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Anxiety is Not an Emotion
Start with a sticky note pile and a pen or pencil. Set a timer for two minutes and write the first "to do" thing that comes to mind on a sticky note, then rip it off and set it aside. Continue until the timer goes off. Categorize these tasks into piles and put the top priority for each pile on top. Create a "success list" of no more than three items. When feeling overwhelmed, do this activity to calm your mind and create a sense of order.
Did you know that anxiety is not an emotion? You may think you "feel" anxious, but in reality, you're sensing anxiety. Anxiety is a physiological reaction from the "fight or flight" function of the vagus nerve. It triggers the adrenals to release cortisol and adrenaline into your nervous system, setting off an alert to potential danger. You feel it in your solar plexus above your kidneys.
Anxiety's hormones aren’t usually signs of real danger, making anxiety "homeless." It is a moving target in search of a home, but always gets kicked out due to its bad behavior. Anxiety can never be satisfied, making it a close partner to perfectionism. Never happy, never good enough, never complete. Anxiety, perfectionism, criticism, and paranoia cause repeating neurological thought loops that entrench fear (false expectations appearing real). This leads to catastrophizing (seeing disaster around every corner) or magical thinking (belief that unrelated events are connected despite no evidence). These thought patterns result from anxiety, constantly searching for a place to reside, but no one wants to let them in permanently due to their disruptive nature.
Emotions, on the other hand, are our friends. Whether pleasant or unpleasant, they ask to be acknowledged and felt. When we acknowledge our emotions, they transmit messages necessary for both surviving and thriving. However, we often fail to acknowledge and accept our emotions, causing them to return and eventually get stuck in the body. This can create stiffness, pain, and inflammation in the muscles, organs, or entire body areas.
But there’s hope! There are practical things you can do, or rather undo, to create and sustain feelings of calm, peace, and confidence, which dissolve anxiety.
Three Anxiety-Calming Practices:
1. Cognitive Practice: Move Your To-Do List to a Success List2. Breathing and Awareness
Become consciously aware of your breathing and whatever feeling you are experiencing in the moment. Make this a practice whenever you notice sensations of anxiety or obsessive thinking. This will calm your nervous system and replace danger signals with signals of well-being. In a real dangerous situation, this practice will help you stay clear-headed and calm.3. Acceptance
Tell yourself, “I accept that I am feeling this right now.” Acceptance is the thriving part of your nervous system that allows feelings of joy and brings inspiration. Accepting one feeling in the moment opens the horizon to other good things, helping you wave goodbye to anxiety.In conclusion, anxiety is not an emotion, but instead a physiological response that you can calm. Using the aforementioned anxiety-calming practices will bring relief and a sense of freedom.
Thanks to Marie-Helene Pelletier for her insights on this topic from her book, The Resilience Plan.
For professional support, you can email me at [email protected] to schedule a time to connect and talk.Support the Show.
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Redefining Leadership in the Mission-Driven Sector
Bio:
Dimple Dhabalia is the founder of Roots in the Clouds, a boutique consulting firm that uses storytelling to heal individual and organizational trauma. She is a writer, podcaster, coach, and facilitator with over 20 years of public service experience at the intersection of leadership, mindfulness, and storytelling.
Dimple's mission is to transform mission-driven sectors by building human-centered cultures that meet mission needs and create psychologically safe spaces of empathy, connection, well-being, and belonging for staff.
Links:
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.rootsintheclouds.com/
Instagram: www.instagram.com/dimpstory
Newsletter: dearhumanitarian.substack.com
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/dimpstory
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dimpstory
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rootsintheclouds
Quotes:
"Organizations must create a duty of care that looks at the needs of the whole person."
Highlights:
Explore the importance of acknowledging and addressing organizational trauma, the impact of moral conflict, and the need for holistic, human-centered duties of care in organizations.
Childhood Incidents:
As a child, Dimple celebrated all holidays. One Easter, she found eggs in their garden, but a neighbor said they were for Christian children, and her father made her return them. In school, a classmate called her an "Indian giver" for changing her mind about giving a pencil, and the teacher's reaction made her feel out of place. At age seven, her dad was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, shifting family dynamics and making her mom the breadwinner, often requiring Dimple's help and causing her to miss time with friends.
Cultural Influences:
Dimple has always prioritized service before self, a value her hardworking mother also upheld. Before her mother's passing, she urged Dimple and her sister to prioritize self-care, prompting a significant shift in Dimple's approach. Today, she believes in service without sacrifice.
Dimple enjoyed Greece the most, where clear boundaries between life and work allowed her to serve healthily and maintain a social life. However, moving to Delhi led to overworking and losing her social balance.
Personality and Temperament:
Dimple's temperament is rooted in empathy, caring, and a desire to fight injustice. Over the years, she has incorporated self-care, curiosity over judgment, and an understanding that people's behaviors often have unseen complexities.
Cultural Epiphanies:
As a Brownie, Dimple's leader surprised the girls with breakfast at McDonald’s. Dimple's mom dressed her up while the other girls arrived in pajamas. This incident highlighted a cultural disconnect, but taught Dimple about different social norms.
What Brings Out the Best in Dimple?
Curiosity, connection, and empathy are Dimple's strengths. Curiosity drives her to understand others, empathy allows her to share their space, and connection helps explore stories and organizational trauma.
Soapbox Moment:
Dimple’s book, Tell Me My Story: Challenging the Narrative of Service Before Self, is available now. Listen to her podcasts, "Service Without Sacrifice" & "What Would Ted Lasso Do?" For more information, sign up for her newsletter, Dear Humanitarian.Support the Show.
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Fehlende Folgen?
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Using the Language of Virtues for Building Soul-Sustaining Work Decisions
Seek diverse perspectivesConsult those most affectedInvolve all stakeholders
Episode Highlights:
By practicing virtues and utilizing the “virtues progression,” we discover practical tools for creating happier and healthier workplaces.
Importance of Virtues in the Workplace:
I've seen the impact of practicing virtue at work across four careers and over 500 managerial students, coaching clients, and 100+ companies. One of the companies I worked with asked me to help a dysfunctional site improve communication. After introducing the concept of virtues with a personal story, and asking them to share stories about an obstacle they had overcome or something they were proud of, I coached them to identify the virtues in each other's stories. This exercise led to open, non-defensive discussions. A few months later, the workplace atmosphere had improved significantly, increasing customer satisfaction and prompting the company to replicate the approach.
Learning the Language of Virtues:
Virtues are developed through learning and through practice. Virtues are habits of character. Once practiced, they become characteristic of the person’s character. At the heart of the virtue approach is the idea of community. A person's character traits are not developed in isolation, but within and by the communities to which he or she belongs. What philosophers call “the moral life” becomes a matter of determining the kind of people we should be and attending to the development of character within our communities and ourselves. (The Spirit of Work: Timeless Wisdom, Current Realities, p. 35).
