What holds you back from doing something that worries you? What makes you do something you know is not in your own interest? Why does this get even more true of elderly people? For years, I have been studying: 1. Shaping experiences — the events that shape our deepest abilities to take charge of our lives, to [...]
Friday, April 25, 2008
“How to motivate front line workers who do not want to grow?” was one of the questions on the AMA webinar. My first reaction was to ask what the supervisor had done to be sure of hiring the right people and engaging them in discussion of how they fit in the success of the company. [...]
Sunday, April 6, 2008
I am going to address two different kinds of questions in this posting. First, the AMA Webcast Q&A included several questions on a personal growth program, for example, “If a formal leadership advancement program is not available in an organization, what do suggest to one who’s interested in management (beside so indicating to your boss)?” The text [...]
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Another group of questions from the AMA Webcast Q&A focused on breaking out from the pack, such as : “I am not a leader now, how can I stand out so I may be chosen or offered the opportunity to become a leader?” First, senior leaders — business owners, chief executives and bosses at various levels [...]
Countless more ordinary people of equal talent never developed the leadership core required to run the show. Why not?
Is our behavior in the face of challenge determined at birth or by our environment? Are leaders born rather than made?
My obsession with what makes some ordinary people become extraordinary leaders led to my interviews with dozens of CEOs which Random House published in 2007 and to the Master Class series at Pace. The thesis is that there are particular “shaping experiences” which develop leadership traits and capabilities.
Epi-genetics is the new field of study that is beginning to confirm that nurture determines a lot about us: our behavior, our illnesses and more. Work on animals and on human twins shows that no matter your genome, there is a system of markers that switch genes on and off in a way that controls your reaction to stimuli. These markers are largely from environmental factors from what happened while you were in the womb, to how you were treated in your childhood, to stressful situations to pollution. And the markers you have accumulated can go-awry as you age.
The good news is that by treatment, including drugs, these markers can be added or removed.
Together with breakthroughs in neuroscience (how our brain works during different mental and emotional conditions), we are about to glean powerful new understandings relevant to our lives as well as careers.
For an intro to the field, view the PBS Nova Science Now program on the subject:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3411/02.html
That’s my view. What’s yours?
For a few years now, Jim Blasingame and I have shared stories, insights and practical suggestions for survival of small business in tough times. He should be your fave for an unlimited supply of helpful ideas for your business. Go to:
http://blog.smallbusinessadvocate.com/management-fundamentals/small-business-economic-challenges
and also to the home page of smallbusinessadvocate.com
Please let me know how helpful you find this great resource. Jim is, himself, a very successful small business owner who knows whereof he speaks.
As I said in a prior post, the fruit vendor on a nearby street corner in New York City told me he is working on becoming a bank holding company so he can get in line for a bailout. Is there no end?
Today’s announcement it was announced that insurance companies will be allowed to reduce the reserve capital they have to make sure they can pay benefits to customers when the time comes. Isn’t this converting insurers to be like AIG? Isn’t insurance with low reserves the same as gambling?
There was no accompanying clear and detailed plan for oversight. Just like the billions of dollars that have flowed into the investment bank.
That’s my view. What’s yours?
Saturday, April 26, 2008
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