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This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.

Does this podcast accept guests?

Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

Healing Our Politics

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by Skippy Mesirow

5.0(15 reviews)

31 episodes

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Podcast Overview

This is your training ground for courage. To survive and thrive in the gladiator sport of public service, you need all six pillars of empowered leadership — mental, emotional, physical, social, financial, and spiritual health. The Civic Courage Lab™ Podcast brings the world’s leading experts in human development together for the people doing society’s hardest work — public servants, civic innovators, changemakers, and bridge builders. Each conversation explores how to apply these insights directly to your role, helping you strengthen all six pillars of empowered leadership through real stories, practical tools, and wisdom from high-impact leaders who’ve turned their greatest challenges into personal growth and collective success. Success in the ultra-endurance sport of impact demands courage, curiosity, integrity, and love. Here, you’ll cultivate them all — in community. From the creators of The COURAGE METHOD™ — the framework that’s helped councils move from combat to collaboration, nonprofits from floundering to funded, policies from ideas to impact, and activists from unknown to unstoppable. Welcome to COURAGE.

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Recent Episodes

May 7, 2026

The Imperative of the Soul: How to Live Without Regrets & Build a Life of Courage and Service w/ Parker J. Palmer

Welcome to the Civic Courage Lab Podcast!Join Our Community and Receive Free Tools + How-to Guides:Sign up for "The Leader's Handbook" newsletter (scroll to bottom) <a href="https://www.civiccouragelab.com/#newsletter">https://www.civiccouragelab.com/#newsletter</a><ul><li>Always free</li><li>Once per month email</li><li>Curated selection of tools, techniques, and practices discussed on this podcast</li><li>Delivered in simple to follow how-to worksheets, videos, and audio guides</li><li>For you and your teams to try and test in your own life</li></ul><a href="https://www.civiccouragelab.com/#newsletter">JOIN HERE</a> (scroll to bottom)Guest:Parker J. Palmer is the founder of the <a href="https://www.couragerenewal.org">Center for Courage and Renewal</a>, a Quaker educator, activist, and author of ten books — including Let Your Life Speak, The Courage to Teach, A Hidden Wholeness, and Healing the Heart of Democracy — which have sold millions of copies and are taught everywhere from university seminars to MBA programs. Named by Teaching Tolerance as one of the nation's most influential voices in education, Parker has advised presidents, spoken at the White House, and shaped movements around leadership and integrity for over five decades — almost entirely without spectacle or self-promotion. At 87, he continues writing and thinking on Substack at <a href="https://parkerjpalmer.substack.com">Living the Questions with Parker J. Palmer</a>. He is a rare and true elder.About the Episode:This is the season one capstone — a little extra treat — of the Civic Courage Lab podcast, and there is no more fitting way to close this first chapter than with Parker J. Palmer. In this episode I attempt to open-source Parker's prodigious wisdom and experience as an elder and mentor for you. In this wide-ranging conversation, we explore what it means to live without regret, how to hear and trust the inner voice that calls us toward our true work, and why the imperative of the soul — not ambition, not external pressure — is the only reliable compass for a meaningful life in public service. Parker shares the pivotal choices that defined his journey: walking away from a guaranteed academic career at 30 to become a community organizer, spending 11 years living under radical economic equality at <a href="https://pendlehill.org">Pendle Hill</a> Quaker community, navigating multiple serious depressions and ultimately writing openly about them, and now at nearly 87, harnessing anger toward life-giving ends — connection and democracy. This is a conversation about eldership, wholeness, and what it actually costs — and gives back — to lead from the inside out.Key Topics Discussed:<ul><li>[00:01:50] Introducing Parker J. Palmer & the crisis of eldership</li><li>[00:10:18] What real mentorship looks like — a two-way dialogue</li><li>[00:15:25] The inner voice: first encounter in the 1960s at Berkeley</li><li>[00:18:14] Walking away from tenure to become a community organizer</li><li>[00:19:28] "I can't not do this" — following the imperatives of the