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In this eye-opening new episode, we dive into the mental wellbeing crisis within UK politics. Our guest is Jennifer Nadel, a journalist with 40 years of experience covering Westminster. She reflects on the shocking scale of the problem, brought to light in the BBC documentary “Broken Politicians, Broken Politics.”

How deep is the problem? And more importantly, what can be done?

We explore the work of ‘Compassion in Politics’ and discuss how the science of compassion and cross-partisan initiatives are helping MPs and government staff. Can the system really be reformed for more compassion in politics?

Plus, practical tips on how politicians – and those who support them – can build resilience and foster compassion, even in the toughest environments. We wrap up with: how to find light at the end of this political tunnel?

Here are three highlights:

1) The weight of political responsibility

Politicians often face extreme stress and high levels of mental illness due to a system that pits them against each other.

Takeaway: acknowledging the crisis is a first step. Politicians should seek support networks and try out resilience practices to navigate politics without compromising their well-being.

2) Party loyalty vs. personal values

Politicians are often torn between party loyalty and their own beliefs, with the UK’s “whipping” system often pushing them to vote against their values.

Takeaway: developing inner alignment through practices like self-reflection can help politicians stay true to their core values while navigating conflicting party demands.

3) Compassion as a cure

Injecting compassion into politics could address multiple interlocking crises like inequality and climate change.

Takeaway:

• Politicians and political movements should focus on policies that prioritize the most vulnerable, and adopt reforms that foster collaboration over adversarial conflict, like rethinking Prime Minister’s questions or introducing proportional representation.

• Science-backed compassionate leadership training can help politicians remain centred on their values while navigating the demands of their roles. Check out:

  • Stanford’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education

  • My book review of ‘The Magic Shop’, a fascinating story & the science of mindfulness and compassion practices

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Find out more about Jennifer Nadel and her work on jennifernadel.com and compassioninpolitics.com

Follow politicwise on Instagram and connect with on LinkedIn.

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In this podcast episode, I’m sharing 5 obstacles to winning the Inner Game of Politics.

Performance = Potential - Interference

In politics, we always play an outer game and an inner game.

The outer game is formulating good policy, forming coalitions, expressing your ideas convincingly etc.

The inner game is being aware of what really matters to you and others, managing your thoughts and emotions, staying grounded etc.

Playing the inner game effectively is less about adding than subtracting:

Reducing interference allows you to play fully to your potential.

What are the inner interferences / obstacles getting in the way in politics?

1. Lack of Focus

• Where to focus is about prioritising (via ‘the 1 thing’ or ‘impact-feasibility matrix’)

• What matters most is about knowing your criteria for prioritising, i.e. your values and those of your group; and ‘knowing’ this cognitively, emotionally, somatically

• How to keep focus is about selective attention and open monitoring; creating habits/systems against distraction to avoid ego depletion & Zeigarnik effect; saying ‘No’ to important things

2. Chronic Stress

Chronic stress interferes in three ways:

• Cognitive impairment, especially for those parts of the brain involved in executive functions like decision-making and planning

• Emotional dysregulation: long-term stress causes anxiety and it makes the brain's amygdala more sensitive to threat, feeling on edge

• Declining physical health: chronic stress weakens the immune system and can also increase the risk for cardiovascular diseases

3. Cognitive Bias

Brains evolved with several mental shortcuts that made sense over a long stretch of our specie's existence, but can and often get in the way of deliberate decision-making for a complex problem.

I collected 30 cognitive biases you fall for in politics.

4. ‘House Divided’

“A house divided against itself, cannot stand” - Abraham Lincoln

The inner ‘house divided’ is about parts of yourself sabotaging your efforts.

5. Feeling Powerful (unchecked)

Feeling powerful can make you …

• More aggressive

• More risk-taking

• Have a (false) sense of control

• More goal-focused, less vigilant

• More ego-centric and less empathetic

• Take action more boldly (as limitations on action are removed)

These effects can be helpful, but also become an obstacle if unchecked.

