The Anxious Achiever

Patrick Lencioni: Stop Feeling Guilt About What's Hard For You

What if the things you feel most ashamed of at work are actually your superpowers? In this conversation, I sit down with bestselling author and Founder & CEO of Working Genius, Patrick Lencioni. We dive into his Working Genius framework to discover why certain kinds of work light you up while others reliably drain you. Using his six types of “genius” we explore why differently wired (aka “spiky”) brains can be massive assets in leadership when we stop trying to do everything. You’ll also hear Pat share candidly about his own anxious achieving, how working outside his genius led to grumpiness and burnout, and what changed when he finally designed his role (and team) around his true strengths. It’s time to reframe guilt and shame around your “weaknesses,” so you can lead from your zone of genius with more effectiveness, sustainability, and joy. This episode is brought to you in partnership with Working Genius. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree [https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree] In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 How to stop feeling ashamed of what you’re not good at. 04:00 How to become boldly bad at things as a neurodistinct leader. 10:45 The six types of Working Genius and how to discover yours. 16:00 How wounds and fear can push you to overachieve at work you dislike. 18:00 What is the difference between fear-based vs. joy-based achievement? 24:00 Why burnout is more about misalignment than workload. 31:00 How knowing your team’s geniuses transform trust and accountability. 33:30 Why your team will perform better when everyone admits what they are bad at. 40:30 What should I do if my job doesn’t fit my working genius? Resources + Links Take the Working Genius Assessment HERE [http://workinggenius.com] Use promo code ACHIEVER for 20% off Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever [https://morraam.com/books] Watch the podcast on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMl9YeZwiV56QKDJ73S6Pag]  Find more resources on our website morraam.com [http://morraam.com] Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele [https://www.linkedin.com/in/morraaaronsmele/] + Instagram @morraam [https://www.instagram.com/morraam/] Follow Patrick Lencioni: on LinkedIn @patricklencioniorghealth [https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-lencioni-orghealth/] + Instagram @patricklencioniofficial [https://www.instagram.com/patricklencioniofficial/]

The Secret To Becoming A Mindful Leader with Dr. Ravi Kudesia

The most powerful leadership tool you have isn’t authority or expertise, but attention. In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Ravi Kudesia, Associate Professor of Management at Temple University’s Fox School of Business, to break down the science and practice of mindful leadership. We talk about how leaders can regulate their attention, reset your energy between meetings, disrupt habitual scripts, and guide teams through ambiguity without creating panic. Ravi shares how mindfulness helps leaders read the room, experiment more effectively during change, and model emotional grounding for their teams. Get ready to rethink how you show up and discover why mindful leaders make change feel less like chaos and more like possibility. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree [https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree] In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 How do you prepare to teach, lead, and be present? 07:00 How to reset between meetings and clear “attentional residue.” 09:45 A breathing reset you can use anywhere to calm your system. 14:30 Why leaders must shift from individualistic to relational leadership mindsets. 21:15 How a leader’s internal state shapes the emotional health of the entire team. 27:15 How do you lead through change? 33:00 Why middle leaders must become adapters and experiment in ambiguity. 39:45 How leaders can ask better questions in the middle of uncertainty.  43:00 How attuning to energy in the room changes the way leaders lead. 46:30 What leaders do to cultivate mindfulness? Resources + Links Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever [https://morraam.com/books] Watch the podcast on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMl9YeZwiV56QKDJ73S6Pag]  Find more resources on our website morraam.com [http://morraam.com] Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele [https://www.linkedin.com/in/morraaaronsmele/] + Instagram @morraam [https://www.instagram.com/morraam/] Follow Ravi on LinkedIn: @rskudesia [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rskudesia]

