Tagged With "Fight or Flight"

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If you like sports at all you've likely seen or read something from this person. He's the simply smart & wildly witty Woody Paige ! A while back his chalkboard had this wisdom: Yep, you guessed it, we're going to unpack these a bit! I need help. When people don't feel safe enough to admit they need others to do their work, fear is dominating. When fear is present our brains are in flight/flight/freeze mode helping us make "survival" decisions. This works against us when collaborating is...

Starting any new venture can be scary. Deciding to tap into our creative entrepreneurial spirit can take a lot of courage, patience & a bit of ignoring our insecurities. "Why not go out on a limb? That's where the fruit is!" -Mark Twain Recently heard Tim Ferriss Podcast interview with Sir Richard Branson. One of the stories Branson told was of how he got into the airline business. He was trying to get home after a 3-week business trip when his flight was cancelled. He really wanted to...

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Will Durant Behavior change is hard. Starting something new means stopping something that's not adding value to your life. What if you thought about leadership development as a habit? Then you wouldn't have to worry about the "right" time to start. Choose wisely and align your saying with your doing. Influence is always happening. Bad driver. Happy bank teller. Slightly pleasant flight attendant. These reflect a...

It's December 28, 1978, in New York City. United Airlines Flight 173 has just taken off for Portland, Oregon. Unknown to the passengers, a warning light has come on stealing the Captain's attention. Not long after, the Co-Pilot realizes they won't have enough fuel to reach their intended destination and will need to land at a different airport. With his mind focused on the warning light, the Captain is unable to focus on what is really important. They're going to run out of gas. The plane...

Was reminded of this story Dr. Ken Robinson told in one of his TedTalks... It's the story of a little girl who was in an art lesson. She was drawing. She was six, and at the back of the classroom. The teacher said she hardly ever paid attention but in this lesson, she did. The teacher was curious. She walked over to her, and asked, "What are you drawing?" The girl said, "I'm drawing a picture of God." The teacher stated, "But nobody knows what God looks like." The girl replied, "They will in...

Venom is associated with being harmful, but red imported fire ants are using their venom for its medicinal benefits by sharing the toxic substance with their nestmates, according to a study published in the Journal of Insect Physiology . Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists from the agency's Biological Control of Pests Research Unit and Southern Insect Management Research Unit in Stoneville, Mississippi, discovered a new way that fire ants use their venom to prevent diseases in...

Sorghum bicolor , a pollen-rich grass species cultivated for grain and forage, which looks similar to corn, can be an important food source for pollinators and other beneficial insects during times when pollen and nectar are scarce. Researchers from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)'s Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and Oklahoma State University (OSU) Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources found that sorghum, commonly called milo, served as a pollen food source...

Each of us strives to fulfill basic needs as humans otherwise we're surviving instead of thriving. When we perceive a situation isn't safe our fight/flight/freeze mode kicks in automatically so we can live through it. It's a great adaptation humans have developed over the millennia. We wouldn't be here without it. The problem comes when we live in this mode more than we feel safe. Cortisol and adrenaline flood our system even when we aren't actually in danger. Prolonged exposure to these...

When you feel the surge, resist the urge. There are times in our lives when we feel threatened. Some are real. Some aren't. Our bodies process these situations exactly the same. When threats aren't real often we let our fight/flight response take over. In these moments we react as if in real danger. The actual danger here is not having the self-awareness to realize the "threat" is perceived and be able to calm ourselves down. If we succumb to the survival hormones flooding our bodies we...

What is toxic leadership? Using coercive, controlling, or manipulative tactics prioritizes personal gain over meaningful goals undermining collaborative achievements. When our actions hurt those we are charged with caring for, it can damage relationships and the whole organization. Common Characteristics Micromanagement Excessive control and monitoring of others leave little space for autonomy or independence. It inhibits creativity and imagination. Intimidation Using threats, humiliation,...

A few years ago an assignment came my way due to a lack of personnel with the right experience. It featured a lot of diverse tasks to prepare a team for a challenging assignment involving advanced training, remote communication, outside agency networking/coordination & team building. After months of painstakingly detailed work, my bosses felt I had not asked the right questions, sweat the small stuff enough and let too many “balls drop”. In a one-way conversation, they fired me. This hit...

Recently we held a workshop on change where the participants mentioned something they were hearing in their organizations. "That's how we do things around here." This phrase is often used to explain a cultural behavior or process. It seems to provide plausible deniability and deflect blame for the current situation. Healthy organizations know they must deal with the challenges of change versus the status quo. No change and you become obsolete. Change for change's sake means chaos rules and...

In some leadership sessions recently we asked the participants what they were experiencing that might be holding back their teams. Without much hesitation, they said there was something keeping them stuck. Keeping them from collaborating the way they hoped. It's probably not what you expect. They said it was not asking for help . Seriously? Yes! This one thing reveals a number of things that work against effective collaboration. Here are two... Fear exists Poor psychological safety Fear is...

Imagine you're making popcorn on the stove. You heat the oil and put in the kernels. Too little heat and the kernels don't pop. Too much heat and the popcorn isn't edible because it's burned. Just the right amount of heat makes a yummy treat! Heat is the catalyst for change. It's the same for our teams and organizations. You're in the regular weekly update meeting and the boss checks in on how everyone is doing with the newly installed system-wide software. One team member speaks up and says...

Pollinators like bees, bats, and butterflies are vital for human health because they transfer pollen between plants, allowing many fruits, vegetables, and nuts that nourish us to grow and reproduce. Without these busy pollinators, our diets would be less diverse and lack essential vitamins and minerals found in pollinator-dependent crops. Educating youth about the importance of pollinators is critical. It empowers them to become stewards of these vital creatures, ensuring a healthy future...

Stats tell us up to 80% of people who attend a conference, training, or other professional development won't change anything in their lives after the experience. The notes, books, articles, and videos you diligently collected during the experience have been all but abandoned. The ironic part is that most people respond positively when asked if they are lifelong learners. They often take pride in describing themselves this way. If this is so, why do we find it so difficult to act on those...