Simon Sinek+

Pause BEFORE You Advise

Have you ever spent 20 minutes trying to solve someone's problem... ...only to realize they never wanted a solution? Sometimes people aren't looking for advice. They're looking to feel heard. When we stop rushing to fix and start getting curious, we create the kind of conversations that build trust. ☀️ This summer, I’m teaming up with Lifeshop founder Alex Simon for Feelings at Work—a special A Bit of Optimism miniseries exploring the emotional skills that shape how we work, lead, and connect with one another. 🎧 Listen to the full episode wherever you get your podcasts.

The Secret to Better Conversations Isn't Talking | A Bit of Optimism: Feelings at Work | PART 2

*The fastest way to improve your relationships isn't talking. It's listening.* Most of us hear what's being said. Very few of us know how to make someone feel heard. *Feelings at Work* is a special five-part series from *A Bit of Optimism,* where Simon Sinek and *Alex Simon, founder of LifeShop,* explore the human skills that shape how we work, lead, and build relationships. Together, they unpack the emotional challenges most of us face every day—from people pleasing and listening to giving feedback, taking accountability, and having difficult conversations. In this episode, they explore on

The Hidden Sign of Loneliness

Great friendships hold space for struggle and success. Video from Unforgettable Summer Night 2025 with Los Angeles-based environmental non-profit, TreePeople

SEAL Team Six

It is better to have a great team than a team of greats. The ability of a group of people to do remarkable things hinges on how well those people can pull together. Video from ServiceTitan's North Star Summit

The Rarest Kind of Friendship | Simon Sinek

Strong relationships make room for struggle. Great relationships make room for celebration. Video from Amsterdam Business Forum 2025, in conversation with Ikenna Azuike + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that th

The Way We Speak Reveals Our Priorities | Simon Sinek

The order in which a person presents information more often than not reveals their actual priorities and the focus of their strategies. Video from ServiceTitan’s North Star Summit + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the w

What Makes Someone Reliable?

Many of us think reliability means getting everything done. Real reliability looks like this: ✔️ Setting clear expectations ✔️ Being honest about what's possible ✔️ Aligning on priorities together ✔️ Making commitments you can keep This summer, Alex Simon joins me for Feelings at Work—a special miniseries exploring the emotional skills that shape how we work, lead, and connect with one another. 🎧 Listen to the full episode of A Bit of Optimism wherever you get your podcasts.

Doing Business in a Chaotic World PART 1: Meet Your Coworkers and Clients Where They're At

We don’t do business with companies. We do business with people. Business is always human. 0:00 Communicate effectively through connection 6:00 Lead honestly through change and stress 10:20 Detach self-worth from the work and product 12:45 "Right doesn't always mean fast" Video from Eaton ES Sales Conference for the Americas, March 2025, in conversation with Senior Vice President, Molly Murphy + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his profe

Try This Before You Say YES

"Let me get back to you." 👀 Before you say yes to the next request, try saying these six words instead. That pause gives you time to check: ✔️ Your calendar ✔️ Your energy ✔️ Whether it's a real yes—or you're just trying to be the helpful, reliable one If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. ☀️ This summer, I’m teaming up with Lifeshop founder Alex Simon for Feelings at Work—a special A Bit of Optimism miniseries exploring the emotional skills most of us were never taught, but need every single day. We're kicking things off with people-pleasing: why always saying yes doesn't he

Why Saying Yes Is Making Things Worse | A Bit of Optimism: Feelings at Work | PART 1

Welcome to *Feelings at Work,* a special series from _A Bit of Optimism_ with Simon Sinek. Work isn't just about deadlines, meetings, and getting things done. It's also where we experience frustration, excitement, trust, anxiety, belonging, conflict, and joy. If we want to build healthier teams and better workplaces, we have to get better at understanding the emotions that shape how we work together. That's what this series is about. In each episode, Simon Sinek sits down with Lifeshop founder Alex Simon to explore one emotional challenge that affects how we work, lead, and relate to one a

Take the Risk for Your Relationship

The strongest relationships grow when someone takes the first step to express care. Video from Unforgettable Summer Night 2025 with Los Angeles-based environmental non-profit, TreePeople + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled b

Tension in the C-Suite

Greatness happens when the person with the wild imagination collaborates with the person who knows how to get things done. ✅ Video from ServiceTitan's North Star Summit + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that th

Optimism Is Not Blind Positivity | Simon Sinek

Hard moments test teams. Optimism reminds us that we can overcome them together. Video from Amsterdam Business Forum 2025, in conversation with Ikenna Azuike + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do. Sim

CHOICE Makes Us Better at What We Do | Simon Sinek

The best companies don't focus on where their competition is going. The best companies focus on where they are going. Video from ServiceTitan’s North Star Summit + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do.

