5 posts from December 2013

December 27, 2013

The Difference Between Leaders and Managers

"Don’t tell me you had a wonderful meeting with me. Tell me what you’re going to do on Monday that’s different." -- Peter Drucker

“It has become popular to talk about us being over-managed and under-led. I believe we are now over-led and under-managed.” ~ Henry Mintzberg, Simply Managing: What Managers Do—and Can Do Better (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2013)

Much has been written about the difference between leaders and managers.

“Leaders are people who do the right thing,” noteleadership experts Warren Bennis and Joan Goldsmith in Learning to Lead: A Workbook on Becoming a Leader (Basic Books, 2003). “Managers are people who do things right.”

As they further explain: “To manage means to bring about, to accomplish, to have charge of or responsibility for, to conduct. Leading is influencing, guiding in a direction, course, action, opinion. The distinction is crucial.”

While this distinction is correct, it has unintended negative effects. Some leaders now believe their job is about coming up with big ideas. They dismiss executing these ideas, engaging in conversation and planning the details as mere “management” work.

Worse still, many leaders cite this distinction as the reason why they’re entitled to avoid the hard work of learning about the people they lead, the processes their companies use and the customers they serve.

What Managers Actually Do

According to traditional management theorists, managers are supposed to plan, organize, coordinate and control. In truth, the pressures of reacting to urgent matters supplant most reflection and planning.

Managers respond to daily crises, take on too much work, operate with continuous interruptions and make instant decisions. They have no time to step back and consider bigger issues—a problem that often causes them to act with superficial, fragmented information.

In a classic November 2003 Harvard Business Review article, “Manager’s Job: Folklore and Fact,” Mintzberg outlines 10 daily management roles that fall within three broad categories:

1. Interpersonal Category (3 Roles)

Figurehead. You represent your group to your organization and the community at large.
Leader. You hire, train and motivate employees.
Liaison. You maintain contact with colleagues and stakeholders outside your immediate chain of command.

2. Informational Category (3 Roles)

Monitor. You leverage your personal network to scan the environment for vital information.
Disseminator. You feed information to subordinates who lack your access to critical data.
Spokesperson. You provide information on behalf of your unit to senior management and outside organizations.

3. Decisional Category (4 Roles)

Entrepreneur. You initiate projects to improve your unit’s processes or profits.
Disturbance Handler. You manage crises precipitated by employees, customers, suppliers, systems or accidents.
Resource Allocator. You decide who will get what, coordinate the impact of interrelated decisions and allocate managerial time.
Negotiator. You use strategic information to resolve grievances, establish contracts and promote shared decisions.

If you want to improve your managerial skills, take a good look at what actually happens each day:

How do you spend your time?
In which activities are you engaged?
Are you really operating in all 10 pivotal roles?
Where do you need help?

5 Effective Managerial Mindsets

Mintzberg further describes five critical managerial mindsets:

Managing oneself (reflective mindset). A reflective mindset allows you to be thoughtful, examine familiar experiences in a new light, and set the stage for developing innovative products and services.
Managing organizations (analytical mindset). An analytical mindset ensures that you make decisions based on in-depth data.
Managing context (worldly mindset). A worldly mindset helps you operate in diverse regions, with the cultural and social insights needed to serve varied customers.
Managing relationships (collaborative mindset). A collaborative mindset fosters relationship-building among the individuals and teams who produce your products and services. Instead of managing people, focus on managing your relationships with them.
Managing change (action mindset). An action mindset energizes you to create and expedite the best plans for achieving strategic goals.

Expecting managers to excel in all five managerial mindsets misses Mintzberg’s point. Managers are people, not superheroes. But when they’re at least somewhat familiar with each way of thinking, they can more easily recognize which skills are needed and appropriately switch mindsets.

The Care and Feeding of Managers

CEOs who wish to retain top managers need to see them as important resources and nurture them accordingly. Managers are the single greatest factor in retaining employees (Gallup Organization, State of the American Workplace, 2012).

