Inspiring Leadership, Be Aware Of Your Blind Spot.

Inspiring Leadership, Be Aware Of Your Blind Spot.

Updated August 1st 2023

In our most recent blog we discussed ‘Inspiring Leadership’ and I shared some examples of where it is not happening. In my conversations with the individuals who were experiencing the complete opposite of ‘Inspiring Leadership’, we were trying to work out if the leaders in question were aware of their behaviour and impact.  It is possible they are not. We ALL have blind spots!

You may also recall Johari’s Window, mentioned in our second last blog.
As you will know from that blog, (or maybe you knew already), the Open Arena/Area (Area know to self and others) is argued to be the most important quadrant. The argument is that the more people know about each other, the more productive, cooperative, and effective they are likely to be when working together. In Johari’s Window there is a quadrant known as Unknown (known to nobody, including myself!) and Blind Spot/Area (known to others, but unknown to me).

During a course I attended, I had a remarkable moment of newfound awareness. Throughout the program, I sought opportunities to connect with the other attendees, including one woman in particular. Unfortunately, despite my genuine attempts to engage with her during the exercises, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of being repeatedly snubbed.

As time went on, I reached a point where I decided to stop making any further efforts to connect with her. It seemed like she had little interest in engaging, and I found myself mostly ignoring her. It was an unusual approach for me, but the demanding challenges presented during the course required me to be selective when deciding where to invest my energy. I made a deliberate choice to prioritise my own learning through the set exercises.

On the final day of the course we were all saying good-bye to each other, and she walked straight up to me and apologised. I asked her why she was apologising and she said that on meeting me and hearing me speak during the introductions on the first day she had felt intimidated. For me to think someone might find me intimidating was shocking. I asked her what it was I did that intimidated her. She told me that it was some sense of confidence I had that she felt she did not have, and so she felt small in my presence.

Wow! There I was thinking I do a great job of making people feel comfortable! She told me that through the course she had finally realized that she could become as confident as I appeared and that there was no reason to feel intimidated! Phew!

It’s fascinating how we often notice qualities in others that we believe we lack ourselves, leading us to either gravitate towards them or keep our distance. It’s equally remarkable to reflect on my personal growth journey, recognising how I once struggled with self-confidence and how far I have come since then. I now find myself contemplating how many people I may have thought I took a dislike to when, in truth, I was potentially intimidated by certain aspects they possessed – qualities I actually aspired to have.

I share this because it is important on a number of fronts:

A) I was wholly unaware that the confidence I have spent years building could be intimidating to others. Even though I look to represent and be a beacon of what one can overcome if one so wishes (In my case low self-esteem, depression, dyslexia!), doesn’t mean that it makes other people comfortable!

B) Both she and I were stuck in the Unknown Area (represents things that are unknown by you, and are unknown by others). Because we disconnected from each other early on, there was a whole host of things that were unknown to each other; we were making assumptions and we were potentially losing out on other gains. I made assumptions that she was rude and ignorant, but actually she was intimidated and I later realised she is a very nice woman! I’ve asked it many times in previous blogs, but how much are our assumptions about other people’s behavior taking us in the wrong direction every day?

C) I made a decision, having been snubbed off, that I would focus my energy on the exercises rather than on building a particular relationship. How often do we all do this in life and in the workplace, focusing on the task rather than the people? As Adele Cooper, Head of Partnerships for the UK and Ireland at Pinterest says “Make getting to know people individually- their roles, responsibilities, what frustrates them-a priority over hitting immediate business goals or achieving personal success. Motivating every member of the team enables it to be more successful”.

Hmmm, still lots to think about with Johari’s Window, relationships and leadership (of ourselves and others!).  Keep reflecting on the responsibility and actions you are taking on, while reading these blogs (or not) and we will continue…..if you have any comments of questions, don’t be shy! If you like what you read please give it a thumbs up.

 

How Can We Help Our Leaders become ‘Inspiring Leaders?’

Updated August 1st 2023

In the past week, I have spoken with a number of people across diverse organisations who are experiencing what could best be described as bullying. All of them are extremely bright and committed individuals, (a mixture of senior managers, director and chief officers) and two of them are considering resigning in coming months. I guarantee that their potential resignation will be a blow to their teams and have wide rippling effects cross-functionally and beyond.

If only this was an uncommon situation. However, unfortunately it is not. Think about it. Me, one person who had 3 separate conversations in the space of one week with 3 people who lead large teams and who are all experiencing some form of bullying from their reporting manager…this does not bode well!

If you read our last blog,  you will recall the mention of Kinjerski and Skrypnek (2006), who explored what they term ‘Spirit at Work’ (having high feelings of wellbeing, feeling like your work matters and feeling connected to your colleagues; all helping to provide meaning and fulfillment in work). You will also recall that there are a number of factors required to develop  ‘Spirit at Work’.