How Your Inner Child Can Show Up in Relationships | Dr. Harville Hendrix + Simon Sinek

Being comfortable with asking for what we need is important, but it’s more important to be able to accept it when it is offered. Dr. Harville Hendrix shares a story from his long career as a relationship expert that illustrates just that. Check out the full episode of A Bit of Optimism wherever you get your podcasts 🎧

How To Show Up for Your Friends

The best way to overcome struggle is with the help of others. There are people who care about us, love us, and will be there for us...if we just let them. And we can all be that person for others. Video from Unforgettable Summer Night 2025 with Los Angeles-based environmental non-profit, TreePeople + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast

The Relationship Expert Fired by His Own Therapist | Simon Sinek + Dr. Harville Hendrix

How does one relationship expert get fired by another? Dr. Harville Hendrix and his wife, Dr. Helen LaKelly Hunt, were called "the couple from hell" by their own therapist. They'd already filed for divorce and had no option but to turn to each other and test what they'd been teaching for themselves. Harville shares the shift that saved their marriage and what it took to transform it into the incredible relationship he and Helen have today. 🎧 Listen to the full episode of A Bit of Optimism wherever you get your podcasts.

Why We Fall for the Wrong Person | Couples Therapist Dr. Harville Hendrix

Maybe this sounds familiar: you fall hard for someone, and over a year later you're fighting about the very things that drew you to them in the first place. And you can't figure out how the person who felt so right suddenly feels so wrong. Dr. Harville Hendrix has spent 50 years studying love. And he’s also lived through its hardest challenges: one divorce, two near-misses in his current marriage, and a couple’s therapist who fired him and his wife, calling them "the couple from hell." That marriage is now 45 years strong. Harville is a couples therapist, and alongside his wife and creative

Real Friends Do THIS

The strongest relationships are built on a shared commitment to growth. Video from Unforgettable Summer Night 2025 with Los Angeles-based environmental non-profit, TreePeople + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work t

The Best Companies Don't Try To Win

Embrace the concept of Worthy Rivalry. Your Worthy Rivals will inspire you to improve to a greater degree than any competitor ever could. Video from Chick-fil-A Next 2025, in conversation with Chief Legal Officer Lynette Smith + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe where

How Great Leaders Build Trust

Trust grows through openness and asking for help. Video from Amsterdam Business Forum 2025, in conversation with Ikenna Azuike + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they do. Simon is the author of multiple be

This Matters More Than Performance | Simon Sinek

It is better to have a great team than a team of greats. The ability of a group of people to do remarkable things hinges on how well those people can pull together. Video from ServiceTitan's North Star Summit + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and e

Movement Is Medicine | Simon Sinek + Nelly Attar | A Bit of Optimism Podcast

We've got it backwards. We sit all day behind a screen, then try to fix it with one hour at the gym. But that's not what our bodies are for. Nelly Attar is a psychologist turned extreme athlete and mountaineer who's summited the five highest peaks in the world. She says movement is medicine. Using your legs, your core, your hands... We have a body for a reason. But here's the part most people miss: the mind and body aren't two things. They're one. Nelly will tell you it's not her body that gets her up the mountain, it's her mind. And the way you feed your mind is by taking care of your body.

Courage and Care | Simon Sinek

There are people who care about us, love us, and will be there for us if we just let them. Video from Unforgettable Summer Night 2025 with Los Angeles-based environmental non-profit, TreePeople + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day ful

You're Not Quitting. You're Retreating.

We call it quitting. Failing. Giving up. But what if turning around is the smartest, bravest thing you can do? Nelly Attar is a psychologist turned extreme athlete and mountaineer—the first Arab to summit K2, one of the deadliest mountains on Earth. She's also walked away from an 8,000-meter peak and closed the business she built from nothing. She doesn't call any of that failure. She calls it retreat. 🎧 Listen to the full episode of A Bit of Optimism wherever you get your podcasts.

