Friday, November 27, 2009

Oprah Winfrey and Your Leadership Brand - John Baldoni - HarvardBusiness.org

Oprah Winfrey and Your Leadership Brand - John Baldoni - HarvardBusiness.org


Harvard Business Publishing >

» John Baldoni » Oprah Winfrey and Your Leadership Brand >

John Baldoni Leadership at Work >Oprah Winfrey and Your Leadership Brand >
9:37 AM Wednesday November 25, 2009 >

All leaders have a brand. Whether that term is used or not, leaders have an identifiable persona that is a reflection of what they do and how others perceive them. I call this the leadership brand. >

When it comes to cultivating a leadership brand, look no further than Oprah Winfrey, who recently announced that she would be ending her popular talk show in 2011. In a perceptive analysis, New York Times media columnist David Carr suggests that Winfrey's brand and the key to her longevity is a combination of things she didn't do as well as things that she did do. On the "don't do side," she did not over-merchandize nor take her company public; she kept control of her products and thereby her image, unlike Martha Stewart. On the "do side," she always stayed true to herself. As she told her business partner Gayle King years ago, "I don't know what the future holds but I know who holds it." >

The lessons of Oprah's brand are relevant to any leader. First and foremost, understand that brand is what you develop as well as what others perceive. The balance between reality and perception can be shaky if you are not careful, but as we have seen from Oprah, not impossible. >

Here are some lessons for cultivating your own positive leadership brand. >

Practice what you preach. It's easy to say, but when the going gets tough, how many supposed leaders disappear into the shadows? Those who lead by example are willing to make tough decisions and be accountable for the consequences. They are also willing to lend a hand to colleagues and direct reports. These are go-to people who work extra hard when necessary. Nothing is stronger than seeing the boss do heavy lifting alongside an employee during crunch time. >

Act on principle. This applies to work, where principles determine the quality and attention you deliver, as well as to values, where principles determine behavior. Employees who see their bosses standing up for the right way of doing things in the face of competition (from inside and outside the organization) will believe and follow. For example, make certain that employees are compensated (either monetarily or in time off) for overtime and are receiving recognition for jobs well done. >

Insist on integrity. When it comes to a leadership brand, integrity is the lever one uses to get things done the right way. That means treating people with respect, regardless of their positions. Act for the benefit of the organization first and yourself second. Do things that honor the work you do as well as the people who work for you. Talking about integrity is one thing; insisting that you and your colleagues abide by is what matters. >

Integrity is not reserved for big corporate dealings; it can focus on small things. For example, in tough times, make the choice to fly economy class rather than business class. >
Some who read this might be thinking, poppycock! As a leader my job is to lead others not worry about my image. True, but not entirely. Your job as a leader depends upon getting others to follow your lead; they must trust you. Trust is essential to leadership, and a brand — how people perceive you — is critical to encouraging followership. >

And there's one final point. Leaders make mistakes. A strong brand, just as a strong sense of self, can aid in a comeback. People will readily forgive a misstep if they believe your intentions were good. This applies not only to mistakes in business judgment but mistakes about people too. If you have done well, but make a bad call about a product or process, or even if you insult a colleague, a strong brand will give you a safety net. As long as you act quickly and make amends, you can restore trust because you have created a legacy of good will. >

In short, your brand is a reflection of your credibility. Develop it wisely and nurture it carefully and it will help you create strong bonds of trust with your followers. Any doubt, just ask Oprah. >


John Baldoni is a leadership consultant, coach, and speaker. His work centers on how leaders can use their authority, communications and presence to build trust and drive results. He is the author of six books on leadership, including Lead By Example, 50 Ways Great Leaders Inspire Results. In 2007 John was named one of the world’s top 30 leadership gurus by Leadership Gurus International. For more on John and his work, visit http://www.johnbaldoni.com/.>

Access original Post: http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/baldoni/2009/11/what_oprah_can_teach_you_about.html?cm_mmc=npv-_-DAILY_ALERT-_-AWEBER-_-DATE


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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Are You an In or an Out Leader? - Gill Corkindale - HarvardBusiness.org

Are You an In or an Out Leader? - Gill Corkindale - HarvardBusiness.org:

Harvard Business Publishing >

Gill Corkindale Letter from London >

Are You an In or an Out Leader?>>
11:52 AM Wednesday November 25, 2009 >

I have just spent an intensive week coaching executives in a global organisation, asking my clients the simple question: are you an "In" or an "Out" leader? >

By that, I mean, how much time and energy are you spending in (or with) your team and how much time out in the wider organisation? It might seem like a simple question, but executives rarely take the time to think about it. It's important to do though, because this single question could answer many other questions that you — or your boss — have about your style and effectiveness. >

Executives usually have a preference for one arena, which can be reinforced by their role, their personality, or even the corporate culture. A quality control manager, for example, would naturally be more inwardly focused while a communications director would roam across the business. Both roles would attract different personalities. Similarly, some organisations are structured as, or have developed into, silos due to the nature of their business or markets. Examples might include law firms, where separate practices evolve to serve clients in specific areas. >

My suggestion is that executives need to balance the time they spend in both the In and Out arenas if they are to be effective. They also need to find a third place — between the two arenas — where they can reflect on this. My post earlier this year about scheduling a regular meeting with yourself is one way to do this. >

Let me outline some of the activities and tasks associated with each arena so you can assess for yourself where you are spending your time: >

In Leaders:>>

- Focus on results and deliverables
- Coach and support their people
- Build team spirit Offer expert knowledge or share experience
- Monitor performance/quality control
- Are present and available Surface and deal with conflict

Out Leaders: >>

- Get involved
- Build networks
- Delegate extensively
- Manage their profiles and visibility
- Engage with peers inside and outside their companies
- Look after their careers
- Engage in organisational politics
- Join committees Attend or speak at industry conferences >

So why is balance so important? I have worked with many executives who exist only in the In space. They argue that they are doing "real" work: finishing projects, delivering results and building strong teams. They often distrust (or even despise) peers who focus on the Out space, branding them as attention seekers, political operators, or "committee people." Not surprisingly, the outwardly focused leaders describe their inward-facing peers as uncooperative, naïve, or poor corporate citizens. >

Of course, I am describing extremes of behaviour here, but I hope you see my point. The best approach is to know your default setting and then to make sure that it is not turning into your comfort zone. All of the positive aspects of each point above can turn into negatives if they are overplayed. So focusing too much on results can mean you neglect strategy and vision, and always being on hand with an answer for your team can mean they become lazy or de-motivated. Equally, too many cross-organisational initiatives can detract from your real job, while looking after yourself and your career alone can mean you lose supporters. >

One client I remember received some very clear feedback about where he should be focusing his energy. An individualistic and politically savvy North American executive, he had been posted to Switzerland, where his team were unimpressed by what they viewed as his selfish and pointless manoeuvrings across the organisation. "Come back into your team where you belong," they demanded. He recognised that Swiss culture is based on team work and the leader's role is more primus inter pares than boss. Fortunately he adapted his style and focused heavily inwards, spending time building relationships and supporting his team. Interestingly, when I caught up with him three years later, the feedback he was receiving was the opposite: "You are here too much," they said. "You have disappeared as a leader. We need you to go out and fight for us. Be our North star." Clearly, it was time for him to venture outwards again. >

As always, I am eager to hear your thoughts and comments. Do you prefer one arena or the other? Have you been pushed outside your comfort zone or area of responsibility? Have you noticed any preferences among colleagues or bosses to be In or Out? What do you think is a good balance of activity? >

Access Original Post: http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/corkindale/2009/11/are_you_an_in_or_an_out_leader.html?cm_mmc=npv-_-DAILY_ALERT-_-AWEBER-_-DATE



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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

Workers Becoming More Optimistic About Jobs Market

Workers Becoming More Optimistic About Jobs Market

WorlatWork Newsline >

Workers Becoming More Optimistic About Jobs Market >

Nov. 13, 2009 — As the economy begins to rebound, the optimism has spread to workers, many of whom believe the jobs market is on the road to recovery. >

Fifty-two percent of respondents to the Monster Global Poll said they feel the same or more optimistic about the job market than they did six months ago. >“Despite turbulent economic conditions, it’s encouraging to see more than one-quarter (26%) of the total respondents polled globally by Monster admit they are optimistic about their future career opportunities, suggesting the global workforce is looking forward to recovery,” said Norma Gaffin, director of content with Monster.com. >

Key findings: >
- I am much more optimistic — 9% (2,678 votes)
- I am more optimistic — 17% (5,192 votes)
- I feel about the same — 26% (7,797 votes)
- I am less optimistic — 20% (6,041 votes)
- I am much less optimistic — 27% (8,154 votes).

