The Science of Personality Podcast

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Peter Harms, PhD, a Frank Schultz Professor of Management at the University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business, to talk about the history and psychology of underdogs. World history is littered with stories and legends of people or groups of people who have defied the odds in the face of almost sure defeat, making them the closest thing to immortal a human being can fathom outside of religion and deities. But how do they accomplish these incredible feats? How do they find a way to make the impossible possible? Peter and Ryne have been interested in the topic of underdogs for quite some time, and they unpack their thoughts and theories in this episode.

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by Kevin Mitchell, PhD, the Talent and Organizational Development Manager at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory, to talk about developing technical experts into leaders. In theory, any high performer regardless of their area of expertise should at some point be rewarded with a leadership position. But sometimes what makes someone a great software developer or network engineer might not translate to success once they ascend to a managerial role. In this episode, Kevin, who has a wealth of experience in this area, talks about how to successfully develop these high performers into effective and strategic leaders.

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake are joined by new Hogan Assessments CEO, Allison Howell, to discuss the pros and cons of gossip in the workplace. Gossip is common in all facets of our everyday lives but, in the workplace, gossip is often viewed as disruptive and unproductive. However, more recently gossip has been seen in a more positive light. What was once perceived as an organization’s worst enemy is now often its biggest ally. This is a topic Allison explored in depth over the past year and that’s why we thought she would be the perfect guest to discuss the positives and negatives of gossip in the workplace.

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake continue their annual tradition of breaking down the top derailers of the year. Who made the list in 2025? Give it a listen to find out.

In the latest episode of The Science of Personality, Ryne and Blake discuss the topic of workplace freeloaders. This is a topic that has been their minds recently based on an interview Ryne did with the media outlet, Quartz. That interview went so well that they wanted to do an episode specifically on freeloaders and how they show up in the workplace.