How to Tell If Fear Is Protecting You or Holding You Back | Extreme Athlete Nelly Attar

We tell ourselves the reason we never chase the big dream is that we're not ready, not brave enough, doomed to fail. Nelly Attar would tell you she felt all of that too… but she chased them anyway. Nelly is a psychologist turned extreme athlete and mountaineer. She built Saudi Arabia's first dance studio, MOVE, at a time when women couldn't train publicly by sneaking classes into a warehouse and office building after hours. She's the first Lebanese person to climb the five highest peaks in the world, like Everest. And she also became the first Arab to summit K2, the world’s second highest pe

Bob Chapman's Healing Legacy | A Bit of Optimism Podcast

"You can retire from a job," he'd say. "But you cannot retire from a calling." Bob Chapman was the CEO of Barry-Wehmiller for over five decades. In that time, he built a company where employees never feared for their jobs, where listening was taught as a skill, and where the measure of success was how deeply people felt cared for. As I watched Bob change over fifteen years, one thing stood out: Bob didn't get harder. He got softer. More willing to feel it, show it, say it. Because to Bob, leadership was never a role he played. It was a calling he answered.

How To Ideate with Your Team | Simon Sinek

Don't ask your team for their top 3 ideas. Ask them for 15+ and build from there. What you come up with may surprise you. Video from ServiceTitan’s North Star Summit + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that the

Our People Are Our Product | A Tribute to My Mentor, Bob Chapman | A Bit of Optimism Podcast

Most CEOs will use every opportunity to tell you about their product. Bob Chapman was different, in the best way. Bob Chapman was the CEO of Barry-Wehmiller—a company he built over five decades that proved that leading with genuine care for people and outperforming the market aren't mutually exclusive. He believed the most powerful thing a leader can do is see the human beings in their care not as functions for their success, but as somebody's precious child. He wanted his legacy tied to the successful culture, company, and movement built around that belief. Bob passed away six months afte

Remembering Bob Chapman: The Mentor Who Changed My Life

Sixteen years ago, an unknown CEO running a manufacturing company in the Midwest saw my TED Talk and recognized something in it. He sent me a letter and we made plans to meet. What started as a one-hour lunch turned into three, then four days touring factories together across the Midwest, and an idea I had only imagined turned out to already exist in reality. That CEO was Bob Chapman. Over five decades, Bob grew an unassuming manufacturing company in the Midwest into a global proof point that leadership grounded in humanity can scale and outperform. Bob saw the people in his company as human

The Truth About Company Values

Great cultures identify the behaviors that show up when teams are at their best and make those behaviors the standard. Video from Urban Land Institute (ULI) 2024 with CRE investor and creator, Lynn King-Tolliver

Your Agency in the AI Age

For a lot of us, AI comes with a side of dread…and a quiet fear that we're just along for the ride. With companies like Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic shaping what comes next, it's easy to feel like a pawn in someone else's game. Wharton professor Ethan Mollick sees it differently: our biggest source of agency is how we choose to use these tools in our own work. Not to replace people, but to help them do more of what they do best. Ultimately, AI becomes what we choose to make of it. And that choice belongs to all of us. How are you choosing to use AI in your work? 🎧 Find the full episod

True Friends Can Do THIS | Simon Sinek

Who celebrates your joy is as important as who shares your sorrows. Video from Unforgettable Summer Night 2025 with Los Angeles-based environmental non-profit, TreePeople + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that

There Are Better Ways to Work With AI | Simon Sinek + Ethan Mollick | A Bit of Optimism Podcast

Most of us use AI like a yes-man, and then wonder why it never makes us think harder. Ethan Mollick is a Wharton professor, bestselling author of Co-Intelligence, and one of the clearest voices on how to actually work with AI. He says the tool is sycophantic by design — it wants to agree with you. So if you want it to sharpen your thinking instead of flattering it, you have to tell it to push back: act like a critic, find the holes in my argument, tell me where I'm wrong. Used well, AI doesn't replace your thinking. It makes it better. How are you using AI to challenge yourself? 🎧 Listen

