If you fell in love with Angela Duckworth at this year’s Nordic Business Forum, or have just gotten excited about her new book, Situated, which has just arrived, here’s a chance for a personal and warm encounter with her.

We had a chance to hang out and catch up when she was in Helsinki and decided to bring a microphone and invite you to join us.

We talk about grit, sisu, human capacity, and writing books - but mostly, I think, we talk about the relational side of agency. As Angela says:

“Grit is great. But it’s just not enough.”

To me, it’s comforting and hope-giving to see the conversation moving more and more toward the realization that our strength doesn’t have to come from us alone - and, in fact, it can’t.

No matter who you are, life is, at times, a lot to navigate. The lengths we go to to achieve, endure, and survive are unfathomable and of course, inspiring, too. But too many people go there far too alone, because we’ve created systems and organizational cultures that miss out on the power of a safe and supportive collective, and the social resilience that can emerge from it.

At the same time, there is so much goodness happening through sharing, helping, loving, and caring. All of us have stories to share about someone who 'made us' or made something possible for us. However, I believe that the closer we get to the human 'being' side of nature from the human 'doing' we'll unlock even more of this capacity.

We talk in this conversation about the people and situations that shape us, our shared journey, and the power of mentoring - including the difference another person can make simply by seeing something in us before we are able to see it ourselves.

Thank you, Angela, for being that person for me - and for so many others.

Situate yourself to Angela's work and research at angeladuckworth.com!

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Sisu is a Finnish word for a reserve of inner strength, but it’s also a way to positively impact the world. Cultivating this inner fortitude starts with self-inquiry and getting our self-care in order, and from there, extends into courage and community. Its power ultimately reaches into the world through inspired acts of compassion and positive change.

Thanks for tuning in! Find out more about sisu, explore the research, and check out Gentle Power: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu (2023) & Sisun alkemia (2025) at www.sisulab.com.

Sisu is great, but sisu, together with love, is greatness.

New episode on the Sisu Lab Podcast! In this conversation, I speak with my dear friend and Aikido teacher Richard Moon (6th dan black belt), who has practiced the art for more than 50 years and has applied its principles in leadership development and conflict resolution around the world.

We explore Aikido not only as a martial art but as "a way of being that can be used (also) for martial arts." It's an embodied practice for building innate capacities necessary for harmonious relating between people, who all have egos and differing agendas.

Beyond a practice that will give you a healthy and awake body, it's a practice that can develop inner balance, harmony, and increase emotional intelligence. The ability to not only endure pressure, but also act wisely under pressure. To transform our inner discord so that we don't transmit it to others when we are stressed. It's about getting aware of our energy and its impact on others.

In addition to applying and experimenting with a variety of somatic practices to explore their impact, Aikido is central to developing my ability to self-regulate my energy, calm my mind, and become aware of my own internal unprocessed stuff, so that it doesn't become the 'stuff' in my relationships. It has become one of the core ways to learn self-management, do personal development work, and, quite frankly, stay sane in these times. There are many ways to self-know; this one is dear to me, and I warmly encourage everyone to find theirs.

So, in this conversation, Richard shares insights from decades of practice on how the principles of harmony, connection, and awareness of our energy can transform how we meet challenges and live better. He talks about aikido as "harmonizing ourselves with the universe" - and explains what the heck that means in real life. : ) The conversation at times goes into anecdotes that might feel relevant to those already practicing aikido, but as you listen in, there are gems that I believe can be inspiring to anyone.

You can find out more about Richard's thoughts on Aikido via his YouTube channel at @moonsensei. You can, for example, start with this video, which is one of my personal favorites. Richard's book Quantum Aikido: The Power of Harmony can be found at www.quantumaikido.com. It's also available in Finland through Suomalainen Kirjakauppa. Links to show below!

Thank you again, Richard, for what you are and what you bring. For your Aikido on and off the mat.

I'll finish with words found in your email signature:

"Don’t Get Mad
Don’t Even Get Even
Create A Beautiful World

Joy is the Greatest Treasure"

Support the show

Sisu is a Finnish word for a reserve of inner strength, but it’s also a way to positively impact the world. Cultivating this inner fortitude starts with self-inquiry and getting our self-care in order, and from there, extends into courage and community. Its power ultimately reaches into the world through inspired acts of compassion and positive change.

Thanks for tuning in! Find out more about sisu, explore the research, and check out Gentle Power: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu (2023) & Sisun alkemia (2025) at www.sisulab.com.

Sisu is great, but sisu, together with love, is greatness.

New pod episode is up! I met with leadership coach and community builder Joppe Quaedvlieg for a conversation about communication and what it actually takes to create trust, safety, and belonging in our relationships.

Joppe is the creator of Descriptive Communication, a practical approach to expressing what we want and need in ways that others can actually understand. His work grew out of lived experience: years of not knowing what he wanted, learning to people-please, and eventually realizing how much of our suffering and lost opportunity results from not being able to express ourselves clearly, to ourselves or to others. It’s about using language more clearly, but even more, sometimes, it is about presence and the sisu to be real with each other.

We talked about topics like:

🌀Why the question “What do you want?” is so difficult but also transformative (anyone remember the scene from Notebook? : )
🌀 How vague language hides practical needs
🌀 Why descriptive communication builds agency, courage, and responsibility
🌀 How community is built not through good intentions, but clear asks
🌀 What leadership, relationships, and collaboration can look like when we aim for presence and honesty, not only performance
🌀 Joppe's views on sisu that I found very insightful and beautiful

Joppe shared his poem, “I Consider Us a Village,” and he also walks us through the thinking behind his community practice Help Me Help You, showing how simple, specific requests can unlock collective resources we already have but rarely use. He organises these events in Helsinki and you can participate.

If you’re interested in leadership development or community building, or want tips to improve your relationships and communicate with more clarity, this episode offers tools you can start testing out immediately.

Check out Joppe's work on his website at artiqula.com. There you'll find his courses, coaching offerings, and also his book Reaching Escape Velocity.

Thanks again, Joppe! Great to be in the same village with you : )

Support the show

Sisu is a Finnish word for a reserve of inner strength, but it’s also a way to positively impact the world. Cultivating this inner fortitude starts with self-inquiry and getting our self-care in order, and from there, extends into courage and community. Its power ultimately reaches into the world through inspired acts of compassion and positive change.

Thanks for tuning in! Find out more about sisu, explore the research, and check out Gentle Power: A Revolution in How We Think, Lead, and Succeed Using the Finnish Art of Sisu (2023) & Sisun alkemia (2025) at www.sisulab.com.

Sisu is great, but sisu, together with love, is greatness.