Flourishing Edge Podcast with Ashish Kothari

Hosted by Ashish Kothari

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Aug 2026

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About the show

Research backed leadership practices to build high performance cultures and improve workplace wellbeing and employee engagement. Every week, Ashish Kothari sits down with the researchers, executives and practitioners doing the most rigorous work on improving workplace wellbeing and turns what they have learned into something you can implement right away. Not wellness perks. Not engagement surveys nobody acts on. The specific behaviors, systems and daily habits that separate organizations where people burn out from those where they thrive. Conversations range across rewiring habits, building resilience, sustaining energy, cultivating purpose and leading with greater humanity, and how individuals, teams and organizations create the conditions for people and performance to thrive together. Recent guests include Barbara Jeffrey on workplace wellbeing, Zeynep Ton on the Good Jobs System, Zach Mercurio on why mattering drives retention, and Dr. Kristin Neff on self-compassion. Every episode gives you something you can use on Monday. How to build high performing teams. How to lead culture change that holds. Why managers shape employee motivation and employee experience more than any program ever will. Made for business leaders, HR and people teams who own organizational culture and get measured on what it produces. Ashish spent 17 years at McKinsey watching brilliant, exhausted leaders burn out and leaders prioritizing higher profits at the cost of their people. He wrote Hardwired for Happiness and founded Happiness Squad to fix it. He created the Organizational Human Potential Index, along with the REWIRE and PEARL models behind programs run at Google, PepsiCo, Danone and MUFG. This podcast is where that work happens out loud. 180+ episodes and counting. New episodes weekly. More at happinesssquad.com

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August 11, 202653 min

Improv Is the Resilience Skill Leaders Are Missing

What if the skill that makes a comedian great on an unscripted stage is the same skill that makes a leader great in an unpredictable economy? Layoffs and AI have left a lot of people feeling like a line item instead of a human being. Jordana Cole flips that on its head: you are not the resource, you are the source. Jordana is an applied improviser, Gallup Strengths Coach, and University of Pennsylvania positive psychology grad. In this episode she joins host Ashish Kothari to turn a decade on the improv stage into a practical playbook for leading through uncertainty. Together they dig into why AI has no source material without us, why uncertainty is the constant rather than the exception, why an 80/20 tilt toward strengths beats the grind of fixing what is broken, and why play is not a reward for hard work but the thing that makes hard work possible. Improvisation, not certainty, is the human edge in the age of AI. You will walk away with three things you can try this week and one brainstorming trick that changes how your team thinks. What You Will Learn: You are the source, not the resource . AI has nothing to learn from without us. Uncertainty is the constant, not the exception . Possibility, not threat. Play to the scene you're in . Accept reality first, then decide what's next. Lead with your strengths . Gallup: 3x higher quality of life, 6x more engagement. Co-create, including with AI . Treat AI as a partner, not a vending machine. Don't carry your mistakes . Park it and return to center. Episode Chapters: 00:00 Why human creativity and connection matter even more in an AI-driven world. 08:09 Jordana reframes uncertainty as a constant—and an opportunity. 10:17 Use AI to amplify your strengths rather than simply replace tasks. 17:17 How improv helps people adapt when plans change. 24:25 Focus on the reality you’re in and what you can control. 36:00 Co-creation: building better ideas by building on others’ input. 45:30 Why play is a catalyst for creativity, energy, and better work. 50:27 Three practical ways to navigate uncertainty with more confidence and play. Resources: Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: Jordana Cole Website: Ignited by Jordana TEDx: What to do when you don't know what's next Connect with the Host LinkedIn: Ashish Kothari Website: Happiness Squad Book: Hardwired For Happiness YouTube: Happiness Squad Channel TEDx: How to make flourishing your competitive edge If this conversation sparked something for you, please subscribe and leave a review, it takes 30 seconds and helps more people discover the show.

