In a world filled with uncertainty, urgency, and division, what happens when leaders show up with a playful mindset? Lead with a Dash of Play returns to explore how play can help us navigate serious challenges with connection, imagination, creativity and courage. Maybe play is exactly what is needed in this moment.

The final bash of summer should give inspiration and release - and in the case of play, we find that with curiosity and one of its most passionate advocates, Scott Shigeoka. Even beyond play in professional spaces, Scott seeks to make the curiosity that transforms political structures more accessible, more playful, more joyful.

Scott Shigeoka is an internationally recognized curiosity expert, speaker, and the author of SEEK: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World. He is known for translating research into strategies that promote positive well-being and connected relationships around the globe, including at the UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and through his groundbreaking courses at the University of Texas at Austin. Scott implements his curiosity practices in the public sector, Fortune 500 companies, Hollywood, media organizations, education institutions, and small businesses.

Learn more about Seek: https://seekthebook.com/

How do you keep play accessible? It can be through physically keeping something close, through the questions we ask ourselves, or through verbal and visual cues we notice during the work day.

Featuring Past Guests:

• Garry Ridge
• Kathy Klotz-Guest
• Ruksana Hussain
• Neville Billimoria

Meetings are such a ubiquitous part of work - and often one of the spaces that can feel energy-draining. What if that wasn’t the case? The clips in this episode of “Summer Session” specifically highlight ways to make meetings better. After all, there is so much potential when people gather. Why waste that time and space?

Featuring past guests (along with the offerings they share): 

• Natalie Nixon - a free chapter of her book The Creativity Leap
• Jocelyn Brady - Tiny Tips on YouTube
• Mark Collard - a database of ideas on Playmeo 
• Amy Climer - 30d free trial of her famous Climer Cards virtual deck
• Dave Mastronardi - Gamestorming protocols for all your work woes

A recurring theme on Lead with a dash of Play is how play can build connections. In the second episode of this summer session on how to play, hear highlights from guests’ suggestions on how to build connection with play in small ways that can be incorporated every day. 

Featuring past guests: 

• Paul Sanbar
• Jay Guilford
• Annette Mason
• Michelle Li  
• Bridget Quigg

Check out their full episodes for more inspiration.

Play helps us be authentic - to actually be seen more truly by others. That’s one of the reasons why it’s so important to play. In the first of this summer session on play, we listen to some entry ways to start to play for yourself - storytelling, physically moving, giving yourself a challenge or creating the space for others to problem-solve. 

Featuring past guests (in this order): 

• Jeff Harry 
• Van Lai Du-Mone 
• Neel Doshi 
• Mike Ganino 
• Gary Ware

Check out their full episodes from Season Two.

A second bonus episode for season two. I’ve had the pleasure of being a guest on several podcasts myself during this season, sharing in part what I’ve learned doing the Lead with a dash of Play podcast. This bonus episode shares some clips from the Ways We Learn podcast in which I was interviewed by Sean Dagony-Clark and Joe Burgess

Listen to the full conversation on the Ways We Learn podcast, episode here.

We rarely have as much time as we want these days, so for leaders who want a taste of my brilliant guests this season - or listeners who want a quick reminder of some of the ideas - here it is. Some of the themes that emerged in our discussions this season include: identity, creativity, agency, joy, and getting rid of our outdated notion of work being “serious.” Whether you're looking for individual professional development, inspiration to change the structures in your organization, or a change in the world, take a listen! And then listen to the full episode from someone who inspires you.

This season's guests heard in this order:

• Neel Doshi, episode 5
• Kathy Klotz-Guest, episode 1
• Neville Billimoria, episode 6
• Gary Ware, episode 11
• Annette Mason, episode 12
• Amy Climer, episode 4
• Jay Guilford, episode 8
• Jeff Harry, episode 2
• Mike Ganino, episode 14
• Natalie Nixon, episode 13
• Ruksana Hussain, episode 3
• Garry Ridge, episode 10
• Michelle Li, episode 7
• Van Lai DuMone, episode 9

For more about me and how I play, join my newsletter: https://maryhendra.com/mary/