle’s insights, unpacking the mindset, practices, and rituals that allow leaders—especially SME founders and executives—to build meaningful relationships while scaling their businesses.

Episode Highlights:

The alarming price of disconnection: loneliness, depression, and even premature death are rising—what leaders can do to reverse the trend
How focusing on relationships, rituals, and rhythms strengthens teams and drives results
Practical strategies to build meaningful connection in meetings, including asking purposeful “connection questions”
Why slowing down to connect actually helps leaders move faster and achieve better outcomes
How SMEs can integrate connection into their culture, even amid virtual fatigue and high-pressure growth
The role of gratitude and personal check-ins in cultivating trust and engagement

Meet Dr. Michelle K. Johnston

Dr. Michelle K. Johnston is an award-winning leadership expert, keynote speaker, and executive coach recognised globally for her work in connection-driven leadership. She teaches as a Distinguished Professor of Business at Loyola University New Orleans and coaches executives from Ochsner Health, JP Morgan Chase, MongoDB, and more. Her podcast, The Seismic Shift, ranks in the top 10% globally and features candid conversations with leaders transforming culture through connection.

Key Topics Covered:

→ The price of disconnection in modern organisations
→ Building stronger teams through rituals, rhythms, and deliberate relationships
→ Practical ways to create connection in meetings and daily workflows
→ The science and practice of gratitude as a leadership tool
→ Balancing technology and human presence in high-growth SMEs
→ How authentic connection drives trust, performance, and sustainable scaling

Who Should Listen

This episode is essential for SME leaders, founders, executives, HR professionals, and anyone looking to lead with humanity while scaling their business. Michelle’s insights provide actionable guidance to create high-performing, connected teams without losing the human touch.

About Dr. Michelle K. Johnston

Dr. Michelle K. Johnston is a global leadership expert blending academic insight with real-world impact. She is the author of The Seismic Shift in Leadership, a top-ten executive coach, keynote speaker, and professor, empowering leaders to scale with purpose and authenticity.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/drmichellejohnston

Podcast: The Seismic Shift

Website: https://www.michellejohnston.com

About ScaleX™ and Simple Scaling

ScaleX™ Insider is brought to you by Simple Scaling — creators of the ScaleX™ Accelerator Programme.
A 12-month journey for ambitious SME leaders combining strategy, mindset work, and peer support to break through growth plateaus.

Host: Brendan McGurgan
Website: simplescaling.com

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Listen on Apple Podcasts: ScaleX Insider
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