One such factor, indeed the most important factor, according to Kinjerski & Skrypnek  is ‘Inspiring Leadership’

“Inspiring Leaders:

  • Create a caring culture.
  • Are caring in the sense that the welfare of their staff and work relationships are important.
  • Embody behaviours that match those of the organisations’ philosophy and intentions.
  • Encourage and help staff to reach their goals.
  • Communicate tasks clearly.
  • Involve people in the decision-making process.
  • Delegate responsibility so workers can make decisions about their work on their own.”

Kinjerski and Skrypnek (2006) found that a positive workplace was important in creating ‘Spirit at work’. Positive working environments help people develop a sense of spirit at work where they feel good during work, they are happy with their organisation and they focus on tasks required during work.

The people I mentioned above are experiencing the exact opposite of ‘Inspiring Leadership’.

As we all know, the workplace culture reflects the leadership within the organisation, the relationships among colleagues, the opportunities and priorities in an organisation, and how people are viewed in the organisation.

i.e. don’t expect people to show up in certain ways if you are not leading by example. A positive workplace is one where care, teamwork and support are displayed and developed by senior staff; this creates a workplace where people are able to work to their best/perform best.

Pamela Quinn (MD of Kuehne + Nagel Ireland, one of the worlds largest logistic companies) states: “I believe that people mirror behaviours and they tend naturally to follow the behaviours they see around them.”

How have your reflections been re. the Open/Arena Area (the Area known to self and others), of Johari’s Window? Are you taking the lead in this one?

If you are reading the current blogs and thinking this is all fluffy stuff, have a look around you and consider my experiences in the past week. Three people in three different organisations, two of them considering resigning. They are most definitely not working with leaders who are exhibiting ‘Inspiring Leadership’, ‘Spirit at work’ or ‘Companionate love’!

There are Unknown Unknowns! View yourself through Johari’s Window.

Updated August 1st 2023

I recently lead a programme on creating High Performing Teams, and our session turned to the concept of ‘Johari’s Window’. In case you haven’t heard of this concept, it was created by two American psychologists, Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham in 1955 and is a technique used to help people better understand their relationship with themselves as well as others.

The ultimate goal of the Johari Window is to enlarge the Open Area or the Arena Area in our picture here (i.e. the area known to self and others), without disclosing information that is too personal (i.e. so personal that it makes you uncomfortable). The Open Area is argued to be the most important quadrant, as, generally, the more people know about each other, the more productive, cooperative, and effective they are likely to be when working together.

One of the gentlemen attending the High Performing Teams programme, a managing director of an SME, mentioned that he does not feel comfortable sharing personal information with colleagues (e.g. what he had got up to at the weekend) because he doesn’t want to make them feel uncomfortable, e.g. feel like their life isn’t as prosperous as his. He also doesn’t expect them to share personal information and so keeps all conversations work-related. It’s an interesting argument.

Kinjerski and Skrypnek (2006) have explored what they term ‘Spirit at work’. ‘Spirit at work’ is described as having high feelings of wellbeing, feeling like your work matters and feeling connected to your colleagues; it helps provide meaning and fulfilment in work.  These researchers found a number of factors that contribute to ‘Spirit at work’. We will come back to all of them in future blogs, but what’s most pertinent now based on this gentleman’s argument is the following; The importance of having a sense of community among workers.

Those with high ‘Spirit at work’ have positive relationships in work that is promoted in their workplace. They develop personal relationships, they work cooperatively and they have a social life and share ‘fun times’ together.

According to the participants who have taken part in Kinjerski & Skrypneks’ various pieces of research, personal relationships are important because people know each other as people, as well as colleagues. They connect and share information with each other and they support one another. The work environment becomes like a family where there are strong connections, which provide a sense of belonging to a community. Participants in the study explained that when these personal relationships are developed it helps them to work more effectively as a team. Those who experience greater affection and caring from their co-workers perform better in their job.

There is a whole host of research showing that those who experience greater affection and caring from their co-workers perform better in their job. Barsade & O’Neill (2014a) conducted a longitudinal study looking at the emotional culture of employees and how this affects the person and their work performance. They created a theory around the culture of ‘Companionate Love’ and how this influences people. ‘Companionate Love’ they assert, is important and can greatly influence the workplace. It involves warmth, affection and connection; it is less intense and not passionate or romantic. It is linked to interdependence between people and having sensitivity towards others. The more employees feel this type of companionate love at work, the more likely they are to be engaged in work.

Over the coming weeks, consider the Open Area of Johari’s Window and ask yourself if you are developing the personal relationships and connection that lead to ‘Spirit at work’ and ‘Companionate love’? If you are not, consider the blocks (internal and external) to you from doing so and keep posted for more about Leadership, ‘Spirit at work’, Johari’s Window and more.

