342: The Voices You Listened to the Most in 2024
Summary
Next February, Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity will start its seventh year. My goal is to offer timely and, I trust, interesting guests and content on leading effective change in education and business and cultivating curiosity about a wide variety of topics, including space exploration, art, history, the environment, personal development, purpose setting, writing, racism and anti-Semitism, selling, cooking, and, of course, fly fishing.
Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity continues to rank in the top 3 percent of all podcasts globally, where just over 4 million options are vying for your ears’ attention. We just published our 341st episode, which is notable given that most podcasts don't reach ten episodes.
As we approach the end of the year, I want to thank you, my listeners. I wouldn't be able to continue doing this show without your interest and support. Thank you.
A special thanks goes to my engineer, Neil Hughes. He manages all the back-end publishing logistics and makes every episode sound professional. He also welcomes me to pull up a virtual chair for periodic emotional therapy when needed. To say I would be lost without him doesn’t begin to do his services justice.
I’m going to recap 2024 in three parts:
Part One: the episodes that you listened to the most.
Part Two: all the episodes were important, but one was particularly special to me.
Part Three: my most popular episode over the life of the podcast.
Part One: the episodes in 2024 that garnered the most listener attention.
Not surprisingly, each of the five episodes focused on at least one of the major themes I emphasize in the podcast: overcoming personal resistance, recognizing and taking advantage of serendipity and the power of curiosity, defining a new purpose for K-12 education, promoting change that matters, and illuminating something fascinating about the natural world.
Here, then, is a short description of these five episodes in no particular order.
Episode 324 Cultivating Student Curiosity and Engagement in the Thinking Mathematics Classroom.
Dr. Peter Liljedahl is a Professor of Mathematics Education in the Faculty of Education at Simon Fraser University and author of the best-selling book Building Thinking Classrooms in Mathematics (Grades K-12): 14 Teaching Practices for Enhancing Learning. The episode explores Professor Liljedahl's research and development of the "thinking Mathematics classrooms" and how his 14 teaching practices can transform student engagement and learning in mathematics while also addressing the challenges of math curriculum and the future of education.
Episode 316 Fishing the Good Fight—Healing on the Stream for Men with Mental Health Issues
Jim Flint is the Executive Director of Fishing the Good Fight, an organization that uses fly fishing retreats in Colorado and soon elsewhere to help men navigate the complex intersection of masculinity and mental health. As a fly fisher, I was thrilled with the reception of this episode and two related episodes on the spiritual power of fly fishing — 315 and 330.
Episode 296 It's All Invented – What's the Life Story You're Telling Yourself?
In this timeless conversation, the late Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander explain how we can reframe the stories we tell ourselves into life lessons that are more useful for us and those around us. “It’s all invented anyway,” wrote Roz and Ben, in their mega-best seller, THE ART OF POSSIBILITY, “so we might as well invent a story … that enhances our quality of life….” What an honor to sit with these two powerhouse thinkers. I can’t tell you how many people have acknowledged that The Art of Possibility is one of their favorite books. It’s no wonder this episode was a favorite.
Episode 299 Using Stories to Highlight Team Dysfunction and Bring Mission Clarity
Given the importance of teams in today’s work environment, especially with more virtual teams, I was encouraged to see the interest this episode generated. Guest Ben Bratt helps leaders and their teams create the transformative, inclusive, and enduring changes in their team effectiveness that fuel their most deeply desired outcomes.
Episode 298 Spark! Let's Develop More Student-Centered Schools
If you’re a regular listener to Getting Unstuck–Cultivating Curiosity, you know that I’m particularly interested in re-examining the purpose of K-12 Education, which needs to move away from its still heavy emphasis on content acquisition to one that focuses on the learner's needs. Guest Dr. Donya Ball is all about igniting a passion for people-centered learning. Prioritizing empathy and collaboration, she champions personalized experiences over standardized tests, embracing diverse perspectives as fuel for continuous growth and a more equitable education system.
Part Two: the 2024 episode that was particularly special for me.
Episode 309 The Awe Factor: Boosting Curiosity, Creativity, and Empathy
I’ve learned from all of my guests, but in this episode, I was able to sit across the mic from four really smart people who are also friends. In this episode, we discussed Dacher Keltner’s book, Awe the New Science of Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life.
Dr. Keltner defines awe as connecting to something larger than yourself; “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world.” His focus fits perfectly with the underlying theme of the podcast: curiosity.
Each of my guests brought a critical perspective to the topic of awe.
Brooke Erol explained how individual and organization purpose setting can help to create a sense of awe around the mission.
Rich Gassen spoke about how leadership can nurture awe around what the organization tries to do for those it serves.
Melissa Hughes gave us the neuroscience perspective underlying awe.
And Sarah Elkins explained how telling the right personal stories can support an overall sense of awe.
Suffice it to say, I am in awe of these people and how they think.
Part Three: my most popular episode over the six-year life of the podcast
Episode 201 Learning about Life and Leadership from a Fly Fishing Guide
This episode remains my most popular episode out of the 341 episodes that I have released so far.
Initially, I was nervous about posting an episode about fly fishing, but my conversation with guide Spencer Seim was anything but what you might expect. Our conversation wasn't about the technical aspects of fly fishing; it was about how Spencer approaches his clients daily as a leader. So, his focus on leadership played well.
That said, I've done several episodes related to fly fishing, and they were all well-received. Who knew?
I also want to add that Spencer was instrumental in bringing the mega-bestseller The Feather Thief to life. In the episode, we discuss how he did that.
About Jeff
Jeff Ikler is the Director of Quetico Leadership and Career Coaching. “Quetico” (KWEH-teh-co). He works with leaders in all aspects of life to identify and overcome obstacles in their desired future. He came to the field of coaching after a 35-year career in educational publishing. Prior to his career in educational publishing, Jeff taught high school U.S. history and government.
Jeff has hosted the “Getting Unstuck—Cultivating Curiosity” podcast for 5 years. The guests and topics he explores are designed to help listeners think differently about the familiar and welcome the new as something to consider. He is also the co-host of the Cultivating Resilience – A Whole Community Approach to Alleviating Trauma in Schools, which promotes mental health and overall wellness.
Jeff co-authored Shifting: How School Leaders Can Create a Culture of Change. Shifting integrates leadership development and change mechanics in a three-part change framework to help guide school leaders and their teams toward productive change.