August 4, 202643 min

How to Trust Your Intuition When You’re Running on Empty

Cortney McDermott had the titles, the accolades, and the corporate jet and she was, in her own words, "miserably successful." In this episode, the two-time author joins Ashish Kothari to unpack why you can't win the game of externally sourced success, and how to trust your intuition when you're running on empty. You'll walk away with three deceptively simple practices - rest, movement, and yes, yawning - that change your state in minutes and turn the volume back up on your intuition. What You Will Learn: 1. Source your success from the inside, not the outside. 2. Responsibility is your ability to respond, not your share of the blame. 3. When you're overwhelmed, don't add more. Lie down. 4. Change your state before you try to change your story. 5. Treat your intuition as a faculty to develop, not a fluke. Episode Chapters: 1:31 - From corporate success to inner transformation 5:49 - When “having it all” still feels empty 11:49 — Why real change begins within 23:39 — Three practical ways to reconnect with yourself 33:02 — Cultivating intuition in a distracted world Resources: Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: Cortney McDermott Recommended Reading: Give Yourself Permission: Be Confident. Be Happy. Be You. Change Starts Within You: Unlock the Confidence to Lead with Intuition. Connect with the Host LinkedIn: Ashish Kothari Website: Happiness Squad Book: Hardwired For Happiness TEDx: How to make flourishing your competitive edge YouTube: Happiness Squad Channel If this conversation sparked something for you, please subscribe and leave a review, it takes 30 seconds and helps more people discover the show.

July 28, 202645 min

AI Saves You 2.5 Hours a Week. Most People Waste It

AI now hands the average worker 2.5 hours back every week. Most of us pour it straight into more busywork, then wonder why we are busier than ever. That reclaimed time is the most valuable thing AI has given us, and we are giving it away without deciding to. Bonnie Davis, co-author of Still Human with AI alongside Bijal Choksi, joins Ashish Kothari to talk about how to stop wasting it. Not with another productivity system, but by getting deliberate about what those freed-up hours are actually for: your wellbeing, your relationships, and the people you lead. Bonnie gives us a practical framework, and a step-by-step way to use it, for building a workplace where people flourish even as AI turns up everywhere. Her argument is that culture doesn't survive this shift by accident. Somebody has to shape it on purpose. What you'll learn: Decide what your reclaimed 2.5 hours are actually for, then put them on your calendar. Name the moments AI will never own, and ask your AI which ones. Write a human value proposition, not just an employee value proposition Give purpose a line of sight: carry the stories of who your work serves. Make learning a team sport. Courses are outdated, become a micro university: capture learning in the moment. Episode Chapters: 00:00 - The essence of flourishing: energy and resilience 06:37 - AI’s potential to help us flourish—or weaken connection 17:43 - The seven factors of flourishing 20:49 - Purpose and values as organizational building blocks 38:00 - Generative leadership for sustainable performance Resources: Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: Bonnie Davis Recommended Reading: Still Human with AI How to Build Organizations where Leaders and Teams Thrive with AI by Bonnie Davis and Bijal Choksi . Connect with the Host LinkedIn: Ashish Kothari Website: Happiness Squad Book: Hardwired For Happiness YouTube: Happiness Squad Channel If this conversation sparked something for you, please subscribe and leave a review, it takes 30 seconds and helps more people discover the show.

