Leadership and Self-Deception

Dave Johnson is a retired-zookeeper-turned-conservation-hero. His conservation organization Katie Adamson Conservation Fund helps support conservation projects all over the world from snow leopards in Nepal and jaguars in Brazil, to elephants in Asia and rhinos in Africa. Today, he talks about his trips and partnerships to help zookeepers find even more purpose and rejuvenation in their work by involving them in his conservation trips.Learn more about Dave and his work at Katie Adamson Conservation Fund. Katie's Night is August 23.

For Zoo Lovers Day, I delve into a special memoir from St. Louis Zoo's CEO and President, Jeffery Bonner, PhD. I loved the stories Jeff shares about working in a zoo, the conservation projects, the animals, and how zoos help save species. I hope you enjoy the tidbits as much as I did.Mentioned in this Zoo-notable: Flight of the Hummingbird

Want to improve your communication skills, make a stronger impact on the lives of the people around you, and develop empathy and understanding of others' perspectives? The best skill you can develop to achieve all that is listening.You're Not Listening by Kate Murphy is one of the most influential books I read in 2024, now I'm revisiting it to share the big ideas that changed the way I think and interact with others. In fact, it's so relevant and powerful, I couldn't fit it into one episode, so we're breaking it into 2 parts.This week we discuss Shifting vs. Supporting Responses, Bragging Ain't All That, and Listening to Yourself.Grab a copy of the book yourself or find a copy at your local library.

Want to improve your communication skills, make a stronger impact on the lives of the people around you, and develop empathy and understanding of others' perspectives? The best skill you can develop to achieve all that is listening.You're Not Listening by Kate Murphy is one of the most influential books I read in 2024, now I'm revisiting it to share the big ideas that changed the way I think and interact with others. In fact, it's so relevant and powerful, I couldn't fit it into one episode, so we're breaking it into 2 parts.This week we discuss What Listening Is, How to Make Anyone Interesting, Thoughtful Listening, Keep Your Mind on the Conversation, and Listening to Opposing Views. Grab a copy of the book yourself or find a copy at your local library.Related Zoo-notables: I Never Thought of It That WayAtlas of the Heart by Brené Brown

Who else could I possibly bring on for International Women's Day than Sabrina Brando? Sabrina is the founder of Animal Concepts, an international organization that helps those in the animal care field understand animal wellbeing, human wellbeing, and planetary wellbeing. Everything is interconnected, and Sabrina shares some of her experience and wisdom with all of us in this special interview.Learn more about Animal Concepts through this link. Try Heroic for 14-days free through this link.

In this remarkable story, we get all the warm fuzzy feelings about friendship, kindness, and finding home. A short and sweet episode for a short and sweet book. I highly recommend reading it, but also watching the short animated film on AppleTV.Grab your copy here.

Steve Irwin was an inspirational figure to thousands of zookeepers and conservationists. But in Steve and Me, we get a rare and insightful look at the man, the legend, the Crocodile Hunter, from the one person who knew him best, his loving wife Terri. A beautiful tribute to a great man. If you want to read the book yourself, here are some ways to get a hold of it-Local BookstoreThriftBooks

Our first required reading for the leadership development course I'm taking is a doozie-- Leadership and Self-Deception by the Arbinger Institute.I love the stories within the story, and the insight I received, eye-opening and empowering ideas that I can't wait to share with you, mostly to remind ME about keeping an outward mindset.Want more?Check out Leadership and Self-Deception onBookshop and buy local, or downloadLibby and start listening to amazing books.Related Zoo-notablesRadical Candor by Kim ScottMindset by Carol DweckI Never Thought of It That Way by Monica Guzman

For 2/2, I thought it'd be fun to catch up with my favorite, VERY prolific author, Miranda Levi, to check in with her new(ish) book The Sea Withdrew, the second in the Fountain of Youth series. Miranda has several pen names, including Isla Watts, which she writes the Mythiverse series, and Lorelai Hamilton, her pen name for her tarot books, including one of my all time favorites, Tarot Tales. We talk all things books, including her publishing company Rainbow Quartz, as well as writing. Enjoy this special sequel interview about sequel books from an amazing author!

What do you get when you "Care Personally" and still "Challenge Directly"? You get Radical Candor, the most effective way to interact and communicate with your teammates. This book was mind-blowing, and I can't wait to get my hands on my own copy! Get one for yourself! We'll discuss what Radical Candor is and what it means, Manipulative Insincerity, Obnoxious Aggression, and Ruinous Empathy as other communication methods, being clear and making sure our learners understand, and giving a damn about ourselves.