Behavioral Grooves Podcast

Climate change conversations often focus on sacrifice, but what if the path to a healthier planet also made us happier? We sit down with Leave the Lights On authors Liz Dunn and Jiaying Zhao to explore how behavioral science can help us focus on the environmental choices that matter most, why social influence is more powerful than guilt, and how small, joyful decisions can create lasting change.

Topics
[0:00] Intro and Speed Round with Liz Dunn & Jiaying "JZ" Zhao 

[9:03] Why Your Neighbors Influence You More Than Climate Facts 

[13:09] High Impact Climate Choices That Actually Matter 

[17:05] Scarcity, Happiness, and Enjoying More by Having Less 

[24:00] Leave the Lights On: The Carbon Math That Changes Everything 

[27:05] Why Where You Live Matters More Than You Think 

[31:17] Remote Work, Happiness, and Carbon Emissions 

[37:34] Everyday Climate Decisions That Make the Biggest Difference 

[42:10] Creating Upward Spirals of Joy 

[44:49] Why Sharing Your Choices Influences Others

[47:57] The Environmental Cost of AI 

[50:58] Desert Island Music Picks 

[53:42] Grooving Session: Show Don't Tell Leadership 

©2026 Behavioral Grooves

Links
Leave the Lights On by Liz Dunn and Jiaying Zhao

About Liz

About JZ

Join us on Substack!

Join the Behavioral Grooves community

Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on YouTube

Support Behavioral Grooves

Music Links
Taylor Swift - Look What You Made Me Do

Counting Crows - Round Here

Justin Bieber - Daisies

Mozart - Symphony No. 40

AI is making work faster, but at what cost? It's weakening collaboration, eroding culture, and spawning new problems and costs that most organizations didn't see coming. In Part 1 of our deep-dive into modern AI, we're exploring the behavioral science behind AI adoption, why "work slop" is becoming a growing problem, and how you can use AI to strengthen, rather than damage, your workplace and teams.

Topics
[0:00] We need to talk about AI

[5:19] How AI changes collaboration and mentoring

[10:14] Cultural Thinning and Work Slop

[15:10] Slop in action

[20:20] What happens when AI is implemented poorly

[25:14] Mitigating AI's Negative Impacts

[26:55] Coming next: Trust, leadership, and cognitive surrender

Why do so many organizational change initiatives fail? This week, we’re joined by behavioral economist Julia Dhar, co-author of How Change Really Works, to explore the behavioral science behind successful change. From curiosity and anxiety to psychological safety, AI, and the difference between change fatigue and change disappointment, Julia shares practical strategies that help leaders turn good ideas into lasting change.

Topics
[0:00] Introduction and speed round with Julia Dhar

[10:34] The "cockpit" metaphor for leadership

[17:28] Why "if you build it, they will come" doesn't work

[22:13] Communication, alignment, and executive blind spots

[29:08] Curiosity and anxiety during change

[32:15] Gathering honest employee feedback

[36:47] Leadership's role in successful transformation

[38:52] Change fatigue vs. change disappointment

[44:47] Why endings matter more than leaders realize

[49:14] AI adoption and organizational behavior

[53:27] Jazz, orchestras, and the art of change

[58:09] Desert island music picks

[1:04:14] Grooving Session: Turning anxiety into engagement

©2026 Behavioral Grooves

Links
About Julia

How Change Really Works by Julia Dhar, Kristy Ellmer, and Philip Jameson

Join us on Substack!

Join the Behavioral Grooves community

Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on YouTube

Support Behavioral Grooves

Musical Links
Imagine Dragons - Believer

Matthew Wilder - Break My Stride

We’re taking a holiday break this week and revisiting a favorite conversation with AJ Jacobs about his year-long experiment living by 18th-century principles inspired by the U.S. Constitution. From tricorn hats and quill pens to rediscovering “Election Cakes,” AJ explores how early American civic life blended community, ritual, and democracy. We also dig into “epistemic humility” and Benjamin Franklin’s warnings about misinformation, which remain strikingly relevant today. Sit back, pop your headphones in, and enjoy this unique look at the American Experiment. 

©2026 Behavioral Grooves

Topics
[0:00] Election day traditions

[4:25] Speed round with AJ Jacobs

[9:44] Living Colonially: What I learned

[18:56] Epistemic humility and political perspectives

[23:52] Constitutional originalism

[36:29] How do we frame the constitution?

[40:40] Election cakes and celebrating democracy

[48:52] Embracing experimentation in everyday life

[52:56] Grooving session: open-mindedness, civic duty, and cake recipes

©2026 Behavioral Grooves

Links
Join our Facebook Group!

AJ’s Substack

The Year of Living Constitutionally

More about AJ

The History of Election Cakes

Musical Links
Royal American Medley - Songs of the Revolutionary War

Yankee Doodle

In the final episode of our Robert Cialdini series, we explore the extraordinary legacy of one of behavioral science's most influential thinkers. We revisit the seven Principles of Influence through real-world business examples, hear how Cialdini's ideas inspired organizations around the world, and learn why colleagues like Angela Duckworth, Adam Grant, Dan Pink, and Katie Milkman believe his greatest contribution goes far beyond research. Join us as we celebrate the ideas and the person who helped shape modern behavioral science.

Topics
[0:00] From Utility Bills to Global Impact
[9:17] Full Cycle Social Psychology Explained
[16:00] Why Business Became a Partner in Behavioral Science
[22:47] The Seven Principles in Action
[30:20] Behavior Change for Good and Real-World Research
[45:49] The Ethical Compass Behind Influence
[52:39] Why Influence Still Matters Today
[58:02] A Career That Changed Behavioral Science
[1:04:08] Daniel Kahneman on Cialdini's Legacy
[1:08:04] Closing Thoughts

©2026 Behavioral Grooves

Links
Join us on Substack!

Join the Behavioral Grooves community

Subscribe to Behavioral Grooves on YouTube

Support Behavioral Grooves