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Felix Sproll is a civil society activist turned city councillor in Munich for the pan-European party Volt Europa. Felix shares his journey from civil society to politics and the importance of staying true to your values. He emphasizes the need to build a network of like-minded individuals and learn from their experiences. Felix also discusses the challenges of being in the public eye and dealing with hate and threats. He advises aspiring politicians to communicate honestly with citizens and be open to different opinions. Lastly, he highlights the importance of being straightforward and transparent in decision-making.

Find out more about Felix at https://www.instagram.com/felix_sproll/ and about Volt at https://volteuropa.org.

Find out more on https://politicwise.org, on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/politicwise/ and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-daniel-matteo/.

One answer to the question 'how do we make wiser decisions?': being aware of and more deliberately using mental models. What are mental models and why should we be more aware of and deliberately apply mental models?

Main Takeaways of the episode:

• Mental models play a crucial role in decision-making, learning, and understanding cognitive biases.

• Deliberately using mental models can lead to wiser decisions and better learning outcomes.

• Understanding and applying mental models is essential for navigating the age of artificial intelligence and augmenting human intelligence.

Over the last 2 years of politicwise, 7 ideas emerged as critical for doing politics differently, and showing up as the best version of yourself, in the political arena:

1) Power makes you egocentric, but you can do something about it 2) Powerlessness is a fertile soil for authoritarianism - learn how to give power to the people 3) Nothing is as important as you think it is, while you are thinking about it 4) Being authentic means being the author 5) Politics is the highest form of flow 6) Politics needs fewer leaders, more followers 7) Healthy politicians, healthy democracy

In this episode, I dive deeper into these ideas and point out implications.

The Focusing Illusion, as described by Daniel Kahneman, states: "Nothing in life is as important as we think it is while we are thinking about it." This concept is relevant in politics in two ways: what we think and talk about, and who we think and talk about. The topics and individuals that receive the most attention become important in our minds, regardless of their actual importance. There are three implications of the Focusing Illusion: Being aware of what we deem important and not being sidetracked by what is in the news or what others want to talk about. Recognizing our own agency to shape the world around us, rather than solely focusing on those in positions of power. Politicians have a responsibility to shape people's focus and should use this power responsibly. And it's not just other people shaping our attention (think: algorithms).

This podcast episode discusses leadership traps and what not to do as a leader. Often, what not to do is a better guide for action than what to do. There are four leadership traps to avoid: the advice trap, the distrust trap, the one-dimensional trap, and the either-or trap.

Key takeaways

• Instead of focusing on what to do as a leader, consider what not to do.

• Avoid falling into the advice trap by not giving advice too frequently and disempowering others.

• Avoid ignoring the signs of distrust and not taking relationship building seriously enough.

• Avoid being fixed in your thinking 'this is how and who I am and how I lead'.

• Avoid being pushed to an easy either/or choice where more creative both/and-thinking is called for.

Francesca Romana D'Antuono is the co-president of Volt Europa since 2021. Francesca shares her experiences and lessons learned from leading a complex organization, the need to stay positive and manage self-doubt in a challenging political context. She highlights the importance of doing politics differently and being authentic, rather than following traditional showbiz-oriented way of doing politics.

Find out more about Francesca: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thisisfrd/ and https://www.instagram.com/francescaromana_dantuono/. And find more about Volt Europa: https://volteuropa.org

Find out more on https://politicwise.org, on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/politicwise/ and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-daniel-matteo/.

In this conversation, Hans-Günter discusses his experiences in politics and offers insights and advice for those interested in getting involved. The conversation covers topics such as honesty and trust in politics, expectations of local politics, the benefits of working in local politics, the desire for change, running for European elections, advice for first-time candidates, and the importance of endurance in political campaigns. The overarching theme is the need for politicians to be honest, proactive, and focused on getting things done.