To develop my own practice of virtues, I have a virtues card deck. Every morning I pick a card from the deck, and focus on that virtue throughout day. At the end of the day, I reflect on how I applied the virtue to my work. To benefit from this idea, consider getting “The Virtues Project” card deck or “Virtues Cards” app.
Virtues Progression:
From my study of the Sacred Writings of the world religions, I discovered a virtues progression which has specific virtues as benchmarks and a guideline to solve problems. The progression is Love – Truth – Justice – Unity – Peace – Abundance. Every human relations rupture starts from a gap in one of these places in the virtues progression.
For a workplace issue, identify which virtue is missing and look backward in the progression to see what foundational virtue is required to experience it, then forward to know the next step. For example, if someone refuses to communicate, it might be due to a lack of safety (not feeling loved) or fear of repercussions (truth).
To ensure a decision is just, consider that these three justice quotients must be present during the decision-making process for all to benefit:
How Virtues Affect People:
A story from Chapter 2 illustrates the power of recognizing virtues. In a high-security prison where my husband once worked as a psychologist, he was assigned to help a large, tattooed, explosive inmate with anger management. As an emotions management tool, my husband introduced the "sparkle technique," a reminder to defuse anger by looking right, smiling, and then looking left, and smiling again (physiologically creating conditions for virtue by calming the nervous system). The technique reduces anger by changing eye position and engaging the muscles used for smiling. Although skeptical, the inmate tried it, found it effective, and even taught it to others, reducing fights in the prison and improving interpersonal relationships. He returned to his program with my husband saying enthusiastically, “This sparkle sh** really works!”Support the Show.
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The Importance of Celebration and Influence in Leadership
Bio:
Anthony A. Dicks, Jr.'s passion for leadership development is evident in his work as he's spent over two decades preparing people with diverse responsibilities to reach their optimal leadership potential. He is currently a doctoral candidate in the Strategic Leadership program at Liberty University and is also a Certified John C. Maxwell Team Member and DiSC Coach. Anthony currently transforms leaders as the Senior Leadership Consultant at 180 Management Group.
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aadicksjr/
Quotes:
"People who may not be aware of their privilege may also not be aware of how they are exploiting others."
"It's not enough for us to see our heroes win. We need to see our heroes struggle."
Episode Highlights:
Anthony's background as a preacher's kid played a fundamental role in shaping his leadership and communication skills. His educational achievements and professional experiences make him an exceptional leader with great wisdom to share. In this episode, Anthony shares valuable perspectives on leadership development processes within different institutions.
Childhood Incidents:
Anthony’s dad was a Baptist pastor who always made sure his children were involved in church. Before he could stand to preach, Anthony and his three sisters were required to sing. On Anthony’s eighth birthday, he performed the "I Have a Dream" speech by Martin Luther King, Jr. from memory. The standing ovation he received was so warm that it made him want to do it again.
As a young adult, he underwent Advanced Individual Training (AIT) in the US Army. When he arrived at Fort Knox, Kentucky, he encountered people from all walks of life. Per the US military system, leaders had to be picked for different squads, and Anthony was one of them and got the honour to call the cadence.
Influential Group:
Growing up, Anthony had the privilege of seeing his parents graduate from college. His dad was a pastor, and his mom was a primary school teacher. In their household, education was vital. Anthony also attributes the shaping of his childhood to African American traditions and the church.
Cultural and Leadership Influence:
Anthony credits his leadership skills to all the institutions he attended the church, school and the AIT training. He also believes that these institutions shaped his culture, as he had to immerse himself in each one. That said, he sees the limitations of these institutional approaches to leadership and has worked to expand his skills as a result.
Temperament and Personality:
Anthony believes his temperament is inherently trusting. He believes his personality has evolved from being an introvert to an extrovert. He urges us to learn how to give ourselves space to evolve, and not be tied to what we were five or ten years ago.
Cultural Epiphanies:
Throughout Anthony’s education, he had never been a minority until he attended seminary. There was a church history class that was very challenging. Although Anthony excelled effortlessly, he was never celebrated. For the first time, he felt academically invisible. His son experienced a repeat of this issue in high school.
What Brings Out the Best in Anthony?
To bring out the best in Anthony, you need to bring him to the brink of impossibility. He believes that to excel, we have to move to the edge of what we believe possible.
Soapbox Moment:
To be at our best, we need both challenges and encouragement. Anthony urges leaders to find communities of practice to avoid the loneliness that comes with leadership.Support the Show.
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Appreciation is a crucial element for a healthy work environment.
Bio:
Paul White, PhD, is a psychologist, author, and speaker who "makes work relationships work." He has written articles for and been interviewed by many media houses. His expertise has been sought by people from across the world.
Links:
Website: https://appreciationatwork.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-white-ph-d-3178276/
Quotes:
"When we show interest in other people and open ourselves up to learn even more or be influenced by them, it's a huge door of opportunity."
Episode Highlights:
Today, Dr. Paul White shares his journey to becoming the person he is today and discusses the different languages of appreciation in workplaces, and gives us his view on life in general. His passion lies in motivation by appreciation. He has authored a book and created resources to share his wisdom and knowledge.
Childhood Memories:
Dr. White worked in his father’s factory from junior high school until college. His dad’s motive was to teach him the value of education and training. Through his experience working in the factory, Dr. White knew he didn’t want to work at the end of the conveyor belt later in life. As a child, Dr. White always went fishing with his mother to have a moment of bonding. His mom learned how to fish as a way of creating a special bond with her children.
Cultural and Leadership Influence:
In life, having a community and developing relationships is essential for times when crises arise, so at least you will have people who can step up. Dr. White recalls when they had their twin sons in Phoenix away from family. The first two years were not easy for them, and it got as far as sleep deprivation.
Influential Groups:
When Paul and his wife were raising their children, it gave them an opportunity to meet parents of their kids' friends and develop friendships. Unfortunately, when their lastborn left the local school, there was a vacuum of friendship since there were no activities bringing them together with other people.
Cultural Epiphanies:
Dr. White realized that in a white male business group of older decision makers, expect respect to be communicated by giving your full attention, listening, and looking them in the eye. In contrast, culturally, both Native Americans and some groups of African Americans view looking a superior in the eye as disrespectful. He learnt the we need to work harder to understand people’s culture.
Personality and Temperament:
Paul describes himself as a social animal. He is socially outgoing, fairly spontaneous, flexible, and loves to have fun.
Impulse control is one characteristic that Paul has grown and continues to grow. He can be spontaneous, but he is learning that there are times to slow down, think through things clearly, not react as much, and be more thoughtful and listen.
What Brings Out the Best in Dr. Paul White?
