In this episode, Kelly Leonard interviews James Kimmel Jr., a clinical professor and author, about his book ‘The Science of Revenge.’ They explore the neuroscience behind revenge, its addictive nature, and how it manifests in real-life scenarios. Kimmel shares compelling stories, including those of mass violence, and discusses the role of mental illness in revenge-seeking […]

Margaret Andrews leads a popular class at Harvard University that she has turned into the book: “Manage Yourself to Lead Others: Why Great Leadership Begins with Self-Understanding.” “Leadership is ultimately about relationships.”  “Each new level of leadership requires a new level of us.”  “Leadership is, in many ways, a creative act.”

Kelly has a powerful conversation with longtime friend and Second City colleague Tania Richard, whose new book “Black Girl from a White Suburb” looks at race, a life in theatre, loss and finding resilience along the way. “People think actors are good liars. We aren’t.” “We believe what we need to get by.”  “There is no other […]

Kelly connects with longtime BBDO CEO Andrew Robertson to talk about his new book: “The Creative Shift: How to Power Up Your Organization by Making Space for New Ideas.”  “Every new idea represents a risk.”  “Creativity happens in leaps, not steps.”  “All great ideas sound great – in retrospect.” 

Kelly talks to Muriel Wilkins, host of the award-winning Harvard Business Review podcast, Coaching Real Leaders. Her latest book is called “Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential.”  “Lasting change comes from within.”  “I want to be clear that coaching is not a substitute for therapy.”  “Our reluctance to engage in self-reflection […]

Kelly celebrates the release of Anne Libera’s new book on comedy, “Funnier.” They talk in front of a live audience at The Second City.  “Don’t waste your time following gurus.” “We need to value risk.” “True irony is deeper than simple opposition. It is opposition mixed with justice of a sort.”

Kelly welcomes Richard Thaler, the 2017 recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences, to the podcast along with his co-author, Professor Alex Imas, to talk about their updated version of Thaler’s seminal book “The Winner’s Curse.” “Rationality is an assumption in economics, not a demonstrated fact.”  “People are not thinking enough about what […]

Kelly welcomes the always provocative Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic back to the podcast to talk about his new book: “Don’t Be Yourself: Why Authenticity is Overrated (and What to Do Instead).” “By all means, keep it real – just don’t make everyone else suffer for it.” “Everybody loves change until they have to do it themselves.”  “Most of us […]

Kelly connects with Berkely Professor Toby Stuart to discuss his fascinating new book, “Annointed: The Extraordinary Effects of Social Status in a Winner-Take-Most World.”  “Many of us resent where we sit in the food chain.”  “Status begets status.”  “Luck is enshrined in social hierarchies.” 

Kelly welcomes the always-inspiring Morgan Housel back to the podcast to discuss his new book, “The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life.” “All behavior makes sense with enough information.” “Be careful judging how other people spend their money.”  “The best measure of wealth is what you have minus what you want.” 

Kelly welcomes Professor Colin Fisher back to the podcast to discuss his new book, “The Collective Edge: Unlocking the Secret Power of Groups.” “We’re living in an age of unprecedented individualism.”  “Groups that look outward adapt faster to an ever-changing world.” “Tolerated deviants can’t dissent on every issue.”

Kelly talks to Maryellen MacDonald, a cognitive scientist with a focus on psycholinguistics, the study of how we comprehend, produce, and learn languages. Her new book is called, “More Than Words: How Talking Sharpens the Mind and Shapes Our World.” “Both researchers and the popular media don’t talk much about talking.”  “Talking doesn’t just let us communicate. It […]

Kelly talks to Martin Dubin, a clinical psychologist, serial entrepreneur, business coach, and adviser to C-suite executives and Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, about his new book: “Blindspotting: How to See What’s Holding You Back as a Leader.” “Things go well until they don’t.”  “We are not as self-aware as we believe.”  “Your identity is the least fixed […]

Kelly talks to educator Maya Smart about her new book “Reading for Our Lives: The Urgency of Early Literacy and the Action Plan to Help Your Child.” “Alarms ring; they don’t teach. And often when an alarm rings for too long, we tune it out.”  “Spoken words are the precursor of all precursors to reading.”  “Praise the […]

Kelly digs in with author Keir Graff, who has written a new book about a legendary building in the Windy City, “Chicago’s Fine Arts Building: Music, Magic and Murder.”  “All passes – Art alone endures.” “You’ll feel as you’ve just stepped out of a time machine.”  “Let the building haunt you; it’s a place where you can feel […]

Kelly talks with psychologist Dr. Adam Dorsay about how connection is our path to a happy and meaningful life. Adam’s latest book is Super Psyched: Unleash the Power of the 4 Types of Connection and Live the Life You Love. “Connection is vital for life.”  “Our brains are wired for fear.”  “Time is our most nonrenewable […]

Kelly welcomes Shannon Watts back to the podcast. The founder of Moms Demand Action has a new book: “Fired Up: How to Turn Your Spark into a Flame and Come Alive at Any Age.”   “Happiness is a temporary state, not a life goal.”  “Women’s desires are hijacked by their obligations.”  “Your fire starts where […]

Kelly talks to Gary Noesner, a legendary agent who changed the way hostage negotiation was taught and implemented at the FBI. His book is “Stalling for Time: My Life as an FBI Hostage Negotiator” “Before we can influence others we must first listen and understand.”  “Listening is the cheapest concession we can ever make.”  “Managing a […]

Kelly connects with James Cordova, a Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Clark University. His new book is “The Mindful Path to Intimacy: Cultivating a Deeper Connection with Your Partner.”   “Attention is the most basic form of love.”  “Vulnerability is not for the faint of heart.”  “Deep listening is a radically selfless act.” 

Kelly connects with Telle Whitney, who has logged decades in Silicon Valley’s tech industry. She has a new book: “Rebooting Tech Culture: How to Ignite Innovation and Build Organizations Where Everyone Can Thrive.”  “Culture change is not a comfortable topic.”  “Creativity and collaboration are the foundations of innovation.”  “Failure is one of our greatest teachers.”