How 105 Moons Led to Story & Truth in Leadership with Jackie Insinger | Medium Giant Podcast

Jackie Insinger is all about the spark — and sparking brilliance in others. And, if you ask her, 105 moons had a lot to do with it. She had the opportunity to study under famous psychologist, Dr. Eleanor Duckworth, during her master's degree program at Harvard. On the first day of class, every student was given the assignment to look at the moon and draw it or write about it every night. The outcome? In three months, Jackie and every other student discovered that there are thousands of ways to see one single object. She has since spent 20 years determined to leverage a diversity of perspectives — and individual story — to spark brilliance in others. In this episode, Jackie shares her own sparks of leadership inspiration with John Kiker, president of Medium Giant, including: Why having a rich diversity of perspectives — individual stories — can influence better decision-making, greater innovation, and bigger outputs Why we can't manage through change in today’s VUCA world — and what to do instead The critical impact of psychological safety — and why encouraging courage is necessary for innovation, growth, and success What “Ted Lasso leadership” can show us about the intersection of transparency and authenticity and positivity How the “power lead” technique can help set a positive tone Why creating smaller finish lines is a game-changer for maintaining momentum For Jackie, the theme of the next five years is going to be pivoting through disruption and evaluating how to lead through the tornadoes of change — including generational change. Four generations are active in the workforce right now — and by the end of 2025, 30% of the workforce will be Gen Z. She knows better than anyone that the way we used to lead isn’t going to work for future leaders. That’s why she’s so excited about what she and her team are able to deliver via Spark Brilliance, which develops extraordinary leaders by increasing connection, motivation, and communication and honoring cognitive diversity and individual story. #GiantStoriesPodcast #MediumGiant #Leadership #SparkBrilliance _________ About Jackie Insinger With an exceptional track record of sparking brilliant leaders and turning soft skills into hard results, Jackie Insinger combines relatability and humor with her data-driven, results-focused approach to teamwork and leadership. Equal parts captivating and motivating, Jackie inspires immediate action that leads to inevitable transformation. For two decades, she has focused on her life mission of developing Spark Brilliance, a revolutionary approach to leadership and team dynamics that will transform your team’s performance, results, and fulfillment. By leveraging the latest research in neuroscience and positive psychology, Jackie designs simple, actionable strategies that individuals can use right away to spark their team’s brilliance. With degrees from Duke and Harvard and a certification in Neuroscience for Business from MIT, Jackie’s ideas have been a game-changer for thousands of people and businesses worldwide. Her clients include leaders from companies such as Nestle, Accenture, San Francisco 49ers, and Intuit. Her new book, Spark Brilliance, hit #1 on eight national bestseller lists and was featured in Forbes, Inc., CEO World, and Fast Company. Entrepreneur Magazine named it as one of the Top 8 Leadership Books for Entrepreneurs. However, these accomplishments pale in comparison to her greatest life achievement… growing up in Miami, Jackie won the breakdance championship for her fourth grade breakdance team. She currently lives in Denver with her husband, Rob; two sons, Simon and Miles; and enormous Newfoundland, Hailey. Connect with Jackie Insinger Website: https://www.sparkbrilliance.com/ LinkedIn:   / jackieinsinger   Instagram:   / jackieinsinger   _________ Connect with John Kiker LinkedIn:   / johnkiker   _________ Giant Stories is a production of Medium Giant and our parent company, the Dallas News Corporation. Interested in learning more about how your brand’s story can be better told and sold? Visit https://MediumGiant.co or send an email to hello@mediumgiant.co Follow Medium Giant Instagram:   / mediumgiant_   LinkedIn:   / mediumgiant