“We don’t stop playing games because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing games.” ¬– George Bernard Shaw
Act Mindfully
“Sustainable leaders know that by serving others as opposed to treating employees as servants is the key to better business results, greater team involvement and happier followers.” – Dr. Maynard Brusman, San Francisco Bay Area Executive Coach
Many of the leaders I see in my emotional intelligence-based executive coaching practice of over twenty-five years are working long hours and are stressed-out. Some of my clients complain of low energy and exhaustion. They frequently are sleep deprived. Getting adequate sleep is an enormous help in restoring mental clarity and the drive to succeed.
My holistic approach to coaching is to work with the whole person, so upon request I weave into my leadership development work the importance of stress resiliency, mindfulness, daily meditation practice, exercise and proper nutrition. I recommend clients see their physician if they have specific health concerns, and make referrals to nutritionists, fitness trainers and other health experts when appropriate.
Act mindfully and savor your relationships at work and at home. Create the powerful habit of “pacing” yourself to restore energy, build resiliency and create well-being.
“Respect yourself and others will respect you.” – Confucius
The Power of Habit
In his thought provoking book “The Power of Habit”, Charles Duhigg, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, tackles an important reality head on. That is, people succeed when they identify patterns that shape their lives–and learn how to change them. This idea–that you can indeed change your habits–draws on recent research in experimental psychology, neurology, and applied psychology.
Duhigg looks at the habits of individuals, how habits operate in the brain, how companies use them, and how retailers use habits to manipulate buying habits. The author’s main contention is that “you have the freedom and responsibility” to remake your habits. He says “the most addicted alcoholics can become sober. The most dysfunctional companies can transform themselves. A high school dropout can become a successful manager.”
“The Habit Loop” explains exactly what a habit is. According to the author, habits make up 40% of our daily routine. The process within our brains is a three-step loop. First, there is a cue, a trigger that tells your brain to go into automatic mode and which behavior to use. Second, there is the routine, which can be physical or mental or emotional. Finally, there is the reward.
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