Time to Reset

In a world full of challenges, complexity, and distractions, Time to Reset is your guide to tackling any obstacle with clarity, focus, and a fresh perspective. Join your host, 2 times #1 best-selling author and international keynote speaker, Penny Zenker. Each episode offers actionable strategies, inspiring stories, and practical insights for time management tips, innovation strategies, leadership lessons, problem-solving, business growth, and more. Take this Time to Reset .

Time to Reset is a business podcast hosted by Penny Zenker, with 386 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Penny Zenker hosts Time to Reset, a business show with 386 episodes published.

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  Time to Reset

  Why Redefining Success Is The Key To Burnout Prevention With Meghan French Dunbar

  Sep 25, 202628 min

  What if the definition of success you’ve been chasing isn’t actually yours? For many high achievers, success becomes a never-ending pursuit of the next promotion, bigger goal, higher income, or greater recognition. But when achievement starts costing you your health, relationships, time, and joy, it may be time to question the rules you’ve been following. In this episode of Time to Reset, Penny Zenker sits down with bestselling author, business anthropologist, and leadership and culture strategist Meghan French Dunbar, author of This Isn’t Working , to explore how to redefine success, prevent burnout, set healthier boundaries, and build a life and career aligned with your values. Meghan challenges the traditional “bigger is better” definition of success and explains why high achievers can find themselves trapped on a hamster wheel of KPIs, promotions, revenue goals, and external validation. The problem isn’t ambition itself. It’s when your identity and self-worth become so connected to achievement that you stop asking whether the life you’re building is actually the life you want. Penny and Meghan explore what it means to reset your definition of success by optimizing for quality of life instead of quantity of achievement. In this conversation, you’ll discover: How to redefine success on your own terms Why high achievers are especially vulnerable to burnout and overwhelm How values alignment affects your work, wellbeing, and decision-making Why your career should not determine your entire sense of self-worth How to create an “ideal life statement” that guides your choices When saying no can protect what matters most How to set healthier boundaries at work and in your personal life Why it may be time to “unsubscribe” from obligations, relationships, and beliefs that drain your energy How to reconnect with joy without feeling guilty about it Meghan shares the powerful practice of creating an ideal life statement: deciding what you want your life to look and feel like first, then making career and financial decisions that support it. Rather than waiting until retirement to finally live the life you want, what could you change now? Penny also shares a personal example of accepting a career opportunity just before her son’s graduation, then realizing the decision conflicted with the person and parent she wanted to be. It became a real-life reminder that success isn’t only about what you achieve. It’s also about whether your choices reflect what you say matters most. If you’re feeling burned out, overwhelmed, stuck in the achievement cycle, or questioning your relationship with work, this episode is an invitation to reset. Ask yourself: What does success actually mean to me now? Because sometimes the most important reset isn’t doing more to reach the next level. It’s deciding whether that’s where you want to go in the first place. Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

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  Time to Reset

  Are We Really Connected?

  Sep 18, 20267 min

  We’re more connected than ever. We have followers, downloads, views, emails, messages, and endless ways to reach one another. But are those connections actually meaningful? In this solo episode of Take Back Time: Time to Reset , Penny Zenker reflects on a question she’s been asking herself about the podcast: Is it still creating the kind of connection and value she wants it to create? It’s a question that goes far beyond podcasting. Sometimes we get so focused on doing the work, producing the content, checking the boxes, and watching the numbers that we lose sight of the people on the other side. We forget to ask: Who am I doing this for? Is it creating value? And does it still feel meaningful? Penny explores why connection matters, how easily we can lose sight of the bigger picture, and why sometimes the reset isn’t about stopping what we’re doing. It’s about stepping back and reconsidering how we’re doing it. And this episode comes with an invitation: reach out. If Time to Reset has sparked an aha, helped you see something differently, or given you a reset when you needed one, Penny wants to hear from you. What do you value? What do you want more of? What keeps you listening? Because meaningful connection isn’t measured by a download. It happens when we actually engage with one another. Maybe it’s time for all of us to ask: Where could I reach out, reconnect, and make the work I’m doing more meaningful? Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

