InsightOut Coach

Leading in a way that addresses our very human responses during times of crisis requires listening deeply, uniting widely, and acting boldly: "Neuroscientists have shown that a sense of unfairness isn’t just a psychological phenomenon, it activates networks in the brain similar to physical pain or disgust. A sense of fairness is one of five domains that the brain constantly tracks. Right now, many people are experiencing a strong sense of wrongness in the other four (status, ...certainty, autonomy, and relatedness) as well. If people are already feeling like they are lower status, experiencing uncertainty, have a reduced sense of control over events, feel like others don’t care about them, and feel intense unfairness, then you have hit all five domains, each of which on their own create a strong distress response in the brain," David Rock and Khalil Smith, NeuroLeadership Institute. See more

When is disruptive change a gift? Right now! Yes...in the midst of a pandemic! The unusually insightful founder of the NeuroLeadership Inst., David Rock, wrote this provocative piece for Forbes on how organizational leaders can make the most of current challenges to stimulate regeneration--including new ways of thinking and seeing within working communities--that will take them far beyond promises attached to returning to any prior and fast-fading sense of normalcy. "Over ti...me, the companies that took steps early on to build richer, more human cultures will be far better positioned to succeed than those who merely coasted. ... It’s easy to look at change as pure disruption. But that also means everything that was once held sacred is now up for debate. If we can tap into people’s newfound energy to create something bigger and better than before, we can leave the worst parts of work behind to create a better normal for all of us." See more

At every level of human existence--from each of our individual selves to our collective human global community, dealing with the challenges presented by COVID-19 is presenting humanity with a rare evolutionary challenge. Are we up to using this pandemic as an opportunity to make an evolutionary leap? Being First co-founder, Dean Anderson, offers some visionary insights to jumpstart the process: "Evolution has a central causative factor our mindsets. With each evolutionary step, our worldview grows and expands. Our mindsets get bigger and more inclusive. We acquire broader systems and process view, seeing further across both space (systems) and time (process)."

Is our experience with COVID-19 reminding us of an emergent stage of awareness--of how clearly inter-dependent and inner connected we truly are--that is fast becoming essential for human survival? Otto Scharmer offers some clues for perceiving and defining such an awakening: "Many of us feel that we live in a time of profound change change not only in terms of things ending, but also in terms of seeding and cultivating and growing a new civilization for the decades and cent...uries to come. That was true before the COVID-19 pandemic, and it will be true after. The question is how to respond to the current situation in ways that help this enormous potential for positive change to manifest? ... How can we reimagine and reshape our various forms of movement-making in ways that allow them to embody the principles of planetary healing and societal renewal?" See more

Based upon the research done by his NeuroLeadership Inst., David Rock offers guidance for masterful leadership communication with employees during a crisis. This is exceptionally useful information for leaders navigating the effects of COVID-19 on the stability of their workforces: https://hub.neuroleadership.com/coronavirus-leadership-mar2

Leading successful large-scale change: While designing conservation strategies to protect ecosystem biodiversity along with the well-being of coastal communities in Melanesia, Marine Scientist Stacy Jupiter discovered an essential ingredient for any successful large-scale change effort: the engagement of community and stakeholders in the process.

Along with other more mundane mechanical deeds, AI is about massive data collection and conversion into useful likelihoods and probabilities. The recent Frontline report, In the Age of AI, offers many exciting possibilities. While today's AI offers a giant leap beyond the most advanced human capacity for such computational feats, it can also be used either to benefit humans or to exploit us. While AI may relieve us of any expectation to memorize and synthesize information wel...l beyond our flesh-and-bones capacity, what might become the next frontiers for human development? Are higher consciousness, wisdom-mind and deep insight now up for our consideration as necessities in sustaining the advancement of our species? Chip Conley, founder of the Modern Elder Academy, offers some useful clues: "Sixty years ago, Peter Drucker predicted the world would be run by knowledge workers. Now, at a time when all of the knowledge of the world is in a magic stone in our pockets, maybe it’s time to retire Drucker’s phrase and replace it with wisdom workers. In a world dominated by machines, wisdom will always be the scarcest and most valuable resource we have." See more

For a business to sustain itself, should the allocation of its profits emphasize innovation or buyback that elevates their stock value? In this WIRED article, economist Mariana Mazzucato suggests that innovation is driven by public investment, along with a shift in how businesses evaluate their definition of wealth-creation: "Cost-benefit analysis is not suitable to evaluate mission-oriented policies, which are inherently risky and uncertain, and aimed at creating new markets... rather than fixing existing ones. As Mazzucato likes to point out, we would never have walked on the Moon if the Apollo Program had been evaluated via cost-benefit analysis. ... According to a study by Mazzucato and economist Bill Lazonick, between 2003 and 2013 publicly listed companies in the S&P 500 index used more than half of their earnings to buy back their shares to boost stock prices, rather than reinvesting it back into further research and development. ... The reason progressives often lose the argument is that they focus too much on wealth redistribution and not enough on wealth creation, she says. We need a progressive narrative that's not only about spending, but investing in smarter ways. See more

Sahana Chattopadhyay offers a well-defined system of elements for creating organizational communities that learn and create together: "By embracing the power of networks and social platforms along with the affordances of mobile and cloud, distributed and boundaryless organizations can become platforms for emergent learning. When fully realized and supported, emergent learning can transform an organization making it agile, adaptable, and resilient as well as responsive, innovative, and evolutionary. Emergent learning is always contextual, collaborative, and goes beyond the norms of intended learning. It cuts across formal organizational structures and siloes and connects the inherent tacit knowledge and the ongoing collective experience, building a shared awareness of moving toward a larger Evolutionary Purpose for all concerned."

Thoughtful take on self-mastery...thanks to Jamelle Lindo. "...self-awareness, being the fundamental entry point into emotional intelligence, is also the gateway to leadership mastery."

When people at every level of an organization are in touch with their own relationship to change and are prepared to lead their teams in change navigation, it's possible for a working community to move with relative ease through any and all change processes, even those that are transformational nature: "We need to shift the dynamic of expectation; to shine a spotlight on each person, inviting them to discover their inner leader voice and contribute to making change happen from right where they stand."

If you are leading a team or organization of any size and are not yet able to offer a genuine "YES" to any of the questions in this INC article, let's talk! "Human beings are inherently designed to learn, grow, and connect with others. It's certainly no different in the workplace. ... Most of us long for the same close bonds with colleagues in the pursuit of common goals, shared values, and a compelling purpose. It makes showing up to work that much easier."

In his NYT newsletter, Smarter Living, Tim Herarra offers us sage advice on living more fulfilling lives. Here he focuses on focusing...a challenge for sure when we live in a world replete with interesting, attention-grabbing distractions. He calls out distinctions on what he terms attention residue, deep work, and digital minimalism, and posits: "Concentration is like a super power in most knowledge work pursuits. If you take the time to cultivate this power, you’ll never look back."