How Radical Personal Responsibility Can Change the World
Bessi Graham
Business and Leadership Strategist - Businesses that survive and thrive in this market do business differently. We can show you how!
This week on The Jasper Blueprint podcast I had the pleasure of speaking with Joshua Spodek PhD MBA to discuss how leadership and personal transformation drive environmental sustainability. Josh has many strings to his bow, hosting the award-winning This Sustainable Life podcast, being a four-time TEDx speaker, bestselling author, holding a PhD in astrophysics and an MBA. He brought a wealth of knowledge and experience to our conversation, encouraging us to reflect on our values and take practical steps to contribute to a more sustainable future, both personally and professionally.
If you want to jump straight in and watch our conversation you can right here, or scroll to the bottom of the newsletter for the full podcast episode.?
When it comes to "living a sustainable life" there is a lot of false messaging which can influence our desire to explore what environmental sustainability looks like for us. We are often told that what we do as an individual doesn't count and so don't bother as the scale of change needed is so great only the actions of government or big corporations will make an impact.
Josh challenges this messaging which can leave us somewhat paralysed, by exploring the idea of systemic change beginning with personal change. We don't have to accept the myth that living more sustainably must feel worse. Approaching sustainable living is about challenging the perception of deprivation and instead recognising it as a source of personal and communal enhancement.
Josh introduces us to the Spodek Method, a unique framework designed to help people discover and act on their intrinsic motivations for sustainability. There is no set list of actions you can take which will make your life or business more environmentally sustainable. Instead Josh encourages us to start with acknowledging our current mindset and then going on a journey to shift our mindset.
In the Spodek Method, Josh starts by getting you to ask "What does the environment mean to me?" Unearthing our personal experience with the environment is the entry point to finding the motivation to make changes.
Everyone has a deep connection with the environment, that connection is motivation. The more they do, the more gratitude they express - Josh Spodek
The Spodek Method provides individuals and leaders with tools to discover and act in line with their intrinsic values, promoting sustainable practices. When we approach sustainability from a connection stance, it moves us away from thinking these changes are about sacrifice, deprivation, increased cost, and instead to curiosity, wonder and creativity. During this process certain actionable steps will rise and resonate with us as individuals and within the business which we can begin to implement. We can practice the basics and begin to see change.
You can listen to our full conversation right here on LinkedIn: