Taking Back Monday

Shorts: Under the Radar - How True Change Takes Root

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In this episode of Taking Back Monday, we explore Alyssa's concept of 'The Invisible Revolution,' where real transformation occurs quietly in the shadows. The discussion highlights three strategies to enact deep-rooted change: leading with curiosity, embedding reflection, and championing personal projects. These methods focus on intrinsic motivation and sustainable growth. Inspired by the coaching style in Ted Lasso, the episode emphasizes how excellence can naturally flourish in an environment of empowerment and intentional evolution.

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Hey, everyone. Welcome back to taking back Monday where we are saying goodbye to the Sunday, scaries and hello to the future of work. And I am excited to share with you a new taking back Monday short. This is all about how transformation doesn't always happen. In the flashiest of ways. And as a reminder, this is a 100% AI generated podcast. This intro is real, but the conversation you're about to hear is generated by AI based on an article I posted on LinkedIn. Hope you enjoy.

AI Female:

The biggest changes aren't the ones that they announce with like a marching band and confetti and all that. It's like they happen. Kind of quietly almost like in the background, you know what I mean? Yeah,

AI Male:

like under the surface Yeah,

AI Female:

exactly. And that's kind of what we're diving into today this whole idea of like transformation that happens kind of in the shadows hmm, I like that. So we've got this really interesting article by Alyssa. It's called the invisible revolution transforming in the shadows And I think given, like, your interest in, you know, how deep change really happens, I think this is gonna really resonate with you.

AI Male:

Yeah, the title alone has got me intrigued.

AI Female:

Right, so Alyssa's main argument is that real lasting change, it often doesn't happen in the spotlight. It's more like behind the scenes, and it made me think about all those times we've seen, like, companies roll out these huge initiatives, right, with tons of fanfare, but then they just fizzle out. Alyssa compares that to, like, how real change actually occurs. And she's saying it's less about that outward show and more about the values and the habits that are like ingrained in a team's DNA.

AI Male:

It's really about like building that strong foundation from within.

AI Female:

Yeah, exactly.

AI Male:

And what I find so fascinating about this perspective that Alyssa's offering is that it shifts the focus away from just chasing those short term performance spikes. You know, the ones that are driven by like external rewards and recognition. It's more about, you know, Cultivating an environment of intrinsic motivation, where excellence isn't something you force, it's just the natural byproduct.

AI Female:

It's like, it's just who you are.

AI Male:

Exactly. It's like that sustainable, almost effortless growth that just continues, even when nobody's watching. Yeah,

AI Female:

it's like that saying, you can motivate someone to climb a ladder, but real success comes when they're the ones who want to reach the top of the mountain.

AI Male:

Exactly.

AI Female:

And you know what else? To illustrate this whole point, Alyssa uses a kind of unexpected example. She talks about the show Ted Lasso.

AI Male:

Really? Okay. I would not have pictured that connection.

AI Female:

I know. Right. But she uses Ted Lasso's coaching style, where all the real work happens off the field, you know, in the locker room, building those relationships. And she uses that as like the perfect example of this invisible revolution in action.

AI Male:

That's actually a really good point because it's all about empowering others to perform at their best, even when there's no one there to see it. It's about creating that environment where excellence is just ingrained. And I love that analogy of leadership, whether we're talking about, you know, a sports team, a workplace, or even just our own personal lives.

AI Female:

So we love this idea of an invisible revolution, but how do we actually make it happen? Like, how do we actually put this into practice? So Alyssa actually gives us three strategies to get started. She calls them leading with curiosity, embedding reflection, and championing personal projects.

AI Male:

Okay, those sound interesting.

AI Female:

Yeah, and I'm really curious about that first one, especially leading with curiosity. It feels like such a different way to think about leadership than we're used to. So what does that actually look like in practice?

AI Male:

Yeah, well, it's about moving away from that mindset of, you know, always having to micromanage people and instead you try to be genuinely curious. So instead of just like telling your team what to do, you ask those open ended questions that get them thinking for themselves.

AI Female:

So you're guiding them to find their own solutions instead of dictating everything.

AI Male:

Exactly. So let's say your team's facing some kind of challenge. Instead of saying, here's how we're gonna solve it, You could say something like, what are some different ways we could approach this?

AI Female:

I see what you mean. It's like you're inviting everyone to the table with their own unique perspectives.

