It's never too early to prepare for the future. (August 2018)
In this issue:
  1. A powerful 1 or 2 word mantra to help us stay focused under stress
  2. How "critical thinking" muscles are asphyxiated by our "sports fan" identity biases
  3. A reminder of the very important "ELE" rule to live by
(same mantra; two different flavors)
The Power of Two Simple Words:
Video: "How Wonderful"

Advice from Nithya Shanti's, where he shares a simple practice/mantra that can help us shift our minds and focus on the positive in the face of every situation or change in circumstances...


or try just One Word: Video: "GOOD"
Consistent motivational advice from John Gretton Willink (Jocko) on how to deal with failure and tough situations more effectively...

Critical Thinking
& the Dangers of Identity-Based
(Sports Fan/InGroup) Politics; the Impact of Our Unconscious Bias
PODCASTS & SKETCHBOOK VIDEOS:  from Kevin deLaplante

IDENTITY & FANATICISM
SPORTS FAN/IN-GROUP POLITICS is when we make decisions and take action more like sports fans; its when we need the exclusion (and demise) of others to make our group feel special; it's when we have a different understanding of what is "real" based primarily on our in-group affinity/identity.
Our brains do this to us unconsciously-it happens to all of us the same way. We see the world through our own (we win; they lose) lens vs seeing the potential for greater benefit and progress (we all win). Why all the counterproductive brain behavior - what's really going on?
"We can’t come to a (smart) compromise because our identities are making us want to take positions as far away from the other side as possible... we disagree in order to defend our identity and our sense of difference from other people." - Lilliana Mason
  • We all have multiple identities (social group identities)...the one that is most important at any given moment is the one that's being threatened
  • We all have a tendency toward "categorization" (e.g., which things are mine? not mine? me? not me?) over group cohesion
  • If it's our team, we are willing to overlook a lot; if it's "their" team...a misdemeanor becomes a felony
  • Seeing members of our ingroup suffering can trigger PAIN neurons in our brain - seeing members of the outgroup suffering can trigger pleasure neurons
  • Most of this is NOT conscious - not under our control - but what is under our control is that we can choose to make this more conscious for the sake of more effective critical thinking, better decisions and better outcomes
  • Practice can increase awareness of our thoughts and of our intolerance for the "others" outside our social group identity
  • People who are isolated the most are motivated the least to practice because they are more threatened by the idea of "identity delusion" than they are by the impact of their bias blind spots
YANSS 133 - How politics became our identity

"You Are Not So Smart" podcast on the same subject with researcher, professor and author Lilliana Mason

Read more
youarenotsosmart.com
Just One Rule: "ELE, think about that."
Jackie Moon & Will Ferrell remind us of one very important rule...

 We're always practicing something.
What we practice grows stronger.
What do you want to grow stronger?
Executives leading change today (all of us), typically need help strengthening/upgrading two fronts, simultaneously:


* INNOVATION/TRANSFORMATION LEADERSHIP *
* CULTURE CHANGE * VUCA/CHANGE READINESS *
* HIGH PERFORMANCE TEAMS *

-drop everything and train-
Local engagements  innovationLEADERSHIP.training  
Multi-national team engagements  Axialent.com
Integral Leadership Academy Stagen.com