According to results there are significant differences in perception on the national and regional level, with Indian and Scandinavian workers showing a muchU.S. workers (representing about 36% of the total respondents) were among the least optimistic, with 51% having negative attitudes on the job market when compared to six months ago. British workers tended to be the least optimistic, at 56% indicating diminished optimism, followed closely by Spain at 54%. >

Indian workers, representing approximately 7% of the total respondents, were the most optimistic, with more than 51% indicating increased optimism. Among developed nations, Norwegian and Swedish workers were the most upbeat, with 29% and 15%, respectively, stating they are much more optimistic. >According to poll results, the split in attitudes positively correlates with national unemployment and underemployment figures as well as consumer confidence indexes over the same time period. Nations with nationalized health care, as well as workers from developing countries, were overall more optimistic than their counterparts from countries with employer-based health care or developed nations.

Survey methodology The results of the current Monster Global Poll are based on votes cast by Monster visitors from: 17th Aug. 17–Sept. 14. Only one vote per user is counted toward the final tabulation. The Monster Global Poll is a series of online polls that gauge users' opinions on a variety of topics relating to careers, the economy and the workplace. These polls are not scientific and reflect the opinions of only those Internet users who have chosen to participate. >Contents © 2009 WorldatWork. No part of this article may be reproduced, excerpted or redistributed in any form without express written permission from WorldatWork.>

Access Original Post: http://www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimComment?id=35572

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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

Employers and Employees Report Low Morale and Motivation

Employers and Employees Report Low Morale and Motivation

WorldAtWork Newsline

Employers and Employees Report Low Morale and Motivation

Nov. 18, 2009 — Nearly one-quarter of employers rate their employee morale as low, 40% of workers say they have had difficulty staying motivated at work in the last year and 24% say they do not feel loyal to their employer, according to a CareerBuilder survey of employers and workers.

“Low morale levels are an unfortunate side effect of this recession,” said Jason Ferrara, vice president of corporate marketing for CareerBuilder. “As a result, employers are taking measures to help address negative workplace sentiment and motivate their employees. Whether it’s through stepping up communication, offering more employee recognition programs or providing flexible work opportunities, organizations are doing what they can to proactively manage low morale.”

According to survey results, two in five workers said their stress level at work is high and 47% said their workload has increased in the last six months; one in five said they are dissatisfied with their work-life balance. The survey also found that 38% of workers said there was departmental favoritism at work and 28% said they don’t think their department is important to senior leadership.

Survey MethodologyThis survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 2,924 hiring managers and human resource professionals (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government; with at least significant involvement in hiring decisions); and among 4,285 U.S. workers (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government); ages 18 and over between Aug. 20 and Sept. 9, 2009 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 2,924 and 4,285 one could say with a 95% probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.81 percentage points and +/-1.5 percentage points, respectively. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.


Contents © 2009 WorldatWork. No part of this article may be reproduced, excerpted or redistributed in any form without express written permission from WorldatWork.

Access Original Post: http://www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimComment?id=35593
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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

P&C Insurers Report Slight Underwriting Gain in Q3

P&C Insurers Report Slight Underwriting Gain in Q3

Insurance Network News >

P&C Insurers Report Slight Underwriting Gain in Q3 >

Insurance Networking News, November 24, 2009 >

Alex Vorro >

While it's not necessarily reason for insurers to throw up their hands and crack open the champagne, a preliminary review by SNL Financial of Q3 statutory financial data for U.S. property/casualty insurers found modest improvement in underwriting profitability and additional stabilization through realized and unrealized capital gains. >

With data available for nearly 88% of expected P&C filers, the industry (excluding financial and mortgage guarantor companies) is on pace to report a $536.0 million underwriting gain in Q3 2009, an encouraging sign when compared to the $7.7 billion loss the industry experienced during the same period in 2008, SNL says. Losses and expenses totaled $93.7 million, down from $107.2 million at this time last year. The loss ratio, defined as losses and LAE (loss adjustment expense) to net premiums written, fell by nearly 9 percentage points to 71.7%. >

“Fortunately for P&C insurers, there was no Hurricane Gustav or Ike this season,” said Jon Wright, director of the insurance group at SNL. “With the economy still weak and premiums written dropping off further, it was very fortunate that catastrophic losses were minimal. The soft market has to continue at this point with an industry seemingly flush with surplus capital.” >

The combined ratio for Q3 2009 was 99.1%, and realized capital gains topped $458.8 million, an improvement compared to 107.4% and losses of $6.7 billion, respectively, for Q3 2008. However, overall profitability was tempered by a decline in net premiums earned, down 5.2% year-over-year. >

Access original post:
http://www.insurancenetworking.com/news/insurance_property_casualty_underwriting_SNL_Financial-23656-1.html


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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

How to Survive in an Unhappy Workplace - Management Essentials - HarvardBusiness.org

How to Survive in an Unhappy Workplace - Management Essentials - HarvardBusiness.org

Harvard Business Publishing >

Management Essentials>

How to Survive in an Unhappy Workplace <>

When you don't like your job, going to work every day can be a challenge. Your problem might be with a bad manager, that you constantly feel stretched to the breaking point, or that you are resentful about taking a pay cut. Or, the whole environment may just feel toxic. You might need to stay in your job because it provides health benefits, or maybe you're only staying while you look for another position. Whatever your reasons for being unhappy, you need to maintain your professionalism and prevent a bad attitude from sabotaging you.>

What the Experts SayTimothy Butler, Senior Fellow and Director of Career Development Programs at Harvard Business School and author of Getting Unstuck: How Dead Ends Become New Paths, believes there's something elemental about the statement 'I'm unhappy at work.'" Butler, whose research focuses on personality structure and work satisfaction, says that to understand your unhappiness, you need to turn towards that feeling of unhappiness, experience it in a deep way, and not try to solve things too quickly. He suggests observing the feelings and not expecting anything. You may just find yourself at a frontier, considering what you're going to do next. "The existential nature of unhappiness is a wake-up call," Butler says. "There's some part of the self that is not being heard, that wants your attention, and that's the issue." >

Similarly, Joe Mosca, an associate professor in the Leon Hess Business School at Monmouth University, who specializes in human resources management and organizational behavior, agrees that looking within is the first step. "That may be hard for some people to hear," he suggests, because while it's true that sometimes people just don't match well with their jobs, employees tend to rationalize their job dissatisfaction rather than consider that they may be part of the problem. But if you are part of the problem, you may be part of the solution, too. >

Tammy Erickson, a workplace expert and author of Plugged In:The Generation Y Guide to Thriving at Work, advises that if you're unhappy, see if you can upgrade your contribution to the company, or find a way to be more creative about your job. She once performed very dull work in a book bindery but avoided becoming negative about the job by finding a way to make it less boring. Erickson was "interested in the process" and tried completing the tasks in a different order, which made the work quicker, easier, and less monotonous. "No work is uninteresting if you can think how to do it differently," she says. >

That's not to say unhappy workers don't have valid complaints. One thing you don't want to do, however, is let your feelings boil over at work. >

Signs That You Need to Take Action >>

Perhaps you've heard of someone who was so unhappy he quit on the spot or blew up at a boss. Losing control at work helps no one and may have repercussions in both your current job and in the future — you never know when you'll work with one of your current colleagues again. >

Indications that you need to address your emotions may be physical or behavioral, explains Catherine McCarthy, a clinical psychologist and COO of The Energy Project, an organizational consulting firm. The signs include feeling distracted, sluggish, angry or irritable, not sleeping well or sleeping excessively, relying on alcohol or food to comfort yourself, and withdrawing from friends and activities. All may indicate underlying depression or anxiety, which you shouldn't ignore. >

If you feel you have nowhere to turn, are about to burst, or are depressed, one option is to seek out your company's Employee Assistance Program (EAP) if it has one, adds McCarthy. Some EAPs will help you find a counselor, and all are bound by healthcare and workplace laws to keep your request confidential. >

There are also things you can try to change in your approach to your job. Consider these solutions for surviving and even thriving in a job that's less than optimal: >