July 21, 202650 min

How to Show People They Matter in 3 Small Moves | Zach Mercurio

Only 39% of employees strongly agree that someone at work cares about them as a person, and that number has fallen faster than any other engagement measure since 2020. Zach Mercurio, organizational psychologist and author of The Power of Mattering, joins Ashish Kothari to explain why billions spent on recognition platforms and perks can't fix what only an interaction can, and shares the three research-backed practices leaders use to show people they're noticed, affirmed, and needed. You'll discover why people need to feel valued before they can add value, the "noticing notebook" that transformed a factory team, and the five words that instantly show someone they're relied on. If you lead people and want performance without burning them out, this conversation is for you. What You Will Learn: Value people before they perform, not after. Zach's research shows feeling seen and valued is what fuels performance, not a reward for it. Start with who someone is, not what they produce. Mattering is built through interactions, not programs. Belonging and inclusion respond to initiatives. Mattering, the sense that the group wouldn't be complete without you, is built one conversation at a time. Spend less on programs and more on your managers' daily interactions. Upgrade your thank-you with four parts. Name when and where it happened, the specific behavior, the person's unique gift, and the impact it made. "Good job" is appreciation. This is affirmation: it shows people exactly how they made a difference. Say the five words: "if it wasn't for you." Needing is the practice leaders score lowest on. Tell someone what wouldn't have happened without them. Tell people what you missed when they were gone. Being relied on, and knowing it, is one of our deepest needs at work. Episode Chapters: – 4-5 key stamps (Key moments YouTube) (00:29) Janitor study: a moment of mattering, a 30-year career (08:04) What mattering is (10:40) Why feeling valued comes before adding value (15:38) The three practices: noticing, affirming, and needing (17:47) The biggest gap: showing people they're relied on (36:45) Affirming: proof of impact and the four-part thank you (44:56) $50b in recognition can't replace one caring interaction (51:23) Three anti-mattering forces: distraction, busyness, and AI Resources: Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: Zach Mercurio Recommended Reading: The Power of Mattering How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance Connect with the Host LinkedIn: Ashish Kothari Website: Happiness Squad Book: Hardwired For Happiness YouTube: Happiness Squad Channel TEDx: How to make flourishing your competitive edge If this conversation sparked something for you, please subscribe and leave a review, it takes 30 seconds and helps more people discover the show.

July 14, 202646 min

3 Moves to Succeed as a Generalist at Work

Over half of us identify as generalists and most workplaces still aren't built for us. Siobhán O'Riordan, founder of Big Sea Strategies and author of Reframe , joins Ashish Kothari to make the case that in a world changing faster than any playbook, the "ubiquitous and yet unseen" generalist is exactly the talent leaders need. She shares the story behind her own pattern of "crushing it or crashing out," why fit beats effort every time, and three concrete moves any generalist can use to name their value and thrive in a system wired for specialists: know your value from the outside in, manage up to make it visible, and protect your range by saying no on purpose. A conversation for anyone who has ever felt like they didn't fit the org chart and for the leaders who keep losing their most adaptive people. What You Will Learn: Flourishing is a fit problem, not an effort problem. The same person, bringing the same energy, can thrive in one role and be shown the door in another. Before you push harder, examine the context: do you have the freedom, authority, and cover to do what you actually do well? Generalists are defined externally so define yourself first. Specialists come with built-in expectations; generalists don't. Ask five to ten colleagues what value you brought them, then learn to name how you think out loud: "I'm someone who sees patterns and gaps." Control your talents, or they will boss you around. A room full of ideas is a liability if you dump all 100. Know your strengths, bring the best three, and pair with people (and AI) who turn ideas into finished work. Generalists cannot work alone. In a fast-changing world, generalists lead adaptation. As "expert practitioners," they test, connect dots, and absorb the risk specialists can't. Think of the hospitalist who knows enough about every specialty to prioritize care for one whole patient. To thrive in a specialist world, get strategic. Know your value, stay connected to other generalists, and get smart about what you say no to. Don't fight gravity, build specialization where you must, and augment your gaps with technology and partnership. Episode Chapters: 00:00 Why fit matters more than effort 01:08 Flourishing starts with self-knowledge 03:40 What actually defines a generalist 11:18 Expert practitioners and the hospitalist metaphor 16:19 Crushing it or crashing out: Siobhán's story 23:56 Context, freedom, and the right roles for generalists 29:46 Turning curiosity into disciplined value 34:36 How AI powers the one-person unicorn 35:02 From seeing the pattern to naming it 41:50 Thriving as a generalist in a specialist world 44:44 Three moves you can make today Resources: Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: Siobhán O'Riordan Recommended Reading: Reframe How Generalists Thrive in a Changing World Connect with the Host LinkedIn: Ashish Kothari Website: Happiness Squad Book: Hardwired For Happiness TEDx: How to make flourishing your competitive edge YouTube: Happiness Squad Channel If this conversation sparked something for you, please subscribe and leave a review, it takes 30 seconds and helps more people discover the show.

July 7, 202653 min

54% of Veterans Can’t Get Hired. Talent isn’t the Issue.

