Harry Cohen on Positive Leadership & Energy Management

Beyond the To-Do List - Productivity for Work and Life

In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Harry Cohen, a leadership consultant and author of Be the Sun, Not the Salt. In this uplifting conversation, Harry unpacks how small moments of positive energy can have massive ripple effects—and how each of us can show up as a force for good in our relationships, teams, and communities.

In this episode, we explore:

• The Heliotropic Effect in Human Behavior: Just like plants gravitate toward sunlight, people naturally respond to warmth, encouragement, and positivity.
• How to Be the Sun: Harry shares practical ways to radiate positivity—through micro-moments of kindness, presence, and energy that elevate others.
• Avoiding the Salt: We discuss how sarcasm, negativity, and small acts of dismissiveness (a.k.a. “salt”) can quickly erode connection and morale.
• Leadership and Character: Whether in the workplace or at home, being the sun is about leading with integrity, empathy, and consistent warmth—not force or charisma.
• Training Your Impact: Harry explains how being the sun is a skill that can be developed with intention, awareness, and repetition.

This conversation is a heartfelt and practical reminder that you don’t have to change the world to make a difference—you just have to change how you show up in it.

Learn more about Harry’s work at drharrycohen.com, and get the book Be the Sun, Not the Salt wherever books are sold.

Connect with Erik:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

This Podcast is Powered By:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Descript 101⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Castmagic⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ecamm⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podpage⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Rodecaster Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Top Productivity Books List⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Make sure to grab Shortcasts from Beyond The To-Do List by Blinkist. A Shortcast is a 7-10 min version of a podcast where you get the core takeaways.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.