Dr. White enjoys some structure but also appreciates opportunities to think on his feet and give answers from his life and brain. Recently, he spoke to a group of 30 to 40 business leaders in New York City, during a half-day interactive training. This group really challenged him and asked thoughtful questions that made him stop, think, clarify, share thoughts, and pull information together.
Soapbox Moment:
Dr. Paul White invites us to check out the resources and materials his team created for the website. These resources will help managers build a healthy team and organization.Support the Show.
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What is Career Trauma?
Imagine the teacher, interrupted mid-lesson by her principal's inappropriate whispers, or the immigrant worker denied a bathroom break, only to be mocked as he wets himself.
Consider the unfairness of a negative evaluation and pay cut from someone who's never even seen your work or being passed over for a promotion in favor of the boss's less qualified nephew.
Who hasn't felt the burnout from impossible demands or the frustration of training your replacement?
All these experiences cause us work wounds, which require us to be intentional to heal.
Importance of Emotional Safety in Workplaces:
According to Employment and Social Development Canada, key risk factors for poor workplace psychological safety include high demand and low control, unfair treatment, harassment, and lack of professional development.
A report from the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health revealed that 500,000 Canadians miss work daily due to these issues, costing organizations $200 billion annually as of 2023.
This trauma leads to hyper-vigilance and increased anxiety. However, recognizing emotional safety cues and fostering a safe environment are crucial for healing career trauma.
Doctor Steven Porges' research on polyvagal theory explains that by identifying and processing emotions and sensations, the amygdala's threat reaction is reduced. This allows for the release of emotions tied to recent unpleasant memories, improving overall emotional balance and perception of current situations, without having to revisit past traumas.
While coaching or therapy can significantly help with career trauma, individuals can start their healing process by intentionally focusing on the following three key aspects:
Breathe Intentionally: Focus on the breath to divert the amygdala's attention from a threat response to a safety response. During a virtual training with oil field managers, one manager had a meltdown due to personal and work-related stress, including the recent loss of a worker and family challenges. I suggested he take a moment to breathe, which visibly calmed him. We then took a few collective breaths, further calming the entire group. The manager explained that a colleague had tragically drowned in a tailings pond, and this trauma had amplified his existing stress. However, the simple act of intentional breathing helped him and the group regain composure, highlighting the power of mindful breathing.
Move: When the nervous system feels trapped or tired, it becomes dysregulated, hindering movement and causing distress. To regulate the nervous system, it's essential to recognize and honor the body's need for movement, much like dogs naturally do through stretching and shaking. Dogs rest and heal after conflicts, then resume their normal activities without forcing themselves to overwork. Similarly, humans should balance movement with rest to maintain emotional regulation. So, when tempted to overwork or skip breaks, ask yourself, "Would my dog do this?" First, breathe intentionally, and second, move even just a little to help regulate your emotions.
Connect with Others: Social connection is crucial for healing career trauma, as isolation exacerbates feelings of distress and can shorten life expectancy by up to nine years due to loneliness. In the world's five blue zones, where people live longer and healthier lives, strong social connections are a common factor. Human beings are inherently wired for connection; even babies react positively to emotional connection. In these communities, people regularly interact and care for each other across generations. To maintain emotional regulation, it's essential to connect with others, share experiences, and support each other.Support the Show.
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How the Soul Relates to Work
The ancient Egyptians talked about the soul as being buried in a stele, meaning the container in which the body had been buried, and that the soul was inside this container, meaning the body.In Christianity, Saint Augustine wrote about the nature of the soul as having 3 parts, the body, or somatics, the soul or the psyche, and the spirit or the pneuma.In Hinduism, there is the concept of Atman, which is the essence of life that exists in all living things and within human beings is an opportunity to achieve transcendence.Islam and Jainism state that the soul exists before its association with the body and must pass through the physical life to overcome bondage and become liberated from the constraints of self and desire. In both Judaism and Christianity, the soul is alive if it follows the commandments of God and dead if it does not.
Episode Highlights:
In this episode, we explore the qualities and nature of the soul from various sacred traditions and how they matter for good work. We delve into the teachings of multiple western and eastern religions and Indigenous spiritualities to understand how the soul relates to and influences our work. From the power to accommodate to the concept of respect and interconnected relationality, the insights from these sacred traditions provide a unique lens through which we can approach work and workplace dynamics.
Defining the Soul:
On page 22 of my book, “Soul in religion and philosophy, is the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being that confers individuality and humanity, often considered to be synonymous with the mind and the self. In theology, the soul is further defined as that part of the individual which partakes of divinity and is often considered to survive the death of the body.”
According to the Baha’i teachings, the soul is not a combination of elements. It is of one indivisible substance, associated with the body but not inside it, and eternal.
How Various Religions Define the Soul:
Page 21 lists simple summaries of how different religions have spoken about the soul.Many North American Indigenous spiritualities have references to life as emanating from the Great Spirit who imbues all living things with the spirit of life.
Qualities and Powers of the Soul:
On pages 23 to 32 in my book, The Spirit of Work: Timeless Wisdom, Current Realities, I highlight the qualities and powers of the soul. Interestingly, these qualities are the same across all sacred traditions. The qualities include purity, peace, love, joy, bliss, and knowledge. The powers of the soul include the power to accommodate, be flexible, consider the other person, and act based on both your needs and the other person's needs, power to back up, and the ability to bring things to closure and move on.
Understanding the soul and its characteristics can inform and improve workplace dynamics, including addressing issues like bullying and toxicity. When work is only a struggle for existence, it feels hopeless. If work is only a search for purpose and meaning, then we may not develop the necessary practical tools required to be able to deal with the struggle of existence. I propose work that is meaningful because it is related to the qualities and characteristics of the soul. It combines the struggle for existence with purpose.
If you are finding these episodes insightful, you can purchase the book The Spirit of Work: Timeless Wisdom, Current Realities online on Amazon and Barnes & Noble or directly from my website shiftworkplace.com. Feel free to send me your insights and stories at [email protected].Support the Show.
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The Somatic Leadership Journey
Bio:
Pavini Moray has started, failed, and succeeded in many businesses. A serial entrepreneur, they have built private practices, a worker collective, and a for-profit company. Pavini is a somatic leadership coach, specializing in helping relationships be easy. Moray holds an M.Ed in Montessori curriculum design, as well as a Ph.D. in Somatic Psychology. Pavini has authored, How to Hold Power: A Somatic Approach to Becoming a Leader People Love and Respect.
Links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pavinicoakwellmoray/
Website: https://www.pavinimoray.com/
Episode Highlights:
In this episode, Pavini delves into their experiences of cultural disconnect, sharing personal stories of their childhood and how counterculture and punk music provided a sense of belonging and freedom. They discuss the importance of somatic approaches in leadership and personal growth.