CEOs should provide their managers with development opportunities and professional coaching. Companies that offer coaching enjoy marked performance improvements—not only from managers, but from those who report to them, as well.

Executive coaching grants managers time to practice introspection, which is necessary for ongoing learning. Job pressures frequently drive managers to take on too much work, encourage interruptions, respond quickly to every stimulus, seek the tangible and avoid the abstract, and make decisions in small increments. Effective managers consciously deal with these pressures.

Becoming a More Effective Manager

Conquer the challenges associated with managerial demands by developing introspection skills and insights:

Be aware of which roles you naturally prefer. Don’t ignore those that make you uncomfortable. Stretch beyond your usual limits.
Be sure to disseminate information to others so you can delegate more and help your people grow more self-sufficient.
Avoid the traps of superficial decision-making because of time pressures. Make use of other experts and analysts.
Schedule time for the tasks you believe are most important. Don’t let daily pressures crowd out time for reflection, innovation or other critical values.

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development to help mangers improve their managerial skills? Does your organization provide executive coaching for managers who need to learn about the people they lead, the processes their companies use and the customers they serve? Enlightened managers tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to create a more fulfilling future.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Are our people over-led and under-managed?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching to help leaders develop more effective teams.

John Lennon once said, “Life is something that happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.” Of course, you can listen to Woody Allen, who famously said: “Half of life is just showing up.”

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help managers be more effective. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

Working Resources is a San Francisco Bay Area Executive Coaching Firm Helping Innovative Companies and Law Firms Assess, Select, Coach, Engage and Retain Emotionally Intelligent Leaders; Executive Coaching; Leadership Development; Performance-Based Interviewing; Competency Modeling; Succession Management; Culture Change; Career Coaching and Leadership Retreats

...About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman
Consulting Psychologist and Executive Coach
Trusted Advisor to Senior Leadership Teams

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist and executive coach. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies select and develop emotionally intelligent leaders. Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

“Maynard Brusman is one of the foremost coaches in the United States. He utilizes a wide variety of assessments in his work with senior executives and upper level managers, and is adept at helping his clients both develop higher levels of emotional intelligence and achieve breakthrough business results. As a senior leader in the executive coaching field, Dr. Brusman brings an exceptional level of wisdom, energy, and creativity to his work.” — Jeffrey E. Auerbach, Ph.D., President, College of Executive Coaching

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.

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Posted by Maynard Brusman on December 27, 2013 in Leadership Development | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: emotional intelligence, executive coaching, leaders, leadership development, manager leader difference, managers

December 18, 2013

Creating a Personal Vision - Leading and Living Your Life and Career

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."
—Victor Frankel

Are you a leader who would like to reinvent yourself and have a more fulfilling life and career? For over thirty years, I have been working with people to discover their purpose and passion to create work that is fulfilling and significant.

It takes self-awareness, energy and an entrepreneurial spirit to discover your true passion, identity and the work that you are meant to be doing. I have practiced mindfulness meditation for many years and enjoy work serving others that is filled with joy and financial well-being.

Life is to be lived to its fullest maximizing your capability. I have coached hundreds of people to create happier and more productive work lives. You can choose to work with an executive coach to help facilitate your career reinvention or practice self-coaching.

Your Personal Vision

What is your dream for your life and career? Dream and the world will dream with you. Create a positive intention with kindness and self- compassion that will guide your life. May you fulfill your heart’s intention for an inspired life and dream career.

What action will you commit to today to develop a compelling vision for yourself as the leader of your emerging life chapter? Create the intention to bring happiness into your life by living a dream career.

Inspiring life plans flow from an emotional connection to a clear and compelling vision. Moreover, your commitment to act on your vision must emanate from you. The ancient scholar, Hillel said, "If I am not for myself, then who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, then what am I? And if not now, when?"

Define your destination and true passion filled with energy and purpose. Set stretch goals. Create great mind maps. Access your own intuition. Trust in yourself and your own unique energy and personality rather than conform.

