Leadership

The following is an excerpt from a great article in The Atlantic entitled "This is Why You Don't Go to the Gym" by Derek Thompson. People are way too optimistic about their willpower to work out, Stefano Dellavigna and Ulrike Malmendier concluded in their famous paper "Paying Not to Go to the Gym." In the study, members were offered a $10-per-visit package or a monthly contract worth $70. More chose the monthly contract and only went to the gym four times a month. As a result, they paid 70 percent more per visit than they would have under the plan they rejected. Why? Because people are too optimistic that they can become gym rats, which would make the monthly package "worth it." Silly them. You might call this behavior "laziness." Economists prefer "hyperbolic discounting." This is the theory that we pay more attention to our short-term well-being and "discount" rewards…

This morning I finished reading Henry Cloud's book "Necessary Endings."  Let me rephrase that: I came to the end of the book this morning and I'm already re-reading it.  Some books are like that. One of the last concepts he talks about in the book is the idea of metabolizing a situation, experience, or outcome.  The idea is simple.  In physical terms, our bodies take in two types of foods: useful and wasteful.  Useful food gets digested and put to work.  Wasteful foods get processed and left behind.  While the thought of creating a more graphic visual is enticing, I will leave it at that. Healthy people metabolize well. Healthy organizations metabolize well. Healthy relationships metabolize well. The problem is ... outside of the physical manifestation of metabolism, most of us never do it.  We experience a setback and don't take the time to dissect what went right and what…

From Simon Sinek's TED address: "People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it."

In a recent article that appeared at Inc.com, authors Karl Stark and Bill Stewart share four steps to create alignment with a team.  We often hear people talk about "being on the same page."  What does that mean?  How do you do it?  Here's a short-hand version of the four steps.  I would encourage you to read the entire article. Step 1: Align on the facts Step 2: Align on the Management Agenda Step 3: Align on the Investment Choices Step 4: Align on the Targets, Timelines and Accountabilities  

"Even the most tedious chore will become endurable as you parade through each day convinced that every task, no matter how menial or boring, brings you closer to fulfilling your dreams."  -- Og Mandino, author