 

Conversations With Your Employees; Are You Asking The Right Questions?

Updated 31st July 2023

It may seem obvious, but an employees well-being and happiness plays an important role in the performance of an organisation.

Obvious, but is it being taken seriously enough, I ask?

The results of numerous studies shows that there is a relationship between employee happiness and workplace engagement. Happy and engaged workers are a lot more likely to have positive relationships with their managers, and are better able to handle new challenges and changes. They also feel valued by their employer, and as a result can deal with stress more effectively and overall are more satisfied with their lives (Krueger & Killham, 2005).

Throughout the past week, I found myself in various situations, from collaborating with groups in organisations, to engaging in heartfelt conversations with friends about their struggles in different relationships outside of work. These experiences served as poignant reminders of the challenges many of us face when attempting to have honest conversations that foster positive and flourishing relationships. It became evident that avoiding these crucial conversations can lead to a great deal of unhappiness and stress, underscoring the importance of addressing our communication barriers head-on.

Some of us skirt around the issue that we should be discussing, others ‘tell’ people what to do, and hence miss an opportunity to let the individual take real ownership of the solution. Sometimes people avoid having the conversation at all, and we’ve all seen examples of what happens then, at work and at home…

The thing is, we don’t have to be perfect communicators. We just need to listen, ask questions to understand, stop making assumptions and stop planning ahead in the conversations i.e. be present with and to the person in front of us and to the conversation that is actually happening.

I love the simplicity of the message in this TED talk, well worth a watch!:

 

“When You’re Smiling, The Whole World Smiles With You”

Updated July 31st 2023

Louis Armstong sang “When your smiling, the whole world smiles with you”.
I know a lot of people who are feeling very, very stressed right now. Whether it be from pressure at work, home or just that start-of-the-year feeling, and the expectations that come with this time of year, or a culmination of all of these things.

No matter the source of your stress, remember that you are not alone in experiencing these feelings. I vividly recall a recently challenging day I had in Belgium which took place shortly after the devastating Paris Attacks. Despite my father’s pleas to stay, I found myself going anyway, lugging two massive suitcases for the third time in as many weeks. Exhausted and burdened by my father’s concerns, I realised that I was yet again myself working tirelessly on what was meant to be a day off. Passing most responsibilities to my team, I had anticipated being able to take the time off. To add to the strain, I received a distressing call from a client, marking a significant turning point in a longstanding relationship – and not for the better.

I believe a series of events similar to this served as the catalyst for my recent venture into writing a book centered around the themes of ‘happiness, contentedness, stress management, and choice’. Throughout the process of writing this book, I delved into extensive research, seeking to understand the effects that maintaining a positive outlook, embracing gratitude, and choosing to smile can have on improving our well-being. It became evident that these simple actions have the power to transform our lives through changing our general outlook from negative to positive.

Many years ago, a feedback loop between the expression of and experience of emotions was suggested by the likes of Charles Darwin and by Dr. William James. There is now an accumulation of evidence illustrating how facial-muscular action can affect our mood and perception. For example, Michael Lewis, a psychologist at Cardiff University found “Facial muscles do not just express emotions but they are also involved in the experience or feeling of emotions: Smiling while reading a cartoon, for example, increases amusement.

Another study by Lewis & Bowler (2009) involved people who had undergone Botox injections and thus paralysed their ‘Frown’ muscles. They found that when people couldn’t make negative facial expressions, they found it harder to sustain negative moods. The absence of negative feedback from a person’s face muscles results in people feeling happier! On top of this, according to a rake of research (Wood et al, 2009 etc) grateful people experience positive emotions more frequently.

On the stressful day I spent in Belgium, I practiced smiling and gratefulness endlessly; after the call with my client; on a packed bus with cranky passengers (rush hour and me carrying  large suitcases didn’t make them my best friends); a bus driver who was not prepared to wait while I lifted the suitcases off, and snarled at me for leaving the bus at the front door instead of the back door; the complete absence of any taxis, trains or buses for the final leg of my trip; with an aching back, and aching feet. I kept smiling and telling myself how grateful I am that although I am in pain with freezing hands, and have experienced a lot of negative people today, I am so lucky I get to put my head down in a clean hotel bed tonight, whilst so many others around the world have a cement slab, a park bench, or worse, are living in a war zone.

And you know what, other than the bus driver, I definitely got a lot of smiles back that day, because although I felt frustrated and cranky, I just kept treating other people as I would wish to be treated; with a smile and in gratitude!

🙂

Mindfulness- Living WITH The Speed of Life!

Updated July 31st 2024

We think, say, and hear all the time:

“I can’t believe it’s already Friday!”

“We’re already into August!“

“Another year has passed so quickly”

“Where has the time gone??”

