Today we focus on Pattern #3 from The Way Life Works: Life Needs an Inside, and an Outside. One of life’s most important organizing principles is the difference between an inside and an outside. For example: Baby’s need of a protective barrier-skin A clam needs its shell The earth needs its atmosphere Trees need their bark At a basic level of life, cells need their membranes. So what does this principle mean for leaders in organizations? People show us only …
Today I continue my exploration of how the life-sciences have discovered patterns that can help us be better leaders.The second pattern is that “Life Assembles Itself in Chains” (from the book The Way Life Works). At the core of the chain is the atom, which is the elemental unit of everything in the universe, both living and nonliving. Second, in the chain we have molecules, which are atoms bonded together. Third in scale are chain molecules, which are very …
Last week I talked to a friend who had an offer to pursue an opportunity which he had always desired. However, at the moment of decision, he found himself hesitating and fearful of making the commitment. Fortunately, before he turned down the option, we had an opportunity to discuss his feelings and decision-making process. Like many opportunities, this one came along at the wrong time. He was already at the limits of his capacity, both physically and mentally. Yet, …
Last week, 75 leaders had the pleasure of hearing Ari Weinzweig, Co-Founder of Zingerman’s, speak about his new book “A Lapsed Anarchist’s Approach to Managing Ourselves” at my Leaders Connect event (Please enjoy the video of his presentation HERE). Ari emphasized the importance of self-awareness as a key to becoming a great leader. He described how over the years, he has developed a keen sense of himself and how he has helped his employees become self-aware, as well. Ari …
We all spend much of our “mind time” remembering. Unfortunately, too much of that time is focused on negative memories that make us feel bad: anxious, guilty, or ashamed. But what if we could have more control over our minds and focus on creating positive memories which make us feel joy, gratitude, and pride? Recently I read about the latest research on memory in the New Yorker. The article, “Partial Recall” by Michael Specter, explores how researchers are learning …
I read this today on Writer’s Almanac by Garrison Healer: “It is the birthday of Bel Kaufman (1911). Kaufman taught in the New York public school system for 20 years. She had a terrible time passing the oral exam to get her teaching certificate because of her Russian accent, but she finally did and eventually turned the frustrations of her teaching career into a novel. It was called Up the Down Staircase (1965), and the story was told through …