Corey-osity Unleashed

S2E8 Corey-osity Unleashed with Ian Pettigrew

Hope is a Strategy: Why Leaders Must Learn to Cultivate It What do people all over the world want most from their leaders? According to Gallup's research presented at the World Government Summit, the answer is hope. Not strategy. Not vision decks. Hope. And yet almost no leadership development programme teaches it. Ian Pettigrew has spent years researching exactly this gap. In this conversation, he unpacks what hope actually is — and why it's not the same as optimism, positivity, or wishful thinking. Hope, by his definition, is a belief that the future can be better combined with knowing what you can do to make it so. That small distinction changes everything about how leaders show up, how teams perform, and why some people find a way through the hardest circumstances while others don't. This episode goes deep on the practical side: Ian's Hope Play Sheet (free at hope.tips), why toxic positivity actively undermines hope, what the Fyre Festival documentary teaches us about silencing concerns, and why some leaders have already scuppered their ability to inspire hope before any tactic can help. Ian also brings his own story — recovering from a trimalleolar ankle fracture during lockdown and training to cycle the height of Everest on an indoor bike — as a lived demonstration of the framework he teaches. If you lead people and you've ever been told to "give your team more hope" without any guidance on how to actually do it, this is the episode that fills that gap. Keywords: Ian Pettigrew, Hope, Leadership, Realistic Optimism, Hope Play Sheet, Positive Psychology, Employee Engagement, Workplace Culture, Strengths, Resilience Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Ian Pettigrew 05:40 The Everest Challenge: A Journey of Hope 13:32 Ian's Life Journey and Career Path 23:58 Exploring the Concept of Hope 28:32 Practical Tools for Cultivating Hope 33:21 The Balance of Realistic Optimism 38:43 Practical Steps for Leaders

S2E7 Corey-osity Unleashed with Fredrik Haren

What if the secret to your next breakthrough idea isn't thinking harder — but getting your ego completely out of the way? Fredrik Haren has spent 25 years and visited 75+ countries on a single mission: to understand where the best ideas actually come from. He calls himself the Creativity Explorer, and in this conversation with Debra and Ken, he lives up to the title — dismantling assumptions about creativity, sharing stories from Thailand to Bhutan to Vietnam, and leaving you with one deceptively simple challenge that could change how you think forever. You'll hear why a Thai origami artist has never experienced creative anxiety (and what her "idea nap" can teach stressed-out Western teams), why the Norwegian rail company turned a humiliating mistake into their most prized internal award, and why the origin of AI traces back to an African tribe praying with sticks and stones. Fredrik argues that creativity isn't a talent, a technique, or a team-building exercise. It's an inward motion — a path to discovering who you truly are. And the single biggest thing standing in your way? Your ego. Whether you're a leader trying to build a genuinely creative culture, a professional tired of innovation theatre, or simply someone who wants to think differently — this episode will rewire how you see ideas. Keywords: Fredrik Haren, Creativity, Innovation, Leadership, Creative Block, Workplace Culture, Diversity of Thought, Ego, Constraints, Idea Generation, Cross-Cultural Insights, Professional Speaking, Meditation, Personal Development Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Fredrik Haren and the Origins of a Creativity Explorer 02:33 Creativity Is Different to Different People 03:19 The Problem with "Creative Accounting" 04:02 Insights from 37 Countries on Creativity 05:50 The Thai Origami Artist and the Idea Nap 08:26 Why Creativity Matters — The Second Best Human Feeling 09:59 Hackathons, Belonging and Ideation Empathy 12:39 When Companies Talk Innovation but Punish Mistakes 15:31 The Norwegian Rail Clip — A Lesson in Corporate Humility 16:07 Open the Door to Possibilities 17:08 From Expert to Explorer — A Child's Accidental Rebrand 19:43 Life on Swan Island and the Power of Curiosity 20:21 Paying It Forward in Professional Speaking 22:05 It's Not Copyright, It's Copying Right 24:06 From African Sticks and Stones to AI 27:54 Why We Fail to Copy Good Ideas 28:53 Marry Someone from a Different Culture 30:31 Diversity as a Creativity Superpower 31:30 Stop Blaming Companies — Blame Yourself 32:12 Role Model Creativity as a Leader 33:29 Why Constraints Fuel Better Ideas 35:21 What Gets in the Way — Ego as the Creativity Killer 37:30 Creativity Is an Inward Motion 39:07 T-Shirts, Slogans and Humanity to the Power of Ideas 40:17 Fredrik's One Challenge — Meditate for Five Minutes 42:37 Mortal Ideas vs Divine Ideas 42:54 Where to Find Fredrik Haren