Tap into your inner wisdom. Embrace yourself and change. Nothing is impossible. Rewire your brain and reset your mindset focusing on what’s possible. Create momentum for lasting change. And manifest your destiny.

Accept yourself accessing your strengths and skills seeing obstacles as an underlying gift to be expressed. Your energy has the answer to all of your problems. Grow into the person you want to become.

Turn your weaknesses into assets. Develop a holistic plan for the holistic well-being of your body. Take small steps and schedule it. Change your beliefs about yourself. Step back and let the magic happen.

What is your compelling vision? How can you generate a motivational vision? What are the elements of a vision that will propel you forward, providing excitement, motivation and determination?

Coaching Client Vision

Here is a vision of a recent executive coaching client of mine, "My vision is that I am a present and mindful leader in my company, who is known for wise decision-making as well as truly caring about my team members. I am viewed as a mentor by my people and give of my time to make a difference in the lives of the people I serve."

This was a new vision for her - she had not seen herself this way before. A recent experience in mindfulness meditation inspired her to contemplate a new view of herself.

How did she further develop this vision? I asked her some powerful questions, listened carefully, expressed empathy and asked follow-up questions in a conversational style.

- What meaning does your personal vision have for you? She answered, "It is a statement that motivates
me to become fully realized.
- Incorporating all of your senses, what will it look and feel like when you are living your vision?
- What have been some of your best experiences of your emerging vision?
- What do you most value about who you are as a person or leader?
- How will living your vision contribute to the greater good?
- What is the gap between where you are now, and manifesting your vision?
- What obstacles may get in your way to manifesting your vision?
- Would you like to write your vision down as a way of honoring your inner wisdom in creating this vision?
- What is your level of readiness, confidence and commitment to move forward in creating your vision?

"Again and again I therefore admonish my students in Europe and America: Don't aim at success -- the more you aim at it and make it a target, the more you are going to miss it. For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue, and it only does so as the unintended side effect of one's personal dedication to a cause greater than oneself or as the by-product of one's surrender to a person other than oneself. Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it. I want you to listen to what your conscience commands you to do and go on to carry it out to the best of your knowledge. Then you will live to see that in the long-run -- in the long-run, I say! -- success will follow you precisely because you had forgotten to think about it." ~ Viktor Frankl from Man's Search for Meaning

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development to help leaders practice mindfulness meditation and reinvent themselves? Does your organization provide executive coaching for leaders who need to learn how to have self- coaching conversations? Enlightened leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to create a more fulfilling future.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “How can mindfulness meditation help me create a personal vision and reinvent my career?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching to help leaders develop more effective teams.

John Lennon once said, “Life is something that happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.” Of course, you can listen to Woody Allen, who famously said: “Half of life is just showing up.”

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help leaders build high performance organizations. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

...About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Posted by Maynard Brusman on December 18, 2013 in Career Coaching | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: create your vision, executive coaching, leadership development, meaning at work, purpose, purpose, vision

December 11, 2013

Reimagine Your Life Purpose Quiz

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."
—Victor Frankel

I received a call from one of my former executive coaching clients last week. He had been working as a senior executive for a high tech company in Silicon Valley for ten years, but was feeling he was on automatic no longer fully engaged.

We discussed his desire to end his current situation, but his emotional connection to several team members was making it difficult to leave. He knew my passion for helping people co-create a plan for the next chapter in their lives. We set up a coaching meeting to focus on a self-knowledge process to reveal a new meaningful work direction.

Life is to be lived to its fullest maximizing your capability. I have coached hundreds of people to create happier and more productive work lives. You can choose to work with an executive coach to help facilitate your career reinvention or practice self-coaching.

If you could create a plan that would fulfill your dreams for purposeful work what would it be? Create a positive intention with kindness and self-compassion that will guide your life. The following quiz may help you uncover your heart’s intention for an inspired life.