Let’s face it: we live in a world where life is literally running away from us. Not because it doesn’t like us and wants to escape from us. It’s because of how our way of living has evolved over many years; we have been surviving – and I literally mean surviving – on this planet.

Having said that, I feel an urgent need to throw a crucial question into the air for everyone out there to catch: Does our fast-paced world represent the rock-solid, inevitable nature of our life? Or are we just “living too fast“?

We always have 3 ways to deal with a challenging situation:

1: We flee.

2: We fight.

3: We adapt.

No. 1 (We flee) is ESCAPING the speed of life: I deem this as something impossible, because we might eventually grind to a halt and stand still for the rest of our life.

No. 2 (We fight) is living AGAINST the speed of life: at first this sounds like a good idea to me, because momentarily we are drowning (or suffocating – picture whichever option you like better!) in the current world of immediacy, instantaneousness, and promptness – it’s now or never!

Turning this world into the promised land where ‘time“ is a foreign word, is something that many of us – be it tangibly or just subcutaneously – wish and strive for.

However, I have one little issue with this: the word “against“ embodies a fight, a struggle, resistance – basically a lot of  “negative effort”. We have enough of this in our daily life already, don’t we? So we don’t want any more of this, do we?

This leaves us with the last option, No.3 (we adapt). In which we don’t deny or run away from time but instead focus on ADAPTING to the speed of life. Now what’s decisive here is that we need to understand that we have two possibilities, as well as the choice to pick one of them – just like a train track can go into different directions as its rails split into two at certain points.

The first sub-option is that we live AT the speed of life, which means that we imitate and take on all its characteristics – we basically become one with the speed of life, meaning that we will BE the speed of life!

Getting back to what I said earlier about our urge for being gratified either now or never: if we choose this option – most of the time we do it without conscious intent, (perhaps because someone out there e.g. friend, parent, media, has in fact told us to do so)- we perceive less of what is happening in the world – because all we focus on is instant gratification!

Something happens which inevitably out-smarts our vast skill-set and reduces the quality of our decision-making, as we don’t take the time to see the whole picture. This means that we have less control over what we do, and eventually we get frustrated because of where our (unconscious) decisions have lead.

If this scenario does not appeal to you, you can always opt for sub-option 2, which is living WITH the speed of life. What we need to understand here is that when we adapt to something, we have the choice of shaping what we take on, as we like, without becoming that thing itself. We can instead become our own version, living next to that thing, rather than taking on its characteristics. For example, say you don’t like your manager, who is a stressed and aggressive person. You can adapt to him/her rather, than becoming like him/her – easiest thing to do to deal with the situation would be to become stressed  and aggressive towards your manager or others. But the healthier thing to do is to learn some techniques to deal with this type of personality, and hence keep yourself calm and content.

In other words: we can let the speed of life determine how we adapt to it, or we can determine it ourselves to eventually live WITH it.

The former (sub-option 1) is the far more convenient and satisfying “low-energy-cost“-version, which will – ironically enough – lead to a “quicker“ life and therefore frustration.

The latter (sub-option 2) requires us to consciously slow down, hold on, step back, and see the whole picture.

The key is that only achieving a state of mindfulness will allow us to perceive the huge amount of options that are available to us – including living a “slower“, “longer“, and therefore a happier life.

I know why I thoroughly enjoyed writing this blog.

Written by our Guest Blogger Oliver Sifkovits (Msc, CSCS)

Oliver Sifkovits (Msc, CSCS) is a Performance Enhancement Specialist, Personal Trainer, as well as 4th belt holder in Capoeira. He has provided Strength and Conditioning service to athletes from various sports, levels, and age groups, including footballers from Hertha BSC Academy, World Cruiserweight Boxing Champion Pablo Hernandez, as well as multiple Austrian Racketlon Champion Michael Dickert. His approach is designed around improving body-mind-spirit performance and health in individuals.

 

Mindfulness- Foundations For The 7-Steps to Learning and Habit Change

Updated July 31st 2024

Are you living presently?
Or are you living focused on the next meeting, the next meal, the next email that needs to be responded to, and the next one and the next one? Are you living in the past, regretting what you have done or not done, or feeling angry at how you were treated by someone or how you didn’t make it to the gym, or ate that second croissant!

You are probably already well aware that mindfulness, one of the oldest practices in human history, has become one the newest ‘breakthroughs’ in managing thoughts and mental wellbeing in the workplace.

I started attempting to focus on living presently, using mindfulness and meditation a few years ago, (see more on this in this Irish Indo article) when approximately 20 years after being introduced to meditation and mindfulness, I finally was adult enough to start giving it a real go. The impetus was the realization that if I didn’t focus on the NOW, that life would pass me by and I’d have missed out on just experiencing rather then thinking about what was coming next.