1. Face the reality head-on. China Gorman, chief global member engagement officer of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) reminds workers that during a recession or slow recovery, people at all levels experience the pain. Such an economic climate makes it more difficult to leave a job, but it doesn't mean you should feel stuck. Erickson advises that you "Accept that this job is not where you want to be, even if you can't make a change today. But begin taking steps to change things." McCarthy seconds this advice. "Practice radical acceptance," she says. "Tell yourself, 'This is where I am, this is where I'm going to be for a certain amount of time.' You have more control over how you think than you realize." Understand what you're feeling, and that if you show up to work irritated, it affects your performance. >

2. Develop a plan. Be proactive. Brainstorm with trusted friends and family members about your ideas. If there's something you'd like to change, decide whether your boss is approachable and if so, the best tactics to use. If you have suggestions, discuss how they will improve your performance as well as others'. The Human Resources department may also be able to help in some way, suggests Gorman, from helping you find a job within the company you're better suited for, to assisting with work/life balance. >
You could also try learning a new skill. At the very least, it may help you prepare for another job. It can also lift your spirits and lead to new possibilities at your current job. If your problem is with your boss, Gorman offers advice from personal experience. She once had a boss who was smart and a strategic thinker, but terribly lacking in people skills. Gorman decided to be the boss she wished she'd had. "I made a list of what not to say, for example, and developed skills I still use today," she says. >

Finally, consider looking outside your job for fulfillment. Having an outside interest or two gives you another outlet and an activity to look forward to. >

3. Find (or Accentuate) the positive. Make a list of the good points about your job, advises McCarthy. Gorman calls this a benefit log. You may be thankful to have healthcare and other benefits. You may like your coworkers, or the fact that you have a short commute. Maybe there's a great gym on-site, or you enjoy the opportunity for travel or the mentoring you do. Listing what you do like about your job will help shift your perception and keep you from feeling so trapped. If you don't take responsibility, "it will hurt your performance, erode your satisfaction further, and make your time at the job worse," she says. >

Principles to Remember>>

Do: >>

Differentiate between what you can change and what you can't. Take responsibility for making a change. Focus on making the best of a bad situation. >

Don't: >>

Assume nothing will ever change. Allow negative thoughts to rule you. Go it alone. >

Case Study #1: Finding Satisfaction in Some Part of Your Job >>

Elizabeth Roman (not her real name) had been head of marketing at a professional services firm in New York for four years when she fell out of favor with her boss. He had always given her good performance reviews, so she was stunned the day he let her know that he had little respect for her work. >

After that conversation, Roman "hated going to work every day." She resolved to find a new job, but in the meantime, she wanted to find some ways to make her job bearable. "First, I pushed myself to perform at the highest level possible after that conversation so he'd have no further ammunition against me," she said. Along with that, she came up with a creative project for attracting clients, suggested it to her boss, and threw herself into organizing it with her staff. Roman also contacted a mentor at another firm who served as a sounding board and lifted her spirits. She never betrayed her boss and never let her feelings affect her relationship with her employees. When she finally found another position and resigned, she mustered the grace to thank her boss for all he had taught her. >

Case Study #2: Finding Satisfaction Outside of Work >>

Allen Smith (not his real name) is a technologist at consulting giant Bain who became frustrated with what he saw as a lack of a career path. "I also felt like my manager didn't understand what I needed day to day to do my job," he says. >

But he liked the people he worked with, so he did some soul-searching, asking himself whether he was unhappy because of someone else or because of his own attitude. He decided it was the latter. Smith had been toying with the idea of starting a business, and he thought if he could do it on the side, it would affect his outlook. He was right. >

He was given permission to work three days a week, which allowed him to start the part-time property management business he envisioned. "With a reduced work week, regular chats with my manager, and a focus outside of work, I've become much happier about my time here," he says. In turn, working fewer hours helped reduce his department's budget. >

See Original Post: http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/hmu/2009/11/how-to-survive-in-an-unhappy-w.html

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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

The Influence Question: Will You Grow or Plateau? | GiANT Impact

The Influence Question: Will You Grow or Plateau? GiANT Impact

Giant Impact <>

The Influence Question: Will You Grow or Plateau? >

Seldom does someone consciously choose to stop growing. Yet we all know people whose influence has leveled off or gone into decline. Why do hard-working, well-intentioned leaders plateau? How can people ascend the levels of influence throughout their careers, but then suddenly stop climbing? >

About five years ago I facilitated an all-day roundtable with 15 leaders. During Q&A, a very successful leader, a man who had done wonders with his organization, spoke up to voice a concern. "John," he said, "the last two years I've hit a plateau. For the first time in many years, I've stopped growing as a leader. Could you help me?" >

After prodding him with a few questions, I diagnosed his problem. As a leader, he had accomplished all of his goals! His company was bigger than he had ever anticipated it to be, it was reaching more customers than he had ever hoped to reach, and revenue was coming in higher than he could ever have imagined. Instead of concentrating on continual growth, he had stagnated after hitting all of his goals. >

Goal-Conscious Versus Growth-Conscious >

I have discovered that goal-conscious people plateau more often and for longer stretches than people who are growth-conscious. I'm certainly not saying, "don't have goals." I have goals, you have goals, and there's nothing wrong with goals. But I am saying that there is something more important than setting goals. >

If you're goal-conscious, then you focus on a destination-a sales target, a prestigious position, or a certain level of income. Whereas goal-conscious people lock onto a destination, growth-conscious people focus on the journey. They see the big picture, and they understand that success comes through a process. >

If you're goal conscious, you motivate people. You put a target in front of your team and drive them to achieve it. If you're growth-conscious, then you're more concerned about maturing your people. Outcomes, while important, cease to be the sole determinant of success to a growth-conscious leader. He or she is more concerned with improvement, progress, and learning the right lessons. >

If you're goal-conscious then your measures of success are seasonal. In other words, you have a time period during which you're focused on reaching the next level. If you fail, it's easy to get discouraged and to derail temporarily as a result of the setback. If you succeed, it's tempting to coast on your recent accomplishment. However, when you're growth-conscious, you're a lifelong learner. Win or lose, rain or shine, growth-conscious leaders press on toward their potential all of the time-not just in spurts. >
Leaders Develop Daily, Not in a Day >

Growth occurs during a process, not by arriving at a destination. In my book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, I talk about the Law of Process, which says, "Leaders develop daily, not in a day." It's human nature to overestimate the event and underestimate the process. We want instant results, but instead of focusing our attention on the endpoint, we would be wise to make the most of the present day. >

Summary >

Influence and personal growth are intertwined. When you quit growing, you relinquish the privilege of leadership. You simply can't take others to a place you've never been yourself. >

To keep your influence growing, trade a goals-oriented mindset for a growth-conscious way of thinking. Goal-conscious people get wrapped up in a destination, and consequently they are in danger of reaching a plateau in their personal development. Hitting goals causes them to coast, while missing targets causes them to mope. In contrast, growth-conscious individuals put goals into proper perspective. The path they're traveling matters more to them than the place where they're going. >

Access Original Post: http://www.giantimpact.com/articles/read/the_influence_question_will_you_grow_or_plateau/
"This article is used by permission from Leadership Wired, GiANT Impact's premiere leadership newsletter, available for free subscription at www.giantimpact.com."
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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

Anger, Pain and Depression | Psychology Today

Anger, Pain and Depression Psychology Today


Published on Psychology Today >

Anger, Pain and Depression >

By Nando Pelusi, published on November 01, 2003 - last reviewed on May 17, 2006 >
Created Nov 26 2003 - 12:00am >

Anger, pain and depression are three negative experiences so closely bound together it can sometimes be hard to know where one ends and the other begins. Pain is a complex phenomenon that has emotional and physical components. The emotions play a huge role in the experience of pain, and pain is intimately associated with depression. It's long been known that the psychic pain of depression feeds anger. But just as often, anger fuels depression. >

A powerful emotion physiologically and emotionally, anger often feels good-but only for the moment. It can be a motivating force that moves you to action. But there are good actions and bad ones; it's vital to distinguish between the two. >

Many people confuse anger and hostility. Anger is a response to a situation that presents some threat. Hostility is a more enduring characteristic, a predisposition, a personality trait reflecting a readiness to express anger. > Anger is usually anything but subtle. It has potent physiological effects. You feel it in your chest. You feel it in your head. You feel it coursing through your body. >

