Ed Frauenheim launches Act 2 with an exploration of pivotal moments leading to his current work. “I got into this [work] of masculinity in workplaces through a long-term study of what makes workplaces and leadership good, if not great.” That study led Ed to joining the research and consulting firm behind the “Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For” list, giving him keen insight into what happens at the confluence of workplace leadership and masculinity.
Ed shares how his work highlighted some of the more serious issues within the workplace, for example, leading from models of “traditional masculinity,” which he found can “end up leaving a guy being isolated, rigid, and cold in a world that’s now calling for connection, agility, and warmth. It’s really not a good formula…”
We discuss the big picture of what it means to be whole, and how the full spectrum of energies, both feminine and masculine, can be found in each of us.
Ed touches on the “battle for the soul of men,” pointing to the darker seductions of numbing addictions, violent and childish acting out, drawing our attention to the choice point today’s men currently find ourselves in.
Ed digs into a series of discussions of his colleagues, including co-author Ed Adams, and the range of work he’s involved in. He highlights Project Compassion and their important, timely mission of bringing compassion into the world of policing.
We begin to wrap Act 2 with Ed taking us on a nickel tour of his latest book, finally bringing it on home with a lovely lesson of compassion learned on an L.A. freeway from his son!
Ed Frauenheim is about reinventing masculinity, workplaces and society--and about connecting the dots among the three for a more soulful world. He is a writer, speaker and consultant who has focused on workplace, technology and culture matters for more than 25 years. His stories have been featured in Fortune, Wired and USA Today. Ed spent six years as director of content at Great Place to Work, the global consultancy that produces the annual Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For list. He has co-written four books including A Great Place to Work For All and Reinventing Masculinity: The Liberating Power of Compassion and Connection.
Ed co-founded The Teal Team, a group of professionals dedicated to creating more soulful organizations. He also co-founded Project Compassion, an initiative to elevate compassion in policing to strengthen the heart of communities. He is the father of two teenagers and husband to artist Rowena Richie. He lives in San Francisco.
Find Ed at edfruaenheim.com, on LinkedIn and Twitter - @edfrauenheim