"Strive for mediocrity" probably isn't the advice you want your company's mentors giving to new hires.

But without a proper understanding of mentorship, your mentors may—wittingly or unwittingly—be setting future talent up for years of apathy and mediocrity.

So, take a moment during the final few days of National Mentoring Month to check out this mentor-inspired episode of The Energy Detox, which covers:

1 - The key distinctions between mentoring, advising, and coaching;

2 - Why consciously choosing to wear your mentor, advisor, or coach hat matters; and

3 - How quantifying the value of "squishy" things like mentorship and in-person work can create measurable advantages for you and your organization.

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Notre Dame hasn’t beaten Ohio State since 1936!

But ND did score a big victory over OSU in a 1960s recruiting battle that not only brought All-American receiver Thom Gatewood to South Bend, but also turned Thom into an enthusiastic Notre Dame advocate that helped attract future talent to the university.

That being said, Gatewood's story isn't just a nice footnote in the lead-up to Monday's national championship game—it's a game plan for a differentiated, 3-step approach that you can use to more effectively attract and retain talent:

1 - Quit trying to keep up with the Joneses.

2 - Build genuine connections between top talent and senior leadership.

3 - Showcase a merit-based approach to accolades and opportunities.

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The second Friday of each new year is Quitters Day.

And there is no better way to mark the occasion than by consciously quitting (qWitting) poor leadership habits that are holding you and your team back from long-term success.

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Look up, step out from your echo chamber, challenge your assumptions, don't limit your giving to the holiday (and mandatory performance appraisal) season, and tune in to episode 102 of The Energy Detox podcast.

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Are people REALLY altering their Thanksgiving plans due to politics?

Regardless of the answer, Episode 101 of The Energy Detox translates lessons from the 2024 election into 9 apolitical questions you can use to avoid the "peaceful silence" that may be damaging your reputation, your team, and your organization.

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Celebrate Election Detoxification Day with Episode 100 of The Energy Detox podcast, which lays out two tools that can help you better manage the toxicity faced by oil & gas leaders (...or pretty much anyone subjected to the last several months of election-related toxicity).

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Are oil & gas workers "fearless" or simply desensitized by constant employer & industry surprises?

Are fear-focused campaign ads (and fear-focused management styles) a sign of desperation?

Are Marcellus-based external affairs teams the ideal model of how industry leaders can address fears and division among their internal stakeholders?

Find out in this Halloween episode of The Energy Detox.

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Range Resources and Weird Al Yankovic have at least two things in common:

💡 On October 23, 2024, Range Resources celebrates the 20th anniversary of their groundbreaking Marcellus frac, and the world celebrates the 65th birthday of Weird Al Yankovic.

💡 Both Range and Weird Al are undoubtedly pioneers—although some might question those claims.

That being said, Episode 98 of The Energy Detox will reinforce a leadership lesson you're almost certainly aware of...but may not be fully implementing: the specific words you use can—and will—shape your credibility, impact, and legacy.

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This company pioneered the Marcellus with its frac of the Renz #1 well in October 2004.

What is Range Resources?

To honor 20 years of shale development that helped save Western PA from economic jeopardy, this Jeopardy!-inspired episode of The Energy Detox asks 20 questions that 1) highlight the story of the first Marcellus frac, and 2) provide practical ways to unleash the full potential of your stakeholders.

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Just because you work in a roller-coaster-esque industry doesn’t mean your leadership style needs to be filled with twists and turns and surprises.

So, take a few minutes to be inspired by the odd sight of a Ferris wheel in the middle of a bridge and ask yourself these three questions:

💡 Do you lead others with the consistency, reliability, and predictability of a Ferris wheel or the dramatic, uncertain, and potentially nausea-inducing nature of a roller coaster?

💡 What are all the ways you can help others take greater advantage of the opportunities associated with their current level on the corporate Ferris wheel and, in turn, avoid wasting all your energy on what might be a short-sighted focus on getting to the top?

💡 Why does your company continue to invest in short-term "thrills" to boost morale and engagement instead of long-lasting leadership development resources that generate sustained impact...like the sustained impact that George Ferris' wheel has had for the past 130 years or the sustained impact that Range Resources first Marcellus frac has had for the past 20 years?

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When people hear your name, what's the first thing you want them to think?

...and what are you doing to make sure people actually DO think what you want them to when they hear your name—or the name of your team, department, or company?"