Nevertheless, anger can be insidious. Anger confers an immediate sense of purpose; it's a shortcut to motivation. And if there's something depressed people need, it's motivation. But anger creates a cycle of rage and defeatism. >

When you feel anger, it provides the impulse to pass the pain along to others. The boss chews you out, you then snap at everyone in your path. Anger, however, can eventually lead you into self-pity, because you can't slough off the self-hurt. >

Anger is classically a way of passing psychic pain on to others. The two-step: You feel hurt, "poor me," "I hate you." It's a way of making others pay for your emotional deficits. It is wise to change that tendency. Whether or not anger fuels depression, it isn't good for the enjoyment of life. >

Here are ways to keep anger from feeding your depression. >

- First, of course, is to identify anger and to acknowledge it. Anger is one of those emotions whose expression is sometimes subject to taboos so that people can grow up unable to recognize it; they feel its physical discomfort but can't label it. >

- Build a lexicon for your internal states. If you have a word for your emotional state, then you can begin to deal with it. Feelings are fluid; you need to stop and capture them in a word, or else you lose them and don't know you have them. A label improves your ability to understand your feelings. >

- View your anger as a signal. It is not something to be escaped. It is not something to be suppressed. It is something to be accepted as a sign that some deeper threat has occurred that needs your attention. >

- Make yourself aware of the purpose your anger serves. Be sure to distinguish purpose from passion. Things that have a positive purpose seek betterment, growth, love, enhancement, fulfillment. Things that have a negative purpose are motivated by a sense of deficiency. Your boss yells at you, you feel diminished; the anger you express at others is driven by the blow you've just received. Are you enraged about an inequity or unfairness? >

In order to identify your motivation, you need to look within. It's a matter of becoming psychological-minded and engaging in introspection. Tune into the inner dialogue that you customarily have with yourself.

- If your anger is deficiency-motivated, driven by a wish to rectify a wrong you believe done to you, work on acceptance. Give up your obsession about the wrong. See that the opposite of anger is not passivity but more functional assertiveness.>

- Uproot mistaken beliefs that underlie your response. Very often anger is the result of beliefs that lead you to place unreasonable demands on circumstances, such as, that life must be fair. Unfairness exists. The belief that you are entitled to fairness results from the mistaken idea that you are special. If you feel that you are special, you will certainly find lots to be angry about, because the universe is indifferent to us. >

Insisting that life must be fair is not only irrational, it will cause you to collect injustices done to your noble self. Even if you are experiencing nothing more than your fair share of unfairness, such a belief can still fuel rage and lead to depression. >

Those who hold the deep belief that life should always be fair cannot abide when it is unfair. That leads directly to rage that is totally inert, because they believe there is nothing that they can do about the unfairness. They feel helpless and hopeless-in other words, depressed. Self-pity is another description of the same phenomenon. >

- Notice your own complaining. Listen for both overt and covert complaining. Overt complaining hassles others. It's really a manipulative strategy. Know when it's becoming a downer and a barrier to a strategy of effectiveness-like complaining about a fly in your soup. Covert complaining hassles you; it drags you down into passivity and inertia. Once you notice it, determine to give it up. >

Once you can accept that life sometimes is unfair, then you can pursue positive purpose. You can work constructively against injustices you find, transforming your anger into passion. Or you can pursue fulfillment in spite of the unfairness that exists. >

Highlights: Keep anger from feeding your depression. Author: Nando Pelusi [1] Anger, pain and depression are sometimes perceived as one big emotion, but when you don't distinguish between them, they could end up fueling each other. Copyright Year: 2006 Word Count: 883 Publication Date: November 1, 2003 Syndicate:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- Source URL: http://www.psychologytoday.com/node/24835 Links: [1] http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/authors/nando-pelusi Access Orignal Article: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200311/anger-pain-and-depression

-----------------------------
Nando Pelusi, PhD
Licensed PsychologistCognitive Behavioral Therapy and Rational Emotive TherapyExecutive and Life Coaching
Contributing Editor, Psychology Today
Board of Advisors National Association of Cognitive Behavior Therapists
Certified supervisor in Rational Emotive and Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Writings on evolutionary psychology and clinical issues
Please email or call for more information
19 West 34th Street, PenthouseNew York, NY 10001(212) 947-7111 x111
npelusi@me.com

See Original Post: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200311/anger-pain-and-depression

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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

Monday, November 23, 2009

How the right partner makes a better you | Psychology Today

How the right partner makes a better you Psychology Today

November 23, 2009,>

How the right partner makes a better you Choose your partner well-- and become a better you. >

While you choose the kind of person we want to be, you are also greatly affected by others. And, much like Michelangelo chiseled beautiful forms from stone, the right partner can help shape you into the person you'd like to be. This Michelangelo phenomenon not only feels intuitively accurate, but there is empirical support for it. >

The researchers Drigotas, Rusbult, Wieselquist, & Whitton (Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 1999) explain that this phenomenon includes a three-step process.

[1] First, an individual's perceptions of their partner must fit with their partner's "ideal self" (how he or should would ideally like to be). For instance, Mary would like to be a kinder person, and John sees her as loving.

[2] Next, because of these perceptions, the individual acts in ways that bring out those behaviors in their partner. In our example, John asks Mary questions at social functions that bring out her warm, caring nature with others.

[3] Finally, the partner becomes increasingly like the ideal self that he or she would like to be. Back to our example, Mary becomes increasingly closer to her ideal self-a more loving person. >

Another group of studies has shown that this phenomenon works in people with high self-esteem, but not in those with low self-esteem. The results have revealed that high-self-esteem individuals tend to accurately identify when their partners view them positively. When they have self-doubts, they resolve them by believing their partners' positive feedback. In contrast, low-self-esteem individuals incorrectly think that their partners view them negatively, which prevents the Michelangelo phenomenon from occurring. >

These lines of research make me think of the old adage that you cannot love someone else until you love yourself. However, they focus on a slightly different truism: as long as you generally feel good about yourself, the warm love of a well-chosen partner can help you become more of what you want to be. >

Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps is a clinical psychologist in private practice and is on the medical staff at Somerset Medical Center in Somerville, NJ. >

(If you are interested in reading the research I have used to support this entry, I'd be happy to provide the references) >

Read Original Post: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/making-change/200911/how-the-right-partner-makes-better-you


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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

Why "The Way We Were" is the way you stay | Psychology Today

Why "The Way We Were" is the way you stay Psychology Today

October 5, 2009 >

Why "The Way We Were" is the way you stay <
Learn why you stay stuck; and that you CAN change. >

One basic element to consider in understanding how people struggle with change is self-verification. They develop particular ways of defining themselves and then find ways to support those beliefs. Having a secure sense of who we are is so important that some people choose to cling to it-even when they'd be better off changing. >

This way of understanding ourselves fits nicely with the first of Prochaska, Norcross, and DiClemente's five "Stages of Change," known also as the Transtheoretical theory. (It's noteworthy that people often cycle through the earlier stages a number of times before making it to the final, termination stage.) The stages are: >

- Precontemplation: People in this stage have a problem, but no intention to change in the foreseeable future. They are not fully aware of their problem, though the people around them often are. When they do acknowledge their problem, they blame everyone and everything but themselves. For example, someone in this stage might deny an obvious problem with anger with statements like, "You made me blow up. I wouldn't have gotten so angry if you..." And, given that they don't think they have control over the problem, their situation often feels hopeless. >

- Contemplation: People in this stage are aware they have a problem and are thinking about addressing it, but they are not yet committed to doing so. They think a lot about the problem and its causes, and they often look for validation of these thoughts. Unfortunately, they frequently get so caught up in thinking that they fail to act (sometimes for years). Eventually, as they move through this stage, they begin to think less about past struggles and more about solutions.>

- Preparation: People in this stage intend to act in the next month and they make plans to do so. >

- Action: This is the stage in which people modify their behavior. This often involves interacting differently with others and changing their environment to support change.>

- Maintenance: People in this stage work on relapse prevention and consolidating the gains they've made during the action stage. >

- Termination: In this final stage, people are totally confident, don't have to work on relapse prevention, and easily maintain their change even in high risk situations. >

When we look at the precontemplation and contemplation stages through the lens of self-verification, they make perfect sense and would even be expected. We all begin in precontemplation-we are going along, accepting and believing our definitions of ourselves. Knowing who we are gives us a sense of safety and confidence in navigating through life; so we are deeply committed to our self-definitions. When faced with problems, we are likely to defend how we see ourselves-not wanting to give up that safety and confidence.>

