One of the main tools of our trade is feedback. We habitually offer it to our clients and to our colleagues and use it to continuously improve our own performance. In fact, this Enablers Network blog exists because of feedback. After the publication of our Engaging Leadership book in 2009, we were told; “We like it a lot, when is…
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Psychology & Leadership
“Tell me: How will Pathos improve our R.O.I.?”
Friday April 20th, 2012 2 commentsThis is the friendly “punch in the stomach” I received one day from one of my favorite C.E.O. and client. I can not think of a leader who wouldn’t wonder, each day, how she could improve the level of motivation and engagement of her troops. We all want it. We all know that motivation is increasingly critical in a fast…
“The US 7th Cavalry and the Quantum Zeno Effect” by Michael Newman
Saturday March 10th, 2012 1 commentOne of the joys of working in a Network of curious people with widely varying interests is the breadth of ideas that we are exposed to. This provides the environment for the creative collision of ideas2. Regular readers of the Enablers blog will be used to such collisions and enjoy adding their own connections and insights. The theme of this…
Why “Somatic Markers” are critical to a business leader?
Saturday February 4th, 2012 4 commentsMichael Newman and I have mentioned Professor Antonio Damasio several times on this blog. Besides being one of the leading neuroscientists of the XXIst century, his work is compelling for leaders of today. One aspect, in particular, touches the topic of decision making. More concretely, to us business leaders, how do we “move our people from intention to action”? In…
When you let your people go, who takes care of those who stay?
Friday January 27th, 2012 0 commentsAs I recently mentioned, my professional “Deep Intent” comes from the sad memory, of seeing brave and respectable men begging my grandfather for work, because of a sudden closing of their coal mines in Southern Belgium. Laying people off, no matter how economically justified and how much courage it takes from the leader to do so, should always be considered…
2012: Our opportunity to unveil the Hero within ourselves!
Saturday January 21st, 2012 4 comments“Strategy is not about guessing the future but preparing for whatever it will be!”. Many of you have heard our friend and partner Nick van Heck claim this. And preparing our organizations, start with preparing ourselves, as leaders and human beings. Many of you know the fascination that the work of Joseph Campbell has on me. Campbell was a university…
Narcissistic? Psychopathic? Or humble? Choose your style…
Saturday November 5th, 2011 2 commentsIn which population do we find the highest percentage of people with psychopathic tendencies? Not in jail, not in gangs but… in Boardrooms!!! This is the surprising stand that one of the world’s most respected specialists in psychopathy, Professor Robert Hare, takes in his book published in 2007, “Snakes in suit”. Of course the statement is provocative and does not…
“How Loss Aversion may unconsciously impact our strategic thinking”
Friday October 21st, 2011 1 commentWikipedia provides the following definition for the psychological phenomenon known as Loss Aversion: “In economics and decision theory, loss aversion refers to people’s tendency to strongly prefer avoiding losses to acquiring gains. Some studies suggest that losses are two and a half times as powerful, psychologically, as gains. Loss aversion was first convincingly demonstrated by Amos Tversky and Daniel Kahneman”…
“How Dilemmas Management will help your strategic thinking”
Saturday October 15th, 2011 0 commentsIn a recent discussion, a psychiatrist friend of mine elaborated around the notion of “choice” and I found it particularly relevant to our professional lives: “Many people at the executive levels display one form or another of perfectionism. They are therefore very hard on themselves and their people. Referring to the risk aversion theory (which I was checking with him),…
“We’re Number one: What could we possibly learn from you?” by Michael Newman
Saturday October 8th, 2011 0 commentsOur success comes from being smart; yours is simply due to luck. We benefit from our carefully crafted strategies; you just happened to be in the right place at the right time. We are confident; you are arrogant…. Dismissing the opposition is a comforting pastime, but becomes a real danger if they are hungrier than us. In the Enablers Network,…