Takeaways:

• Listen to people and build trust as a politician.

• Develop skills in teamwork, compromise, and information analysis.

• Convey both good and bad news honestly to maintain trust.

• Politics requires a generalist approach and the ability to adapt to different policy areas.

Find out more about Hans-Günter Brünker at https://twitter.com/hgbruenker and https://voltdeutschland.org/menschen/hans-guenter-bruenker

Find out more on https://politicwise.org, on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/politicwise/ and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-daniel-matteo/.

In this episode, I explore the value of knowing your personal values.

There are 5 benefits: clarity, confidence, conviction, convincing communication, and conflict resolution.

Takeaways Values provide clarity: they help you make decisions and see if you're on the right course

Values boost self-confidence and reduces stress.

Values protect you from corrupting influences of your environment.

Values make you a more convincing communicator: the help you (re)frame the debate and stell powerful stories.

Values facilitate conflict resolution by going deeper than conflicting positions and interests in better understanding your 'why' and that of the other side.

Find out more on https://politicwise.org, on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/politicwise/ and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-daniel-matteo/.

In this conversation, Professor Ian Robertson discusses the importance of confidence and how it can be developed. He explains that confidence is the belief that one can take action towards creating a desired outcome, and it has profound effects on the brain and behavior. Ian Robertson emphasizes the role of goal setting, mental rehearsal, and reframing anxiety as excitement in building confidence. He also explores the gender differences in confidence and the relationship between confidence and power. He highlights the significance of collective confidence and the role of values in binding people together.

Professor Ian Robertson is Co-Director of the Global Brain Health Institute at Trinity College Dublin. He is a trained clinical psychologist as well as a neuroscientist and is internationally renowned for his research on neuropsychology. He has written five books, his latest: "How Confidence Works. The new science of self-belief", and has published in newspapers and magazines including the Guardian, Times, Telegraph, Time magazine and New York magazine.

Find out more about Prof Ian Robertson on https://ianrobertson.org, https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-robertson-4480502/, and https://twitter.com/ihrobertson.

Find out more on https://politicwise.org, on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/politicwise/ and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-daniel-matteo/.

Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Background 05:12 The Importance of Confidence 09:03 The Relationship Between Competence and Confidence 13:26 The Role of Belief and Action in Confidence 19:05 Building Confidence through Goal Setting and Mental Rehearsal 25:06 Reframing Anxiety as Excitement 26:05 Taking Action and Stretching Comfort Zones 31:25 Gender Differences in Confidence 38:42 The Relationship Between Confidence and Power 44:28 Collective Confidence and the Importance of Values 51:56 Practical Exercises for Building Confidence 52:18 Final Thoughts on Confidence and Mortality

In this episode, I explore the topic of how to focus on what matters most. The reason it's so difficult to answer: it's not 1 question, it's several questions. So, let's break it down and peel away the layers one by one:

• Where to Direct Our Attention

• Defining What is Important to You

• How Do You Know What Matters to You

• Understanding the Meaning of Focus

• Applying the 80-20 Principle

• Prioritizing with a 25-Item List

• Focusing on Different Life Areas

• Shifting Perspectives to Find Focus

• Building Habits and Systems to Maintain Focus

• Learning Through Doing

Find out more on https://politicwise.org, on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/politicwise/ and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-daniel-matteo/.

Inês Bravo Figueredo is the lead candidate for the snap parliamentary elections in Portugal in March 2024 for the party Volt Portugal. Inês has a background in business intelligence and data analytics and founder of the company Zarnie Analytics. She led the Policy team of Volt Europa has been responsible for developing the party's electoral program for the 2024 European elections. She's part of the party leadership of Volt Portugal.

We talk about the strategies & challenges of organizing a campaign for snap elections. Inês shares how she approaches conversations with citizens, particularly how she manages herself, including in conversations with citizens who are discontent. We also talk about handling perfectionism, being in the spotlight, and showing up as the best version of yourself in a high-pressure situation.