Even if someone has a painful self-definition, such as I am a failure; they at least know who they are. This way of defining themselves guides them in them daily lives (i.e. I won't even try something new because I'll just fail); it also prevents them from seeing conflicting facts (i.e. I have succeeded at some things in my life and might succeed at this). So, they are generally not motivated to even try to change because being different is not an option. And, when they do try to change, it's usually a half-hearted attempt; their first lapse sends them back to the same old "I'm a failure" thoughts.>

People generally truly question themselves and consider changing only when they are triggered by some more powerful discomfort or emotional pain. This introspection marks the beginning of the contemplation stage. As they think more about their problem, they begin to understand it better. They gain a fuller appreciation of the particular difficulties they are facing. With a more complete understanding of themselves and their problem, they are ready to begin the preparation stage. >

All of this makes intuitive sense to me. It also provides some understanding of what's going on for those who cannot seem to get off the merry-go-round of attempts at personal change. >

Although research on the Stages of Change theory yield mixed results, there does seem to be more consistent support for the first two stages of change (precontemplation and contemplation). For example, a treatment called Motivational Interviewing targets this population in a way that fits with the Stages of Change theory, and research has shown positive results. >

The Stages of Change and Motivational Interviewing support the idea that change is often hampered by people's inability to break free of prior emotionally compelling self-definitions-to disentangle themselves from the process of self-verification. >

Dr. Leslie Becker-Phelps is a clinical psychologist in private practice and is on the medical staff at Somerset Medical Center in Somerville, NJ. >

Read Original Post: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/making-change/200910/why-the-way-we-were-is-the-way-you-stay


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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Phys Ed: Why Exercise Makes You Less Anxious - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

Phys Ed: Why Exercise Makes You Less Anxious - Well Blog - NYTimes.com

New York Times Magazine <
November 18, 2009, 12:01 am <

Phys Ed: Why Exercise Makes You Less Anxious <
Joubert/Photo Researchers, Inc >

By By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS <>

Thanks to improved research techniques and a growing understanding of the biochemistry and the genetics of thought itself, scientists are beginning to tease out how exercise remodels the brain, making it more stress-resistant. >
_________________________________________

Researchers at Princeton University recently made a remarkable discovery about the brains of rats that exercise. Some of their neurons respond differently to stress than the neurons of slothful rats. Scientists have known for some time that exercise stimulates the creation of new brain cells (neurons) but not how, precisely, these neurons might be functionally different from other brain cells. >

In the experiment, preliminary results of which were presented last month at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Chicago, scientists allowed one group of rats to run. Another set of rodents was not allowed to exercise. Then all of the rats swam in cold water, which they don’t like to do. Afterward, the scientists examined the animals’ brains. They found that the stress of the swimming activated neurons in all of the brains. (The researchers could tell which neurons were activated because the cells expressed specific genes in response to the stress.) But the youngest brain cells in the running rats, the cells that the scientists assumed were created by running, were less likely to express the genes. They generally remained quiet. The “cells born from running,” the researchers concluded, appeared to have been “specifically buffered from exposure to a stressful experience.” The rats had created, through running, a brain that seemed biochemically, molecularly, calm. >

For years, both in popular imagination and in scientific circles, it has been a given that exercise enhances mood. But how exercise, a physiological activity, might directly affect mood and anxiety — psychological states — was unclear. Now, thanks in no small part to improved research techniques and a growing understanding of the biochemistry and the genetics of thought itself, scientists are beginning to tease out how exercise remodels the brain, making it more resistant to stress. In work undertaken at the University of Colorado, Boulder, for instance, scientists have examined the role of serotonin, a neurotransmitter often considered to be the “happy” brain chemical. That simplistic view of serotonin has been undermined by other researchers, and the University of Colorado work further dilutes the idea. In those experiments, rats taught to feel helpless and anxious, by being exposed to a laboratory stressor, showed increased serotonin activity in their brains. But rats that had run for several weeks before being stressed showed less serotonin activity and were less anxious and helpless despite the stress. >

Other researchers have looked at how exercise alters the activity of dopamine, another neurotransmitter in the brain, while still others have concentrated on the antioxidant powers of moderate exercise. Anxiety in rodents and people has been linked with excessive oxidative stress, which can lead to cell death, including in the brain. Moderate exercise, though, appears to dampen the effects of oxidative stress. In an experiment led by researchers at the University of Houston and reported at the Society for Neuroscience meeting, rats whose oxidative-stress levels had been artificially increased with injections of certain chemicals were extremely anxious when faced with unfamiliar terrain during laboratory testing. But rats that had exercised, even if they had received the oxidizing chemical, were relatively nonchalant under stress. When placed in the unfamiliar space, they didn’t run for dark corners and hide, like the unexercised rats. They insouciantly explored. >

It looks more and more like the positive stress of exercise prepares cells and structures and pathways within the brain so that they’re more equipped to handle stress in other forms,” says Michael Hopkins, a graduate student affiliated with the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory Laboratory at Dartmouth, who has been studying how exercise differently affects thinking and emotion. “It’s pretty amazing, really, that you can get this translation from the realm of purely physical stresses to the realm of psychological stressors.” >

The stress-reducing changes wrought by exercise on the brain don’t happen overnight, however, as virtually every researcher agrees. In the University of Colorado experiments, for instance, rats that ran for only three weeks did not show much reduction in stress-induced anxiety, but those that ran for at least six weeks did. “Something happened between three and six weeks,” says Benjamin Greenwood, a research associate in the Department of Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado, who helped conduct the experiments. Dr. Greenwood added that it was “not clear how that translates” into an exercise prescription for humans. We may require more weeks of working out, or maybe less. And no one has yet studied how intense the exercise needs to be. But the lesson, Dr. Greenwood says, is “don’t quit.” Keep running or cycling or swimming. (Animal experiments have focused exclusively on aerobic, endurance-type activities.) You may not feel a magical reduction of stress after your first jog, if you haven’t been exercising. But the molecular biochemical changes will begin, Dr. Greenwood says. And eventually, he says, they become “profound.” >

Access Original Article: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/18/phys-ed-why-exercise-makes-you-less-anxious/

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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

Saturday, November 21, 2009

What 100 Years of Research Tells Us About Effective Leadership | Psychology Today

Published on Psychology Today >

What 100 Years of Research Tells Us About >

Effective Leadership

What do we actually know about effective leadership? One hundred years of research on the topic has led to some clear answers. >

First, are leaders born or made? The answer is both, but more made than born. Leadership is a complex and sophisticated social role. Although certain qualities do predispose some people to attain leadership positions and be better at leading, effective leaders actually hone their skills through experience, conscious self-development, education, and training. >

Second, does leadership training work? Relatively recent analyses of over 100 years of leadership training and development efforts suggests that most programs do indeed lead to some positive change. Is the change dramatic? Sometimes. Certain crucible, or trigger, events can lead to substantial improvement in leadership ability. For the most part, however, leadership development is a long-term and incremental process. >

Third, are there certain elements that all (or most) great leaders share? We are quite sure that the theory of transformational leadership represents the very best elements of leadership. Effective leaders tend to be inspirational, visionary, and serve as positive role models for their followers. But the very best leaders also care sincerely about their followers, their well-being and their personal development. Great leaders also empower followers and encourage them to be creative and to take initiative. >

Fourth, is leadership situation specific? In other words, if you are a successful leader in one area, such as at work, will you also be a successful leader in the community, or in a different company? Although this question has not been thoroughly researched, it is likely that the same transformational qualities and skills will transfer to other settings. The limitation, of course, is that knowledge of the particular setting, and understanding of its “culture” is required. So, a period of adjustment and learning is needed to allow the leader to use transformational abilities in the new environment. >

Finally, how early in life does leadership begin to develop? This is a fascinating question, and one that our current research program is exploring. There has been little longitudinal research on the early “roots” of leadership, but our initial results suggest that the foundation of leadership begins at a very early age. Encouragement from parents and teachers likely plays a very important part, as well as early exposure to a variety of social situations, and novel experiences. >

What are the implications for personal leadership development? Leadership is complex, but it can be developed. We know the building blocks of leadership success, and it is clear that devoting time and energy to your personal development pays off.

