Decoding the human condition with Milo Wilkinson | Experts Unleashed | Atlassian
Milo Wilkinson is a globally recognized Behavioral Scientist working at the intersection of human behavior, crisis leadership, and predictive analytics. With seven degrees across neuroscience, psychology, and criminal sciences, Milo brings rare depth to her roles as a high-performance coach, criminal profiler, therapist, and keynote speaker. Milo’s work spans boardrooms, locker rooms, and courtrooms—decoding everyone from executives to elite athletes to psychopaths. Known for her sharp wit and accessible insights, Milo makes complex behavior science both engaging and unforgettable. Whether you’re drawn to Milo or avoid eye contact, chances are… she already knows why.
During this episode of "Experts Unleashed," Atlassian's Dom Price chats with Milo about why smart people still make irrational decisions, the reason belonging is more important than psychological safety, and the power your thinking has on your body. They discuss how to deal with big egos and massive change, what it looks like to rewrite the scripts we run off each day, and why “fitting in” is the worst thing a person can do in an organization. Milo shows us that much of what we do and think is conditioned into us, but we can change the narrative with the right mindset.
They also discuss the "My User Manual" Play from Atlassian's Team Playbook. It's an exercise designed to help leaders share with their teams and teammates HOW they work. Think of it like this: when you buy a TV, it comes with a User Manual. But when you hire a human, there's no such helpful guidance. Milo takes us through her User Manual and shares her five levels of communication…and how she uses them with her husband!
More about Experts Unleashed:
The world feels full of thought leadership and frameworks, when we’re actually hungry for lived experience, science, and pragmatic insights. Experts Unleashed seeks out amazing minds from their specialty fields and brings them to you, to unleash their wisdom in a way that will help you put it in action. Each episode aims to educate, provoke, inspire, and then activate… to give you the confidence to try someone new.
In this episode:
My User Manual Play: https://www.atlassian.com/team-playbook/plays/my-user-manual
More about Milo Wilkinson: https://www.milowilkinson.com/
BrainWaves Charity: https://brainwaveshub.org/
Chapters:
00:00 – Introduction
01:36 – Welcome behavior scientist, Milo Wilkinson!
02:47 – Milo’s User Manual and her 5-levels of communication
06:25 – Dealing with big egos and massive change
12:32 – The human condition of acceptance
16:34 – Why smart people still make irrational decisions
22:25 – Understanding desire and secondary gains
25:10 – Breaking the fight, flight, or freeze script
30:55 – The life of a criminal profiler
34:36 – Belonging beyond safety
40:45 – Create belonging and avoid fitting in
51:05 – Where you put your mind, your body will follow
54:20 – Spotting the white and red arrows
56:54 – BrainWaves Charity