This mindfulness lark is no easy habit to adopt! It involves being present in the here and now; when you’re eating, when you’re walking, when you’re speaking, basically in every moment. Personally, I find it challenging, as I often need to remind myself to focus entirely on the conversation at hand or savor the taste of a drink, deliberately experiencing every detail. In reality, like many others, I catch myself mindlessly juggling multiple activities throughout the day: hastily gobbling lunch between client sessions and meetings, and rushing around in a perpetual state of urgency. It’s a journey to break free from this habit and genuinely embrace mindfulness.

If it is so difficult to be mindful/ present in this moment, then why bother?

Well, there is empirical evidence that mindfulness:

  • reduces the physiological and psychological effects of stress
  • correlates with emotional intelligence
  • improves well-being and happiness
  • improves attention and emotional regulation

(see Keng, Smosku & Robins, 2011 for an extensive review of the empirical studies on the effect of mindfulness on psychological health)

Personally speaking, when I am being mindful, I feel more tuned in to the people I am with, the conversations we are having and the accompanying sensory information in the environment. I feel more grateful (which is in itself associated with reduced depression, more positive relationships, greater competence, resilience, self-acceptance, less stress, better sleep and much more!) and life feels much richer and more enjoyable.

Research also shows that people who focus on being mindful rather than focusing on the end goal or the future are more successful (e.g. Fishbach & Choi, 2012). Yes goals can help spark our initial interest, but then we must consistently focus and on the process rather than being overly focused on the end goal. It is much better for the outcome if we focus on the experience rather than the benefits. As Dr. Christian Jarrett (author of ‘Great Myths of The Brain’) said at the Learning Technologies Conference in Olympia, London I attended this week  “Once you are doing it (e.g. exercise, work-based project), let your long-term future-based mission fade into the background.”

Living more mindfully is a must if you want to learn more effectively and change habits. As I mentioned earlier, it necessitates a shift in focus. Have you given it a try yet?

Exercise: Boost Your Brain’s Performance- Foundations for 7-Steps to Learning & Habit Change

Updated July 31st 2024

What do you start your morning with?
Written by our Guest Blogger Oliver Sifkovits (Msc, CSCS)

I start each morning with a 40-minute workout. Far away from the inconvenience of having to wake up early, putting on training gear, and dragging myself out into nature, it has become an essential part of my lifestyle. I want to be as productive as possible each day, and starting it with exercise is in my experience one of the best ways to achieve this.

“Mens sana in corpore sano”

….meaning if we look after the health of our body, the health of our mind will also improve.

In other words: put your trainers on, get active and boost your brain performance!

Indeed, research has shown that aerobically trained subjects improved executive task performance such as planning, task setting, reasoning, and focusing on goals after a 6-month intervention, which included moderate intensity endurance exercise (comparable to a long-distance run where you would just be struggling to speak with someone easily) performed for 40 minutes 3 times per week (Shay & Roth, 1992). This is supported by another study showing a strong relationship between aerobic fitness levels and performance in executive functioning tasks after 3 months of exercise (Smith et al., 2010).

Every day our minds are challenged in having to filter information which they deem important for their own survival. We are faced with all sorts of distractions. They test our ability to pay attention for long periods of time, to the limit. Exercise helps us to focus on what really matters to us by improving sustained attention (Colcombe et al., 2003) as well as information processing speed (Smith et al., 2010).

With high demands placed on our ability to focus comes the challenge to store information in the human „hardware“. As we know, from the blog a few months ago about one of the 7 steps to learning and habit Change (www.adaptastraining.com/4-memory), recalling what we learn during the day at a later stage is essential for continuous progress, since it allows us to put one „knowledge brick“ on the other to create a „building of sophistication“.

Who would have thought that exercise can be the cement holding the bricks together? In a 3-month aerobic exercise intervention, subjects showed high increases in celebral blood volume and thus memory in the dentate gyrus, an area of the brain which is responsible for short-term memory (Colcombe et al., 2009).

I always say that becoming successful is easier than remaining successful, and this is no different with storing and recalling information. Having a well-functioning short-term memory gets you to a certain point – the next step is having the ability to store information long-term. A crucial role is played in long-term memory by the hippocampus.

Additionally, did you know that the size of the hippocampus reduces with age? (and hence memory loss!). Research demonstrates that long-term (1 year) aerobic exercise increases hippocampus size (Erickson et al., 2010), and blood flow in this area (Chapman et al., 2013), as well as a significant decline in its mass reduction by an equivalent of 1-2 years (Erickson et al., 2010).

Are you looking to rocket your mental performance now and in the long-term? If the answer is yes, working out at moderate intensity for 40 minutes 3 times per week is a minimum requirement for you.

