Professor Steve Peters: Chimps, Champs and taming imposter syndrome

We sat down for a conversation with psychiatrist and author of
The Chimp Paradox, Professor Steve Peters. With over 20 years of
experience in psychiatry, he has shared his knowledge through the
books he's authored which explore the nature of the mind and help
readers become healthier, happier, and more successful. His most
recent book, A Path through the Jungle, further explores
self-development and explains complex neuroscience in a
digestible way. We speak to Professor Steve Peters about how to
retrain your mind, why imposter syndrome can be a good thing,
dealing with chronic stress, and why working from home isn't
necessarily healthy for us.


Here's what we discussed:





You recently published your new book A Path Through the
Jungle – in the first phase of the book your mention that all of
us are composed of three teams or systems – human, chimp or
computer. For those of us that aren’t familiar with this – can
you tell us why this is and how they can manifest themselves?
(004:45)

How could business leaders improve by reading your book?
(03:47)

As humans – can we essentially re-wire or re-train our minds
and how long does this take? (05:20)

If people had a difficult upbringing and it affects the
person they are today, can they re-wire their brains to change
their behaviour? (07:46)

Can you tell us what you think resilience means in life and
in a high-stress business setting? How does somebody know they
are resilient? (08:54)

You’ve touched on the chimp and how it can hijack somebody’s
thoughts, but can the chimp ever be positive? (11:53)

Many of our listeners are successful entrepreneurs and some
tell us they suffer from imposter syndrome. Why does the brain do
this? And do you have insight into how leaders can work with this
better? (13:16)

How can business leaders focus on work best when they have
experienced a significant life event not linked to work? (20:42)

When thinking about the athletes and high performers that
you've dealt with, are there any particular common traits that
you think contribute to their success? (28:10)

How can people better cope with stress in their lives and
work? (30:09)

You mention in the book that many people might be
experiencing chronic stress and feel that what they are
experiencing is a normal state. How can they unwind this/ prevent
it and what should they look out for? (36:15)

What does your typical day look like Steve? (39:06)

Have you worked with political figures? (40:50)

Do you feel like there's still a stigma around struggling
with mental health? (41:30)

What was your reaction to the announcement of the first
lockdown in March 2020? (43:22)

Do you believe home working is good for you long-term?
(45:16)






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