Childhood Incidents:
As a child, Pavini’s mother decided that Pavini should have a cultural education of experiencing the arts. As a single mother, cultural education was a luxury she had to prioritize and save for. Contrastingly, Pavini’s dad had season tickets and a box at the opera. One night, when mother and child were at the opera, they noticed the dad sitting in his box in the theatre which was Pavini’s first awareness of wealth disparity.
In January 1986, Pavini’s friends invited them to a punk party. While there, Pavini felt the difference between the world they lived in and the current world they were experiencing then. This experience set Pavini on a journey to find spaces of belonging.
Cultural Influences:
Pavini’s purpose comes from living a life informed by pleasure, embodiment, and communication, tempered with transparency and kindness.
Leadership Influence:
In 2008, Pavini attended an activist camp and experienced the power of transparency and power sharing along with strong organization. This shaped their foundational beliefs about leadership, elderhood and the importance of structure. To date, Pavini cannot stand being in a poorly organized meeting and strives to incorporate elderhood into leadership since it increases the capacity of an entire community.
Temperaments and Personality:
Pavini believes they came into this world as a dancer, with a sense of awe, magic and connection to nature and spirit. Curiosity is also part of Pavini’s temperament. As a child, and later as an adult Pavini developed both a playful and pragmatic side to their personality.
Cultural Epiphanies:
Pavini lived in Bulgaria in the 90s and experienced the Bulgarians' sense of powerlessness and hopelessness as shocking. Pavini recalls a time they went to the mayor asking for transportation for books that had traveled 10,000 miles around the world, and now required transportation for the last 200 miles to get them to the destination. The mayor said it was impossible, but Pavini was able to show him how doable it was when he opened his mind to possibility.
When Pavini was working with a worker collective, a sense of anger at late meetings arose frequently. One of the people they worked with told Pavini that the time intolerance and anger was white supremacy and not all people understand time the same way.
What Brings out the Best in Pavini?
Pavini enjoys working in environments where they can laugh and be playful.
Soapbox Moment:
Pavini encourages us to be attuned. They recognize how vulnerable it can be when we open ourselves to attune with someone else's needs, feelings, desires, fears, and grief.Support the Show.
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What It Takes to Manage Well
Self-awareness and self-governance: This results in the ability to manage and release unpleasant emotions safely, interpret reality accurately, and maintain a sense of calm and peace. Other awareness and empathy: With genuine self-awareness, you'll have heightened empathy and notice and understand others' feelings and experiences. Increased other awareness and empathy in the workplace is a sign of effective management.The ability to change and sustain one's habits for elevated thought and action: True self-regulation means not defining yourself by routines or limitations but continuously expanding your sense of self through learning and applying new insights to work habits.
Episode Highlights:
Delve into the three essential categories for effective management and self-regulation, differentiation, and high-level thought integrated throughout and responsive to operations.
Three Essential Categories for Effective Management
Self-Regulation:
Self-regulation is crucial for good decision-making. It involves recognizing and accepting your feelings. It means being aware of your feelings and thoughts and choosing not to act on them impulsively. Self-governance enables you to consider the impact of your actions leading to more thoughtful and beneficial outcomes.Differentiation:
Separation of identity from in-group and out-group bias: The ability to separate your identity from the groups you belong to is crucial in management. A strong in-group and out-group identity is necessary for a sense of belonging and security. However, it's essential to maintain a balance and not let these identities define you entirely.Being able to hold multiple points of view without attaching yourself to them: This is a sign of effective management, allowing you to make decisions based on what's best for the collective rather than your personal biases.Capacity to inspire others and be inspired: If you are inspired by others, you're likely to be more inspiring yourself.Ability to balance encouragement and challenge: It means when people are not feeling strong, you can encourage them and build them up. When they're feeling strong but not showing their best selves, you can challenge them to step up to the plate. Being able to read reality without becoming hopeless in the face of difficulty: There are a lot of challenging realities in the workplace, and people go through many difficulties. If you can read and understand these difficulties without losing hope, it's a sign of great leadership.
Differentiation is the ability to see the separate within the whole and the whole within separate and to bring them together. It's the ability to do analysis and synthesis.High-level Thought Integrated Throughout and Responsive to Operations:
Have principle-based discussions that respect individual inputs: Listen with interest without getting defensive or allowing anyone to dominate.Collective decision-making that promotes honest and kind participation: Making decisions as a group where everyone is both honest and kind leads to agreed-upon solutions benefiting the whole without excluding individuals or groups.Ability to translate thought into action, reflect on the outcomes, and make adjustments: Changing your mind isn't a sign of weakness, but constantly changing it is. Making a decision and sticking to it despite negative outcomes is not a sign of strength.
It's not enough to have great ideas if no one can act on them. Frequent conflicts between departments occur when high-level thought is not integrated, usually due to lack of consultation.Support the Show.
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The role of spiritual intelligence in effective leadership.
Bio:
Yosi Amram, PhD, is a distinguished psychologist, an executive coach catering to CEOs, entrepreneurs, and other influential leaders, and a pioneering researcher in the field of spiritual intelligence. Holding an MBA from Harvard University and a PhD from Sofia University in Clinical Transpersonal Psychology, Dr. Amram is committed to enabling individuals to unlock their potential through spiritual intelligence. This profound connection to the core of one’s existence – their spirit, where inspiration and deepest interconnectedness reside – enriches their overall functioning, improves their effectiveness, and enhances their well-being.
He is the author of Spiritually Intelligent Leadership: How to Inspire by Being Inspired.
Links:
Website: https://yosiamram.net/
Quotes:
“I think great leaders can also drop back and lead from behind, which is more of a facilitative role of leadership. You can think about it perhaps in terms of the yin and yang of leadership.”
Episode Highlights:
In this interview, Yosi Amram tells us how a leave of absence from his company was a blessing in disguise. The board of Yosi’s company gave him a break because they felt he needed it. Initially, Yosi felt shame for being let go from his company, but later, it provided him an opportunity to find his identity and passion in psychology.
Childhood Incidents:
When Yosi was four years old, he learned from older boys that flicking someone's legs while they're running or walking could make them trip and fall. One day, he experimented on a boy in front of him. The boy tripped, scraped his knees, and started bleeding and crying. The teacher started yelling, asking who did it, but Yosi never came forward. This experience taught him the importance of not causing pain, suffering, harm, or violence to others.
At age nine, Yosi went to a movie theatre without his parents and was molested by a stranger. This incident made him feel like there was something wrong with him, like he was damaged goods. He repressed his feelings about this experience and only addressed them in therapy when he was 40.
Influential Groups:
Yosi comes from Middle Eastern, Iraqi, and Jewish backgrounds. Middle Eastern Iraqi culture is emotionally expressive, warm, and highly hospitable. In contrast, Jewish culture emphasizes Socratic methods of debate for truth's sake and taking responsibility seriously.
Cultural Influences:
As Yosi grew older, his interest in spirituality deepened. He joined various spiritual communities, including Jewish Renewal, Buddhist communities, and a particular path called the Diamond Approach, which emphasizes inquiry and a love for truth. All these communities highlighted the importance of service.
