Enjoying your own Mastermind group with Leadership Podcasts

When I was the executive director of our local chamber of commerce, I ran a series of business mastermind groups. Monthly, top business leaders would share well-earned practical wisdom on how to succeed. There is something powerful about coming together regularly with a group of people dedicated to learning and exchanging ideas on how to make the world a better place.

Over the past year, living through a global pandemic, people have had to find new ways to connect. One of the ways to connect is through bringing others into our homes via different virtual platforms. Yet we can connect differently as well through being in relationship with ideas and learnings offered by others. A couple of great examples are RRU MA Leadership students, Simon Kardynal and Mark Crocker, who are hosts of leadership podcasts.

Trench Leadership: A Podcast From the Front

Trench Leadership: A Podcast from the Front, hosted by Simon, draws upon his experience and connections of serving 26 years in the Canadian Armed Forces to talk challenges and successes in leadership. Simon tells that “in this podcast you will hear from leaders who have been in your shoes, had the triumphs, and made the mistakes.  In each episode, you will be offered tangible tools, advice, and inspiration over a wide range of topics, all of which are meant to help you be as successful as you want to be”. You can check out the podcast on any of the popular directories, including here.

How I Did it: The Leadership Victoria Podcast 

How I Did it: The Leadership Victoria Podcast, hosted by Mark, engages local community leaders who offer stories, tips, and insider secrets. Mark shares that “as leaders we all know that moment when you are talking to another leader and they reveal how they have just completed something hard. You want to learn from them and so you ask, “How did you do that?!” These are the details that our leaders share.” Some of the topics/leaders that you can listen to are: The Art of Indigenous Leadership with Carey Newman, How to lead a workforce of Volunteers with Christine Hewitt, Getting Started in our Community with Amarjit Bhalia, Getting things done with Mayor Lisa Helps, Power and Leadership with Victoria Police Chief Del Manak. You can check out the Podcast here.

Creating more Hygge

Recently, my son and his girlfriend gave me Meik Wiking’s (2016) The little book of hygge. Hygge, Wiking explains. has a variety of interpretations, such as “taking pleasure from soothing things...cosy togetherness... cocoa by candle light” (p. 6). Hygge seems to be about intentionally creating an atmosphere of being just a little bit more comfortable, a little more peaceful, a little more connected with ourselves, others and our surroundings to experience greater happiness and joy.

With that, I invite you to consider how you might create some hygge in your own life by curling up in your favorite chair, with your favorite beverage, and listening to a few pod casts. Tailor make your own leadership mastermind group. Then when you head back out into the world you can take some gems of wisdom to inspire you and your leadership to make the world a better place.

Wiking, M. (2016). The little book of hygge: The danish way to live well. Penguin books.

Dr. Kathy Bishop, is the program head for the School of Leadership Studies’ (SoLS) new specialization: the MA in Executive Leadership (MAL-XL) and the Values Based Graduate Certificate. Another way to connect with leaders and grow your leadership is through our SoLS leadership programs. See https://www.royalroads.ca/programs/master-arts-leadership