Our daily Field Notes email is just the kind of jumpstart you need. A fast read. Maybe less than a minute. Because sometimes it just takes one insight to change the trajectory of the day.
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Gather a Piece of Everyone You Admire
Over the course of the next few days, think deeply about the many people you admire, respect, and enjoy. Find one small piece of each of them that is worth emulating. Push beyond the superficial and attempt to identify a specific action, behavior, expression, or response that is worth adopting. Work hard to create a…
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Learning to Think on Your Feet
The mental agility to quickly process information and to respond instantaneously is a highly prized skill. When put on the spot or asked an unanticipated question, the ability to think on your feet and respond in real-time with a clever or pointed answer suggests a powerful mind. Leaders who exhibit this skill in any conversation…
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The Tyranny of the Vocal But Minor Voice
Vocal and unhappy people attract more unhappy people, who then become more vocal. A team can be turned upside down if those on the crusade are allowed a way into the everyday conversation. Unlike the crusaders, good leaders recognize that differences divide the team, while common values bind the team together. Celebrating what team members…
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Organizing Meetings Around Questions Instead of Topics
Organizing Meetings Around Questions Instead of Topics. Any topic, problem, or issue can be stated as a question, and any agenda can be organized as a set of questions. Meetings, agendas, and topics organized by questions create a more vibrant dialogue between team members. When sent in advance, the questions posed in the agenda stimulate…
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People Who Project Their Own Flaws Onto Others
People with deep insecurities have a peculiar habit. They commonly project those insecurities onto others. In other words, whatever flaw they struggle with is often the focus of their behavior with others. For instance, leaders who ridicule others about their lack of confidence often struggle with their own self-confidence. Similarly, colleagues who struggle with holding…
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In Search of More Gamma Brainwaves
Music with binaural beats creates an auditory illusion when two slightly different frequencies are presented separately. As the brain processes these two different frequencies, it perceives a beat that is not actually present in the sound. The result is increased Gamma wave activity. To deliver the frequencies separately to each ear, listeners must use stereo…
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Where Do Leadership Instincts Come From?
We often refer to highly effective leaders, especially those with less experience or background, as having great leadership instincts. In our estimation, they seem to know things we wouldn’t expect them to know. More importantly, these people land on a good or right answer seemingly without much effort. They are instinctively good at leadership, or…
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Testing for Grit
The quality of grit, or a passionate persistence, is considered a priceless attribute when hiring prospective team members. The idea of grit refers to a person’s ability to persevere and remain determined in the face of challenge, adversity, or obstacles. People with grit maintain a commitment to long-term goals and consistently work toward them despite…
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Creating Separation Between Back-to-Back Meetings
Creating Separation Between Back-to-Back Meetings. Transitions between meetings are challenging enough without sprinting from one discussion to another. Team members deserve the best of you and all of your attention in the matters they want to discuss. Leaving the last meeting behind is aided by a brief separation. Some tiny habits really are atomic. It…
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The Hidden Jeopardy of Expected Rewards
The biggest problem with expected rewards is not about their long-term influence, but rather the impact they have when they don’t occur. The only time an expected reward really matters over time is when it doesn’t happen. Then, it is remembered forever. Expected rewards that don’t occur carry a deep symbolic meaning to people. When…