soul</li><li>[00:21:20] Choosing risk over future regret</li><li>[00:23:32] How to help others listen to their own leadings</li><li>[00:24:39] The discipline of honest, open questions</li><li>[00:27:01] A Hidden Wholeness and evocative community</li><li>[00:29:02] Burning out and arriving at Pendle Hill</li><li>[00:30:34] 11 years of radical economic equality — and what it taught</li><li>[00:35:52] Circle learning, egalitarian education, and the evoking of inner gifts</li><li>[00:38:21] Mental health, burnout, and the definition of wellbeing</li><li>[00:40:25] Practices that amplify the inner voice — honesty, trusted community, nature</li><li>[00:44:32] Diet, sleep, exercise, and the woods of Minnesota</li><li>[00:47:34] The choice to stay at Pendle Hill — and why strategic withdrawal isn't retreat</li><li>[00:50:02] On living the imperatives of your soul vs. scuttling your convictions</li><li>[00:52:32] "I can't imagine a sadder way to die" — on showing up fully</li><li>[00:53:28] Has this path made you less afraid of death?</li><li>[00:58:03] Depression as a character in the movie of your life</li><li>[01:02:36] The person following you down the street — and what they want</li><li>[01:05:59] The hand of an enemy vs. the hand of a friend pressing you to ground</li><li>[01:09:40] Wholeness is not perfection — it's "all of the above"</li><li>[01:10:59] Why Parker chose to write publicly about his depression</li><li>[01:13:15] What Parker most hopes current leaders will experience</li><li>[01:16:59] Holding compassion and prophetic challenge at the same time</li><li>[01:18:22] Living the Questions Substack — and why Parker started it at 87</li><li>[01:19:20] What's an angry old Quaker to do? Harnessing anger toward life-giving ends</li><li>[01:21:44] Speaking truth to power — and what democracy needs from us now</li><li>[01:23:22] Keeping your heart open to people who've fallen into MAGA</li><li>[01:27:02] Final gift: Terry Tempest Williams and the human heart as democracy's first home</li></ul>Key References and Resources Mentioned:<ul><li>[00:03:55] <a href="https://www.couragerenewal.org">Center for Courage and Renewal</a> — founded by Parker; has supported hundreds of thousands of leaders in education, healthcare, public life, and beyond</li><li>[00:04:30] <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Let-Your-Life-Speak-Listening/dp/0787947350">Let Your Life Speak</a> by Parker J. Palmer</li><li>[00:04:30] <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Teach-Inner-Landscape-Teachers/dp/0787996629">The Courage to Teach</a> by Parker J. Palmer</li><li>[00:04:30] <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Wholeness-Journey-Toward-Undivided/dp/0787971441">A Hidden Wholeness</a> by Parker J. Palmer — his guide to the practice of circles, evocative questions, and listening for inner truth</li><li>[00:04:30] <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Healing-Heart-Democracy-Courage-Politics/dp/1118094948">Healing the Heart of Democracy</a> by Parker J. Palmer</li><li>[00:11:38] <a href="https://www.reboot.io/team/jerry-colonna/">Jerry Colonna</a> — executive coach, CEO of Reboot.io, mutual friend of Skippy and Parker whose praise first led Skippy to Parker's work</li><li>[00:15:25] <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu">UC Berkeley</a> — where Parker completed his PhD in sociology in 1969, and where his inner calling first diverged from the academic path</li><li>[00:24:39] <a href="https://www.friendsjournal.org/s-p-i-c-e-s-quaker-testimonies/">Quaker Testimonies (SPICES)</a> — the core values of Quaker life: Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship; the ethical framework underlying Pendle Hill and Parker's approach to leadership</li><li>[00:24:39] Clearness Committee / Circles of Trust — the Quaker-rooted practice of gathering a small group to ask honest, open questions that help someone listen more deeply to their own inner truth; described extensively in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hidden-Wholeness-Journey-Toward-Undivided/dp/0787971441">A Hidden Wholeness</a></li><li>[00:29:02] <a href="https://pendlehill.org">Pendle Hill</a> — the Quaker study, retreat, and community center near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where Parker spent 11 transformative years; founded in 1930, open to all seekers</li><li>[00:38:21] The Courage Method — Skippy's leadership development framework, referenced throughout the conversation as a parallel to Parker's work; more at <a href="https://www.civiccouragelab.com">civiccouragelab.com</a></li><li>[00:44:32] <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/visit/destination/boundary-waters-canoe-area-wilderness">Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wildernes...</a></li></ul>