________________________________________

Source URL: http://www.psychologytoday.com/node/35104Links: >

[1] http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/200903/leaders-born-or-made >
[2] http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/200904/can-leadership-be-developed >
[3] http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/200903/are-you-transformational-leader >
[4] http://www.psychologytoday.com/files/teaser/2009/11/greatleaders_0.jpeg >
[5] http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership >

Ronald E. Riggio, Ph.D. is the Henry R. Kravis Professor of Leadership and Organizational Psychology and Director of the Kravis Leadership Institute at Claremont McKenna College. Professor Riggio is the author of over 100 books, book chapters, and research articles in the areas of leadership, assessment centers, organizational psychology and social psychology. His most recent books are The Art of Followership and The Practice of Leadership, Jossey-Bass, 2008, 2007), Applications of Nonverbal Behavior (co-edited with Robert S. Feldman; Erlbaum, 2005), and Transformational Leadership (2nd ed.), coauthored with Bernard M. Bass (Erlbaum, 2006). Professor Riggio is an Associate Editor of The Leadership Quarterly, and is on the Editorial Boards of Leadership, Leadership Review, Group Dynamics, and the Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, and he was the originator of the Shoptalk column at the Los Angeles Times, a Q&A column dealing with workplace problems/issues. >

His PT blog is Cutting-Edge Leadership.

Access original post containing embedded links to related sources: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cutting-edge-leadership/200911/what-100-years-research-tells-us-about-effective-leadership >


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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Positive Psychology News Daily » The Three Degrees of Influence and Happiness

Positive Psychology News Daily » The Three Degrees of Influence and Happiness

Positive Psychology News >

The Three Degrees of Influence and Happiness >

By Timothy T.C. So

Timothy So, Msc, is a PhD candidate in Psychology in the University of Cambridge Department of Psychiatry. He is a Research Associate of Cambridge University's Well-being Institute and a Chartered Occupational Psychologist. Timothy is also responsible for both the Traditional and the Simplified Chinese PPND sites. Full bio. >

Timothy writes on the 18th of each month and his articles are here. >

“People who post smiley photos on Facebook/Frowners attract happy friends.”
(Nature, 2008) >


Social Networks and Happiness >>

Would you be surprised to read the above finding from Nature, one of the most prominent science journals in the world? Nicholas Christakis, a sociologist at Harvard University, and James Fowler, a political scientist at University of California, advocate that our happiness is affected by our social networks in a subtle way. The research shows that within a social network, happiness spreads among people up to three degrees of separation. That means when you feel happy, your friend’s friend’s friend has a higher likelihood of feeling happy too. And, it applies in both real and virtual worlds. >

Three Groundbreaking Findings >>

First, using data from the renowned Framingham Heart Study which started in 1948 with 5,209 adults in Framingham, Massachusetts, and is now on its third generation of participants, Christakis and Fowler indicate that everything we do or say tends to ripple through our network, having an impact on our friends (one degree), our friends’ friends (two degrees), and our friends’ friends’ friends (three degrees). Fowler and Christakis have found that if a person is happy, the likelihood that a close friend will also be happy is increased by 15%. At two degrees of separation, this likelihood is increased by 10%, and at three degrees of separation, this increase of probability falls to 6% but the effect is still significant. The finding has the name “Three Degrees of Influence.” We have already known happy people tend to cluster together and miserable people are more likely to have friends that are wretched. But what surprises us is that this impact permeates beyond our circle of direct contact to even people of three degrees of separation, who we might not know. >

Secondly, an astounding finding from the Three Degrees of Influence is that it applies not only in reality but also the virtual world. Christakis and Flower conducted another study examining the phenomenon on Facebook, which has more than 120 million active users. They browsed through all of the Facebook pages of 1700 students at a particular unnamed university to see if people smile in their pictures, as well as whether their connections also smile or not. They found that people who put smiling photos on their profiles tend to link to one another, which clusters in very much the same way as happiness flocks in the Framingham Heart Study. >

Third, one may wonder at this point, “what about sadness, does it also spread within a network?” Yes, its impact is however not as prevailing. According to Christakis and Flower, each happy friend increases your own chance of being happy by 9% in average, whereas each unhappy friend decreases it by 7%. This reflects the overall effect of all social contacts. >

Two Inspiring Lessons >>

While Daniel Gilbert, professor of psychology at Harvard University, regards the study as “a stunning paper by two of the most respected scientists in the field” in a CNN report, it is important for us to realize the implications of the Three Degrees of Influence and happiness on what can we actually do. >

Lesson No. 1. Happiness is not only an individual matter. <>

Lesson No. 2. One plus one does not necessarily equal two. < 1="2.">

Community Flourishing >>
The Three Degrees of Influence shows that our community and social network are like a honeycomb in which people influence one another. This implies that the foundation of individual happiness relies on both individual and collective contributions. As happy people cluster together, a flourishing community is formed. And flourishing could grow to a larger loop of people at the community level, where individual well-being or happiness would be able to be achieved and maximized. >

Therefore, while Marty Seligman stated the goal of positive psychology is to increase the percentage of the world population that is considered ‘flourishing’ from today’s 15.7% to 51% by the year 2051, it is time to stop thinking of happiness as a private business, individual and personal. This would hinder our effort to transform people into happy or flourishing collectively as a whole. It is necessary for us to realize that we, both you and me, have enormous potential to weave the fabric of our community, to make our community feel happier, closer and more flourishing for everyone, and to direct the flow of nutrients, joy, love, wisdom, meaning and empowerment to nourish everyone within the community. >

Felicia Huppert, Professor of Psychology at Cambridge University and I are currently working on a project about community flourishing with the purpose of enhancing our knowledge of this aspect that does good to the community as a whole. We would be delighted if more researchers and practitioners are to work together on this momentous area. >

Images:
James FowlerNicholas ChristakisCommunity Spirit courtesy of sifah
References:
Fowler, J. H., & Christakis, N. A. (2008).Dynamic spread of happiness in a large social network: longitudinal analysis over 20 years in the Framingham Heart Study. British Medical Journal
Whitfield, J. (2008). The secret of happiness: grinning on the Internet. Nature

Read Original Post: http://positivepsychologynews.com/news/timothy-so/200911185246

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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

Procrastination, guilt, excuses and the road less traveled

Procrastination, guilt, excuses and the road less traveled


Published on Psychology Today (http://www.psychologytoday.com/)>

Procrastination, guilt, excuses and the road less traveled >

By Timothy A. Pychyl, Ph.D.

People seldom do what they believe in. They do what is convenient, then repent. (Bob Dylan). I certainly agree with the first part of this Dylan quote, but I'm quite sure that there's more to it than repentance, including: distraction, forgetting, trivialization, self-affirmation and denial of responsibility to name a few.>

Since the 1950's with Leon Festinger's (and his students') initial work on cognitive dissonance, psychologists have spent countless hours studying how acting counter-attitudinally leads to a negative emotional state. Why? Well, most people try to maintain a consistent and positive sense of self. Most people want to act competently, morally, and to be able to predict their behavior. When our actions and beliefs or even two beliefs are in conflict, they are dissonant. Dissonance is uncomfortable. We want to relieve ourselves from this negative state. >

Traditionally, researchers have studied this relief in the form of attitude change. If my behavior conflicts with my attitude, change my attitude. That's easy, and it's common. It's the road most traveled, as they say. I could also change my behavior. But, even Festinger has argued that this isn't simple or easy (and it's seldom the preferred route; it's the road less traveled). As Dylan has noted above, it's easier to do what's convenient, not necessarily what we believe in, then repent. >

I just finished reading a doctoral student's proposal for her research on cognitive dissonance. It was a very good read, and she has proposed some interesting studies. Of course, I read her work through my "filter" of procrastination research, and this took me to different places. >

That's what I want to blog about today - cognitive dissonance and procrastination.>

Not only do "people seldom do what they believe in" but all too often people don't do what they intend to do. They do what is convenient (what they feel like). Then what? >

When we intend to act, when we have a goal to which we've made an intention to act, and we don't act (voluntarily and quite irrationally choosing to delay action despite knowing this may affect us negatively), we experience dissonance. This is one of the costs of procrastination. >

Dylan says we "repent" afterwards. We could. I've even conducted some research on this repentance in the form of self-forgiveness. It happens, and it seems to help. >

