Pushing Beyond the Obvious

One of the greatest strengths of the human race is also one if its weakest link. Our ability to imagine is the source of all the innovations around us that has made our lives and our species so dominant in the also what causes us to trip in a lot of our pursuit. Imagination can be both productive and destructive.  We could end up living in our imaginary worlds and never see the reality. This is the reason why so many of us (individuals and organisations) are never able to realize our potential. We are unable to get out of […]

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One of the greatest strengths of the human race is also one if its weakest link. Our ability to imagine is the source of all the innovations around us that has made our lives and our species so dominant in the also what causes us to trip in a lot of our pursuit.

We could end up living in our imaginary worlds and never see the reality. This is the reason why so many of us (individuals and organisations) are never able to realize our potential. We are unable to get out of our imaginary worlds into the real world and look at reality as it is, without colouring it with our imagination.

This is why:

• Even after being completely drunk, we still think that we are sober enough to drive home.
• Even after seeing that the reality around us has changed, we continue to execute our old plan as if nothing changed.
• There is such a gap between knowing and doing what is the right thing.
• This is the reason why most change initiatives fail (as they don’t acknowledge and incorporate the reality but are built on imagined realities).
• Most leaders fail (as they don’t acknowledge the reality of their situation and of their followers).
• We continue to smoke or drink (we imagine a future when we will quit smoking or drinking).
• We don’t learn from our mistakes (we think that the reason for that failure was not due to mistakes we made but because of some other imagined reason).
• We have so many couples go through divorces (instead of accepting our spouses for what they are, we imagine how we want them to be and when they don’t measure up to that imagined reality, we are not happy in our relationship anymore).

Even though we know this now, I am sure that we will imagine that we are much better at recognizing the reality and not make these same mistakes (which is also a form of living in an imagined reality).    

The question then is how to get grounded in the reality (some might even question the very notion of reality, but let’s leave that discussion for a later date) and not make these very mistakes.

One way that I have found to work really well is to have a buddy who can help us see the reality and shatter the imagined reality that we are living in. If we are looking for a reality check in our work life, then this person needs to be someone who doesn’t have a stake in the discussion but is still part of the same universe. Someone who sees the world very differently than how we do.

• Recognize that every world view is biased & based on some figment of our imagination or experience.
• Share our world views openly and without any
• Question each other’s world views. Go deep to find out the core beliefs driving our world view. And then explore how close to the reality these beliefs are.

• There is a strong level of trust between both the buddies
• There is no conflict of interest between the buddies
• Both the buddies know and understand that biases and imagination are a real threat that needs to be addressed.
• Both the buddies believe that the process will make them better and more successful.

As they say, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant”. Acknowledging the fact that we all live in some imaginary world which leads to biased thinking and decision making is the first step towards addressing this problem. There are more people who have failed due to this reason than any other reason.

As this is also the reason that allows us to build a better world, we need to be extra careful and intentional about when to allow our imaginary world to lead the way and when to come out of our imaginary world and let our work be rooted in our reality.

Who is on the show: In this episode, we speak with Anne Sugar. She is an executive coach and speaker who has advised top leaders at companies like TripAdvisor, Sanofi Genzyme and Havas, She also serves as an executive coach for Harvard Business School Executive Education. Why is she on the show:  Dorie Clark recommended that we should host Anne and that she will have a lot of insights that can help us. Anne proved to be all that Dorie said that she will be. She shares a lot of great insights that will help us find success in our […]

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Who is on the show: David Burkus is a best-selling author, a sought-after speaker, an associate professor of leadership and innovation at Oral Roberts University. Why is he on the show: His forthcoming book, Friend of a Friend, offers readers a new perspective on how to grow their networks and build key connections—one based on the science of human behavior, not rote networking advice. He’s delivered keynotes to the leaders of Fortune 500 companies and the future leaders of the United States Naval Academy. His TED talk has been viewed over 1.8 million times and he is a regular contributor […]

The post PBTO S2E9: Friend of a Friend: Understanding the Hidden Networks That Can Transform Your Life And Your Career first appeared on Leaders Worth Following.

Who is on the show today: James “Chip” Massey is the CEO of Plowshare Communications, which advises business leaders on strategic negotiations and how to accelerate the sales process by building strong, powerful, and trust-based relationships.   Why is he on the show:    For more than two decades, Massey served as an FBI Special Agent and hostage/crisis negotiator. During his tenure, his work ranged from collaborating with the CIA to crack espionage rings to high-profile corruption cases, to post-9/11 counter-terrorism investigations at key Washington, D.C. sites. As a hostage negotiator, he worked extensively in crisis situations, including international kidnappings […]

The post PBTO S2E8: Empathy – The Super power of a Successful FBI Hostage Negotiator or an Entrepreneur first appeared on Leaders Worth Following.

• If I Understood You, Would I Have This Look on My Face?: My Adventures in the Art and Science of Relating and Communicating, Alan Alda
• The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It, Kelly McGonigal
• Mindset, Carol Dweck 

Who is on the show: In this episode, we host Denise Lee Yohn. She is a best selling author, keynote speaker and the leading authority on building great brands and exceptional organizations. Why is she on the show: Her book “Fusion” comes out today in which she shares her insights on the importance of bringing organisational culture & the power of branding together to create an organisation that can become a powerhouse of a business. Top 3 ideas I learnt from the conversation: 1} It is critical that we know right from the start of our business about what do […]

The post PBTO S2E7: Fusion – How Integrating Brand and Culture Powers the World’s Greatest Companies with Denise Lee Yohn first appeared on Leaders Worth Following.

In this episode, we host Denise Lee Yohn. She is a best selling author, keynote speaker and the leading authority on building great brands and exceptional organizations.

Her book "Fusion" comes out today in which she shares her insights on the importance of bringing organisational culture & the power of branding together to create an organisation that can become a powerhouse of a business. 

1} It is critical that we know right from the start of our business about what do we stand for. We might still take on work that is not the ideal work so as to stay in business. We still need to keep looking for the ideal business and only talk or brand ourselves as per the ideal work or look for the ideal client. 

2} Organisations that are able to take their branding or promise to our customers and use that to build a culture that drives the behaviours that can enable the delivery of this promise are the one's that become exceptionally successful. 

3} It is important as leaders to understand that we need to be consistent in three aspects (ideological, tactical & symbolic). This means that as leaders our actions determine the culture we create. 

Resources mentioned: 

1} You can find all her books (Fusion, What Great Brands Do) 

2} Take the Fusion assessment here.

You can find her blog here. You can connect with her on twitter @deniseleeyohn. 

Opening music credits goes to my son Yuvan Gupta. Who is on the show: In this episode, we host Dorie Clark. She is a marketing strategy consultant, professional speaker, and frequent contributor to the Harvard Business Review. Recognized as a “branding expert” by the Associated Press, Fortune, and Inc. magazine, she is the author of Entrepreneurial You (Harvard Business Review Press,), Reinventing You, and Stand Out, which was named the #1 Leadership Book of 2015 by Inc. magazine and one of the Top 10 Business Books of the Year by Forbes. Her books have been translated into Russian, Chinese, Arabic, French, Polish, Korean, and Thai. Why is she on the show: I have been reading her blog and following her work for […]

The post PBTO S2E6: The Art of Standing Out & Reinventing Ourselves first appeared on Leaders Worth Following.