S2E6 Corey-osity Unleashed with Zach Mercurio

Employee engagement just hit a decade low -- despite over a billion dollars poured into fixing it. What if the entire industry has been solving the wrong problem? Leadership researcher Zach Mercurio has spent years studying what actually makes people thrive at work. His answer isn't another engagement framework or recognition platform. It's something far more elemental: mattering. The daily experience of feeling seen, heard, valued, and needed by the people around you. His research across 22 industries and thousands of workers reveals a striking pattern -- it's never the perks, the awards, or the programs. It's the micro-moments. A name remembered. A unique strength named. A check-in that has nothing to do with project status. In this conversation, Zach unpacks the three pillars of mattering, explains why "hurry and care can't coexist," and shares one deceptively simple question that has transformed relationships from boardrooms to car rides with teenagers. He also challenges the "toxic employee" label (less than 1.5% of people are actually narcissists), reframes quiet quitting as a natural withdrawal response to feeling insignificant, and makes the case that leadership is a separate occupation -- not something you bolt onto technical expertise. Whether you lead a team of 3 or 3,000, this episode will change how you think about every interaction you have tomorrow. Keywords: Zach Mercurio, Mattering, Leadership, Purpose, Employee Engagement, Meaningfulness, Workplace Culture, Human Connection, Curiosity, Personal Development Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Zach Mercurio and His Journey 02:48 The Importance of Mattering in Work and Life 05:57 Understanding the Concept of Mattering 09:01 The Power of Small Interactions 12:00 The Need for Genuine Connection 15:02 The Mattering Deficit in Modern Society 17:58 Re-Skilling for Human Connection 20:55 The Three Pillars of Mattering 23:18 The Importance of Caring and Affirmation 25:30 Understanding Leadership as an Occupation 30:32 Recognizing Signs of Disengagement 36:06 Practical Steps to Foster Mattering 38:56 Curiosity About Mattering in Leadership

S2E5 Corey-osity Unleashed with Sally Gibson - Creating a Thriving Workplace Culture

What happens when a company in a small community decides to go all-in on its people — and wins Employer of the Year doing it? Sally Gibson, MD of Dawleys, didn't follow a textbook. She built a culture where employees nominate each other on a "WOW Board," where every single role has its own purpose and mission statement, and where leaders are measured not by how tightly they control — but by how freely they let go. In this episode, Sally reveals the surprisingly simple practices behind Dawleys' award-winning culture: why hiring for attitude beats hiring for skills, how psychological safety turns average teams into exceptional ones, and the recognition programme that costs almost nothing but changed everything. If you've ever wondered what it actually looks like when a business puts people genuinely first — not as a slogan, but as a strategy — this is the conversation you need to hear. Keywords: Dawleys, Sally Gibson, leadership, employee engagement, workplace culture, awards, community responsibility, employee development, recognition programs, customer service Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Dawleys and Sally Gibson 02:29 Winning Awards and Recognition 05:06 Creating a Culture of Trust and Safety 07:31 The Importance of Development in Leadership 10:10 Leadership Philosophy and Personal Growth 12:40 Measuring Employee Happiness and Engagement 14:59 The WOW Board and Recognition Practices 17:43 Leadership Journey and Global Experiences 25:33 Recognizing Community Impact 29:35 Building a Supportive Workplace Culture 34:31 Developing Leadership Skills 44:56 The Importance of Clarity in Leadership

S2E4 Corey-osity Unleashed with Dan Greene

Summary In this conversation, Dan Green discusses the importance of feedback in corporate culture, the concept of Radical Candor, and the essential qualities of great leadership. He emphasizes the need for trust and connection in leadership roles, the significance of giving and receiving feedback, and how military lessons can be applied to modern management practices. The discussion highlights the challenges many leaders face in providing effective feedback and the necessity of fostering a culture of appreciation and open communication. Keywords feedback, leadership, Radical Candor, corporate culture, appreciation, trust, management, communication, employee engagement, military leadership Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dan Green 02:14 Understanding the Feedback Crisis 11:16 The Concept of Radical Candor 17:41 Building a Feedback Culture 23:51 The Importance of Timing in Feedback 24:17 Defining Great Leadership 27:07 Sustainable Leadership vs. Short-Term Success 28:43 Engagement and Team Performance 29:42 Debunking Leadership Myths 32:45 Lessons from Military Leadership 37:49 Building Trust and Connection in Leadership