Today we welcome Dan Lerner to the podcast. As an in-demand speaker, author, strengths-based performance coach and instructor of one of the most popular undergraduate courses at New York University, Dan’s expertise in positive psychology helps people lead thriving, successful lives. He works with students, artists, athletes and numerous Fortune 500 companies and executives around the world. Whether it is speaking, coaching, teaching or writing, Dan injects intellect with motivation, science with compassion and makes change both exciting and fun.  In this episode, Dan and I talked about several topics that were of mutual interest. As positive psychologists, we both have a deep interest and appreciation for human potential and how we can cultivate it through education. We also discussed the important components for long-lasting friendship, and how to find a healthy community in this day and age of echo chambers. We hope you enjoy the conversation about personality, leadership, self-help, and mental health as much as we did.Website: daniellerner.comTwitter: @DanLernerTweets Topics03:02 Dan’s assertiveness and enthusiasm08:50 Cultivating unique human potential16:02 Redefining intelligence22:01 Helping people thrive24:30 Are students today more fragile?33:30 The need for empathetic leadership37:08 The secret to long-lasting friendship42:16 How to find your community48:13 The problem with the self-help industry52:55 Real change is hard