July 17, 2025

The Host, Revealed: Skippy’s Journey in His Own Words w/ Jesse Link

Welcome to the Healing Our Politics Podcast! Join Our Community and Receive Free Tools + How to Guides:<a href="https://leadershandbook.substack.com/about">Join “The Leader’s Handbook” newsletter</a> https://leadershandbook.substack.com/about· Always free· Once per month email· Curated selection of tools, techniques, and practices discussed on this podcast· Delivered in simple to follow how-to-guides· To try and test in your life, and teach your teams.<a href="https://leadershandbook.substack.com/about">JOIN HERE</a> <a href="https://leadershandbook.substack.com/about">https://leadershandbook.substack.com/about</a> About the Episode: Today, in the final episode of our very first season, the tables turn. For nearly 30 episodes, I’ve asked the questions, held space for others to open up, and pulled at threads in hopes that you, the audience - leaders and colleges - could find resources and actionable strategies. Now I find myself on the other side of the mic, sitting face to face with my mirror, Jesse Link - (and by chance a literal mirror!) We get into my own journey — my upbringing, my family, the roads I’ve walked, the mistakes I’ve made, the systems I’ve built to stay standing, and the people and relationships that keep me whole. Guest Host: Jesse Link is a strategic partner to agencies and growing businesses, helping CEOs connect the dots between their numbers, their narratives, and themselves. He’s also the lead researcher at Healing Our Politics, and, proudly, a coaching client turned lifelong friend. From college athlete, to climbing the ladder at Goldman Sachs, and founding a venture-backed startup, Jesse decided to step off the corporate fast track, to follow the crooked path — the kind built through failure, creative discovery, and honest reinvention. Not the one laid out for him on Wall Street, but one that meant something. And while he’s exploring new creative frontiers — through writing, video, and documentary — he’s still learning to lead with not knowing. He’s asking the big questions — what drives us, what blocks us, and how we find our way back to passion. . Key Topics Discussed: · [00:02:40] Episode/Guest Host Intro· [00:09:03] Identifying as a Public Service · [00:12:43] What Would Grandma Think?· [00:18:17] Skippy Shows His Cards: Political Family History · [00:23:43] Partnership as Lead Domino, Partnerships is a Verb · [00:28:45] Selfishness in a Good Way · [00:29:50] Discipline and Practice · [00:32:55] What Worked for Weirdo (Skippy) · [00:34:20] Hitting the Decision Point · [00:36:20] Change of Environment · [00:37:43] From the Illusion of Confidence to Genuine Confidence · [00:40:07] It's More of a Spectrum of Growth than a “Before and After” · [00:49:30] Unrelenting Hope · [00:55:22] Ho to be an Unbogged Public Servant · [01:00:48] Skippy’s Happiness Parachute in Office (An Unsolved Bog) · [01:03:54] Time In Office and Campaigning for Conversation · [01:12:25] Leaders are the Wheel, not the Gas· [01:16:20] SPONSOR:<a href="https://skyrun.com/aspen"> Skyrun Vacation Rentals</a>: Use Code HOP15· [01:17:15] SPONSOR: <a href="https://www.electedleaderscollective.com/">ELC</a> (<a href="https://www.electedleaderscollective.com/">https://www.electedleaderscollective.com</a>)· [01:19:35] Comparison in a Bubble of Privilege · [01:24:46] The Dichotomy of Shame and Desire of Wealth · [01:26:12] Available Resources for Public Servants and its Consequences · [01:31:37] Financial Responsibility as a Constraint for High Function · [01:31:37] A Digression into Spinny Flippy Zone · [01:35:25] Safety and Risk · [01:39:25] Fear is a Yellow Light · [01:43:34] Skippy’s Theory of Travel (and tips!) · [01:54:12] How to Stay Charged While at Work · [01:57:16] Rapid Fire Q&A’s: From Favorite Color to Biggest Fear · [02:04:34] Skippy’s Zone of Genius: The Wellbeing of Leaders · [02:13:45] <a href="http://healingourpolitics.com">HealingOurPolitics.com</a> · [02:13:50] “The Leader’s Handbook” (<a href="https://www.healingourpolitics.com/#newsletter">https://www.healingourpolitics.com/#newsletter</a>) Newsletter· [02:14:04] ELC (<a href="https://www.electedleaderscollective.com/">https://www.electedleaderscollective.com</a>)· [02:14:04] <a href="https://givebox.com/523743">Support ELC</a> Key References and Resources Mentioned: · [00:28:40] <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-to-master-mental-clarity-david-allens-gtd-guide/id1752186594?i=1000667110359">David Allen HOP Episode</a>· [01:10:44] <a href="https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/psychedelic-therapy">Roland Griffiths</a>· [01:26:30] <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-long-game-an-epic-journey-for-psychedelic/id1752186594?i=1000711259546&l=pt-BR">Rick Doblin HOP Episode </a>· [02:00:23] <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Righteous-Mind-Divided-Politics-Religion/dp/0307455777">The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion, Jonathan Haidt</a>· [02:13:50] “The Leader’s Handbook” (<a href="https://www.healingourpolitics.com/#newsletter">https://www.healingourpolitics.com/#newsletter</a>) Newsletter· [02:18:18] SPONSOR:<a href="https://skyrun.com/aspen"> Skyrun Vacation Rentals</a>: Use Code HOP15 Where to Find Jesse Link: <ul><li><a href="mailto:jesse@healingourpolitics.com">jesse@healingourpolitics.com</a></li></ul> Where to Find Skippy Mesirow: <ul><li>Receive Support at the<a href="http://www.electedleaderscollective.com/"> Elected Leaders Collective</a> <a href="https://www.electedleaderscollective.com/">ElectedLeadersCollective.com</a></li><li>Follow on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/skippymesirow/"> Instagram</a> <a href="http://www.instagam.com/skippymesirow">www.instagam.com/skippymesirow</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/healingourpolitics/?hl=en">@healingourpolitics</a></li><li><a href="https://calendly.com/skippymesirow/elc-clarity-call">Book a free Clarity Call</a> <a href="https://calendly.com/skippymesirow/elc-clarity-call">https://calendly.com/skippymesirow/elc-clarity-call</a> to see if coaching is right for you</li></ul> Episode Sponsor:<a href="https://skyrun.com/aspen">Skyrun Vacation Rentals</a>: Use Code HOP15 <a href="http://electedleaderscollective.com">Elected Leaders Collective</a> <a href="https://www.electedleaderscollective.com/">ElectedLeadersCollective.com</a> (ELC) Helping You Heal Our Politics

