Breaking Free of Trump’s Mind-Control Powers 

by | Jun 4, 2018 | Article, Gender, Inclusion, Leadership

Why are powerful Republican men highly susceptible to what Axios calls Trump’s “superpower?” Why are (most) women immune? Does North Korea’s Kim Jong-un share this same power? In today’s lead blog, Axios describes the silence of Trump’s Republican critics and the instant shifts in GOP views this way: “In our lifetime, no president has matched Donald Trump’s ability to summon the power of the pulpit, friendly media, and the tweet-by-tweet power of repetition and persuasion to move minds en masse.” The Reality: This is called the “Janus Effect. This is what happens when a bad decision is made by an Alpha male leader. The bad decision is reinforced by the people in his inner circle, seemingly without judgment. The FIX? We need look no further back than our evolutionary history to a time when male hunting groups were led by a strong alpha male. In the same way that a wolf pack sticks together, members of an alpha male’s inner circle stick together. Their deepest fear is to be told point-blank by someone who is deadly serious: “John, You’re not being a team player!” The deeply internalized fear of the team turning against them, of being isolated or exiled, is too much to bear. So what’s the political fix? When voting people into public office, ignore gender. Instead chose highly empathetic, nurturing, collaborative leaders who have a track record of success. These KEY traits make them immune to the Janus Effect. Alexia Parks is a futurist, UN Mentor and Founder of 10TRAITS...

Everyone has unconscious bias. Here are three ways to discover yours.

by | May 17, 2018 | 10 Traits, Article, Gender, Inclusion, Leadership

How far you rise as a leader – in today’s modern inclusive workplace – now depends upon how free of unconscious bias you are. (You can check out your unconscious bias in 1-Minute for free here.) BIAS is like a mouse-trap, where the cheese is your favorite stereotype. By stereotype, I mean the automatic reaction you have to someone who holds an opinion which differs from yours on any subject, or someone who belongs to a different political group, who comes from a different culture, minority group or “tribe.” According to Psychology Today, everyone has unconscious bias. The unsettling truth the magazine reports is that “We have met the enemy of equality and the enemy is us.” Even people who makes friends easily or who are on a fast-track to the C-Suite use stereotypes to instantly categorize (stereotype) what other people think, say, or do. If you’re interested in discovering what your personal bias is, and willing to let it go, then check out these three easy techniques: Journaling. Create an imaginary dialogue with a person who may “trigger” a reaction from you. Start writing in your journal with a simple question such as: “I’m curious why you to (this)” or “I’ve been told (this) what do you think?” Then begin writing the response you imagine they would give. Continue the dialogue until you discover the unconscious bias and resolve to release it. Catch and Release: Make a decision to stay fully present and mindful in the presence of someone you’re talking to who thinks or acts differently than you Ask for their opinion, then listen deeply to their response....
Startup Leadership: What Question Would You Like People to Ask You?

Startup Leadership: What Question Would You Like People to Ask You?

by | May 2, 2018 | 10 Traits, Article, Leadership, Leadership Opportunity

I just signed up to attend my favorite event of the year: BoulderStartUpWeek. This week-long event is about to start and all available hotel and airbnb space in town is filling up. Hosted in dozens of venues downtown including many co-working spaces and supported by hundreds of volunteers, it feels more like a community potluck for the mind than an event. People who show up at this annual feast of free events includes everybody who has an interest in all things startup. Their curiosity drives them to take time off to take a look at the future of (almost) every field of endeavor that the human mind can imagine. If you, like me, are lucky enough to learn about the event before the more than 50 “high octane” talks a day by seasoned entrepreneurs fill up, you can get first pick of the panels that interest you most. And even if they’re marked “filled” chances are, you can still get in. Once inside an event, you’ll be certain to be asked The Question at least once. But first you have to fill out your profile. Most of the details requested in the profile are easy to fill out and none push the privacy alarm. But this one: “What question would you like people to ask you?” has a catch. It slows me down a bit because it makes me think of who is asking the question. Is it a millennial? A boomer? A venture capitalist? A potential customer? Or is it someone who simply asked the question and doesn’t really have time to listen to the answer? We live...