The AI Skills Nobody is Teaching (And Everyone Needs) | AI Expert Ethan Mollick

Be honest: AI makes you a little nervous. Maybe you're afraid it'll take your job. Maybe you're overwhelmed by all the advice about prompts and agents and which chatbot to use. Or maybe you're just quietly hoping it'll all slow down. Ethan Mollick says we're underestimating our own agency in the age of AI. Instead of worrying about what AI will do to us, we should focus on what we choose to do with it. Ethan is a Wharton professor, the author of the bestseller _Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI,_ and the writer behind “One Useful Thing,” one of the most popular newsletters on AI,

Most Mission Statements Are Meaningless

Purpose becomes powerful when it shapes who we hire, the projects we take on, and the values we choose to live by every day. Video from Urban Land Institute (ULI) 2024 with CRE investor and creator, Lynn King-Tolliver

Look Out For Each Other

Purpose becomes powerful when it shapes who we hire, the projects we take on, and the values we choose to live by every day. Video from Urban Land Institute (ULI) 2024 with CRE investor and creator, Lynn King-Tolliver

Simon Sinek and Trevor Noah on the Quality More Leaders Need To Talk About | Full Conversation

"If ever there was a time when human kindness was needed, it is now. Kindness is the backbone of our shared humanity, a simple yet universal quality. It is also a quality that is seldom mentioned in discussions about thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and pioneers, and yet it is something that should underpin all collaborative enterprises, and all our activities in everyday life." —Brilliant Minds 2025 https://brilliantminds.co/events-brilliant-minds-2025/ Video from Brilliant Minds 2025, in conversation with comedian, producer, and best-sellling author, Trevor Noah ⏰ Timestamps 0:00 Introduct

Why 1+1 Doesn't Always Equal 2 | Simon Sinek and Dr. Ellen Langer | A Bit of Optimism Podcast

Dr. Ellen Langer says every time you give an answer based on absolute certainty, you're emulating a robot 🤖 So here's a simple challenge to help us actually experience our own lives: Try noticing three new things about a place you've lived for years, three new things about a friend, or three new things about the room you're sitting in right now. Every time you do this, you're proving to yourself that there’s more to learn about what you thought you knew. And that's where everything starts to open up. 🎧 Find the full episode wherever you get your podcasts: “How to Stop Letting Your Own Th

How To Balance the Roles of the C-Suite

An architect imagines what if. A builder figures out how to. Great structures emerge only when the two work well together. Video from ServiceTitan’s North Star Summit + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and end the day fulfilled by the work that they

How To Reframe Nervousness In Real Time | Simon Sinek and Dr. Ellen Langer | A Bit of Optimism

The next time you feel nervous or anxious, instead of bracing for impact, try saying: "This is exciting." Your response might surprise you. Harvard psychologist Dr. Ellen Langer says this isn't a trick, it's biology. Nervousness and excitement are the same emotional state, but your brain just responds to whatever label you give it first. Which means the next time anxiety hits, you have more control than you think. 🎧 Listen to the full episode of A Bit of Optimism wherever you get your podcasts.

How to Stop Letting Your Own Thoughts Make You Sick, Stressed, and Stuck | Dr. Ellen Langer

Most of us are so certain about, well, everything. We think we can predict what's coming, what that off-hand comment really meant, what that look was about, what's going to go wrong. And according to Dr. Ellen Langer, that certainty is making us miserable… and possibly making us sick. Dr. Langer is a psychologist, Harvard professor, and the "Mother of Mindfulness." In her book _The Mindful Body,_ she makes the case that the way we think directly shapes the way we heal, age, stress, and recover. Her conclusion: the mind and the body were never two separate things to begin with. And we have far

AI Chatbots Are NOT a Real Friend | Simon Sinek + Trevor Noah

Nice isn’t the same as kind. Kindness is action—it’s doing what needs to be done even when it’s hard. Video from Brilliant Minds 2025, in conversation with comedian, producer, and best-sellling author, Trevor Noah + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are

Parenting and Leadership

We study leadership for the same reason a parent studies parenting—so that those in our care will be the beneficiaries of our learning. Video from Chick-fil-A Next 2025, in conversation with Chief Legal Officer Lynette Smith + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe whereve

From Game Theory to The Infinite Game

In the Infinite Game, the primary objective is to keep playing. We can't choose the game. We can't choose the rules. We can only choose how we play. Video from Unforgettable Summer Night 2025 with Los Angeles-based environmental non-profit, TreePeople + + + Simon is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Described as “a visionary thinker with a rare intellect,” Simon has devoted his professional life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning