Todd Kashdan PhD
A world-recognized authority on well-being, curiosity, psychological strengths, mental agility, and resilience.
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Todd Kashdan PhD
Biography
Dr. Todd B. Kashdan is Professor of Psychology at George Mason University. He is one of the world's leading thinkers on well-being, curiosity, psychological strengths, mental agility, and resilience. He received the American Psychological Association Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions to Psychology and Distinguished Faculty Member of the Year at George Mason University. He has published over 200 scholarly articles and several books including Curious? Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life (William Morrow), and The Upside of Your Dark Side: Why being your whole self - not just your "good" self - drives success and fulfillment (Penguin). He is a frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review, New York Times, and Psychology Today, and guest on national radio and podcasts. He is a keynote speaker and consultant for organizations as diverse as Mercedes-Benz, Prudential, General Mills, Merck, United States Department of Defense, and World Bank Group. For over 20 years, he has been teaching college courses on the science of well-being. He's a twin with twin 13-year old daughters, with plans to rapidly populate the world with great conversationalists.
Todd Kashdan PhD
Featured Video
Current: Reconsidering Curiosity
Time 14:24
Todd Kashdan PhD
Featured Keynote Programs
Vital Living- The Capacity to Experience Pain with Openness
When asked about the best strategy to be happy, my answer is always the same: the ability to tolerate pain. What scientists have discovered is that the big mental health problem is not the amount of negative emotions and disturbing thoughts that people experience. It is the tendency to avoid discomfort and the unwillingness to experience distressing thoughts and feelings when pursuing meaningful goals. In this keynote, you will not learn how to get rid of anxiety, self-doubt, loneliness, or the pain of rejection and failure. Instead, you will learn powerful ways to reduce the influence of uncomfortable thoughts and feelings. You will learn how to move in the direction of your most meaningful life goals, and experience a life of pleasure and fulfillment regardless of whether uncomfortable experiences appear. Essentially, you will receive training to be stronger and wiser, with fortitude. You will learn strategies for better managing the inevitable pain and difficulties that arise when navigating daily life.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to…
1. Describe how being emotionally agile helps them better handle adversity
2. Enter into mindful states with greater ease
3. Be more aware of emotions felt and use them as tools
4. Learn strategies to be more tolerant of distress and uncertainty
Strengths at Work
A wide range of research points to the conclusion that identifying and developing strengths is helpful for work. We will discuss definitions of strengths, the relationship between strengths and weaknesses, and obstacles to a strengths focus. More importantly, I will introduce foundational skills for applying strengths at work and at home. These include building a larger strengths vocabulary, understanding your personal strengths context, and identifying distinct strategies for strengths development. This is a participatory workshop geared toward the curious, the industrious, and those who want to be successful.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:
1. Identify 3 benefits of a strengths focus
2. Describe the relation between strengths and weaknesses
3. Label their own strengths
4. Know multiple strategies for strengths development
Happiness Myths and Tips
Description: Recent decades have seen rapid growth in the number of scientific studies on happiness. Insights from this work can answer a number of fundamental questions. What are the most reliable ways to make ourselves happier? What can you do to make your workplace happier? Why is it important to invest in happiness? What are the consequences of being too happy? What are the most important things science has taught us about happiness? These questions and more will be answered.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to…
1.Understand the nature of happiness
2. Know the benefits of happiness for health, social relationships, and work.
3.Discover interventions for instilling sustainable high levels of happiness in your life and the life of others.
Optimizing Social Relationships
Description: Nothing has a greater impact on quality of life than the presence of significant, meaningful relationships. Recent decades have seen remarkable growth in research and theorizing about how to improve the quality of your relationships. What will help you mentally "show up" in social interactions such that everyone obtains the best possible outcome? How do you produce a group that is greater than the sum of its parts? How can you be more likable and effective inside and outside of the workplace? How do you generate a greater number of allies for unconventional ideas? These questions and more will be answered.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to…
1. Improve your transitions from one situation and role to another.
2. Discover how to leverage other people's diverse perspectives and ideas.
3. Develop strategies to deal with the distress and conflict that inevitably occurs when working with other people – whether it is co-workers, friends, or family.
