I have two important and enjoyable conversations to share with you today. Both are about politics, and how we can find greater unity and harmony as fellow human beings, even when we have very different political views.

Both of my guests are further to the right on the political spectrum than I generally am, but we share a lot of similar values and also political priorities. And they both share my deep concern about the corrosive division in our country. It’s not that we all have to agree, which wouldn’t be a healthy society.

But we have to find a way to come together if we’re going to solve the problems we face, from COVID to the economy to immigration reform and so much else. I really admire the perspective that each of my guests brings.

And speaking of politics, by coincidence I’m releasing this episode on inauguration day 2021, and obviously this transition has been unlike any other certainly in my time, and probably in the history of our country. Probably the biggest overarching theme in this episode is listening to understand, which also came up in the recent episode with my mom and my brother.

Topics we explored included:

• The sad state of so much of our political “discourse”
• Looking at things issue-by-issue rather than always siding with one’s political “team”
• My political orientation
• How we approach political conversations when we know we disagree with the other person
• Waiting to give a rebuttal rather than listening to what someone has to say
• Fiscal conservatism and what’s worth investing in for the generations ahead
• How to generate opportunities
• The critical important of having a job, and the frequent halo effects
• My reservations about the Democrat party
• The advantages of divided government rule
• Dividing vs. uniting the country, and finding what we have in common
• Assuming less about each other rather than painting people with broad brushes
• How boring it is to only talk with people with agree with
• What Braver Angels is, and the problems it aims to address
• Making a person’s policy positions a test of their fundamental humanity
• The hunger so many of us have to really talk to each other
• My guests’ political leanings
• Teaching people how to talk to each other about politics
• My own tendencies toward polarization and making other people “the enemy”
• Looking for the good and finding a way to improve for future generations
• Brené Brown and her book Daring Greatly, and the courage required to be vulnerable in our interactions
• Finding a safe place to talk about politics
• Honoring one another’s dignity, no matter what our differences are

My first guest is Tim Payton, MBA. Tim is a good friend of mine who graduated from Purdue with a chemical engineering degree, and later added an MBA from Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Business.

His early career took him all around the country before he decided to plant his roots in Texas. He followed his entrepreneurial spirit by going into business for himself, and now has interests in several businesses focused in building products, construction and real estate.

Tim loves spending time with his family and traveling to experience new places and people. He considers himself to be very patriotic, and is very concerned about the current political situation and future of our nation.

My second guest is Douglass Teschner, EdD, a proven leader, trainer, and coach with both US and international experience. He is a former GOP state legislator from New Hampshire and served as Peace Corps country director in Ukraine and West Africa (where he helped end the Ebola epidemic).

A lifelong mountaineer, Doug has made numerous ascents in North America, Europe, and Africa, and played the lead role in saving the life of a severely injured man on Mt. Washington in New Hampshire.

Concerned about the decline of political civility and respect of others, Doug stepped up to volunteer as New England Regional Leader for Braver Angels, a national citizens movement that is uniting Americans from across the political spectrum to depolarize our country.

You can read more about Doug’s fascinating and diverse background on his website. He is available by email.