  • Commit to it. There is no single reason not to do it.
  • Be patient. Good things take time.
  • You will reap the benefits.
  • You will be grateful to yourself for having made the commitment!

Oliver Sifkovits (Msc, CSCS) is a Performance Enhancement Specialist, Personal Trainer, as well as 4th belt holder in Capoeira. He has provided Strength and Conditioning service to athletes from various sports, levels, and age groups, including footballers from Hertha BSC Academy, World Cruiserweight Boxing Champion Pablo Hernandez, as well as multiple Austrian Racketlon Champion Michael Dickert. His approach is designed around improving body-mind-spirit performance and health in individuals.

Self Limiting Beliefs – Foundations for 7-Steps to Learning & Habit Change

Updated July 31st 2024

Our 3rd Foundation block for the 7-Step to Learning & Habit Change is brought to you by our guest blogger Camille Donegan. Our Beliefs, the beliefs we hold about ourselves, can be one of the biggest blocks to us making change and to having the happiness and success in our lives that we deserve. Camille tells us her story, can you identify with it? This blog also relates back to Step Number 7, our piece entitled ‘Two-Way Street, Positive or Negative thoughts.

The World Is Your Oyster – guest blogger Camille Donegan
Optimists; you may see them as unrealistic, happy-clappy people who don’t live in the real world? So why would you want to be one? Well research shows that optimists have better health and more successful careers, plus a tight correlation has been found between pessimism and symptoms of depression.

I should probably hold up my hands at this point and confess … I AM A TOTAL OPTIMIST.  When something ‘challenging’ happens to me in my life, I automatically look to see what learnings I can get from it. It doesn’t mean I don’t have fears, doubts, limiting beliefs and even some worries, it just means I don’t let them hold me back.

My dad wrote me a poem and when he passed away I included it in his memorial mass booklet.  In it, he said that the world was my oyster and all I had to do was prise it open and suck out its sweet delights! How right he was! Even though I’ve been an optimist as long as I can remember, it’s been a fairly recent realisation for me that the only thing that holds us back in this life – is ourselves.  Our own blocks, our own insecurities, our own doubts, and our limiting beliefs. Any of us can achieve anything – I truly believe that. For instance, I am currently working on getting my house overlooking the sea, plus the hot man and the gorgeous dog to go with it!

Knowing you can achieve anything (and being an optimist) doesn’t stop the voice of the inner critic though! Last week a colleague of mine announced that the next day he was going to present me as the CEO for a product we are working on to a Venture Capital Group he was pitching to. Right on cue, my limiting beliefs kicked in: “I can’t do that! I don’t know enough! I’m not smart enough! I’m not financial-savvy enough!”.

We all have a voice in our head, an inner narrator. For pessimists, this voice is predominantly negatively focused while optimists are able to over-ride the negative ‘stories’ or ‘self-talk’ quite quickly, and replace them with positives. Yet, we all have or have had some limiting beliefs regardless of how positively or negatively focused we are.

Over the next while, I invite you to start paying more attention to your inner voice. When you hear negative comments from your inner narrator, try to adapt it into self-talk which will empower and challenge you.

Once you start to become more aware of your negative self-talk, particularly reoccurring limiting beliefs, such as ‘I’m not good enough’ you can start to address them. Try ‘going vertical’ with them. Question them. Interrogate them. Ask yourself, do I believe these negative thoughts or limiting beliefs? If the answer is ‘Yes’, think “what evidence exists that this thought might not be true”. Then, think “what might be a better, healthier version of this thought”? Consciously choose to replace the negative thought or limiting belief with the new, more positive version.

That’s what I did for my big meeting…I created more empowering beliefs. I questioned each of the limiting beliefs and blocks that came up until I had dispelled most of them.

Granted, I did hit the books, and spent a lot of the night before the meeting researching. But all the reading and researching in the world would not have made me feel confident, had I not done the work on my beliefs!

Good news is in that meeting, I felt confident, informed and actually pretty relaxed.

I still need to work on my finance skills! But that’s a job for another day.

Camille Donegan is a Freelance Theatre Producer and Owner of Alive-O Productions, and a Technology Consultant. She is constantly self-developing, exploring philosophies and methodologies to enhance her experiences.

Sleep: Energy That Lasts All Day Long- Foundations for 7-Steps to Learning & Habit Change

Updated July 31st 2024

Recently I have been experiencing something great; energy that lasts all day long without any daytime slumps!

What is the difference? A combination of good nutrition, exercise a few times per week and sleep.

However, I had the experience recently of feeling like I couldn’t string a full sentence together, to the point where I had to put an end to a phone conversation half way through. And all because, I hadn’t slept due to a lovely bout of food poisoning.

As we saw in recent blogs, courtesy of Oliver Sifkovits, focusing on what we eat can make all the difference to how we perform. Sleep is another physiological lever that can contribute to, and detract from how we perform.

