What does it mean to lead as a flourishing leader in a world of burnout, bureaucracy, and moral complexity — especially in healthcare? In this episode of The Flourishing Leaders Podcast, Dr. Scott Parsons and Jason Viyar are joined by Dr. Sabena Jameel — professor of medical professionalism, character education scholar, physician, inner-city Birmingham GP, and co-founder of the Practical Wisdom Network. Sabena shares a deeply human vision for leadership rooted in service, values, and communit...
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What does it mean to lead as a flourishing leader in a world of burnout, bureaucracy, and moral complexity — especially in healthcare? In this episode of The Flourishing Leaders Podcast, Dr. Scott Parsons and Jason Viyar are joined by Dr. Sabena Jameel — professor of medical professionalism, character education scholar, physician, inner-city Birmingham GP, and co-founder of the Practical Wisdom Network. Sabena shares a deeply human vision for leadership rooted in service, values, and communit...
What does it mean to lead as a flourishing leader in a world of burnout, bureaucracy, and moral complexity — especially in healthcare? In this episode of The Flourishing Leaders Podcast, Dr. Scott Parsons and Jason Viyar are joined by Dr. Sabena Jameel — professor of medical professionalism, character education scholar, physician, inner-city Birmingham GP, and co-founder of the Practical Wisdom Network. Sabena shares a deeply human vision for leadership rooted in service, values, and communit...
What if the greatest leadership challenge of our time isn’t a lack of information — but a lack of wisdom? In this rich and wide-ranging episode of the Flourishing Leaders Podcast, Dr. Scott Parsons and Jason Viyar sit down with Donald Robertson — philosopher, former cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist, and one of the world’s leading interpreters of Stoic philosophy — to explore how ancient wisdom and modern psychology converge to support resilient, ethical, and flourishing leadership. Drawi...
What does it actually look like to be a flourishing leader in a turbulent world? In this episode, Dr. Scott Parsons and co-host Jason Viyar sit down with Michael Balchan — CEO and Head Coach at Heroic Public Benefit Corporation — for a rich, practical, and deeply human conversation on how to operationalize flourishing in everyday life and leadership. A Harvard-trained behavioral economist and psychologist, former options trader, and top 10% Ironman finisher, Michael has spent the last decade ...
What happens when leaders see character not as a buzzword, but as the invisible architecture of how they show up every day? In this episode of the Flourishing Leaders Podcast, Dr. Scott Parsons and co-host Jason Viyar sit down with Dr. Jillian Coppley, President and Chief Products, Programs, and Services Officer at the VIA Institute on Character. Drawing on her experience leading the reinvention of Mayerson Academy, spearheading VIA’s Workplaces at Their Best initiative, and learning fr...
Exploring how science, sport, and virtue unite to help leaders strengthen character and flourish through daily, deliberate practice. What if building character was as deliberate as building muscle? In this energizing conversation, Dr. Scott Parsons sits down with Dr. Corey Crossan Stevens, Research and Teaching Fellow at the Oxford Character Project and co-founder of Virtuosity — a mobile app that turns virtue development into daily practice. Drawing from her background in exercise science an...
What if our current ways of measuring “well-being” are quietly undermining the very idea of human flourishing? In this thought-provoking episode of the Flourishing Leaders Podcast, Dr. Scott Parsons sits down with Dr. Eri Mountbatten-O’Malley — Senior Lecturer in Education at Bath Spa University and author of Human Flourishing: A Conceptual Analysis — to explore what flourishing really means, why it has a moral core, and how misunderstandings of this powerful concept can lead to serious ethic...
What if the most powerful lever for culture change isn’t policy or perks—but dignity? When leaders treat dignity as non-negotiable (and know the difference between dignity and respect), conflict de-escalates, trust returns, and people bring their best. In this episode, Dr. Scott Parsons and Jason Viyar chat with Harvard’s Dr. Donna Hicks, international conflict facilitator and author of Dignity and Leading with Dignity, shares a clear, practical roadmap for building teams and institutions whe...
What if flourishing leadership isn’t something we achieve, but something we practice — moment by moment — through intention, vulnerability, and wisdom? In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Scott Parsons sits down with Dr. Kimara Ellefson — National Director of Strategy & Partnerships at the Kern National Network for Flourishing in Health — and explores how leaders can cultivate flourishing across healthcare systems by first cultivating it within themselves. Together they explore: • Flouris...
What does flourishing leadership look like when the mission is to serve those who’ve sacrificed for us all? In this deeply moving conversation, Dr. Scott Parsons and Jason Viyar sit down with Kate McCauley, President and CEO of Wounded Warriors Family Support — one of America’s most respected veterans’ organizations. Kate shares her remarkable journey from Nebraska real estate agent to national nonprofit leader — a story of humility, purpose, and fierce dedication to those who have borne the ...
