Planners’ Picks — July 22, 2025

We aren’t barking up the wrong tree, are we? Two weeks away from our 10^th Anniversary Celebration, we dial in our focus, spread kindness, and find some fun in this installment of Planners’ Picks. Enjoy!   :: Image of the Week

What Matters Most

One of the ways that Old Happy culture makes us miserable is by convincing us that we have to do everything, get everything, and be everything. As a result, you spread your energy out in a million directions trying to achieve an impossible task, leaving you overwhelmed, dissatisfied, and exhausted. Instead, I’d advise that you try out a different approach: prioritize what matters most to you, devoting all of your energy towards the few things that really bring you joy. Try this five-minute exercise: write down a list of what is most important to you. Then, compare it to how you’re currently spending your time. What do you need to let go of so that you can devote your energy towards what most fulfills you? https://www.thenewhappy.com/blog/matters-most

Self-reflection is a much kinder teacher than regret is. Prioritize yourself by making a habit of it. – Andrena Sawyer

  :: CSN’s Book of the Week Recommendation

Barking Up the Wrong Tree: The Surprising Science Behind Why Everything You Know About Success Is (Mostly) Wrong

Much of the advice we’ve been told about achievement is logical, earnest…and downright wrong. In Barking Up the Wrong Tree, Eric Barker reveals the extraordinary science behind what actually determines success and most importantly, how anyone can achieve it. You’ll learn: • Why valedictorians rarely become millionaires, and how your biggest weakness might actually be your greatest strength • Whether nice guys finish last and why the best lessons about cooperation come from gang members, pirates, and serial killers • Why trying to increase confidence fails and how Buddhist philosophy holds a superior solution • The secret ingredient to “grit” that Navy SEALs and disaster survivors leverage to keep going • How to find work-life balance using the strategy of Genghis Khan, the errors of Albert Einstein, and a little lesson from Spider-Man By looking at what separates the extremely successful from the rest of us, we learn what we can do to be more like them—and find out in some cases why it’s good that we aren’t. Barking Up the Wrong Tree draws on startling statistics and surprising anecdotes to help you understand what works and what doesn’t, so you can stop guessing at success and start living the life you want. https://a.co/d/jkYaH1S   :: Mental Health and Self-Care

Find Authentic Happiness

In this enlightening episode of Action for Happiness, Mark engages in a heartfelt conversation with Stephanie Harrison, a best-selling author and happiness expert. Stephanie delves into the concept of the ‘New Happy,’ a philosophy for finding genuine happiness in a challenging world. Together, they explore how to move beyond societal pressures of perfection and achievement, embracing kindness, connection, and authenticity. Join us as Stephanie shares insights from her personal journey, offering practical tips to cultivate a more compassionate and joyful life. Let’s transform the way we think about happiness and create ripples of positivity across the globe. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/find-authentic-happiness-with-stephanie-harrison/id1287943792?i=1000709577045

“The greatest thing in the world is to know how to belong to oneself.” — Michel de Montaigne

  :: Trust, Psychological Safety & Belonging

5 Signals that Make You More Trustworthy

Your brain and body are constantly sending subtle signals that influence trust. Here’s how to send them more intentionally. Believe it or not, first impressions are biological. When meeting someone for the first time, well before your résumé or title is considered, your brain and body are sending and receiving subtle signals that influence trust. In today’s workplaces, where hybrid teams and digital interactions dominate, those signals matter more than ever. The good news is that you can learn to send them more intentionally. In my work developing Leadership Biodynamics, a biology of behavior approach to executive presence, I help leaders become more aware of how trust and connection are built at the behavioral level. The signals that trigger trust are not abstract: they’re cues the human brain is wired to read quickly and deeply, because in evolutionary terms, deciding whether someone was safe to approach was once a matter of survival. That’s still true in the modern workplace. Whether you’re onboarding to a new team, pitching an idea to executives, or building rapport with clients, the signals you send, especially those of warmth, create the foundation for influence. Here are five warmth signals, rooted in behavioral science, that can make you instantly more trustworthy at work. https://www.fastcompany.com/91350426/5-signals-that-make-you-instantly-more-trustworthy-at-work

“The only way to make a man trustworthy is to trust him.” – HENRY L. STIMSON

Navigating Conflict and Building Psychological Safety at Work

In episode 40 of the Better @ Work podcast, Cathal Quinlan welcomes back Amy Gallo, co-host of HBR’s Women at Work podcast and the brilliant author of ‘Getting Along: How to Work with Anyone (Even Difficult People)’ to discuss conflict, communication and navigating challenging workplace dynamics. Amy and Cathal discuss:

1. Why emotional regulation is so important and how to create space in challenging situations
2. Establishing team psychological safety
3. The power of euphoric thinking

Tune in to learn how to navigate emotionally charged and challenging situations in work and life. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/navigating-conflict-and-building-psychological-safety/id1619332673?i=1000696019044   :: Kindness in Leadership