Cultural Epiphanies:
When Yosi moved to the US, he experienced culture shock; people valued personal space and privacy, which was not the case in Tel Aviv or the Middle East in general. He grew up in a one-bedroom house with his grandparents and parents.
What Brings Out the Best in Yosi?
Yosi believes in directness and honesty. He values relationships where people are honest, open, and direct, built on a foundation of kindness and positive regard. He also appreciates regular mutual feedback to keep relationships clear and clean.
Soapbox Moment:
Yosi encourages everyone interested in becoming more empowered and inspired leaders to check out his book, Spiritually Intelligent Leadership: How to Inspire by Being Inspired.Support the Show.
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Is This Soul Enhancing or Soul Diminishing?
Purpose is inspiring but has both a light and dark side. You choose the side you want. To choose a purpose that nurtures your light side, opt to develop virtues rather than vices which are soul diminishing.You can ask either in the moment or later in reflection, “Is that/was that…soul enhancing or soul diminishing?”When you fall short of soul-enhancing thoughts, words, and actions, the answer is to forgive yourself and move forward through service, which is like prayer—it helps us autocorrect.
Imagine bringing your whole self to an action informed by purpose
Episode Highlights:
Today we delve into the concept of building a sense of purpose using the principle of choosing soul enhancing versus soul diminishing actions in our work behaviour. This episode equips you with tips to increase a sense of purpose at work, while providing you with a tool to autocorrect when you fall short of the ideal.
Getting to the Bridge of encouragement:
The first question to ask yourself is, “Is this soul diminishing or soul enhancing?” Take an instance of a workplace where people are always gossiping. What does that do to the soul? It diminishes the soul and destroys positive company culture. Employees don't feel they can be their authentic selves, fearing they will be attacked. They can't admit to mistakes because they anticipate punishment.
In a soul-enhancing workplace, people encourage each other. They're clear about expectations, communications, and they operate transparently. They think about ways they can help each other, be kind to each other, and progress within the organization. When there's a mistake, they can talk openly about it because they know they will not be punished for bringing it up.
Soul Enhancing versus Soul Diminishing Attitudes, Actions, And Outcomes:
Soul enhancing is encouraging, expansive, joyful, creative, and love-promoting. Increasing soul-enhancing behaviours develops virtues—positive qualities admired across cultures such as kindness, helpfulness, courage, and wisdom.
Soul diminishing is discouraging, constrictive, oppressive, and hate-promoting. Increasing soul-diminishing behaviours develops vices—the negative qualities that destroy cultures such as aggression, violence, hatred, superiority, and self-centredness.
The Essence of Controlling Your Anger:
A Buddhist saying is: “The monk who subdues his arisen anger sloughs off as a snake its decrepit old skin.”
Learning to align our emotions and desires with principles that help us engage in soul-enhancing actions can be extremely useful, not only for work but also for our interpersonal relations and other activities outside of work. The more we practice orienting ourselves towards making soul-enhancing thoughts, words and deeds, the more workplaces will reflect virtues, qualities, and powers that make work increasingly pleasant and enjoyable.
Key Takeaways from the Episode:If you’re finding these episodes helpful, you can purchase the book, The Spirit of Work, Timeless Wisdom, Current Realities, online at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or directly from my website.
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How can purposeful growth impact your leadership?
Bio:
Mark A. Mears is a #1 Best Selling author, keynote speaker, consultant, and visionary business leader. He has a significant track record of building stakeholder value, driving innovation, and profitable growth among world-class, high-profile brands such as PepsiCo/Pizza Hut, McDonald’s, and The Cheesecake Factory among others.
Today, Mark is the Chief Growth Officer for LEAF Growth Ventures and has just released his new book titled, The Purposeful Growth Revolution: 4 Ways to Grow from Leader to Legacy Builder.
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markamears/
Website: https://www.markamears.com/
Quotes:
“When we do things randomly, they don't stick. But if we do things intentionally over and over, it forms like wet cement. It hardens and it becomes a habit. In this case, a positive habit.”
“Leadership is like the seed of an organization and the root system. You must have a strong root system for any plant or tree to grow.”
Episode Highlights:
In this insightful conversation, Mark shares about purposeful growth and the importance of feeling loved in the workplace, breaking down the concept of love into an inspiring acronym. He shares his experiences, upbringing, and professional journey, imparting valuable wisdom on leadership, community, and the power of feedback. He also shares how being fired from a C-Suite job was a gift in disguise for him.
Childhood Incidents:
Growing up, Mark was an avid swimmer. He had a coach who helped him achieve excellence through hard workouts, and he became a lifeguard and swim coach in high school. Mark put his best foot forward and as a result, became head guard responsible for managing the pool. That experience hones his love for leadership, service, and hospitality.
Influential Groups/Cultural Influence:
Mark sees culture as a set of norms and expectations that people establish amongst themselves as a natural course of interaction. He recalls growing up in the swim team. He was always with his teammates during practice; they carpooled to practice and had bus rides together. Church and college also influenced Mark, giving him a sense of belonging.
Mark has worked for and with many organizations, and his greatest desire has always been to leave the place better than he found it. His experience with various groups taught Mark how to leverage his God-given gifts, talents, abilities, intellect, and experiences to bring organizations to ever-higher levels of excellence.
Personality and Temperaments:
As a child, Mark was passionate and competitive. He was curious and had the resilience to overcome obstacles in his life, which is an enduring trait. Today, Mark has become softer on the competitiveness side and more forgiving of himself. He has learned how to take the best of his core characteristics, round off some rougher edges, and grow new ones.
Cultural Epiphanies:
In Mark’s last leadership position, someone called him a narcissist. It was difficult for Mark to understand where it came from, and he later realized that what he viewed as selflessness was seen as grand-standing by others.
What Brings out the Best in Mark?
Mark lights up like a Christmas tree when he helps align a team. Their increased unity allows them to accomplish more than they even thought possible.
Soapbox Moment:
Are you interested in purposeful growth? Mark invites you to visit his website for a self-assessment to experience the power of his acronym for LOVE: Listen, Observe, Value, and Empower.Support the Show.
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Resistance means you don’t feel safe.
Quotes:
Start with an incident that is bothering you: “When I think about X situation…I feel (what emotion?) (angry, frustrated etc.)”Measure the intensity of the emotion from 1-10.Slow down your breathing and become conscious of where you feel this emotion in your body.Move to release the energy.
“The reason people resist is because they don’t feel safe."
“Courtesy is the first sign of safety. Respect is the outcome of courteous behaviour.”
“When working with colleagues or bosses work to create a matrix of safety for the head, the body, the heart, the spirit and the culture.”