What happens when wellbeing becomes the heart of education — not an add-on, but a way of life? In this uplifting episode, Justin Robinson — Co-founder of The Wellbeing Distillery and former Director of the Institute of Positive Education at Geelong Grammar School — joins Dr. Scott Parsons and Jason Viyar for an inspiring exploration of leadership, wellbeing, and human flourishing. Together they trace the story of how positive psychology and positive education transformed one of the worl...
How can leaders turn polarization into possibility — and help people come together to write a hopeful, flourishing future? In this inspiring episode of The Flourishing Leaders Podcast, Dr. Scott Parsons is joined by Brandyn Keating, CEO and Co-Founder of YOUnify, an organization working to reduce political polarization and cultural divisions of all kinds and accelerate progress on humanity’s shared challenges. A civic innovator, political strategist, and contributing author in the Oxfor...
What does it mean to be a flourishing leader—someone whose character inspires flourishing in others? In this episode, Dr. Scott Parsons sits down with Professor Michael Lamb, F. M. Kirby Foundation Chair of Leadership and Character and Senior Executive Director of the Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University. A Rhodes Scholar, political philosopher, and global thought leader on character education, Michael’s work bridges ancient wisdom and modern leadership practice. Tog...
What happens when one of the world’s leading strategy scholars turns her attention to character? In this fascinating conversation, Professor Mary Crossan—Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Strategic Leadership at Ivey Business School—joins Dr. Scott Parsons to explore why character is the essential foundation of flourishing leadership. Mary shares the story of how the global financial crisis shifted her focus toward character, the challenges of integrating virtues into ...
What does it really mean to win? And how can leaders build cultures that prioritize purpose, connection, and continuous growth over short-term success? In this episode of the Flourishing Leaders Podcast, host Dr. Scott Parsons is joined by Dr. Cath Bishop—Olympic silver medalist, World Champion rower, former British diplomat, leadership consultant, and author of The Long Win. Drawing from her experiences in elite sport, international diplomacy, and organizational leadership, Cath challenges u...
How does dignity transform workplaces into spaces where everybody truly matters? In this inspiring conversation, Dr. Scott Parsons and co-host Jason Viyar sit down with David Pickersgill, Senior Outreach Program Leader at Barry-Wehmiller and key leader within the Humanistic Leadership Academy. David shares how Barry-Wehmiller’s culture of care has been shaped by the principle that “everybody matters” — a vision reinforced by his collaboration with dignity expert Donna Hicks. Together, they ex...
How does anti-fragility fuel flourishing when life takes an unexpected turn? In this inspiring episode of the Flourishing Leaders Podcast, Dr. Scott Parsons is joined by returning co-host Jason Viyar for a powerful conversation with Tom Gaymor—former professional racing driver turned international broadcaster and commentator for Formula 1, IndyCar, the Olympics, Premiership Rugby, and global sport. Tom’s journey is extraordinary. After a devastating crash that left him with a broken bac...
How do character strengths transform the way we lead, parent, and flourish? In this episode of the Flourishing Leaders Podcast, host Dr. Scott Parsons welcomes Professor Robert McGrath—clinical psychologist, Senior Scientist at the VIA Institute on Character, Professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University (FDU), and the recent co-founder of the Center for Character and Leadership at FDU with Scott. Bob has authored more than 250 publications and presentations and is one of the world’s foremost e...
How do we measure the “immeasurable” in leadership? In this episode of the Flourishing Leaders Podcast, host Dr. Scott Parsons sits down with Dr. Ryan Brown, Managing Director for Measurement and Associate Director at the Doerr Institute for New Leaders at Rice University. In this inspiring conversation, Ryan shares his groundbreaking work on how character, forgiveness, and accountability shape authentic leadership. Ryan has spent his career at the intersection of psychology, leadership, and ...
What if the future of healthcare isn’t just about managing illness—but about truly flourishing? In this powerful episode of the Flourishing Leaders Podcast, Dr. Scott Parsons welcomes Dr. Nasha Winters, a globally recognized integrative oncology specialist, bestselling author of The Metabolic Approach to Cancer and Mistletoe and the Emerging Future of Integrative Oncology, and host of the Metabolic Matters podcast. Dr. Nasha is a pioneer in integrative cancer care, blending standard treatment...
What does it take to thrive under pressure, reframe fear, and build a flourishing life beyond performance? In this episode of the Flourishing Leaders Podcast, host Dr. Scott Parsons is joined by co-host Jason Viyar for a powerful conversation with Brandon Guyer—former Major League Baseball player, 2016 World Series competitor, and founder of Major League Mindset. Known as “La Piñata” for his fearless approach at the plate, Brandon turned adversity into strength, leading the league in hit-by-p...
What does it mean to lead as a flourishing leader in a world of burnout, bureaucracy, and moral complexity — especially in healthcare? In this episode of The Flourishing Leaders Podcast, Dr. Scott Parsons and Jason Viyar are joined by Dr. Sabena Jameel — professor of medical professionalism, character education scholar, physician, inner-city Birmingham GP, and co-founder of the Practical Wisdom Network. Sabena shares a deeply human vision for leadership rooted in service, values, and communit...