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  Time to Reset

  Aligning Executive Leadership For Operational Excellence With John J. Murphy

  Sep 11, 202630 min

  Your team can be productive, efficient, and incredibly busy—and still be focused on the wrong things. In this episode of Time to Reset, Penny Zenker sits down with John J. Murphy , global authority on change mastery, operational excellence, and leadership, to explore why leadership alignment is essential for sustainable business performance. John explains why many organizations mistake symptoms for root causes, how individual departments can become highly efficient while the overall business remains inefficient, and why leaders need to stop measuring activity and start examining the entire value stream. As John puts it, a leadership team is like an orchestra: everyone may know how to play their own instrument, but that doesn’t mean they know how to play together. Penny and John unpack lean leadership principles, operational excellence, root cause analysis, customer value, organizational alignment, and the hidden “white space” where time and resources are often wasted. They also explore why standardization can actually create greater flexibility and how the same principle of controlling your inputs applies to today’s use of AI. You’ll discover: Why executive alignment has to come before organizational change How to distinguish symptoms from the real root cause of a problem Why being busy doesn’t necessarily mean you’re creating value How departmental efficiency can actually hurt overall performance Why leaders need humility to recognize what isn’t working How lean thinking helps organizations eliminate waste and improve flow Why controlling inputs can produce better outputs in business and AI How to refocus your organization on what creates real value for the customer John also shares a striking real-world example of executives discovering that a process taking 184 days contained surprisingly little actual value-added activity—revealing just how much opportunity can exist in the space between the work. If your organization is working harder but not necessarily moving faster, this conversation will challenge you to rethink focus, efficiency, alignment, and what “productive” really means. It may be time to stop asking, “How can we do this faster?” and start asking, “Should we be doing this at all?” Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

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  Time to Reset

  Stop Deflecting Compliments: Learn to Receive

  Sep 4, 20268 min

  Why is it so hard to simply accept a compliment? Someone tells you that you did a great job, that you look great, or that they appreciate you, and suddenly you're explaining it away, minimizing it, or deflecting the attention. In this short episode of Time to Reset , Penny Zenker explores why learning to receive can be just as important as learning to give. A compliment is a gift. When we immediately deflect it, we may be missing an opportunity to receive appreciation, recognition, support, and connection. And as leaders, parents, colleagues, and partners, the way we receive also sets an example for the people around us. Penny shares a simple story about accepting compliments that recently came full circle with her own mother, along with a powerful reminder: sometimes the best response really is just “thank you.” In this episode, you'll discover: Why we instinctively deflect or minimize compliments How receiving appreciation can strengthen connection Why the way leaders receive matters How accepting support, recognition, and even difficult emotions can shift your mindset A simple reset to help you become a better receiver The next time someone offers you a compliment, recognition, gratitude, or support, notice what happens. Instead of explaining it away, practice receiving the gift. Just say thank you. It might be a much bigger reset than you think. #TimeToReset #PennyZenker #ResetMindset #LeadershipMindset #SelfAwareness #PersonalGrowth #LeadershipDevelopment Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

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  Time to Reset

  The Psychology Of Leadership: Why Top Leaders Choose Mastery Over Results With Sébastien Page

  Aug 28, 202624 min

  What separates exceptional leaders from everyone else? It's not talent. It's not intelligence. And it's not working harder. In this episode of Time to Reset, Penny Zenker sits down with Sébastien Page, Chief Investment Officer at T. Rowe Price and author of The Psychology of Leadership, to explore the mental habits that help leaders thrive under pressure. Together they unpack why the most successful leaders focus on mastery over ego, why resilience is built through setbacks—not avoiding them—and how a psychology-first approach creates stronger teams, better decisions, and long-term success. You'll also discover why leaders need more than measurable goals, how AI changes what leaders should prioritize, and why meaning—not metrics alone—is the key to engagement. In this episode: The difference between mastery goals and performance goals Why resilience starts with your mindset—not your circumstances How positive psychology differs from toxic positivity The leadership psychology behind high-performing teams Why focusing on process leads to better results How AI is changing effective leadership The hidden danger of goal-induced blindness Why meaning drives motivation more than metrics Whether you're leading a business, managing a team, or simply trying to become a better decision-maker, this conversation will help you build the mindset needed to succeed in today's rapidly changing world. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Time to Reset for more conversations on leadership, focus, productivity, communication, and navigating change with clarity. Connect with Sébastien Page The Psychology of Leadership Love the show? Subscribe, rate, review, and share! https://pennyzenker360.com/positive-productivity-podcast/

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