How’s It Going?

Last week was a crazy one! I kept marveling at how I wasn’t reacting to the shifts going on all around me, especially on Wednesday, when we had roofers doing repair work starting at 7 a.m., an opportunity to see an old friend turned during the workday turned into a 3-hour ride to nowhere, I returned to the office to more hammering, managed to shake it off to have dinner with friends, only to find the roofers still there a 11:00 that night! And yet, I stayed in response mode, not reaction mode.

What’s the difference between reacting and responding, and how have I made this change? I’ve learned to reframe expectations as desires. Now, if something doesn’t go according to plan, instead of getting frustrated because my expectations weren’t met, I assume my desired outcome wasn’t meant to be, I reset: accept and focus forward.

If you’re curious about this, reach out, I’m happy to share what I’ve learned—maybe it can help you too.

And now, here’s the info I found that I hope brings insight and inspiration to the leader in you:

• Starting with this:

Have you kept your inner child engaged, and do you tell them how much they mean to you? If it’s been a while, try it tonight before you fall asleep.

• What is the one factor most indicative of future success? According to psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth, it’s grit. And, I agree. Without grit, which I define as determination + resilience, none of the other factors matter. Why? Failure is inevitable until you succeed, and if you don’t accept and learn from each failure, you won’t break the cycle, no matter how hard you try. Winning comes from learning, learning comes from absorbing the whole experience.

• Increasingly, companies and the people leading them are recognizing many people who are obese are not that way because they eat too much or lack discipline. In reality, many are fighting insulin resistance, where their bodies create fat even when they exercise and eat balanced meals. Scientists and physicians collectively are finally learning that a calorie is not a calorie and for women, the drop in estrogen and the rise of cortisol that accompany menopause are huge contributors to weight gain. We’re in the midst of a major shift in thinking around HAES (health at every size). And drugs including Moujarin, Ozempic, and other semaglutides are anticipated to get FDA approval for weight loss later this year. As companies incorporate weight bias education into their DEI programs, it’s going to improve the workplace and its opportunities for people of all sizes. Here’s more via The Wall Street Journal.

Do Good Spotlight
🌟 Alliance for Reforestation 🌟

Deforestation increases mudslides and devastates the soil, food security, and water sources in Guatemala. Alliance for Reforestation (AIR) has spent the last 25 years working to rebuild the land, not only through planting trees, but through teaching self-sustaining regenerative farming, rural-school scholarships, and more. They are working to be sustainable and expand their reach beyond Guatemala. Learn more: Alliance for Reforestation.

• Boldness may be added to the definitions of psychopath, and some psychologists are arguing not all who present as psychopaths are bad. If this idea is tickling your gray matter, here’s the rest. Psychologists are debating new ways to identify psychopaths that include “boldness” as a telltale trait. And the debate goes deeper when some are arguing some roles, such as business leaders, require stronger concentrations of the traits seen in psychopaths: meanness, disinhibition, and boldness. (I’ve had more than my share of these people in my earlier career days so my vote is keep ‘em out of business—marketing and advertising seem to attract them—but hey, that’s just me.)

• Fast Company summarizes a report from The McKinsey Global Institute overviewing how generative AI, rather than “stealing” jobs, will reduce/eliminate mundane tasks in 13 sectors, freeing talent to focus on more interesting aspects of their work.

• In case you missed it, I’m now leading a chapter for the national organization for business referral professionals, The Connective and I’m seeking new members. If you or someone on your team is a natural connector who values a sense of community with other “go givers,” please reach out so I can share more and potentially add you or your colleague to my chapter. You can learn a bit here if you want to jump ahead.

• Americans have open minds on all kinds of phenomena previously characterized as either based in religion or based in fantasy. A new poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that 70% of Americans believe in angels. There are breakdowns for the data, enjoy!

That’s a wrap. Stay strong and focus forward!

Niki