In this episode I’m speaking with Leo Bottary, an accomplished author, keynote speaker, adjunct professor, and fellow podcaster. Leo is a thought leader on the topic of “peer advantage”; The idea of engaging peers in a way that’s selective, strategic and structured. His latest book is called “What anyone can do: How surrounding yourself with the right people will drive change, opportunity and personal growth”. Leo makes the case for harnessing the power of relationships in order to maximize our own potential accomplishments, and that these relationships are a two-way street. The title “What anyone can do” is based on his belief that success and happiness do not depend on superhuman effort, but rather, come to those who possess the discipline to do the little everyday things of which we’re all capable, but that most of us won’t do. We talk about education, and the disconnect between how humans learn and how we evaluate learning. Leo makes the case that, the old trope that we should ‘never discuss religion or politics’ is actually hurting our ability to understand important issues. We talk about the declining trust in government, media and corporations, and what that means for how we connect with each other. We advocate for asking more questions and making less statements. And finally, Leo makes a profoundly important observation for why younger generations are never as bad as the older generation makes them out to be.