To help you answer those questions, Episode 95 of The Energy Detox weaves together a few Pittsburgh-related headlines:

💡 Today’s CHK/SWN consummation, which just made Pittsburgh-based EQT the "former largest natural gas producer in the U.S."

💡 Yesterday's death of Pete Rose, who earned the first of his 4,256 hits against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1963

💡 Today's announced $16 Billion deal between ADNOC and Covestro, which has its North American HQ in the Pittsburgh region.

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What can we do to create a Natural Gas epidemic?

What small steps can we take to boost the stickiness of our industry's message?

And how can you—as an individual leader—overcome the natural immunity of your stakeholders so that they infect countless others with knowledge of the differentiated value you generate?

Inspired by the Marcellus Shale Coalition's SHALE INSIGHT® 2024 conference, 400 bottles of maple syrup, and Malcolm Gladwell's Tipping Point, Episode 94 of The Energy Detox will help you answer those three questions.

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Did you know that maple syrup inspired the drilling of the first commercial natural gas well?

Did you know that the Haymaker brothers who drilled the well were in search of oil, not gas?

Did you know that there are two cocktails inspired by natural gas that can serve as refreshing reminders of how you can be a more effective leader?

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What's a bigger risk to your company and your industry:

A) Settling for conventional, generic, uninspiring management tips and tricks that follow the stale script of some supposed leadership guru who has little to no idea what you actually do; or

B) Embracing unconventional, differentiated, proven approaches designed to address the unique challenges that you, your team, your company, and your industry face?

Regardless of your answer, this episode of The Energy Detox will boost your odds of becoming a more conscious, trusted, and effective leader by laying out a set of tools inspired the #UnleashUSLNG campaign that EQT’s Toby Rice will be discussing at this week's PIOGA Spring Meeting, during which PIOGA may very well stand for (P)roducers (I)lluminating (O)fficials' (G)ambling (A)dditions (...with regard to energy policy).

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Although shale energy development has created countless worldwide winners, only one person won the 2024 #WorldShaleEnergyDay sweepstakes.

That being said, this LIVE episode of The Energy Detox kicks off by drawing that lucky winner.

Then we dive into the challenge of sustaining the winning performance of envy-inducing, high-horsepower teams in the high-pressure of world of energy.

So, tune in for some practical tools you can employ to manage the fracture-inducing burnout and jealousy that winning teams often have to navigate.

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Why would you lead your team to overtime if you have a chance to win in regulation?

That's essentially the question posed by Chris Wright and his Liberty Energy team in this year's "Bettering Human Lives" report, which 1) outlines the proven playbook that's already led 1/8th of the world ("the lucky one billion") to "lifestyles that would make Louis XIV envious" and 2) asks why world leaders would choose to play a new game when victory over energy poverty is at hand.

That being said, this episode of The Energy Detox weaves together insights from Liberty's unique ESG report, Super Bowl XVIII, and Vladimir Putin's recent interview with Tucker Carlson to help you better articulate your team's prior victories and better define what future victory looks like for you and your stakeholders.

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Episode 89 of The Energy Detox weaves 5 hit songs from the sexagenarian Queen of Pop into 5 questions you can ask to better bridge generational gaps in today's energy industry.

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Have you heard so many repetitive references to the geopolitical, environmental, and economic benefits of LNG that you and Punxsutawney Phil are about ready to drive off a cliff?

If so, take a break from the tired talking points and enjoy this Groundhog Day episode of The Energy Detox.

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Are you bothered when someone refers to a "negative" temperature?

Or is that just an odd pet peeve of some people (or of one person)?

Either way, a North American cold snap not only inspires the sharing of that temperature-related pet peeve in this Calgary-based episode of The Energy Detox, but also sparks a conversation about a pet peeve that's likely having a negative impact on your organization:

Generic Leadership

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"HARMFUL FOSSIL FUELS"

If you discovered those words strung together in your child's news magazine, what would you do to address this apparent instance of fossil fuel fear-mongering that could limit a child's ability to think critically?

Similarly, what steps would you take if you found evidence that a fear-based culture is hindering your team's ability to grow, develop, and innovate?

To help you answer those questions, this Halloween episode of The Energy Detox leverages both today's fear-fueled holiday and recent fossil fuel news to guide you through a 3-step leadership approach:

1 - IDENTIFY signs of fear by "flipping through your company's (figurative) magazines"

2 - ADDRESS fear-inducing leadership behaviors by communicating directly with your stakeholders

3 - CORRECT past issues and establish a future plan that minimizes the risk of fear undermining your organization

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