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The digital revolution promised connection but delivered something more complicated. Social media now intertwines with our daily existence, and emerging research reveals disturbing patterns about its impact on developing minds.

During our conversation with Kerri Carswell, content creator for the Carolina Journal, we explore the neurological reality behind social media addiction. Those seemingly innocuous features—infinite scrolling, like buttons, notifications—trigger powerful neurochemical responses, releasing dopamine and oxytocin in ways that mirror substance dependencies.

For adults, this creates problematic usage patterns, but for children with developing brains, the consequences can be devastating. The documented harms—disrupted sleep cycles, shortened attention spans, increased anxiety and depression—demand action.

"It's actually the second leading cause of death in North Carolina between the ages of 10 to 18," Carswell reveals when discussing youth suicide rates.

North Carolina legislators are responding with groundbreaking proposals.

Parents face unprecedented challenges navigating this landscape. When should children receive smartphones? How can we monitor usage without overreaching? What conversations should families have about digital wellness? Carswell shares both personal experience and professional insights to help listeners find balance in an increasingly unbalanced digital world.

Listen to understand what's happening behind the screen and how we can protect the next generation from digital harms while preserving technology's benefits.

Check out more on this and other topics from Kerri @ https://www.carolinajournal.com/people/kerri-carswell/

BelemLeaders–Your organization's trusted partner for leader and team development. Visit our website to connect: belemleaders.org or book a discovery call today! belem.as.me/discovery

Until next time, keep doing great things!

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What happens to your organization when you leave? Dr. David Ashcraft, President and CEO of the Global Leadership Network, tackles the critical yet often neglected topic of succession planning with remarkable transparency and practical wisdom.

Ashcraft's leadership journey took an unexpected turn after a pivotal conversation with Jim Collins, who challenged him with a provocative insight: "You'll never be a level five leader until you've actually left your organization and it's better with you gone than with you there." This single statement transformed Ashcraft's approach to leadership at LCBC Church, where he served as senior pastor for 32 years, growing the congregation from 150 to over 25,000 people across multiple locations.

The conversation reveals succession planning as both a strategic process and a deeply personal journey. Ashcraft details how he developed a comprehensive 10-year succession plan focused on organizational health rather than personal timing, identified and systematically developed his successor, and navigated the unexpected emotional challenges of letting go. His candid reflections on battling pride after stepping away provide a rare glimpse into the psychological dimensions of leadership transition.

Perhaps most valuable are the practical insights Ashcraft offers: the importance of documentation, creating a special succession subcommittee, implementing a careful transition period, and remaining physically absent after departure to allow new leadership to flourish. Throughout the discussion, he emphasizes that true succession isn't about managing your exit but ensuring your organization thrives long after you've gone.

Whether you lead a church, nonprofit, or business, this conversation offers a masterclass in planning for your organization's future beyond your tenure. It challenges leaders to shift focus from "what's next for me" to "what's best for the organization I'm leading"—a perspective that ultimately defines leadership legacy.

BelemLeaders–Your organization's trusted partner for leader and team development. Visit our website to connect: belemleaders.org or book a discovery call today! belem.as.me/discovery

Until next time, keep doing great things!

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What if everything we thought we knew about leadership was wrong? Jenny Robinson, a successful Kiwi entrepreneur with five thriving businesses spanning three decades, has discovered something remarkable about how true leadership emerges.

When Jenny began her PhD research on leadership, she made a startling realization: despite a century of academic study, we lack a predictive model of leadership. This prompted her to strip away all preconceptions and ask a fundamental question: "What would leadership look like if we didn't know what leadership looks like?"

Her search for answers led her to study natural systems, where recent science reveals something counterintuitive - nature thrives through collaboration rather than just competition. Trees share resources, information, and medicine with neighboring trees when in proximity. This insight became the foundation for a revolutionary approach to understanding how humans lead.

Jenny and her colleague Phil Renshaw were inspired to create "Leadership on the Go" and author "Coaching on the Go," offering practical guidance for implementing collaborative leadership approaches. Their innovative tool "Gizmo" helps teams develop the skills needed for collaborative leadership without the stigma of traditional assessments. Now working across 25 countries in five languages, they've found that groups worldwide consistently identify the same key elements for effective collaboration.

Want to transform your leadership approach? Connect with Jenny on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/leadershiponthego/ or visit www.coachingonthego.co.uk to access the first chapter of her book, featuring a practical lookup table for common workplace challenges and research evidence on effective leadership practices.

BelemLeaders–Your organization's trusted partner for leader and team development. Visit our website to connect: belemleaders.org or book a discovery call today! belem.as.me/discovery

Until next time, keep doing great things!