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It’s Campaign Season. Use Your Attention for Good
If you’ve felt a rising, unfocused dread lately, you’re not alone. We’re being bombarded with messages that people on the other side aren’t just wrong; they’re dangerous. You can tune out a single ad. Together, they settle in like weather. It’s a disheartening way to start your day. Later, you’re driving to work, trying to… Read more
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Attention is upstream of decision-making and problem-solving
If you want to improve the quality of your decisions and solutions, don’t just reengineer the way you process information. Improve the permeability of your attention system. Biases filter out information that might be important. Distractions diminish the salience of information we already have. Have you ever been surprised when an underappreciated opinion or data… Read more
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Dear Strategy Consultants: Stop Annoying Your Clients with Irrelevant Questions
My dissertation explored the questions organizations ask when setting strategy. I wanted to develop an approach to strategic thinking that produced better insights and more options. Ironically, while I scrutinized the influence of leaders’ mental models on the strategy questions they ask, I failed to notice the mental model driving my own research. Why should… Read more
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Leadership Begins with Managing Performance and Matures into Manifesting Purpose
For decades, leadership has been defined by competency models that focus on management skills. However, as leaders mature, effective leadership evolves into manifesting purpose, creating conditions for organizational success. Organizations need to shift from competency-based training to outcome-based reflection, emphasizing the experiences of team members over mere skills assessments. Read more
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Lane Changes
We all navigate life enclosed—in cars, in bodies, in busy schedules. Signaling our intentions is a simple act of compassion, helping others feel included rather than surprised. Here’s why developing this habit (and your attention agility) matters. Read more
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Work Awake!
The effectiveness of classroom training for leaders is questioned, suggesting that transformative learning occurs in real work contexts. The introduction of the Work-Awake Coach, an AI tool, aims to integrate skill development into everyday leadership practices, enhancing attention agility and fostering adaptation through real-time support and tailored coaching. Read more