Every year, 200,000 veterans leave the military and more than half can't get hired. But this isn't just a veteran story. It's a story about everyone whose talent the system was never built to see. AETHEON co-founders Marie Gill and Gina Jeneroux join Ashish Kothari to unpack one powerful idea: we don't have a talent problem, we have a problem translating real human experience into language employers can recognize. Across veterans, women returning to work, caregivers, and students, there is no shortage of capability. What's missing is the ability to see it, articulate it, and validate it. They explore why skills are the new currency of work, why the language women use on resumes quietly costs them interviews, how real-world skills validation beats keyword-screening, and the audacious idea that could change how every company makes workforce decisions: putting human capital on the balance sheet. What You Will Learn: People in transition don't need more talent. They need translation: a way to turn what they've lived into language the world can recognize and value. Veterans' skills are real. The hiring system just has no language for them. Skills without context are just labels. Proficiency level, recency, and complexity are what turn a skill into a signal employers can act on. Cutting people to fund AI often destroys more value than it saves. The 90% left behind only need to drop 1% in productivity to wipe out the gain. People appear on the income statement as a cost. Never on the balance sheet as an asset. Until that changes, they'll keep being the first thing cut. Students can now graduate with a skills transcript, not just a degree. Every experience, from babysitting to campus leadership, becomes a named, validated asset. Episode Chapters: 0:00 — Why military experience is often misunderstood in hiring 0:22 — Veterans transition out with real talent, but the market doesn’t see it 0:54 — The “jump master in the army” example 1:09 — Many people don’t have the language to explain their skills 1:30 — Translating experience into a form employers can understand 2:05 — Life experiences shouldn’t be left off resumes or LinkedIn 3:04 — Leaning into what people enjoy and celebrate about themselves 13:33 — Women often downplay their abilities on resumes and LinkedIn 14:02 — Culturally, women are expected to fit a certain mold, and when they don’t, people don’t know how to read their value 49:12 — Life experiences must be captured and promoted to tell the story of skills and proficiency Resources: Connect with the Guests LinkedIn: Marie Gill LinkedIn: Gina Jeneroux Recommended viewing: Aetheon The skills operating system for the future of work Connect with the Host LinkedIn: Ashish Kothari Website: Happiness Squad Book: Hardwired For Happiness YouTube: Happiness Squad Channel If this conversation sparked something for you, please subscribe and leave a review, it takes 30 seconds and helps more people discover the show.

June 30, 202650 min

People First Strategy that Increases Retention and Unlocks Higher Performance | Rohit Bassi

Most companies treat employee retention as an HR problem. The data from hundreds of P&Ls says it's a leadership problem and the companies that figure that out first are the ones that consistently outperform. Rohit Bassi, McKinsey veteran, private equity operator, and author of People Priority , introduces a framework that is changing how business leaders think about their most valuable asset. Rohit calls it People Quotient, or PQ. Just as individuals have IQ and EQ, companies have PQ. The ones that measure it, invest in it, and build it deliberately are the ones that win. Rohit and, host, Ashish Kothari unpack why retention is not a metric to hand off to HR, why trust is the single most important element of any organizational design, and why the companies winning with small and medium sized businesses are the ones treating talent operations as a core business function not an afterthought. If you lead a team, run a business, or advise organizations on growth, this conversation will change how you think about your people strategy. What you will learn: How successful companies align leadership, structure, and talent systems to elevate their PQ The three leadership traits, drive, empowerment, and velocity, that fuel high performance Why most hiring processes are reactive and how to adopt a disciplined, systematic approach The importance of trust and conflict management in fostering a high-trust culture How to use the “CAST” framework, clarity, accountability, structure, and trust for organizational design Episode Chapters: 03:46 Rohit introduces the concept of People Quotient and how it was born from analyzing hundreds of P&Ls 08:00 The three pillars of PQ: leadership capability, organizational design, and talent operations 12:00 Why bad managers, not bad companies, are the primary reason people leave 29:08 The real cost of attrition 34:54 Retention as a leadership trait: what CEOs get wrong 43:45 Talent operations: the three things companies consistently get wrong 49:36 Why putting people first works from 3-person startups to 10,000 person organizations 52:02 Closing reflections: people are not a support function, they are the strategy Resources: Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: Rohit Bassi Recommended Reading: People Priority The CEOs Blueprint for Winning Talent Acquisition Connect with the Host LinkedIn: Ashish Kothari Website: Happiness Squad Book: Hardwired For Happiness YouTube: Happiness Squad Channel If this conversation sparked something for you, please subscribe and leave a review, it takes 30 seconds and helps more people discover the show.

