#333: Solitude & Leadership

#333: Solitude & Leadership

About a year ago, I had cultural critic William Deresiewicz on the podcast to discuss, among other things, a speech he gave at West Point in 2010 on the power of solitude in making better leaders. It’s a powerful speech and my guest today is one of the individuals who was impacted by it. So much so that he spent seven years researching and writing a book on the intersection of solitude and leadership. His name is Mike Erwin and he’s the co-author of the book "Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude."
Today on the show, Mike and I discuss why solitude is more than just secluding yourself from other people, why it's so hard to come by in the information age, and how leadership in our governments and businesses have suffered due to the lack of solitude. We then dig deep into specific benefits that solitude can give leaders by looking at case studies from history. Mike shares how solitude practices enabled Dwight D. Eisenhower to make big, analytical decisions like launching D-Day, helped Lawrence of Arabia and General Ulysses S. Grant come up with creative war strategies, allowed Abraham Lincoln to keep himself emotionally stable during the Civil War, and gave Winston Churchill, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Pope John Paul II the moral courage to stand up for what they believed in. We end our show discussing practical ways you can inject some more solitude into your own life, no matter how noisy and busy it is.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jaksot(1158)

The Code They Killed For — Honor, Manhood, and the American Gunfighter

The Code They Killed For — Honor, Manhood, and the American Gunfighter

When you picture a gunfighter, you probably think of a Hollywood cowboy — spurs jangling, six-shooter on his hip, squaring off at high noon in a dusty frontier town. But gunfighters weren’t just produ...

26 Elo 202551min

Aristotle’s Art of Self-Persuasion — How to Use Ancient Rhetoric to Change Your Life

Aristotle’s Art of Self-Persuasion — How to Use Ancient Rhetoric to Change Your Life

The ancient art of rhetoric has shaped political policies, influenced social movements, structured legal arguments, and molded cultural narratives throughout history. It's been used for three thousand...

19 Elo 202551min

How to Make a Big Decision (Faster!)

How to Make a Big Decision (Faster!)

Making big decisions can feel paralyzing. Whether it's choosing a new job, moving to a different city, or deciding if you should break up with someone, these choices can keep you agonizingly stuck, fo...

12 Elo 202552min

Rooted Living in a Shallow Age — A Shepherd’s Guide to the Good Life

Rooted Living in a Shallow Age — A Shepherd’s Guide to the Good Life

In a world that often feels dominated by technology and constant change, it’s easy to forget that some people are still living by the rhythms of ancient traditions. James Rebanks, an author and shephe...

5 Elo 202544min

From Plane Crashes to Terrorist Attacks — Who Survives, and Why

From Plane Crashes to Terrorist Attacks — Who Survives, and Why

You're on an airplane that crash lands. Smoke fills the cabin, and you've got only seconds to react. How would you respond? Would you immediately take action — or freeze in place?While you might think...

29 Heinä 20251h

The 6 Levels of Wealth and How to Reach Them

The 6 Levels of Wealth and How to Reach Them

You've heard the advice that to build wealth, you need to earn more, spend less, and invest consistently. But what if there was a clearer way to understand exactly where you stand financially — and wh...

22 Heinä 202547min

The Microbiome Master Key — How 100 Trillion Bacteria Influence Your Weight, Mood, and All-Around Health

The Microbiome Master Key — How 100 Trillion Bacteria Influence Your Weight, Mood, and All-Around Health

When you think of the microbiome, you probably think of your gut. But bacteria live all over your body. And they’re incredibly numerous; you play host to about as many microbes — a hundred trillion of...

15 Heinä 202554min

Tame the Dopamine Drive — How to Stop Chasing and Start Living

Tame the Dopamine Drive — How to Stop Chasing and Start Living

All the neurochemicals in the brain have to do with life in the present. Except for one: dopamine. Dopamine is the one neurochemical that looks to the future. It anticipates what may be to come and dr...

9 Heinä 202547min

Suosittua kategoriassa Koulutus

rss-murhan-anatomia
psykopodiaa-podcast
voi-hyvin-meditaatiot-2
rss-narsisti
adhd-podi
rss-rahamania
psykologia
ihminen-tavattavissa-tommy-hellsten-instituutti
kesken
rss-liian-kuuma-peruna
rss-duodecim-lehti
rss-valo-minussa-2
rss-vapaudu-voimaasi
jari-sarasvuo-podcast
rss-tietoinen-yhteys-podcast-2
rahapuhetta
rss-turun-yliopisto
rss-arkea-ja-aurinkoa-podcast-espanjasta
rss-ranskaa-raakana
rss-uskonto-on-tylsaa