Digital Social Hour
Ben Newman: The 2x Daily Habit That Transformed Microsoft’s Team Culture | DSH #1594
29 Oct 2025
Chapter 1: How can managing your circle contribute to success?
I say, hey, what's holding you back? You know, you're a $7 billion solutions team. There's 350 to 400 people, 12 leaders that are sitting in this room. What's the toughest thing?
Chapter 2: What mindset strategies help overcome adversity?
They said it's bandwidth. Like it's really hard.
Chapter 3: Why is it important to avoid a victim mindset?
Like when we fail, we typically have to fail forward because technology, you can work on something. It changes fast.
Chapter 4: How can harnessing your dark side lead to personal growth?
It's hard. There's so many people that we have to manage. I said, let me share something with you. I said, it's called unexpected intentional touches. I said, so let's say one of you has a team of 40 and you work 20 days. Twice a day, make sure that you slow down enough to tell people on your team how much you care. Tell them thank you for the hard work that they're doing.
Chapter 5: What leadership habits can we learn from Tom Brady?
Tell them that you appreciate the little details of how they attack their opportunity.
All right, guys. One of the top mindset coaches in the world.
Chapter 6: Is it possible to teach confidence effectively?
Been in six cities in the past seven days speaking at events. We got Ben Newman here today. Thanks for your time, man.
Sean, thank you. I'm just glad you can squeeze me in. You're setting records for most podcasts in a day and the way you get after it. I love it. It's great to be here. Six today, but you're in six cities, so that's a big comfort.
Your energy's still going, so I like it. Well, energy is an interesting idea, right?
Chapter 7: What role do intentional touches play in team dynamics?
Because a lot of people seem to struggle with work ethic and energy, but it's never been an issue for me.
And energy is probably one of the most authentic tools for engagement that people overlook and they don't realize the importance of it.
Yeah.
Chapter 8: What future plans does Ben Newman have for impact?
It's so fascinating because people are always like, how do you work so hard? But I don't feel like I'm working. I just feel like I have unlimited energy, you know? Yeah.
I don't know if that's like a mental thing or... Well, a lot of times it comes from just how you show up, the purpose behind your work, the passion behind your work, the excitement behind your work. I can tell even before getting here, just in our engagement, I think this is, we're going on three years making this happen, trying to get...
schedules to align, but your commitment, the, the readiness, the questions, the lead up to, I mean, I can tell there's an authentic energy and care, which is why you've been so successful doing this, which is just testament. Cause I pay attention to the details, which I have to in my work.
Thank you. Yeah. Authenticity is very important to me because I used to not live authentically for a majority of my life. So now that I've gotten past that phase of trying to fit in and be friends with people that don't care about me, I'm a, I'm authentic on myself, you know?
So I'll share a quote with you. A dear friend of mine, Tyron Woodley, who's the former UFC welterweight champion of the world, he says, small circles create big damage. And I think we all go through that phase in life to where we think that, you know, we just have to be friends with everybody and make everybody happy.
But for you to learn that and to know that, and I think that's important for all of us, is to make sure, like, You know, there's probably just a very small circle of people who are going to love you, support you, and truly care about you through the ups and the downs. Everybody wants to be a part of lots of success, but are the people really there for the right reasons?
And I learned that from Tyron as he elevated and became champion. He said it was hard because everybody comes at you, but small circles create big damage.
Yeah, I'm sure that's a big issue with athletes that you see, right, in every sport, their circle.
The circle's important and everybody wants to come at them. And I've been blessed to do this with some of the highest performers to ever walk the face of the earth. And it is not easy being those individuals, whether it be endorsements, whether it be success, whether it be everybody trying to come at them. Sometimes it could be family. Sometimes it could be endorsements.
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