Episode Highlights:
Part A – Your nervous system and its relationship to feeling safe
Your amygdala is responsible for perception of threat, even if that threat is not real. When there is a perception of threat, the body reacts via the amygdala in an instant freeze, fight, flight response. The remedy to threat is to create a safe work environment.
Part B – How to create safety for yourselfPart C – Intentionally creating a climate of safety
Maybe they don’t have experience or training. Maybe they feel incompetent to do the task and don’t feel safe saying so. Maybe they feel they don’t matter. No one wants to be invisible, it is a denial of our humanity. Maybe they don’t know how to interact with a person in authority. Or they had bad experiences with a boss when they spoke up in the past. Experience with too many changes with ‘flavour of the month’ decisions, so employees have become cynical. People are unhappy with their job. They act badly or their performance drops. There is a personality disorder or an addiction issue
Creating a workplace matrix is similar to the matrix in the womb that surrounds and nourishes a baby. You can help create this matrix of safety by:
Helping the head feel safe – give it an explanation and facilitate regular communication of listening, speaking and coming to a shared understanding
Helping the body feel safe – is it pleasant to work in this place, is it ergonomically viable? Would you want to work there? If you wouldn’t why would you allow others to work in that condition?
Helping the heart feel safe – listening, acknowledging, validating how other people feel. Acknowledge difference of opinion without vilification of the other person.
Treat others with courtesy and civility which creates respect as the outcome.
Helping the spirit feel safe – If people are trustworthy and show courage to address problems, doing what they say they will do, the spirit feels safe.
Helping people feel safe culturally – be sincerely interested in others, and ask people about their expectations about how things should be done at work.
Part D – Incidents and solutions
Look for the principles involved in an incident to get to a solution. What principle would help elevate thought and behaviour?
Incident: An employee is resisting working with a boss.Takeaways:
People resist because they don’t feel safeWe all have a nervous system which perceives threat via they amygdala You can calm this reaction by naming an emotion, measuring the intensity, slowing breathing, movingBuild a matrix of workplace safety that helps the mind, heart, body, spirit and culture to feel safeIf you still have resistance consider training, acknowledgement, how to interact with a boss, job unhappiness, personality/addiction issues.Support the Show.
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You deserve a job that allows you to thrive.
Bio:
Stephanie is the Founder of Creative Career Level Up, a program that helps those in marketing, creative, and tech industries accelerate their careers and secure their next perfect role—along with a promotion and a salary increase. She has authored, Fired: Why Losing Your Job is the Best Thing that Can Happen to You.
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniebrowncareercoach/
Website: https://www.creativecareerlab.com/
Quotes:
“The only way to get over fear is to face it head-on and realize that either it's never as bad as what you think it's going to be or the worst does happen, but you survive.”
Episode Highlights:
Stephanie explores the unifying and passionate nature of sports culture, emphasizing how it brings people together and showcases human potential. While acknowledging the darker side of sports organizations, Stephanie shares her personal experiences and the impact sports have had on communities, providing a balanced perspective on this influential aspect of society.
Stephanie also discusses her experiences at Nike and the development of her coaching platform to support professionals in marketing, creative, and tech industries.
Childhood Incidents:
When Stephanie was 15 years old, she changed schools to an all-girls school. At that age transitioning to a new school wasn’t easy for Stephanie; she had a hard time making friends and the group of girls she associated with bullied her. Changing schools taught Stephanie that she didn’t always have to be where her friends were, and even if bad things happened, you could move past them into a better present.
Cultural Influence:
Stephanie’s dad grew up in a family with plenty of love, but the resources were limited. He made sure that his children had more resources and opportunities than he ever got, such as attending university.
Later in life, Stephanie worked for a winery which gave her an opportunity to meet people from all over the world and ask about their life experiences which triggered an urge for her to see the world after finishing her schooling.
Leadership Influence:
When Stephanie finished university, she secured a job in a sports company and later moved to London, England, where she joined Nike. Despite having an educational background in economics and finance, she found herself in a marketing role in the creative industry. At Nike, Stephanie found her tribe and people who mentored her to become a leader.
Temperament and Personality:
According to Stephanie, her general temperament is to love helping people. As a child, she wanted to become a schoolteacher and today she has taken it full circle as a career coach. Over the years, Stephanie’s personality has developed to embrace the bravery required to step out of her comfort zone and take on new challenges.
Cultural Epiphanies:
When Stephanie was in university, she went to Italy for an exchange program and found some of the local jargon had changed when she came home six months later. Since she couldn’t understand the origin she felt like she didn’t belong. Later on, Stephanie experienced reverse culture shock after being in in the UK for 17 years.
What Brings Out the Best in Stephanie?
Stephanie thrives in environments that challenge her and create room for her to learn.
Soapbox Moment:
According to Stephanie, leadership is about serving others, and she sees it as a privilege and a blessing. For those looking for work, Stephanie recommends first taking the time to analSupport the Show.
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The Spirit of Work: Purpose and Cora's Restaurant
Similar to Cora, how has facing difficulty in your life contributed to personal growth and purpose?How did your purpose evolve when creating something new and testing it with others?If in a leadership position, can you state your organization's founding principle in 5-7 memorable words?
Cora's Restaurant, a breakfast establishment originating in Quebec, exemplifies the transformative power of a clear organizational purpose. With a mission centered on "promoting the importance of breakfast," Cora's has expanded from a single location to a global presence, spanning North America, South America, Europe, Australia, Asia, and Africa.
The guiding principle of promoting breakfast's significance influences every aspect of Cora's operations, from menu choices to environmental initiatives. Cora's serves vibrant, nutritious breakfasts to infuse people's mornings with energy and joy. Their commitment extends beyond the dining experience; they partner with the Breakfast Club of Canada, donating a portion of each meal's proceeds to provide nutritious breakfasts for Canadian children.
Environmental responsibility is a cornerstone, with decisions rooted in local food sourcing, exclusive use of biodegradable packaging for takeout, and collaboration with environmentally conscious partners. The emphasis on a warm, friendly atmosphere is ingrained in staff training, fostering creativity, work-life balance, and opportunities for advancement.
This purpose-driven approach aligns internal and external processes, creating a harmonious organizational culture. The success of Cora's Restaurant is a testament to the profound impact of a well-defined purpose, inspiring growth and unleashing creative potential.
In The Spirit of Work, I emphasize the importance of purpose to work. A lack of purpose leads to scattered efforts, breeding cynicism and suspicion among the workforce.
Discovering Purpose – Cora's Journey:
Finding purpose, whether individually or collectively within an organization, is a challenging but critical endeavor. Cora, a divorced mother of three, stumbled upon her purpose when she sold her house to start a small snack bar. Her knack for creative, nutritious snacks evolved into the first Cora's Breakfast restaurant, emphasizing the importance of breakfast.
Over seven years, Cora and her children expanded the venture from nine restaurants in Greater Montreal to a global, multi-million dollar franchise. Her journey underscores the link between clarity of purpose, values and branding.
