SHOW / EPISODE

EP155 – Stephen Childs, CHRO, Executive Coach and Author: Motivation Is Crap. Mindset, Discipline and Habits Make You Undeniable

50m | Nov 4, 2026

Learn more about Michael Wenderoth, Executive Coach: www.changwenderoth.com

Motivation is crap, says executive coach, author and Panasonic Automotive CHRO Stephen Childs. What works instead? In this episode of 97% Effective, Michael Wenderoth and Stephen unpack the neuroscience of becoming undeniable: rewiring your inner critic, doing hard things, building discipline, and saying yes more often. The hard truth is that your brain is wired for comfort, not elite success – which won’t help you tackle the harder challenges ahead in your career. To succeed, stop relying on motivational gimmicks and start applying a science-informed, evidence-based approach. Easy? No. Doable? Yes. This conversation, and Stephen’s new book, will show you how.

SHOW NOTES

The genesis of Stephen’s book

Why “Motivation is crap”
How Stephen and his daughter transformed their relationship
The surprising story a senior leader shared after reading Stephen’s book

Practical tips

“First get your mind right”: keys to reprogramming your inner critic
What companies get wrong about transformation
The 90-day sticky note challenge
The fix that is pretty simple – but hard to get executives to do

Powerful concepts

What has most shaped Stephen’s thinking on neuroscience
Why doing hard things can actually make you happier
How to pick tasks and goals that stretch you – but don’t break you
The power in saying yes

BIO AND LINKS

Stephen Childs is the Chief Human Resources Officer for Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America and an internationally recognized keynote speaker, author, and executive coach. With more than twenty-five years of senior leadership experience, he has become known for transforming organizational culture, elevating leadership capability, and helping teams thrive in environments of rapid change and high complexity. Stephen earned a graduate-level Executive Coaching Certification from Columbia University and the distinguished Global Fellow of Talent Management designation from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He is a past recipient of the HRD World Congress “50 HR Tech Minds” Award and a two-time honoree at the American Business Awards for HR Executive of the Year.

Connect with Stephen

Just Be Undeniable: https://www.neuroexecutivecoaching.net/just-be-undeniable
Coaching website: https://www.neuroexecutivecoaching.net/coaching
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenchildstalentmgt/

Resources Referenced

Interview with Stephen on 97% Effective “EP43: Do This and You Have Already Won” https://tinyurl.com/56v2zhty
Columbia Coaching Program (3CP): https://www.tc.columbia.edu/coachingcertification/
David Rock and the NeuroLeadership Institute: https://www.neuroleadership.com
Spartan races: https://www.spartan.com/
Camino de Santiago: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camino_de_Santiago
Yes Man: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yes_Man_(film)