Simple Ways to Spread Kindness at Work

Does your role at work determine whether you can be a Kindness Catalyst? Nope, not at all! Think of workplace relationships in four quadrants: Manager to employee Employee to employee Customer to employee Employee to customer Linda Cohen talks about employee-to-employee kindness—because no matter what your job title is, you’re part of a team. And that means you have daily opportunities to show up for the people around you. https://www.linkedin.com/posts/lindamcohen_kindnessatwork-leadership-economyofkindness-activity-7300610726035931136-odDz?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAIN6SAByZAzl6f1TJ9d2N0zWKN7DD7c8uE

“The growth and development of people is the highest calling of leadership.” – Harvey S. Firestone

  :: Work Culture & Team Development

The “Find the Fun” Habit

We’ve all been on that team where everything feels… heavy. The deadlines are looming, the to-do list is growing, and the energy? Flat.. But here’s the good news: you can find the fun at work and get the results you need. That’s the spirit behind Find the Fun—the habit of bringing levity, energy, and even a little play into your process. Not because the work doesn’t matter. But because it matters so much that you want people to have the energy to do it well. And it all starts with one magic question: “What if we gamified this?” Yes. A dash of play can turn a task into a challenge, a meeting into a mission, and a slog into something worth high-fiving about. https://letsgrowleaders.com/2025/06/04/fun-at-work-how-smart-leaders-prioritize-play/?vgo_ee=u6ibZ32%2FizwxsXl7msDGrVW7G2DgA3WVkLVahjOLQhxNUrYR%3AH2pBg9KUZyYHs3SHv7G0Jv8SRKmx%2FxQs

“I wouldn’t ask anyone to do anything I wouldn’t do myself.” – INDRA NOOYI

Culture by Rishad Tobaccowala

It has been written that culture eats strategy for breakfast and that culture is a great differentiator among companies. If you query Google on “What is a good company culture?” you will get billions of results (6, 250,000,000!) and if you clicked on the links of the results on the first page you would have a list of over 100 different keys to culture. Purpose, values, mission, respect, freedom, quality of leadership, great compensation, high growth, flexibility, diversity, multi-stakeholder capitalism and on and on the list goes. Today, as firms struggle with attracting and retaining workers, they worry about culture. A reason to get people back to the office is to make sure that there is no loss of “culture”. But what exactly makes for a good company culture? https://rishad.substack.com/p/culture   :: Self-Leadership Development

Gain the Skills of Professional Coaching

Coaching skills allow supervisors to guide, support, and empower their team members to improve performance and achieve goals. You can learn these valuable coaching skills and more through the UW Certified Professional Coach program. Our cohort model allows learners to build relationships with peers and to use class time for practice and experiential learning. Our curriculum is grounded in the ICF core competencies and graduates are prepared to apply for the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) and/or Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credentials through the ICF. To celebrate its 13th year, we are offering a summer rate for individuals interested in joining our next virtual cohort starting in late August! The summer rate for UW employees is $10,691 (instead of $12,990). Learn more about our UWCPC program and apply by July 25th! https://continuingstudies.wisc.edu/certified-professional-coach/#Ataglance

The Power of Imperfect Action: Launching Yourself to New Heights

If you’ve ever waited for the “perfect” moment to take action, this episode is your wake-up call. Meghann Dawson of Becoming Is Messy is joined by guest Allison Michels, who has spent over 15 years helping individuals and Fortune 100 companies launch bold ideas, overcome fear, and take imperfect action. From relaunching her business after a major life transition to guiding high-achieving leaders around the world, Together, Meghann and Allison dig deep into the messiness of transformation, the power of listening to your inner whisper, and why believing in yourself before you feel ready is the real secret sauce. You’ll walk away fired up, grounded, and full of practical tools to step into your potential—right now. Topics They Explore:

• Why taking action before you’re ready is more powerful than waiting for the “perfect” moment
• Leadership advice for both high performers and the people who manage them
• Why surrounding yourself with happy, kind people is a business strategy

Sound interesting? Check them out here: https://rss.com/podcasts/becoming-is-messy/1973527/   :: Upcoming Events 

Exclusive Presentation by Rachel Druckenmiller

We’re two weeks away from our special event featuring a livestreamed visit with motivational speaker Rachel Druckenmiller! “UNMUTE Yourself equips supervisors to break free from self-silencing and lead with greater courage, influence, and authenticity. Rachel Druckenmiller shares her powerful V.O.I.C.E. Method and practical strategies to help you show up, step up, and say YES!”  – Rachel Join us for Rachel’s talk, networking with your peers on campus, and looking back at some of the successes CSN has experienced since 2015. Door prizes are piling up, including leadership training certificates from Kimberly Davis, coaching sessions on telling your story effectively with Sarah Elkins, several books from authors we feature in our newsletter, and much more. We’ll serve light refreshments and snacks. Don’t miss this chance to celebrate your leadership network’s anniversary! Date: August 4, 2025 Time: 2:00 – 3:30 pm Location: DeLuca Forum, WID Register here: https://go.wisc.edu/63wy44