Lead the People

Dr. Mary Poffenroth is a scientist, professor, and fear/courage researcher. From being adopted at birth to being a first generation college student to her first day at NASA and beyond, Mary has dedicated her life to understanding how best to do scary things. Her work has been featured in Forbes, TIME, Science, TED, Entrepreneur, Cosmopolitan, the Wall Street Journal, SUCCESS Magazine, and Fast Company. Mary has three master’s degrees (biology, psychology, science communication) & a PhD in psychology. Mary shares some of her best stories and strongest courage building, fear fighting neurohacks in her book Brave New You: Strategies, Tools, and Neurohacks to Live More Courageously Every Day.

Top 3 Takeaways

  1. Open Up. Fear shuts down our prefrontal cortex, disrupting creativity and problem-solving abilities, which is why managing fear is essential for innovation and leadership.
  2. Fact vs. Fiction. There's a critical difference between factual fears (immediate dangers) and fictional fears (stories we tell ourselves), with the latter being more insidious to our wellbeing.
  3. At Ease. The RAIN method (Recognize, Assign, Identify, Navigate) offers a practical framework to identify fear responses and implement neurohacks that can calm your brain's fear response.

From Our Sponsor

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From the Source

"If we don't take care of our fear stuff, we can't innovate. We can't be creative. We can't solve complex problems."

"Fictional fear can have a grain of truth, just like a really good fiction book could be based on true events... But it's not true in the moment, and it's not true in totality."

"It's biologically impossible not to feel fear... All those goals and dreams are going to be on the other side of being afraid, because it means you're doing something new."

"We parent like we were parented, we lead like we were led, we teach like we were taught. Unless we put in the energy and the time and the effort to do something differently."

"With AI and technology, things aren't going to get slower. Things are going to get faster and faster and faster. It's easy to really freeze up and feel overwhelmed if you don't have these tools in place."

Connect with Mary

Website: http://hellobravenewyou.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marypoffenroth 

What is Lead the People?

Lead The People is your guide to unlocking your true potential as an authentic leader. Hosted by Dr. Matt Poepsel—The Godfather of Talent Optimization—this podcast dives deep into the art and science of what it takes to lead at the next level. With insightful conversations and practical strategies, each episode equips executives, strategic HR pros, and aspiring leaders with the tools it takes to boost performance, inspire teams, and drive meaningful impact. Whether exploring the latest workplace trends or tackling real-world leadership challenges, Lead The People offers an enlightened approach to leadership. Embark on a rewarding journey to become the leader your people deserve—the leader you were meant to be.