Find out more about Inês here: https://voltportugal.org/pessoas/ines-bravo-figueiredo

Find out more on https://politicwise.org, on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/politicwise/ and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-daniel-matteo/.

I talk with Gaia van der Esch about expanding our understanding of what leadership looks like. Gaia is the author of the new book 'Leading our Way' that features the stories of contemporary iconic women leaders: Christiana Figueres, Gitanjali Rao, Becky Sauerbrunn, Diane von Furstenberg, Tawakkol Karman, Comfort Ero, and Gloria Steinem.

Gaia van der Esch is an Italian-Dutch executive in the non-profit and public sectors, a policy expert and author. She is currently leading a large international foundation working across the world to end poverty and exclusion and halt climate change. Gaia previously led the work of G20 EMPOWER, defining and advancing the gender equality agenda across G20 countries.

Find out more about Gaia van der Esch on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gaia-vanderesch/

Also listen to my first episode with Gaia: https://www.politicwise.org/podcast/entering-politics-female-leadership-with-gaia-van-deresch/

Find out more on https://politicwise.org, on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/politicwise/ and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-daniel-matteo/.

Christopher Gudacker runs for co-leadership of Volt Europa. We discuss a range of topics, from balancing work with political volunteering and private life, to what it means to change and what should stay stable over time. Christopher also shares his take on habits to be an effective leader.

A personal conversation with a friend and political leader, full of insights & practical take-aways.

Find out more about Christopher on https://www.instagram.com/christophergudacker/

Find out more on https://politicwise.org, on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/politicwise/ and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-daniel-matteo/.

We explore the six leadership styles of Daniel Goleman (author who popularized the concept of Emotional Intelligence). And: how can you use it to lead more effectively?

Find out more on https://politicwise.org, on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/politicwise/ and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-daniel-matteo/.

This is a book review of "7 Rules of Power" by Prof. Jeffrey Pfeffer from Stanford University. I summarize the 7 rules and share what I find helpful and what is missing from this account.

Find out more about Jeffrey Pfeffer's work here: https://jeffreypfeffer.com

Find out more on https://politicwise.org, on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/politicwise/ and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-daniel-matteo/.

Ye-One Rhie MdB is member of the German Bundestag for the Social Democrats (SPD) since 2021. Before that, Ye-One was representative at local level in the municipal council of Aachen, while working in the field of science communication.

Ye-One shares a personal story & motivation for being in politics. We talk about the role of luck, trust and friendships in politics. And Ye-One shares her 3 tips for those who want to go into politics.

Find out more about Ye-One Rhie MdB on https://yeonerhie.de, https://www.facebook.com/yeone.rhie, https://www.instagram.com/yeone_rhie/.

Find out more on https://politicwise.org, on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/politicwise/ and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-daniel-matteo/.

How do you navigate politics & exercise leadership in the face of complexity?

Adaptive leadership principles are powerful guides for anyone called upon to lead. My guest, Axelle Bagot, has taught, consulted organizations and used these principles in her own leadership roles.

Axelle's work focuses on the exercise of leadership in complex system. She is founder & CEO of Leadership Lab International, executive coach, and has taught at Harvard University, Brown University and more.

Find out more about Axelle Bagot's work here: https://www.llintl.org

Find out more on https://politicwise.org, on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/politicwise/ and LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-daniel-matteo/.

Sahak Ibrahimkhil is a member of the pan-European party Volt and seeking to be lead candidate for the party in the 2024 European elections.

Sahak shares his reasons to run, how he came to the decision, how he prepares for campaigning, what people with a migration background has to do with it, and his views on emotions in politics.

It's the second episode on 'Deciding to run for office' and is best heard together with the previous episode with Carina Beckmann. Both Sahak and Carina are seeking to be candidate for Volt Europa. Worth exploring their different reasons and ways of preparing.