There is a compelling body of evidence that ties our performance, be it professional or personal, to adequate levels of sleep. Chronic sleep loss negatively affects focus, memory and cognition, impacting productivity and relationships, and overall well-being.

Not getting the correct amount of sleep is linked to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, depression, and psychosis. It also causes unethical behavior (see Shane O’Mara).

How many times have you taken dodgy short-cuts when you are tired? The brain of the sleep-deprived person has to work harder than that of non-sleep-deprived person to accomplish any given task. Imagine what information your brain is excluding paying attention to when it is tired and the decisions it is having you make?!

Research shows that young adults (under 30 years) perform poorer than their older counterparts (50-60 years) following periods of sleep deprivation – whilst at the same time more confidently and inaccurately overestimating their abilities. Where does this show up in organisations and decisions being made?

Furthermore, we are less adept at reading social cues and responding appropriately inter-personally when affected by sleep loss. Our ability to accurately detect emotions tied to threat (angry faces) and reward (happy faces), becomes blunted, when sleep deprived. Also, sleep-deprived people fail to recall pleasant memories, yet recall gloomy memories just fine, and so sleep affects our positivity and happiness.

Additionally, recent neuro-scientific research points to the role of sleep in memory consolidation. Studies have shown that hippocampal neurons activated during learning tasks are reactivated during slow wave sleep, reinforcing the neural network and consolidating the learning. In a study requiring participants to learn routes through unfamiliar streets, performance, as measured by error rates in the task, was significantly lower for those who had benefited from sleep. Other studies focusing on sleep loss provide clear evidence for lower academic performance caused by reductions in both declarative and procedural memory, suggesting that the prefrontal cortex is highly sensitive to sleep deprivation. So, regular good quality sleep is a precursor for memory and learning.

Studies of sleep distinguish between acute sleep deprivation, defined as short bouts (24- 72 hours) of complete sleep loss, and chronic partial sleep restriction, defined as continued periods of less than normal quantity of sleep (for example 3-5 hours sleep when the individual’s ‘normal’ pattern is 7-8 hours). Performance in cognitive tasks shows a consistent deterioration in both acute and chronic forms of sleep deprivation. However recovery from chronic partial sleep loss is slower.

According to renowned sleep researcher Daniel Kripke, consistently getting between 6.5 and 7.5 hours of sleep per night not only contributes to longevity but also enhances happiness and productivity. Deviating from this optimal range can lead to various unnoticed issues, affecting our overall well-being. It is imperative that we pay closer attention to our sleep habits and consider whether they are supporting or hindering our learning, habit formation, and overall performance and happiness.

 

Eating Yourself Smart: Part 2 – Foundations for 7-Steps to Learning and Habit Change

Updated July 28th 2023

Give me the spark to speak with others!
As mentioned in Part 1 of the ‘Eating Yourself Smart’ blogs, communication in the form of messages is required for a city to survive and grow. These messages are represented by so called neurotransmitters in the brain – they contain the information which determines what will happen next in the body. Someone has to produce those messages – and that’s what amino acids do. Since we all create messages to communicate with others, we can all deem ourselves as amino acids in this fictive world.
For example, there are people with the name ‘pyroglutamate’, and they produce messages titled ‘acetylcholine’. These messages contain the information for the brain to become mentally sharper, concentrate for longer, increase its speed of reflexes, and improve its memory skills (Holford, 2009).

Another amino acid of high relevance for boosting your intelligence is tyrosine. It is the substance that produces dopamine (Holford, 2009) – a neurotransmitter that can be described as the “learning amplifier molecule”. In other words: eating sufficient amounts of poultry, fish, beans and/or peanuts will strengthen neural pathways in your brain and will thus enhance learning.

We are all aware of the importance of having leaders in an organisation – people who initiate processes. Vitamins, minerals, and trace elements are no different – they spark metabolic reactions in the brain. In a study with 615 school children, non-verbal IQ scores increased by an average of 4.5 points after taking a multivitamin and mineral complex – including Vitamin C, Zinc, folic acid, and several B-Vitamins – for 3 months (Schoenthaler et al, 1991). Some of the subjects even improved their scores by an impressive 20 points! These results are supported by a further study with 60 schoolchildren showing similar improvements in IQ-scores (Benton & Roberts, 1988).

One important thing I would like to point out is the deceptive character of the term “recommended daily allowance” (RDA), which describes the  “daily dietary intake level of a nutrient considered sufficient by the Food and Nutrition Board to meet the requirements of 97.5% of healthy individuals in each life-stage and sex group” (U.S. National Academy of Sciences: Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board; 2001).