Purpose, Play, and Joy in Workplaces:
Purpose, like children's play, involves dedication to an activity that energizes and brings joy. However, purpose can either contribute to the betterment or detriment of society. It serves as fuel, requiring direction to ensure it serves the greater good.
Reflecting on Cora's example, how has purpose affected your business or career journey?
Reflection Questions:Purpose, is pivotal chapter in my book, The Spirit of Work: Timeless Wisdom, Current Realities. If you liked this episode, the book is available online on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or directly through my website.
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Unveiling Gerald J. Leonard’s journey from music to making a difference
Bio:
Gerald is the CEO and Founder of the Leonard Productivity Intelligence Institute and the CEO of Turnberry Premiere, a strategic project portfolio management and IT governance firm based in Washington, DC. He attended Central State University in Ohio, receiving a bachelor's in music and later earning a master's in music from the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music.
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geraldjleonard/
Website: https://productivityintelligenceinstitute.com
Quotes:
“Once you learn the complexities of things, I think you can implement it with very simple processes.”
“Words shape our world.”
Episode Highlights:
This episode delves into the significance of personal development, reframing negative thoughts, and embracing cultural diversity. Gerald shares insights on overcoming constraints, the power of relationships and the importance of learning from diverse cultural groups.
Gerald has authored three books: Culture is the Base, Workplace Jazz, and A Symphony of Choices."
Childhood Incidents:
From his father’s example of building a construction business and his mother working as a seamstress, Gerald knew he had to be industrious. In middle school, Gerald was part of junior achievement where he learned more about business and the monetary value of hard work.
Influential Groups:
As a child, family shaped a lot of things for Gerald. He saw how hard his father worked to provide for them, how he was there for them and his business. The experience taught Gerald what it was like to be a family man.
Gerald grew up Methodist, but after joining college, he learned about other religions. He got a chance to interact with people from different backgrounds and used the scriptures as point of reference to see if he was on the right track.
Cultural Influences:
Gerald never saw his parents meditate, but he integrated meditation into his life from Indian spiritual practices into his life. He credits a course with Judith Glaser on conversation intelligence for teaching him about the brain and nervous system which he has incorporated into his own behaviour.
Personality and Temperament:
Gerald believes that he values long term friendships. He has people whom he has known for years, and he goes out of his way to ensure they remain close.
In 2018 he lost 86% of his right inner ear capacity and experienced constant vertigo. Although he was six weeks away from giving a TEDX talk, he did everything in his power to heal , incorporating music therapy as part of the process. His resilience and determination paid off and he delivered his TEDX talk on the appointed date and time.
Cultural Dissonance:
Gerald once worked for a big law firm where the work culture was different from what he was used to . In the Ivy League environment Gerald knew he had to find ways to belong but it felt uncomfortable. He looks at it now as a positive learning experience that taught him new skills.
What brings the Best in Gerald Leonard?
Gerald has a focus on spending quality time to make a difference in the lives of others. He isn't counting the money made or time spent, rather the impact of the exchange.
Soapbox Moment:
Gerald invites us to check out his books and podcast from his website. He also encourages us to check out KIVA provide microloans that support people in difficult circumstances to reach their dreams.Support the Show.
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What I Learned About Culture From 100+ Interviews
Cultural insights from 100+ interviews
Quotes:
“When you don't have cultural awareness, you tend to take things personally when they are not personal. They're cultural.”
Episode Highlights:
In this episode, I delve into a rich tapestry of cultural insights drawn from over a hundred interviews on the Culture and Leadership Connections Podcast and my own intercultural experiences. Building upon our previous discussion on leadership, this episode focuses on unraveling some of the dynamics of culture.
Before we embark on this journey, let me offer a brief glimpse into my background. With a doctorate in culture and learning in the workplace, my personal narrative, shaped by immigrant roots and diverse professional experiences, serves as a lens through which I navigate the nuanced terrain of culture. From becoming fluent in French to changing my religion, I've undergone transformative changes that allowed me to see culture with more nuances.
I once had a conversation about traditional names with my late mother-in-law. She told me that parents should give their children “proper French” names. According to her, those proper traditional names were like the names she gave her own children. I asked her what names were given to her mother and siblings and their ancestors. It turned out that a so-called traditional name was dependent on the generation and didn’t carry over between generations. This was a revelation to my mother-in-law!
From the 100+ interviews about culture that I have had the privilege of hosting, I have noticed certain recurring themes and characteristics.Insights About Cultural Awareness From The interviews:
Awareness of one's culture deepens when you move away from it and experience culture shock as you become aware of differences between what you have experienced and what others experience. There are degrees of cultural flexibility and rigidity in all people. If people express cultural rigidity, it is best to accept that and move on to another topic where there is more willingness to explore.Third culture: In cultural studies, third culture refers to people who have moved a lot because of the military were displaced due to war or because of immigration. Now because of our interconnectedness, more and more people are showing characteristics of third culture in their view of the world. They feel more comfortable with people who have had broad experience rather than narrow experience. Those who have reflected consciously about the role of culture in their lives tend to be more credible than cultural competency experts in the field who have not reflected on their personal cultural selves.Characteristics of People Who Reflect on Their Culture:
They suspend judgment and hone the ability to bring it back to themselves and say, “Is this me or is this them or is it a little bit of both?”As we become more nuanced in cultural understanding, we start to see the person in the culture, and the culture in the person.Those who feel the most uncomfortable in a new cultural experience tend to adjust faster than those who feel comfortable because they try harder to make sense of their world. However, when people leave a cultural experience without being able to join cultural understandings, it's because they feel that their values have been compromised.Support the Show.
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Every person needs a mentor for personal and career growth.
Bio:
Liz Jaluague is a Toronto-based cybersecurity engineer and Canadian Army reservist. She earned a BSc in Biochemistry and a postgraduate certificate in Computer Security and Digital Forensics, and has been a non-profit leader in seven different organizations since the age of 19, currently volunteering with a NFP cybersecurity organization.
She believes in the power of mentorship from her own experiences, Liz consistently commits her time to guiding others along their professional paths.
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/existentializm/
Quotes:
“When you're constantly learning different skills, you kind of remember that everybody is a different level, and it's a humbling experience.”
Episode Highlights:
On today’s episode, we delve into the captivating story of Liz Jaluague. From navigating cultural experiences to challenging conventional career paths, Liz shares her journey of resilience, determination, and growth. She shares insights into the ethical implications of cybersecurity, the power of mentorship, and the impact of cultural influences on leadership.
Childhood Memories:
Liz grew up in a Filipino family in Toronto. She had a great understanding of both English and Tagalog. In Tagalog, there are suffixes that one uses when addressing people older than them to show respect. At some point, Liz started questioning why she wasn’t accorded the same respect as a young person. She dropped the suffixes, and it caused her issues with her parents. A year or two down the line, her parents came to term with it. Later in her own life, she came to value the respect accorded to elders and now sees both sides of the issue.
