ConceptsNest

The feedback we receive can sometimes feel like nonsense. For Example, an employee in an organisation once stated:   “ This company doesn’t care about parents. ” The employee then proceeded to gripe about the lack of maternity and paternity benefits. Admittedly, the CEO agreed that the company’s maternity and paternity leave policies could be improved… But she was livid about the broad accusation that “ this company doesn’t care about parents. ” What an unfair generalization . The CEO was conflicted about how to react to the feedback: 1)       She didn’t want to come off as being defensive to her employee. 2)       But she also didn’t want sweeping, inflammatory remarks to be seen as well-received by the employee. How was she supposed to take this feedback? It felt like nonsense. Nonsense feedback usually comes in one of three forms… Given that how we receive feedback as a leader sets the tone of openness and honesty in the company , this is especially challenging. If we dis

Human beings have been blaming strange behaviour on the full moon for centuries. In the Middle Ages, for example, people claimed that a full moon could turn humans into werewolves. In the 1700s, it was common to believe that a full moon could cause epilepsy or feverish temperatures. We even changed our language to match our beliefs. The word lunatic comes from the Latin root word ‘luna’, which means moon. Today, we have (mostly) come to our sanities. While we no longer blame sickness and disease on the phases of the moon, we will hear people use it as a casual explanation for outlandish behaviour . For example, a common story in medical circles is that during a chaotic evening at the hospital one of the nurses will often say, “Must be a full moon tonight.” There is little evidence that a full moon actually impacts our behaviours. A complete analysis of more than 30 peer-reviewed studies found no correlation between a full moon and hospital admissions, lottery ticket pay-outs, suicid

***Continued  from Part 01 Link to Part 01 ↘ Innovation: Brains Over Brawn Like any boxing match, the business landscape can be extremely unpredictable, requiring quick and effective reflexes that do not jeopardize the overall game plan. One minute, you are landing clients left and right; the next, you are up against a narrowing profit margin. The best executives are those who can swiftly adapt to harsh or changing conditions and pivot to creative solutions that are perfectly in line with management practices, brand messaging and core customer expectations. Like the most-revered boxers in history, ultimate respect, loyalty, and praise go to those leaders that can dodge and innovate under pressure , without abandoning familiarity or authenticity of style. ↘ Technique trumps brute strength. Boxing is all about technique. After all, they don’t call it the sweet science for nothing. The same is true in leadership. If we only rely on position and power to get things done, our ab

There are, times when we need a good metaphor to provide a mental frame to navigate the complex dynamics of leadership. Using boxing as a metaphor to understand, prepare and respond to situations can provide a greater level of clarity, and maybe even a little solace. Beyond the physical workout and the mental benefits of strenuous exercise, there are several lessons we can pick up from the sport of boxing. As in boxing, leadership is fraught with sudden surprises , some of which, if not anticipated, can deliver a hard blow . When negotiating, leaders must achieve a complex balance between the myriad interests of multiple parties. It’s a continuous give-and-take of compromise, shared values and, hopefully, win-win agreements. ↘ Master the fundamentals. In boxing, the four basic punches are the jab, straight, uppercut and hook. Every boxer will throw thousands and thousands of them in an attempt at mastery. After one -- or 100 -- matches, they know that to grow as fighters and

A Short Story- Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine: In 1952, polio killed more children than any other communicable disease. Nearly 58,000 people were infected. The situation was on the verge of becoming an epidemic and the country desperately needed a vaccine. In a small laboratory at the University of Pittsburgh, a young researcher named Jonas Salk was working tirelessly to find a cure. (Years later, author Dennis Denenberg would write, “Salk worked sixteen hours a day, seven days a week, for years.”). Despite all his effort, Salk was stuck. His quest for a polio vaccine was meeting a dead end at every turn. Eventually, he decided that he needed a break. Salk left the laboratory and retreated to the quiet hills of central Italy where he stayed at a 13th-century Franciscan monastery known as the Basilica of San Francesco d'Assisi. The basilica could not have been more different than the lab. The architecture was a beautiful combination of Romanesque and Gothic styles. White-was

What makes the Tiger such a great and fearsome creature? It is regarded as one of the most remarkable animals in the world, its appearance and majestic exoticness has made people curious about it. But what really makes the tiger tick? What are the things that makes the tiger such a great and fearsome creature? The tiger male waits for the female and cubs to eat first In the “dog eat dog” world of the animal kingdom, it is not often that you find this kind of behaviour for an animal who can beat a Lion, so called king of the beasts in a one on one fight yet who still recognizes the fact that  the weakest members of the family, the females and the cubs need to be taken care of first is worthy of note. The tiger is an object lesson in the fact that your worth is not how powerful you are as an individual but how much you are willing to help in lifting up those weaker than you . The interesting thing about show of responsibility is that it is not taught . Unlike most other cats, tig