July 3, 2025

Tribal Minds, Moral Lines, and Outrage!: The Psychology of Polarization w/ Dr. Kurt Gray

Award-winning psychologist Dr. Kurt Gray discusses the psychological patterns driving political division, explaining how instinctive villain/victim casting fuels polarization and offering strategies to rebuild public trust in this interview.

31 total episodes available

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Frequently asked questions

Have a different question and can't find the answer you're looking for? Reach out to our support team by sending us an email and we'll get back to you as soon as we can.

What is Healing Our Politics?: This is your training ground for courage.

To survive and thrive in the gladiator sport of public service, you need all six pillars of empowered leadership — mental, emotional, physical, social, financial, and spiritual health.

The Civic Courage Lab™ Podcast brings the world’s leading experts in human development together for the people doing society’s hardest work — public servants, civic innovators, changemakers, and bridge builders. Each conversation explores how to apply these insights directly to your role, helping you strengthen all six pillars of empowered leadership through real stories, practical tools, and wisdom from high-impact leaders who’ve turned their greatest challenges into personal growth and collective success.

Success in the ultra-endurance sport of impact demands courage, curiosity, integrity, and love. Here, you’ll cultivate them all — in community. From the creators of The COURAGE METHOD™ — the framework that’s helped councils move from combat to collaboration, nonprofits from floundering to funded, policies from ideas to impact, and activists from unknown to unstoppable.

Welcome to COURAGE.
How often does this podcast release new episodes?: This podcast updates daily.
Where can I listen to this podcast?: This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
Does this podcast accept guests?: Yes, this podcast regularly features guests.

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