Todd Kashdan PhD
Featured Books
The Art of Insubordination
by Todd Kashdan PhD
A research-based toolbox for anyone who wants to create a world with more justice, creativity, and courage. For ideas to evolve and for societies to progress, we desperately need rebels to challenge conventional wisdom and improve on it. Unfortunately, most of us fear nonconformists, perceiving them as disloyal, reckless, destructive, or just plain weird. Because most would-be rebels lack the strength and skills to overcome hostile audiences, principled insubordination remains an underleveraged asset in the workplace and public square. Based on cutting-edge research, The Art of Insubordination is the essential guidebook for anyone seeking to be heard, make change, and rebel against an unhealthy, stagnant status quo. The book also gives the rest of us the evidence-based strategies we need to become better allies of our leaders in change, ensuring that the best ideas, products, and solutions survive and win the day. Inside this book lie answers to several questions, including: - What are the most effective ways to express unpopular, important ideas?
- How can we help principled rebels be heard and influential?
- How can we better manage the discomfort when trying to rebel or interacting with a rebel?
Filled with fresh and engaging stories about dissenters in the trenches as well as science that will make you see the world in a different way, The Art of Insubordination is for anyone who wants to see more justice, creativity, inclusion, cultural dynamism, and innovation in the world.
- How can we help principled rebels be heard and influential?
- How can we better manage the discomfort when trying to rebel or interacting with a rebel?
Filled with fresh and engaging stories about dissenters in the trenches as well as science that will make you see the world in a different way, The Art of Insubordination is for anyone who wants to see more justice, creativity, inclusion, cultural dynamism, and innovation in the world.
The Upside of Your Dark Side
by Todd Kashdan PhD
Audible Best Seller of 2017
Inc. 11 Great Business Books
New York Magazine Best Psychology Books
LinkedIn's 12 Books on Leadership to Read
Two mavericks in the field of positive psychology deliver a timely message
Happiness experts have long told us to tune out our negative emotions and focus instead on mindfulness, positivity, and optimism. Researchers Todd Kashdan, Ph.D., and Robert Biswas-Diener, Dr. Philos., disagree. Positive emotions alone are not enough. Anger makes us creative, selfishness makes us brave, and guilt is a powerful motivator. The real key to success lies in emotional agility. Drawing upon extensive scientific research and a wide array of real-life examples, The Upside of Your Dark Side will be embraced by business leaders, parents, and everyone else who’s ready to put their entire psychological tool kit to work.
Inc. 11 Great Business Books
New York Magazine Best Psychology Books
LinkedIn's 12 Books on Leadership to Read
Two mavericks in the field of positive psychology deliver a timely message
Happiness experts have long told us to tune out our negative emotions and focus instead on mindfulness, positivity, and optimism. Researchers Todd Kashdan, Ph.D., and Robert Biswas-Diener, Dr. Philos., disagree. Positive emotions alone are not enough. Anger makes us creative, selfishness makes us brave, and guilt is a powerful motivator. The real key to success lies in emotional agility. Drawing upon extensive scientific research and a wide array of real-life examples, The Upside of Your Dark Side will be embraced by business leaders, parents, and everyone else who’s ready to put their entire psychological tool kit to work.
Curious?
by Todd Kashdan PhD
"Curious? is one of those rare books that can make you rethink how you see the world."
--Arianna Huffington "This is the perfect book to read when you are having second thoughts about challenging yourself to explore that next step in life!"
--Stephen Post, Ph.D., coauthor of Why Good Things Happen to Good PeopleDiscover the missing ingredient to a fulfilling life with Curious? In this fascinating, enlightening volume, renowned psychology professor Todd Kashdan reveals how cultivating curiosity is the road to happy, healthy, and meaningful living and the true key to falling in love with life.
--Arianna Huffington "This is the perfect book to read when you are having second thoughts about challenging yourself to explore that next step in life!"
--Stephen Post, Ph.D., coauthor of Why Good Things Happen to Good PeopleDiscover the missing ingredient to a fulfilling life with Curious? In this fascinating, enlightening volume, renowned psychology professor Todd Kashdan reveals how cultivating curiosity is the road to happy, healthy, and meaningful living and the true key to falling in love with life.
Mindfulness and Acceptance
by Todd Kashdan PhD