Cultural Influences:
Growing up, Liz had a desire to learn new things and really valued the learning culture. She was able to grasp a lot of new things but learned later on that she couldn’t ace everything and became more selective with her learning and more humble in her approach to others.
Liz’s parents had her much later in life which gave her an opportunity to learn from her older cousins.
Influential Groups:
After university, Liz volunteered in several NFP organizations, currently with a cybersecurity non-profit. Looking back at her leadership journey with the NFPs, Liz realized that the people she most admired had a sense of purpose, and in every job, she connected with the mission and vision of the organization.
Liz vividly remembers a time when she was in Las Vegas for a conference and she recognized one of the sponsors. She walked up to him and thanked him for giving her the opportunity to make friends working in that organization. The simple act of gratitude gave Liz a mentor.
Personality and Temperaments:
Liz describes herself as a pessimistic optimist. By nature, she looked at things glass half empty since her family didn’t have a lot of material means. On the flip side, Liz learned to adapt and understand that things always work out in the end.
Cultural Epiphanies:
In Belgium and the Netherlands, Liz began to consider cultural differences through the experience of a glass of water in restaurants and different types of door locks in AirBNBs.
What brings out the best in Liz?:
Liz loves working with people who are authentically themselves. She is not a fan of hierarchy.
Soapbox Moment:
Do you have a question on cybersecurity? Liz invites you to send her a message on LinkedIn, and she will be more than willing to answer the question.Support the Show.
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Spiritual Awareness for a New Future of Work
Without the experience of work as spiritual, we see only parts of the whole.Quotes:
“People's behavior starts to autocorrect with self-awareness. Without that self-awareness, it doesn't go anywhere.”
“We can't create a new future of work if we can't imagine something different or better.”
Links:
Website: http://www.shiftworkplace.com
Episode Highlights:
In Episode Two of the "Culture and Leadership Connections" podcast, the focus is on the need for spiritual awareness for a new future of work. The episode begins with a traditional Jewish story about a rabbi whose selfless actions inspire others. The story illustrates the power of leading by example and highlights the importance of spiritual awareness in leadership.
The podcast discusses the concept that humans are spiritual beings, and work is an expression of the soul. It emphasizes the necessity of recognizing the spiritual nature of work and compares it to the story of the blind men and the elephant, suggesting that without a holistic understanding, workplace issues may persist.
I share a personal story about addressing a health issue involving dissolving teeth. I saw a dentist, hygienist, an oral surgeon, and a naturopath. They all had ideas and suggestions on how to help me, but my solution came after seeing a naturopath. I kept wondering, what if the three experts had worked as a team, wouldn’t my teeth have been saved earlier?
The workplace example of holding onto toxic managers for their operational knowledge, despite the emotional and psychological impact on other employees, is presented. Another scenario involving a toxic manager who transforms after a passing comment sparks self-awareness is shared. Our workplaces require us to have a certain level of self-awareness.
Overall, the episode aims to inspire a shift towards spiritual awareness in the workplace for a more positive and respectful environment.
Key Takeaways from the Episode:Spiritual Nature of Work: The foundational premise is that humans are essentially spiritual beings, and work is an expression of the soul.
Leadership by Example: The episode underscores the power of leadership by example, using a traditional Jewish story about a rabbi whose selfless actions inspire others.
Holistic Perspective: The blind men and the elephant metaphor is used to stress the importance of a holistic perspective in understanding workplace issues.
Transformation through Self-Awareness: A real-life scenario is shared where a toxic manager transforms after a passing comment prompts self-awareness.
Metaphor of Spider's Web: The metaphor illustrates our interconnectedness and shows how each person's actions impact the entire organization.
Reflection Question:
How could your workplace be better if interactions with others were animated by a deep sense of respect for the dignity of others? What would be different?Support the Show.
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Bio:
Mark Shekter is the co-founder and CEO of Think8 Global, an international business design firm headquartered in Montreal, Canada. His progressive system is used in business schools and university post-graduate programs in both the US and Canada.
He is also a best-selling author, keynote speaker, and original thinker who has pioneered a new system of creative thinking empowering start-ups to Fortune 500 companies in building robust and sustainable enterprises.
Links:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-shekter-a36a437/
Website: https://think8globalinstitute.com/
Quotes:
“If you're not operating your best, if you haven't created that space and that structure, then the company is suffering to that degree.”
Episode Highlights:
In this episode, I have the pleasure of having an interview with Mark Shekter, the multi-talented individual. Mark shares his journey from a small Jewish community in Canada to Hollywood and how his upbringing shaped his innovative approach to business. He discusses the importance of mentorship, collaboration, and creating a positive work environment. We also get to hear a little about his book.
Childhood Incidents:
Mark grew up in a family where all of them were lawyers. By default, he was slated to be a lawyer, but he took a different path and joined arts. He did art for fun, and little by little, people started picking up his work. Before he knew it, he was directing movies in Hollywood. According to Mark, his upbringing was a fertile ground for his talent.
Influential Groups:
For Mark, whenever he worked with anybody, he always did his homework to have a better understanding of them. Mark had an opportunity to work with Ray Charles, a famous soul musician, who was visually impaired. Because he was black, and prejudice was rampant, Ray Charles was obligated to perform behind the curtains. Mark wanted to get Ray Charles seen and to see his performance himself.
One day, Mark had Ray Charles sit at a piano with reflective glasses on, and his band was distant from him, and there was his orchestra. Mark placed a camera on every instrument and musician. Every camera had a monitor, and the monitors were placed in front of Ray Charles. As each musician entered the song, they were reflected in Ray Charles’ reflective glasses which was a powerful movie effect.
Personality and Temperament:
Mark believes he is blessed with good genes. His father passed on at almost 100 years of age, and he believes he will get there too. He feels he is a good mediator; he listens very well and is always interested in the person he is speaking with.
Cultural Epiphanies:
Mark was used to being a free agent where he would do everything by himself. When he moved to the USA, he got the shock of his life. People were working in teams, and he was no longer a freelancer; he had a job where he would work from 9-to-5, then pitch his idea, then go to the studio from 8:00 pm to 3:00 am.
One day, Mark and other writers were called to a meeting by the producers. All the other writers presented funny ideas, but Mark’s idea impressed the producers, despite his inexperience. As a result, he was tasked to write 50% of the show.
Soapbox Moment:
Check out his book, “Think8: 8 Steps to Ignite Your Creative Genius in Business, Career, & Life.”
What Brings the Best out of Mark:
Mark believes you can impact your environment if you use your natural creativity. He works with people who are open and interested in bettering themselves.
Tagline: Ignite creative genius in all aspects of your life.Support the Show.
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