You Can Unshame Yourself with David Bedrick

The shame you feel at work isn’t a personal flaw, but a kind of violence acting on your story, your body, and your worth. In this episode, I sit down with psychologist David Bedrick, whose pioneering work on unshaming helps us understand how shame interprets the world for us and how you can reclaim your own internal witness. We talk about why shame is not just a feeling but a lens, how childhood interpretations stick with us for decades, and why so many of us carry invisible pain through our careers, relationships, and leadership roles. David shares how the body speaks when our lives become too heavy to carry, and how that “symptom” is often a messenger of our deeper story, not a problem to be erased. Tune in to start unshaming yourself from the inside out. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand, and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree [https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree] In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 What is shame and why is it not a feeling? 04:15 How childhood witnessing becomes your lifelong lens. 08:00 The link between chronic illness, over-responsibility, and hidden shame. 14:00 How a simple temper tantrum can reveal a protest your body is begging you to hear. 19:30 Why pain and exhaustion are often your body’s way of saying “this is too much.” 21:30 How layoffs, business failure, and money anxiety get wrapped in shame at work. 26:00 The one question that begins unshaming others and yourself. 29:00 How to ask about someone’s experience without piling on more shame. 37:00 Why we never tell anyone about our chronic pain. 41:30 How to start walking the “unshaming way” in your own life, relationships, and work. Resources + Links Learn more about David Bedrick HERE [https://www.davidbedrick.com/] Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever [https://morraam.com/books] Watch the podcast on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMl9YeZwiV56QKDJ73S6Pag]  Find more resources on our website morraam.com [http://morraam.com] Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele [https://www.linkedin.com/in/morraaaronsmele/] + Instagram @morraam [https://www.instagram.com/morraam/] Follow David: @david.bedrick [https://www.instagram.com/david.bedrick/]

Exploring AI Anxiety With A Leader In Charge Of AI Transformation with Lee Gonzales

What if your AI anxiety isn’t a flaw, but a signal to evolve how you work? In this episode, I sit down with Lee Gonzales, engineering leader and creator of BetterUp’s AI Flight School, to talk about why AI feels existential, why it threatens your craft and identity, and how you can move from fear to agency. We dive into how psychological safety, values, and collective sensemaking help people shift from “AI will replace me” to “AI can expand me.” Tune in if you’re ready to move from avoidance to informed action and become the pilot of your AI future, not the passenger. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree [https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree] In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 Why AI anxiety pushed Lee to reinvent his entire career. 04:45 How AI differs from every prior technological leap. 08:00 What distinguishes an “AI passenger” from an “AI pilot”? 10:00 Is the agency real or a helpful illusion? 14:45 Why psychological safety is the first requirement for AI learning. 18:03 How to reframe anxiety into possibility using values and task design. 22:15 Why AI can weaken your cognitive muscles if you’re not careful. 25:15 The values-based exercise that helps you understand your resistance. 28:45 Why engineers struggle with AI’s impact on the craft they love.30:30 What AlphaGo teaches us about self-learning systems and exponential change.  32:00 How prompting helps people reflect on values and reclaim agency. 34:15 Lee’s “aha” moment from Flight School participants. 36:00 Why AI can feel like an “infinite agency machine” when used well. Resources + Links Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever [https://morraam.com/books] Watch the podcast on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMl9YeZwiV56QKDJ73S6Pag]  Find more resources on our website morraam.com [http://morraam.com] Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele [https://www.linkedin.com/in/morraaaronsmele/] + Instagram @morraam [https://www.instagram.com/morraam/] Follow Lee on LinkedIn: @leegonzales [https://www.linkedin.com/in/leegonzales/]

America’s Nervous System Is Dysregulated with Kate Woodsome

What if the problem in America isn’t just political? What if our collective nervous system is overloaded? In this episode, I sit down with Kate Woodsome, journalist turned civic resilience researcher and trainer, to talk about how personal trauma, chronic stress, and media-driven threat responses scale up into polarization, civic dysfunction, and even openings for authoritarianism. Tune in for tools leaders and citizens can use to get grounded before you engage. Check out our sponsors: Northwest Registered Agent - Protect your privacy, build your brand and get your complete business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes! Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree [https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/achieverfree] In this Episode, You Will Learn 00:00 What is civic resilience? 07:15 What nervous system literacy actually trains you to notice. 12:00 Why body scans and relaxed muscles matter for sustained leadership. 16:15 Systemic drivers of chronic stress. 19:30 Why tech + speed amplify perceived danger and make regulation insufficient alone. 25:45 How trauma, polarization, and authoritarianism play out at work and in nations. 33:15 Nonverbal signals that communicate compassion. 38:45 Why Kate believes nervous system literacy can strengthen democracy. Resources + Links Subscribe to Kate Woodsome’s Substack [https://katewoodsome.substack.com/] and Newsletter [https://www.katewoodsome.net/] for updates on her civic-resilience work Get a copy of my book - The Anxious Achiever [https://morraam.com/books] Watch the podcast on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMl9YeZwiV56QKDJ73S6Pag]  Find more resources on our website morraam.com [http://morraam.com] Follow Follow me: on LinkedIn @morraaronsmele [https://www.linkedin.com/in/morraaaronsmele/] + Instagram @morraam [https://www.instagram.com/morraam/] Follow Kate: on LinkedIn @katewoodsome [https://www.linkedin.com/in/katewoodsome/] + Instagram @kwoodsome [https://www.instagram.com/kwoodsome/]