John Lennon once said, “Life is something that happens to you when you’re busy making other plans.” Of course, you can listen to Woody Allen, who famously said: “Half of life is just showing up.”

Reimagine Your Life Purpose Quiz

Take this True or False Self-Insight Quiz to determine whether you are living a life aligned with your true purpose.

1. When I get up in the morning I am excited about the day ahead.

2. I love the work I do and am intrinsically motivated — external rewards I consider “icing on the cake.”

3. My work makes me feel fulfilled and motivated rather than drained and exhausted.

4. In my free time, I participate in activities that I’m passionate about and that reflect my purpose.

5. I know what my greatest talents and strengths are, and apply those attributes to my work.

6. I know I’m living my true purpose when I contribute to others well-being.

7. My personal and professional life is in alignment with my core values.

8. I consistently base my decisions on my beliefs and values, not on the expectations of others.

9. If money were not an issue, I wouldn’t change much of how I lead my life.

10. My work environment is supportive of my personality and talents, and allows me to express my true self.

11. When my work environment doesn’t fully utilize my unique abilities, I make a positive change.

12. My good (and great days) at work far outweigh the occasional “bad” days.

13. My work is enjoyable and often feels like play.

14. By fulfilling my dreams and desires, I am making a positive contribution to world peace.

15. Discovering one’s life purpose is a mindfulness contemplative process asking questions of my inner-self.

16. I pursue interests that make me happy, and accept others who may be different

17. I focus on living a life that matters.

18. The stories I tell myself enhance my confidence and self-esteem.

19. I challenge my beliefs, and ask myself “Is it true”.

20. I am resilient in the face of adversity.

If you answered many of these questions false, you may benefit from discovering how to live a life on purpose. Living a purposeful life is as much about how things are done (with love, attention, passion and focus for example) as it is about what is done. It’s also a great way to feel fulfilled regardless of the “job” you may find yourself in.

Are you working in a company where executive/career coaches help people align their purpose with the company’s vision? Does your organization provide executive coaching for leaders who are leading meaningful careers? Enlightened leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to create a more fulfilling future.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I clear about my life purpose?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching to help leaders engage in fulfilling work.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help leaders gain self-knowledge. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

...About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Posted by Maynard Brusman on December 11, 2013 in Career Coaching | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: emotional intelligence, executive coaching, leadership development, life purpose, meaning at work, meaningful work, purpose-drive life

December 04, 2013

Mindful Questions to Discover Your Purpose

Are you a leader whose intention is to discover your purpose and have a more fulfilling life and career? For over thirty years, I have been working with people to discover their purpose and passion to create work that is fulfilling and profitable. I have practiced mindfulness meditation for many years and enjoy work serving others that is filled with joy and financial well-being.

Mindful leaders know that self-knowledge is the key to their personal and professional growth. It takes self-awareness, energy and an entrepreneurial spirit to discover your true passion, identity and the work that you are meant to be doing. I have coached hundreds of people to create happier and more productive work lives. You can choose to work with an executive coach to help facilitate your career reinvention or practice self-coaching.

I recently attended a workshop with the gifted teacher Byron Katie at the Spirit Rock Mediation Center in Marin County, California. If you’re having difficulty identifying and questioning the thoughts which interfere with you having high self-esteem and pursuing your dreams you can experience the happiness of undoing those thoughts through The Work at www.thework.com. You can remove these obstacles to your happiness, and allow your mind to return to its true, awakened, peaceful, creative nature.

Are you ready to take action? Everything you need in order to begin getting to know yourself, be fully expressed and establish your brand is outlined in this article. Let’s get started!

“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."
—Victor Frankl

3 Powerful Questions

I believe that when you are in a state of intention "purpose will find you”. The core of career success lies in the answers to these three questions.

1. Who am I and what are my core values?
2. What is most meaningful in my life?
3. What am I trying to do with my life?

35 Purpose Questions

We live in a culture of endless distraction. Discovering your true purpose in life and at work involves creating the intention to be with yourself in a state of quiet self-reflection.