June 2, 20261 hr 14 min

Tackle High Attrition and Win with the Good Jobs System | Professor Zeynep Ton, MIT

Most companies treat labor as a cost to be minimized. Zeynep Ton has spent two decades proving that's the most expensive mistake a business can make. Zeynep is a professor at MIT Sloan, founder of the Good Jobs Institute, and author of The Case for Good Jobs . Her research across retail, hospitality, and service industries has documented what companies like Costco, Trader Joe's, QuickTrip, and Mercadona figured out long before the rest — that investing in frontline workers is not a trade-off against profitability. It is the engine of it. In this conversation, Zeynep and Ashish Kothari break down the Good Jobs System in full — the four operational levers that create highly productive, motivating work, and the investment in people that makes it all sustainable. We talk about why the Toyota Production System fails when leaders skip its human foundation, why "lean and mean" isn't actually efficient, and what AI-driven companies are getting catastrophically wrong when they treat automation as a headcount reduction tool rather than a way to unlock human potential. This is not a conversation about being nice to employees. It is a conversation about building a system so competitive that others can't touch you. What You Will Learn: The real cost of high employee turnover on operational execution The four elements of the Good Jobs System - and why you can't cherry-pick Why operating with slack is the most counterintuitive and powerful operational choice How Costco's frontline workers outperform without performance-based bonuses Why AI is either your greatest lever for human flourishing - or your fastest path to destroying trust. Episode Chapters: 07:00 The vicious cycle: how "labor as cost" mindset creates operational collapse 12:42 Improving customer value is the best way to grow profits 15:03 The Good Jobs System explained: two pillars, four operational levers 22:00 Focus and simplify: why fewer choices drive better frontline performance 27:00 Standardize and empower: how clear standards create ownership, not compliance 34:00 Cross-train: flexibility, motivation, and promoting from within 43:00 Why operating with slack is strategic. 49:33 How AI can either replace people or amplify human contribution Resources: Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: Professor Zeynep Ton Recommended Reading: The Good Jobs Strategy: How the Smartest Companies Invest in Employees to Lower Costs and Boost Profits Connect with the Host LinkedIn: Ashish Kothari Website: Happiness Squad Book: Hardwired For Happiness YouTube: Happiness Squad Channel If this conversation sparked something for you, please subscribe and leave a review, it takes 30 seconds and helps more people discover the show.

May 26, 202652 min

High Performance Starts with Self-Compassion | Dr. Kristin Neff

What if the quality that we’ve been told will weaken us - self-compassion - is actually the key to wellbeing, and higher performance? In this episode, Dr. Kristin Neff, the pioneering researcher who first defined and measured self-compassion, challenges one of the most persistent myths in high-performance culture: that being hard on yourself makes you better. It doesn't. Thirty years of research says otherwise. Kristin Neff unpacks how self-compassion isn’t self-pity or laziness, but a profound source of inner stability and flourishing, especially for leaders operating under relentless pressure. We explore why self-esteem is a fair-weather friend that deserts you the moment you fail and why unconditional self-worth is a far more stable foundation for growth and higher productivity. If you lead people, manage under pressure, or simply want to stop letting failure define you, this conversation will change how you think about what it means to thrive. What you will learn: Why self-compassion outperforms self-criticism for performance and growth The three components of self-compassion and how to practice them How just 20 seconds a day can measurably raise your self-compassion levels Why psychological safety must begin with the individual, not the organization Episode Chapters 0:36 Introduction to Self-Compassion 1:46: Common Myths About Self-Compassion 5:32: The Shift from Self-Esteem to Self-Compassion 17:28: Three components of Self Compassion 17:54: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion 39:22: Practical Self-Compassion Practices 40:42: 20 Second Micro-Practice (UC Berkeley) RESOURCES Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: Dr. Kristin Neff Recommended Reading: Self Compassion : The power of being kind to yourself Fierce Self compassion : How to Harness Kindness to Speak Up, Claim Your Power, and Thrive Website: selfcompassion.org Connect with the Host LinkedIn: Ashish Kothari Website: Happiness Squad Book: Hardwired For Happiness YouTube: Happiness Squad Channel If this conversation sparked something for you, please subscribe and leave a review, it takes 30 seconds and helps more people discover the show.