In a study carried out with 200 school children, only the group which supplemented 20mg of zinc each day over 3 months significantly improved memory functioning and the ability to pay attention for long periods of time. In contrast to this, the group taking 10mg a day did not show any significant changes in the tested parameters (Penland, 2005). Compare this to the RDA for a child aged 9-13, the value is 8mg for both males and females (U.S. National Academy of Sciences: Institute of Medicine, Food and Nutrition Board; 2001). This example clearly shows that the daily intake of the vital substance zinc needs to be higher than the one commonly suggested in order make you smarter. Furthermore, the studies above demonstrate that you can’t start early enough with your attempt to become Jane super-brain or Bart super-smart one day.

Isn’t it ironic that we take our car to a service on a regular basis for it to work perfectly, yet we don’t pay the same amount of attention to our body and brain? Isn’t our brain controlling our behaviour like puppet players controlling their toys? And is “We are what we continuously do” in fact also applicable to our eating habits? If you have answered all of these questions with a “yes”, you have just made the first step towards more effective learning and outsmarting the best of the rest.

 

Oliver Sifkovits (Msc, CSCS) is a Performance Enhancement Specialist, Personal Trainer, as well as 4th belt holder in Capoeira. He has provided Strength and Conditioning service to athletes from various sports, levels, and age groups, including footballers from Hertha BSC Academy, World Cruiserweight Boxing Champion Pablo Hernandez, as well as multiple Austrian Racketlon Champion Michael Dickert. His approach is designed around improving body-mind-spirit performance and health in individuals.

Eating Yourself Smart: Part 1 – Foundations for 7-Steps to Learning and Habit Change

Updated July 28th 2023

In our previous blog, we promised to supply the main ingredients that create a foundation for the 7 Steps to learning and habit change. These are:

  • Nutrition
  • Exercise
  • Sleep
  • Mindfulness
  • Blasting Limiting Beliefs and Emotions

Let’s start with our guest blogger Oliver Sifkovits on the topic of Nutrition.
Why roads between reception desks matter:

Would you like to be able to think quicker, concentrate better and for longer, increase your IQ, as well as have a sharp memory? In short – would you like be more intelligent? I’ve always found that the simplest solutions are the best ones, and this clearly applies to the topic of this blog: research compellingly shows that providing your brain with the right nutrients can rocket its performance to the sky.

Let’s look at our brain as a vivid city in which different parts and people serve a purpose. 60% of our most important organ consists of fats. These are the reception desks of the city which receive information. The more reception desks there are, the more information can be distributed within the city, right? It is therefore essential to eat sufficient Omega 3 & 6 fats so that the messages travelling between our brain cells actually find a place to dock on to.

Also, imagine the reception desks to be extremely busy workplaces: computers require maintenance, printing paper needs to be replenished, and pens need to be replaced when they stop writing. It is no different with fatty acids: since our brain is active non-stop during day and night, it’s optimized functioning is dependant on regular (and by that I mean daily) intake of these substances.

Studies show that sufficient intake thereof can enhance long-term memory (Glen et al., 1985, 1987 & 1990; Skinner et al., 1989). Fish such as mackerel, herring, salmon and fresh tuna, as well as eggs will give you Omega 3 fats, while flax seed represent an option for vegetarians. Primrose and borage oil are Omega 6 – rich sources.

What does travelling from South to North Dublin have to do with nutrition for the mind? The answer is simple: In order for information to find its way to different reception desks in the city, roads are required. The equivalent to this would be the so-called phospholipids in the brain: they allow for smooth nerve signal transmission between cells. One of them is called phosphatidylserine, which has been shown to improve memory, learning, vocabulary skills, concentration, as well as mental alertness (Crook et al., 1991).

You will find this type of nutrient in organ meats and in the form of a supplement. Vegetarian options are soy beans and white beans.

Dimethylethanolamine – short DMAE – are further building blocks of roads in the city. It has been shown to stop mind wandering, improve concentration, promote learning (Holford, 2009), as well as enhance memory, attention, and associative thinking (Dimpfel et al., 1996). Egg yolks, sardines, and organ meat all contain this substance, whereas vegetarian capsules are also available.

So far you have learned about the importance of building a structure in the brain that allows cells to communicate effectively. Look out for the next blog, which will be about the “human” side of nutrition for the mind: communicating and initiating intelligence.

Thank you for reading, we would really love if your liked our blog that you would share it among your social media platforms. Remember, sharing is caring and we Care! 🙂

Oliver Sifkovits (Msc, CSCS) is a Performance Enhancement Specialist, Personal Trainer, as well as 4th belt holder in Capoeira. He has provided Strength and Conditioning service to athletes from various sports, levels, and age groups, including footballers from Hertha BSC Academy, World Cruiserweight Boxing Champion Pablo Hernandez, as well as multiple Austrian Racketlon Champion Michael Dickert. His approach is designed around improving body-mind-spirit performance and health in individuals.