Find a place free of any distractions. Sit quietly and ask yourself the three powerful questions. Be open to any inklings or answers you receive. In addition, you may also choose to reflect on the following questions or any others you self-generate which reveal the truth about yourself to you.

1. What makes my life most fulfilling?
2. How can I living my most important values?
3. How can I spend most of my time pursuing my unique interests?
4. How can I use my talents to the fullest extent?
5. How can I make a significant contribution to the world?
6. How can I seek out opportunities to share my gifts with others?
7. How can I design my future?
8. How can I attract my ideal clients?
9. What are my life's dreams?
10. What is my life's legacy?
11. How can I live my life with purpose and vision?
12. How can I realize my dreams?
13. How can I I focus on my strengths?
14. What needs to end?
15. What do I need to stop doing?
16. How can I listen more to myself than others?
17. Who am I?
18. What is my true identity?
19. What is my authentic voice?
20. When am I most powerful?
21. What are my core beliefs and what needs to change?
22. What business will fulfill my passion?
23. What are my true values?
24. How do others seem me?
25. What scares me the most?
26. What have I learned from failure?
27. How is my self-esteem and confidence?
28. What makes me happy?
29. What secrets are no longer useful?
30. How can I best make a contribution?
31. Why am I here?
32. How can I be of service?
33. What inspires me?
34. What matters most?
35. How can I live in the present moment?

20 Self-Discovery Practices

In addition to the practice of sitting quietly and asking yourself questions to discover your purpose; I often recommend a number of activities tailored to the unique needs of clients including the following. Choose one or two practices to start that resonate with you. Later, you can then work on other practices that inspire you.

1. Establish a daily meditative practice asking oneself the core questions and any others that emerge from your unconscious.
2. Write in a journal reflecting on your personal life experiences.
3. Read vociferously on a number of topics including works from philosophy, religion, psychology, history, historical biographies etc.
4. Immerse yourself in nature being mindful to insights received.
5. Engage in thoughtful conversations with friends, family, and loved ones.
6. Initiate a personal 360-degree feedback process with work colleagues, friends, family, and maybe even critics.
7. Engage in spiritual practices.
8. Create a plan to travel and learn from other people and cultures.
9. Participate in formal "purpose" exercises such as those in Stephen Covey's "The Seven Habits of Effective People".
10. Read Victor Frankl's "Man's Search for Meaning", Nancy Anderson’s “Work with Passion” and Po Bronson's "What Should I Do with My Life".
11. Close the door to what others may have told you about your purpose and embrace the state of possibility.
12. Stay in a state of gratitude and wonderment.
13. Fall in love.
14. Forgive fully.
15. Collaborate with others.
16. Observe your thoughts and feelings without judgment.
17. Breathe fully into every moment.
18. Act with kindness and compassion.
19. Accept yourself.
20. Stay conscious that life is precious and fleeting.

**************************************************************************************************

“Change comes as an enemy only to those who have lost the art of accepting it as a friend“. -- Tagore

Viktor Frankl’s book Man’s Search for Meaning has inspired my life and work with clients. I saw Dr. Frankl speak a number of years ago shortly before he died. I was so moved by his compassion, kindness and grace in transcending so much suffering. You might be inspired to shift some of your beliefs about self and others by reading some of the following quotes.

HAPPINESS QUOTES

Quotes from the great book:

Man's Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl

"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms-to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

"We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms -- to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

"A human being is not one thing among others; things determine each other, but man is ultimately self-determining. What he becomes - within the limits of endowment and environment- he has made out of himself. In the concentration camps, for example, in this living laboratory and on this testing ground, we watched and witnessed some of our comrades behave like swine while others behaved like saints. Man has both potentialities within himself; which one is actualized depends on decisions but not on conditions."

"Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."

"Even though conditions such as lack of sleep, insufficient food and various mental stresses may suggest that the inmates were bound to react in certain ways, in the final analysis it becomes clear that the sort of person the prisoner became was the result of an inner decision, and not the result of camp influences alone."

