THE IDEA: While optimism is a very helpful attitude for success, research shows that it needs to tempered at times. The field of positive psychology, with leaders like Dr. Martin Seligman, has demonstrated that an optimistic attitude can lead to higher levels of success for people in a wide variety of activities. In fact, Seligman and others have developed training … [Read more...] about Be a Flexible Optimist
risk
Using “Worry” to Your Advantage
What keeps you up at night? Agonizing over some thorny decision? Overthinking possible outcomes? Tormenting over the possibility of failure? You are not alone. The hyper-competitive work environment in which we live feeds our imaginations overtime, and, hence, our worries. The great Samuel Johnson, a chronic worrier, labeled worry a “disease of the imagination.” We are … [Read more...] about Using “Worry” to Your Advantage
Risk vs. Irrelevance
Making Strategic Choices is risky. Often when I give strategy examples to clients or executives I am teaching I will hear the comment “That sounds risky.” This response does not consider the risk of continuing to do things the same way. In his books and teaching, Dr. Russ Ackoff would often make the distinction between errors of “commission” – doing something that should … [Read more...] about Risk vs. Irrelevance
“Innovate or Die”
The importance of innovation is a major theme today among companies and nonprofits. In recent months, The Chronicle of Philanthropy carried a cover story on innovation. In that article, Amelia Franck Meyer, CEO of Anu Family Services in Hudson, WI was quoted as saying “We’re in an environment where it’s innovate or die.” Wow. Here are some recent thought-leadership … [Read more...] about “Innovate or Die”