More often, I think we engage in alternative strategies to reduce the dissonance created by procrastination. This dissonance is commonly experienced emotionally as guilt, and we do whatever we can to get rid of this negative emotion. >

Here are a few typical reactions that researchers have catalogued as responses to dissonance (and ways that we reduce this dissonance). >

1. Distraction - allows individuals to divert their attention away from their dissonant cognitions and avoid the negative affective state caused by dissonance; >

2. Forgetting - can be in two forms, passive and active. Passive is often the case with unimportant thoughts, while we may have to actively suppress important cognitions that are causing dissonance; >

3. Trivialization - involves changing beliefs to reduce the importance of the dissonance creating thoughts or beliefs;>

4. Self-affirmation - creates a focus on our core values and other qualities that reasserts our sense of self and integrity despite the dissonance; >

5. Denial of responsibility - allows us to distance ourselves as a causal agent in the dissonance; >

6. Adding consonant cognitions - often by seeking out new information that supports our position; and >

7. Changing behavior - to better align with our beliefs and values, although changing one's behaviour requires effort and is often not the most convenient way to reduce dissonance. >

This is quite a list, and quite frankly I - as do many researchers - think this is just the tip of the iceberg. We have many strategies available to make ourselves feel good as we minimize feelings of dissonance. And, we're quite expert at employing them to keep buoyant day-to-day. It's part of our coping mechanisms.>

That said, not all coping mechanisms are adaptive. Quite consistently, research has demonstrated that techniques like distraction, forgetting, trivialization and denial of responsibility are emotion-focused strategies that are not nearly as effective in the long term as planful-problem-solving strategies. Yes, we have to take care of our emotions, but this can't be where the coping stops. If it is, that's just a case of "giving in to feel good," and we'll pay in the long run if this is our dominant short-term strategy. >

What we're doing is making excuses for ourselves to bolster a threatened sense of self. Why is self threatened? In the case of procrastination, it's because we failed to self-regulate and do an intended task in a timely manner. Interestingly, we're the only one to blame as we become our own worst enemy. The sad answer seems to be to entrench a little deeper into self-protection.>

I think it's time to live with the tension that cognitive dissonance creates and let it fuel more honesty; perhaps an honest look at strategy number 7 - behavior change. >

Want to reduce dissonance about not working on an intended task? >
Just get started.>
Simple strategy. Simple truth. >

Ah, I know, some of you will read this and it will create dissonance for you as it conflicts with your beliefs. I know because I get emails from people who say, "if it was that simple wouldn't we all just change?" No, because the easier route is to employ one of the other strategies - distraction, forgetting, denial . . . These are the much more traveled routes. We know this from lived experience. We know it from research. >

two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.(Robert Frost, 1915) >

It's time for the road less traveled - Just get started.>

Progress, even a little, will reduce your dissonance, fuel your motivation and enhance your well-being. As Frost knew, the road less traveled by can make all the difference. >
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Source URL: http://www.psychologytoday.com/node/35034Links:[1] https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dont-delay/200903/self-forgiveness-reduces-procrastination[2] https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dont-delay/200804/giving-in-feel-good-why-self-regulation-fails[3] https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dont-delay/200803/just-get-started[4] https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dont-delay/200806/goal-progress-and-happiness[5] http://www.psychologytoday.com/files/teaser/2009/11/dylan.jpg[6] http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dont-delay

Read Original Post: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/dont-delay/200911/procrastination-guilt-excuses-and-the-road-less-traveled
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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

The Rise of the Teaching Organization - Bill Taylor - HarvardBusiness.org

The Rise of the Teaching Organization - Bill Taylor - HarvardBusiness.org:

Harvard Business Publishing >

Bill Taylor Practically Radical >

The Rise of the Teaching Organization <>

Ever since the publication, nearly two decades ago, of Peter Senge's monumental bestseller The Fifth Discipline, we've been in the age of the "learning organization." Executives have come to understand that for their companies to stay ahead of the competition, their people, at every level, have to learn more (and more quickly) than the competition: new skills, new takes on emerging technologies, new ways to do old things, from manufacturing to marketing to R&D. Gary Hamel, the influential business strategist, likes to say that one of the most urgent questions facing leaders (and thus their companies) is, "Are you learning as fast as the world is changing?">

It's hard to argue with this love of learning. But one thing I've learned over the last few years, as I've traveled the world in search of organizations unleashing big change in difficult circumstances, is that the most determined innovators — the organizations with the most original ideas about how to compete and win — aren't just committed to learning. They are just as committed to teaching. They understand that the only sustainable form of market leadership is thought leadership. And if, as Aristotle famously said, "teaching is the highest form of understanding," then they also understand that the most powerful way to demonstrate your position as a thought leader is to teach other organizations what you know — whether they are customers, suppliers, or even direct competitors. >

Think of it as the rise of the teaching organization. One of the most compelling examples of this phenomenon is a health-care provider in Seattle called Virginia Mason, a 90-year-old hospital system with 400 doctors and nearly 5,000 employees. Dr. Gary Kaplan, the organization's CEO, is something of a legend in healthcare circles for the turnaround he's led since taking charge in February 2000. At the time, Virginia Mason was struggling with deteriorating finances, inefficient processes, and uneven quality. Kaplan and his colleagues became committed students of the Toyota Production System, the blend of management techniques that fueled the rise of the most powerful car company in the world. The CEO led frequent pilgrimages to Japan, adopted the strategies, practices, and management language of its Japanese mentor, and developed a whole new way of running a hospital that it calls the Virginia Mason Production System — a system that has delivered staggering improvements. >

In other words, Virginia Mason became the ultimate learning organization. Now it aspires to become the ultimate teaching organization. A year ago, Kaplan created the Virginia Mason Institute and opened the doors of his hospital to the outside word. The Institute leads tours of the facilities and explains how they work, teaches classes in various management techniques, and otherwise shares what Virginia Mason knows with individual executives and entire healthcare systems. The student has become the teacher. >

Why bother? "First and foremost," Kaplan told me, "this is about our vision to be the quality leader in our field and to help transform the field as a whole. Part of our mission as a company is to help improve our industry. But the more we educate, the faster we move as well. This will spur us on, push us to keep getting better, and people will chase our taillights. Our credibility as a company is dependent on our ability to deliver results. By teaching others what we've learned, it forces us to keep learning.">

You don't have to be a huge organization with a full-fledged institute to teach other companies what you know. The founders of 37signals, a fast-growing software company about which I've written in the past, have developed a truly original set of ideas about strategy, marketing, and the organization of work — ideas that have fueled their tremendous success. But they don't keep those ideas to themselves. Through a series of conferences (called Seed), a fabulously instructive blog (called Signal vs. Noise), and even a free e-book on the Web (called "Getting Real"), Jason Fried and his colleagues share their ideas with anyone who wants to learn from them. >

Their approach, they like to say, is not to out-market the competition, but to out-teach the competition. Why? Because teaching creates a different kind of presence in the marketplace. It creates a higher sense of loyalty among those who learn from you. And it helps the company create not just customers for its products but an audience for its ideas — in the same way that famous chefs are willing to share their recipes so as to build a following for their overall approach to cooking. >

So by all means, stay focused as leaders on what your companies need to learn. But don't miss the opportunity to share what you already know. The most idea-driven organizations have a chance to become the best teaching organizations — and we never forget our best teachers. >

See original post: http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/taylor/2009/11/companies_with_class_the_rise.html

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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

How to understand the tenth dimension | Geekend | TechRepublic.com

How to understand the tenth dimension Geekend TechRepublic.com


Date: November 12th, 2009
Author: Wally Bahny

Rob Bryanton has written a book entitled Imagining the Tenth Dimension, which covers the 10 dimensions, quantum theory, time travel, and many other theories of the universe. Bryanton uses a teaching method that is much easier to understand than common techniques; he uses examples from popular science fiction to provide imagery to help the reader understand what he is explaining.
He created his blog, Imagining the Tenth Dimension, to supplement the book and to explore other challenging topics in a more informal manner. On his blog, he explains these topics using text and video; the video is hosted on YouTube at the 10thdim’s Channel.

Starting with the most basic of his teachings, the ten dimensions, he uses a video presentation to explain each dimension, what it represents, and how to perceive it.