"The one thing you can't take away from me is the way I choose to respond to what you do to me. The last of one's freedoms is to choose one's attitude in any given circumstance."

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."

"Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation."

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development to grow emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching for leaders who need to reinvent themselves? Enlightened leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to create a more fulfilling future.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Do I have the confidence to reinvent myself and grow?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching as part of their transformational peak performance leadership development program.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you get from where you are now to where you want to be. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

“Your work is to discover your work, and then, with all your heart, to give yourself to it”. – Buddha

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development to help leaders practice mindfulness meditation and reinvent themselves? Does your organization provide executive coaching for leaders who need to learn how to have self- coaching conversations? Enlightened leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to create a more fulfilling future.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “How can mindfulness meditation help me create the intention to pursue meaningful work that is aligned with my purpose?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching to help leaders develop more effective teams.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help leaders build high performance organizations. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

...About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Posted by Maynard Brusman on December 04, 2013 in Purpose at Work | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tags: career coaching, emotional intelligence, executive coaching, leadership development, meaningful work, purpose

Holistic Executive Coaching–The Power of Habit

Holistic Executive Coaching

Mindful leaders know that serving others is the key to better business results, greater team involvement, happier followers and a sustainable future.

Act Mindfully

Many of the leaders I see in my emotional intelligence-based executive coaching practice of over twenty-five years are working long hours and are stressed-out. Some of my clients complain of low energy and exhaustion. They frequently are sleep deprived. Getting adequate sleep is an enormous help in restoring mental clarity and the drive to succeed.

My holistic approach to coaching is to work with the whole person, so upon request I weave into my leadership development work the importance of stress resiliency, mindfulness, daily meditation practice, exercise and proper nutrition. I recommend clients see their physician if they have specific health concerns, and make referrals to nutritionists, fitness trainers and other health experts when appropriate.

Act mindfully and savor your relationships at work and at home. Create the powerful habit of “pacing” yourself to restore energy, build resiliency and create well-being.

"Respect yourself and others will respect you."–Confucius

The Power of Habit

Watch this hilarious video:

Bob Newhart-Stop It http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow0lr63y4Mw

In his thought provoking book “The Power of Habit”, Charles Duhigg, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, tackles an important reality head on. That is, people succeed when they identify patterns that shape their lives--and learn how to change them. This idea--that you can indeed change your habits--draws on recent research in experimental psychology, neurology, and applied psychology.

Duhigg looks at the habits of individuals, how habits operate in the brain, how companies use them, and how retailers use habits to manipulate buying habits. The author's main contention is that "you have the freedom and responsibility" to remake your habits. He says "the most addicted alcoholics can become sober. The most dysfunctional companies can transform themselves. A high school dropout can become a successful manager."

"The Habit Loop" explains exactly what a habit is. According to the author, habits make up 40% of our daily routine. The process within our brains is a three-step loop. First, there is a cue, a trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode and which behavior to use. Second, there is the routine, which can be physical or mental or emotional. Finally, there is the reward.

Your daily habits create the foundation of your life–your health, wealth, happiness, productivity, quality of relationships, and energy level. You can become more mindful creating the intention to interrupt patterns that don’t serve you. Establish positive habits that lead to a happy and prosperous life.

You create habits as an efficiency mechanism. Neuroscience research tells us that the brain quickly transforms as many tasks and behaviors as possible into habits so that we can do them without thinking. This frees up the brain to deal with new challenges. But first, we have to integrate the new habit and that can feel challenging.

Think about when you start a new activity. Your brain works hard to integrate it into your life, processing huge amounts of new information as you progress through the activity. As soon as you understand how it works, your behavior starts becoming automatic and the amount of mental effort required to perform the activity decreases.

