Marcus Buckingham

Chapter 50: Marcus Buckingham on soul ciphers and strength of self

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Hey everybody,

Welcome to Chapter 50 of 3 Books!

Yes, in the midst of coronavirus chaos we’re going to hang out on a hotel room couch in Vancouver for a little bit of calm. (PS. If you haven’t listened to the Surprise Waning Crescent episode of 3 Books all about coronavirus please check that out first.)

I am very excited to have you on the couch beside me and the absolutely incredible Marcus Buckingham.

Who is Marcus?

Well, if you’re in the business world, you’ve probably heard of him. Why? Well, he’s written books sitting on every executive’s bookshelf and his assessments and work is used everywhere. Marcus Buckingham is a global researcher and thought leader focused on unlocking people's strengths, increasing their performance, and pioneering the future of how people work. I have a feeling his work is going to be much needed after coronavirus! How did Marcus end up doing this job? Well, after working as Senior Researcher inside Gallup for a couple of decades he co-authored some of the most popular business books of all time including First Break All The Rules, Now Discover Your Strengths, and his latest bestseller, Nine Lies About Work.

What does Marcus do now? He guides the vision of ADP Research Institute as Head of People and Performance and in 2006 he founded the Marcus Buckingham Company, with the clear mission to instigate a “strengths revolution.”

I love the optimism behind his work. That people are born as acorns, with an imprint inside them on what they could be, and what their true potential could lead them to.

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I sat down with Marcus overlooking the foggy mountains over Vancouver Harbour just before he took to the stage for the headlining slot at The Art of Leadership.

We cover a lot of topics in this chapter including:

How do we learn to truly see our children? 

How can the education system be improved?

How do we avoid tribalism? 

What is the real definition of weird?

What’s the single best question to ask yourself when trying to articulate your strengths? 

And how can we find our own unique way to draw strength and love from life?

I found Marcus to be brave, vulnerable, and inspiring in this conversation. Years ago, when I worked at Walmart, we used Marcus’s books and videos in our training sessions. Getting a chance to sit down with him many years later to discuss his 3 most formative books was a rare treat. 

 Let’s go…

Listen to Chapter 50 of 3 Books:

Click here to Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, StitcherOvercast, Spotify, or Google Play.

What You'll Learn:

  • How do we learn to truly see our children? 

  • How can the education system be improved?

  • How do we avoid tribalism? 

  • What is the real definition of weird?

  • What’s the single best question to ask yourself when trying to articulate your strengths? 

  • How can we find our own unique way to draw strength and love from life?

notable quotes from marcus buckingham:

“Your kids are chips you have on the poker table of your life, when you push on them what you’re doing is you’re not seeing your child. You’re moving your piece around the board and that means the kid has no agency.” – Marcus Buckingham #3bookspodcast

“If I don’t own me-ness then I get drawn into tribalism.” – Marcus Buckingham #3bookspodcast

“When was the last time a day flew by?” – Marcus Buckingham #3bookspodcast

CONNECT With Marcus:

word of the chapter: 

Resources Mentioned:

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Surprise Waning Crescent: Leslie and Neil on cultivating calm during coronavirus chaos

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It's not a full moon. It's not a new moon. 

The moon is currently a crescent and slowly waning before Chapter 50 arrives with the new moon next week.

So why this episode of 3 Books? 

Because we are swimming in unprecedented seas. I am feeling stress and anxiety around coronavirus. And I can tell by your DMs, tweets, comments, and voicemails to 1-833-READ-A-LOT that you're feeling it, too.

Of course we are!!

I am worried about what happens when we all wake up feeling scared and mortal and alone at the same time. I am worried an invisible enemy that may already be inside us or people we love. I am worried for my sister and friends on the front lines. I am worried about the health of my parents and grandparents-in-law. I am worried about feeling isolated and distanced... and so many more things. 

Today I welcome back my wife Leslie and we sit down on our basement couch, after putting the kids to bed, to have an open-hearted talk about cultivating calm during coronavirus chaos. 

We discuss things like: 

  • How do we create systems to control our media consumption?

  • How do we stay connected in this disconnected time? 

  • What do we say to children and preteens?

  • How can we take care of ourselves as we go through this trauma?

  • What are some ways we can practice self-care?  

  • And much, much more... 

If you need an empathetic voice, a compassionate voice, a loving voice, a tender voice, or a guiding voice, I can’t wait for you to meet or remeet my lovely wife, Leslie. (Chapter to Chapter Club members will of course know Leslie from Chapter 1 of 3 Books.)

During our chat we set up a chair for you in the basement beside us. (We honestly did.) It has a thick wooly blanket and a cup of lavender chamomile tea. 

I hope you'll join us. 

Let's go! 

Listen to this Surprise Chapter of 3 Books:

Click here to Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, StitcherOvercast, Spotify, or Google Play.

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