[EP 14] Alia Bojilova, an organisational psychologist on leadership, diversity and surviving being kidnapped in Syria

In this powerful episode, Ryan interviews industrial and organisational psychologist, Alia Bojilova. She shares with us how migrating to NZ as a teenager shaped her future and gives us insights into the power of the mind and what she learned about working with the NZ military, in particular, the elite SAS regiments.

She shares her own experience of being kidnapped at gunpoint in Syria and how it has also shaped not only her experiences but what she now understands about the power of the mind. If you want to know what makes high performers tick, today's podcast guest Alia is just who you need to hear from.

In this Q&A interview Alia shares insights on

  • What drew her to a career in psychology.

  • Her thoughts on diversity, in particular, diversity of thought in the workplace.

  • The importance of removing white noise amongst the never-ending to-do lists and to be deliberate about the things we choose to engage with.

  • What drew her to the military.

  • How interesting she has found working for the NZ Defense Force with its many layers of complexity.

  • How she came to be in Syria, her experience, and what she learned

  • Her story on being kidnapped at gunpoint in Syria [30:30]

  • Her Ph.D. topic on establishing the link between curiosity and resilience.

  • How she shifts her mindset when she’s not in a good place.

  • What she’s most proud of and what she'll be doing in 10 years time.

Watch the full video interview on Youtube here

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