The best way to approach creating positive new habits that will last is to take baby steps bringing them into your life one at a time. This gives you the opportunity to repeat the habit over and over until it is a part of your automatic behavior, and also allows you to focus the extra brainpower required for the habit on one or few activities so you aren’t overwhelmed. Then when your habit is automatic, you can add another one.

It might seem counter-intuitive, and that this approach will bring slow results. But, when you consider that studies show most people only make changes for a short amount of time before giving up, this approach actually brings results fast. Plus, you can say goodbye to that discouraging yo-yo cycle of starting and then breaking habits! Dieting is a good example of an intention that often goes awry, and demotivates people.

Keystone Habits

Watch this video! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4H0fTwtPLfo

“It wasn’t the trip to Cairo that had caused the shift, scientists were convinced, or the divorce or desert trek. It was that Lisa had focused on changing just one habit—smoking—at first. Everyone in the study had gone through a similar process. By focusing on one pattern—what is known as a “keystone habit”—Lisa had taught herself how to reprogram the other routines in her life, as well.”
~ Charles Duhigg in “The Power of Habit”

This is my favorite Big Idea in the book. The basic idea: There’s a habit that when we change it will have the greatest positive impact on our lives. It’s a KEYSTONE habit. Keystones are good.

As the Apple dictionary tells us, a keystone is “a central stone at the summit of an arch, locking the whole together.”

So...what’s your keystone habit? What’s the #1 thing you could change that would have the most positive impact on your life? Is it quitting smoking? No longer drinking? Drastically reducing your internet time? Getting your inbox to zero? Meditating every day? Think about it. And pick one.

This is a keystone habit for me that I commit to changing: Frequency of checking e-mail

So, let’s look at my Cue + Routine + Reward.

Old pattern: Cue = Checking my e-mail first thing in the morning. Routine = Tell myself there might be something important that needs my immediate attention. Reward = Convinced myself that there are no problems lurking out there for me.

New pattern: Cue = Getting out of bed bright and early ready to get a fast start to my day. Routine = Tell myself how much more productive I will be getting some “real work” (writing a blog post or article etc.) before checking my e-mail. Reward = Honored my commitment to be more focused, strategic and productive. Stopped fooling myself that checking e-mail incessantly is helping me reach my goals for the day!

Back to you: What’s your keystone habit? And your Cue + Routine + Reward?

The book goes into more detail that will be very helpful for you as you look to re-shape your habits, but let’s take a quick inventory:

My keystone habit:___________________________________

My current Cue:_______________________________________

My current Routine:____________________________________

My current Reward:__________________________________

My new Cue: ________________________________________

My new Routine:______________________________________

My new Reward:____

Eat Healthy

"We don't stop playing games because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing games."
-- George Bernard Shaw

What high performance leaders eat is so important to their success. A number of my clients seeking better nutrition have found reading the books “Eat to Live” by Joel Fuhrman, MD, and "The Perfect Health Diet” by Paul Jaminet and Shou-Ching Shih Jaminet, and changing their eating habits very helpful to restore energy and vitality.

Jack Lallane, the fitness guru recommended mostly eating “live food”. Processed or man-made food may not have helped him in his 90’s pull all of those boats in the water!

“Real Age" Health Survey

I recently took the "Real Age" Health Survey and found it a pretty good indicator of my health habits, which is vitally important as we get older and hopefully healthier and wiser. I'm really 58 not 66. My goal is to be 24. I can dream big and so can you!

A number of my executive coaching clients have found taking the health survey a real wake-up call! You can take the free survey at http://www.doctoroz.com/realage

Sustainable leaders take time for self-reflection, model healthy behaviors and flourish. They seek constant reinvention. A bit of luck can help too! Are your health habits serving you?

Are you working in a company where executive coaches provide leadership development to grow emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching for leaders? Sustainable leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to constantly reinvent themselves, and create a more compelling future.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I taking care of my physical, emotional and spiritual health?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching as part of their leadership development programs.

Working with a seasoned cognitive executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help enlightened leaders create a sustainable future. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company.

...About Dr. Maynard Brusman