Video 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkxieS-6WuA&feature=video_response 6min 49 seconds

Video 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySBaYMESb8o&feature=related



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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Private Equity Firm Sees Opportunities in Insurance

Private Equity Firm Sees Opportunities in Insurance

Private Equity Firm Sees Opportunities in Insurance >

By Megan Davies and Paritosh Bansal <>

Private equity firm Lightyear Capital is looking for acquisitions in sectors including insurance, banks, processing companies and asset management, CEO Donald Marron said Monday. >

Lightyear has stayed on the sidelines for the last year, although it recently struck a deal to buy three of the U.S. independent broker-dealer units of Dutch bancassurer ING Group. >

"Coming out of this crisis there are a lot of opportunities, but you have to look very carefully,'' Marron told the Reuters Global Finance Summit in New York. >

Marron, who founded Lightyear in 2000, said a typical deal Lightyear might pursue would be $50 million to $250 million in terms of the equity cheque written. Of that, Lightyear would contribute about half the equity.He said there are multiple opportunities for investing in insurance. >

Last year Lightyear was in talks with mortgage insurer Triad Guaranty to form a new mortgage insurer, but those discussions ended in the summer of 2008. >

"We've looked very hard at mortgage insurance and we've not done anything yet; it's a very complex issue and we will continue to look,'' Marron said. >

(Reporting by Megan Davies and Paritosh Bansal; editing by John Wallace) >
See original post: http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2009/11/19/105443.htm

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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

Leading Blog: A Leadership Blog @ LeadershipNow: Derailed: Five Lessons Learned from Catastrophic Failures of Leadership

http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadingblog/2009/11/derailed_five_lessons_learned.html

LeadershipNow

11.17.09 >

Derailed: Five Lessons Learned from Catastrophic Failures of Leadership >

Derailed is about the traps you and I can fall into. Sometimes they are the result of the sense of entitlement that leaders can fall prey to. Sometimes they are the result of thinking and behavior that has worked (we think) in the past, so why change it now. Sometimes they are the overuse of a strength that we have yet to discipline. Sometimes we don’t even have a clue and so we get derailed and go around blaming others and asking “Why me?” >

It can happen to anyone. And it is something we have to constantly be sensitive to because these traps are character issues that can disqualify us from leadership. Author Tim Irwin writes, “No matter how brilliant, charming, strategic, or commanding in presence a leader is, the consequences of a failed character are extraordinarily disabling and will bring down even the strongest among us. Similarly, if our character is inadequate, eventually we will miss the warning signals and slam into a parked freight train.” >

To illuminate the impact and nature of derailment, Irwin profiles six leaders that either through arrogance, lack of self-awareness, a sense of entitlement, greed, self-discipline, or a combination of any or all, derailed. Derailment is a process. Irwin suggests that there are five stages: a failure of self-/other-awareness, hubris, missed early warning signals, rationalizing and finally derailment. A lack of self-awareness is the foundation of all derailments. >

These are all issues of character. And stressful times only make us more of who we already are. Authenticity, self-management, humility and courage are dimensions of character that when properly developed, help us to avoid derailment. We can only be as good a leader as the character we possess. >

Derailment is not inevitable, but without attention to development, it is probable. He writes, “Derailment is especially rooted in the failure to prepare, to grow personally and professionally, and to develop the qualities needed to stay on track…. Attention to our development means we must be constantly alert and self-aware and have a lifelong commitment to learn, to grow, and to prepare.” >

To combat derailment you need to adapt five habits says Irwin.

1. First, you need to develop a habit of openness. “Openness to
feedback reflects our interest in being a learning, growing person.” >

2. Second is the habit of self-/other-awareness. “It is
critical that we regularly tune into how others see us.” When we find a big
difference, we have a blind spot that needs to be addressed. >

["We are all put to the test, but it never comes in the form or the point we
would prefer, does it?" >~Anthony Hopkins, The Edge ] >
3. The third habit is to cultivate personal early warning systems that can
tell us when we are at risk of derailment
. “The key is to monitor ourselves
and to pay attention to our own signals or feedback from others. Exerting
control over stress means that we do whatever is necessary to lower the
stress level to one at which our performance is not compromised.” >


4. We also need to develop a habit of accountability. “The leaders most susceptible to derailment refuse to have their opinions, decision, and actions questioned…. Accountability means that, even when we are not required to answer to others because of our position or corporate policy or law, we intentionally place ourselves in a relationship with someone who tests our motives and our actions.” >


5. Finally, is to develop the habit of resiliency. “Resiliency is the ability not only to bounce back from adversity but also to grow from it.” A clear sense of purpose widens our perspective and helps us to become more resilient. >


Sometimes we need a wake-up call to finally deal with our own issues. But we can learn vicariously. And that’s the best way to learn if we have the discipline. Tim Irwin’s book is a great place to begin. A guide for asking the hard questions. >

Of Related Interest:
Free Online Assessment: Tim Irwin has developed an online assessment This exercise will help you to identify your risk for derailment in four key areas. There are 48 questions within this assessment. It should take you 5-10 minutes to complete: http://www.drtimirwin.com/derailed/assessment.html>

Read Original Post: http://www.leadershipnow.com/leadingblog/2009/11/derailed_five_lessons_learned.html

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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.

Leadership Isn't About You - Marshall Goldsmith - HarvardBusiness.org

Leadership Isn't About You - Marshall Goldsmith - HarvardBusiness.org

Harvard Business Publishing >

Marshall Goldsmith Ask the Coach < Leadership Isn't About You <>

This week's question for Ask the Coach: >

I am having a difficult time leading my team. The team members will not follow my instructions, which I am sure would make our project much more successful. What am I doing wrong? >

What you're doing wrong is very simple: you have simply forgotten that your team is more critical to the success of your project than you are. >

Over the years, I have worked with many great leaders as an executive educator and coach. One client, Charlie (not his real name), in particular is still one of my favorites. He is the one who showed the most improvement — and he is the one who I spent the least amount of time with. >

Charlie was president of a division with more than 50,000 employees. His CEO recognized his talents and asked me to help Charlie expand his role, provide more leadership, and build synergy across the organization. Charlie eagerly involved his team in this project. Each person took responsibility for creating positive synergy with cross-organizational colleagues. They regularly reported their efforts, learned from their colleagues, and shared what they learned. They thanked people for ideas and suggestions and followed up to ensure effective implementation. >

What I find interesting is that of all the clients I have every coached, Charlie is the client I spent the least amount of time with. This inverse relationship between our spending time together and he and his team getting better was very humbling. At the end of our project, I told Charlie about this observation. "I think that I spent less time with you and your team than any team I have ever coached, yet you and your team produced the most dramatic, positive results. What should I learn from my experience?" >

Charlie thought about my question. "As a coach," he said, "you should realize that success with your clients isn't all about you. It's about the people who choose to work with you." He chuckled; then he continued: "In a way, I am the same. The success of my organization isn't about me. It's all about the great people who are working with me." >

What an insight! This isn't what most of the conventional wisdom of leadership dictates. Most leadership literature exaggerates, even glamorizes, the leader's contribution. The implication being that everything begins with the leader, that she is responsible for your improvement, she guides you to victory, without the leader there is no navigator. >

This isn't true. An oft-quoted proverb says: "The best leader, the people do not notice. When the best leader's work is done, the people say, 'We did it ourselves.'" >


Truly great leaders, like Charlie, recognize how silly it is to believe that a coach or a leader is the key to an organization's success. The best leaders understand that long-term results are created by all of the great people doing the work — not just the one person who has the privilege of being at the top. >

Marshall GoldsmithMarshall Goldsmith is a world authority in helping successful leaders achieve positive, lasting change in behavior. Dr. Goldmith's 24 books include What Got You Here Won't Get You There, an NYT best seller, WSJ #1 business book and Harold Longman Award winner for Business Book of the Year. He has been recognized as one of the world's leading executive educators and coaches in BusinessWeek, the Economist, Forbes and The Times of London. His articles and videos are available online at MarshallGoldsmithLibrary.com and he can be reached at Marshall@MarshallGoldsmith.com His latest book is Succession: Are You Ready?: >

Access Original Post: http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/goldsmith/2009/11/leadership_isnt_about_you.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+harvardbusiness+%28HarvardBusiness.org%29&utm_content=Google+Reader >

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http://dreamlearndobecome.blogspot.com This posting was made my Jim Jacobs, President & CEO of Jacobs Executive Advisors. Jim also serves as Leader of Jacobs Advisors' Insurance Practice.