AI Male:

Exactly. And then the second strategy, embedding reflection, that one's all about. Making sure there's space for everybody to like really think about what they're doing and how they can keep improving.

AI Female:

I love that idea, but I'll be honest, it's tough to actually do it, you know? Everything's so fast paced these days, it feels like you're always supposed to be go, go, go. Taking time for reflection almost feels like you're doing something wrong.

AI Male:

It's true. It's easy to get caught up in just checking things off your to do list. But that's where the real growth happens when you pause and actually reflect.

AI Female:

How do we make it a more natural part of our work instead of something we have to force ourselves to do?

AI Male:

Well, it doesn't have to be complicated. Even just a simple thing like taking 15 minutes every week. For each person on the team to jot down, you know, their wins, their challenges, the lessons they've learned.

AI Female:

Okay, that's manageable.

AI Male:

Or you could do like a monthly team meeting. Where you all get together and just talk about those things.

AI Female:

I like that. It's like you're normalizing reflection. Making it just part of the regular routine.

AI Male:

Exactly. Alyssa also talked about having a team journal. I thought that was interesting. It can be physical or digital, but it's basically a shared space where everyone on the team can write down their experiences, their ideas, what they've learned, and over time that becomes super valuable.

AI Female:

Like a collective knowledge base.

AI Male:

Exactly.

AI Female:

Okay, so we've got, uh, Leading with curiosity, we've got embedding reflection, and the third one is championing personal projects. Tell me about that.

AI Male:

So that one is all about tapping into everyone's passions, you know, the things that get them excited and make them feel creative. So you encourage your team to spend even like a small amount of their work time. On a personal project that really interests them.

AI Female:

And

AI Male:

that also like somehow connects to the bigger goals of the team.

AI Female:

So it's not about adding more to their workload. It's about giving them the space to explore their interests, but within the context of their work.

AI Male:

Exactly. And that can be incredibly motivating.

AI Female:

Because it gives them ownership.

AI Male:

Exactly. So maybe it's learning a new skill or doing some research on an innovative idea or even just coming up with a new solution to a problem that you're already trying to solve.

AI Female:

I love that. And it seems like all three of these strategies ultimately tie back to this idea of empowerment, giving people the tools and the space to grow and become the best versions of themselves. And what I love about Alyssa's approach is It's not like you have to completely reinvent the wheel, you know? It's not about suddenly making a bunch of drastic changes. It's more about looking at how you're already doing things. And just bringing this new sense of, like, intention and purpose. It's about building a culture where excellence isn't something you have to chase. It's just like, it's just how you operate, you know?

AI Male:

Yeah, it's like, it's built into the DNA of the team.

AI Female:

Exactly.

AI Male:

And it reminds us that sometimes the most powerful transformations, the ones that have a real lasting impact, they happen kind of quietly behind the scenes in the shadows. Yeah, exactly. It's that subtle shift from focusing only on outward performance to really emphasizing deep rooted growth.

AI Female:

It's about recognizing the power of those unseen efforts, you know, like the quiet dedication, the consistent effort day after day, even when nobody's watching.

AI Male:

And that brings me to a question for you to think about as you're listening to all of this. What's one small change you could make,

AI Female:

I

AI Male:

don't know, in your team, at work, in your own life, to try and cultivate this kind of under the radar growth?

AI Female:

Maybe it's trying one of the strategies we talked about today, like experimenting with asking more of those open ended questions, or finally starting that reflection practice you've been meaning to try.

AI Male:

Or it could be even simpler than that.

AI Female:

Yeah.

AI Male:

Like, what if you had a conversation with your team? Just an open, honest conversation about what they're passionate about. You know what really gets them excited? And then brainstorm some ways to bring those passions into your work.

AI Female:

I love that. Because really it all starts with taking that first step, however small it might seem. And that's what Alyssa's Invisible Revolution is all about. It's about those small, intentional steps that lead to big, lasting change. So remember, embrace those subtle shifts. Those little changes you make when nobody's watching. Because that's where real excellence comes from. Those quiet moments of growth. Those under the radar efforts. That's where it all begins. Well that's a wrap on our deep dive into Alyssa's invisible revolution. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. And until next time, remember sometimes the most profound changes happen when nobody's watching.

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Alyssa Nolte

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