May 19, 202653 min

Feedback: The Big “F Word”—Mastering the Science of Growth with Dr. Brodie Riordan

Feedback is something we often crave yet simultaneously fear. In this episode, host Ashish Kothari sits down with Dr. Brodie Riordan , an industrial-organizational psychologist and author of Feedback Fundamentals and Evidence-Based Practices . Brodie pulls back the curtain on the academic research surrounding feedback to provide a practical, "chewed up" version that anyone can use. They discuss why most people are unskilled at giving feedback, how to avoid the dreaded "feedback sandwich," and how to manage the emotional "gap" in our brains when we are on the receiving end. This conversation is essential for anyone looking to build a culture of high performance and psychological safety. Main Topics Covered Overfunctioning in Feedback: Why providers should stop diagnosing intentions and start sharing observable data. The Victim Mindset in Receiving: How to move from feeling like feedback is "happening to you" to being an active participant. The "Mother Robin" Metaphor: Brodie’s mission to translate dense academic journals into accessible daily practices. The Four-Part Feedback Framework: Exploring the Provider, the Recipient, the Message, and the Context. Public vs. Private Self-Consciousness: Why giving feedback in front of others diverts cognitive resources away from learning. Process vs. Outcome Feedback: Why we value "negative" feedback during a task but "positive" feedback at the end. The Feedback Sandwich Critique: Why "sugarcoating" creates confusion and conditions people to wait for the other shoe to drop. Key Takeaways Stay on Your Side of the Net: You can only know what you observed (data) and how it impacted you. You cannot know the other person’s intention. Feedback is a Distance Measure: At its core, feedback is simply data measuring the distance between where you are and where you want to be. Emotions Move Faster than Cognition: When you receive feedback, your emotional brain reacts instantly. Rational thought takes hours or days to catch up—give yourself grace and time to process. The "Pre-Ask" Strategy: Ask for feedback before an event (like a presentation) to lower the giver’s anxiety and ensure they capture specific, high-quality data. Check Your Intention: If your goal isn't to help the person improve their future behavior, but rather to make them feel small or exert power, do not give the feedback. Episode Chapters 0:00 - 2:37 Introduction: Feedback—The Gift We Fear 2:38 - 5:44 Common Mistakes: Overfunctioning and Diagnosing Intentions 5:45 - 9:16 The "Side of the Net" Concept and the Late-to-Meetings Story 9:17 - 13:03 Brodie’s Origin Story: Becoming a Feedback Convert 13:04 - 15:55 Defining Positive and Negative Feedback as Data 15:56 - 18:43 The Four-Part Framework: Provider, Recipient, Message, Context 18:44 - 24:50 Crafting the Message: SBI (Situation, Behavior, Impact) 24:51 - 33:01 The Death of the Feedback Sandwich and the 3:1 Ratio 33:02 - 35:28 Process vs. Outcome Feedback: When Negative is Preferred 35:29 - 39:58 Context Matters: Timing, Medium, and Emotional Charge 39:59 - 44:58 The Seven-Step Process for Receiving Feedback 44:59 - 49:03 Feedback as a Dialogue: Aligning on Expectations 49:04 - 53:53 Three Actionable To-Dos and the Feedback Playlist Connect with the Guest LinkedIn: Brodie Riordan The Book: Feedback Fundamentals and Evidence-Based Practices Playlist: Brodie's Feedback Favorites {Insert link to playlist} Connect with the Host Website: Happiness Squad LinkedIn: Ashish Kothari Book: Hardwired for Happiness Call to Action: Ready to close the gap between your intentions and your impact? Follow The Flourishing Edge, like this episode, and share it with a colleague you want to grow with. Would you like me to help you draft your first "Pre-Ask" for feedback based on an upcoming project or presentation?